VALENTINE'S DAY ???

Valentine’s day in Islamic perspective


The Islamic stance on celebrating Valentine Day, Dr. Su`ad Ibrahim Salih, Elaborating professor of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) at Al-Azhar University, says;
“Indeed, Islam is the religion of altruism, true love, and cooperation on that which is good and righteous. We implore Allah Almighty to gather us together under the umbrella of His All-encompassing Mercy, and to unite us together as one man. Allah Almighty says: (The believers are naught else than brothers. Therefore make peace between your brethren and observe your duty to Allah that haply ye may obtain mercy.) (Al-Hujurat 49: 10)
I can say that there are forms of expressing love that are religiously acceptable, while there are others that are not religiously acceptable. Among the forms of acceptable love are those that include the love for Prophets and Messengers. It stands to reason that the love for Allah, and His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) should have the top priority over all other forms of love.
Islam does also recognize happy occasions that bring people closer to one another, and add spice to their lives. However, Islam goes against blindly imitating the West regarding a special occasion such as Valentine's Day.
Hence, commemorating that special day known as the Valentine's Day is an innovation or bid`ah that has no religious backing. Every innovation of that kind is rejected, as far as Islam is concerned. Islam requires all Muslims to love one another all over the whole year, and reducing the whole year to a single day is totally rejected.
We Muslims ought not to follow in the footsteps of such innovations and superstitions that are common in what is known as the Valentine's Day. No doubt that there are many irreligious practices that occur on that day, and those practices are capable of dissuading people from the true meanings of love and altruism to the extent that the celebration is reduced to a moral decline





HAPPY 'IED FITHRI MUBARAK




Ramadhan, tak terasa dikau kan segera berlalu
Pergi selama 11 bulan meninggalkan kami
Entah kami kan dapat bertemu kau lagi atau tidak
Tapi kami harap kita kan tetap bertemu, kelak
Ku rasa berat kehilangan dikau
Karena indahmu selalu memukau
Setiap jiwa hamba Ar-Rahman
Pengharap barokah dan ampunan
Semoga amal dan segala pengabdian
Tak sia-sia dan terbang menghilang
Semoga terbalas beribu kebaikan
Dari Ar-Rahman, Yang Maha Penyayang

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Ramadhan hampir habis. Syawwal kan segera tiba. Saatnya berbenah, koreksi amaliah Ramadhan kita; sudah baikkah, sudah meningkatkah, atau bagaimana? Segera perbaiki, di hari-hari terakhir bulan ini. Semoga kita dapat mengakhiri Ramadhan kali ini dengan segudang prestasi. Amiin.



DEFINISI DAN MAKNA HARI RAYA (IED)

26 September 08 oleh Abu Umar

Oleh: Syaikh Ali bin Hasan Al-Halabi dan Syaikh Salim Al Hilali

Hari Raya ialah semua hari yang didalamnya terdapat sekumpulan orang. Adapun kata al ‘Id merupakan pecahan kata dari : ‘aada ya’uudu, yang memiliki arti : “seakan-akan mereka kembali kepadanya”. Dan ada yang mengatakan, bahwa pecahan katanya dari : al ‘aadah, yang artinya : “karena mereka membiasakannya.” Dan bentuk jamaknya : a’yaad.

Dikatakan : ‘ayyadal muslimun, artinya : “mereka menghadiri hari raya mereka.”

Ibnu A’rabi berkata,”Dikatakan al-‘Id itu, ‘Id (hari raya) karena kegiatan itu berulang setiap tahunnya dengan kegembiraan yang baru.” (Lisanul ‘Arab 3/319)

Berkata ‘al Allamah Ibnu ‘Abidin, “Dinamakannya ‘Id (hari raya) itu, karena pada diri Allah Ta’ala memiliki berbagai macam kebaikan atau aneka ragam kebaikan yang kembali kepada hamba-hambaNya di setiap harinya. Diantaranya : berbuka setelah dicegah dari makan, sedekah/zakat fitrah, menyempurnakan ibadah haji dengan Thawaf, ziarah, daging sembelihan dan yang lainnya, karena kebiasaan yang ada didalamnya terdapat keceriaan dan kegembiraan serta semangat. (1)

Footnote :
(1). Kegembiraan dan kenikmatan. Lihat Hasyiyah Ibnu ‘Abidin (2/165), ketahuilah wahai saudaraku sesama muslim – semoga ALLAH memberi taufik kepadaku dan kepadamu untuk selalu mentaatiNya – bahwa perayaan hari Raya yang disyariatkan Allah untuk hambaNya merupakan perkara yang telah diketahui/maklum dan ini adalah topik kitab yang ada di hadapan anda. Adapun di jaman ini, sesungguhnya perayaan yang diadakan hampir tidak dapat dibatasi jumlah di setiap negeri Islam, lebih-lebih selainnya. Sehingga anda akan jumpai perayaan itu diadakan untuk qubbah (bangunan yang dibangun di atas kuburan berbentuk kubah masjid – pent) dan kuburan, serta individu tertentu dan negeri serta selain itu yang merupakan perayaan yang tidak disyariatkan oleh Allah Subhanahu wata’ala. Sehingga dijumpai pula di sebagian kaum muslimin yang berada di negeri India mereka mempunyai 144 hari raya setiap tahunnya. Lihat A’yaadul Islam.

(Dinukil dari Ahkaamu Al’ Iidaini Fii Al-Sunnah Al-Muthahharah, Syaikh Ali bin Hasan bin Ali Abdul Hamid Al-Halabi Al-Atsari dan Syaikh Salim Al Hilali, edisi Tuntunan Ibadah Ramadhan dan Hari Raya, terbitan Maktabah Salafy Press, penerjemah ustadz Hannan Husein Bahannan)


KEMUNGKARAN KEMUNGKARAN YANG SERING TERJADI DI HARI RAYA

26 September 08 oleh Abu Umar

Oleh: Syaikh Ali bin Hasan Al-Halabi dan Syaikh Salim Al Hilali

Ketahuilah wahai saudaraku muslim -semoga Allah memberi taufik kepadaku dan kepadamu- sesungguhnya kebahagiaan yang ada pada hari-hari raya kadang- kadang membuat manusia lupa atau sengaja melupakan perkara-perkara agama mereka dan hukum-hukum yang ada dalam Islam. Sehingga engkau melihat mereka banyak berbuat kemaksiatan dan kemungkaran-kemungkaran dalam keadaan mereka menyangka bahwa mereka telah berbuat sebaik-baiknya !! Semua inilah yang mendorongku untuk menambahkan pembahasan yang bermanfaat ini dalam tulisanku, agar menjadi peringatan bagi kaum muslimin dari perkara yang mereka lupakan dan mengingatkan mereka atas apa yang mereka telah lalai darinya (Kemungkinan-kemungkinan yang disebutkan secara umum dilakukan pada waktu hari raya ataupun di luar hari raya, akan tetapi kemungkaran itu lebih besar dan bertambah dilakukan pada hari-hari raya].

