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Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Footsteps of the Prophet & How to Contribute to Community: by Prof Tariq Ramadan
These are points that I managed to jot down from lecture by Prof. Tariq Ramadan during his visit to Malaysia in July 2012. Hopefully it will be beneficial, insyaAllah, amin. Do comment if you have any thought to share or if there's any point need correction :)
Footsteps of the Prophet & How to Contribute to Community: by Prof Tariq Ramadan
1. Islam is unity and we are all equal, and the best among us is the one who is deeper in God consciousness (Ihsan & Taqwa)
2. Two state of pray:
a) Pray naturally - fetus/ baby, nature - plants, animals, etc
b) State of choice - making conscious decision and bear responsibility towards self, community & brotherhood
3. Problems with Muslim nowadays:
a) Incline to focus on routine or ritual (solat, fast, pilgrimage) and 'halal' or 'haram'. This is far from Islam during the time of Prophet, where Prophet Muhammad focus on developing belief (aqidah) & character (akhlak). The proof is the companions (sahabah) of the Prophet with exceptional quality in faith & attitude.
b) Misconception or lack of understanding of what Islam is all about.
- Islam is not just about halal & haram, dos & don'ts!
- Islam is not about who's going to heaven & who's going to hell - before asking whether a person is going to be condemned, ask ourselves, where are we in the picture?
c) Evaluating the success or failure of a Muslim by scaling our pahala/ sins, while the truth is, the highest level of faith in Islam is about our true intention when performing deeds for the sake of Allah (Ihsan).
d) Lack of deeper connection with God - Allah is not only to be scared, but most importantly, to be LOVED!
e) Arguing on trivial issue - Eg. issue on the word 'Allah'. The word 'Allah' is not exclusive only to Islam/ Muslims, since the Christians/ other religion's follower in Arabic spoken countries use the word 'Allah' to refer to God. 'Allah' simply means 'God' in Arabic.
f) Misunderstand the concept of hypocrite - those who realized their weakness & struggling to improve themselves are the true Muslims, while those who know they're wrong but not doing anything to improve but giving excuse of 'this is myself, and I don't want to be hypocrite' is the REAL hypocrite!
g) Misconception on Islamic practices - What is harsh is not necessarily right. Muslims do not follow the harsh way, but we follow the right way! Islam is about to feel good in this dunya & hereafter. There is nothing good about feeling bad & depressed all the time!
Assuming the harshest method as the best way of practice is misleading mindset!
Eg. Prophet Muhammad drink water during Ramadhan while travelling (musafir) as it is permissible by God.
4. Prophet Muhammad as role model:
a) Prophet Muhammad is reflection of Quran itself
b) Known as al-Amin (the Truthful & Trustful) even among his enemies
c) Send as rahmah (mercy) to the world
d) Consistent in his saying & doing
e) Tenderness in behaviour & speech
f) Demonstrating every quality that is normal as human being - Married, have children, do house chores, working & do business, etc
5. Following the footsteps of the Prophet. "If you love God, follow me (Muhammad), and God will love you."
How?
a) Principal - Nurturing honour, dignity & pride as a Muslims in the heart
b) Steps
i) Change the way we look at nature
- The world is a gift from God to humankind. See nature as a gift, not property
- Quran discussed about nature a lot, eg. surah as-Syams, al-Lail, al-Fajr, etc. Quran shows how to look at nature not just with the eyes, but the heart. Other name of Quran is 'Nuur' (light) - to make someone look at things in different way
- Look at nature & think about the intelligence behind every creation
- How we take care of nature reflects how we take care of ourselves!
ii) Change the way we look at human
Exemplary way of the Prophet towards:
Enemy
- Just & kind towards the enemies. Eg. Enemies captured after war were released without punishment
Family
-Tender towards his wives & family. Eg. Helping his wife & family to perform house chores.
Companion
-Love while correcting & guiding the sahabah. E.g. when the sahabah had overworked themselves by fasting whole day without break, pray all night without sleep, he correcting them by saying it is indeed a good deed, but human need rest, and even he himself did break his fast & sleep before night prayer.
iii) Change the way we look at life
- The way we look at the world is a mirror of how we look at our own life
iv) Change the way we deal with the society
- The poor is neglected by the powerful but celebrated by the believer (to love & to be loved by the oppressed)
- Don't judge a person by outer appearance or condemning a person without understanding reason behind the action
- NO racism in Islam ever!
- Stand & protect a human being in the name of justice and not religion-biased. Eg. Prophet offered protection to victimized person regardless of religion.
- Protect & raise the status of women to the highest level. Eg. The first person the Prophet sought for after received the first revelation of Quran was his wife, Saidatina Khadijah
- Respect & tender towards kids, youngster & elder. Eg. Prophet respect opinions from his nephew, Ali bin Abi Talib even though he is still young. Play around and jokes with kids and the orphan
How can we say we are obeying the Rahman if we do not give rahmah to the community?
c) Consistent
- Consistent in saying (words) and doing (action) through the guidance of Quran & Sunnah. As normal human, we will make mistakes here & then in life, but what is important is to correct the mistake and self-improve
d) Objective
- To fully understand, what is the purpose for improving life & contributing to community? What is the purpose of living Islam?
