There are those who defend them blindly and those who condemn them outright. Both these extremes are not the right way.
The Tabligh movement has done good in their 80 years of work too. Looking within to change their inner self : seeking purity and doing charity.
Today, some of their followers have done wrong. One should not judge the whole. Some are overdoing it, hurling nasty curses, wishing they die and go to hell and so forth. This is wrong. Very wrong.
Many of the Tabligh followers who are sick did not seek to hurt themselves, more so wanting to hurt others. Many are as innocent as any other who contracted COVID19. An elderly man dies and you curse him? Who is the wicked one here?
Yes, there are those within the Tabligh group today who are hiding and evade the authorities. They are lousy individuals within the Tabligh group. They do not represent the Tabligh philosophy.
Let us be moderate.
Thanks, and Peace,
Anas.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Saturday, March 21, 2020
COVID19 : LAWS ARE NOT ENOUGH TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOR.
Tomorrow is Israk and Mikraj and I hope our policymakers are prepared.
While the army will be deployed by tomorrow morning at 12 01 am to help PDRM enforce the Restricted Movement Order (RMO), we need to find a solution which is more holistic that can target human behavior by helping them deal with their routines better.
I would like to use this video about an elderly Indonesian who insisted that the mosque must be open for Friday prayers as a platform to explain my idea. The elderly man finds it hard to break his routine. The routine is likely one that he has been practicing for the last 70 years. We need to practice mercy and understanding and must not simply see him as someone who is foolish and unruly. There are more to the problem here than meets the eye. The elderly man is simply following his habit.
A habit is an established, settled and regular tendency or practice,one that is especially hard to give up. Habits are choices we deliberately or unconsciously made in the past, but after a while stop thinking about but continue the practice. We act on them automatically – as our auto-responses or default settings. Habits follow the Cue-Routine-Reward loop. The elderly man is simply living out his habit.
Cue = Friday afternoon: Routine = Jumaat Prayer: Reward = at peace with God and Self.
Until policymakers help with introducing another routine, like for example re-channeling the cravings through following prayers live over television, many like this elderly man will feel unfulfilled, cheated and angry. This will be repeated every Friday. Perhaps the Muftis may want to propose a temporary Fatwa allowing individuals to follow a Friday prayer from the home only limited to during this ‘keadaan darurat’ (emergency situation) and provide a special ‘Niat Solat Jumaat’ (declaration of Friday prayers) for the purpose. The Quran provides conceptual and specific examples for flexibility in prayers at Quran 4: 101-103.
We must take a more holistic approach and look at the bigger picture. To change people’s behavior, punishment and prohibition using law is a key component of action. But to help individuals and groups better, we need to give them another routine to deal with their cravings.
This behavioral pattern is not the monopoly of the Muslims. In Sarawak, two of the COVID19 clusters are from two separate churches. In the USA, pro-Trump churches for example, are resisting to cancel their services. Most organized religions set routines (rightly or wrongly) as routines provide stability and help the faithful anchor their hearts to a secure base.
Tomorrow is a big religious day for Muslims – The Israk and Mikraj. Many may not follow the RMO as it is a yearly routine that has a strong cue and is perceived to provide them with a hefty reward. The Subuh period will see many thronging the mesjids as the Solat Sunat Israk and Mikraj is right after the Subuh prayer. Many will want to perform their prayers in a congregation especially in the mesjids, as the ‘reward’ is perceived as far greater in group prayers. What kind of strategy have the policymakers and religious leaders put in place to mitigate this? Can we have RTM and all of the other available media to provide another option to the Cue-Routine-Reward loop?
As I have suggested earlier, this is not the monopoly of the Muslims alone. April 4th is Cheng Beng (Ancestor’s Day or Tomb Sweeping Day). Are we ready for another mass exodus so soon after March 31st? Cheng Beng is a very important tradition among our Chinese brothers and sisters. Honoring one's deceased ancestors is a big Cue: Routine: Reward pattern that is hard to simply avoid. April 13th is Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year and April 14th the Puthandu the Tamil new year where the tradition is to visit homes of family and friends and the temples. Imagine is Thaipusam is just around the corner! I believe you get my point.
