"Wahai Musa, sesungguhnya Akulah Allah Yang Maha Kuasa, lagi Maha Bijaksana)
Dan ,
( Ash-Shu'ara' 26:9 - وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ Dan sesungguhnya Tuhanmu (wahai Muhammad) Dia lah sahaja Yang Maha Kuasa, lagi Maha Mengasihani.)
Allah ﷻ mempunyai nama ٱلْعَزِيزُ ertinya yang menguasai urusan-Nya. Dialah yang mempunyai ketinggian dan kekuasaan dalam kerajaan-Nya, iaitu seluruh langit dan bumi dan apa yang ada pada kedua-duanya.
Dia-lah أَحَدٌ Sang Raja diatas 'Arasy-Nya, yang tunggal dalam nama dan sifat, yang tiada bandingan dalam sifat kesempurnaan.
Yang ٱلْعَزِيزُ Yang Yang Maha Kuat, tiada menandingi
yang أَحَدٌ , Yang Maha Esa tidak ada yang serupa.
Kekuatan adalah sarung-Nya dan kesombongan adalah selendang-Nya.
Doa Rasulullah ﷺ :
"Tiada Tuhan selain daripada Allah, Yang Maha Esa أَحَدٌ dan ٱلْعَزِيزُ Maha Menaklukkan , Tuhan seluruh langit dan bumi dan apa yang ada pada kedua-duanya, ٱلْعَزِيزُ Yang Maha Perkasa, dan غَفُورٌ Yang Maha Pengampun dan رَّحِيمٌ Maha Pengasih, dan ٱلْحَكِيمُ Yang Maha Bijaksana .......
(Sahih Al-Jami', 4693)
Bagi seorang muslim yang berdoa dengan nama Allah ﷻ ini, hendaklah dia merasakan kehadiran kekuatan yang dapat dirasakan oleh tiap-tiap muslim ketika mengesakan, beribadat dan mencintai Tuhannya.
Setiap amalan hendaknya menambah kedekatan dengan-Nya.
Dia sentiasa yakin bahawa kekuatan itu hanya akan ada jika menjalankan perintah-Nya, kerana Allah ﷻ yang Maha Perkasa telah memberikan kekuatan kepada Rasul-Nya, pengikut dan pendukungnya.
Seorang muslim tidak akan redha kekuatan islam dan umatnya digantikan dengan yang lain.
(Dr. Mahmud Abdurrazak Ar-Ridwani, Ad-Du'aubi'l Asmai'l Husna, 2005: 24)
One of the greatest Books by 'Ibn Arabi' in 'Islamic Tasawuf'.
Volume 1 includes the first two books of the thirty-seven books of Ibn ‘Arabi’s greatest work al-Futuhat al-Makkiyah (The Openings in Makkah).
The Greatest Teacher, al-Shaykh al-Akbar, Ibn ‘Arabi dictated to his close friends this work of over 10,000 manuscript pages depicting the extraordinary vision of the Youth he encountered while circling the Ka‘bah in Makkah.
Despite its clear provenance as a completely accurate work, from the hand and mind of its transcriber, and its reputation through the centuries as the most significant and profound reflection of Islamic thought, the Futuhat al-Makkiyah has never been translated from the original classical Arabic in its entirety.
Ibn 'Arabi was a Mystic, philosopher, poet, sage, one of the world's great spiritual teachers. Known as Muhyiddin (the Reviver of Religion) and the Shaykh al-Akbar (the Greatest Master), he was born in 560 AH (1165 AD) into the Moorish culture of Andalusian Spain, the centre of an extraordinary flourishing and cross-fertilization of Jewish, Christian and Islamic thought, through which the major scientific and philosophical works of antiquity were transmitted to Northern Europe.
Ibn 'Arabi's spiritual attainments were evident from an early age, and he was renowned for his great visionary capacity as well as being a superlative teacher. He travelled extensively in the Islamic world and died in Damascus in 1240 AD.
He wrote over 350 works including the Fusus al-Hikam, an exposition of the inner meaning of the wisdom of the prophets in the Judaic/ Christian/ Islamic line, and the Futuhat al-Makkiyya, a vast encyclopaedia of spiritual knowledge which unites and distinguishes the three strands of tradition, reason and mystical insight.
In his Diwan and Tarjuman al-Ashwaq he also wrote some of the finest poetry in the Arabic language. These extensive writings provide a beautiful exposition of the Unity of Being, the single and indivisible reality which simultaneously transcends and is manifested in all the images of the world. Ibn 'Arabi shows how Man, in perfection, is the complete image of this reality and how those who truly know their essential self, know God.
Firmly rooted in the Quran, his work is universal, accepting that each person has a unique path to the truth, which unites all paths in itself. He has profoundly influenced the development of Islam since his time, as well as significant aspects of the philosophy and literature of the West. His wisdom has much to offer us in the modern world in terms of understanding what it means to be human.
Melalui Ibn al-`Arabi (merujuk khusus kitabnya Al Futuhat Al Makkiyah), tasawwuf tidak memencilkan falsafah dan teologi atau keseluruhan usaha pemikiran manusia; ia tidak pula menyerah kepada falsafah lalu mengkhianati agama; ia sebaliknya telah memperislamkan falsafah.
Tasawwuf telah merobah wajah falsafah tanpa sedikit pun mencacatkan rupanya. Tidak cuma mengembalikan makna sebenar falsafah; tidak hanya memperbetul, memperkukuh dan memperlengkapkan falsafah; tasawwuf telah menghasilkan metafi zika dan falsafah serta teologi Islam yang hakiki lagi sebenar, yang telah mencapai kemurnian budi dan keluhuran daya yang belum pernah dikenal oleh ahli-ahli falsafah sendiri.