6. Characters of the Prophet that we must have!
a) Confidence - Never doubt Allah
b) Trust - Trust Allah, ourselves and the community
c) Ambitious - To change ourselves inwardly & outwardly, and consequently to influence the world
d) Courage
- Have the courage to speak out & stand up for the just cause regardless of religion, race or gender.
- Do the true meaning of Jihad: The word of truth in front of a tyrant before you have power in your hand
- Speak of the truth & stand by the side of justice regardless of external factor like money, power, majority support, etc
e) Connect - Connect with God, ourselves & the world. Balance our share & contribution in dunya & akhirat. Be successful in both life!
7. Two key elements in life:
a) Khilafah :The world is not our own, but a gift which we will be accountable for. Ask ourselves, what have we done as khilafah on this property of God?
b) Remembrance of death : Remember that one day, we are all going to die, and we do our best to come back to life in the best possible way
MESSAGES FOR MALAYSIAN
1. Education
a) Education is not only about science, math, physics etc, but most importantly, to build CHARACTER in a person
b) Connect tauhid with humanity through education, knowledge & understanding
-Education : Know-how, meaning & objective of knowledge
c) Sense of priority
- Where do we put our knowledge?
- What do we consider in choosing the place to put our knowledge? Eg. Salary?
d) Key questions in establishing/ shaping education:
- What is the purpose of education?
- What are the ends of knowledge?
- What are the ends of education?
Quote: "If Malaysia do not invest in education to get not only citizen with efficient but also dignity, you are destroying the future of humanity!"
2. Arts
- Discipline of arts: Music, poetry, literature, architecture
- What is the creativity in arts that is specifically represent our culture & identity as Malaysian?
- What is the definition of ethical entertainment? What is the standard? Is it practical & how can we achieve that?
3. How to choose a leader? What is the characteristic of a leader?
Regardless of religion, the Prophet will choose among them those who have:
a) Competence - skill
b) Integrity - upright
c) Accountability
Closure
1. Asking the question of 'do God still loves me?' means God still loves you
2. Learn to love & forgive ourselves
3. Start doa with yourself - ask all the good things for you from God, so you can in-return, do good to the society
4. Stand up for what is dignified in the name of dignity & justice
5. To feel good, smile & laugh is halaal! :)
6. Don't practice victim mentality. No one force us to choose the path we are taking now except ourselves. Be responsible for ourselves and realized the fact that we can choose between what is right & what is wrong
7. Do not feel guilty or hopeless, but strive to contribute to the community
8. We are responsible for ourselves & our community, and we can make it!
Wallahualam.
Read more ►
Footsteps of the Prophet & How to Contribute to Community: by Prof Tariq Ramadan
1. Islam is unity and we are all equal, and the best among us is the one who is deeper in God consciousness (Ihsan & Taqwa)
2. Two state of pray:
a) Pray naturally - fetus/ baby, nature - plants, animals, etc
b) State of choice - making conscious decision and bear responsibility towards self, community & brotherhood
3. Problems with Muslim nowadays:
a) Incline to focus on routine or ritual (solat, fast, pilgrimage) and 'halal' or 'haram'. This is far from Islam during the time of Prophet, where Prophet Muhammad focus on developing belief (aqidah) & character (akhlak). The proof is the companions (sahabah) of the Prophet with exceptional quality in faith & attitude.
b) Misconception or lack of understanding of what Islam is all about.
- Islam is not just about halal & haram, dos & don'ts!
- Islam is not about who's going to heaven & who's going to hell - before asking whether a person is going to be condemned, ask ourselves, where are we in the picture?
c) Evaluating the success or failure of a Muslim by scaling our pahala/ sins, while the truth is, the highest level of faith in Islam is about our true intention when performing deeds for the sake of Allah (Ihsan).
d) Lack of deeper connection with God - Allah is not only to be scared, but most importantly, to be LOVED!
e) Arguing on trivial issue - Eg. issue on the word 'Allah'. The word 'Allah' is not exclusive only to Islam/ Muslims, since the Christians/ other religion's follower in Arabic spoken countries use the word 'Allah' to refer to God. 'Allah' simply means 'God' in Arabic.
f) Misunderstand the concept of hypocrite - those who realized their weakness & struggling to improve themselves are the true Muslims, while those who know they're wrong but not doing anything to improve but giving excuse of 'this is myself, and I don't want to be hypocrite' is the REAL hypocrite!
g) Misconception on Islamic practices - What is harsh is not necessarily right. Muslims do not follow the harsh way, but we follow the right way! Islam is about to feel good in this dunya & hereafter. There is nothing good about feeling bad & depressed all the time!