I have confidence in our police and army managing the situation but they need help to make their job easier and less hurtful. I hope our policymakers and religious leaders will spend more time strategizing on how to alter human behavior by providing alternatives to the accepted routines. Look for the cues first, like important festivals and rituals. Understand the routines and reward system and provide an alternative. Please work with behavioral scientists. Get their guidance on how to help deal with human behavior better. The exodus to ‘balik kampung’ after the RMO announcement could have been mitigated if we did a proper potential problem analysis about the behavior of Malaysians when they are given a chance to not work at the office (that is why at zubedy, my outfit, anyone going back to the hometown would be considered as taking annual leave and not working from home and as such is required to fill up the leave form).
Individual habits are hard to change. Customs (group habits), are even harder. But traditions, the apex of these behavioral patterns, are the hardest to deal with. Policymakers will need all the help and advice they need. It is not enough to listen to the usual. Please think out-of-the-box and listen to more experts. We need to work harder at this.
Peace.
Anas Zubedy
Kuala Lumpur.
While the army will be deployed by tomorrow morning at 12 01 am to help PDRM enforce the Restricted Movement Order (RMO), we need to find a solution which is more holistic that can target human behavior by helping them deal with their routines better.
I would like to use this video about an elderly Indonesian who insisted that the mosque must be open for Friday prayers as a platform to explain my idea. The elderly man finds it hard to break his routine. The routine is likely one that he has been practicing for the last 70 years. We need to practice mercy and understanding and must not simply see him as someone who is foolish and unruly. There are more to the problem here than meets the eye. The elderly man is simply following his habit.
A habit is an established, settled and regular tendency or practice,one that is especially hard to give up. Habits are choices we deliberately or unconsciously made in the past, but after a while stop thinking about but continue the practice. We act on them automatically – as our auto-responses or default settings. Habits follow the Cue-Routine-Reward loop. The elderly man is simply living out his habit.
Cue = Friday afternoon: Routine = Jumaat Prayer: Reward = at peace with God and Self.
Until policymakers help with introducing another routine, like for example re-channeling the cravings through following prayers live over television, many like this elderly man will feel unfulfilled, cheated and angry. This will be repeated every Friday. Perhaps the Muftis may want to propose a temporary Fatwa allowing individuals to follow a Friday prayer from the home only limited to during this ‘keadaan darurat’ (emergency situation) and provide a special ‘Niat Solat Jumaat’ (declaration of Friday prayers) for the purpose. The Quran provides conceptual and specific examples for flexibility in prayers at Quran 4: 101-103.
We must take a more holistic approach and look at the bigger picture. To change people’s behavior, punishment and prohibition using law is a key component of action. But to help individuals and groups better, we need to give them another routine to deal with their cravings.
This behavioral pattern is not the monopoly of the Muslims. In Sarawak, two of the COVID19 clusters are from two separate churches. In the USA, pro-Trump churches for example, are resisting to cancel their services. Most organized religions set routines (rightly or wrongly) as routines provide stability and help the faithful anchor their hearts to a secure base.
Tomorrow is a big religious day for Muslims – The Israk and Mikraj. Many may not follow the RMO as it is a yearly routine that has a strong cue and is perceived to provide them with a hefty reward. The Subuh period will see many thronging the mesjids as the Solat Sunat Israk and Mikraj is right after the Subuh prayer. Many will want to perform their prayers in a congregation especially in the mesjids, as the ‘reward’ is perceived as far greater in group prayers. What kind of strategy have the policymakers and religious leaders put in place to mitigate this? Can we have RTM and all of the other available media to provide another option to the Cue-Routine-Reward loop?
As I have suggested earlier, this is not the monopoly of the Muslims alone. April 4th is Cheng Beng (Ancestor’s Day or Tomb Sweeping Day). Are we ready for another mass exodus so soon after March 31st? Cheng Beng is a very important tradition among our Chinese brothers and sisters. Honoring one's deceased ancestors is a big Cue: Routine: Reward pattern that is hard to simply avoid. April 13th is Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year and April 14th the Puthandu the Tamil new year where the tradition is to visit homes of family and friends and the temples. Imagine is Thaipusam is just around the corner! I believe you get my point.