Diantara kemungkaran itu adalah :

Pertama : Berhias dengan mencukur jenggot
Perkara ini banyak dilakukan manusia. Padahal mencukur jenggot merupakan perbuatan yang diharamkan dalam agama Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala sebagaimana ditunjukkan dalam hadits-hadits yang shahih yang berisi perintah untuk memanjangkan jenggot agar tidak tasyabbuh (menyerupai) orang-orang kafir yang kita diperintah untuk menyelisihi mereka. Selain berkaitan dengan hal itu, memanjangkan jenggot termasuk fithrah (bagi laki-laki) yang tidak boleh kita rubah. Dalil-dalil tentang keharaman mencukur jenggot terdapat dalam kitab-kitab Imam Madzhab yang empat yang telah dikenal [Lihat Fathul Bari 10/351, Al-Ikhtiyar Al- Ilmiyah 6, Al-Muhalla 2/220, Ghidza'ul Albab 1/376 dan selainnya. Al-Akh Syaikh Muhammad bin Ismail telah meneliti dalam kitabnya "Adillah Tahrim Halqil Lihyah" hadits-hadits yang ada dalam masalah ini, kemudian ia kemenyebutkan penjelasan ulama tentangnya, dan juga nukilan-nukilan dari kitab-kitab madzhab yang jadi sandaran. Lihatlah kitab yang berharga itu. dan lihat juga "Majallah Al-Azhar" 7/328. Aku telah menulis risalah berjudul "Hukum Ad-Dien Fil Lihyah wat tadkhin" - Alhamdulillah- Kitab itu telah dicetak beberapa kali.] Hendaklah hal itu diketahui.

Kedua : Berjabat tangan dengan wanita yang bukan mahramnya

Ini merupakan bencana yang banyak menimpa kaum muslimin, tidak ada yang selamat darinya kecuali orang yang dirahmati Allah. Perbuatan ini haram berdasarkan sabda Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, “ Seseorang ditusukkan jarum besi pada kepalanya adalah lebih baik baginya daripada menyentuh wanita yang tidak halal baginya” [Hadits Shahih, Lihat takhrijnya secara panjang lebar dalam "Juz'u Ittiba' is Sunnah No. 15 oleh Adl-Dliya Al-Maqdisi -dengan tahqiqku. Diriwayatkan ar Rauyaani dalam musnadnya 227/2 dari Ma’qil bin Yasaar dan sanadnya jayyid lihat Silsilah Ahadits ash Shohihah karya Al Albani no 226]

Keharaman perbuatan ini diterangkan juga dalam kitab-kitab empat Imam Madzhab yang terkenal [Lihat 'Syarhu An Nawawi ala Muslim 13/10, Hasyiyah Ibnu Abidin 5/235, Aridlah Al-Ahwadzi 7/95 dan Adlwau; Bayan 6/603]

Ketiga : Tasyabbuh (meniru) orang-orang kafir dan orang-orang barat dalam berpakaian dan mendengarkan alat-lat musik serta perbuatan mungkar lainnya.

Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam telah bersabda, “ Siapa yang menyerupai suatu kaum maka ia termasuk golongan mereka” [Hadits ini dikeluarkan oleh Ahmad 2/50 dan 92 dari Ibnu Umar dan isnadnya Hasan. Diriwayatkan oleh Ath-Thahawi dalam Musykil Al Atsar 1/88 dari Hassan bin Athiyah, Abu Nu'aim dalam Akhbar Ashbahan 1/129 dari Anas, meskipun ada pembicaraan padanya, tetapi dengan jalan-jalan tadi, hadits ini derajatnya Shahih, insya Allah]

Beliau Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam juga bersabda, “ Benar-benar akan ada pada umatku beberapa kaum yang mereka menghalalkan zina, sutera (bagi laki-laki ,- pent), khamr dan alat-alat musik. Dan benar-benar akan turun beberapa kaum menuju kaki gunung untuk melepaskan gembalaan mereka sambil beristirahat, kemudian mereka didatangi seorang fasik untuk suatu keperluan. Kemudian mereka berkata : ‘Kembalilah kepada kami besok!’ Lalu Allah membinasakan dan menimpakan gunung itu pada mereka dan sebagian mereka dirubah oleh Allah menjadi kera-kera dan babi-babi hingga hari kiamat” [Hadits Riwayat Bukhari 5590 secara muallaq dan bersambung menurut Abu Daud 4039, Al-Baihaqi 10/221 dan selainnya. berkata Al-Hafidzh dalam Hadyu As-Sari 59 : Al-Hasan bin Sufyan menyambungnya dalam Musnadnya, dan Al-Isma'ili, Ath-Thabrani dalam Al-Kabir. Abu Nua'im dari empat jalan, dan Ibnu Hibban dalam Shahihnya dan selain mereka. Aku katakan : Dalam hadits ini ada lafadh-lafadh yang asing, aku akan menjelaskannya dengan berurutan. Sabdanya, al Hira ialah al Faraj (kemaluan), maksudnya perzinaan. AL Ma’azif, Ibnu Atsir dalam an Nihayah 3/230 menjelaskan al Azf bermakna memainkan alat musik, yaitu rebana dan selainnya yang dipukul. Berkata adz Dzahabi (at Tadzkirah 4/1337) : Al Maazif ialah nama untuk semua yang dibunyikan seperti gendang dan lain-lain dari peralatan musik. Lihat Ta’liq yang sebelumnya. Sabdanya, ‘alamun ialah puncak gunung. Sabdanya Bisaarihatin, ialah hewan ternak yang keluar pada pagii hari ke pemiliknya. Fayubayituhum, yaitu dibinasakan. Yadah’ul Alam : menghancurkan mereka. Lihat Tahtim an Nard wasy Syathranji wal Malaahi, oleh al Ajurri (292-299), penting !!!]

Keempat : Masuk dan becengkerama dengan wanita-wanita yang bukan mahram.

Hal ini dilarang oleh Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam dengan sabda beliau, “ Hati- hatilah kalian masuk untuk menemui para wanita”. Maka berkata salah seorang pria Anshar : “Wahai Rasulullah, bagaimana pendapatmu tentang Al-Hamwu” Beliau berkata : “Al-Hamwu adalah maut” [Hadits Riwayat Bukhari 5232, Muslim 2172 dari 'Uqbah bin Amir].

Al- Allamah Az-Zamakhsyari berkata dalam menerangkan “Al-Hamwu”. “Al-Hamwu? bentuk jamaknya adalah Ahmaa’ adalah kerabat dekat suami seperti ayah[Dia dikecualikan berdasarkan nash Al-Qur'anul Karim, lihat "Al-Mughni" 6/570], saudara laki-laki, pamannya dan selain mereka… Dan sabda beliau : “Al-Hamwu adalah maut” maknanya ia dikelilingi oleh kejelekan dan kerusakan yang telah mencapai puncaknya sehingga Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam menyerupakannya dengan maut, karena hal itu merupakan sumber segala bencana dan kebinasaan. Yang demikian karena Al-Hamwu lebih berbahaya daripada orang lain yang tidak dikenal. Sebab kerabat dekat yang bukan mahram terkadang tidak ada kekhawatiran atasnya atau merasa aman terhadap mereka, lain halnya dengan orang yang bukan kerabat. Dan bisa jadi pernyataan “Al-Hamwu adalah mau” merupakan do’a kejelekan, yaitu seakan-akan kematian itu darinya, kedudukannya seperti ipar yang masuk menemuinya, jika ia meridhainya dengan itu” ["Al-Faiq fi Gharibil Hadits" 9 1/318, Lihat "An-Nihayah 1/448, Gharibul Hadits 3/351 dan Syarhus Sunnah 9/26,27]

Kelima : Wanita-wanita yang bertabarruj (berdandan memamerkan kecantikan) kemudian keluar ke pasar-pasar atau tempat lainnya.