Assuming the harshest method as the best way of practice is misleading mindset!
Eg. Prophet Muhammad drink water during Ramadhan while travelling (musafir) as it is permissible by God.
4. Prophet Muhammad as role model:
a) Prophet Muhammad is reflection of Quran itself
b) Known as al-Amin (the Truthful & Trustful) even among his enemies
c) Send as rahmah (mercy) to the world
d) Consistent in his saying & doing
e) Tenderness in behaviour & speech
f) Demonstrating every quality that is normal as human being - Married, have children, do house chores, working & do business, etc
5. Following the footsteps of the Prophet. "If you love God, follow me (Muhammad), and God will love you."
How?
a) Principal - Nurturing honour, dignity & pride as a Muslims in the heart
b) Steps
i) Change the way we look at nature
- The world is a gift from God to humankind. See nature as a gift, not property
- Quran discussed about nature a lot, eg. surah as-Syams, al-Lail, al-Fajr, etc. Quran shows how to look at nature not just with the eyes, but the heart. Other name of Quran is 'Nuur' (light) - to make someone look at things in different way
- Look at nature & think about the intelligence behind every creation
- How we take care of nature reflects how we take care of ourselves!
ii) Change the way we look at human
Exemplary way of the Prophet towards:
Enemy
- Just & kind towards the enemies. Eg. Enemies captured after war were released without punishment
Family
-Tender towards his wives & family. Eg. Helping his wife & family to perform house chores.
Companion
-Love while correcting & guiding the sahabah. E.g. when the sahabah had overworked themselves by fasting whole day without break, pray all night without sleep, he correcting them by saying it is indeed a good deed, but human need rest, and even he himself did break his fast & sleep before night prayer.
iii) Change the way we look at life
- The way we look at the world is a mirror of how we look at our own life
iv) Change the way we deal with the society
- The poor is neglected by the powerful but celebrated by the believer (to love & to be loved by the oppressed)
- Don't judge a person by outer appearance or condemning a person without understanding reason behind the action
- NO racism in Islam ever!
- Stand & protect a human being in the name of justice and not religion-biased. Eg. Prophet offered protection to victimized person regardless of religion.
- Protect & raise the status of women to the highest level. Eg. The first person the Prophet sought for after received the first revelation of Quran was his wife, Saidatina Khadijah
- Respect & tender towards kids, youngster & elder. Eg. Prophet respect opinions from his nephew, Ali bin Abi Talib even though he is still young. Play around and jokes with kids and the orphan
How can we say we are obeying the Rahman if we do not give rahmah to the community?
c) Consistent
- Consistent in saying (words) and doing (action) through the guidance of Quran & Sunnah. As normal human, we will make mistakes here & then in life, but what is important is to correct the mistake and self-improve
d) Objective
- To fully understand, what is the purpose for improving life & contributing to community? What is the purpose of living Islam?
6. Characters of the Prophet that we must have!
a) Confidence - Never doubt Allah
b) Trust - Trust Allah, ourselves and the community
c) Ambitious - To change ourselves inwardly & outwardly, and consequently to influence the world
d) Courage
- Have the courage to speak out & stand up for the just cause regardless of religion, race or gender.
- Do the true meaning of Jihad: The word of truth in front of a tyrant before you have power in your hand
- Speak of the truth & stand by the side of justice regardless of external factor like money, power, majority support, etc
e) Connect - Connect with God, ourselves & the world. Balance our share & contribution in dunya & akhirat. Be successful in both life!
7. Two key elements in life:
a) Khilafah :The world is not our own, but a gift which we will be accountable for. Ask ourselves, what have we done as khilafah on this property of God?
b) Remembrance of death : Remember that one day, we are all going to die, and we do our best to come back to life in the best possible way
MESSAGES FOR MALAYSIAN
1. Education
a) Education is not only about science, math, physics etc, but most importantly, to build CHARACTER in a person
b) Connect tauhid with humanity through education, knowledge & understanding
-Education : Know-how, meaning & objective of knowledge
c) Sense of priority
- Where do we put our knowledge?
- What do we consider in choosing the place to put our knowledge? Eg. Salary?
d) Key questions in establishing/ shaping education:
- What is the purpose of education?
- What are the ends of knowledge?
- What are the ends of education?
Quote: "If Malaysia do not invest in education to get not only citizen with efficient but also dignity, you are destroying the future of humanity!"
2. Arts
- Discipline of arts: Music, poetry, literature, architecture
- What is the creativity in arts that is specifically represent our culture & identity as Malaysian?
- What is the definition of ethical entertainment? What is the standard? Is it practical & how can we achieve that?
