Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi: Sunni and Shi'ah

Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi:
We have seen all over the world how all the religious groups and sects
try to reconcile their differences; the Jews are trying to have common
ground with the Christians, so they claim innocence to what the
history records of the Jews' responsibility in crucifying Jesus. The
same happens among the Christians as they are trying to bring together
all the Christian denominations around the world.
Amidst all these amiable gestures, where do we Muslims stand? Why do
we kindle the fire of disagreement? What is the reason for all this
argument about Shi`ah as if they are not Muslims? Let it be known to
all that the Shi`ah are Muslims who believe in the Oneness of Allah
and the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
Yes, there is no doubt that the Shi`ah have their beliefs and dogmas
which we condemn as heresy but this doesn't make them non-Muslims. We
should try to make use of what we have in common for the benefit of
all Muslims. No one can deny that all Muslims, Sunni and Shi`ah,
condemn the Zionists and what they do against our brethren in
Palestine. We maintain the same view concerning the persecution of
Muslims in many parts of the world. This means that we have many
things in common, which should be the pivot of our interaction. All
Muslims should be alert against the schemes and plots planned by the
enemies of Islam. They are the ones that want us to disagree and fight
each other. Now they resort to another scheme by filling our minds
with hatred against one another under the name of belief. We should
not give them this chance.

It is important for the Sunnis to concentrate on the points of
agreement, not difference, when having dialogues with the Shiites,
especially that the points of agreement are on the fundamental issues
of religion, while the points of difference have to do with the minor
ones.

Points of Agreement
1. They believe in Almighty Allah, the Day of Judgment, Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as the Seal of Prophets who
was sent by Almighty Allah (to mankind and jinn) to complete the
Heavenly Messages sent before him. Believing in all that Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent with is part of
having faith in all the Heavenly Books and all Allah's Messengers
(peace and blessings be upon them). Allah Almighty says: (The
Messenger believeth in that which hath been revealed unto him from his
Lord and (so do) believers. Each one believeth in Allah and His angels
and His scriptures and His messengers—we make no distinction between
any of His messengers—and they say: We hear, and we obey. (Grant
us)Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Unto Thee is the journeying) (Al-Baqarah
2: 285). These are the pillars of faith on which both groups agree on.

2. They believe in the Glorious Qur'an as Allah's illuminating Book
that guides to the right path. Allah Almighty says: (We have, without
doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from
corruption)) (Al-Hijr 15: 9). [Message in this verse refers to the
Glorious Qur'an.] There is no difference between the Sunnis and
Shiites concerning the Qur'an being Almighty Allah's word. It is on
this Book that religious scholars depend in holding comparative
dialogues with people of other religions, concluding juristic
opinions, guidance, etc. Allah Almighty says: (So judge between them
by that which Allah hath revealed, and follow not their desires, but
beware of them lest they seduce thee from some part of that which
Allah hath revealed unto thee. And if they turn away, then know that
Allah's Will is to smite them for some sin of theirs. Lo! And truly
most men are rebellious. Is it a judgment of the time of (pagan)
ignorance that they are seeking? Who is better than Allah for judgment
to a people who have certainty (in their belief)?) (Al-Ma'idah 5:
49-50)

According to this verse, Allah Almighty warned the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) against succumbing to the desires of the People
of the Book or other misled people when it came to judging between
them, lest they might cause him to deviate from some part of what
Allah revealed to him. This indicates that all that Allah has revealed
should be followed by Muslims.

3. Both groups also agree that Muslims are to abide by the Five
Pillars of Islam, i.e., to testify that there is no god but Allah and
that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His Messenger, to
perform the specified prayers, to give zakah, to observe fast in the
month Ramadan, and to perform pilgrimage. The difference in opinion
between the two groups regarding some rulings pertaining to these
pillars is something that is quite normal. It is like the scholarly
difference in opinion among the Sunni schools themselves, such as the
Hanbali, Hanifi, and Maliki schools.

Relevant books on the different juristic points of view, like Nail
Al-Awtar by Imam Ash-Shawakani (may Allah have mercy upon him), refer
to eminent scholars of jurisprudence from among the Sunnis and Shiites
on equal footing. Reading one of these books, one does not feel that
there is a crucial difference between the Shiite schools and the Sunni
ones. This does not apply only to the acts of worship, it includes
also transactions.

It is true that the Shiites do not recognize the Sunni reference books
on the Prophetic hadiths, such as Al-Muwatta' by Imam Malik, Imam
Ahmad's Musnad, Sahih Al-Bukhari, SahihMuslim, Sunnan Abu Dawud, Sunan
Ibn Majah, Sunnan Ad-Daramy. However, most of the authentic hadiths
referred to in these books were also regarded as authentic by the
Shiites through one of two ways: regarding them as Prophetic hadiths
reported by other chains of reporters agreed upon among them as
trustworthy, or regarding them as points of view (not Prophetic
hadiths) peculiar to their Shiite imams.

Anyway, the most important point to be taken into account is that
there is a great deal of agreement between the Sunni jurisprudence and
the Shiite one. This is because both depend on the same sources, the
Qur'an and the Sunnah, and also because their aims in conducting
research on religion are similar, that is, establishing Allah's
justice and mercy among people.

Furthermore, if we are to make serious researches on the Sunni
opinions, we will find that some Shiite views that seem eccentric to
us have been also adopted by some Sunni scholars.

HAMAS : Pesanan Buat Umat Islam di Malaysia

(Ini adalah pesanan Dr Khalil al-Haya mewakili HAMAS di Palestin untuk umat Islam di Malaysia. Beliau telah berada di Malaysia pada tarikh 11 Mei-17 Mei 2006 untuk siri kempen "Bersama Menyokong Rakyat Palestin dan kerajaan HAMAS". Pesanan ini telah diterjemahkan oleh Maszlee Malik di atas permintaan Dr Khalil)

Alhamdulillah, Allah telah memilih kami yang berada di Palestin untuk berjihad. Kami telah dipilih untuk menjadi barisan hadapan kepada umat Islam. Kami telah dipilih oleh Allah SWT untuk mengorbankan jiwa, nyawa, harta, anak-anak kami untuk menentang musuh Allah dan mempertahankan Masjid al-Aqsa. Kami juga telah dipilih oleh Allah SWT untuk mewakili umat Islam di seluruh dunia untuk menjadi benteng pertahanan kepada al-Aqsa, kiblat pertama umat Islam dan juga masjid ketiga suci mereka. Kami juga telah dipilih oleh Allah untuk menjadikan mati syahid sebagai impian utama kehidupan kami berbanding kehidupan dunia. Selama lebih daripada 60 tahun, kami hidup di medan pertempuran. Selama waktu itu jugalah kami dijajah, dizalimi, diseksa, dibunuh dan juga diperangi. Mengapa?, hanya kerana kami mengucapkan La Ilaha Ila Allah, dan kerana kami mempertahankan bumi serta masjid kami.

Pelbagai bentuk kesengsaraan telah rakyat Palestin lalui. Pengusiran dari rumah, kampung halaman, dan juga tanah watan. Dibunuh, diseksa, ditembak, dibom, dibantai, disembelih dan apa-apa lagi perbuatan tidak bertamadun yang boleh diungkapkan, telah kami lalui. Generasi berganti generasi, umat Islam di Palestin tetap sabar dan komited untuk terus kekal dan mempertahankan tanah air mereka. Ianya adalah jihad, ianya adalah kemuliaan, ianya adalah bukti yang ingin kami bawa sebagai mahar ke syurga nanti. Semoga Allah menerima pengorbanan kami ini.

Ketika di waktu awal penjajahan, kami, saudara anda dari gerakan Islam telah menjadi barisan utama perjuangan. Selepas beberapa waktu, gerakan Islam telah dibantai penjajah. Pembantaian itu walau bagaimanapun tidak cukup untuk melemahkan kami. Sehinggalah di zaman Jamal Abdul Naser, sepertimana saudara-saudara kita di Mesir dibantai, kami juga turut menerima kesannya. Semenjak tarikh tersebut,gerakan Islam terpaksa kembali ke bawah tanah. Kmai telah menumpukan usaha untuk pembinaan semula struktur perjuangan. Usaha pendidikan, dakwah, tarbiyyah dan kebajikan telah menjadi agenda utama kami. Kami laluinya dengan penuh kesabaran dan ketabahan. Sehinggalah di pertengahan 80'an. Apabila arus sekular telah mula jemu dengan perjuangan. Ketika arus sekular yang asalnya memandu perjuangan rakyat Palestin telah mula lesu. Kami mula memunculkan diri sebagai peneraju perjuangan rakyat Palestin. Perjuangan kami berbeza dengan perjuangan sebelum ini. Perjuangan kami adalah berteraskan
Islam dan kami membawa mesej ummah. Perjuangan kami bukan hanya sekadar ingin memerdekakan sekeping tanah, tetapi untuk memandu kebangkitan umat Islam semula dan meninggikan syiar Islam di muka bumi ini.

HAMAS, semenjak hari pertama penubuhannya telah menjadikan jihad sebagai jalan utama untuk memerdekakan bumi Palestin. HAMAS juga telah menjadikan Islam sebagai landasan perjuangannya. HAMAS juga telah memberikan nyawa ahli-ahli mereka untuk tujuan tersebut. HAMAS juga telah berjanji dengan rakyat Palestin dan juga kepada umat Islam untuk terus komited dengan perjuangan mereka. HAMAS juga berjanji untuk memerdekakan masjid al-Aqsa walaupun terpaksa berjuang dengan kuku dan gigi sahaja. Itulah janji kami.