Ini merupakan perbuatan yang diharamkan dalam syari’at Allah. Allah Ta’ala berfirman, “ Hendaklah mereka wanita-wanita) tinggal di rumah-rumah mereka dan jangan bertabarruj ala jahiliyah dulu dan hendaklah mereka mendirikan shalat dan menunaikan zakat” [Al-Ahzab : 33]

Nabi Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, “ Dua golongan manusia termasuk penduduk neraka yang belum pernah aku melihatnya : …….. dan wanita-wanita yang berpakaian tetapi telanjang, berlenggak-lenggok[Menyimpang dari taat kepada Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala dan keharusan mereka untuk menjaga kemaluan, "An- Nihayah" 4/382], kepala-kepala mereka bagaikan punuk-punuk unta[Berkata Al- Qadli 'Iyadh dalam Masyariqul Anwar 1/79 : Al-Bukht adalah unta yang gemuk yang memiliki dua punuk. Maknanya -wallahu a'lam- wanita-wanita itu menggelung rambut mereka hingga kelihatan besar dan tidak menundukkan pandangan mata mereka.]. Mereka tidak akan masuk surga dan tidak akan mendapatkan bau surga. Padahal bau suurga dapat tercium dari perjalanan sekian dan sekian” [Hadits ini dikeluarkan oleh Muslim dalam "Shahihnya" 2128, 2856 dan 52, Ahmad 2/223 dan 236 dari Abu Hurairah]

Keenam : Mengkhususkan ziarah kubur pada hari raya, membagi-bagikan manisan dan makanan di pekuburan, duduk di atas kuburan, bercampur baur antara pria dan wanita, bergurau dan meratapi orang-orang yang telah meninggal, dan kemungkaran-kemungkaran lainnya.[Lihat perincian yang lain tentang bid'ah yang dilakukan di kuburan dalam kitab "Ahkamul Janaiz" 258-267 oleh Syaikh kami Al- Albani Rahimahullah]

Ketujuh : Boros dalam membelanjakan harta yang tidak ada manfaatnya dan tidak ada kebaikan padanya.

Allah berfirman, “ Janganlah kalian berlebih-lebihan. Sesungguhnya Allah tidak menyukai orang-orang yang berlebih-lebihan” [Al-An'am : 141]
(yang artinya) : “ Dan janganlah kamu menghambur-hamburkan (hartamu) secara boros. Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang berbuat boros itu adalah saudaranya syaitan” [Al-Isra : 26-27]

Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, “ Tidak akan berpindah kedua kaki anak Adam pada hari kiamat dari sisi Rabb-nya hingga ditanya tentang … dan hartanya dari mana ia perolah dan ke mana ia infakkan” [Hadits Riwayat Tirmidzi 2416, Al-Khatib dalam Tarikh-nya 12/440 dari Ibnu Mas'ud, padanya ada kelemahan. Akan tetapi ada pendukungnya dari Abi Barzah di sisi Ad-Darimi (1/131), Abu Nua’im dalam al Hulyah (10/232), Ibnu Ad Daibsyi dalam Dzail Tarikh Baghdad 2/163. Dan dari Mu'adz di sisi Al-Khatib 11/441. Maka hadits ini Hasan.]

Kedelapan : Kebanyakan manusia meninggalkan shalat berjama’ah di masjid tanpa alasan syar’i atau mengerjakan shalat Id tetapi tidk shalat lima waktu. Demi Allah, sesungguhnya ini adalah salah satu bencana yang amat besar.

Kesembilan : Berdatangannya sebagian besar orang-orang awam ke kuburan setelah fajar hari raya, mereka meninggalkan shalat Id, dirancukan dengan bid’ah mengkhususkan ziarah kubur pada hari raya. [Al-Madkhal 1/286 oleh Ibnu Hajj, Al- Ibda hal.135 oleh Ali Mahfudh dan Sunnanul Iedain hal.39 oleh Al-Syauqani]

Sebagian mereka meletakkan pada kuburan itu pelepah kurma[Lihat Ahkamul Jazaiz hal. 253, Ma'alimus Sunan 1/27 dan ta'liq Syaikh Ahmad Syakir atas Sunan Tirmidzi 1/103] dan ranting-ranting pohon !!
Semua ini tidak ada asalnya dalam sunnah.

Kesepuluh : Tidak adanya kasih sayang terhadap fakir miskin.
Sehingga anak-anak orang kaya memperlihatkan kebahagiaan dan kegembiraan dengan bebagai jenis makanan yang mereka pamerkan di hadapan orang-orang fakir dan anak-anak mereka tanpa perasaan kasihan atau keinginan untuk membantu dan merasa bertanggung jawab. Padahal Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, “Tidak beriman salah seorang dari kalian hingga ia mencintai untuk saudaranya apa yang dia cintai untuk dirinya” [Hadits Riwayat Bukhari 13 dan Muslim 45, An-Nasa'i 8/115 dan Al-Baghawi 3474 meriwayatkan dengan tambahan ; "dari kebaikan" dan isnadnya Shahih]

Kesebelas : Bid’ah-bid’ah yang dilakukan oleh kebanyakan orang yang dianggap syaikh dengan pengakuan bertaqqarub kepada Allah Ta’ala, padahal tidak ada asalnya sama sekali dalam agama Allah. Bid’ah itu banyak sekali dilakukan muslimin [Lihat beberapa di antaranya dalam kitab A'yadul Islam 58 pasal Bida'ul Iedain]. Aku hanya menyebutkan satu saja di antaranya, yaitu kebanyakan para khatib dan pemberi nasehat menyerukan untuk menghidupkan malam hari Id (dengan ibadah) dalam rangka mendekatkan diri kepada Allah. Tidak hanya sebatas itu yang mereka perbuat, bahkan mereka menyandarkan hadits palsu kepada Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, “Barangsiapa yang menghidupkan malam Idul Fithri dan Idul Adha maka hatinya tidak akan mati pada hari yang semua hati akan mati” [Hadits ini palsu (maudlu'), diterangkan oleh ustazd kami Al-Albani dalam "Silsilah Al-Ahadits Adl- Dlaifah" 520-521]

Maka tidak boleh menyandarkan kepada Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam ucapan tersebut. Dan sebaik-baik petunjuk adalah petunjuk Muhammad Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

(Dinukil dari Ahkaamu Al’ Iidaini Fii Al-Sunnah Al-Muthahharah, Syaikh Ali bin Hasan bin Ali Abdul Hamid Al-Halabi Al-Atsari dan Syaikh Salim Al Hilali, edisi Tuntunan Ibadah Ramadhan dan Hari Raya, terbitan Maktabah Salafy Press, penerjemah ustadz Hannan Husein Bahannan

Wassalam.

wElcOm3 RaMaDhan.....

Assalamu'alaikum..........

RaMAdHaN kaRIEm...., wE mizzzz uuuu.....


Istilah Tarhib Ramadhan sudah menjadi akrab di hati ummat Islam . Setiap tahun menjelang datangnya bulan suci Ramadhan ummat menghadiri kegiatan bernama Tarhib Ramadhan. Kata tarhib berasal dari akar kata yang sama yang membentuk kata Marhaban. Sedangkan marhaban artinya selamat datang atau welcome. Maka Tarhib Ramadhan berarti Selamat Datang Ramadhan atau Welcome Ramadhan.

Seorang muslim perlu membangun sikap positif dalam menyambut kedatangan bulan istimewa Ramadhan. Bahkan berdasarkan sebuah hadits Nabi Muhammad shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam biasanya sejak dua bulan sebelum datang Ramadhan sudah mengajukan doa kepada Allah ta’aala dalam rangka Tarhib Ramadhan atau welcoming Ramadhan.