3. How to choose a leader? What is the characteristic of a leader?
Regardless of religion, the Prophet will choose among them those who have:
a) Competence - skill
b) Integrity - upright
c) Accountability
Closure
1. Asking the question of 'do God still loves me?' means God still loves you
2. Learn to love & forgive ourselves
3. Start doa with yourself - ask all the good things for you from God, so you can in-return, do good to the society
4. Stand up for what is dignified in the name of dignity & justice
5. To feel good, smile & laugh is halaal! :)
6. Don't practice victim mentality. No one force us to choose the path we are taking now except ourselves. Be responsible for ourselves and realized the fact that we can choose between what is right & what is wrong
7. Do not feel guilty or hopeless, but strive to contribute to the community
8. We are responsible for ourselves & our community, and we can make it!
Wallahualam.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Review: Cozzi Hotel, Teluk Kemang, Port Dickson
Assalamualaikum and hi everyone! Me and my family came to Port Dickson for a family short trip (2 days 1 night) and decided to stay at Hotel Cozzi, Teluk Kemang. The reason being is, it is very near to the beach (3 minutes walking distance) and near to local restaurants and other facilities (hospital, pharmacies, petrol station, ATM machine, grocery shop, etc).
Here's my review of Cozzi Hotel:
Pros:
1. To it's credit, all staff here, especially the receptionist, are very polite and helpful. They are attentive to customer's request and complaints, very cooperative, friendly and the service is also very quick. I have no complaints towards them. Kudos to Cozzi Hotel's staff! :)
2. Very near to the beach, and at the backside it provides a swimming pool, which is very recreational for a fun family activities, hangout & water games. It has some 'sukaneka' activities and competition, and is very family friendly.
3. Near to local delicacies.
Cons:
1. Not sure about other rooms, but the room I checked in was smelly. I ask for air freshener and the staff came to spray some in my room.
2. No cupboard! :(
3. No remote control for TV and air conditioner!
4. No feet-towel!
5. No tea/coffee packets in the room
6. No electric kettle or hot water/ dispenser in the room! Just an empty plastic jug & 2 mugs
7. A very small mirror and no make-up table
8. Cockroach poops in the bathroom! They were smelly - asked the staff to clean it up and they came in and clear those things very quick, thankfully.
9. Very small hot water dispenser at the lobby. One guest came and the hot water will be all gone. Had to refill the water and wait some more :(
10. No cloth-hanger provided
11. No free mineral water bottle
12. Only blanket without the white cover underneath! :(
13. Water are everywhere in the bathroom and cannot be properly drained out, and the water pressure is very low
14. Parking lots is always full and would be a pain to find an empty one!
In short, the hotel itself is awful! Absolutely the worst hotel ever! (or is it motel? Dunno~) But the fact is, it is absolutely horrible! What a waste since the location is very strategic and the staff are all good, but the hotel management and the owner sure is terrible to run the hotel in this manner! Shame on you!
My advice is, better find some other places if you want to stay at Port Dickson. TQ.
Read more ►
 |
| Cozzi Hotel: Up-close (Courtesy: Google Image) |
 |
| Cozzi Hotel: Front View (Courtesy: Google Image) |
 |
| Cozzi Hotel - End view (Courtesy: Google Image) |
Here's my review of Cozzi Hotel:
Pros:
1. To it's credit, all staff here, especially the receptionist, are very polite and helpful. They are attentive to customer's request and complaints, very cooperative, friendly and the service is also very quick. I have no complaints towards them. Kudos to Cozzi Hotel's staff! :)
2. Very near to the beach, and at the backside it provides a swimming pool, which is very recreational for a fun family activities, hangout & water games. It has some 'sukaneka' activities and competition, and is very family friendly.
 |
| The swimming pool (Courtesy: Google Image) |
3. Near to local delicacies.
Cons:
1. Not sure about other rooms, but the room I checked in was smelly. I ask for air freshener and the staff came to spray some in my room.
2. No cupboard! :(
3. No remote control for TV and air conditioner!
4. No feet-towel!
5. No tea/coffee packets in the room
6. No electric kettle or hot water/ dispenser in the room! Just an empty plastic jug & 2 mugs
7. A very small mirror and no make-up table
8. Cockroach poops in the bathroom! They were smelly - asked the staff to clean it up and they came in and clear those things very quick, thankfully.
9. Very small hot water dispenser at the lobby. One guest came and the hot water will be all gone. Had to refill the water and wait some more :(
10. No cloth-hanger provided
11. No free mineral water bottle
12. Only blanket without the white cover underneath! :(
13. Water are everywhere in the bathroom and cannot be properly drained out, and the water pressure is very low
14. Parking lots is always full and would be a pain to find an empty one!
In short, the hotel itself is awful! Absolutely the worst hotel ever! (or is it motel? Dunno~) But the fact is, it is absolutely horrible! What a waste since the location is very strategic and the staff are all good, but the hotel management and the owner sure is terrible to run the hotel in this manner! Shame on you!
My advice is, better find some other places if you want to stay at Port Dickson. TQ.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Gangnam Style : Exposed!
