And the 'you' here is, well, me. :)

Disappointments

How do you define disappointment in laymen's terms? In my point of view, its simply whereby my expectations isn't met. Well, so how do you measure the level of credibility and justifiable an expectation can potentially be?

Well, it is perhaps a mixture of ethics, justice, and adab. Putting things in its proper place. Like putting appreciation in its place when you feel someone has helped you in major situations, or like putting a cup of coffee on the table and not on the floor. A human brain is located at the top not on my ass. So yeah, thats adab for ya.

It is disappointing if someone whom you expect to have understood your worldview did not meet that expectation. It is as if, you expect the person to run fast, knowing that the person can run fast, but due to some amount of emotional lag that dampen ones ability to perform aptly, the person, well, I would say didn't plausibly make it to my expectation list.

Im not an ardent admirer for perfection. Perfection does not belong to a creation. But we must however, try our best to make do with the things we have. That is adab. To rightfully accept our role as steward of this world, and though we may lack in many different ways, we try our best to make this world a better place to live in.

It all boils down to trust. When a person trust that the other could perform, it sort of create a self-prophecy cycle that enables one to do something for the sack of that trust. It is the ability to appreciate trust as an existence that manifest as beauty not in the eyes of the beholder, but beauty in the mind's eye of the beholder. Clearly there is a significant difference between the eye, and the mind's eye. The mind's eye is your worldview. The lens encompassing your perspective over REALITY.

Reality is a large word. If you ask Prof Naquib the definition of reality, he'd whallop your butt raw for asking the wrong questions. In fact, how can you define reality, when reality defines definition? Its like an apple defining life, when life itself defines and shapes our perspective of the apple, like how sunlight influences the colour of the apple to be red or green. So what exactly is reality in this context??

Well, for beginners, it starts with the people around you. Yes, these people around you are real, although some scientist might beg to differ as the people around you, so they claim, is a reflection of the electric signals running thru your brain, and thus, if they could distort the electric signal, the eye sees a different picture.

But surely we must look at a person beyond his appearance. What im trying to say, is to see a person beyond the eye. Using the mind's eye. To appreciate the living of that particular person, and do what you can to make the best out of it. In what way then?

Learn to be thankful. Accept the imbalances of the self and take it in your stride, and appreciate the realities around you. It is exceptionally important for one to be appreciative. Because if a person is not, well, that reality can simply be undone. I mean, God creates us for a reason right? That He alone is all-sustainable, everlasting, whereas we are short-lived, and weak.

It is best for you to reflect my friend. Before that particular reality ceased to exist.

Only God is the true reality that does not perish!

A Happy bird

Sometimes I wonder, when I dwell in the labyrinths of adab, and I see my buddies who have understood that concept but failed to reinforce it after the month of ramadhan left us, it saddens my heart.

It is ok to express certain things. But we must remember that there are certain things that are best left aside, and if there is a need, to not pursue it. It is like, you express that you like the apple on the NTUC shelve, but knowing that you have a lot of apples at home, you don't pursue the offer of buying it, less eating it of course.

Each individual is liable of his/her actions. But nevertheless, when it comes to the level where it involves other beings of life, and their feelings and certain emotional attachments, it is best to not discuss the hidden desire, to quell the forbidden desires of pursuing more than what you have. If two is not enough, it is best to contemplate on yourself and not do anything. Because every action you take, it'll lead to consequences that may sadden others. Perhaps we all should reconsider our thought-provoking statements, and that is a reminder for me too. :)

Selamat Hari Raya to my Family and friends, especially my flysunday who has been with me for more than a year, the child, the rose and the angel, the strawberries in the fields, the house that was meant for us to stay atop the rainbow peels, etc.

You make me feel happy. A happy bird. Happily tweeting its way to soar among the clouds, knowing, understanding, and most of all, BELIEVING in me that I will always go back, perched upon the petals of my lovely white rose, singing songs of songbirds and dust, and back again to my home in the sky.

The sky is where I truly belong. And my heart is where you truly belong. :) That is, my sincerity at its best.

And to this world, stop the Burn the Quran crap. You're not burning anything my friend. If you really want to burn, you gotta burn our hearts. Because what we memorise in our minds doesnt make our minds holding the holy book, but it is actually the heart that memorises them in its totality. Because the heart is knowledge-based. And the Quran is knowledge. So burning the book is like burning water. No matter how much fire you have, we always come down as rain.

Or worst, as happy birds.

The missing jigsaw piece

Its been ice ages since I blog. I find it abit of a chore to keep updating about myself, and having the sole objective of blogging lost among the updates. I mean, blogging is supposed to be a medium to express what I feel right? Hmm..

I can't sleep, so was in deep thoughts over some uncertain issues. Was rolling around listening to some music until it played a familiar piano piece that was long lost. It was farzanna's piano piece. So I decided to look back at my blog posts in hopes that I could find some answers in what I opined as 'contemplating on past actions'.

Saw this post dated way back in August 2007. It read, "Dont let him get hurt, if it has to be, i'd rather u lemme take his place.."

Suddenly I realised the missing jigsaw puzzle. I believe each and every one of us have different interpretations on sacrifices. But what astounded me was that this insan could pray to God and asked that I were to be safe, and if I werent, she'd rather be in my place. I mean, what the heck. I wouldn't do such a thing. Its painful. Why would someone share another's tragedy?