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَخَلَ رَجَبٌ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبَانَ وَبَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَمَضَانَ

Adalah Nabi Muhammad shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam apabila memasuki bulan Rajab berdoa: “Ya Allah, berkahilah kami di bulan Rajab dan Sya’ban dan berkahilah kami di bulan Ramadhan.” (HR Ahmad 2228)

Rajab, Sya’ban dan Ramadhan merupakan bulan ketujuh, kedelapan dan kesembilan dari sistem kalender Hijriyah Ummat Islam. Hadits di atas seolah mengisyaratkan bahwa Nabi shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam punya kebiasaan menyambut kedatangan Ramadhan bahkan dua bulan sebelum ia tiba. Artinya, Nabi shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam ingin menggambarkan betapa istimewanya Ramadhan sehingga dua bulan sebelumnya sepatutnya seorang Muslim sudah mulai mengkondisikan diri menyambut Ramadhan lewat do’a seperti di atas.
Mengapa Ramadhan dipandang sebagai bulan istimewa? Coba perhatikan beberapa hadits di bawah ini:

حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِذَا جَاءَ رَمَضَانُ فُتِّحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ وَغُلِّقَتْ أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ وَصُفِّدَتِ الشَّيَاطِينُ

Diriwayatkan dari Abu Hurairah radhiyallahu ’anhu katanya:

Rasulullah shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam bersabda: “Apabila tiba bulan Ramadan, dibuka pintu-pintu Syurga dan ditutup pintu-pintu Neraka serta syaitan-syaitan dibelenggu.” (HR Muslim 1793)
Al-Qadhi Iyadh rahimahullah berkata: “Ada kemungkinan yang dimaksud adalah makna yang sebenarnya, dan yang demikian itu merupakan tanda bagi para malaikat akan masuknya bulan Ramadhan, penghormatan terhadapnya serta dicegahnya syetan untuk mengganggu kaum muslimin. Ada pula kemungkinan ini merupakan isyarat akan banyaknya pahala serta pengampunan dan berkurangnya gangguan syetan, sehingga mereka seperti orang-orang yang terbelenggu.”

Al-Qadhi Iyadh rahimahullah melanjutkan bahwa kemungkinan yang dimaksud dengan ”pintu-pintu surga dibuka” adalah ungkapan bentuk-bentuk ketaatan yang Allah ta’aala buka untuk hamba-hambaNya, dan yang demikian itu merupakan sebab-sebab masuknya seseorang ke dalam surga. Sedangkan yang dimaksud dengan ”pintu-pintu nerkaka ditutup” adalah ungkapan akan dipalingkannya keinginan untuk mengerjakan kemaksiatan yang menjerumuskan pelakunya ke dalam neraka. Adapun kalimat ”syetan dibelenggu” merupakan ungkapan ketidakmampuan mereka untuk membuat tipu daya dan menghiasi syahwat.”

Jika demikian, mengapa kita masih melihat kejahatan dan maksiat di bulan Ramadhan? Al-Qurthubi rahimahullah mengatakan: ”…kemaksiatan itu disebabkan oleh sejumlah faktor selain syetan: seperti jiwa yang buruk, kebiasaan tidak baik dan syetan dari jenis manusia.”

Oleh karenanya, seberapa besar kebaikan akan diperoleh seseorang sangat bergantung kepada bagaimana orang itu sendiri menyikapi dan menyambut kedatangan Ramadhan. Bila ia sikapi dan sambut Ramadhan dengan suka cita, insyaAllah Ramadhan akan menjadi pembuka rahmat Allah ta’aala dan pintu surga baginya.

Namun sebaliknya bila ia masih saja tidak peduli dengan kesucian Ramadhan maka jangan harap ia akan bisa memperoleh kebaikan darinya. Sangat mungkin ia malah menjadi orang yang penuh kegusaran di bulan Ramadhan. Sebuah rasa gusar yang menghasilkan penyesalan di saat api neraka sudah terlihat di depan matanya.

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا كَانَ أَوَّلُ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ صُفِّدَتْ الشَّيَاطِينُ وَمَرَدَةُ الْجِنِّ وَغُلِّقَتْ أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ فَلَمْ يُفْتَحْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ وَفُتِّحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ فَلَمْ يُغْلَقْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ وَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ يَا بَاغِيَ الْخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ وَيَا بَاغِيَ الشَّرِّ أَقْصِرْ وَلِلَّهِ عُتَقَاءُ مِنْ النَّارِ وَذَلكَ كُلُّ لَيْلَةٍ

Bersabda Rasulullah shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam: “Bila tiba malam pertama bulan Ramadhan para syaithan dibelenggu, maksudnya jin. Dan pintu-pintu neraka ditutup dan tak satupun yang dibuka dan pintu-pintu surga dibuka dan tak satupun yang ditutup. Lalu ada penyeru yang menyerukan: ”Wahai para pencari kebaikan, sambutlah (songsonglah) dan wahai para pencari kejahatan, tolaklah (hindarilah).” Dan Allah ta’aala memiliki perisai dari api neraka. Dan yang demikian terjadi setiap malam.” (HR Tirmidzi 618)
Saudaraku, marilah kita memohon kepada Allah ta’aala agar memasukkan kita ke dalam golongan para pencari kebaikan di dalam bulan Ramadhan, bahkan sepanjang hayat. Marilah kita berdoa semoga Allah ta’aala jauhkan kita dari masuk ke dalam golongan pencari kejahatan di bulan Ramadhan apalagi seumur hidup. “Ya Allah, berkahilah kami dalam sisa bulan Sya’ban ini dan berkahilah kami di bulan Ramadhan.” Amin, ya Rabb.-

Tautan Perjuangan

“Melalui Iftar Jama’ie Kita Jalin Ukhuwwah TACT”

“Walad..dhooollliiin….”
“Aaamiennnnnnnn………….!”

Di petang yang cerah itu, dengungan suara sekelompok anak cucu adam terdengar membahana memenuhi seluruh sendi kelas EDU yang terletak di hujung kampus biru IIUM, solat maghrib jamaah yang diimami oleh akhi Ridho kali ini tampak khusyu’ dan tenang, lantunan gema wahyu ilahi pun mengalir indah mendayu-dayu dari bibirnya yang bergetar pelan, potongan demi potongan ayat Al-Baqarah itu terdengar rancak dan lirih, namun demikian, bacaannya yang perlahan tetap menimbulkan geletar para makmum untuk sekadar mengakui bahawa mereka juga insane yang selalu berlumur dosa, bahawa mereka adalah makhluk yang dhoif yang naïf, tak syak lagi hanya cucuran karuniaNya lah yang membuat mereka mampu mengecap kesempatan indah ini, dengan menghambakan diri melalui solat fardu dan sunnah yang kerap kita lakukan saban hari. Tapi sungguh ini semua belumlah cukup….,namun bagaimanapun ya Allah, izinkanlah kami menjadikan hamba yang selalu mendirikan tiang din Mu ini, amiiinn..!

“Allahumma j’alnaa muqlima as-sholati…”


Setelah tahiyyat akhir yang diakhiri dengan salam, tampak salah seorang pemuda maju mengambil tempat di depan, pemuda berbaju kemeja lengan pendek berwarna putih yang dilapisi jaket hitam membalut badannya yang tidak terlalu besar,”Yusuf”, begitulah Sdr. Abdul Qadir sang President TACT acap menyapanya. Janggutnya yang tipis tersusun rapi di dagunya yang munggil.