Gangnam Style. It has exploded worldwide. Park Jaesang or his stage-name, 'Psy' has made it again, to be the most controversial popstar ever in Korea. The name 'Psy' which is the short form of 'psycho', reflect his newest sensation, 'Gangnam Style' the best. With weird-psycho video showing random clips shot at random places, paired with addictive auto-beat sound & catchy lyrics, Gangnam Style catch the interest of music lovers worldwide in no time.
The song instantly becomes a phenomenan & trending rapidly worldwide; and Malaysia is not behind in this. Talking about Gangnam Style particularly in Malaysia, the reactions were diverse. When I say diverse, it means the video received different response from different group of viewers. For some, it was received with much interest & people starts making parody of the video. Example from Malaysian are those from Hitz FM, Fly FM, Jinny Boy, and lots of other Youtubers. This lot regards this song as a total wrecking-brain song, make fun of it and make their own crazy version just for the sake of fun. Others like the catchy beat of the songs, and were addicted to it.
Some others might like it because of the naughty dance shown in the video. Coincidence or not, I have to admit that the dance move does look a bit like imitation of sex position. However it really depends on one's perspective - one might interpreted it as imitation of sex position, and another might looked at it as just a silly crazy horse dance move.
I would like to particularly comment on reaction by the 'religious' groups. You know, youngsters talking about religious stuff and attained a lot of favors and 'followers'. Some familiar names such as Hilal Asyraf, Angel Pakai Gucci, Rose Vermin, might comes to mind. I would also like to comment on some other Syeikh Facebook & Ustazah Twitter, and also the famous-anonymous Illuminati & anti-Yahudi freaks.
Before I start, let me clarify something. This is my personal opinion in my personal blog. Hence my disclaimer is, this entry is by no means a personal attack to any individual or religious group. This is just my general observation of situation & hence I deduce my opinion based on that. No offense is intended.
I believe that when one deals with a culture which is different from his or hers, one should realized that he or she must not only consider the exterior view of the culture. It is not only just about the culture itself, but the more important aspect of it - on how to perceive a culture, how to receive a culture, how to react to a culture, and how to think about a culture. Living abroad for 4 years & a half, I personally feel that such experience has trained us to step back, observe and give a deep thought about what is presented in front of us, grab a hold of clear & thorough view of the subject, to avoid from coming out with half-cooked or hasten judgment. This also explained why am I being meticulous over such a feeble (to some) subject like Gangnam Style. For me, it is more than just a silly video or a catchy-meaningless song.
From religion (specifically speaking, Islam) perspective, they are some very strict opinions which did not allow any form of music at all by or for a Muslim, where it has been perceived as 'haraam'. Some other opinions from other scholars suggested that music are 'halaal' as long as it doesn't lead us away from Allah & Islam.
Few reactions I've observed could be summarized as follows:
1. Music is haraam, and so automatically it applies to Gangnam Style as 'haraam' and so nullify all other arguments.
2. Following opinion which suggest music as 'halaal' as long as it is not associated with 'haraam' elements, it invites listeners & viewers to evaluate on the following aspects:
a. Does the song bring a good message to the listener?
b. Does the video contribute a good value to the viewers?
c. Does the dance reflect a good image & virtue of a Muslim/ Islam?
From the above questions and honest answers, one could find the answer to the question, 'Is Gangnam Style suitable for Muslims?'
3. For Illuminati-freaks, all elements in Gangnam Style video & song are associated with Illuminati conspiracies such as 'one-eye', peace-sign, cross-sign, etc. Such group claimed the ultimate goal behind Gangnam Style is to spread the influence of 'Illuminati'.
4. For anti-Yahudi freaks, all elements in Gangnam Style video & song are associated with 'Jewish conspiracy'. For example, lyrics of the song has been said to meant 'I want to be a Jew' or 'saya nak jadi Yahudi'. Hence this song is labelled as a 'soft weapon' by the Jewish to bring Muslims down and astray from Islam via entertainment & sex promotion.
5. For anti-Kpop group, they will generally oppose and sneer at everything related to KPop, be it Gangnam Style or not Gangnam Style.
For group 3 and 4, I advice for them to get a life. Such claims are irrelevant, illogical, groundless, and blatant nonsense. To all Muslims or non-Muslims out there, please do not get caught or tricked by such nonsense claim. First, the dance is a horse dance. Or might be a sexual dance -_-" It is normal in that sense, and has no relation to Illuminati. All the speculations about Illuminati in Gangnam Style is overrated, and are illusions of those who are obsessed with Illuminati. For the love of God, stop associating everything in the world with Illuminati.
Second, before jumping into conclusion, we might want to learn a bit of Korean language. To associate Gangnam Style lyrics with 'I want to be a Jew' is the most ignorant thing one could come out with. To those who spread out this false tales, please find something better to do. And to those who apparently fall into this trap and believe this propaganda, maybe can take this as a lesson learned - so that we will be reminded to ALWAYS RESEARCH first, before believing in something blindly.