Selepas hampir 20 tahun berjuang, Allah memberikan hasilnya kepada perjuangan HAMAS. Kami diberi kepercayaan oleh rakyat untuk memerintah mereka. Kemenangan ini, walaupun indah, namun ianya merupakan ujian yang getir bagi kami. Kemenangan tersebut merupakan era baru perjuangan HAMAS. Kami terpaksa menambahkan satu lagi ruang di dalam perjuangan kami, iaitu ruangan politik pemerintahan. Semakin bertambahnya beban, semakin tingginya perngorbanan.

Buat umat Islam di Malaysia, andalah saudara kami yang paling hampir di Malaysia. Hati-hati kita telah diikat dengan fikrah dan aqidah yang sama. Kita telah dihimpunkan di dalam ikatan kerohanian yang jitu. Kita telah ditakdirkan untuk bersama di dalam perjuangan dengan manhaj yang sama. Kami adalah wakil anda di Palestin. Kemenangan kami adalah kemenangan anda. Pemerintahan kami adalah pemerintahan anda. Kerajaan HAMAS adalah kerajaan umat Islam dan hadiah buat perjuangan pecinta Islam di seluruh dunia. Tidakkah anda sedar perkara ini?, jika anda tidak sedarkan perkara ini siapakah lagi yang akan menyedarinya???

Umat Islam di Malaysia sekelian, menjadi pemerintah bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah. Apatah lagi memerintah di dalam fasa penjajahan dan peperangan. Apatah lagi jika pemerintahn itu hanyalah memerintah sebuah negara yang tidak berdaulat dan dinafikan kedaulatannya. Apatah lagi apabila memerintah sebuah negara yang menjadi sasaran keganasan penjajah Zionis yang didokongi oleh kuasa besar dunia yang zalim. Apatah lagi pemerintahan tersebut adalah mewarisi pemerintahan sebelumnya yang meninggalkan beban hutang sebanyak USD 3 billion di dalam akaun kerajaan. Inilah realiti kerajaan yang kami terajui. Inilah juga realiti kerajaan yang diterajui oleh HAMAS di Palestin. Inilah realiti kerajaan yang mewakili anda semua di seluruh dunia.

Sehingga kini, para pegawai kerajaan, termasuk para menteri, tidak menerima gaji semenjak 3 bulan yang lalu. Tahap pengangguran telah mencaai 31% di Gaza dan Tebing Barat. Bekalan makanan dan petrol semakin berkurangan. Ubat-ubatan di hospital semakin kehabisan. Baru-baru ini, tiga orang bayi telah meninggal di hospital di Gaza kerana ketiadaan ubat-ubatan yang mencukupi. Pelajar-pelajar tidak akan dapat menduduki peperiksaan kerana kehabisan kertas di sekolah-sekolah di Gaza dan Tebing Barat. Hatta, persidangan parlimen (Majlis Legaslatif) kami di Gaza hampir-hampir dibatalkan kerana kekurangan kertas.

Mengapa ini semua?, ianya adalah kerana keberkesanan tekanan yang dikenakan ke atas rakyat Palestin oleh rejim Zionis, AS dan juga EU. Tekanan yang dikenakan hanya semata-mata rakyat Palestin telah memilih calon yang mereka inginkan di dalam pilihanraya yang lalu. Tekanan yang dikenakan kerana kami enggan menurut ugutan mereka supaya mengiktiraf penjajahan Zionis. Tekanan juga dikenakan kerana kami ingin mempertahankan diri kami daripada dibunuh oleh pihak penjajah. Sampai bilakah tekanan ini akan berakhir?

Wang hasil kutipan cukai kami yang berjumlah USD 55 juta sebulan tidak pernah dipulangkan kepada rakyat Palestin.Rejim Zionis telah mengambilnya dari kami dan tidak pernah dipaksa untuk memulangkannya kepada kami. Mengapa tiada kuasa yang memaksa rejim Zionis untuk memulangkannya. Mereka juga telah menutup laluan udara, darat dan laut kepada tanah Palestin. Ekonomi kami berada di tangan rejim Zionis kerana perjanjian gila dan bodoh yang telah dipersetujui oleh kerajaan sebelum ini. Walau bagaimanapun, kami tidak mengharapkan itu semua.

Kami yakin, saudara-saudara seislam kami masih dapat membantu kami. Kami yakin saudara seaqidah kami akan dapat menampung keperluan rakyat Palestin dan mencukupinya. Kami yakin juga, saudara seaqidah kami di seluruh dunia akan dapat membuatkan kami terus hidup dan tidak bergantung kepada bantuan-bantuan daripada negara-negara bukan Islam, apatah lagi dari rejim Zionis. Persoalannya, di manakah saudara-saudara kami? Di manakah mereka di kala kami memerlukan mereka?

Wahai umat Islam di Malaysia. Kami mengharapkan agar anda mengepalai kempen untuk menyelamatkan kerajaan HAMAS di bumi Malaysia ini. Kami hanya mempunyai dua pilihan. Pertamanya, tunduk kepada tekanan AS dan EU lantas mengiktiraf Israel demi menghilangkan kesengsaraan rakyat. Pilihan yang kedua adalah teruskan berjuang dan tidak sekali-kali tunduk kepada tekanan. Kami telah memilih pilihan yang kedua. Kami akan terus berjuang ke titisan darah terakhir kami. Kami tidak akan sekali-kali mengiktiraf penjajah. Kami tidak akan sekali-kali tunduk kepada tekanan. Malangnya rakyat hanya boleh bertahan selama enam bulan. Tiap-tiap hari, rakyat mengadakan perarakan menyokong kerajaan dan menggesa agar kerajaan HAMAS tidak tunduk kepada tekanan. Kami yakin, rakyat akan terus menyokong, tetapi sampai bila?, perut mereka akan kosong. Kami tidak akan membiarkan rakyat kami kelaparan dan sakit tanpa rawatan. Kami perlukan bantuan anda untuk melakukannya. Mahukah anda melihat kerajaan
HAMAS di Palestin membiarkan rakyatnya kelaparan?


Umat Islam di Malaysia sekelian,

Kami akan terus berjuang. Kami akan terus tetap dalam perjuangan sehinggalah setiap daripada kami akan gugur syahid. Kami akan terus memastikan prinsip Islam akan terus dijulang. Namun kami memerlukan sokongan dan bantuan anda.

Jikalau kami gugur syahid, dan anda sekelian terus diam membisu dan hanya menyaksikan sahaja, nantikan hari pembalasan. Kami akan tuntut dari Allah di atas kelembapan anda semua. Kami tidak akan redha terhadap kelesuan dan kebisuan anda semua. Kai tidak akan memaafkannya.

Umat Islam di Malaysia,

Kami mengharapkan agar anda bersikap pro-aktif. Kami mengharapkan agar anda menyumbang USD 1 (RM 3.60) setahun sahaja untuk menanggung kesengsaraan rakyat Palestin.

Kami juga mengharapkan agar anda melobi kerajaan anda yang menjadi pengerusi OIC untuk melakukan sesuatu.

Kami juga berharap dari anda untuk melakukan kempen kesedaran, dan libatkan masyarakat Malaysia, termasuk pertubuhan-pertubuhan bukan Islam untuk turut membantu rakyat Palestin.

Kami juga inign melihat anda menjadi juara di peringkat antarabangsa di dalam kempen kesedaran ini.

Banjiri media anda dengan isu Palestin dan al-Aqsa. Halakan mereka untuk menyokong perjuangan rakyat Palestin.

Kepalailah usaha serantau untuk tujuan tersebut, andalah harapan kami.

Dan akhir sekali, kami mengharapkan agar anda tidak melupakan kami di dalam doa-doa anda sekelian. Berdoalah agar kami thabat di dalam perjuangan. Berdoalah agar kami tetap di dalam perjuangan kami. Berdoalah agar kami dikurniakan mati syahid. Berdoalah juga, agar kita dapat bersama-sama bersolat di dalam Masjid al-Aqsa satu hari nanti, di mana pada waktu itu, bendera Islam akan berkibar dan syariat Allah akan berdaulat sekali lagi di atas muka bumi ini...

Allah Akbar!!!

Saudaramu,
Khalil Ismail al-Haya
Ketua Whip HAMAS di Majlis Legaslatif Palestin,
Kuala Lumpur,
14 Mei 2006.

JAMAAH ITU KEPERLUAN, UMMAH ITU TUJUAN

Artikel yang baik dr ust hasrizal jamil bagi menjawab pemikiran ummah centric ustaz maszlee malik.

"SAYA kena sertai semua kumpulan. Kalau ikut satu sahaja, nanti jadi Jamaah Centric!", kata seorang siswa.

"Lebih baik aku bebas. Tak terikat dengan mana-mana kumpulan. Mana-mana ada kelas pengajian, aku akan pergi. Ini baru Ummah Centric", komen seorang pelajar pula.

Kebelakangan ini, isu Jamaah Centric Vs. Ummah Centric hangat diperbincangkan oleh masyarakat kita. Hal ini lebih ketara dilihat berlaku di kalangan masyarakat pelajar yang lebih dekat kepada sumber gagasan idea ini iaitu al-Fadhil al-Ustaz Maszlee bin Malik, seorang pensyarah di Universiti Islam Antarabangsa. Pelbagai bentuk maklum balas yang timbul, sama ada dalam bentuk perkataan dan tulisan, mahu pun tindak tanduk yang mencetuskan satu senario di kampus hari ini.