“……saudaraku, ketahuilah bahawa kita adalah orang-orang pilihan Allah, kitalah orang yang telah Allah pilih untuk hadir di sini, kita jugalah orang yang telah Allah beri ladang jihad melalui project TACT ini, maka sangat sayang jika kita masih mensia-siakan amanat ini, kerana tidak ada kesulitan bagi Allah sekadar mencarikan pengganti yang jauh lebih baikdari kita, namun apakah kita tidak rindu untuk menjadikan diri kita orang-orang terbaik itu???, saudaraku, ketahuilah bahawa hanya dengan memenuhi seruanNya lah hidup kita ini menjadi lebih hidup, iaitu untuk kehidupan yang lebih abadi……”

Begitulah kira-kira petikan tazkirah pendek yang disampaikan oleh akhi Yusuf yang juga merupakan salah seorang anggota biro Dakwah TACT yang telah dilantik sebulan yang lalu. Setelah tazkirah pendek yang cukup memecut kesedaran setiap ahli tersebut, mereka pun bersiap-siap untuk melakukan solat fardu isya’ berjemaah ditempat yang sama, terlihat beberapa akhwat sedang membersihkan lantai kelas tersebut agar tampak selesa, kerana tempat itu juga digunakan untuk iftar jama’ie para ahli di awal acara tadi, sehingga terdapat beberapa sisa makanan yang masih bertaburan di tikar tersebut. Dan solat kali sini diimami oleh seorang ahli TACT yang berbaju melayu hijau dengan alunan bacaannya yang sungguh indah dan tertib dan andai bacaan itu didengari di corong-corong masjid, pasti sesiapa pun teruja untuk mengetahui siapakah insan yang bernama akhi Rahman ini.
Setelah selesai melaksanakan solat isya’, acara pun kembali dikendalikan oleh sang MC Bro.Ammat Hidayat, tanpa rasa sejam pun seolah bergerak cepat mengejar malam yang kian larut. Rentetan demi rentetan acara pun dapat dikendalikan dengan lancar oleh MC, mulai dari sessi ta’aruf antara ahli TA dengan main board, dilanjutkan dengan sepatah dua kata dari sang President sampai ke diskusi program jangka pendek yang harus dibincangkanoleh setiap biro yang bersangkutan. Tepat jam 11 malam, akhirnya sampailah ke penghujung agenda iaitu sesi penutup. Setelah membaca do’a kafaratul majlis yang dipimpin oleh Chair person, setiap ahli pun diharuskan melakukan ‘salam semut’ untuk menguatkan tali sillaturrahim sesame ahli. Rasa haru pun mula merangkul erat, itulah para pemuda-pemudi yang tergabung dalam satu wadah yang bernama TACT, para pemuda-pemudi yang sedar betapa hidup di dunia ini hanyalah satu titian menuju ke kehidupan yang sesungguhnya, rakan muda yang sedar, bahwa hidup dikampus ini hanyalah satu episode kecil dari kehidupan yang lebih besar, iaitu hidup di tengah masyarakat plural yang penuh dengan beragam macam typical dan karakter manusia.



“Ya Allah, jadikanlah perkumpulan kami ini perkumpulan yang dirahmati, dan jadikanlah setelahnya sebuah perpisahan yang terjaga…,amiiinnn..!!”




BUREAU INFO & EDITING
12/7/08

Pesanan Imam Al-Ghazali...

Sesungguhnya badan anak adam diibaratkan sebagai jala utk mengusahakan amalan-amalan yang baik.Apabila dia berjaya dalam tugasnya didunianya ini, dan kemudiannya dia mati, maka sudah mencukupi bagi dirinya, tidak memerlukan kepada jala itu lagi, iaitu badan yg dipisahkan oleh kematian. Kematian akan melenyapkan keinginan kepada dunia, apa yang diinginkan adalah amal soleh utk menjadi bekalan dikuburnya.Jika bekalan berada sampingnya, terasalah kekayaannya. Sebaliknya, jika ia tidak mempunyainya, malang baginya dan dia akan meminta untuk kembali di dunia utk mendapatkan balik bekalannya.

Jadi bagi kita yg masih berada didunia ini,perbanyakkanlah amal kita terutamanya kepada sang Pencipta yang telah menjadikan kita cukup sempurna. Oleh itu, sentiasalah melahirkan rasa kesyukuran kita kepadaNya.

Ingatlah bahawa amalan yang sedikit tetapi berterusan adalah lebih bermakna daripada amalan yg banyak tetapi tidak membawa erti keinsafan.

Wassalam..

PEDOMAN BERORGANISASI

Manusia hidup di dunia secara berorganisasi.Organisasi dianggap sebagai wadah untuk kesempurnaan dakwah.Organisasi bukannya matlamat kehidupan, kerana manusia tidak kekal dan organisasi akan ditinggalkan selepas manusia dikembalikan kepada pencipta.

Tradisi berorganisasi dalam Islam mengambil pertimbangan muafakat supaya organisasi pada terbina secara tersusun dan terancang. Selaras dalam firman Allah

“Sesungguhnya Allah sangat menyukai orang yang bekerja [berjuang] dijalan-NYA dalam barisan yang tertib bagaikan bangunan yang tersusun rapi.”

Peringatan Allah ini dianggap sebagai pedoman dalam berorganisasi dengan wujudnya pertimbangan akal, tenaga dan perancangan yang menjadi gerak kerja dalam organisasi. Juga diingatkan bahawa objektif, matlamat sesebuah organisasi itu perlulah dipandu selaras dengan Al-Quran. Dengan itu,organisasi bukan saja membawa kebaikan kepada ahli dan organisasi, malah matlamatnya menyumbang kearah kekuatan bangsa dan umat.

Pengurusan dlm sesebuah organisasi pula harus dilihat sebagai pertama, amanah dari segi perhubungan manusia dgn Allah dan seterusnya membawa pada hubungan manusia sesama manusia. Jika hubungan manusia dgn Allah mantap, hubungan sesama manusia juga akn mantap sebaliknya,jika hubungan manusia longgar ,struktur dan susunan organisasi juga akn longgar.

Marilah sama-sama kita renungkan apakah tujuan sebenar kita dalam berorganisasi ini. Adakah sekadar untuk mengisi masa yang terluang ataupun sebagai satu amanah yang dipertanggungjawabkan keatas kita.

Wassalam.

TAKRIF ORANG ASLI

SIAPA ITU ORANG ASLI ??

DEFENITION:

Dalam Akta Orang Asli 1954 (Akta 134) semakan 1974, mana-mana bapanya ialah ahli daripada kumpulan etnik Orang Asli dan lazimnya mengikut cara hidup Orang Asli dan adat dan kepercayaan Orang Asli, dan termasuklah seorang keturunan melalui lelaki orang itu;Mana-mana orang daripada mana-mana kaum yang diambil sebagai anak angkat semasa budak oleh Orang Asli dan yang telah dibesarkan sebagai seorang Orang Asli, lazimnya bercakap bahasa Orang Asli, lazimnya mengikut cara hidup Orang Asli dan adat dan kepercayaan Orang Asli dah ialah ahli daripada suatu masyarakat Orang Asli atau;Anak daripada mana-mana penyatuan antara seorang perempuan Orang Asli dengan seorang lelaki daripada suatu kaum lain, dengan syarat bahawa anak itu lazimnya bercakap bahasa Orang Asli, lazimnya mengikut cara hidup Orang Asli dan adat dan kepercayaan Orang Asli dan masih lagi menjadi ahli daripada masyarakat Orang Asli;Mana-mana Orang Asli yang tidak lagi berpegang kepada kepercayaan Orang Asli oleh kerana dia telah memeluk mana-mana agama atau oleh kerana apa-apa sebab lain, tetapi dia masih mengikut cara hidup Orang Asli dan adat Orang Asli atau bercakap bahasa Orang Asli tidak boleh disifatkan sebagai tidak lagi menjadi Orang Asli semata-mata oleh sebab dia mengamalkan agama itu.FAKTA SEJARAHMenurut para pengkaji sejarah, kepulauan Melayu telah mula diduduki oleh manusia yang dipanggil Austronesian atau Malayo-Polynesia sekitar 5,000 tahun dahulu. Mereka ini dikatakan berasal daripada Selatan China (Yunan) dan Taiwan. Penghijrahan mereka ke selatan adalah secara ’sporadic’, ’irregular’ dan ’incremental’. Bermula dari Filipina menganjur ke pulau-pulau Indonesia sehingga ke penghujung tanah besar Asia, pulau-pulau Pasifik dan Madagascar. Majoriti Orang Asli di Malaysia (termasuk kaum Bumiputera) yang menghuni kawasan Indo-Malaya sekarang ini adalah keturunan daripada manusia Austranesian awal ini. Hasil daripada Banci Penduduk JHEOA 2004, jumlah populasi Orang Asli Malaysia ketika ini ialah seramai 149,723 orang. Mereka terbahagi kepada tiga Kaum utama iaitu, Melayu Proto (Proto-Malay), Negrito dan Senoi yang membentuk 18 Rumpun Bangsa.