Certain groups (sad to say) especially Malay Muslims, could easily fall into this type of lie. I would like to stress that when we received a news or statement, it is very important for us to do fact-check or research on that matter first, before coming out with any conclusion. There is no harm in researching; and for sure it is very easy to do. Access to Internet make you capable of almost anything - we can try to find the fact by ourselves first. Research and curiosity of truth is the key. The most important thing to keep in mind is, 'THINK first before believing.'
To put all the blames of entertainment & sex trend among the new generation solely on foreign culture also doesn't help. Most of us are well-aware that such entertainment from foreign countries might not be good for us and might not blend well within our local culture. However the root of the problem does not lies solely on the entertainment or sex promotion itself, but on the fact that we are easily influenced by those; which shows we do not have concrete self-belief, principle and true identity to face such waves. Our society has reached a worrying & alarming state.
Coming back to the issue of response by the religious group, I can't help but feeling disappointed.
The ultimate goal for a Muslim is to please God, and there is nothing more important than that. This is acknowledged by all practicing Muslims in the world, and because of this virtue that we hold, every Muslims' action will need to be referred to God. Will this please God or displeases Him? This is the question that we will asked.
However by focusing on this question alone, we forgot the fact that we live in a world which inhabited not only by Muslims, but also non-Muslims from various background. Hence it is crucial to realize that this world does not evolves around Muslims only. A thing shouldn't be viewed from Muslim's acceptance only. A culture should not be viewed from Islamic perspective only or it will do injustice to it. Such approach may block our curiosity to explore other culture - or the most dangerous - it will block our capacity, capability & curiosity to LEARN about other people.
It is not a few - where I stumbled upon comments such as, 'tak senonoh betul Gangnam Style ni... buang masa je tengok' or 'Gangnam Style ni merosakkan akhlak...terkangkang-kangkang...lirik ntah hape-hape...tak takut Tuhan ke tiru bende macam ni?'
With all respects, I have no intention whatsover to object this. I agree, too, that the dance really does not represent a very good image. It has no Islamic value; neither the video nor the lyrics. However, such comments stop there. And this is the very fact that is disturbing to me. Because it stops there. People discussed about music, choreography and lyrics of a song from Islamic perspective only, and it stops there.
Why does it happened?
Why is it happened in such a way?
Muslims or non-Muslims, we have to understand that a song is a form of arts. And so it shouldn't be discussed in such a shallow way as that. Art is abstract; it has no boundary. Behind arts, there is a story. The story can be as ridiculous as it can get, but there is always one. Hence, art can also bring us to history, culture, science, custom, literature, etc. Why are we, Muslims, restricted our mind and think from one view only, and did not venture to other field of discussions?
We have a Korean song in hand. First, it is in Korean (Hangul). From here, this song easily lead us to one topic: Language. Discuss about the lyrics. What do the lyrics mean? Is it justifiable for us to conclude this song as meaningless or nonsense if we don't even understand what does it talks about?
This song titled 'Gangnam Style'. What is Gangnam? It is the name of a district in South Korea. Now it leads us to geography of Korea. What is it so special about Gangnam? Is there any particular interesting aspect about Gangnam till it is featured in this song? There you go, it leads us to the culture & social life in Gangnam. What does it says about Gangnam? Lavish lifestyle, girls trying hard to be cool & hip. Is it always the case? Why the lyrics mentioned about the girl in two different situations? How is the situation in Gangnam evolved? Then we will be taken to its community & background history of the people there.
How about the video? Why does it shows the singer in a luxurious place, only to realize that most of them are actually just common places of regular folks in Gangnam? Is there a satire or cynical elements tried to be put forth here?
See? There are just so much things to discuss about here. Music has so much things to offer. Why are we, Muslims, restricted our mind goggling around aspects that concerned only Islam and refuse to open our mind to learn about other things? Why are we always so uninterested in learning? Why are we always refuse to open ourselves to discussion of various aspects? Why are we so comfortable in our own cocoon, our own world that we do not have even a slightest interest to think about other views, other perspectives, other 'world' outside 'us'? Why are we so ignorant about other knowledge that does not concern Islamic value? Why do we stop thinking beyond our boundaries? Why do we stop thinking beyond our Muslims community & culture?
Is this all we are made of? Is this all Muslims are made of? Is this all we can think of, all we can offer? This is really sad. How selfish we can be - that we talked about Islam as 'global' and 'universal', and yet we do not even try to think twice before tossing and condemning things that we don't even understand.
All am I trying to say is, maybe we can try to change. Maybe we can try to change our way of thinking, the way we react to something. Knowledge is just too vast, deeper than the oceans, wider than the sea. Don't take it for granted out of arrogance as a Muslim.