Falsafah patuh kepada teologi yang disinari oleh tasawwuf; metafi zika dan falsafah serta kalam yang kini peristilahannya mengalir dalam nadi tasawwuf telah dihembuskan nafas baru yang hidup dan segar.
Ajaran-ajaran Ibn al-`Arabi juga telah meniupkan suatu perubahan yang hebat, suatu revolusi, dalam pemikiran Shi‘ah. Ini jelas tercermin dalam karya Sadruddin Ibn Turka, Haydar Amuli (m. 787/1385), Sa’inuddin Turka Isfahani (m.s. 835 H), Ibn Abu Jumhur al-Aha’i, serta Mulla Sadra (m. 1050/1640), yang antara jasa terbesarnya adalah mengusahakan pembentangan yang menyeluruh dan mudah akan renungan-renungan penting Ibn al-‘Arabi dan para penghurai beliau.
Sebagai intisari hasil kajiannya, al-Ghurab menyatakan: Kita menyimpulkan bahawa al-Shaykh al-Akbar Muhyiddin Ibn al-`Arabi rahimahullah ta‘ala: Imam Muslim Salafi Usuli Sufi. Imam Muslim, bermakna beliau faqih yang punya mazhab tersendiri, seorang daripada pemuka Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama‘ah. Salafi, bererti beliau pengikut Nabi, bukan pembikin bid‘ah. Usuli, bererti beliau menerima-pakai apa yang disepakati oleh ahli-ahli usul fi qh iaitu Kitab, Sunnah dan Ijma‘. Sufi, bererti beliau adalah warith muhammadi yang memiliki sebahagian besar akhlak yang termulia (makarim al-akhlaq).
Al-Shaykh Ibn al-`Arabi rahiyallahu‘anhu adalah cermin muhammadiyyah yang paling jernih dan seimbang lagi tetap. Sesiapa yang melihat kepadanya hanyalah melihat dirinya sendiri, dan sesiapa yang berkata-kata mengenainya hanyalah mengatakan mengenai dirinya sendiri.
Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah ditulis tangan oleh Ibn al-`Arabi sendiri dalam 2 edisi. Edisi pertama ditulisnya dalam masa 31 tahun antara tahun 598H./1202M. hingga 629H./1231M., dalam 20 jilid.
Tiga tahun kemudian, Ibn al-`Arabi mula menulis edisi kedua pula yang memperbaiki bahagian tertentu berkenaan gaya bahasa dan penghalusan isi yang tidak melibatkan perubahan besar kandungan buku.
Edisi kedua itu siap selepas 4 tahun, dalam tahun 636H./1238M., dalam 37 jilid, dan sekarang ada tersimpan di Evkaf Musesi, Perpustakaan Suleimaniye, di Istanbul, Turki.3 Cetakan moden pertama adalah dalam tahun 1274H./ 1857M. di Istanbul dengan dibiayai oleh Amir ‘Abd al-Kader al-Jazā’iri, yang terkenal sebagai pahlawan Islam yang memimpin penentangan bersenjata terhadap penjajahan Perancis di bumi Algeria di pertengahan abad ke-19 (1830
1847M.).
–
Dalam cetakan terkenal edisi Qāhirah 1911/1329 yang ada sekarang ini, ia mencakupi lebih 2,600 halaman dalam 560 bab dan 7 bahagian (1 muqaddimah + 6 fusul).
Kepada soalan kenapakah ada 560 bab, ada dua dugaan yang boleh diberikan. Pertama, kerana ada 560 kalimah yang terkandung dalam al-Qur’an surah al-Fath, secocok dengan judul kitab ini al-Fath al-Makki (atau dalam bentuk jamaknya al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah).
Kedua, kerana Ibn al-`Arabi lahir pada tahun 560 selepas Hij rah; justeru 560 bab mencerminkan jangkamasa dalam zaman Islam antara hij rahnya Rasulullah ke Madinah dengan lahirnya Ibn al-`Arabi ke dunia.
Justeru mungkin sahaja dalam cita-cita ilmiah Ibn al-`Arabi buku ini merupakan khulasah (intisari ringkas) yang mencerminkan jangkamasa 560 tahun yang tersebut, dengan penekanan kepada makna mendalam al-Qur’ān, Hadith, Shari‘ah dan khabar para anbiya’. Pada halaman 597, jilid 1, disebut: ( komputer tak dapat baca tulisan jawi ini ---hanya maksud yang disalin )
Maksudnya: Anutan kami dalam (mengarang) Kitab ini, dengan segenap kemampuan, bercirikan ringkas dan singkat. Sesungguhnya ini Kitab yang sangat besar, mengandungi apa yang tidak boleh tidak darinya di jalan Allah (tarīqillāh), dari pangkal membawa ke usul; adapun percabangan dan percawangannya, sungguh hampir tidak terbatas― bahkan sememangnya tiada terbatas [untuk dikandung dalam sesebuah Kitab].