Di peringkat awal, saya mengambil lontaran idea ini sebagai sesuatu yang wajar diberikan persetujuan, sekurang-kurangnya pada isi-isi utama yang diketengahkan melalui artikel di Majalah I. Pada saya, idea awal di bawah kerangka pemikiran Ummah Centric mempunyai tujuan yang harmoni iaitu ke arah keterbukaan pemikiran semua individu yang terlibat di dalam gerakan Islam untuk meraikan perbezaan pandangan sesama mereka, menuju kepada kepentingan makro iaitu maslahah Ummah sejagat. Saya boleh bersetuju di peringkat ini.

Akan tetapi, selepas menonton VCD ceramah Ustaz Maszlee bin Malik di rumah Kapten Hafiz Firdaus, saya menjadi keliru dan penerimaan saya terhadap idea tersebut terganggu. Saya menontonnya buat kali yang kedua, dan keserabutan fikiran saya akibatnya, makin ketara. Saya terpaksa mengambil masa yang panjang untuk menyusun cabang-cabang fikiran saya dan akhirnya, menulislah yang boleh menjadi cara terbaik untuk saya strukturkan kefahaman saya terhadap gagasan Ummah Centric yang dikemukakan oleh al-Fadhil ustaz.

Tambahan pula, Ustaz Maszlee bin Malik adalah rakan sepengajian saya. Kami saling mengenali semenjak 1993 dan saya menghormatinya sebagai seorang rakan yang ilmuan. Maka saya berusaha sedaya upaya untuk mengenengahkan analisa ini dengan tatasusila peribahasa Melayu kita, "seperti menarik rambut di dalam tepung; rambut tak putus, tepung tak tumpah". Mudah-mudahan apa yang saya tulis ini benar-benar dapat dibaca dengan bahasa dakwah dan diskusi ilmiah tanpa ada sebarang persepsi peribadi serta prejudis yang menyalahi kebenaran.

MERAIKAN PERBEZAAN

Keterbukaan kumpulan-kumpulan Islam untuk bertolak ansur terhadap perbezaan sesama mereka, adalah suatu tuntutan yang memang tidak dapat dinafikan. Ia menjadi kunci kepada sejauh mana mereka boleh memberi kesan yang berbekas di tengah masyarakat, dan sejauh mana masyarakat boleh memberikan kepercayaan untuk suara Islam memimpin arus perdana.

Saya percaya, keupayaan untuk bekerjasama di antara kumpulan-kumpulan Islam ini sudah pun terlaksana di peringkat pemimpin, malah menjadi pendekatan 'rasmi' bagi hubungan diplomatik antara kumpulan. Walau bagaimana pun, impian pemimpin untuk mewujudkan keharmonian antara kumpulan Islam di peringkat akar umbi, tidak semudah melakarkannya di atas kertas. Pergeseran berlaku dari semasa ke semasa, walaupun masing-masing sedar yang fenomena malang itu menjadi bahan ketawa golongan Islam liberal yang sinis.

Malah kadang-kadang kumpulan Islam ini menerima padah sehingga menjadi seperti Pak Pandir yang menang bersorak, tetapi kampungnya tergadai. Kumpulan Islam tumbang di kampus-kampus, dan berleluasalah maksiat dan hedonisma sebagai budaya kampus hari ini. Tiada lagi amar makruf dan nahi munkar, hasil kesalahan sendiri yang mempertaruhkan kampung, semata-mata mahu memenangkan ayam laga masing-masing.

Saya kira, mungkin inilah latar belakang kepada timbulnya idea Ummah Centric oleh al-Fadhil al-Ustaz Maszlee bin Malik. Beliau yang bertugas sebagai pensyarah universiti dan setiap harinya adalah bersama masyarakat kampus, tentu mahu melihat kepada penyelesaian fenomena yang merugikan ini. Saya suka untuk bersama dengan beliau di dalam niat yang murni itu.

Namun, tembakan peluru yang tidak menepati sasaran, akan hanya menghasilkan satu antara dua. Sama ada kita bazirkan peluru, atau paling malang, ada pihak lain yang tidak bersalah terbunuh akibat peluru sesat itu tadi. Ketika kita mahu merawat TAASUB ahli kumpulan kepada idea kumpulannya, yang tersinggung bukanlah SIKAP dan PEMIKIRAN TAASUB tersebut, tetapi konsep berkumpulan dan berJAMAAH itu yang menjadi mangsa peluru sesat berkenaan.

Lantas timbul idea Jamaah vs. Ummah. Apakah kepentingan Jamaah secara default bertentangan dengan kepentingan Ummah? Apakah yang boleh wujud hanyalah Ummah, manakala Jamaah pula menjadi batu penghalang kepada gagasan Ummah? Mengapa mesti Jamaah VERSUS Ummah? Mengapa tidak Jamaah DAN Ummah? Inilah yang cuba saya fikirkan, bahawa apakah ada kontra di antara kedua-duanya, lantas perlu memilih satu antara dua, atau saya perlu lari dari dua pilihan itu, dan sebaliknya berfikir di luar kotak?

Pertamanya, saya perlu memasang pasak, bahawa berjemaah itu bukan sahaja tuntutan Syariat, malah ia sebenarnya adalah Sunnatullah. Allah SWT telah menetapkan fitrah manusia yang berhajatkan kepada hidup berkumpulan. Sendirian itu sunyi, lantas Adam memerlukan kepada Hawwa. Sekumpulan itu sukar, lantas manusia berkumpul-kumpulan dan saling bertukar hasil untuk memenuhi keperluan hidup masing-masing. Kumpulan nelayan perlukan kepada kumpulan petani. Kedua-dua kumpulan itu perlu pula kepada kumpulan penternak, lantas hasil keperluan itu, timbulnya kumpulan peniaga yang konsep asalnya adalah untuk saling membantu mengisi keperluan sesama kita.

Itu adalah fitrah manusia yang perlukan Jamaah untuk mengisi keperluan hidupnya.

Islam sebagai agama fitrah, menjadikan konsep berjemaah itu sebagai kerangka teras ajarannya. Peranan manusia sebagai Khalifah adalah untuk mengimarahkan 'hablun minannaas'. Kita saling berkhidmat di antara satu sama lain, kerana kita khalifah kepada Allah yang mahukan kita bersyukur kepada-Nya dengan melakukan kebaikan sesama manusia. Manakala kita sebagai hamba Allah, Islam mengajar kita menegakkan ibadah dan syiar agama-Nya secara berjamaah. Kita dituntut solat berjamaah, dan hidup bermasyarakat.

Hal ini terjadi secara harmoni, kerana ia fitrah manusia.

Fitrah manusia memang mahu hidup berkumpulan. Sama ada mereka mahu berkumpul kerana bersepakat di atas satu idea dan agenda, atau pun mereka berkumpul kerana bersepakat menolak satu idea dan agenda. Dari satu kumpulan, mereka lari ke satu 'perkumpulan' yang lain. Seorang manusia memang sebahagian daripada kumpulannya.

Bukan sahaja di dalam hal ehwal agama, keperluan manusia kepada kumpulan juga merentasi semua itu, malah bagi sesiapa sahaja yang 'kenal' manusia, akan sampai kepada kesimpulan yang sama.

John C. Maxwell, seorang tokoh Leadership Training pernah menulis di dalam bukunya, EQUIPPING 101, bahawa, "one is too small a number to achieve greatness". Tidak ada kejayaan yang dicapai secara bersendirian hatta Lone Ranger juga sentiasa di sisinya ada Tonto!

Jika di dalam soal kehidupan dan keperluannya, manusia hidup secara berjamaah, maka apatah lagi untuk urusan-urusan menegakkan agama Allah.

Suatu kesilapan, seandainya ada di kalangan kita yang beranggapan bahawa tanggungjawab mereka hanyalah menambah ilmu dan mengajak kepada kebaikan. Kita tidak hanya dituntut melaksanakan perkara-perkara yang baik, malah kita juga diperintahkan oleh Allah supaya menjauhi larangan-Nya. Amar makruf tidak mungkin dapat dipisahkan daripada nahi munkar. Para Rasul dan kita semua diperintah bukan sahaja mengajak manusia kepada mengabdikan diri kepada Allah, bahkan kita juga bertanggungjawab memastikan diri dan manusia lain terhindar daripada Taghut, iaitu segala sesuatu yang berlawanan dengan Allah, Tuhan yang al-Haq.

Apabila kita bertanggungjawab terhadap dakwah, kita perlu akur kepada tabiat jalan dakwah itu, sebagaimana Luqman memberikan tanggapan yang realistik kepada anaknya, ketika menjelaskan tentang kewajipan dakwah. Ia bukan senang sentiasa, malah sentiasa dicemburui dan ditentang oleh manusia lain.

Firman Allah SWT:

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"Wahai anak kesayanganku, dirikanlah Solat, dan suruhlah berbuat kebaikan, serta laranglah daripada melakukan perbuatan yang mungkar, dan bersabarlah atas segala bala bencana yang menimpamu. Sesungguhnya yang demikian itu adalah dari perkara-perkara yang dikehendaki diambil berat melakukannya."

Realiti dakwah memang begitu.

Oleh kerana dakwah mempunyai tabiat yang sedemikian rupa, maka ia sekali lagi memerlukan kepada manusia yang memelihara fitrah diri mereka, iaitu melakukannya secara berjamaah. Mereka perlu merancang, membuat keputusan, melaksanakannya dan teguh terhadap kesan dakwah itu, secara berjamaah. Dalam erti kata yang lain, keperluan dakwah kepada Jamaah bukan sahaja datang dari perintah Allah yang Maha Mengerti akan hakikat manusia yang diCiptakan-Nya, malah melakukan dakwah secara berjamaah adalah fitrah.

