Prof. Dr. Nasoha Saabin

Kibir is a disease of the heart. Diseases of the heart are not shown by the speeches that one utter but are shown by the actions of a person. When a person said that he was the first Malay to graduate as an optometrist, he was telling a truth and it is not a sign that there is Kibir in his heart or he is arrogant. If a person says that he is a great man that statement is wrong and should not be uttered by any man except Allah. Only Allah can says that I am great because the truth is no one is great except Allah. When a person says that he is great, he is telling lies as no one is great except Allah. When Allah is telling us that He is great, Allah is telling the truth as no one is great except Allah. When a person lies, he sins and the more a person lies the more sins that person will have. The more sins a person has the more unhappiness the person will have and the more stress his soul will encounter. Stress is the result of having sins. When a person who actually was not the first person to become an optometrists in Malaysia told others that he is the first person to become an optometrists in Malaysia, he is telling a lie and he is sinful but it is not the sign that he has Kibir or he is arrogant.

In the Qur’an Allah has cursed the Jews not because they are Jewish but because of the bad actions of the Jews. Allah cursed Firaun (Pharaoh) the kings of ancient Egypt, not because they were Firaun but because of their bad actions. Allah has no relationship with any men or race but with their actions. It is wrong and absurd to believe when Allah has cursed the Jews then the Muslims should do the same. Allah has not cursed the Jews because they are Jewish but their bad actions that happened during the particular time as stated in the Qur’an.

We have to be with Jemaah Muhammad saw and only with this jemaah we will achieve salvation. In order to attain the love of Allah, we have to be part of the Jemaah Muhammad saw. Nowadays there are many jemaah or groups of Muslims in this world. All of them claim to belong to Jemaah of Prophet Muhammad saw. Prophet Muhammad saw said with approximate meaning “my umat will be divided into 73 jemaah (or groups) but only one group or jemaah is following the true path. When the companions of Prophet Muhammad saw asked Prophet Muhammad saw which group or jemaah is following the true path? Prophet Muhammad saw answered with the approximate meaning, the jemaah or group that follows me and my companions”. Whoever follows the companions of Prophet Muhammad saw will also follows Prophet Muhammad saw and so the jemaah or group which follows the true path is the jemaah or group that follows Muhammad saw and his companions. Crowd of peoples will not make a jemaah or a group unless there is a leader or ‘Amer’. The Amer of Jemaah Muhammad saw and his companions is Prophet Muhammad saw himself and after the demise of Prophet Muhammad saw the Amer of Jemaah Muhammad saw and his companions should be the disciples of Prophet Muhammad saw or the ‘Naib’ of Prophet Muhammad saw. Naib or disciples of Prophet Muhammad is not a Prophet but has the same mission, vision and work like Prophet Muhammad saw. What is the work of Prophet Muhammad saw? The work of Prophet Muhammad saw is to call people towards Allah with full conviction, determination and perseverance.

Islam means peace and anyone who embraces the true teaching of Islam will have peace. Any country which embraces the true Islamic system of governance will certainly have peace in the country. Similarly in those countries that embrace the true Islamic system of wealth distribution will have peace between the rich and the poor. Islam means peace and if the system claims to be Islamic yet the outcomes of the system is not peace, then it is not an Islamic system. In order to have peace, the system must be compatible to human nature and must perpetuate peace and justice. Almost all men love wealth and money. Men love money and wealth because they believe with money and wealth they can have happiness in this world. Except for those who are real believers, most men want wealth more than Allah. Real believers want Allah more than material wealth and they values good actions more than they values wealth. Muslims who have becomes believers want Allah to love them, more than they want men to love them. In order to gains the love of Allah the path to be followed is the path of good actions. Believers value good actions more than they values money and wealth. When a country has more believers than Muslims, good actions will prevail in the country and the result of good actions is the showering of Allah’s blessing to the country. With blessing from Almighty Allah, the country will not have calamities that will retard economical and social growth and among the peoples, there will be peace and harmony. Majority of Muslims have not becomes believers yet mukmin ‘orang beriman’ but have only entered Islam or in Malay we called as orang Islam. Although Islamic systems can work even among ‘orang Islam’ but it works tremendously well when Muslims have become believers.

In Islam the best should becomes the leader of the Muslims. Similarly like in solat the best Muslim should becomes the imam. In the whole world, Muslims should behave like one body and there should be one leader for the Muslims in the whole world. The best Muslim among the Muslims in the whole world should become the leader of the Muslims. The Muslims in the whole world does not act like one body, as they are mainly Muslims by name. Even the Muslims of the same race and culture in one country are not united. As many Muslims countries practice democracy, those that can harness popularity among Muslims will become the leader of that country while they are not necessary the best Muslims in the country.