Manakala kepada soalan kenapa ia dibahagikan kepada 7 penggal, jawapannya kerana ia secocok dengan 7 sifat utama Allah, iaitu:
1. Muqaddimah; berbetulan dengan sifat-Nya Maha Hidup (al-Hayy), sebagai syarat sebelum wujud Sifat-Sifat-Nya yang lain;
2. Bahagian pertama, ilmu kerohanian (al-ma`arif); selaras dengan sifat-Nya Mahaberilmu (al-`Alim) – 73 bab;
3. Bahagian kedua, perilaku (mu`amalat) seseorang yang hendak menuntut ilmu; sesuai dengan sifat- Nya Yang Maha berkehendak (al-Murid) – 116 bab;
4. Bahagian ketiga, hal keadaan rohaniah (ahwal); sepakat dengan sifat-Nya Yang Mahaberkuasa (al-Qadir) menghasilkan ahwal manusia di luar upayanya untuk mencapainya sendiri – 80 bab;
5. Bahagian keempat, darajat rohaniah (manazil), sesuai dengan sifat-Nya Yang Maha Berkata (al- Mutakallim) – 114 bab, setiap satu darjat berhubung dengan satu surah al-Qur’an, kalamullah
6. Bahagian kelima, perbicaraan dan penghadapan rohaniah (munazalat) antara Tuhan dan manusia; selaras dengan sifat-Nya Yang Maha Mendengar (al-Sami`) – 78 bab
7. Bahagian keenam, kedudukan tetap rohaniah (maqamat); sesuai dengan sifat-Nya Yang Maha Melihat (al-Basir) – 99 bab
Latar-Jaya Pengarangnya Ibn al-`Arabi
Lahir tanggal 17 Ramadan, 560 Hij riah atau 27 Julai 1165 Masihi di Murcia, Sepanyol (Andalus ketika itu), nama penuh al-Shaykh al-Akbar Muhyiddin Ibn al-`Arabi ialah Abu `Abdallah Muhammad b. `Ali b. Muhammad b. Ahmad b. `Abdullah al-Hatimi al-Ta’i.5
Dicatat oleh Muhammad Qul Amirul Hakim
Label: Futuhul Makkiyyah =================================================================
================================================================= Intisari Al-futuhat Al-Makkiyah Siri 1
Author : Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi
Pages : 103, Paperback
Our Ref : PJ-2645
ISBN : 978-967-308-708-2 Synopsis :
Kitab Intisari al-futuhat al-Makkiyyah merupakan ringkasan kepada hasil karya Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi seorang tokoh Sufi yang amat popular dengan keilmuannya yang luar biasa.. Kitab "Futuhat al-Makkiyah" ini merupakan sebuah ensiklopedia ilmu keislaman yang amat luas cakupan dan pembicaraannya dalam konteks ilmu tauhid. Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi telah membincangkan dengan panjang lebar tentang al-Quran dan Hadis serta episod-episod dalam hayat Nabi Besar Muhammad saw. Semoga kitab ini menjadi cetusan dan pendorong untuk menceburi, memahami, menghayati dan mengenali dengan sebenar-benarnya tentang perjalanan ahli Sufi ini dengan lebih dekat lagi dan lebih telus ke arah mengenali Allah swt dan RasulNya agar tidak tersesat dengan pelbagai fahaman yang bercanggah dengan Ahli Sunnah wal Jama'ah.
Price: RM 11.90 Intisari Al-futuhat Al-Makkiyah Siri 2
Author : Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi
Pages : 106, Paperback
Our Ref : PJ-2646
ISBN : 978-967-308-709-9 Synopsis :
Kitab Intisari al-futuhat al-Makkiyyah merupakan ringkasan kepada hasil karya Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi seorang tokoh Sufi yang amat popular dengan keilmuannya yang luar biasa. Kitab "Futuhat al-Makkiyah" ini merupakan sebuah ensiklopedia ilmu keislaman yang amat luas cakupan dan pembicaraannya dalam konteks ilmu tauhid. Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi telah membincangkan dengan panjang lebar tentang al-Quran dan Hadis serta episod-episod dalam hayat Nabi Besar Muhammad saw. Semoga kitab ini menjadi cetusan dan pendorong untuk menceburi, memahami, menghayati dan mengenali dengan sebenar-benarnya tentang perjalanan ahli Sufi ini dengan lebih dekat lagi dan lebih telus ke arah mengenali Allah swt dan RasulNya agar tidak tersesat dengan pelbagai fahaman yang bercanggah dengan Ahli Sunnah wal Jama'ah.
Price: RM 11.90
Intisari Al-futuhat Al-Makkiyah Siri 3
Author : Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi
Pages : 82, Paperback
Our Ref : PJ-2647
ISBN : 978-967-308-710-5 Synopsis :
Kitab Intisari al-futuhat al-Makkiyyah merupakan ringkasan kepada hasil karya Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi seorang tokoh Sufi yang amat popular dengan keilmuannya yang luar biasa. Kitab "Futuhat al-Makkiyah" ini merupakan sebuah ensiklopedia ilmu keislaman yang amat luas cakupan dan pembicaraannya dalam konteks ilmu tauhid. Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi telah membincangkan dengan panjang lebar tentang al-Quran dan Hadis serta episod-episod dalam hayat Nabi Besar Muhammad saw.Semoga kitab ini menjadi cetusan dan pendorong untuk menceburi, memahami, menghayati dan mengenali dengan sebenar-benarnya tentang perjalanan ahli Sufi ini dengan lebih dekat lagi dan lebih telus ke arah mengenali Allah swt dan RasulNya agar tidak tersesat dengan pelbagai fahaman yang bercanggah dengan Ahli Sunnah wal Jama'ah.
Price: RM 11.90 Intisari Al-futuhat Al-Makkiyah Siri 4
Author : Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi
Pages : 109, Paperback
Our Ref : PJ-2648
ISBN : 978-967-308-715-0 Synopsis :
Kitab Intisari al-futuhat al-Makkiyyah merupakan ringkasan kepada hasil karya Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi seorang tokoh Sufi yang amat popular dengan keilmuannya yang luar biasa. Kitab "Futuhat al-Makkiyah" ini merupakan sebuah ensiklopedia ilmu keislaman yang amat luas cakupan dan pembicaraannya dalam konteks ilmu tauhid. Syeikh Ibn al-'Arabi telah membincangkan dengan panjang lebar tentang al-Quran dan Hadis serta episod-episod dalam hayat Nabi Besar Muhammad saw. Semoga kitab ini menjadi cetusan dan pendorong untuk menceburi, memahami, menghayati dan mengenali dengan sebenar-benarnya tentang perjalanan ahli Sufi ini dengan lebih dekat lagi dan lebih telus ke arah mengenali Allah swt dan RasulNya agar tidak tersesat dengan pelbagai fahaman yang bercanggah dengan Ahli Sunnah wal Jama'ah.