Such blind love. Thats the missing jigsaw puzzle.

bla bla

sometimes it is kinda scary to gulp in the truth that you are one of the kind, possibly one out of a million. I am very sure I can meet the rest of the 10 from the other ten million.

sometimes I just feel like the people around me couldn't careless of the realities that are happening, but perhaps they really mean it when they say 'ignorance is a bliss.'

sometimes I feel as though I am not giving enough, but to them, it is too much, but to me, it is never enough.

so whose fault is it?

My guess?

Only immatures would initiate the pointing-finger approach.

The Reduction of Faith to define 'Underclass'

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim mentioned in the news recently about the emergence of underclass Malay/Muslim group from the main community, citing "This is not Malay culture, this is a subculture". (CNA,04 January 2010, Analysis: National approach needed for underclass issue).

The question is: Is it true that the emergence of such underclass from the mainstream community a recent introduction, or a cause of accrual exploitation of the media, or is it a cause factor of the social paradigm shift in a post modern era?

During the CLF/TMSN meeting with various Malay Muslim undergraduates recently, many of us argued and brought across factors after factors that maybe the social indicators to redefine the terminology 'underclass' in our context. However, much to my dismay, few would bring across a much simpler tool to find the pin among the hay.

There were many factors most sociologists would use to redefine such a heavy term as 'underclass'. Some say it is the result of the lack of the social, cultural and economical capital of the self. Others used the term 'pathological demoralization' of the mind, or also known as the 'last mile barrier'- the psychological resistance that puts in an absence of any effect if given empowerment, resources, capitals, benefits etc. Some might be given as much as a thousand dollars, but still fail to bring itself out of the problem due to internal resistance to all forms of given welfare.

Some also might argue that 'underclass' can be seen as an Alternative Value System. It is whereby the mind chooses its state of comfort, in a way that even success might be seen as 'drinking a dozen of Heineken bottles at one go' as compared to earning large sums of money. The yardstick of success is hence viewed differently.

In addition, some introduced the 'deconstruction of empowerment'' whereby the environment, social pressures and fast-paced modernization left them socially immobile- unable to keep up with the upper segment of the society, they tend to accept their fate and not having the determination to achieve. Others say they lack help from the MMOs (Malay Muslim Organisations) due to certain policy fine prints and the lack of information with regards to social welfare.

However, in my opinion, it is a mere loss of adab in the society. Referring to the transcripts of Prof Syed Naquib Al-Attas, "I said of that it is the loss of adab. Adab is a reflection of wisdom, because this comes from the knowledge of the Prophets. It is not something that you receive from universities or even from knowledge. Because sometimes people have knowledge but no adab. Adab, the way i understood it, it is acting in conformity with justice. Justice is THE final virtue, justice is the culmination of all virtues."

He further elaborated:

As said in the Qur'an:

"Verily Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those whom they are due (amanah); and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice..."

(Surah An-Nisa': 58)

There are 4 terms in this verse that is important.

1) That the verse is a command ('amr). And when you talk about command you talk about law. Law can only take place when people realise the commands and prohibitions and submit to it.

2) The people of authority are not leaders in legitimate power, but people that are mentioned in the Qur'an as Ulul 'Ilm (those with knowledge), Ulul Absar (those with vision), Ulul Albab (those who are in thinking). This can also mean just governments too.

3) Wisdom, which is the knowledge that tells you of the proper places of everything. Those who are given wisdom include the Prophets and the philosophers. Unfortunately some of the philosophers do not realize that wisdom comes from Allah s.w.t, thinking that wisdom comes from their own minds.

Everything has its own proper place. Things are established in its proper places in accordance to haqq which is reality and truth. Wisdom is therefore the methods of how to deal with these things, to put them into their proper places.

4) Adab is conformity with the knowledge of the proper places of things. And when this is carried out, the condition that results from this is justice. Therefore justice is the condition in which things are in their proper places.

It is in such truth that I must mentioned that the loss of adab of our society itself has degraded our society from the light of Allah SWT. It is the reduction of faith, clearly seen in the meeting, that I would boldly comment that the term 'underclass' can also mean:

"People who has experience a loss of adab in conformity with the knowledge of the proper places of things, in which the reduction of faith, the disenchantment of nature and the lack of knowledge with wisdom in dealing with issues creates a stagnant, or perhaps, a dedevelopmentation of social excellance."

Sadly, it also means it includes me, and the many people who deemed themselves as intellects, for they show 'tendencies to reduce faith and spiritual aspects' in our efforts to study this issue.

The community must realise that the Malay community is built upon the transcended revelation of Islam. Stretching from the historical revivalism of the Islamisation of the Malay Archipelago from Hinduism and animalism, and the integration of Arabic language in Malay Language (as seen from words dunia, akhirat, ruh, doa, taqwa etc); it is steadfast, deep rooted, firm and strong, in our Malay culture and language. Thus, Islam is the way of life of the Malay World. It remains as our worldview.

In the Quran, I believe many would find verses that shows how Allah SWT torture those who do mungkar (bad actions) and rewards those who do makruf (good actions). It is perhaps, in this 'amar makruf, nahi mungkar' that could be included in the redefinition of the underclass. Hence, according to Islam, it is simply, 'those who do bad deeds, and do not do good deeds' (amar mungkar, nahi makruf).

Do we include spiritual perspectives to solve this issue, or do we use spiritual aspects as our magnum opus in our spectacle to study the issue, or we simply shrug the 'religious connotations' to do favours to the sociological aspects of research? Or we simply dwell in the pool of secularism and act as though we are Gods- in control of our own actions and thoughts?

I shall end this note with a quote from Rene Descartes, French Philosopher- "Cogito Ergo Sum" or ‘I think therefore I am’.

Wallahualam bisawwab.