#ayat

Tuhan sudah berbisik lewat Al-Anbiya ayat 35. Sebuah 'surat cinta' yang keras namun menenangkan: Kullu nafsin żā'iqatul-maūt. Bahwa aku, dan semua yang mati-matian aku kejar hari ini, akan berhenti. Jantung ini punya batas detaknya. Napas ini punya jatah akhirnya.

Lantas, apa arti hari-hariku sekarang?

Aku melihat ke cermin. Hari ini aku diuji dengan kesulitan—rasanya sempit, sesak, dan dunia seolah tidak adil. Tapi tunggu... ayat itu bilang ini hanyalah 'nablūkum'. Ini hanyalah ujian. Rasa sakit ini bukan hukuman abadi, ia hanya soal ujian yang harus kujawab dengan sabar.

Lalu, ingatkah aku saat kemarin aku tertawa lepas? Saat rezeki mengalir deras dan pujian datang bertubi-tubi? Betapa bodohnya aku jika mengira itu adalah tanda aku hebat. Ternyata, itu pun ujian. Bahkan mungkin itu ujian yang lebih berat. Tuhan sedang melihat: apakah nikmat ini membuatku menunduk bersyukur, atau justru membusungkan dada dalam kesombongan?

Ternyata, 'Buruk' dan 'Baik' di dunia ini hanyalah dua wajah dari satu koin yang sama bernama: Fitnah. Keduanya adalah jebakan yang menuntut respon yang benar. Kebahagiaan bukan tujuan akhir, kesedihan bukan akhir segalanya. Keduanya hanya alat, bukan hasil.

Maka, tenanglah wahai jiwaku. Jangan terlalu terbang saat dipuji, jangan hancur lebur saat dicaci.

Karena pada akhirnya... Wa ilainā turja'ụn.

Aku sedang berjalan pulang. Rumahku bukan di sini. Panggung sandiwara ini akan segera tutup layar. Yang akan aku bawa nanti bukanlah seberapa banyak harta yang kukumpulkan saat 'ujian kebaikan', atau seberapa banyak air mata yang tumpah saat 'ujian keburukan'.

Yang kubawa hanyalah: bagaimana sikapku saat menghadapi keduanya.

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam ‘ala Rasulillah

Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi-Allahu 'anhu):

The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Do not wish to meet the enemy, but when you meet (face) the enemy, be patient.”

Allah calls Himself Al-Fattaah— The Opener, The Revealer— on one occasion in the Quran. He is the One who opens all doors of blessing for His slaves. Al-Fattaah judges what shall be opened from opening hearts, clarifying visions and opening doors to sustenance to conquering cities and revealing knowledge!

The Judge of All That is Opened, The Granter of Success

Fattaah comes from the root faa-taa-haa, which points to four main meanings. The first main meaning is to open, unlock, or reveal and make clear. The second main meaning is to make victorious, and the third is to judge or decide. The fourth main meaning is to permit or grant.

This root appears 38 times in the Quran in eight derived forms. Examples of these forms are fatahnaa (“We opened”), al-fathu (“the victory”), and mafaatihu (“[are the] keys”).

Linguistically, fattaah has the structure of intensification; al-faatih is someone who opens. Al-Fattaah is the ultimate judge who decides to open gates that no one else can open, in both literal and symbolical, physical and spiritual ways, and He is the source of victory and success.

Al-Fattaah Himself says: Say, Our Lord will bring us together; then He will judge between us in truth. And He is the Knowing Judge. [Quran, 34:26]

The different gates in life

How does Allah ‘azza wa jall open? It is Al-Fattaah who opens the Gates of Paradise; it is by the help of al-Fattaah cities are “opened” (conquered) to Islam, it is Al-Fattaah who opens doors to solutions to your life’s difficulties, and it is Al-Fattaah only who opens the door to recovery when you are ill. If Al-Fattaah so wills, He opens to you the gate of provision and sustenance, the gate of work, the gate of marriage, and the gate of tranquillity and peace of mind. He opens to you the gate of success and He opens to you the gate of righteous deeds.

How Can You Live by This Name?

1. Trust in the judge.
Life is full of arguments. Some people accuse others and claim to be right. Who is the judge? Who knows the reality of people? It is Al-Fattaah. Make the Quran and the Sunnah the judge of your actions, always. People may speak badly about you and accuse you falsely, but if you are on the right side, do not be afraid, because Allah is Al-Fattaah is the just Judge. Also don’t judge others too quickly— Al-Fattaah can open anyone’s heart.

2. Realize Al-Fattaah can open all doors.
Al-Fattaah says: Whatsoever mercy Allah opens to mankind, none can withhold; and whatsoever He withholds, none can lose after Him. And He is the All Mighty, the All-Wise. [Quran 35:2] This ayah has a beautiful impact if you are a true believer; you realize that everything happening to you is under Al-Fattaah’s divine control. Close doors for His sake— by leaving a bad habit, wrong friends, or a place of sinning– even if it causes you physical hardship— and He will open a door for you to good. Never despair nor give up. Realize thatAl-Fattaah can always give you a way out. Know that all the relationships in your life are confined by your relationship with Allah al-Fattaah.

3. Be sincere.
The best opening of all is the opening of the heart. Al-Fattaah opens hearts which were locked, like the heart of Umar ibn al-Khattaab radiyallahu ‘anhu which was before filled with hatred of the Muslims. Some people say: I read the Quran, but I don’t understand a word of it! But after some time, they begin to understand. They begin to seek answers, memorize, interact, enjoy, and preach the words of Allah. Work hard and strive to be sincere so that Al-Fattaah opens to you the gate of knowledge, the gate of closeness to Him and the gate of contentment in this life.