I have confidence in our police and army managing the situation but they need help to make their job easier and less hurtful. I hope our policymakers and religious leaders will spend more time strategizing on how to alter human behavior by providing alternatives to the accepted routines. Look for the cues first, like important festivals and rituals. Understand the routines and reward system and provide an alternative. Please work with behavioral scientists. Get their guidance on how to help deal with human behavior better. The exodus to ‘balik kampung’ after the RMO announcement could have been mitigated if we did a proper potential problem analysis about the behavior of Malaysians when they are given a chance to not work at the office (that is why at zubedy, my outfit, anyone going back to the hometown would be considered as taking annual leave and not working from home and as such is required to fill up the leave form).
Individual habits are hard to change. Customs (group habits), are even harder. But traditions, the apex of these behavioral patterns, are the hardest to deal with. Policymakers will need all the help and advice they need. It is not enough to listen to the usual. Please think out-of-the-box and listen to more experts. We need to work harder at this.
Peace.
Anas Zubedy
Kuala Lumpur.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
TAQWA KEPADA ALLAH, TAKUT KEPADA VIRUS COVID 19
Salam saudara-saudara dan saudari-saudari Islam.
Orang Islam di suruh berTaqwa kepada Allah yang besar ertinya.
Malangnya pada masa sekarang kebanyakan orang Islam menyamakan Taqwa dengan hanya perkataan ‘takut’ dan dengan itu membawa erti makna Taqwa kepada tahap yang sungguh cetek.
Selepas kita merendahkan konsep besar ini kepada hanya konsep takut, maka senanglah kita melaga-lagakan Allah dengan perkara-perkara yang langsung tiada tandingnya dengan Allah seperti virus COVID19. Wujudlah ramai antara kita yang megah buat kenyataan mereka lebih takut kepada Allah, tetapi tak takut mati di tangan virus COVID19 dan bersungguh-sungguh nak ke perjumpaan Tablig yang tidak diwajibkan dalam AlQuran mahupun Sunnah. Selepas di Malaysia, kini di Indonesia pula.
Tak tahukah haji ke Mekah pun tidak diwajibkan kepada semua? Tak tahukah bahawa pada hakikatnya dalam sejarah Mekah sendiri pun sudah berpuluh kali ditutup akibat pelbagai sebab seperti peperangan, kebakaran dan wabak penyakit dan proses baik pulih? Bukankah Nabi kita sendiri pernah rela tunggu satu tahun untuk menunaikan haji dengan Perjanjian Hudaibiyah yakni orang Islam hanya dibenarkan memasuki Makkah pada tahun yang berikutnya?
Kenapa kita pula tidak rela menunggu beberapa bulan untuk perjumpaan tahunan seperti perjumpaan tabliq, sembahyang Jumaat, ceramah-ceramah agama dan selainnya? Bukankah salah satu dari 5 perkara asas Maqasid Syariah adalah “memelihara nyawa (Hifzu al-Hayah)”?
Konsep Taqwa adalah konsep yang besar, mendalam dan menyeluruh. Malangnya, dalam terjemahan ke Bahasa Melayu kita guna perkataan takut.
Apakah yang Quran ertikan mengenai Taqwa? Siapakah yang dikatakan orang yang berTaqwa (Muttaqoon)? Disini saya akan memberi 2 ayat Al-Quran yang muhkamah (jelas) mengenai Taqwa. Diharapkan saudara-saudara dan saudari-saudari buat renungan dan muhasabah diri.
“ Bukanlah perkara kebajikan itu hanya kamu menghadapkan muka ke pihak timur dan barat, tetapi kebajikan itu ialah berimannya seseorang kepada Allah, dan hari akhirat, dan segala malaikat, dan segala Kitab, dan sekalian Nabi; dan mendermanya seseorang akan hartanya sedang ia menyayanginya, - kepada kaum kerabat, dan anak-anak yatim dan orang-orang miskin dan orang yang terlantar dalam perjalanan, dan kepada orang-orang yang meminta, dan untuk memerdekakan hamba-hamba abdi; dan mengerjanya seseorang akan sembahyang serta mengeluarkan zakat; dan perbuatan orang-orang yang menyempurnakan janjinya apabila mereka membuat perjanjian; dan ketabahan orang-orang yang sabar dalam masa kesempitan, dan dalam masa kesakitan, dan juga dalam masa bertempur dalam perjuangan perang Sabil. orang-orang yang demikian sifatnya), mereka itulah orang-orang yang benar (beriman dan mengerjakan kebajikan); DAN MEREKA ITULAH JUGA ORANG-ORANG YANG BERTAQWA.”