Jika sudah bosan membaca tentang faedah bekerja secara berjamaah dari buah fikiran sesama Muslim, mari kita renungkan kepada pandangan John C Maxwell yang cuba menjelaskan kepada 'jamaah'nya di gereja, ahli korporat di pejabat, malah ahli bagi sebuah keluarga, mengapa kita mesti berjamaah:

1. Teams involve more people, thus affording more resources, ideas and energy than would an individual.
2. Teams maximize a leader's potential and minimize her weaknesses. Strengths and weaknesses are more exposed in individuals.
3. Teams provide multiple perspective on how to meet a need and reach a goal, thus devising several alternatives for each situation.
4. Teams share the credit for victories and the blame for losses. This fosters genuine humility and authentic community.
5. Teams keep leaders accountable for the goal.
6. Teams can simply do more than an individual.

Tegasnya, di antara sudut kesempurnaan ciptaan Allah terhadap manusia, terletak kepada kepatuhannya memelihara fitrah, bahawa manusia hidup berjamaah.

UMMAH CENTRIC VS. JAMAAH CENTRIC: PELURU YANG TERLEPAS SASAR

Ketika idea ini dikemukakan oleh al-Fadhil al-Ustaz Maszlee Malik di melalui artikelnya di Majalah I, saya lihat hala tujunya menjurus kepada sasaran yang betul. Apa yang banyak ditegaskan melalui artikel itu adalah soal membetulkan pemikiran agar tidak terbelenggu oleh kepentingan Jamaah. Sebaliknya semua orang mesti sedar bahawa dirinya dan jamaahnya adalah sebahagian daripada Ummah. Maka keperluan dan kehendak Ummahlah yang sepatutnya diberikan keutamaan. Dengan itu kita akan berhenti bergeseran sesama Jamaah, atas roh Ummah yang menjadi pegangan.

Akan tetapi, apabila idea tersebut dicanaikan melalui ceramah yang disampaikannya di kediaman al-Fadhil al-Akh Hafiz Firdaus, saya berubah pandangan. Saya cuba meletakkan diri saya di tempat pelajar yang mendengar ceramah tersebut, dan saya menjadi keliru. Subjek yang menjadi sasaran dan kritik bukan lagi pada permasalahan SIKAP TAASUB setiap kumpulan terhadap kumpulan lain, tetapi kepada konsep berjamaah itu sendiri.

Mungkin al-Fadhil Maszlee tidak bermaksud demikian, tetapi kesan ceramahnya menyebabkan pelajar sinis dan memandang rendah kepada semua kumpulan Islam yang wujud di kampus malah di tengah masyarakat. Ketawa sinis penceramah dan peserta terhadap beberapa senario Jamaah, ternyata mengheret perkumpulan Islam untuk berasa amat tersinggung, seolah-olah Jamaah dan kumpulan Islam, adalah pelakon drama komedi yang lawaknya lucu tetapi menyusahkan orang ramai.

Saya kira, isteri dan anak-anak kepada tahanan ISA, keluarga pendakwah yang terbunuh di Memali malah al-Syahid Sayyid Qutb yang hilang nyawa di tali gantung, terpaksa menempuh segala kesusahan hidup itu akan amat terguris hati mereka kerana impression yang terhasil dari ceramah tersebut ialah, pengorbanan selama ini, hanyalah bagi menjayakan drama lucu Jamaah Centric mereka!

Saya teringat kepada kisah seorang artis Hollywood yang terpilih untuk menjadi pengacara sebuah program anugerah. Lawak jenakanya sangat menghiburkan dan dia telah berjaya menghidupkan program tersebut sehingga beroleh pelbagai komen positif media dan rakan. Tetapi apabila beliau bertanyakan pandangan ayahnya, beliau menjawab, "YOU HURT TOO MANY PEOPLE!". Ya, lawak yang sinis selalunya menghiris.

Apabila manusia yang fitrah perlu kepada Jamaah untuk merealisasikan keperluan dan tujuan hidupnya, maka mereka perlu kepada disiplin dan adab berjamaah. Soal komitmen (intima'), disiplin bekerja, dan kerahsiaan organisasi (sirr), adalah hasil pelajaran ahli gerakan Islam daripada dakwah pertama oleh Rasulullah SAW. Ia bukan idea-idea budak kampus. Namun, kelakuan-kelakuan mikro oleh pelajar di kampus, menjadi bahan sanggahan konsep Amal Jama'ie yang makro. Kerana mahu menyindir anak kecil di padang, ibu di rumah turut terkena.

Perbalahan antara perkumpulan Islam bukanlah berpunca daripada konsep Amal Jama'ie. Ia adalah masalah SIKAP dan CARA BERFIKIR.

Sepatutnya Ummah Centric dan Jamaah Centric memfokuskan pembetulan mereka kepada persoalan SIKAP itu tadi. SIKAP yang ada pada semua kumpulan Islam, dan bukannya menyalahkan Jamaah. Jangan kerana marahkan nyamuk, habis kelambu dibakar.

SIKAP dan CARA BERFIKIR yang saya sebutkan tadi, bukan sahaja mencetuskan pelbagai masalah di kalangan pendukung gerakan Islam, malah ia mencakupi seluruh aspek kehidupan kita termasuklah kepada persoalan berMAZHAB. Mungkin artikel PAKSI ISLAM: SYAKHSIAH ATAU HUJAH? yang pernah saya tulis, boleh menjelaskan secara panjang lebar tentang hal ini.

Jika SIKAP dan CARA BERFIKIR yang berpenyakit itu tidak diperbetulkan, ia hanya mengundang kepada bercambahnya masalah asal yang ingin dihapuskan.

Misalnya, isu MAZHAB. Kita cuba merawat penyakit Taasub kepada Mazhab yang banyak menimbulkan masalah kepada Ummah. Tetapi yang kita perbetulkan adalah maklumat tentang mazhab, dan bukannya SIKAP. Lantas, daripada sekumpulan manusia yang obses dengan al-Imam al-Syafi'e, timbul pula sekumpulan manusia yang obses dengan al-Imam Ibn Taimiyah. Daripada wujud hanya satu kumpulan manusia taasub, muncul pula dua kumpulan manusia taasub yang berlaga sesama sendiri.

Mengapa hal ini boleh terjadi? Pada kiraan saya, masalah bukan terletak pada MAZHAB, sebaliknya pada SIKAP dan CARA BERFIKIR yang salah. Mereka yang meninggalkan mazhab, beralih kepada al-Imam Ibn Taimiyah dengan membawa gerabak SIKAP yang sama. Taasub lawan Taasub, Islam Liberal juga yang akhirnya tersenyum gembira!

Apabila al-Fadhil al-Ustaz Maszlee Malik mengolah ceramah Ummah Centricnya seperti yang saya tonton melalui VCD tersebut, ia menjatuhkan maruah semua kumpulan Islam yang ada. Akibatnya, masyarakat pelajar akan lari daripada semua kumpulan Islam tersebut, dan berkumpul mengelilingi Ustaz Maszlee. Mereka lari dari semua Jamaah untuk berkumpul membentuk 'Jamaah' baru. Walaupun kumpulan bebas-jamaah ini tiada nama, namun watak dan cara berfikir mereka akan membuat pusingan yang sama iaitu taasub menolak Jamaah-jamaah lain, sehingga tanpa disedari membentuk satu kumpulan yang tidak berjamaah secara taasub. Maka daripada tiga, empat atau lima pergeseran, bertambah pula menjadi enam pergeseran.

Mengapa semua itu terjadi? Puncanya terletak pada peluru yang hilang sasar. Ummah itu rumah, Jamaah itu kelambu, sedangkan yang mengganggu ahli rumah tersebut adalah nyamuk. Maka nyamuklah yang sepatutnya dibanteras.

Nyamuk yang mengganggu Ummah adalah SIKAP NEGATIF dan CARA BERFIKIR yang salah.

Ada nyamuk jamaah yang menyalahgunakan nas untuk membuat justifikasi terhadap kebenaran jamaahnya. Namun, bukan Jamaah yang salah, bukan nas yang lemah, tetapi nyamuk yang buat perangai. Dr Izzat Khalil al-Azizi ketika memberikan nasihatnya kepada gerakan-gerakan Islam melalui buku Nasaa'ih wa Taujihaat al-Mufakkireen wa Ulama' a-Islaam li al-Jamaa'aat wa al-Ahzaab al-Islaamiyyah terbitan al-Maktabah al-Islaamiyyah, Jordan, telah mengambil pendekatan yang realistik.

Beliau menyeru kepada semua gerakan Islam agar berSIKAP terbuka (infitaah) terhadap sesama gerakan Islam dan tidak menyempitkan pemahaman Jamaah di dalam nas Hadith sebagai merujuk kepada Jamaah masing-masing. Hal ini juga selaras dengan seruan Sheikh Solah Abd al-Fattah al-Khalidi yang mesra dengan pelajar Malaysia di Jordan, yang sebahagiannya adalah saya dan al-Fadhil Maszlee Malik sendiri.

SIKAP yang sepatutnya diperbetulkan, dan bukannya konsep Jamaah.

Ada nyamuk jamaah yang tidak memanipulasi nas, sebaliknya mencubit gigit rakan-rakan gerakan Islamnya yang lain, lebih dari gigitannya terhadap musuh sebenar. Entiti diri sebagai sebuah NGO dan badan berdaftar sepatutnya menjadi pendekatan yang mengkayakan pengalaman sesama gerakan Islam, dan bukannya menjadi hujah untuk menyindir rakan yang 'ditolak pendaftarannya' kerana sering derita menanggung risiko dakwah.

"Itulah engkau, buat lagi kerja macam tu, kan dah kena tindakan. Tengok aku, aku join NGO, dakwah dapat buat, risiko tak dapat. Baru selamat!", ujar ahli NGO kepada sebuah kumpulan yang tiada nombor pendaftaran.

