Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Ummah is in a Coma!

Man Embraces Islam to Sleep!

Shariah Safeguards Stability: Al-Sheikh

re: http://www.saudigaz ette.com. sa/index. cfm?method= home.regcon&contentID=200907224 4364

TAIF – King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, on Tuesday graced the opening ceremony of the building of the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta.

The six-floor building covers an area of 10,000 sq. meters, containing 166 rooms and costs more than SR90 million.

The King was received at the venue by Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom, Chairman of the Senior Ulema Council and Religious Research Department and Ifta; and Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Muammar, the Governor of Taif.

In his speech, the Grand Mufti spoke of the founding of the state by Imam Muhammed Bin Saud and the accord with Sheikh Muhammed Bin Abdul Wahhab, who worked together to “establish the law of Allah and raise the banner of monotheism, to end polytheism and superstition, and to rule by Allah’s law until our country became secure and stable while others disputed wars of division and killing”.

The Mufti went on to recall the efforts of King Abdul Aziz in laying the foundations of “security and faith” and his sons after him who “rule by the Book of Allah and spread the religion of Allah.”

The Mufti described the connection between the scholars and the leadership as bringing about stability, and “marking the point of retreat for those who seek to corrupt and lie in wait to damage this Ummah.”

Aal Al-Sheikh said the post of Mufti was of great importance, as “the people are in great need of insight and responses and solutions to their doubts.”

“The Board of Senior Ulema,” he said, “stands with the leadership and makes the utmost effort in pronouncing clear statements against what goes against Shariah law, and against all terrorism threatening the Ummah.” – SPA

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Antara MJ dan BJ...

Beberapa hari yang lalu, Berita Harian menyiarkan komentar wartawan mengenai MJ (yakni Michael Jackson). Kematian yang menggemparkan dunia persada seni serta para peminatnya. Penjualan album yang mencecah jutaan, kedua tertinggi di belakang Elvis Presley dan Beatles (maaf jika saya tersilap).

Wartawan tersebut membincangkan sesuatu isu berkaitan dengan MJ yang menjadi persoalan ramai Muslim: apakah benar MJ telah memeluk Islam? adakah beliau meninggal dunia sebagai seorang Muslim?

Bukan itu yang ingin saya bincangkan di sini. Hanya saja ingin menyentuh betapa wartawan tersebut menyebutkan bahawa MJ akan terus diminati dan disayangi ramai, termasuk di kalangan Muslim. (Begitu juga dengan komentar wartawan kedua yang hanya mula mintai MJ setelah kematiannya.)

Inilah yang menjadi persoalan: mengapa seorang penyanyi/penghibur menjadi kesayangan ramai, termasuk di kalangan Muslim? Sedangkan sebagaimana penyanyi/penghibur/selebriti lain, penglibatan MJ dalam persada seni mengandungi banyak unsur maksiat, paling tidak melalaikan jiwa dan mengkhayalkan kita dari mengingati Allah dan bacaan al-Qur'an.

[Renungkan: sekiranya diputarkan CD bacaan al-Qur'an dan pada masa yang sama juga, kedengaran muzik yang diminati ramai, MJ atau selainnya. Apakah yang akan dilakukan kebanyakan orang?

Apakah akan dikatakan, "Matikanlah putaran muzik itu. Lebih elok kita dengar bacaan al-Qur'an, mendekatkan diri kepada Allah." Atau,

"Matikanlah putaran al-Qur'an itu. Kan tak elok dilagakan antara bacaan al-Qur'an dan muzik.. Matikanlah dulu putaran al-Qur'an itu dulu.. lain kali boleh dengar.. sekarang kita dengar MJ lah.."

Rasanya jawapan cukup jelas...]

Lihatlah betapa muzik/nyanyian yang melalaikan, yang disifatkan Saiyidina Abu Bakr radhiyAllahu 'anhu sebagai seruling syaitan, begitu meresap dalam jiwa manusia, termasuk jiwa Muslim.

Benarlah kata Syeikhul Islam Ibnu Taimiyyah bahawa muzik/nyanyian mempunyai pengaruh yang hebat atas jiwa manusia; ia boleh menggoncangkan jiwa manusia sehingga membuatnya rasa sedih mahupun gembira. [aw kamaa qaal]

Lalu bagaimana pula dengan BJ? Tidak, saya tidak maksudkan pelawak setempat BJ Kadir. Yang saya maksudkan ialah Syeikh Bin Jibreen ('Abdullah bin 'Abdurrahman bin Jibreen) rahimahullah yang wafat pada minggu lalu.

Syeikh Bin Jibreen merupakan antara ulama mapan di Arab Saudi, antara ulama senior yang menjadi rujukan umat. Beliau dikatakan murid kepada Syeikh Bin Baz (Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz bin Baz, mantan Mufti Besar Arab Saudi) rahimahullah dan sering mendampingi Syeikh Bin Baz. Malah, adakalanya menggantikan tempat Syeikh Bin Baz untuk mengimami solat.

