Innovate me, please, if you can
The voice from the bosom says

The ultra-religious of Najd's discipline use to spread
Innovators' place will be in hell-fire

They don't see the wisdom of the prophetic words
Life is indeed cannot be changed what more to innovate

What is religion without life?
Thus, what is life without religion?

Haven't we notice, Allah says:
The religion before me is Islam

Those who cannot grasp the wisdom of religion
He cannot fathom the abyss of life

Religion and life cannot be innovated
Without the former the later cannot survive

Now you claimed to be a follower of light and way
Indeed you are but a blind man, fooled by the system

Utter the shahada and pause for a while
Reflect... trace where the voices come from

Was it you?

The month of July 2014 is colored with atrocities. The latest war in Gaza, the unremitting war in Syria, Iraq and Yemen not only added to the history of terror that already have in human annals.  It is as well the manifestation that we human are not yet free from the dictates of the Beelzebub.

Last July 13, 2014, a group of armed men forayed into the Mabul Island despite the presence of Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) in the area. They killed a Malaysian Marine Police Corporal and abducted a private one. The Home Minister of Malaysia Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Malaysia Chronicle) revealed that the incident was a revenge of the Sultanate Royal Forces who invaded Tanduo, Lahad Datu last year.

The online Netizen observed that the situation in Sulu-Sabah border is getting worst. As the Kidnapping for Ransom (KFR) gang seized Malaysian nationals recently in off coast Semporna, Sabah. The KFR gang has a wider network. Even the Tausug cannot understand why the group still free to kidnap anyone they like. According to the Reuter report, last May 30, 2014 in The Malaysian Insider online portal that "The release of the two kidnapped women was only achieved after the payment of “large ransom”. After the release another two Malaysians were seized. Many Tausug suspecting that there is something going on behind all the incidents.

The creation of Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) is one of the vivid developments transpired in Sabah, after the stand-off in Tanduo. According to a Tausug thinker, Prof. Julkhan Kalim in a cam to cam interview, “Malaysia could not easily pour its military might and equipments to Sabah without any valid justification”. Sabah is a land not only claims by Kiram family as theirs, but the KDMR (Kadazan-Dusun-Murut-Rungus) also advocates separating it from the west Malaysia as an independent state.

The effect of many kidnapping incidents, supply of diesel and gasoline to Sulu archipelago was suddenly stopped. This made the price of oil increased to the peak. This is will add to the effect, if some commodities like rice, sugar, garlic and others will also be stopped. This is somehow affects the business people and the consumers in the archipelago. Before it becomes worst, the Philippine government should address this matter.
The month of Ramadhan is a holy month for Muslims, the 9th month in the Hijra Calendar, and the month of fasting, which the sole purpose is to purify the inner dirt from the dawn to dusk. This is to abstain from eating, smoking, and drinking, as well as sexual intercourse, useless talks, backbiting, and other activities that could void the fasting. In short, this is the month which Muslims surrender everything to Allah.

Killing is the most serious wrongdoing on the month of Ramadhan. The Ulama have made a consensus that “killing civilians, harming national interest, and violating the sanctity of human life is forbidden.” (al-shorfa.com). 

Abstaining from eating, drinking and other activities during Ramadhan is letting our self to be empty. The moment that we feel the emptiness, the big chance we could think a lot of wholesome deeds.
It is common in some Sufis, when someone’s self is empty, the divine attributes would takes place until one's soul achieve peace and harmony. It is with this reason why most of the Tausug Sufi masters discourage their murid (students) to create enmity to their fellows. They are taught to love. The love is their very common goal to achieve before spreading it on earth.

Fasting is the struggle against own self, which is a greater form of jihad. Allah says, in the the Holy Qur'an, “for Satan is to man an avowed enemy.” Al-Isra 17:53, Yusuf Ali (1938)

The innocent lives in the world today became fragile. Anytime the people would just die and break into pieces when the superpower countries decided to invade the land, the land of people they considered enemies. Thousands of people died. Children, pregnant women, old folks were killed in the latest Gaza airstrikes. And the Israelis refuse to recognize international pressure to stop them.

As a Muslim, the message of fasting is enough to tell that Islam is and will never encourage terrorism and kidnapping the fellow humankind. I still do believe that the humanity cries that “peace is all we wanted”, that will teach us respect the human lives, the God's masterpiece.