Semua ini adalah sikap-sikap yang sepatutnya menjadi sasaran pembetulan oleh gagasan 'Ummah Centric vs. Jamaah Centric'.

Kumpulan-kumpulan Islam di kampus sewajarnya mengajak sokongan melalui pembuktian upaya dirinya, berbanding sandaran terhadap kelemahan kumpulan lain. Sikap yang lebih pro aktif, sihat dan meletakkan mesej Islam sebagai keutamaan adalah jaminan kepada keharmonian kumpulan mikro manusia sebagai Jamaah, dan kumpulan makro manusia sebagai Ummah.

Lebih menghairankan saya ialah apabila Ummah Centric dituduh sebagai cetusan fahaman Wahhabiyyah, manakala Jamaah Centric dikaitkan dengan pengaruh kesufian. Aduh, apa kena mengenanya Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab dan jalan sufi itu dengan KANSER SIKAP kita?

Saya masih ingat kepada satu siri talk show yang dikendalikan oleh Oprah Winfrey. Isu kali itu adalah tentang Racism. Menariknya ialah, ramai Black American meletakkan mind setting mereka bahawa jika mereka tidak mendapat pekerjaan atau mengalami kegagalan tertentu, maka puncanya adalah kerana mereka Black! Walhal mereka memang tidak layak untuk jawatan tersebut.

Ada juga orang Islam di Eropah yang menganggap bahawa mereka dipinggirkan oleh masyarakat kerana Islamnya mereka. Sedangkan mereka sendiri yang hidup berkelompok dan enggan berinteraksi dengan persekitaran.

Nasib kita macam ini sebab kita bumiputera. Pada hal kita yang malas berusaha.

Dia itu Ummah Centric, sebab dia Wahabi.

Yang ini pula Jamaah Centric, sebab dia Sufi.

Saya hampir lumpuh kewarasan diri akibat karenah pemikiran yang seperti ini!

Berjamaahlah, kecemerlangan itu kuncinya pada berjamaah. Simenkan satu Jamaah dengan satu jamaah yang lain dengan simen ukhuwwah dan pemikiran yang God-Centered. Hasil gabungan semua itulah nanti yang akan membentuk Ummah.

Kuncinya adalah pada meletakkan ALLAH sebagai matlamat. Tanpa God-Centered, sama ada kita akan menjadi self-centered, atau larut sebagai social-centered.

Jamaah itu keperluan, Ummah itu tujuan. Mestikah ada pertembungan?

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"Tegakkanlah pendirian agama, dan janganlah kamu berpecah belah atau berselisihan pada dasarnya" [al-Quran 42: 13]

Islamic Banking Financing Rate not competitive ?

from http://www.zaharuddin.com/


Recent development has seen banking industries thrusting ahead with the introduction of varieties of new products offering appealing features. On the contrary however, a random survey reveals that some people are not very pleased with the performance of Islamic Banks. One critical aspect in particular highlighted :

• The high profit rate charged by Islamic Bank for their financing product as compared to the interest rate charged by Conventional Bank. This factor is claimed to be the crucial factor leading to customers repelling from taking up financing from Islamic Bank.

This article will respond to the above-mentioned critic. To begin, lets look at the following facts:-
a) Islamic Bank is a profit driven company offering Shariah approved financial services and products and is not a welfare institution where services are rendered for free.
b) Islamic Bank is obligated to fulfill its duty to investors who are not merely subsidizing the institution and who like any other investor yearn for good return in investment.
c) Islamic Bank needs to pay the salary of its staff competitively with the market, which means that profit making is vital to enable the salary payment. Staff is fundamental in driving the Bank towards efficiency and competitiveness.
d) Islamic Bank has to cover the operational costs of its premises, tools and equipments. Therefore, how would an Islamic Bank survive, develop and expand if they are expected to provide its services for free or at a very low price ?

Surely, based on the above facts, it is clear that the nature of an Islamic Bank is actually similar to other business institutions. The following explanations answer the issue of why the Islamic Banks’ Financing rate is averagely higher than the Conventional.

1) The priceless value of Halal

A Muslim entrepreneur once told me about his experience in London where the price of a slaughtered chicken is much higher than the one, which is not being slaughtered and that Muslims consistently kept buying the expensive slaughtered chicken in order to ensure that their food are halal.

The above analogy shows that even though the Islamic Banks’ products are quite expensive (for some products only). However these are priced as such considering that these products have gone through the Shariah screening process and verified as halal.

On the other hand, although Muslim nowadays are very much concern of not eating pork (khinzir) or non-slaughtered chickens and etc, there are those that seems to pay less attention to their income, whether it is coming from halal sources or not and not hesitant to use the not halal income to purchase their daily foodstuff which according to Shariah is prohibited, similar to the prohibition of eating non-slaughtered chicken.

2) The Professional Shariah Screening and Auditing.

The Islamic Bank essentials requires Shariah screening and approval for its products and activities. This is an additional Shariah benchmarking and thus an additional cost, considering the time and expertise involved. One must realize that this Shariah approved products are priceless in value and cannot be valued by any amount of money and that Shariah approved financial products have been acknowledged as not only beneficial to mankind but also socially ethical products.

3) The highly potential players in the market.

Islamic Banks are highly potential players in the market. This is well acknowledged by Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz in her statement at Putrajaya on 22nd June 2005.
“..Since 2000, the domestic Islamic Banking industry has been growing at an average rate of 18% per annum in terms of assets. As at end-2004, total assets of the Islamic Banking sector increased to RM 94.6 billion, accounting for 10.5% of the total assets in the banking system. The market share of Islamic deposits and financing also increased to 11.2% and 11.3% respectively.”

Deliberating her point, Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Zeti adds that: “Bank Negara Malaysia, in charting the next stage of development for the Islamic Banking industry; envisage that the relative significance of their market share will increase to 20% by the year 2010.”

Thus, as the small players continue to grow, the financing rates offered may be averagely higher than those of the large and well-established players. This situation is equitable to the prices offered by retail seller and hypermarket, whereby retail seller’s price is higher as compared to hypermarket prices.

4) Lastly, it is important to understand that the financing rate charged by the Islamic Banks today is actually low and competitive to the rate offered by the Conventional Banks. Furthermore, if one detailed out the calculations, it may reveal that Islamic Banks are actually offering comparatively lower rate, for example when comparing between Interest rate offered by Conventional Banks in their Home loan products and profit rate from the Home Financing-i under Bai’ Bithaman Ajil (BBA) concept by Islamic Banks. One will learn that, Home-Financing-i offers fixed selling prices and the contractual profit rate (under this concept) will never change from the beginning of the payment period to the last settlement by the customer.

On the other hand, the home loan offered by Conventional banks are seemingly very attractive as the rate charged in the first year is relatively low. However, the rate for the remaining years will fluctuate as it is dependence on the Base Lending Rate (BLR) in the market. For example if the current BLR is 6 %, therefore the rate is equal to 6.25 % as the rate is equal to BLR + 0.25 %. What if BLR rises to 11 % or higher as has happened in the past Malaysian economic crisis ?

On the contrary, this will not occur in Islamic Banks’ because the selling price has already been fixed and agreed in the contractual agreement by both parties. The Islamic Banks’ profit rate does not have any relation to the BLR rate, thus it will not increase. In fact, it may even be reduced if the Islamic Banks were to provide rebate (ibra’).

We can now see competitive profit rate from Islamic Banks as the Islamic market reaches critical mass such as Car Financing-i under Al-Ijarah Thumma Al-Bai’ (AITAB) concept whereby customers are offered 2.5 % for the imported cars, which is very competitive if not better than the current interest rate offered by Conventional Banks.

In conclusion, considerations and supports from all are essentially needed to enable Islamic Banks to reach and go beyond the target set up by government. If we are willing to make the sacrifice today, we will not regret to see that our future generations will be able to enjoy competitive Islamic Banking products with very competitive pricing besides the assurance and guarantee that it is halal.

sermon by Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al at the Al-Murabit Mosque in Damascus.





Following are excerpts from an address given by Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al at the Al-Murabit Mosque in Damascus. The address was delivered following the Friday sermon at the mosque and was aired on Al-Jazeera TV on February 3, 2006.



Subject: "You will be defeated"



Khaled Mash'al: We apologize to our Prophet Muhammad, but we say to him: Oh Prophet of Allah, do not be saddened, your nation will be victorious.



We say to this West, which does not act reasonably, and does not learn its lessons: By Allah, you will be defeated. You will be defeated in Palestine, and your defeat there has already begun. True, it is Israel that is being defeated there, but when Israel is defeated, its path is defeated, those who call to support it are defeated, and the cowards who hide behind it and support it are defeated. Israel will be defeated, and so will whoever supported or supports it.



America will be defeated in Iraq. Wherever the [Islamic] nation is targeted, its enemies will be defeated, Allah willing. The nation of Muhammad is gaining victory in Palestine. The nation of Muhammad is gaining victory in Iraq, and it will be victorious in all Arab and Muslim lands. "Their multitudes will be defeated and turn their backs [and flee]." These fools will be defeated, the wheel of time will turn, and times of victory and glory will be upon our nation, and the West will be full of remorse, when it is too late.



They think that history has ended with them. They do not know that the law of Allah cannot be changed or replaced. "You shall not find a substitute for the law of Allah. You shall not find any change to the law of Allah." Today, the Arab and Islamic nation is rising and awakening, and it will reach its peak, Allah willing. It will be victorious. It will link the present to the past. It will open up the horizons of the future. It will regain the leadership of the world. Allah willing, the day is not far off.