4. Ask al-Fattaah.
Whenever a gate is closed in your face, remember Al-Fattaah and ask Him to open it for you. This goes under all circumstances, whether serious or insignificant; even if your phone, wallet, or anything else, valuable or not, is lost. If you open a new building, want to get married, or if you desire to do anything, ask Al-Fattaah, for help and success. Start anything permissible in His name, by saying bismillah. Also when you feel low, or you feel you lack understanding of the religion, ask Him to open your heart and the hearts of your loved ones. A supplication of pious people before us used to be: May Allah open to you gates of good.

5. Study Surah Al-Fatiha.
Learn to recite, memorize, and understand Surah Al-Fatiha, the opening surah of the Book of Al-Fattaah. Ibn Abbas radiyallahu ‘anhu said: While the Messenger of Allah was sitting with Jibril he heard a creaking sound above him. Jibril looked up and said, This is [the sound of] a gate that has been opened in heaven today and has never been previously opened. Then an Angel descended through it and came to the Prophet) and said, Rejoice in the good news of two lights that have been given to you such as no prophet before you has been given. [They are] Surah Al-Fatihah and the concluding [two] verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. You will never recite a word from them without being given the blessings they contain. [Muslim] Study the tafseer of this beautiful surah; when you recite it in prayer make sure you pause after each ayah and apply its lessons to your daily life.

6. Benefit others.
Open to others the gates of your own good work and become involved in projects beneficial to others. If you have a certain skill, develop it and help others with it so with the guidance of Al-Fattaah all can work together to open doors to all that is good for the community.

O Allah, Al-Fattaah, we know that You open to us every closed gate according to Your wisdom. Open our hearts, open for us the doors to all that is good in this life, help us to trust on You as our judge, inspire us to ask You only to open any door for us— physical, spiritual, big, or small— and to open for us the door of Your mercy and open for us the gates to Your Paradise, ameen!

Iqra' (Recite, Read).Part2

Since humanity is subject to these and other conditions, people are very diverse in all aspects. However, as these natural differences and contrasts are in a dynamic, prolific balance, people have different (and changing) conceptions of and approaches to such matters as science and faith.

As a result of such diversity, some teachings—even those of the Prophet—may be lost sight of for a time. But one day they will be recollected and taught again. After such a large increase in the number and variety of people, the loss of traditions and histories, as well as fragmentation, is natural. All of these will be repaired, though, for this process has happened many times in the past and will happen again in the future.

Divinely inspired Scriptures, Prophets, and laws were sent successively, in part as an assurance of this process. The Prophet was blessed with a character that harmonized something of the distinguishing excellence of all previous Prophets. In him were blended the most profound spiritual knowledge and wisdom, the will to move and decisively order collective affairs, to inspire human hearts and direct their spiritual craving, to heal differences between people, and to achieve lasting reconciliation. He demonstrated the ideal balance, in individual as well as in collective affairs, between the claims of justice and compassion. His life is full of suffering, forbearance, steadfastness in defeat, and of relief, success, and victory. His style of expression was always brief, to the point, memorable, and perfect. Alongside the Qur'an, he was the fountainhead of a spiritual awakening and of a great and enduring civilization.

That is why responding to iqra' means wider responsibilities and a greater degree of inner and outer trial and striving for Muslims than for members of other religions. This greater trial is a means of grace and honor, for it enables a richer harmony of more diverse virtues in each Muslim and in the community.

Recent scientific discoveries have clarified certain Qur'anic verses. Such advances in knowledge occur successively, as the universe proceeds upon its decreed course and in the measure of understanding appointed for us. We must acknowledge and praise the efforts and achievements of researchers and scientists, but they should not lead us to ingratitude and insolence (the roots of unbelief). Rather, we should reaffirm our dependence upon the Creator for guidance both in our quest for and application of knowledge. We must not idolize ourselves, lest we be forsaken and left with the human will to power as the only judge in our affairs.

Should that happen, scientific research and achievement will remain with those who seek to use them for their own temporary advantage. Science will become a weapon against religion, a helpless servant of selfish and generally atheistic and materialistic ideologies. The end result might be an irretrievable degradation in the quality of individual and community life. We can see all around us that applying new technologies is making more and more people increasingly impatient, arrogant, irresponsible, and hard-hearted. Some even claim that they are answerable only to themselves, as if they were self-created! And yet their lives remain full of unhappiness, stress, anxiety, unsatisfied needs, and the delusion that they are free.

The sheer pace of the current scientific advance has turned human societies and individuals into laboratory experiments with no sure knowledge of the consequences or final outcome. To counteract this, we must see that the Divine command of iqra' is reunited with contemplation, that we relearn how to "read" consciously so that we can acquire true understanding and wisdom.

If we can do this, we will begin to deliver science from the futility and dry formalism in which it is bound, and help to clarify its philosophical foundations and social and moral relevance. We also will be able to indicate the true range of human perception, intellect, and intuition, and make people aware of their proper balance and use. Then, those who consciously study creation will read its signs with a religious seriousness and humility, and will acquire knowledge that is civilizing and beneficial for humanity.

That we are meant to read in this way and for this purpose is beyond doubt. The first thing created was the Pen, and the first word of the Revelation was iqra'. But to read in such a way requires that our inner and outer faculties be alert and harmoniously directed to the phenomena. Any defect in our inner faculties impacts the proper functioning of the others.

When referring to a malaise of the spirit, the Qur'an speaks of blindness, deafness, and dumbness. The Creator's signs are first "read" with the eyes. The first sounds of Revelation are "heard" with the ears, which then channels them to the understanding. All that is seen and heard is expounded, interpreted, and communicated by the tongue, so that understanding can be deepened.