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I am always consulting my natural guru every time there is confusion comes to my mind. Sometime I soliloquy to express to him some thought which is contradictory to the belief that I have.  In silent mode he answers all my questions. Sometimes he comes to me in a form of logical expression; there are times he speaks to me like  an instructor giving lecture to its students. Then I listen and follow his advice. Who is more precious beside him, when at the time of need he is always with me. Never say no to anything I do except bad. Who is he?

He is our natural religion. The religion embedded in the soul. It is the distinguishing feature of human which separate them from that of animals and other creations. He is connected to the divine chamber at the same time with us. Through him, that we as servants is unveiled.

With him we can see and witness that all lives are God masterpiece. There is none a single human or insect creeping on earth that have two different kinds of life. Most of the sages in the past and at present understand it, but it’s still difficult to point out if who is behind the curtain in the cinema of life. One factor that made it difficult is the faith we professed.  

God sent us then prophets and saints. Both have different missions, but serve to only one God. God will never send a prophet to guide humankind because it had been finalized by his beloved Muhammad Sallawlahu alayhi wasallam. Who is then to guide us in this modern and more complex world?

The easiest answer is that, we have the Qur’an. This divine book is a textbook of every human, regardless of their colors and belief. Though some regarded it as a masterpiece of Prophet Muhammad, inadequate facts failed to prove it. Until someone becomes aware of their existence and the uniqueness of God’s plan only then they would be able to realize the importance of the Qur’an as a living witness of God existence.

God, Allah, Yahweh, Father, are some of the names used by human to name the All-Living Master. However, it is incumbent upon us to study and research which of these terms closer to the reality of who we are and the God we always ask at time of needs.

May the spirit of 12 Rabiul Awal 1435 (The Birthday Prophet Muhammad) lights our way and cements our belief that There is no other God worthy of praise except Allah and Muhammad is his messenger and prophet.

If you wish to know your natural guru, seek it from the master who mastered the knowledge of Allah and has the access to the Divine Chamber. May Love and Peace reign in this world.

It sounds weird though; a Christian is always a Christian, so as with a Muslim.

On this write up I’m not trying to say that a good Christian is a good Muslim in faith. What I’m trying to emphasize is that in attitude no individual could claim that only a person or group of people who monopolize the quality of being good. We cannot therefore say only a Muslim possesses a sound attitude and the rest are bad. All humankind, regardless of colors and faiths possessed these human inherent traits. Hence, all shared quality attitude is the basic teaching of all religions.

People will not quarrel among them should they consider their natural being and universal brotherhood. Why? What is in our nature?

It is evident, that human is composed of body and soul. Have the same mode of breathing; eating, drinking and so on and so forth. Human also have the same life or soul. We only have one Life and one death. There are no two lives or nine lives, we only have one. We have the same sense and needs. So why still clash each other when we have a lot in common?

The clash among humanity is part of their being human. It is because of the interest they have that spurred them to make trouble. In that interest lays the greed, hungrier for power and fame, the sultry of lust, the passion to oppress and many more.  All these negative qualities were in human since this world populated by Homo sapiens.

What is usually neglected by us is the most important part that already built-in in our being – divine attributes. We tend to escape from it enable that our way and system would not be labelled as “Theocracy”. We do believe in God, but our belief only applicable in the synagogue, church, mosque and temple. We failed to realize the divine attributes that welded in us, do not stop to oversee and administer our daily transaction.

Didn’t we notice every time we face difficulty, trouble, problem something within us earnestly give advice? Who was that? Our conscience, but who is the puppeteer behind the curtain? Is it God or Who? In short, whatever tricks we do to evade of not to get influenced by God’s religion in our daily transaction that would only remain in it. The truth is we are all like fishes immerse unconscious in the water.  

Neither nature nor human can be called God. God is God and Human is Human. All of creation shared the same fate – receives the Good attributes from God. What about Bad then? Isn’t it Muslims believing that everything (existence and non-existence) is belongs to God? Indeed, because Satan was created by God. There is no other Creator besides Him.

Without Satan, all creations are, in short, “Angels”. It means they will become angelic – not a troublemaker.  There are no use of creating Heaven and Hell without the Good and Bad; the devil and angel. We possessed these two opposite traits, because it is inbuilt in our lives. Our body possessed these Diabolic and Angelic traits. These two traits clash each other.  They aim to dominate at one life then family and to the society at large. And that is part of our nature.