An excellent intellectual discussion about Gangnam Style under the lights of culture, history, arts & literature here:
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/08/gangnam-style-dissected-the-subversive-message-within-south-koreas-music-video-sensation/261462/#.UEWvtd9YPjk.facebook
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| The infamous horse dance |
The song instantly becomes a phenomenan & trending rapidly worldwide; and Malaysia is not behind in this. Talking about Gangnam Style particularly in Malaysia, the reactions were diverse. When I say diverse, it means the video received different response from different group of viewers. For some, it was received with much interest & people starts making parody of the video. Example from Malaysian are those from Hitz FM, Fly FM, Jinny Boy, and lots of other Youtubers. This lot regards this song as a total wrecking-brain song, make fun of it and make their own crazy version just for the sake of fun. Others like the catchy beat of the songs, and were addicted to it.
Some others might like it because of the naughty dance shown in the video. Coincidence or not, I have to admit that the dance move does look a bit like imitation of sex position. However it really depends on one's perspective - one might interpreted it as imitation of sex position, and another might looked at it as just a silly crazy horse dance move.
I would like to particularly comment on reaction by the 'religious' groups. You know, youngsters talking about religious stuff and attained a lot of favors and 'followers'. Some familiar names such as Hilal Asyraf, Angel Pakai Gucci, Rose Vermin, might comes to mind. I would also like to comment on some other Syeikh Facebook & Ustazah Twitter, and also the famous-anonymous Illuminati & anti-Yahudi freaks.
Before I start, let me clarify something. This is my personal opinion in my personal blog. Hence my disclaimer is, this entry is by no means a personal attack to any individual or religious group. This is just my general observation of situation & hence I deduce my opinion based on that. No offense is intended.
I believe that when one deals with a culture which is different from his or hers, one should realized that he or she must not only consider the exterior view of the culture. It is not only just about the culture itself, but the more important aspect of it - on how to perceive a culture, how to receive a culture, how to react to a culture, and how to think about a culture. Living abroad for 4 years & a half, I personally feel that such experience has trained us to step back, observe and give a deep thought about what is presented in front of us, grab a hold of clear & thorough view of the subject, to avoid from coming out with half-cooked or hasten judgment. This also explained why am I being meticulous over such a feeble (to some) subject like Gangnam Style. For me, it is more than just a silly video or a catchy-meaningless song.
From religion (specifically speaking, Islam) perspective, they are some very strict opinions which did not allow any form of music at all by or for a Muslim, where it has been perceived as 'haraam'. Some other opinions from other scholars suggested that music are 'halaal' as long as it doesn't lead us away from Allah & Islam.
Few reactions I've observed could be summarized as follows:
1. Music is haraam, and so automatically it applies to Gangnam Style as 'haraam' and so nullify all other arguments.
2. Following opinion which suggest music as 'halaal' as long as it is not associated with 'haraam' elements, it invites listeners & viewers to evaluate on the following aspects:
a. Does the song bring a good message to the listener?
b. Does the video contribute a good value to the viewers?
c. Does the dance reflect a good image & virtue of a Muslim/ Islam?
From the above questions and honest answers, one could find the answer to the question, 'Is Gangnam Style suitable for Muslims?'
3. For Illuminati-freaks, all elements in Gangnam Style video & song are associated with Illuminati conspiracies such as 'one-eye', peace-sign, cross-sign, etc. Such group claimed the ultimate goal behind Gangnam Style is to spread the influence of 'Illuminati'.
4. For anti-Yahudi freaks, all elements in Gangnam Style video & song are associated with 'Jewish conspiracy'. For example, lyrics of the song has been said to meant 'I want to be a Jew' or 'saya nak jadi Yahudi'. Hence this song is labelled as a 'soft weapon' by the Jewish to bring Muslims down and astray from Islam via entertainment & sex promotion.
5. For anti-Kpop group, they will generally oppose and sneer at everything related to KPop, be it Gangnam Style or not Gangnam Style.
For group 3 and 4, I advice for them to get a life. Such claims are irrelevant, illogical, groundless, and blatant nonsense. To all Muslims or non-Muslims out there, please do not get caught or tricked by such nonsense claim. First, the dance is a horse dance. Or might be a sexual dance -_-" It is normal in that sense, and has no relation to Illuminati. All the speculations about Illuminati in Gangnam Style is overrated, and are illusions of those who are obsessed with Illuminati. For the love of God, stop associating everything in the world with Illuminati.
Second, before jumping into conclusion, we might want to learn a bit of Korean language. To associate Gangnam Style lyrics with 'I want to be a Jew' is the most ignorant thing one could come out with. To those who spread out this false tales, please find something better to do. And to those who apparently fall into this trap and believe this propaganda, maybe can take this as a lesson learned - so that we will be reminded to ALWAYS RESEARCH first, before believing in something blindly.