Money is not evil but the love of money is evil. We can have a lot of money and yet we do not love money or we may not have any money but we love money. Love of money is evil as money is not to be love. The one we should love is the One who gives benefit to money. Money in itself cannot bring benefit unless Allah permits. The One that give harm or benefit is only Allah. Allah is the One that create and the One that destroy. Allah is the One that gives benefit and the One that give harm. Money cannot give benefit and having no money cannot give harm unless Allah permits. Allah has ordered us to work in order to earn money. We work because it is the order of Allah and our intention of working is to please Allah. Whenever we obey the commandments of Allah, our intention should be to please Allah. Working is the order of Allah and the intention of working is to please Allah. Whenever we have any needs, Allah ordered us to work in order to have our needs fulfilled. We have needs and so we have to work. Why do we work? The answer should be we work because it is the order of Allah and our intention of working is to please Allah. We should not say that we work because we want to fulfill our needs. Our work cannot fulfill our needs, as works are the creations of Allah. The One that fulfill our needs is Allah and Allah does not need our work in order to fulfill our need. Allah is most powerful and we cannot associate Allah with the creations. Allah is alone and Allah has not associates. Allah has ordered us to work in order to test us. Allah does not need our work, to fulfill our needs. We must not say that I must work in order for my needs fulfill and we must not say that in case I do not work who can fulfill all my needs.

How to deal with evils activities such as prostitution, gambling, alcoholism, drug addiction and so on in an Islamic country? What are the guidelines? How to eradicate these evils activities? Some Muslims are in the opinion that no evils activities should exist in Muslims countries. They are in the opinion that all evil activities are to be banned completely and immediately in Muslim countries. When those Muslims are in power, they will decree orders to close immediately all premises, which operate evils activities and will withdraw all licenses or permits, which allow such premises to operate. When they are in power, according to these Muslims, these are the only methods to be used to prevent evils. Is it true what they have done is the correct way to prevent evils with power? Is it true what they have done was also done by our Prophet Muhammad saw? One classical example to demonstrate on how these Muslims are eradicating evils practices with power, are shown by the actions of Taliban. Everyone knows who the Taliban are and what they did when they were in power in Afghanistan. Taliban believe many evils actions eminate or come from women and to them, women are the sources of many evils. According to Taliban, when women are allowed to go out and work, evils practices will increase. In order to prevent evils practices, women in Afghanistan were not allowed to work. Similarly according to the Taliban when women are allowed to go out of their homes without wearing purdah, women will seduce men into evil actions and in order to prevent evils, during the time of the Taliban, women in Afghanistan, when they were outside their homes were made compulsory to wear purdah with their faces completely covered. Taliban does not allow their girls and women to go to schools, colleges or universities and become educated as, to the Taliban educated women will be able to work outside their homes and to them, working women are the sources of many evils.

Islam is the way of life shown by Prophet Muhammad saw to the whole mankind. Prophet Muhammad saw is the messenger of Allah and Allah is using him as a mean to show to the whole mankind on how to live correctly so that the whole mankind will gain success and happiness in this life and hereafter. There is only one way towards Allah and that one way is the way shown by the Prophet Muhammad saw. Many people say that there are many ways towards Allah as there are many ways to Kuala Lumpur. There are many ways or roads towards Kuala Lumpur but there is only one way towards Allah. Kuala Lumpur is a city and the roads toward Kuala Lumpur are made by men. On the other hand, Allah is the creator of the entire universe and the way to reach Allah is not via the material creations of Allah but via the amals or actions of Prophet Muhammad saw. Allah does not love the material creations but Allah loves the good actions. Good actions are the actions of Prophet Muhammad saw. Allah hates the worldly thing and whatever in it, but Allah loves good actions. We cannot attain the love of Allah by having abundant wealth of this worldly thing but we can attain the love of Allah by having abundant wealth of good amals or actions. The ways to reach Allah cannot be compared with the ways or roads to reach Kuala Lumpur. There is only one way to reach Allah and that way is the way that has been followed by Prophet Muhammad saw and his companions. It has been said by our Prophet Muhammad saw with approximate meaning, ‘my umat is divided into 73 groups and only one group is on the correct path and when the Prophet was asked by his companion, who are in the group that is on the correct path?, the Prophet saw answered, the one who follow my ways and the ways of my companions. There is only one straight path to reach Allah and the incorrect paths or ways will never ever make a person to reach Allah. There is only one straight path that will lead a person to reach Allah.