Back to the topic, the good attitude of a Christian is the attitude taught to a Muslim, the bad attitude of a Christian is also the thing advice to a Muslim. Neither of the two opposed with regards to good and bad – except matters about belief.

From this view, some people blame religions as the source of hatred and tumult face by humanity. To them religions are man-made and centered on the debate about who's right and wrong.  They even suggested in order to resetting Peaceful co-existence the humanity should break the barrier of religious order and live naturally without God to worship.

And this totally deviates from the real nature. Are not in this group of people sought for love, justice and peace? If that's so, who give them the sense to feel love, to struggle for a just society, and to cry for peace? Was it Natural Inspiration?

Indeed, we are naturally born with complete senses and innate religion. The true religion is not man-made. The one who asks you to do good, to think wholesome, to feel love, to seek for justice and many things except bad is the innate religion. And this is our natural religion its name is ISLAM. God says; the religion before Allah is ISLAM. Do not trouble yourself to look for the truth; ISLAM is in our lives from inception. Do not equate Islam with some trouble created by some covetous Muslims and dirty politicians. ISLAM has been in our soul, it was with this reason why Prophet Muhammad was sent – to finalize it.

Satan is the enemy of good people. Struggle to control him; he is also living in us, tied him with certainty of faith. Submit yourself to the owner of your life. When the death is approaching our innate religion shall appear before our very eyes. He welcomes us if we are his righteous and obedient friend and bring us back to the Highest and Most Merciful God.  Our religion is our heavenly body.

A good Christian is a Good Muslim in deeds but not in faith. Respect would be one of the best tools don’t let the bad people destroys it.

Let us help to clear the messes in our little way.

To God we belong to Him we shall return. 

May the New Year 2014 brings more hope and glory to those who strive for it. May Peace and Goodness in this part of the world dominate. 

Firstly, I would like to thank Allah SWT for giving me the cause to live in a society full of hatred, prejudice, and various interpretations of Islam. He guided me to study Islamic Studies from a western academic institution. Afterwards I had faced severe trials of my faith and perseverance. But those trials did not stop me to propel in the ocean of life. I know I have to pass all of them if there is, in my plan, the word “success”.

Let me share with you what I understand about my religion, ISLAM.

ISLAM came from the Arabic word Salam means Peace. It is the second and fastest growing religion nowadays. The current statistics show that Islam followers has reached 1.57 billion (source link).

The religion Islam was finalized during the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW in 622 CE. Though Prophet Muhammad SAW regarded as the founder Islam, Muslim believes that the beloved was not the one who founded this religion. Prophet Muhammad came to be to finalize Islam. From the beginning of human Islam had already been there. Why is that so? You mean Adam and Eve were Muslims (Muslim: is the follower of Islam)?

Indeed, they were. How come?

Allah says in the Qur’an, Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam (Sahih International, Al-Imran:19).

If the religion before Allah is Islam, it does means it is the only innate religion built within the life of humanity. Islam, according to some expert in Theology based from the above verse, is welded within human life. Life without religion has no different with that of animals, plants and other living things. Just like  a computer without installing the program, such as windows and others. What we can see with that sort of computer is just the power of electricity blinking.

Human life has been installed with the innate religion called Islam. If anyone would like to verify it by themselves find the nearest Muslim Spiritual master ask some help on how to witness that the only natural religion installed in human life is Islam.

The Most Merciful God would not have sent us to this world without the religion, unless we would become like animals and other creations. And this religion would continue to exist as long as there is life on earth. Thus, Islam founded by Allah SWT for his beloved Prophets and humanity.

To some non-Muslims this verse would be difficult to accept, simply because they are also claiming that it is only their religion that is true. However, on this write up I don’t mean to ignite theological debate but let us ponder on this life.

Let us ask ourselves freely. Who created me? Who give me life? Who owns my Life? What about the other living things? Who owns their lives too? These are just some of the questions that need specific answers.

However, all these questions had been answered by Allah SWT through the pattern lived by the Prophet Muhammad PBUH and the verses can be found in the holy Qur’an.