Don't you see that every act of deceit they contrive is being turned against them by Allah? Don't you see that they make every effort to defeat us militarily, but fail to do so? Israel and the occupation forces in Iraq are supplied with the entire Western military arsenal, yet they fail and are defeated.



Don't you see that they believe they are capable of using democracy to deceive the people, but then democracy is turned against them? Don't you see that they are spending their money in efforts to block the way of Allah, to thwart Hamas, to defeat it, and to help those whom they want, but [this plot] is turned against them? They are not acting reasonably.



They do not understand the Arab or Muslim mentality, which rejects the foreigner. Our Arab forefathers, before the advent of Islam, rejected the aggressors and the foreigners.



I bring good tidings to our beloved Prophet Muhammad: Allah's promise and the Prophet's prophecy of our victory in Palestine over the Jews and over the oppressive Zionists has begun to come true.



I say to the [European countries]: Hurry up and apologize to our nation, because if you do not, you will regret it. This is because our nation is progressing and is victorious. Do not leave a black mark in the collective memory of the nation, because our nation will not forgive you.



Tomorrow, our nation will sit on the throne of the world. This is not a figment of the imagination, but a fact. Tomorrow we will lead the world, Allah willing. Apologize today, before remorse will do you no good. Our nation is moving forwards, and it is in your interest to respect a victorious nation.



Our nation will be victorious. When it reaches the leadership of the world, and controls its own will decisions, then it will prevent this overt interference [in our affairs], and its pillaging of natural resources, and will prevent these recurring offenses against our land, against our nation, and against our holy places - then you will regret it.



The Western countries must stop the fools. Are these reasonable people? They allow offenses against Allah and the prophets. They are not offending only Muhammad, but all the prophets. But when an historian among them talks about the Holocaust, it is the sin of all sins. If anybody criticizes the Jews, this constitutes anti-Semitism. By law, they hold their own people accountable [for that]. The West, which waved the slogans of liberty after the French Revolution, three centuries ago, does not respect its own principles or slogans today. It violates them.



This victory, which was clearly evident in the elections, conveys a message to Israel, to America, and to all the oppressors around the world: You have no way of overcoming us. If you want war, we are ready. If you want democracy, we are ready. Whatever you want - we are ready. You will not defeat us. The time of defeat is over. Defeat within six days, defeat within hours, the defeat of armies - all this is over.



Today, you are fighting the army of Allah. You are fighting against peoples, for whom death for the sake of Allah, and for the sake of honor and glory, is preferable to life. You are fighting a nation that doest not tire, even after a 1,000 years of fighting. Today, you are facing peoples filled with faith, with the love of Allah, the love of Allah's Prophet, with bravery, glory, and pride - a nation that knows its way, a nation that knows what it is, a nation that respects itself. How can you possibly defeat us?



There is a chasm between you and our defeat. You will be the ones to be defeated, Allah willing. The time of defeat is gone, and the day of victory has come, Allah willing. Wherever you turn, you will fail.



Crowd: Death to Israel. Death to Israel. Death to America.



Khaled Mash'al: Before Israel dies, it must be humiliated and degraded. Allah willing, before they die, they will experience humiliation and degradation every day. America will be of no avail to them. Their generals will be of no avail to them. The last of their generals has been forgotten. Allah has made him disappear. He's over. Gone is that Sharon, behind whose back they would hide and find shelter, and with whom they would feel relatively secure. Today they have frail leaders, who don't even know where our Lord placed them.



Allah willing, we will make them lose their eyesight, we will make them lose their brains.



Their weapons will be of no avail to them. Their nuclear weapons will be of no use to them. They thought that they had hegemony over the region with their nuclear weapons, but suddenly Pakistan popped up with Islamic nuclear weapons, and they are afraid of Iran and several Arab countries have some chemical weapons.



Israel has begun to sense that its superiority has come to an end. Its army, which has superior conventional weapons - the air force, the armored corps, and the missiles - there are no longer wars in which these are used.



The Arabs have said: We don't want [conventional] wars, thank you very much. Leave the war to the peoples. Today, the Israeli weapons are of no use against the peoples. We have imposed a new equation in the war. In this equation, our tools are stronger. That is why we will defeat them, Allah willing.



"If you fight them, they will turn their backs on you, and will not be victorious." But the problem is that we need to fight them first. If we sleep at home, how are we to beat them?! "If you fight them..." - that is a divine promise... "If" - It is conditional: "If you fight them, they will turn their backs on you and will not be victorious." And indeed, when we began to fight, and we armed ourselves with a will to fight, we defeated them.



That is why Allah Akbar [Allah is greater]. We say that every day - Allah Akbar. Yes, Allah is greater than America. Allah is greater than the oppressors. Allah is greater than the superpowers. Allah is greater than the tyranny of the oppressing world, and Allah is greater than Israel. Since Allah is greater, and He supports us, we will be victorious.



By Allah, I know that all Arab leaders - and I have met many of them - deep inside want the resistance in Palestine to be victorious, and want Palestine to be liberated. Perhaps the need for flattery and for diplomacy, and the American hegemony force other things on them, but in their hearts they are happy when we are victorious.



If before the Hamas victory, there were several military wings, each with a few hundred or a few thousand fighters, under the rule of Hamas, if you continue to besiege us, to starve our people, to ignore our rights, and if you continue your occupation, your aggression, and your assassinations, we, the Hamas, will declare a general call to arms. We will place the entire Palestinian people at the disposal of the resistance and its weapons.



Crowd: Allah akbar, Allah be praised. Allah akbar, Allah be praised. Allah akbar, Allah be praised. Allah akbar, Allah be praised. Allah akbar, Allah be praised. Allah akbar, Allah be praised.



Khaled Mash'al: Be careful not to drive our people into a corner - Occupation, aggression, assassinations, 9,000 male and female prisoners, preventing aid, imposing a siege, causing starvation - and on top of all this, you don't want to recognize democracy and its results.



The German [Chancellor Angela] Merkel pops up and says: Democracy and success in the elections are not sufficient for Hamas to gain legitimacy. To hell with you all. How are we supposed to gain legitimacy? When you said we had the legitimacy of resistance, you called it terrorism. Now, we say we have the legitimacy of democracy, but you deny it. In that case, you yourself are not legitimate, because you emerged through democracy. This is the logic of a frail and defeatist person.



Brothers and sister, there is confusion in the Western world, and in the American administration. Allah has come to them from where they did not expect him. That is the grace of Allah. That is why we do not fear them. We do not fear their threats.



Today they give us an ultimatum: Recognize Israel. Wonderful! The murderer is not required by anyone to recognize the rights of his victim, but the victim is required to recognize the rights of his murderer, and to sing his praises.



Hamas has a vision. Hamas has a plan. Hamas can manage the political battle, just like it managed the military battle, but in a different language, with different tools, and recognizing Israel is not one of them. Nor is giving up the rights, giving up the right to resistance, and nor is giving up the weapons of the resistance.



Nevertheless, we want to deal with politics, but there is a difference between the politics of the weak and defeatists, which we will constantly repeat - the kind of politics that does not impress the enemy and so it does nothing, because, like in the market, products that are praised too much become cheap. If we continue to praise our products, constantly saying: "We love peace," "We have given up the option of war," "Peace is our strategic option," "For God's sake, Israel, give us a few scraps of land" - By Allah, we will be degraded in the eyes of our enemies.



We will conduct our politics in the language of victory. We will conduct our policy in a confident language. We will conduct our politics in the language of those who are steadfast and sure of
themselves. Besides, by Allah, after the people has elected us, and has bestowed upon us all this power, we will disrespect its rights?



The people has given us a deposit, and has empowered us to liberate its land, to restore Jerusalem and its holy places. It has empowered us to release 9,000 male and female prisoners. It has empowered us to stop the aggression, to liberate the land, and to restore its rights. The people has empowered us to bring back 5.5 million Palestinian refugees and displaced people to their homeland. After all this, Hamas - in order to please America and the European Union, and in order for the pressure on us to stop, and in order for their highnesses to allow us to establish a government... We are not trying to please them.



I say to America, Europe, and the West: It is in your interests to change your relations and policies regarding the Arab and Islamic nation and the Palestinian cause. Because we are winning, it is in your interests to deal with the victors, not the losers.



Israel will be defeated and will be of no use to you. The Arabs will be victorious. The Muslims will be victorious. Palestine will be victorious. Change your policy soon, if you want to protect your interests, and maintain healthy relations with the East.

Can Muslims work with/for non-Muslim Government?

interesting article from http://www.jelas.org/ - ( jelas.org is the official site for ALKIS's writers)

There is no straight forward answer. However, there are evidence to suggest that this question has touched in the Koran. The bold instance is the whole of surah Yoosef (surah no 12), in particular verse no 55. The verse narrates that when Egypt was forecasted to have a seven-years long draught, the Prophet Yoosef (Joseph) offered himself to be the state treasurer. The king who was only identified by the holy Koran as al-‘Azeez, appointed Joseph to what his wished for. The second evidence is in surah Ghafir (surah no. 40) from verse 28 to 45. It was about a man who is believed as one of Fir’aun (Pharaoh) ministers or senior advisors. Others in the opinion that he was Pharaoh’s nephew. He did not only question Pharaoh’s conducts when to face with Prophet Moses, but also came out with very polite, knowledgeable and highly professional advice. The story about Pharaoh and the man wraps up at verse no. 45 with a decree that in the day judgement he escapes from the hellfire.