Great decision is only made by great people. It is difficult to make decision as every decision will certainly have its own consequences which can either be good or bad. When the consequences of the decision are not certain then to make decision will becomes even more difficult. In order to be able to make the correct decision then one has to have knowledge and guidance from the Almighty Allah. In the absence of guidance one may make wrong decision as having only knowledge is not sufficient enough to enable a person to make the correct decision. Many people may have knowledge but few people have guidance from the Almighty Allah. Those who have been given knowledge and guidance by the Almighty Lord will certainly be able to make correct decision at all time.

In 2004, Aceh which is located in the northern most part of Indonesia was struck with an earthquake and tsunami. At that time the word tsunami was rather strange to many people and many did not know what the meaning of tsunami is. Tsunami is a Japanese word to describe the disastrous effect of great sea waves that strike the mainland with great speed, taking away with it everything that come across its way. Tsunami is created as a result of an earthquake that occurs at the bottom of the seabed. When an earthquake occurs at the bottom of the seabed, it causes the titanic layers of the seabed to slide, creating water waves that moves at great height and speed towards the mainland. The world has witnessed the disastrous effect of the tsunami in Aceh, where nearly half a million peoples died. During the tsunami in Aceh, over a distance of six kilometres from the sea, the tsunami wipes out almost everything on its ways. Now an earthquake and a tsunami struck northern eastern coast of Japan and as in Aceh, thousands of people died within minutes and buildings smashed to pieces by the gigantic water waves. The tsunami was created because of an earthquake that occurs at the bottom of the seabed close to Japan. The world is in sorrow and many condolences are being sent by many world leaders to the prime minister and the peoples of Japan. In Japan, energy supply is cut and the nation is not only facing energy crisis but also the possibility of the nuclear plants eruption and emitting radiation due to overheating of the reactors because of no energy supply and also the failure of air-conditioning system for the reactor. Those who survived mourned over the death of their loves ones and cried over the loss of their properties. All the victims of the tsunami, were taken by surprised and no one of them who have died ever think that they will died and lost all their belonging in matters of minutes. Everything seems to happen so fast and without warning and no one is able to do anything to stop the earthquake and the tsunami. Even the most modern and highly technological nation like Japan is unable to do anything when an earthquake and tsunami struck the country.
Can we stop tsunami and earthquake from inflicting sorrow and losses to humanity? Is it true men do not have the power to stop natural disasters? Why earthquakes and tsunami happen only to Japan and Aceh and not to any other countries? Why countries like Indonesia is inflicted with so many natural disaster. Why countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan often have wars and aggression. Since independence, Pakistanis has never had moment of peace in their country. Why natural disasters happen to mankind? Can we have a world without natural disaster? Is disaster really natural act? Can disaster occur without reason? It is true that a natural disaster can happen anytime and without any reason to anyone and to any country. Can we accept the fact that disaster comes as it likes, with no one is in control of it? In fact, even when a person is hit by a rod, there is someone who is doing the action. The rod will not hit the person without someone is in control of the rod? Natural disaster is not at all natural. Disaster is like the rod and the one in control of the disaster or the rod is the Creator and the Sustainer of the whole universe and mankind. We try to ignore the power of the Creator who is in control of the whole universe. When the Creator is not pleased with the creations, the Creator will surely send a disaster or calamity to eliminate His creations. He is the Creator and He is the Destroyer. The Creator and the Destroyer is not visible to us but He is there, watching and observing every action of His creations. We cannot see the electrical current but the electrical current is indeed in the wire, therefore when we switch on the electrical current the light bulbs emit light. When the light bulbs emit light, we know that there is an electrical current, although we do not see the electrical current. Similarly, when there are calamities, we know that there is someone who controls this world. When He is not pleased with His most beloved creations the men, whom He has created to adore and to worship Him, yet fail to recognize even His existence and sovereignty, He send calamities or disasters to men. When the Creator of men is not pleased with men, He will initially send a minor calamity in order to awaken men of His presence and power. There is no power except His power. He has given power to His creations like the earth and the sea and surely He can use the power given to His creations to punish or to bless men. Earthquake and tsunami are power given by Him to the earth and the sea in order to destroy His creations when men disobeying His order. Why He destroy His own creations that He loves? What makes the Creator to become so displease to the extent that He is willing to destroy His own beloved creations?
Allah has created mankind with a purpose. None of us will ever do anything without a purpose. Allah created men so that men recognize the greatness of Allah and obey the orders of Allah. When men recognize and obey the orders of Allah, men will become successful and live with happiness in this world and hereafter and when men disobeyed the orders of Allah, men will become unsuccessful and live with unhappiness in this world and hereafter. When men do not recognize the greatness of Allah and His orders, men has ignored the purpose upon which, Allah has created men. When men are not living to the purpose of their creations, Allah initially reminded them by sending a messenger or small calamities and when men continue to ignore the reminder then Allah will destroyed them by sending them major calamities or disasters which nowadays many people recognize it as natural disaster. When we take it as natural disaster then we are not taking any actions to correct ourselves. Although Allah has reminded us with the disaster or calamities but we are not repenting over our bad actions and we continue to disobey Him and not to recognize His present and power. Earthquake and tsunami in Japan is a reminder from Allah to the peoples of Japan and the whole world that Allah is there watching His creations and the earthquakes and the tsunami are to remind His creation that there is no one that can solve men’s problems except Allah. Allah is reminding His creation that there is no God except Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah and if men follow Muhammad, men are obeying Allah and Allah will solve all men’s problems. Allah is reminding the peoples of Japan and the whole world, to believe in Allah as Allah alone can give them success and solve all their problems.