THE ORANG ASLI OF PENINSULAR MALAYSIA Colin Nicholas

The Orang Asli are the indigenous minority peoples of Peninsular Malaysia. The name is a Malay term which transliterates as 'original peoples' or 'first peoples.' It is a collective term introduced by anthropologists and administrators for the 18 sub-ethnic groups generally classified for official purposes under Negrito, Senoi and Proto-Malay. They numbered 105,000 in 1997 representing a mere 0.5 per cent of the national population.
The Orang Asli, nevertheless, are not a homogeneous group. Each has its own language and culture, and perceives itself as different from the others. Linguistically, some of the northern Orang Asli groups (especially the Senoi and Negrito groups) speak languages - now termed Aslian languages - that suggest a historical link with the indigenous peoples in Burma, Thailand and Indo-China.
The members of the Proto-Malay tribes, whose ancestors were believed to have migrated from the Indonesian islands to the south of the peninsula, speak dialects which belong to the same Austronesian family of languages as Malay, with the exceptions of the Semelai and Temoq dialects (which are Austroasiatic).
The Orang Asli have equally varied occupations and ways of life. The Orang Laut, Orang Seletar and Mah Meri, for example, live close to the coast and are mainly fishermen. Some Temuan, Jakun and Semai people have taken to permanent agriculture and now manage their own rubber, oil palm or cocoa farms.
About 40 per cent of the Orang Asli population - including Semai, Temiar, Che Wong, Jah Hut, Semelai and Semoq Beri - however, live close to, or within forested areas. Here they engage in swiddening (hill rice cultivation) and do some hunting and gathering. These communities also trade in petai, durian, rattan and resins to earn cash incomes.
A very small number, especially among the Negrito groups (such as Jahai and Lanoh) are still semi-nomadic, preferring to take advantage of the seasonal bounties of the forest. A fair number also live in urban areas and are engaged in both waged and salaried jobs.
There is no doubt, however, that the Orang Asli are the descendants of the earliest inhabitants in the peninsula. It has been suggested that they retained much of their identity to the present day because of their relative isolation from the other communities and the forces of change.
This is not to suggest that the Orang Asli lived in complete isolation, existing only on subsistence production. Economic dealings with the neighbouring Malay communities were not uncommon for the past few hundred years, especially for the Proto-Malay groups. Those Orang Asli living in remote forest areas also engaged in some trading with the Malays, with jungle produce being exchanged for salt, knives and metal axe-heads. There was also evidence of trade in blowpipes and blowpipe-bamboo among certain tribes. It has also been shown that the Orang Asli have played a significant role in the Malay Peninsula's economic history as collectors and primary traders as early as the 5th Century A.D. An early 19th century report also tells of Negritos providing forest products as tribute to the Malay chiefs of the river basins they resided in.
There seemed, therefore, to be a certain amount of interaction between the Orang Asli and the other ethnic groups, particularly the Malays who resided along the fringes of the forest. Some of the initial contacts, however, were unfortunately characterized by cruelty and mutual hostility.
Slavery Slave raids into Orang Asli settlements were not an uncommon feature in the 18th and 19th centuries. The slave-raiders were mainly Malays and Bataks, who considered the Orang Asli as 'kafirs', 'non-humans', 'savages' and 'jungle-beasts.'
The modus operandi was basically to swoop down on a settlement and kill off all the adult men. Women and children were preferred as they were less likely to run away and were 'easier to tame.' The Orang Asli slaves were sold off or given to local rulers and chieftains to gain their favour.
A considerable trade in slaves thus soon developed - and even continued into the present century despite the official abolition of all forms of slavery in 1884. In fact, the derogatory term Sakai used to refer to the Orang Asli until the middle of this century meant slave or dependent. Many elders still remember this sad period of their history, and all Orang Asli detest being called Sakai.
Specimens and Souls The coming of the British administrators led to some outcry against the slavery of the Orang Asli, but there were no efforts to promote their welfare. Because of their 'primitiveness' and their 'uncivilized culture', Orang Asli were regarded as excellent subjects for anthropological research. That the Orang Asli were seen so can be gleaned from the fact that the earliest official act directed towards the Orang Asli was the setting up of the Perak Museum in Taiping, from where research into Orang Asli demography and ethnography was to be carried out.
Also, being regarded as 'uncivilized' and therefore, it follows, 'unsaved', placed the Orang Asli in good light for the zeal of missionary proselytizers. The Catholics began their missionary activities among the Temuans in the middle of the 19th Century. The Methodists started theirs in the 1930s. Bahai missionaries also had a following in the 1960s while Muslim missionary work became increasingly more active over the last two decades.
Interest in the Orang Asli therefore tended to revolve around their usefulness as anthropological curiosities or as convenient subjects for proselytization. Otherwise, the official attitude towards the Orang Asli was one of indifference.
Protection Until the late 1940s, there was no specific administration for the Orang Asli, but it became regarded as a responsibility of the Taiping Museum Curator to concern himself with research among Orang Asli in Perak. The Orang Asli continued to be regarded as noble savages, leading an idealized and romantic existence; the task of government was to protect and preserve them from the ravages of modern life.
A rather detailed 1936 report by H.D. Noone, then the field ethnographer (and later, Director) of the Perak Museum at Taiping, sought to perpetuate the view of the British colonialists that the Orang Asli should remain in isolation from the rest of the Malayan population, and be given protection.
Noone called for the establishment of large aboriginal land reservations where the Orang Asli would be free to live according to their own tradition and laws. Noone also proposed the creation of "patterned settlements" in less accessible areas, where the Orang Asli could be taught agricultural skills. He also sought the encouragement and development of aboriginal arts and crafts, and the creation of other forms of employment among the Orang Asli. Several protective measures were also proposed, such as the banning of alcohol in Orang Asli reserves and the controlled peddling of wares.
Although not implemented by the government of the day, his 'Proposed Aboriginal Policy' did however lay the groundwork for future government policy towards the Orang Asli.
The Emergency The Orang Asli were insignificant players in the political sphere until the Emergency began. This was Malaya's civil war between the Colonial government and the communist insurgents from 1948 to 1960.
In the early years the insurgents received much help and supplies from sympathizers in the rural areas. However, the Brigg's Plan, which involved relocating much of the rural population into closely-guarded 'new villages', successfully cut the link between the two parties. Consequently, the insurgents were forced to operate from areas in deep forests, where they sought the help of the Orang Asli. Some Orang Asli were known to provide food, labour and intelligence to the insurgents.
The Colonial Government quickly saw the importance of the Orang Asli in winning the war and created the post of Adviser on Aborigines. However, initial attempts at controlling the Orang Asli proved disastrous for both sides. In an attempt to prevent the insurgents from getting help (food, labour and intelligence) from the Orang Asli, the British herded them into hastily-built resettlement camps. A few hundred Orang Asli died in these crowded and sun-baked camps mainly due to mental depression rather than disease.
Later, realising their folly, and recognising that the key to ending the war lay in 'winning over' the Orang Asli to the government's side, a Department of Aborigines was established and 'jungle forts' were set up in Orang Asli areas, introducing the Orang Asli to basic health facilities, education and basic consumer items. The strategy proved successful such that support for the insurgents waned, with the Emergency being officially lifted in 1960.
This period also saw the first important attempt at legislation to protect the Orang Asli with the publication of the Aboriginal Peoples Ordinance in 1954. This Ordinance (later amended in 1967 and 1974 to conform to changing conditions) was considered a milestone in the administration of the Orang Asli, for it indicated that the government had finally officially admitted its responsibility to the Orang Asli.
At about the same time, the Department for Aboriginal Affairs was enlarged in order to make it an effective force. But, as the former Commissioner for Orang Asli Affairs noted, the only reason for such re-organization was to ensure a better control over the Orang Asli and to make sure that they would have less inclination and few, if any, opportunities to support the insurgents.