The Islamization of ontology and metaphysics which marked the real break from the Aristotelian tradition—that is, the real transition from the metaphysics of the existent (mawjud) to the metaphysics of being and existence (wujud)—was accomplished by the Sufis, particularly as refl ected in the rational and theoretical formulation of the ‘system’ by Ibn al-‘Arabi, their greatest representative, as based on intuitive knowledge gained from spiritual experience. Their school of thought, asignifi ed by the various appellations applied to its exponents such as the People of Unity (ahl alwahdah), the Affi rmers of Unity (al-muwahhidun), the Existentialists or Affi rmers of Existence as the Sole Reality (al-wujudiyyah)—is characterised by its affi rmation of the transcendent Unity or Oneness (wahdah) of Being or Existence (wujud); and hence it became known as the school of wahdat al-wujud.25
Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas
Asas dan Dasar Futuhat :
Asas pembicaraan Futuhat berkisar mengenai tiga martabat ilmu.
Martabat pertama ilmu diperoleh akal secara naluri, atau/dan melalui proses berfikir. Secara naluri, dan segera diketahui oleh akal seperti prinsip mustahilnya satu benda itu ada dan tidak ada serentak. Contohnya, mustahil untuk “Tuhan itu wujud dan tidak wujud” serentak. Mustahil bahawa “Tuhan itu Esa dan berbilang” serentak.
Ada pula ilmu yang diperoleh tanpa perlu berfikir tetapi pasti (badihah) yang tidak dapat dibantah, seperti “satu adalah separuh daripada dua”.
Selanjutnya, ilmu diperoleh oleh akal dengan menyelidik bukti (dalil), melalui proses taakulan fi kiran.32 Oleh kerana kesalahan dan kekeliruan juga boleh berlaku, sebahagian dugaan akal adalah sahih dan sebahagian yang lain tidak sah (fasid).
Martabat kedua ilmu diperoleh dengan merasai atau mengecapi hal atau keadaan sesuatu. Manisnya madu, pahitnya jadam, hanya boleh diketahui dengan merasai, begitu juga asyiknya cinta, kasih yang mendalam, geloranya rindu (wajd) hanya boleh diketahui melalui pengalaman merasainya (dhawq)35 yang secara langsung terus tepat mengesahkannya.
Tanpa merasainya secara langsung, ilmu tersebut tidak akan diperoleh. Sepandai mana pun seseorang itu, dia tidak akan dapat mengetahuinya sama ada melalui takrifan erti mahu pun ketetapan dalil-dalil akal.
Ilmu ini boleh diterima oleh orang yang mengalaminya, tetapi tidak boleh dipindahkan kepada orang lain yang tidak menerima pengalaman yang sama. Tidak mungkin untuk benar-benar mengetahuinya melalui nukilan perkataan atau laporan berita, betapa panjang berjelapun laporan ceritanya.
Sebaliknya penerangan yang panjang lebar mengenainya hanya menyebabkan putar-belit hakikat sebenar.Tidak mungkin untuk orang yang merasainya menjadikan orang yang tidak merasai untuk memperoleh ilmu sedemikian; martabat orang yang merasai sama sekali berbeza dengan orang yang tidak merasai, mustahil untuk benar-benar memahamkan orang yang tidak merasai akan apa yang dikecapi oleh orang yang merasainya.
Kalaupun ilmu ini perlu diajar kepada orang lain, cukuplah mengungkapkannya secara peribaratan isyarat yang membayangkan maksud sebenar orang yang merasainya. Itupun belum tentu pernyataan tersebut dengan segala peristilahannya akan pasti difahami oleh pendengarnya.
Walau bagaimanapun, orang yang mendengar boleh bersetuju, mengiakan dan menerima rumusan orang yang merasainya, sebagai peringatan (munabbih wa mudhakkir) jika kemudiannya dia lupa.
Kesalahan dan kekeliruan ilmu ini di kalangan ahl aldhawq tergambar dalam keadaan seseorang yang lidahnya dipenuhi hempedu, hingga dia merasai madu pahit rasanya, sedangkan hakikat sebenar bukan sedemikian. Apa yang sebenarnya menyentuh lidah (alat perasa-jasmani) adalah hempedu dan bukan madu.
Martabat ketiga ilmu digelar ‘ilm al-asrar. Asrar (kata tunggal sirr) adalah perkataan yang memiliki makna berlawanan iaitu rahsia dan nyata, apa yang tersembunyi dan apa yang dizahirkan. Iaitu ilmu yang rahsia yang dizahirkan dalam hati-damir seseorang Nabi dan wali oleh Allah. Rahsia Zahir dan Hati ketiga-tiganya dipanggil sirr dalam bahasa Arab.
Justeru, ilmu ini melampaui batas ilmu yang diperoleh melalui akal dugaan. Ini adalah ilmu yang dihembuskan oleh Ruh al-Quds dalam hati (ru`).43 Inilah ilmu yang khusus bagi para nabi dan wali, seperti fi rman-Nya
“(Allah) menentukan kurnia rahmat-Nya kepada sesiapa yang dikehendaki-Nya dan Allah mempunyai anugerah yang mahabesar.”
Imam al-Ghazali menjelaskan bahawa ilmu yang rahsia yang dizahirkan dalam hati-damir seseorang wali itu tidaklah lain atau bercanggah dengan Wahyu kerana ilmu tersebut adalah mengenai lima perkara berikut. 1) Ilmu mengenai perkara yang sangat samar, terlalu halus sehingga menumpulkan kefahaman ramai orang.