Our technology and all that we have invented cannot gives us benefit except with the permission of Allah. When Allah is not pleased with us, Allah will make our technology and all that we have invented to become harmful to us instead. The nuclear reactor, instead of giving us benefit Allah can turn it to become harmful to us. It is not because Japan lies along the volcanic belt, that makes Japan always prone to the occurrence of earthquake but it is because of the wrong actions of the Japanese peoples. Earthquake and tsunami will never happen except with the permission of Allah and Allah will not make earthquake and tsunami to happen, except to those who have ignored the presence of Allah and His orders.
What we mean when we say it is a natural disaster? Can disaster occur naturally or occurs without any reasons? A person with a sound mind will never be able to accept the fact that disaster can occur anytime and without any reasons. Everything that happens in this world does not happen naturally but happens with reasons. There is someone that makes something to happen and there is someone that makes disaster to happen in this world. The one that makes disaster to happen is the Almighty Allah. Almighty Allah does not make disasters to happen except with reasons. The reasons Allah gives disaster to mankind are due to the bad actions of mankind. When we develop a country, taking account only of its infrastructure developments but not the developments of human behaviours, we will finally end up with calamities or disasters sent down to our country by the Almighty Allah. Many civilizations in the past are destroyed by calamities sent down by Allah. Many great civilizations did not last because of the bad actions of the peoples. Our success lies in our actions and our actions depend on the belief that we have in our heart. When we have a correct belief in our heart, then only we will have correct actions. Allah has given us the Kalimah, I bear witness that there is no God except Allah, and I bear witness Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. All mankind should accept and recite this Kalimah and ask those who have not recited the Kalimah to recite the Kalimah and to remind repeatedly to those who have recited the Kalimah about the meaning of the Kalimah. When the Kalimah has entered into our heart, a correct belief will be in our heart. When there is a correct belief in our heart, the heart is said to be a good heart. A good heart will leads to good and correct actions. When men have a good heart and good actions, Allah will be pleased with men and Allah will shower upon men His blessing. When Allah is pleased with men there will be no more disaster and calamities which we now call as natural disaster in this world. Allah will make the oceans, mountains and everything in this world to become beneficial to men and Allah will order everything in this world to serve me. When the actions of men are good, the world would not only become a better place to live for men but also for the animals and other creations of Allah.
Disaster and calamities does not come naturally. Disasters and calamities come with reasons and Allah has given us the power to stop disaster and calamities from coming to mankind. Wars, famines, floods, earthquakes, and tsunami are all disasters or calamities sent by Allah to mankind because of men’s wrong actions. We can prevent disaster and calamities from coming to this world by correcting our belief and actions. What men have to do in order to prevent calamities and disasters from coming to this world? To begin with, all men who have not recited the Kalimah should recite the Kalimah which is, I bear witness there is no God except Allah and I bear witness Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. After reciting the Kalimah, he or she should be asked to convey this Kalimah to all other peoples who have not recited the Kalimah in this world and to ask them to recite the Kalimah. Everyone who has recited the Kalimah should ask others in the whole worlds who have not recited the Kalimah to do so. The process should continue in this way until the whole mankind has recited the Kalimah. In case all of us have decided to do this, Allah the Almighty has promised to save us from ninety-nine calamities or disasters and the last or the ninety-nine calamities is we will be saved from the unhappiness in this world and in the life hereafter. Japan and the Japanese peoples will be only saved from all calamities and disasters if they do what has been suggested above and the whole mankind and the whole world will also be saved from all disasters and calamities if they also do what has been suggested in this article. No one can solve our problems except our Creator and the above suggestion can easily be practice by those who have humility in their heart. Those who are arrogant will only regard this invitation as only a joke.
Prof Dr Nasoha Saabin
April 2011
Integrative Holistic Wellness Centre