The third evidence is hidden in verse no 25 surah al-Fath (surah no. 48). Apparently, this verse is to advise Prophet Muhammad to refrain from entering Mecca in the 9th of the Hegira. By abiding Allah’s command, the Prophet who was defying opinions of most his companions who wished for attacking the Meccans who obstructed their way to the holy land, the Prophet signed a seized fire agreement with the disbelievers, known as the Treaty of Under the Tree. The wisdom of Allah’s ordains in this verse was only apprehended after the Conquest of Mecca a year later. It has been found that, prior to the incident a number of the Meccans, among which were still serving the pre-Islam Meccan regime but embraced Islam secretly. Among whom was Khaled bin al-Walid who later served as the Prophet’s army general. Not only that, Khaled has been the greatest Moslem army general ever known.

In the middle-age the history repeated. It was about Harun al-din al-Hamadani, born a Jew, embraced Islam during his teenage and served Hulagu regime. He served the government until the Hulagu’s grand-son era, Mahmood Ghazan who became moslem and expand the Islam Empire.

Although the four separate incidents address four different circumstances, one thing is common. That is these gentlemen who served the non-Moslem regimes discharged their duties nobly, consciously and undoubtedly highly professional.

Dapat daripada email seorang sahabat.

mungkin kita boleh justify sedikit kenaikan harga barang bakar ini.

di sini dikemukakan purata harga minyak mentah dunia (USD/setong) berdasarkan spot price tujuh gred minyak mentah (Brent, West Texas Intermediate, West Texas Sour, Lousiana Light Sweet, Urals, Minas dan Tapis). Iaitu utk tempoh antara Jan 87 - Dec 2005:

Jan1987, 18.306
Feb1987, 17.919
Mar1987, 18.009
Apr1987, 18.287
May1987, 18.757
Jun1987, 19.054
Jul1987, 20.041
Aug1987, 19.424
Sep1987, 18.644
Oct1987, 18.907
Nov1987, 18.201
Dec1987, 16.896
Jan1988, 16.879
Feb1988, 16.447
Mar1988, 15.440
Apr1988, 16.811
May1988, 16.631
Jun1988, 16.007
Jul1988, 14.960
Aug1988, 14.941
Sep1988, 13.776
Oct1988, 12.551
Nov1988, 12.983
Dec1988, 15.314
Jan1989, 17.367
Feb1989, 17.333
Mar1989, 18.486
Apr1989, 20.184
May1989, 19.183
Jun1989, 18.470
Jul1989, 18.300
Aug1989, 17.276
Sep1989, 17.990
Oct1989, 18.841
Nov1989, 18.933
Dec1989, 19.867
Jan1990, 21.344
Feb1990, 20.510
Mar1990, 19.029
Apr1990, 17.004
May1990, 16.519
Jun1990, 15.157
Jul1990, 17.134
Aug1990, 26.939
Sep1990, 33.687
Oct1990, 36.181
Nov1990, 32.906
Dec1990, 27.460
Jan1991, 24.189
Feb1991, 19.621
Mar1991, 18.779
Apr1991, 19.200
May1991, 19.524
Jun1991, 18.937
Jul1991, 19.964
Aug1991, 20.267
Sep1991, 20.757
Oct1991, 21.974
Nov1991, 21.559
Dec1991, 19.177
Jan1992, 18.246
Feb1992, 18.274
Mar1992, 17.790
Apr1992, 18.987
May1992, 19.776
Jun1992, 21.449
Jul1992, 21.027
Aug1992, 20.434
Sep1992, 20.639
Oct1992, 20.714
Nov1992, 19.871
Dec1992, 18.709
Jan1993, 17.893
Feb1993, 18.980
Mar1993, 19.434
Apr1993, 19.360
May1993, 19.189
Jun1993, 18.240
Jul1993, 17.206
Aug1993, 17.191
Sep1993, 16.553
Oct1993, 17.030
Nov1993, 15.656
Dec1993, 14.009
Jan1994, 14.691
Feb1994, 14.601
Mar1994, 14.373
Apr1994, 15.586
May1994, 16.699
Jun1994, 17.499
Jul1994, 18.429
Aug1994, 17.849
Sep1994, 16.570
Oct1994, 16.927
Nov1994, 17.440
Dec1994, 16.544
Jan1995, 17.494
Feb1995, 18.123
Mar1995, 17.927
Apr1995, 19.151
May1995, 19.001
Jun1995, 17.867
Jul1995, 16.493
Aug1995, 16.980
Sep1995, 17.289
Oct1995, 16.750
Nov1995, 17.397
Dec1995, 18.646
Jan1996, 19.091
Feb1996, 18.979
Mar1996, 20.516
Apr1996, 21.597
May1996, 19.989
Jun1996, 19.416
Jul1996, 20.313
Aug1996, 20.820
Sep1996, 22.811
Oct1996, 24.443
Nov1996, 23.194
Dec1996, 24.556
Jan1997, 24.504
Feb1997, 21.497
Mar1997, 19.759
Apr1997, 18.546
May1997, 19.781
Jun1997, 18.327
Jul1997, 18.786
Aug1997, 19.083
Sep1997, 18.770
Oct1997, 20.484
Nov1997, 19.636
Dec1997, 17.674
Jan1998, 15.447
Feb1998, 14.591
Mar1998, 13.334
Apr1998, 13.909
May1998, 14.001
Jun1998, 12.481
Jul1998, 12.959
Aug1998, 12.411
Sep1998, 13.600
Oct1998, 13.294
Nov1998, 11.763
Dec1998, 10.353
Jan1999, 11.666
Feb1999, 10.874
Mar1999, 13.077
Apr1999, 15.934
May1999, 16.301
Jun1999, 16.546
Jul1999, 19.154
Aug1999, 20.611
Sep1999, 22.861
Oct1999, 22.343
Nov1999, 24.496
Dec1999, 25.363
Jan2000, 25.771
Feb2000, 27.950
Mar2000, 28.334
Apr2000, 24.091
May2000, 28.014
Jun2000, 30.387
Jul2000, 28.949
Aug2000, 30.324
Sep2000, 33.127
Oct2000, 31.727
Nov2000, 32.731
Dec2000, 26.419
Jan2001, 26.514
Feb2001, 27.156
Mar2001, 25.134
Apr2001, 26.177
May2001, 27.871
Jun2001, 27.353
Jul2001, 25.187
Aug2001, 25.743
Sep2001, 25.423
Oct2001, 20.773
Nov2001, 18.984
Dec2001, 18.534
Jan2002, 19.265
Feb2002, 19.884
Mar2002, 23.474
Apr2002, 25.616
May2002, 25.818
Jun2002, 24.582
Jul2002, 26.060
Aug2002, 26.977
Sep2002, 28.326
Oct2002, 28.220
Nov2002, 25.489
Dec2002, 29.371
Jan2003, 31.832
Feb2003, 33.206
Mar2003, 30.830
Apr2003, 26.601
May2003, 26.887
Jun2003, 28.062
Jul2003, 28.686
Aug2003, 29.963
Sep2003, 27.263
Oct2003, 29.666
Nov2003, 29.642
Dec2003, 30.891
Jan2004, 32.065
Feb2004, 31.780
Mar2004, 34.225
Apr2004, 33.808
May2004, 38.295
Jun2004, 36.137
Jul2004, 38.725
Aug2004, 43.102
Sep2004, 43.801
Oct2004, 49.606
Nov2004, 43.394
Dec2004, 38.996
Jan2005, 43.973
Feb2005, 45.751
Mar2005, 52.832
Apr2005, 52.405
May2005, 48.788
Jun2005, 54.693
Jul2005, 57.427
Aug2005, 63.102
Sep2005, 63.240
Oct2005, 59.274
Nov2005, 55.451
Dec2005, 56.623

Kenaikan harga barang bakar asas petroleum.

hari ini dalam sejarah - 28/02/2006 - harga barang bakar asas petroleum meningkat sebanyak RM0.30 seliter. opss... jgn lupakan CNG, compressed natural gas, yang juga mengalami kenaikan RM0.30 sekilo. ada sedikit statistic kenaikan harga petrol daripada penghujung alaf kedua dan awal alaf ketiga:

sebelum 1990 - RM 0.89
Tahun 1990 - RM 1.10 (kenaikan RM 0.21)
01/10/2000 - RM 1.20 (kenaikan RM 0.10)
20/10/2001 - RM 1.30 (kenaikan RM 0.10)
01/05/2002 - RM 1.32 (kenaikan RM 0.02)
31/10/2002 - RM 1.33 (kenaikan RM 0.01)
01/03/2003 - RM 1.35 (kenaikan RM 0.02)
01/05/2004 - RM 1.37 (kenaikan RM 0.02)
01/10/2004 - RM 1.42 (kenaikan RM 0.05)
05/05/2005 - RM 1.52 (kenaikan RM 0.10)
31/07/2005 - RM 1.62 (kenaikan RM 0.10)
28/02/2006 – RM 1.92 (kenaikan RM 0.30)

ada beberapa perkara ayat "default" daripada pemerintah bila ada kenaikan harga (baca: pengurangan subsidi). mari kita lihat

1. harga minyak di malaysia masih lagi murah jika dibandingkan dengan negara2 lain.
2. kenaikan ini tidak akan membebankan rakyat.
3. wang lebihan daripada pengurangan subsidi ini akan digunakan untuk pembangunan, yang untung rakyat juga.
4. kerajaan tidak lagi mampu untuk mensubsidi minyak. -- ade ke patut --

ini lah antara sample2 ayat yg mmg akan keluar bila harga minyak. kalau buat programming untuk search, taip je perkataan harga minyak, result dia ayat2 diatas laaa.

sebenarnya kenaikan harga minyak ni macam tak boleh nak di sekat, kadang2 betul jugak, kalau harga minyak naik, dan kerajaan terus menerus subsidi untuk kekalkan harga, habis duit untuk bakar minyak jelaa... mungkin ada beberapa perkara yang kerajaan boleh lakukan untuk counter balik tindakan menaikkan RM0.30 harga minyak ni.