Keilmuan yang tinggi, namun jiwa yang cukup tawadhu' membuatnya tidak suka dilayani sebagai seorang Syeikh. Malah, enggan terlalu dihormati sebagai seorang Syeikh kerana menganggap dirinya sebagai Thalib al-'llm (penuntut ilmu).

Tontonlah video berikut, di mana Syeikh Haitham al-Haddad (seorang murid Syeikh Bin Baz) berbicara tentang pemergian Syeikh Bin Jibreen, keperibadiannya serta ciri-ciri dan nilai seorang 'alim di dalam masyarakat:

http://muslimmatters.org/2009/07/15/recounting-memories-of-ibn-jibreen-navaid-aziz/

Sekarang, tepuklah dada, tanya iman. Di manakah kesedihan kita di atas pemergian seorang alim berbanding kesedihan kita di atas pemergian seorang selebriti?

Apakah yang ditinggalkan seorang selebriti dapat memanfaatkan kita di akhirat kelak?

Dapatkah kita menilai khazanah ilmu yang ditinggalkan para ulama?

Pemergian Syeikh Bin Jibreen telah didahului oleh Syeikh Bin Baz, Syeikh Al-Albani dan Syeikh Uthaymeen rahimahumullah. Sehinggakan Syeikh Bin Jibreen disifatkan (oleh Syeikh Haitham) sebagai alim terakhir dari generasi yang lepas.

Di manakah penghargaan, penghormatan dan kasih kita terhadap para ulama?

Renungkanlah wahai para pembaca budiman..

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Shaykh Abdullah Bin Jibreen Passes Away


By Abdul Mohsin Al-Harthi

RIYADH/JEDDAH/BISHA – Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Bin Jibreen, one of the Kingdom’s senior Ulema and a former member in the Ifta Permanent Committee, died Monday at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh after prolonged illness.

Funeral prayers will be performed Tuesday noon at Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.

Sheikh Jibreen, 78, was initially treated in Germany upon directives from King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. He returned to complete the treatment in the Kingdom.

One of the sheikh’s companions at the hospital said his heart stopped on Sunday but revived after electric shocks. There was no response when the heart stopped again on Monday, he said, noting the sheikh experienced a relapse last week and his condition deteriorated after an artery surgery. He added that the deceased also suffered complications of lung inflammation.

Several Ulema and thinkers expressed sorrow on the death of Sheikh Al-Jibreen and prayed to Allah to bestow His mercy on him and grant patience to his family members, relatives, students and the Muslim Ummah.

Dr. Muhammad Bin Saad Al-Shuwai’er, Adviser to the Kingdom’s Grand Mufti, said the Muslim Ummah owes Sheikh Al-Jibreen a right – that is, to pray that Allah bestow His mercy on him.

Sheikh Ali Abbas Al-Hakami, member of the Board of Senior Ulema, said Sheikh Al-Jibreen contributed greatly in explaining the rules of the Shariah.

“His death is a great loss for Islam,” he said urging all Muslims to pray for his soul.

Dr. Saad Mattar Al-Otaibi, Professor of Shariah Policy at the Higher Institute for the Judiciary and one of the students of Sheikh Al-Jibreen, said the late scholar used to move from place to place to spread his knowledge to others. He added that once he tried to calculate the number of lessons the late sheikh used to give. They reached about 45 lessons in a month. He was known for being ascetic (observing Zuhd) and refraining from worldly appearances. He was one of the authorities of the Shariah sciences, and had vast knowledge.

Dr. Mahmood Zaini, member of the teaching staff of Umm Al-Qura University, said the death of Sheikh Al-Jibreen is a tragedy for the Muslim Ummah and religious scholars in the Shariah. He prayed to Allah to bestow His mercy on him and make paradise his abode.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jibreen was born in 1933 in one of the villages of Al-Quwai’iah. He grew up in Ar-Reen town and started his education in 1940. He started memorizing the Holy Qur’an with the help of his father and completed the memorization through Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Shithri. He also memorized several religious references. He used to attend lessons by senior Ulema on studying books on the Shariah, literature and history.

He got his secondary school certificate in 1958, a bachelors degree in Shariah in 1961, masters degree in 1970 from the Higher Institute for the Judiciary, and a doctorate with excellent grade and honors in 1987. Several judges, teachers and religious callers were taught by him.

He accompanied the late Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Baz in most of his lessons in the Grand Mosque and used to give sermons and lead prayers on his behalf at times. – Okaz/SG

– Na’eem Al-Hakeem, Abdullah Al-Dani and Muhammad Aal Mashout contributed to this report

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009071443654