Quran 2:177
Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, hendaklah kamu semua sentiasa menjadi orang-orang yang menegakkan keadilan kerana Allah, lagi menerangkan kebenaran; dan jangan sekali-kali kebencian kamu terhadap sesuatu kaum itu mendorong kamu kepada tidak melakukan keadilan. HENDAKLAH KAMU BERLAKU ADIL (KEPADA SESIAPA JUA) KERANA SIKAP ADIL ITU LEBIH HAMPIR KEPADA TAQWA. Dan bertaqwalah kepada Allah, sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui dengan mendalam akan apa yang kamu lakukan.
Quran 5:8
Adakah kita bersikap adil kalau perbuatan kita dapat mendatangkan mudarat kepada orang lain termasuk keluarga dan ibubapa kita sendiri?
BERTAQWALAH KEPADA ALLAH, TAKUTLAH KEPADA VIRUS COVID 19.
Kita harus rela menunggu sehingga masa yang selamat untuk membuat perjumpaan, sembahyang berjemaah di masjid dan pergi mendengar ceramah-ceramah.
Mari kita belajar dari Al Quran dan ikut contoh Nabi.
Salam,
Anas Zubedy
Orang Islam di suruh berTaqwa kepada Allah yang besar ertinya.
Malangnya pada masa sekarang kebanyakan orang Islam menyamakan Taqwa dengan hanya perkataan ‘takut’ dan dengan itu membawa erti makna Taqwa kepada tahap yang sungguh cetek.
Selepas kita merendahkan konsep besar ini kepada hanya konsep takut, maka senanglah kita melaga-lagakan Allah dengan perkara-perkara yang langsung tiada tandingnya dengan Allah seperti virus COVID19. Wujudlah ramai antara kita yang megah buat kenyataan mereka lebih takut kepada Allah, tetapi tak takut mati di tangan virus COVID19 dan bersungguh-sungguh nak ke perjumpaan Tablig yang tidak diwajibkan dalam AlQuran mahupun Sunnah. Selepas di Malaysia, kini di Indonesia pula.
Tak tahukah haji ke Mekah pun tidak diwajibkan kepada semua? Tak tahukah bahawa pada hakikatnya dalam sejarah Mekah sendiri pun sudah berpuluh kali ditutup akibat pelbagai sebab seperti peperangan, kebakaran dan wabak penyakit dan proses baik pulih? Bukankah Nabi kita sendiri pernah rela tunggu satu tahun untuk menunaikan haji dengan Perjanjian Hudaibiyah yakni orang Islam hanya dibenarkan memasuki Makkah pada tahun yang berikutnya?
Kenapa kita pula tidak rela menunggu beberapa bulan untuk perjumpaan tahunan seperti perjumpaan tabliq, sembahyang Jumaat, ceramah-ceramah agama dan selainnya? Bukankah salah satu dari 5 perkara asas Maqasid Syariah adalah “memelihara nyawa (Hifzu al-Hayah)”?
Konsep Taqwa adalah konsep yang besar, mendalam dan menyeluruh. Malangnya, dalam terjemahan ke Bahasa Melayu kita guna perkataan takut.
Apakah yang Quran ertikan mengenai Taqwa? Siapakah yang dikatakan orang yang berTaqwa (Muttaqoon)? Disini saya akan memberi 2 ayat Al-Quran yang muhkamah (jelas) mengenai Taqwa. Diharapkan saudara-saudara dan saudari-saudari buat renungan dan muhasabah diri.
“ Bukanlah perkara kebajikan itu hanya kamu menghadapkan muka ke pihak timur dan barat, tetapi kebajikan itu ialah berimannya seseorang kepada Allah, dan hari akhirat, dan segala malaikat, dan segala Kitab, dan sekalian Nabi; dan mendermanya seseorang akan hartanya sedang ia menyayanginya, - kepada kaum kerabat, dan anak-anak yatim dan orang-orang miskin dan orang yang terlantar dalam perjalanan, dan kepada orang-orang yang meminta, dan untuk memerdekakan hamba-hamba abdi; dan mengerjanya seseorang akan sembahyang serta mengeluarkan zakat; dan perbuatan orang-orang yang menyempurnakan janjinya apabila mereka membuat perjanjian; dan ketabahan orang-orang yang sabar dalam masa kesempitan, dan dalam masa kesakitan, dan juga dalam masa bertempur dalam perjuangan perang Sabil. orang-orang yang demikian sifatnya), mereka itulah orang-orang yang benar (beriman dan mengerjakan kebajikan); DAN MEREKA ITULAH JUGA ORANG-ORANG YANG BERTAQWA.”