Contohnya seperti ilmu mengenai rahsia ruh dan ilmu mengenai sifat-sifat Allah SWT yang sama sekali tidak ada keserupaan-Nya bagi makhluk. Dalam satu hadith disebutkan:
“Bahawa bagi Allah Yang Maha Suci tujuh puluh hij ab daripada nur. Jikalau dibuka-Nya, niscaya kemahasucian wajah- Nya akan membakar pandangan yang melihatnya” (Ibn Hibban dari Abu Hurairah).
Mengetahui Ilmu ini adalah kurnia rahmat kepada orang-orang tertentu sahaja, yang bertanggungjawab untuk tidak menyebarkannya kepada mereka yang tidak berkeahlian sehingga tertimpa fi tnah akibat singkatnya kefahaman mereka yang beku. 2)
Ilmu mengenai perkara-perkara yang kalau disebut boleh membawa mudarat rohaniah kepada bahagian terbanyak dari pendengar.
Contohnya seperti mengenai rahsia taqdir yang ditentukan oleh Allah SWT. 3) Ilmu pemahaman yang mendalam tanpa batasan mengenai apa-apa yang disebutkan dalam Agama tidak secara langsung tetapi secara kiasan (kinayah), peribaratan (isti`arah) dan isharat (rumuz): “dan perumpamaan-perumpamaan ini (dalam Wahyu)
Kami buatkan untuk manusia; dan tiada yang memahaminya kecuali
orang-orang yang berilmu” (al-Ankabut, 29: 43).
Contohnya kias peribaratan dan isharat yang berikut:
“Tidakkah engkau perhatikan Tuhanmu, bagaimana Dia jadikan bayang-bayang itu memanjang! Kalau dikehendaki- Nya nescaya dij adikan ia [bayang-bayang] tetap [tiada hilang dengan terbit matahari]! Kemudian Kami jadikan matahari itu sebagai tanda baginya (perubahan bayang-bayang itu). Kemudian Kami genggam ia (bayang-bayang) kepada Kami, dengan tarikan yang perlahan-lahan” (al-Furqan, 25: 45). 4)
Ilmu mengenai perincian (tafsil) kepada apa yang diketahui oleh masyarakat awam hanya secara umum dan ringkas sahaja (ij mal); iaitu perincian ilmu yang difahami menerusi pengalaman kerohanian (tahqiq, dhawq, tajribah).
Seperti iman, tasdiq, dan rindu. 5) Ilmu mengenai hakikat keadaan (hal) kata-kata (maqal). Seperti “Langit yang tujuh, bumi dan semua yang ada di dalamnya bertasbih kepada Allah SWT......................Bersambung ke bahagian ..4
From the outset, the Qur’an establishes a link between worshipping Allah and knowing Him. The first half of the ‘Opening Chapter’ of the Qur’an, Surat al-Fatihah, states:
All praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. The All-Merciful, the Compassionate. Master of the Day of Judgement. You alone we worship, and Your help alone do we seek. [Q.1:1-4]
The first three verses teach us who Allah is, so that hearts may love, hope, fear and be in awe of Him. Only then does Allah ask us to declare our singular devotion and worship of Him. It is as if the Qur’an is saying: ‘You can’t worship or adore whom you don’t know.’
Thus in the first verse, Allah describes Himself as rabb – ‘Lord’. In the Quranic language, rabb is Master, Protector, Caretaker, Provider. And just as water descends from above as blessings and rises again to the skies as steam or vapour, so to the sending down of divine blessings and gifts; they are transformed into declarations of loving thanks and praise that ascend to the Lord of the Worlds. Reflecting on Allah’s care and kindness to us, as rabb; as Lord, then, nurtures an abiding sense of love for Allah in our hearts.
Allah then reveals that He, by His very nature, is al-rahman – the All-Merciful, and by dint of His divine act is al-rahim – the Compassionate. It has been said that al-rahman is like the blue sky: serene, vast and full of light; a canopy of protective care over us and over all things. The divine name, al-rahim is like warm rays, so to speak, touching, bathing and invigorating lives, places and events with this life-giving mercy. Those who flee from this joyous warmth, and opt to cover themselves from the light, choose to live in conditions of icy darkness. Knowing Allah is al-rahman, al-rahim, invites optimism; it instils hope (raja’) in Allah’s impulse to forgive, pardon, pity, overlook and, ultimately, to accept what little we offer Him as needy, fragile and imperfect creatures.
The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions once saw a woman frantically searching for a person among the warn-out and wounded. She then found a babe, her baby. She picked it up, huddled it to her chest and gave it to feed. On seeing this, the Prophet asked if such a woman could ever throw her baby into a fire or harms way? They all resoundingly replied, no; she could never do that; her maternal instincts of mercy would never permit it! The Prophet ﷺ went on to tell them:
لَلَّهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا – ‘Allah is more merciful to His creation than that mother is to her child.’ [Al-Bukhari, no.5653]
The final name of Allah that we encounter in this surah is: Malik – Master, King, Owner of all. It is Allah as Master, as King of Judgement Day, who stands at the end of every path. All things come finally to Him to be judged, recompensed and given their final place for the beliefs that defined who they are, the deeds that defined what they stood for and the sins that stand in their way. To know Allah as Malik, therefore, is to be wary, as well as apprehensive. It is a reason for hearts to be filled with a certain sense of fear (khawf) as well as trepidation concerning the final reckoning and one’s ultimate fate.
The Prophet ﷺ once visited a young boy on his death bed and asked him how he was. The boy replied: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I am between hoping in Allah and fearing for my sins.’ To which the Prophet ﷺ said:
‘The like of these two qualities never unite in the heart of a servant except that Allah grants him what he hopes for and protects him from what he fears.” [Al-Tirmidhi, no.983]
Only after being made aware of these four names of Allah which, in turn, instil in hearts a sense of love, fear and hope in Allah, are we led to stating: You alone do we worship, and Your help alone do we seek. In other words, the order to worship comes after the hearts having come to know Allah – the object of their loving worship, reverence and adoration.
