A study conducted by the National Library (PNM) found that Malaysians now read an average of 14 books a year. This is a delightful news, as about 14 years ago, it was only two and a half pages a year on the average. Let’s evoke a historic battle happened a hundred years after the…
Laporan BERNAMA yang memetik kajian terkini Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia mendapati setiap warga Malaysia secara puratanya membaca 14 buah buku setahun. Angka ini amat menggembirakan, kerana sekitar 14 tahun yang lepas, hanya dua setengah muka surat yang dibaca dalam setahun. Ayuh kita himbau peperangan strategis yang terjadi seratus tahun selepas kewafatan Nabi. Dalam tahun 751, berlaku…
In a Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government research working paper entitled “Estimating the Impact of the Hajj”, one of the findings is that hajj (pilgrimage) increases belief in equality and harmony among ethnic groups and Islamic sects. Contrary to outsiders’ fear, the research finds that such an increased sense of unity with…
In our worldview, originally nothing belongs to man. To quote Ibn al-‘Arabi, “man is destitute at root”. It is God who makes him resourceful-by creating all things that are beneficial for mankind, God makes him the possessor of those things. All that man possesses, therefore, is but held in trust from God, as the following…
Once, ‘A’ishah, who is a wife of the Prophet Muhammad, was asked about his way in good deeds: did he perform some actions exclusively on some particular days? She replied that, the Prophet did things like a raining cloud, which when it begins to pour knows no stopping; likewise, once the Prophet started doing something,…
God says in the Qur’an, “…And We bestowed upon you [the ability to make use of] iron, in which there is awesome power as well as benefits for man…” (al-Hadid, 57:25). Muhammad Asad, a modern commentator of the Qur’an, relates the verse to the fact that God has endowed mankind with the ability to derive…
The Prophet Muhammad once said, “A person is not written as one of those who submit to God’s will and obey His law (or muslims) until people are safe from [the evil of] his hand and tongue. A person will not obtain the rank of those who have faith in God (or mu’mins) until his neighbours…
The 2012 Auditor-General’s Report points to the fact that much is to be improved of our public service. Wastage or poor management of government proceeds and assets is patently manifest in cases of improper payment, works and supplies not according to specifications, poor quality services, and unreasonable delays. To ensure the government’s activities are managed…
Fresh from the month-long day-fasting of Ramadan, the celebrations of Idul Fitri is all the more joyous. On this blessed celebration, al-Ghazzali (d. 505/1111) pointed out that the heart of those who perform fasting had to depend on Allah and be apprehensive. Being apprehensive refers to the state of suspense between hope and fear of…
Islamic history is rich with traditions and anecdotes which contain sufficient counsel for people of power and holders of authority. According to al-Ghazali, in his work Nasihat al-Muluk, how effective those traditions are depends on the strength of their faith. If faith is firmly established in the heart of those people of power, then these…