Allah Says, “It is He Who gave you life, then He shall make you dead, then He shall give you life.” (22:66)

“...Who has created all things well and He originated the creation of man out of clay, then He fashioned his progeny of an extraction of mean water, then He shaped it, and breathed His spirit in it. And He appointed for you hearing and sight, and heart; little thanks you show.” (32:7‑9).

If still you are failing to understand what is the reality of true religion based on the questions above, try to approach Muslim sages and ask this question, from whom did this sound come from? If still failed, enjoy your life and remember this verse, “And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein” (Sahih International, Qaf:16)

Islam is simple and natural. Don’t make it difficult. Be a prayerful Muslim your life needs it.

Let the love flourishes and hatred vanishes. Islam is not a symbol and a culture. It is the “natural guru” who guided us back to our origin – that is the mission of the Prophets and the man of God.

WA ASHADUAN LAILAHA ILLAH ALLAH MUHAMMADUR RASULULLAH

This is my understanding of Islam. I don’t mean to coerce you to believe it, but what matter is that I believe in what I say and what I feel.

Thanks for reading. Allah bless you and guide you.  

I am not following the philosophical point of view of any known authors of the western world to find the reality. But I am utilizing this life to discover myself, my existence, and the Only God - Allah. With that, I found the reality. We did not send to this world accidentally. What we need on this journey enable to accomplish this mission is to find the connection with the divine power in us.

If I say I am God, then there must be another God aside from me. God must be two, three or even billion. And that is unacceptable. Human cannot be God though the soul came from God. The Soul of Man is a reflection, being a reflection it has no power to move and no will to do his plan.

The doer in the human body is the soul, and the soul is the holder of God attributes.  The power of God is what moves human. Even soul cannot move by himself without the will of the Main source. What is the soul then? The soul is not the Truth of Truth. But the Truth reveal through the soul to whom He entrusted His Secret.  Human cannot fully understand this without him burning his existence with the fire of faith (Ibn Al-Arabi). The Faith is what reveals the treasure from its chest.

The question now, what if I will commit a sin, does it mean God permits me to do that?

In reality, God did not encourage any of His creation to do what is forbidden. It is his desire, which received the command from the devil that tempts a man to commit sin. The den of the devil is in the human mind. The Qur’an says “Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not worship Satan - [for] indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. (Sahih International, Qur’an 36:60).

To follow satan is tantamount to worship him. But we usually don’t get rid of it. Lest we forget, satan had given the authority to mislead a human.  

“ [Iblees (Satan)] said: 0 my Lord! Because you mislead me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all. Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them”(15:39-40). 

In this verse Allah has specified those who cannot mislead by Satan – the “(Guided) slaves". It is the reason why most people – regardless of faith - enthusiastically search for truth. Because Truth is the only savior.

The truth is neither out there in the universe nor in the deepest part of the earth. It can be found in ourselves. Search for it in yourself, look for a master who can pinpoint to you the way to the Truth. The search is still open to us while we are still breathing this life in this temporal world.

Who am I is an important question to know ourselves. But do not use your mind to control the data you got, let your soul be the judge.

Living in a complex environment is quite difficult for an individual whether he is a Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist or any existing religions. This simply because an individual has to adapt to the trends, cultures, policies, and any other changes in a society he lives.

A Muslim living in a dominated Christian’s country like the Philippines, has face tremendous challenges every day from food consumption to the many issues i.e. corruption, religious imbalance, ethnic discrimination, kidnapping and many more. All these problems affecting every Muslim in this country be it directly and indirectly.

My belief says, Islam has nothing to do with the current failures of Muslims. As have been understood by many Muslim scholars Islam did not teach his followers to become troublemakers or to experience fiasco. Rather it is clear from Qur’anic injunction that “I created Jinn and Humankind only to Worship me” (Qur’an 51:56). One meaning of worship according to Encarta Dictionaries is great devotion. The Qur’anic injunction did not specify which type of worship that a Muslim must do to comply it.  But let us just simplify this way, all that is good is a form of worship.

The devotion of a Muslim to his religion can be considered as a type of contribution that he could extend to the society at large. A Muslim, who do not take vainly his responsibility towards Islam, do not easily involve in things that is unwholesome. Since he believes the wholesome deed is the basic thing approved by his religion. While the bad deeds sprung from his lowest desire or animal being is prohibited.