The surah concludes by teaching us to give voice to the universal hope, by asking to be guided to the path of Allah’s people and to help steer clear of the paths of misguidance and perdition:
Guide us to the Straight Path; the path of those whom You have favoured; not of those who incur wrath, nor of those who are astray. [Q.1:5-7]
Ameen!
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Shaykh Abu Aaliyah Surkheel Abu Aaliyah is the founder of The Jawziyyah Institute, a leading institute for Islamic moderation and contemporary thought in the United Kingdom. Sidi Abu Aaliyah has been in involved in Dawah and Islamic teachings since 1986. He has translated a number of books from the Arabic language into English such as "The Exquisite Pearls". Abu Aaliyah's written works and audio lectures can be found online.
In the past couple of years, a number of simmering scandals among spiritual leaders became public knowledge and the subject of vigorous and often painful public debate. As someone who has worked in the community dawah space the past 15 years, often acting as a bridge between past and present microcelebrity as well as non-celeb teachers to the community at large, one question I’ve been asked repeatedly – should community leaders who violate our trust be forgiven? I’m often asked by people who aren’t fanboys / fangirls taken by microcelebrity dawah culture or wearing spiritual blinders for non-celebs, and often don’t even understand what has occurred. Below I share answers I have heard as well as what I believe is fair and pragmatic in many (not all) situations.
Answer #1: Yes, We Must Forgive Them
One group of people argue we should completely forgive them. No one is perfect, everyone is human and makes mistakes. If we assume the mistake was truly made, then we should also forgive them and move on. Our faith is replete with statements about Allah’s Mercy, and if we want His Mercy, surely we should also give it to others. Oftentimes, members who fall into this group don’t actually believe the person in question is at fault and are trying to convince others either on the fence or against the individual to let it go. Of course, there are some who believe the violation occurred and not think it a big deal, while others may think the violation indeed was a big deal, and should still be forgiven. I can agree with some aspects of this, but not completely.
Answer #2: No, They Should Never Be Forgiven
Another group believes that once a person commits a violation of trust, they are no longer to be trusted again. They should leave their positions and be ostracized from the community permanently. They are to be tarred and feathered and made an example of for life. Members within this group oftentimes don’t need to wait for evidence to arrive at any conclusion – they were judge, jury, and executioner well before there was a trial. Not all members are like this, of course – some waited for evidence and then reached their conclusions that the gravity of the charges was too much and therefore the person should never be forgiven.
Answer #3: It Depends – Forgive Them If They Take Ownership and Make Amends
In my view, the problem with the first group is they don’t often see that the person did anything wrong, or if they did, it’s trivial relative to the khayr, the good and benefit they bring to the community. They keep citing that Allah is forgiving, so we should forgive automatically, but in their haste, they forget that part of the process of making restitution is first sincerely regretting what one has done.
To sincerely regret, one must also move out of denial and into acceptance that they made a mistake. Once one admits failure, they can then ask to be forgiven, and then the aggrieved party is in a position to grant it. The community forgiving and re-integrating a person who refuses to take responsibility for their wrongdoing does neither them, their victims, nor the community any good. We continue to distrust the person and they continue to believe they can get away with whatever they wish because they are “special”. Victims fear community integration, everyone becomes cynical about religion, and the cause of calling people to become better worshippers of Allah is harmed.
On the flip side, the second group is far too extreme in their view of justice. To ostracize that person and leave them no path of return means they have no means to redeem themselves, and de facto their families are casualties who must deal with the fallout of being pushed out of the community. I agree that none of us are perfect, and we all often make egregious mistakes. In my own experience, there are many instances where activists who advocate publicly for better are often involved privately in worse than those they go after.
That being the case, there is no person that can’t be forgiven, and I would say we shouldn’t leave aside this possibility in our dealings with those who fail us just as we expect it when we ourselves fall short, sometimes seriously so. I would add that we would lose the skills and talent of that person – if we believe in allowing people with criminal histories back into the general population and providing them with opportunities to become productive, reformed citizens, I don’t see why we wouldn’t offer the same to our community and religious leaders.
The key I believe is in following a process which includes the following for the individual:
Taking Responsibility: They own responsibility for the mistake and acknowledge it was made. No amount of denial, minimization, and spin will suffice.
Make Restitution: First and foremost, they apologize and make amends as best they can with the victims. If the issue went public, then they should apologize to those they were serving as a leader for their mistake as well. This includes handling financial compensation.
Remediating Oneself: Enroll in counseling, therapy, mentorship, and / or group support programs to help them overcome their issues.
Being Held Accountable: Work with others on concrete milestones of both behavior and programs that demonstrate their commitment to change. Be able to show the community that they take reformation seriously and are committed to coming out of their mistake a better person, one who can even advise others of the mistake and how not to repeat it.
As someone who has worked in dawah and supported the ascension of numerous modern-day microcelebrity spiritual scholars and teachers, I and others like me act as a bridge between them and the community. I do not speak for all of them, certainly, but I know that any leader who tries to re-integrate into the community without taking responsibility will continue to find that many will not support them. Most, in this case, feel a sacred duty to oppose their elephant-in-the-room integration to protect the community at large.
Likewise, I know that many like myself would be willing to overlook and forgive such individuals if they took responsibility for their behavior and demonstrated they were taking concrete steps to make amends for their mistakes. The month of Ramadan is upon us, and sometimes one just has to rip the band-aid off, go through the process of feeling the pain of scrutiny for owning up, and then moving forward to forgiveness. I won’t promise it’s easy or that everyone will change, but I can at least say many of us would have an easier time accepting individuals back into the community.