Later, in an apparent reversal of the government's policy towards the Orang Asli, the jungle forts were abandoned and replaced by 'patterned settlements' (later to be called 'regroupment schemes'). Here, a number of Orang Asli communities were resettled in areas which were more accessible for the Department officials and the security forces and yet close to, though not always within, their traditional homelands. The schemes promised the Orang Asli wooden stilt houses as well as modern amenities such as schools, clinics and shops. They were also required to grow cash crops (such as rubber and oil palm) and practise animal husbandry so as to be able to participate in the cash economy.
Nevertheless, the strategy proved successful in that support for the insurgents waned. This prompted massacres by the insurgents of Orang Asli communities who were thought to be on the government's side. Alas, despite the important role the Orang Asli played in helping to end the Emergency, many books on this period do not acknowledge the fact.
The Emergency formally ended in 1960; but for the Orang Asli it spelled the beginning of a more active and direct involvement of the state into their affairs and lives.
The Aboriginal Peoples Act Apart from the establishment of the Department of Orang Asli Affairs (JHEOA), the Emergency also saw a special legislation being enacted for the Orang Asli. This was the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954. This Act is unique in that it is the only piece of legislation that is directed at a particular ethnic community. (For that matter, the JHEOA is also the only government department that is to cater for a particular ethnic group.)
Originally enacted during the height of the Emergency, the Aboriginal Peoples 1954 (revised in 1974) basically served to prevent the communist insurgents from getting help from the Orang Asli. It was also aimed at preventing the insurgents from imparting their ideology to the Orang Asli. For this reason, for example, there are provisions in the Act which allow the Minister concerned to prohibit any non-Orang Asli from entering an Orang Asli area, or to prohibit the entry of any written or printed material (or anything capable of conveying a message). Even in the appointment of headmen, the Minister has the final say. The Act treats the Orang Asli as if they were a people unable to lead their own lives and needing the 'protection' of the authorities to safeguard their wellbeing.
Nevertheless, the Act does recognise some rights of the Orang Asli. For example, it stipulates that no Orang Asli child shall be precluded from attending any school only by reason of being an Orang Asli. It also states that no Orang Asli child attending any school shall be obliged to attend any religious instruction without the prior consent of his parents or guardian. Generally also, the Act allows the right of the Orang Asli to follow their own way of life.
And while the Act provides for the establishment of Orang Asli Areas and Orang Asli Reserves, it also grants the state authority the right to order any Orang Asli community to leave and stay out of an area. In effect, the best security that an Orang Asli can get is one of 'tenant-at-will'. That is to say, an Orang Asli is allowed to remain in a particular area only at the pleasure of the state authority. If at such time the state wishes to re-acquire the land, it can revoke its status and the Orang Asli are left with no other legal recourse but to move elsewhere. Furthermore, in the event of such displacement occurring, the state is not obliged to pay any compensation or allocate an alternative site.
Thus, the Aboriginal Peoples Act laid down certain ground rules for the treatment of Orang Asli and their lands. Effectively, it accords the Minister concerned or the Director-General of the Department of Orang Asli Affairs (JHEOA) the final say in all matters concerning the administration of the Orang Asli. In matters concerning land, the state authority has the final say. The development objective of the Act, therefore, appears to have been subsumed by both the security motive and the tendency to regard the Orang Asli as wards of the government.
Policy of Sedentism The perceived nomadic lifestyle of the Semai, particularly of those in the interior areas, posed a problem to the security forces in their effort to maintain surveillance over their activities and movements. Since these settlements were in 'black areas' (where the insurgents were believed to be still active), the need to keep a close watch over the Orang Asli in these areas was even more urgent for the state. Having the Orang Asli lead a more settled or sedentary way of life would, it was deduced, greatly aid the state in its goal of national security.
As such, during the mid-1970s when communist insurgents revived their war with the government efforts were made by the JHEOA to persuade village headmen to heed the call for regroupment. Promises of permanent housing, piped water and other modern facilities (such as schools and hospitals) were made. Coercion was not employed. Instead, persuasive methods (including taking the headmen on field trips to other successful government schemes) were the norm.
The decision to accept permanent residence in a particular location meant that the resource base of the Orang Asli, as far as their subsistence activities were concerned, were now restricted to a rather limited area. Furthermore, the grouping together of a number of other settlements in a smaller area tended to further deplete the potential of the subsistence base. For example, in the Betau Regroupment Scheme, 20 settlements, with an estimated total population of 1,284 Semai, who were originally spread over a 14.4 km radius of the administrative center, were now confined into an area within a 5.6 km radius, or about 15 per cent of the original area. This immediately implies a severe strain on the ability of the now smaller subsistence base to provide for the needs of the increased number of people depending on it for their water, food and other subsistence materials.
Lately, however, the call to sedentism has always followed some other ulterior intention: the lands of the Orang Asli were needed for other purposes, be it a new agricultural project, a dam, a new airport, or even a golf course.
But perhaps the more distressing effect of regroupment is that the government, through JHEOA agents, begins exercising powers over regrouped Orang Asli that cannot be exercised over non-Orang Asli (such as control of entry of non-Orang Asli, appointment of headmen, imposition of economic policies and programmes, and institutionalised religious proselytizing).
Policy of Integration and Assimilation In 1961, the expressed policy of the government towards the Orang Asli was their integration into the wider society. In particular, the JHEOA was "to adopt suitable measures designed for their (Orang Asli) protection and advancement with a view to their ultimate integration with the Malay section of the community."
The assumption behind this policy was that the Orang Asli were backward and isolated from the rest of the national society and as such had to 'modernise' in order to be regarded as being on par with the other communities.
Programmes to introduce cash-crop agriculture were introduced (thereby placing the Orang Asli at the mercy of the world economy), education was introduced (with the national Malay-based curriculum being used), and social organisation transformed (with headmen now being appointed by the JHEOA, for example). The end effect of such a policy of integration has been a slow, but sure, decline in the traditional structure and content of Orang Asli society.
In more recent times, the policy of integrating the Orang Asli with the Malay section of the national society has taken on a new dimension: making Orang Asli Muslims. The JHEOA has a special section to look into the 'spiritual' development of the Orang Asli, with other government and non-governmental bodies each having their own programme for similar objectives. The assimilationist tendencies, best epitomised by the publicly expressed intention of converting all Orang Asli within the next ten years, undermine whatever genuine intentions the government may have for the wellbeing of the Orang Asli. At the very least, it brings the justification for attention towards Orang Asli one full circle back to the early days of the British colonial government when the Orang Asli were merely regarded as ripe objects for the zeal of religious missionaries.
Tendency Towards Dependency Orang Asli have been incorporated into the national economy insofar as many have made the shift to peasantry, are tied to the cash economy, and are dependent on, or are directed by, external domination. The point is that the incorporation of Orang Asli into the national economy is usually the result of the expansionist policy of state disguised under the label of integration.
Also, economic development for the Orang Asli has often been promoted at the expense of indigenous institutions. The various development strategies often tacitly assume that there are no viable institutions or practices in indigenous cultures that can be used to foster development.
The creation of the JHEOA as the sole agency responsible, for the most part, for all matters concerning Orang Asli has also given rise to a situation where the Orang Asli came to be dependent on the JHEOA for most of their needs.