The first thing that a Muslim must seek is that how to live by the teaching of his religion in a complex society. How to be an agent of change in his little way?  And how the little effort of every Muslim becomes panacea to the problem they are currently facing?

Seeking knowledge of Islam is the number one key. Since there is an immense interpretation of Islam nowadays just takes at least one or two that would represent the entirety of the Islamic message. One good example is “Best in Character”. This trait is easy to say but tough to live with. 

To practice good trait does not necessarily we should be like Saints and Prophets. All we need to do is to act on the little thing we know. Do good and forbid evil. Do not do the thing which is good for you but bad to others; treat other people as you treat yourself and family. Do not dream big if you cannot handle this simple advice in yourself, lest you adopt a holier-than-thou attitude. And condemn others for not following your belief and way.

The Muslims should unite in goodness, and that’s what Islam sought. Organize one single voice that would represent the Muslim majority. Resolve on the table the issues which have been left unsolved. Respect one another do not indulge much in ideological debate. Centralize the knowledge taught in Madrasah. Never use the mosque as a ground for hatred and prejudices. Do not spend much time to correct others. Work on the middle path. Design a program where all Muslim sects can come together to discuss the commonalities that they have for the betterment of all.

Do not let the crooked individual and group besmirch the reputation of all Muslims. What is good has been clearly laid down in the Qur’an, let the goodness win in you. As Allah has promised "Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish." (Yusuf Ali’, Qur’an 17:81)

Our lives need light. All good thing is light. It emanates from innate religion which is the Light. 

Light upon Light as the Qur'an says  in Sura An-Nur based on the interpretation of the ulama. When we reach the light of life, everything under it is clear. We must struggle for real light because the reality of us is wrapped with thick of darkness. 

The Light within us has its appointed meaning and purposes. Be a hungry seeker, don't easily give up, search for the highest truth. When everything is clear like the sun shining all objects under it, you will then see and meet your long friend and adviser.

Just my half dinar. 

There is only one choice for us to become what we want to happen in our life be it in this temporal world and in the hereafter. If you want happiness choose the best thing that can make you remain in that state forever. But the process of choosing itself is part of the larger plan for life.

The diversity of Allah’s plan towards His creation is unfathomable. Every single creation has its own respective plan and that cannot be changed by anyone. Even the parents themselves cannot dictate what the future’s hold for their children. The will of a creation is but dependent to the Will of his Creator.

The parents can only make plans for their children but the process of making that plan is already part of Allah’s plan. And the plan that parents decided for their children is still hanging in the air, unless the design of the plan they made is in line with the bigger plan that had been an architect by All Merciful.

We came to this world not by accident. It is His Will we became human and dwelling in this world for a short period of time. We didn’t even request to Him that we should be sent here for adventure purposes or shall we say for jollity. He created us for Him to be known. We are here just to witness His being God.

The problem we usually encounter is that how to testify to the God that we cannot see?

It was with this reason, the Almighty Allah sent down messengers and prophets in a form of human. Their way of living is in accordance with the lifestyle and culture of a certain place and community. The messengers and prophets were the guide and bringer of what have been forgotten by the people. They bring people back to the awareness of life before they came to this world and the stations they are about to land in the future.

In modern times, we have no more prophets and messengers but Allah SWT has many Saints to guide whom Allah SWT have chosen. We also have Qur’an as a partner of saints to admonish the people to follow what had been relayed by the prophets and the pious in the previous time. The saints of Allah are not human. They are the Path of Goodness. A human cannot become saintly but they can possess some of the saint’s qualities. The saints are the soldiers of Allah. They exist before the final Prophet Muhammad PBUH advent in this world. The saints are the caretaker of the knowledge of Allah taught to our beloved Prophet.

Anyway, what we choose for our life must be good for us not only in this world but include the hereafter. Let us not waist our time to plan for our life. For it already has a Great Planner who fully understands and Most Watchful to the affairs of His creations.

Let Allah’s presence reign in our hearts. Follow the way of the pious and not of the Philosophers. Dive into the ocean of life see and witness what many peoples regarded as “boring”. It’s better to get bored in this world than in the hereafter. According to our guide, Tuan Muhammad Abdulwahid “the Hereafter is the most boring place to those people whose hearts are blind.”

May Allah forgive us all, and admit us to His unlimited mercy. Ameen.