Islam defines a miracle as an extraordinary act or event that is contrary to the laws of nature and can only come about through the direct intervention of God Almighty Himself. The Arabic word for miracle is mu’jizah. It stems from the word ajz, meaning something that incapacitates, cannot be resisted, unique. According to Islam, miracles are performed by the permission of God, by the Prophets of God. Miracles are not magic, which is by definition a trick or illusion, nor is a miracle an event brought about by a learned righteous people who are not Prophets of God. These events are called karamahs. Thus we find three distinct categories, miracles, karamahs and magic.
God sent the Prophets and Messengers primarily to guide humankind. They were humans, of outstanding character, pious and trustworthy, that the people could emulate and look to for direction. They were not gods, demi-gods or saints with divine qualities, rather they were mere mortals charged with a difficult task. They possessed exceptional characteristics because they were obligated to face extraordinary trials and tribulations in order to spread the message to worship God Alone.
“And I (God) created not the jinn[1] and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”. (Quran 51:56)
In order to make each Prophet credible in his particular time and place, God granted them miracles, pertinent, relevant and understandable to the people to whom they were sent. In the time of Moses magic and sorcery were prevalent therefore Moses’ miracles appealed to the people he was sent to guide. In the time of Muhammad, the Arabs, although predominantly unlettered, were masters of the spoken word. Their poetry and prose were considered outstanding and a model of literary excellence and the miracle of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was of this nature and much more..The miracle that defined Prophet Solomon was his unique kingdom. At the time of Jesus, the Israelites were very knowledgeable in the field of medicine. Consequently, the miracles Jesus performed were of this nature and included returning sight to the blind, healing lepers and raising the dead.
“And you heal those born blind and the lepers by My leave. And behold! You bring forth the dead by My leave.” (Quran 5:10)
A karamah is an extraordinary matter or event that is brought about at the hands of a believer who obeys God, refrains from sin and whose piety at a very high level in the sight of God. Unlike a miracle which is meant to be done publically so that people would recognize the truthfulness of the Prophet, a karamah usually only benefits the one to whom it is given. A karamah could include such things as knowledge, power or something astonishing such as the karamah that was given to Usayd ibn al-Hudayr, one of Prophet Muhammad’s companions. A group of angels in a cloud of light shaded Usayd when he recited Quran[2]. A karamah also occurred for Maryam, the mother of Prophet Jesus.
So her Lord accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariya . Every time he entered her praying place, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: “O Maryam (Mary)! From where have you got this?” She said, “This is from God. Verily, God provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.” (Quran 3:37)
A miracle results in nothing but good and is given by the Almighty to the Prophets as a sign of their veracity. This is coupled with a life of exemplary morals and character, and a message of goodness.
Magic can also bring about something extraordinary; however no good can come from magic. It is performed by evil people and is done by seeking the help of the devils and drawing close to them[3]. Miracles cannot be learnt or undone, whereas magic can be learnt, cancelled out or undone.
Prophet Moses’ encounter with the magicians at Pharaoh’s court explains the difference between magic and miracles.
They said: “O Musa (Moses)! Either you throw (first), or shall we have the (first) throw?” He (Moses) said: “Throw you (first).” When they threw they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic. And We revealed to Moses, “Throw your stick,” and behold! It swallowed up straight away all the falsehoods which they showed. Thus truth was confirmed, and all that they did was made of no effect. So they were defeated there and returned disgraced. And the magicians fell down prostrate. (Quran 7:115-120)
The magicians understood that Moses was not preforming a trick or illusion as they had done. They understood deception well and knew that Moses’ actions were a miracle. Thus they accepted the truth and fell down in prostration to God, knowing full well that it would bring about their death for disobeying Pharaoh.
Miracles can be of two types; those that occur at the request of the people, who want a sign of the veracity of the Prophet who was sent to them and the second type, occur without being requested. An example of the first type is when Prophet Saleh’s people requested he bring out from behind the mountain a she camel and her offspring. As well, when the unbelievers in Mecca asked the Prophet Muhammad to show them a miracle, he showed them the splitting of the moon. One of Prophet Muhammad’s companions mentioned this event saying, “We were with God’s Messenger at Mina, when the moon was split in two parts. One part was behind the mountain and the other one was on this side of the mountain. God’s Messenger said to us, “Bear witness to this”[4].
An example of the second type is what happened when the tree trunk cried and longed for Prophet Muhammad. He, the Prophet used to give his Friday speech while leaning on a palm tree. One of his followers suggested they make a pulpit for him and they did. So the next Friday when the Prophet stood on the pulpit, the tree trunk began whimpering for him like a child.
Muslims believe that the Quran itself is a miracle. Prophet Muhammad said, “Every Prophet was given miracles on account of which their people believed; but, I have been given divine revelation which Allah has revealed to me, so I hope that my followers will outnumber the followers of other Prophets on Resurrection Day.”[5] Prophet Muhammad was implying that the Quran itself is the greatest miracle of all time; it is a miraculous book filled with miracles of all kinds. Its revelation, literary excellence, and its content, including scientific, prophetic and historical information, all contribute to Quran’s status as a miracle.
FOOTNOTES:[1] To learn more about the Jinn, please see: http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/669/viewall/ [2]Saheeh Al-Bukhari[3] For details, please see: http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/5246/[4]Saheeh Muslim[5]Saheeh Al-Bukhari
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The mu‘jizah (miracle) is the extraordinary sign with which Allah supports His Prophets and Messengers, and challenges people. The karaamah is something extraordinary that Allah causes to happen at the hand of one of His close friends. There are many differences between the mu‘jizah and the karaamah, including the following:
1. The mu‘jizah is meant to be done openly and be seen and known by many people, and the one for whom it is done (the Prophet) is enjoined to show it openly, whereas the karaamah is based on concealment and the one for whom it is done (the wali or close friend of Allah) is enjoined to conceal it.