1. kurangkan cukai kenderaan
2. hadkan tempoh pinjaman kenderaan kepada maksimum 5 tahun sahaja
3. kurangkan@hapuskan cukai jalan
4. kurangkan premium untuk insuranse kenderaan

sekarang mari kita bincangkan satu persatu. kalau dahulu, ramai masih boleh menerima alasan karajaan bahawa negara kita mempunyai cukai kenderaan yang tinggi kerana kerajaan subsidi minyak supaya harganya rendah. akan tetapi senario hari ini tidak lagi memungkinkan alasan ini diterima baik oleh khalayak. kerajaan selalu menyatakan harga minyak kita masih rendah berbanding negara lain, tetapi selalu cuba-cuba untuk melupakan hakikat cukai kenderaan kita antara yang tertinggi seantero dunia. jesteru, pengurangan cukai bagi kenderaan baru adalah sesuatu yang perlu di lakukan, bukan hanya berselindung dengan nama bermacam-macam jenis cukai yg pada hakikatnya tetap tidak berubah atau makin tinggi.

kita lihat pulak kesan dan akibatnya bila cukai kenderaan rendah. ya, harga kereta akan rendah. bila harga rendah, maka ramai yang akan berpusu2 untuk membeli kereta baru. akibatnya, jalanraya akan semakin penuh dah sesak. bad for the country right? jadi disini kita pergi kepada cadangan yang kedua, iaitu hadkan pinjaman kenderaan kepada 5 tahun sahaja. jadi, keadaan akan menjadi seimbang kembali kerana tidak ramai yang mampu mengambil pinjaman setakat 5 tahun, dan tambahan lagi 10% atau 15% downpayment tu wajib, confirm akan ada pengecutan dalam jumlah jualan kereta. tetapi, pengurangan jumlah jualan ini tidak lama, kerana selepas 3 tahun jualan akan meningkat kembali kerana ramai yang mampu untuk bertukar kereta. secara mudahnya, selepas 3 tahun, jumlah pinjaman adalah kurang berbanding nilai kereta. ramai yang berminat berukar2 kereta sebenarnya, cuma masa ini, mereka tidak mampu kerana nilai pinjaman masih lagi lebih tinggi daripada nilai kereta. akan lebih banyak lah kereta2 baru yg dapat membantu mengurangkan pencemaran. tambahan lagi, jika dikuatkuasakan 5 tahun pinjaman dan 10% downpayment, kerajaan dapat memastikan hanya mereka yang benar2 berkemampuan untuk membeli dan membiayai kereta sahaja yang menggunakan kereta. secara tak lansung, kita dapat mengurangkan NPL dan tarik kereta sbb tak mampu bayar. sekali gus boleh kurangkan masalah samseng tarik kereta. banyak sangkutan2 nya...

untuk cadangan ketiga, pengurangan atau penghapusan cukai jalan. ramai yg setuju, tambahan pulak sekarnag makain banyak jalanraya bertol. cukai bayar, tol bayar, naik pulak selalu tol tu. walaupun macam2 alasan kerajaan, tetapi, perlu jugak pengurangan atau penghapusan cukai jalan ini. bukan apa, kerajaan kita kurang bijak dalam buat agreement dengan syarikat konsesi lebuhraya, tu yang selalu toll naik tanpa sekatan tu ( sbnarnya, bukan bodoh, saja membodohkan diri, sbb tu syarikat kroni2 dia, eh eh, kalau aku tak buat agreement macam tu, nnt election sapa nak support kempen duit aku -- angguk angguk geleng geleng --). mungkin cadangan ni tak ramai berminat, sbb cadangan keempat lagi menarik.

cadangan keempat, kerajaan kena buat sesuatu agar premium insuranse dikurangkan. bentuk satu kadah baru agar rakyat (pemilik kenderaan) dapat membayar kurang premium ini. pada masa sekarang, premium insurans amat tinggi, sungguh membebankan. amatlah senang hati ini jika pihak kerajaan dapat membuat satu kaedah yang menguntungkan pemilik kenderaan, bukan syarikat insuranse sahaja.

ini adalah antara 4 cadangan yg mungkin boleh untuk dipertimbangkan dan diperhalusi. bukan apa, menteri mungkin tak rasa, tapi kebanyakan rakyat cukup cukup cukup cukup terasa bahang kenaikan bahan bakar ini. jgn lah selalu memberi contoh harga petrol di UK 2 kali ganda harga di malaysia. agak2 berapa basic salary fresh graduate disana? 4 atau 5 kali ganda daripada disini. harap2 pihak kerajaan dapat membuka mata dan telinga, semualah deria yang ada, untuk bercakap dengan lebih berilmu dan bijak. 20 tahun dahulu mungkin boleh kerajaan memberi maklumat dan seluruh rakyat telan bulat2, tetapi tidak hari ini. yang masih tidak difahami, mengapa sampai harini pemerintah masih lagi mengeluarkan alasan2 yang lebih kurang sama, tidakkah mereka berfikir? mungkinkah ini tanda2 kejatuhan? wallahua'lam

moga allah memelihara kita dan pemimpin kita dan negara kita. ya allah, masukkan aku dalam golongan yang sedikit...

wassalam.

Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: The Islamic Nation's Problem is That Muslims Do Not Work. The Zionist Gang Has Turned the Desert into an Oasis

The following are excerpts from a friday sermon on Qatar TV by Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi
Dr. Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: We use trains and planes, but they are not our trains or planes. The (Westerners) manufacture them and export them to us. True, we can buy the most magnificent things in the world products for our homes and for ourselves. Our people can buy the most luxurious cars, Rolls-Royce or Mercedes 500 or 700, models S, M, and L with all the luxuries. We own them, but we don't manufacture them. We don't even produce a single nail in any of these cars. Others do this for us.
The income of the entire Arab world, including the oil-producing countries, does not reach the that of a European country, such as Spain. Spain � let alone Germany, France, Britain, or Italy. Just Spain, which is at the bottom of the list of industrial countries... The income of the entire Arab world does not reach it. How come? Because we don't work, and if we do work, we don't do it professionally.
They conducted a survey of the average time that a government employee spends working in a certain Arab country. The average was 27 minutes a day. 27 minutes! The rest of the time he drinks coffee, reads newspapers, and goes on errands here and there. Only a small number of people work. The rest do not.
In the mid 1970s I went to Germany. We arrived during in the morning. I asked the guy who took me from the airport to the convention hall� As I was passing through the empty streets, I asked him how come the streets were not busy, like in our countries. He said: "People are at work." After 7 p.m. he took me back to the hotel, and the streets were empty. I said to him: "What's going on, the streets are empty again." He said: people are back home from work, and they are exhausted. All they want is to eat their dinner, watch the news, and then go to bed, because early next morning they have to wake up for hard work. They commute more than an hour to work and back, and spend an hour at lunch. They work non-stop.
We are a nation that doesn't work. How can we develop if we%2

Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: The Islamic Nation's Problem is That Muslims Do Not Work. The Zionist Gang Has Turned the Desert into an Oasis

The following are excerpts from a friday sermon on Qatar TV by Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi
Dr. Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: We use trains and planes, but they are not our trains or planes. The (Westerners) manufacture them and export them to us. True, we can buy the most magnificent things in the world products for our homes and for ourselves. Our people can buy the most luxurious cars, Rolls-Royce or Mercedes 500 or 700, models S, M, and L with all the luxuries. We own them, but we don't manufacture them. We don't even produce a single nail in any of these cars. Others do this for us.
The income of the entire Arab world, including the oil-producing countries, does not reach the that of a European country, such as Spain. Spain � let alone Germany, France, Britain, or Italy. Just Spain, which is at the bottom of the list of industrial countries... The income of the entire Arab world does not reach it. How come? Because we don't work, and if we do work, we don't do it professionally.
They conducted a survey of the average time that a government employee spends working in a certain Arab country. The average was 27 minutes a day. 27 minutes! The rest of the time he drinks coffee, reads newspapers, and goes on errands here and there. Only a small number of people work. The rest do not.
In the mid 1970s I went to Germany. We arrived during in the morning. I asked the guy who took me from the airport to the convention hall� As I was passing through the empty streets, I asked him how come the streets were not busy, like in our countries. He said: "People are at work." After 7 p.m. he took me back to the hotel, and the streets were empty. I said to him: "What's going on, the streets are empty again." He said: people are back home from work, and they are exhausted. All they want is to eat their dinner, watch the news, and then go to bed, because early next morning they have to wake up for hard work. They commute more than an hour to work and back, and spend an hour at lunch. They work non-stop.
We are a nation that doesn't work. How can we develop if we don't work? When we do work, we don't do it professionally. We keep saying "Don't worry, later, later�" Islam teaches us to do things professionally. Doing things professionally is a religious duty. The Prophet said that Allah ordered to excel in everyhting. He imposed excellence and professionalism. Professionalism must be followed in everything. "If you kill, do it properly, and if you slaughter, do it properly." Even when killing, you must do well.
Unfortunately, we do not excel in either military or civil industries. We import everything from needles to missiles. This is our nation. We still haven't manufactured an engine in our Arab countries. We assemble parts, but have no manufacturing industries. India has manufactured a car, and even a plane, while we still go around in circles like a bull in who turns a grinding mill or a water weal until it reaches exactly where it started.
How come the Zionist gang has managed to be superior to us, despite being so few? It has become superior through knowledge, through technology, and through strength. It ahs become superior to us through work. We had the desert before our eyes but we didn't do anything with it. When they took over, they turned it into a green oasis. How can a nation that does not work progress? How can it grow?