The Path

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar radiyalaahu anhuma had mentioned, "Whoever wishes to follow the way of another, should follow the ways of those who have passed away. These were the companions of Muhammad sallalaahu alayhi wassalam, who were the best people of this Ummah. Their hearts were most pious, their knowledge was deepest and they were least pretentious. They were people whom Allah Ta'ala had chosen to be companions of His Nabi sallalaahu alayhi wassalam and for the transmission of His Deen. You people should emulate their character and mannerisms. By the Rabb of the Kaabah! The Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam were correctly guided."

Saturday 14 May 2011

An Introduction to Masturat Jamaat - Pt 7


The second tafakud resulted in the similar manner, same excuses, but even lesser effort to convince her on my part then before. I guess I myself was not fully ready for it and had a negative preconception about the result, though I could not help but felt bad about it. Then came the third tafakud.

I felt entirely different during the third tafakud. The first one was rather blurry for me. The second one was lacked enthusiasm on my part. But I was overwhelmed with shame during the third tafakud. At first I could not bear facing the same responsible brothers for the masturat effort for three consecutive times in three consecutive months. What would be their perception of me? How could I not convince my own wife to join me and the other couples in the blessed journey of dakwah and tabligh? All sort of shameful thought came to my mind. I've heard of a few unfortunate people's easy way out when they said that even Prophet Nuh alayhis salam's wife had disobeyed her husband. But I refused to compare my other half with the wretched wife of Prophet Nuh alayhis salam. How could I ever do that? And how could I even compare my effort with the great effort of one of the great Nabi of Allah, when Allah Ta'ala declares that Nuh alayhis salam had made the effort of dakwah "layla wan nahar" (night and day, day and night , ceaselessly) for 950 years? I know that I had to shun the feeling of shame facing men rather than bowing down in shame facing Allah Most High on the Day of Judgement. There is no other option for me other than to face the third tafakud. (Please note that I was fighting with my own feeling and in no way it suggests that the noble wise responsible brothers of the masturat jamaat harboured any awful thought against me).

Soon after I had faced the ordeal of the third tafakud, one of my dear friend, Edy Herianto Majlan @Abdul Hadi, who was also in the same masturat jamaat with me, suggested for me to buy all the necessary items at the shops in the compound of the markaz for my wife, in preparation for her to join the jamaat. It was something that I had never thought of before. What is the point of making tasykeel to your wife when there is no preparation made to ease her in making decision? Thus, I bought an abaya, a two-layered pardah, a pair of ladies gloves and a pair of stockings - all of them black in colour. 

I laid all the items that I bought on the bed in front of her when I arrived home with a grin on my face. She shrieked when she saw them. Her shrieking came with words of disapproval but somehow I could see a smile on her face. She even tried the pardah in front of the mirror amidst her mumbling of complaints. 

A day before the scheduled departure of our jamaat, I sat alone after zuhur namaaz in our old small wooden surau/musolla and made du'a to Allah Ta'ala after two rakaat of solatul hajat. I complained, complained and complained of my weakness to Allah until I burst into tears. I honestly could feel that my du'a would be accepted by Allah. However, it was not after more tests being put before me. On the morning of the scheduled departure date, I found myself pleading to her to join the masturat jamaat. I was ready with my luggage and bedding packed since the night before but she had made nothing in preparation. Nothing...and we  were already late for masturat hidayat bayan. It was the longest plead to anyone that I could recall of. Abdul Hadi has been calling me several times over the phone. It seemed that the best I could do was to make her promise to join me in a masturat jamaat the next month when deep inside me I know that there would never be a fourth tafakud.

I was about to give up entirely and decided to join the local three days men's jamaat that was scheduled on the same day, when my last plead to her was, "You may promise me to join a masturat jamaat next month, but know this that you will have to join a jamaat that are strangers to you. You won't be joining people that you know, who are your friends like this jamaat." At the point when all hope and expectancy gone, as I picked up my luggage and bedding to leave, to my utter pleasant surprise she said, "Alright then." 

Subhanallah! Truly Allah Ta'ala decides in the most astonishing and marvelous way!

  

Monday 9 May 2011

An Introduction to Masturat Jamaat - Pt 6


"Why should I go out leaving the house and the children for three days? Is it not sufficient just to read the ta'leem at home with the children? If you want to go out for tabligh, then go! Leave me out of it." That might not be her exact speech word by word, but that was certainly the gist of it when I asked her to join the three days masturat jamaat that had been formed. I had to refrain myself from turning my invitation to a prolonged argument that may be detrimental to the whole intent and purpose - mainly, because I could easily get agitated and angry as a husband and as a father; another reason was because of the advises that I got from friends who have experience in masturat effort: "Hawa had been created by Allah Ta'ala from the rib of Prophet Adam alayhi salam. Hence, like the shape of the rib, women's liking and behaviour is naturally 'bended'. You cannot use force to straighten it, alas it will break in two. But if you leave it as it is, it will forever be 'bended'." 

So, when the scheduled date to join the earlier formed masturat jamaat had passed in vain, I told my other half that I would go for another tafakud for the second time, albeit her protest.

Hazrat Mufti Mahmud Hassan Gangohi rahmatullah alayhi further wrote, "The objective of the tabligh jamaat is to learn the Deen and to become steadfast in it as well as to prepare others to do the same. It is often necessary to undertake distant journeys for this purpose. Just as men need to learn the Deen, women do too, but there is not always the infrastructure in place for this. To achieve this objective, it will be permissible for them to undertake journeys even to London on condition that they are accompanied by a mahram, hijab and other regulations are observed and no rights of any people are violated. In fact, doing this is beneficial and necessary for the Deen. If the children are not so small that they are totally dependent on their mother and if the grandmother is capable of caring for them, there will be no harm in the mother going. May Allah Ta'ala bless this journey, assist the jamaat, bring them back with success and take care of the children."