Certain groups (sad to say) especially Malay Muslims, could easily fall into this type of lie. I would like to stress that when we received a news or statement, it is very important for us to do fact-check or research on that matter first, before coming out with any conclusion. There is no harm in researching; and for sure it is very easy to do. Access to Internet make you capable of almost anything - we can try to find the fact by ourselves first. Research and curiosity of truth is the key. The most important thing to keep in mind is, 'THINK first before believing.'
To put all the blames of entertainment & sex trend among the new generation solely on foreign culture also doesn't help. Most of us are well-aware that such entertainment from foreign countries might not be good for us and might not blend well within our local culture. However the root of the problem does not lies solely on the entertainment or sex promotion itself, but on the fact that we are easily influenced by those; which shows we do not have concrete self-belief, principle and true identity to face such waves. Our society has reached a worrying & alarming state.
Coming back to the issue of response by the religious group, I can't help but feeling disappointed.
The ultimate goal for a Muslim is to please God, and there is nothing more important than that. This is acknowledged by all practicing Muslims in the world, and because of this virtue that we hold, every Muslims' action will need to be referred to God. Will this please God or displeases Him? This is the question that we will asked.
However by focusing on this question alone, we forgot the fact that we live in a world which inhabited not only by Muslims, but also non-Muslims from various background. Hence it is crucial to realize that this world does not evolves around Muslims only. A thing shouldn't be viewed from Muslim's acceptance only. A culture should not be viewed from Islamic perspective only or it will do injustice to it. Such approach may block our curiosity to explore other culture - or the most dangerous - it will block our capacity, capability & curiosity to LEARN about other people.
It is not a few - where I stumbled upon comments such as, 'tak senonoh betul Gangnam Style ni... buang masa je tengok' or 'Gangnam Style ni merosakkan akhlak...terkangkang-kangkang...lirik ntah hape-hape...tak takut Tuhan ke tiru bende macam ni?'
With all respects, I have no intention whatsover to object this. I agree, too, that the dance really does not represent a very good image. It has no Islamic value; neither the video nor the lyrics. However, such comments stop there. And this is the very fact that is disturbing to me. Because it stops there. People discussed about music, choreography and lyrics of a song from Islamic perspective only, and it stops there.
Why does it happened?
Why is it happened in such a way?
Muslims or non-Muslims, we have to understand that a song is a form of arts. And so it shouldn't be discussed in such a shallow way as that. Art is abstract; it has no boundary. Behind arts, there is a story. The story can be as ridiculous as it can get, but there is always one. Hence, art can also bring us to history, culture, science, custom, literature, etc. Why are we, Muslims, restricted our mind and think from one view only, and did not venture to other field of discussions?
We have a Korean song in hand. First, it is in Korean (Hangul). From here, this song easily lead us to one topic: Language. Discuss about the lyrics. What do the lyrics mean? Is it justifiable for us to conclude this song as meaningless or nonsense if we don't even understand what does it talks about?
This song titled 'Gangnam Style'. What is Gangnam? It is the name of a district in South Korea. Now it leads us to geography of Korea. What is it so special about Gangnam? Is there any particular interesting aspect about Gangnam till it is featured in this song? There you go, it leads us to the culture & social life in Gangnam. What does it says about Gangnam? Lavish lifestyle, girls trying hard to be cool & hip. Is it always the case? Why the lyrics mentioned about the girl in two different situations? How is the situation in Gangnam evolved? Then we will be taken to its community & background history of the people there.
How about the video? Why does it shows the singer in a luxurious place, only to realize that most of them are actually just common places of regular folks in Gangnam? Is there a satire or cynical elements tried to be put forth here?
See? There are just so much things to discuss about here. Music has so much things to offer. Why are we, Muslims, restricted our mind goggling around aspects that concerned only Islam and refuse to open our mind to learn about other things? Why are we always so uninterested in learning? Why are we always refuse to open ourselves to discussion of various aspects? Why are we so comfortable in our own cocoon, our own world that we do not have even a slightest interest to think about other views, other perspectives, other 'world' outside 'us'? Why are we so ignorant about other knowledge that does not concern Islamic value? Why do we stop thinking beyond our boundaries? Why do we stop thinking beyond our Muslims community & culture?
Is this all we are made of? Is this all Muslims are made of? Is this all we can think of, all we can offer? This is really sad. How selfish we can be - that we talked about Islam as 'global' and 'universal', and yet we do not even try to think twice before tossing and condemning things that we don't even understand.
All am I trying to say is, maybe we can try to change. Maybe we can try to change our way of thinking, the way we react to something. Knowledge is just too vast, deeper than the oceans, wider than the sea. Don't take it for granted out of arrogance as a Muslim.
An excellent intellectual discussion about Gangnam Style under the lights of culture, history, arts & literature here:
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/08/gangnam-style-dissected-the-subversive-message-within-south-koreas-music-video-sensation/261462/#.UEWvtd9YPjk.facebook
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