2. The mu‘jizah may be accompanied by a challenge and claim of Prophethood, whereas the karaamah is not accompanied by any challenge or any claim of virtue or high status before Allah.
3. The fruits of the mu‘jizah bring benefits to others, whereas the karaamah usually only benefits the one to whom it is given.
4. The mu‘jizah may be any extraordinary event; the karaamah can only be of a few types.
5. The mu‘jizah is only for the Prophets, whereas the karaamah is for the close friends of Allah.
6. The Prophets use their miracles (mu‘jizah) to establish proof against the mushrikeen, because their hearts are hard; the close friends of Allah (awliya’) use the karaamah to establish proof for themselves so that they will have peace of mind and certainty of faith, and will not be worried or anxious.
Quoted from a Master’s thesis entitled al-Wilaayah wa’l-Karaamah fi’l-‘Aqeedah al-Islamiyyah by Muhammad Khayr al-‘Umari.
There are also a number of other differences between the mu‘jizah and witchcraft, including the following:
1. The mu‘jizah is something extraordinary, i.e., it occurs contrary to the laws of nature and comes from Allah, may He be exalted. As for witchcraft, it occurs according to laws that the practitioner of witchcraft may learn.
2. The mu‘jizah results in nothing but good, whereas no good can come from witchcraft.
3. The mu‘jizah cannot be cancelled out, whereas witchcraft can be cancelled out or undone. It is well known that witchcraft can only be done by seeking the help of the devils and drawing close to them.
End quote from Dr. Ahmad al-‘Awaayishah, Muhaadaraat bi’th-Thaqaafah al-Islamiyyah, p. 174
4. The mu‘jizah occurs at the hand of the Prophet, who is the best of people in knowledge, deeds and attitude, whereas witchcraft occurs at the hands of the practitioner of witchcraft, who is the worst of people in knowledge, deeds and attitude – people are put off by him and those who keep company with him.
5. There is no cause for the mu‘jizah, hence no one other than the Prophet can do anything like it. As for witchcraft, it has causes that are well-known, which are incantations that are spoken or written, and he makes use of the jinn in doing it. Anyone who learns that and does it will get what he wants from witchcraft. In the case of the mu‘jizah, it cannot be obtained by learning and experience.
See: al-Furooq by al-Quraafi, 8/116
There follow some of the comments of the scholars on the differences between mu‘jizah, karaamah and witchcraft.
Al-‘Allaamah as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The difference between the mu‘jizah and karaamah, and devilish extraordinary things that happen at the hands of magicians and charlatans is as follows:
The mu‘jizah is that which Allah causes to happen at the hands of the Messengers and Prophets of extraordinary events with which they challenge the people, so that they will believe in the message with which Allah sent them and by means of which He supported them, such as the splitting of the moon and the sending down of the Qur’aan, which is the greatest mu‘jizah ever bestowed upon a Messenger, as well as the grieving of the palm tree stump (which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used as a minbar until a minbar was built for him), the springing up of water from between his fingers, and many other miracles.
The karaamah is an extraordinary event that Allah causes to occur at the hands of His believing close friends (awliya’), such as knowledge, power, and so on, and such as the shade that used to come upon Usayd ibn al-Hudayr when he recited Qur’aan, and the shining of light for ‘Abbaas ibn Bishr and Usayd ibn Hudayr when they left the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and when they separated there was light for each of them at the end of his whip.
In order for it to be regarded as a karaamah, it is stipulated that the one at whose hand this miracle occurs should be adhering strictly to Islam and following sharee‘ah. If that is not the case, then these extraordinary things happen are the result of devilish work. Moreover, it should be noted that the fact that karaamah does not happen for some Muslims does not mean that they are lacking in faith, because karaamah only happens for certain reasons, such as the following:
- To strengthen the person’s faith and make him steadfast. Hence many of the Sahaabah did not see any karaamah, because of the strength and absolute certainty of their faith.
- To establish proof against the enemy, as happened to Khaalid when he ate poison. He was besieging a fortress and they refused to yield until he ate the poison, so he ate it and then he conquered the fortress. A similar thing happened to Abu Idrees al-Khawlaani when he was met by al-Aswad al-‘Ansi in the fire and Allah saved him from that, because he needed that karaamah. We see something similar in the story of Umm Ayman when she set out to migrate to Madinah (Hijrah) and became extremely thirsty. She heard a sound above her and lifted her head, and she saw a bucket of water; she drank from it then it was taken away again.
The karaamah may be a test or trial; some people may be blessed by it and others may be doomed as a result. The one at whose hands it happens may be blessed if he gives thanks for it, or he may be doomed if he is filled with self-admiration and does not adhere to righteousness.
End quote from at-Tanbeehaat al-Lateefah fima Ahtawiyat ‘alayhi al-Waasitiyyah min al-Mabaahith al-Muneefah, p. 107
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
How can we differentiate between mu‘jizah, karaamah and kahaanah (sorcery)?
He replied:
The mu‘jizah is for the Prophets, the karaamah is for the close friends of Allah, the awliya’ of ar-Rahmaan, and kahaanah is for the close friends of the Shaytaan (awliya’ ash-shaytaan).
Nowadays it is impossible for a mu‘jizah to occur, because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the last of the Prophets. Karaamah happened at the time of the Messenger and may occur after his time, until the Day of Resurrection; it may occur at the hands of a righteous close friend of Allah (wali). If we know that the man at whose hand a karaamah occurred is a righteous man who fulfils his duties towards Allah and towards His slaves, then we know that it is indeed a karaamah.
We should look at the man -- if this “miracle” comes from a kaahin (soothsayer) -- i.e., a man who is not righteous -- then we know that it comes from the devils; the devils sometimes help the sons of Adam to achieve what they want.
End quote from Liqaa’aat al-Baab al-Maftooh (no. 84; question no. 8)