Quran 2:177
Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, hendaklah kamu semua sentiasa menjadi orang-orang yang menegakkan keadilan kerana Allah, lagi menerangkan kebenaran; dan jangan sekali-kali kebencian kamu terhadap sesuatu kaum itu mendorong kamu kepada tidak melakukan keadilan. HENDAKLAH KAMU BERLAKU ADIL (KEPADA SESIAPA JUA) KERANA SIKAP ADIL ITU LEBIH HAMPIR KEPADA TAQWA. Dan bertaqwalah kepada Allah, sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui dengan mendalam akan apa yang kamu lakukan.
Quran 5:8
Adakah kita bersikap adil kalau perbuatan kita dapat mendatangkan mudarat kepada orang lain termasuk keluarga dan ibubapa kita sendiri?
BERTAQWALAH KEPADA ALLAH, TAKUTLAH KEPADA VIRUS COVID 19.
Kita harus rela menunggu sehingga masa yang selamat untuk membuat perjumpaan, sembahyang berjemaah di masjid dan pergi mendengar ceramah-ceramah.
Mari kita belajar dari Al Quran dan ikut contoh Nabi.
Salam,
Anas Zubedy
SALAH FAHAM MENGENAI PANDANGAN ISLAM DAN MASALAH COVID19.
MESEJ PENTING
Salam,
Ustaz2 dan penceramah2 beginilah akan menyebabkan ramai yg Islam dan bukan beragama Islam susah, sakit dan mungkin sampai hilang nyawa terutamanya warga emas dan mereka yang kurang sihat.
Pandangan mereka bercanggah dengan apa yang Allah telah wahyukan di Quran 13:11,
"SESUNGGUHNYA ALLAH TIDAK MENGUBAH APA YANG ADA PADA SATU KAUM SEHINGGA MEREKA MENGUBAH APA YANG ADA PADA DIRI MEREKA SENDIRI"
Jadi kalau kita tidak serious dan tekun berusaha menangani dan mengubah nasib kita sendiri dari COVID19, maka Allah tidak akan mengubah nasib kita dari menerima malapetaka dari penyakit tersebut.
Saya amat berharap DYMM YDP AGONG serta Duli-Duli YMM Sultan-Sultan dan Raja-Raja kita akan mengarah semua Mufti-Mufti untuk menegaskan bahawa mesej2 mereka ini harus tidak diterima.
Mereka juga mesti diharuskan menarik balik dan meminta maaf kepada rakyat atas kesilapan mereka.
Salam,
Anas Zubedy
Ustaz2 dan penceramah2 beginilah akan menyebabkan ramai yg Islam dan bukan beragama Islam susah, sakit dan mungkin sampai hilang nyawa terutamanya warga emas dan mereka yang kurang sihat.
Pandangan mereka bercanggah dengan apa yang Allah telah wahyukan di Quran 13:11,
"SESUNGGUHNYA ALLAH TIDAK MENGUBAH APA YANG ADA PADA SATU KAUM SEHINGGA MEREKA MENGUBAH APA YANG ADA PADA DIRI MEREKA SENDIRI"
Jadi kalau kita tidak serious dan tekun berusaha menangani dan mengubah nasib kita sendiri dari COVID19, maka Allah tidak akan mengubah nasib kita dari menerima malapetaka dari penyakit tersebut.
Saya amat berharap DYMM YDP AGONG serta Duli-Duli YMM Sultan-Sultan dan Raja-Raja kita akan mengarah semua Mufti-Mufti untuk menegaskan bahawa mesej2 mereka ini harus tidak diterima.
Mereka juga mesti diharuskan menarik balik dan meminta maaf kepada rakyat atas kesilapan mereka.
Salam,
Anas Zubedy