We have seen that the Aboriginal Peoples Act arms the JHEOA with much authority over the Orang Asli. In aspects of Orang Asli living too, Orang Asli have no or very little say. For example, the decision to be resettled in a new location is often done without consultation with the Orang Asli, let alone with their consent. Even in resettlement schemes, the choice of commercial crops grown, or the economic activities to be undertaken, does not rest with the Orang Asli.
The general conclusion is that, after four decades of intervention by the Department of Aborigines and later by the JHEOA, an unhealthy state of paternalism towards the Orang Asli has been created. The JHEOA sees itself as godparents to these "wards of the state," taking care of the Orang Asli "from the womb to the grave."
Loss of resource rights and land rights However, without doubt, the greatest threat today to Orang Asli culture, identity and livelihood is their dispossession from their traditional homelands. Orang Asli are guaranteed no rights whatsoever to their lands under the Aboriginal Peoples Act.
In fact, it is often said that an Orang Asli is allowed to remain in a particular area only because of the big-heartedness of the state authority. At any time should the state want the land back, it can revoke the status of the land and the Orang Asli practically has no other legal recourse. To make matters worse, in the event of such dispossession occurring, the state is not obliged to pay any compensation or allocate an alternative site. This is provided for in the Aboriginal Peoples Act.
To further aggravate the problem, only about 15 per cent of the 667 Orang Asli villages are gazetted as Orang Asli Areas or Reserves. This means the majority of Orang Asli villages are on state land, though the Orang Asli themselves would not concede to this classification of their land. Efforts at gazetting the remaining Orang Asli lands have been sluggish, to say the least, since the 1960s.
Sometimes, Orang Asli lands are degazetted without their knowledge while long-standing applications for gazetting have gone unheeded for as many as 35 years. In the last two years, for example, 2,764 hectares of Orang Asli land were degazetted for other purposes.
This insecurity over the tenure of their lands has resulted in many Orang Asli communities losing their lands to government land schemes, private plantations, mining concessions, highway and dam projects, housing projects, recreation areas, new townships, sites for universities and various other forms of 'development'. In most cases, the Orang Asli are resettled in regroupment schemes, where even here there is still no permanent security of tenure. The Orang Asli in Temerloh, for example, are now worried as there is talk of them having to resettle to a new place yet again but this time further inland.
Land dispossesion remains a persistent issue facing the Orang Asli. There are numerous instances when Orang Asli had to give up their lands, or had the lands taken from them. For instance, the Orang Asli community at the 6th mile Cameron Highlands Road planted rubber and fruit trees in their traditional lands in 1974. In 1979, neighbouring villagers applied for part of the Orang Asli land, and were successful. When the Orang Asli protested, they were told by the Assistant District Officer to move out because the area was now 'Malay Reserve Land' and that they were staying there illegally.
After much confrontation and negotiation, extremely low compensation at 2 ringgit per rubber tree, 60 ringgit for each mature durian tree, and 20 ringgit for each petai tree was offered (RM1 = US$0.25). However, till today, some of it is still not paid. The tenure of the remaining rubber trees and orchards of the Orang Asli is just as insecure since only 0.2 hectare of the land belonging to the 40 Orang Asli families has been gazetted.
In another case, in Bidor, part of the land of the Orang Asli has been taken over by a tin mining company. Then without notice nor consultation, a large portion of the remaining land was cleared by the authorities to make way for a government (Felcra) agricultural development project. Many fruit trees belonging to the Orang Asli were destroyed, despite assurances by the JHEOA that it would not happen. And the Orang Asli were not assured of any kind of compensation. To make it worse, they were asked by the JHEOA to move to another area further inland.
When asked why they had to move, the JHEOA officer said that it was not advisable to stay in the old area since the land was too small for them. Besides, he added, the Orang Asli might grow crops in the area, and will cause inconvenience to Felcra by using their roads. The irony of it all: someone takes away your land and leaves a little for you - and then tells you to move because the land is too small for you!
And in Bukit Unggul in Bangi, Selangor, the Temuans had to make way for the construction of a university on their land, only to be asked to move again recently - to make way for a golf course!
Generally, for most Orang Asli lands that are not gazetted as reserves, it has been difficult for the communities to resist pressures to relocate. The source of these pressures are varied: the government (as in the case of Sepang in Selangor where the Temuans were resettled to make way for the new international airport), corporations (as in the case of Stulang Laut in Johore where the Orang Laut were relocated to make way for a business complex), and even individuals (as in several rural fringe areas where locals as well as foreign migrant workers are staking out Orang Asli lands for their own).
The last category is best exemplified by the Jeli case, where nine Jahai men were charged for the death of three non-Orang Asli land encroachers. They had gone to the Jahai settlement with three others and demanded that the Orang Asli vacate the place immediately as they had acquired the land for themselves. The three died in the ensuing scuffle when the Jahais came to the rescue of their headman who was about to be stabbed by one of the outsiders.
When one of the non-Orang Asli encroachers was asked in court the reason for going to the settlement, he replied "to work on my land." And when asked for evidence of his ownership to the land, he replied, "I began to work on it, so it is mine. The Orang Asli cannot own it as they do not have houses on it - only thatch huts"!
It is not surprising therefore that a common complaint among Orang Asli these days is that the Government is insincere in its call to have to Orang Asli settle permanently in one area rather than move from place to place. They draw attention to the various statements made by government leaders explaining how hard it is to 'develop' the Orang Asli on account of their nomadic lifestyle.
Anyone who knows the Orang Asli, knows that this is a myth perpetuated by the government to absolve its responsibility to the Orang Asli. In fact, the Orang Asli are now saying that if ever they are to be regarded as nomadic, it is only because the government has forced them to move from place to place!
Also, because the lands of the Orang Asli are not gazetted or titled, a host of other problems arise. Loggers get their concessions from the state authorities, leaving the Orang Asli totally in the dark about the deal. Non-Orang Asli enter their lands and steal their petai and durian fruit claiming that the trees were planted by the bears and tigers, and that the forest is "no man's land" and hence is a "free-for-all." The Forest Department also habitually issues licences to non-Orang Asli to trade in forest products such as rattan and petai - despite a provision in the Aboriginal Peoples Act stipulating that no such licences shall be issued to persons not being Orang Asli normally resident in the area.
Voicing Out Dissatisfactions The days of the Orang Asli reacting passively to attempts to abrogate their rights are coming to an end. Acting largely through the 15,000-strong Peninsular Malaysia Orang Asli Association (POASM), various actions have been taken, some of them through the courts.
In essence, these dissatisfactions revolve around the insecurity of tenure over their traditional lands, the lack of consultation in matters affecting them, the control of their department by others, and the discrimination in distributive justice.
It would become clear therefore that the Orang Asli are not anti-progress or anti-development. On the contrary, the Orang Asli call for the approach towards their development needs to be reoriented.
Such an approach should centre on forging a new culture of respect, cooperation, freedom and social justice. This should involve reforming the regime of laws, policies and the institutions that have directed the administration of Orang Asli affairs. It would also involve the developing and strengthening of national dispute-resolution arrangements especially in relation to the settlement of Orang Asli claims to land and resource rights.
And in the planning and implementation of development programmes affecting them, it would require that the Orang Asli be consulted. More specifically, and of greater urgency, reforms in the following areas are needed:
Security of Tenure over Customary Lands As land is pivotal to Orang Asli existence, identity and wellbeing, Orang Asli claims to their customary land must be recognised. Continual residence and economic occupation should suffice to establish Orang Asli title to these lands.
The granting of titles to Orang Asli lands is a matter of urgency as currently only about 17 per cent of all the 776 Orang Asli settlements live are duly gazetted as Orang Asli reserves. The interim measure, therefore, should be to speed up the process of gazetting all the remaining Orang Asli settlements. This should not be difficult since these are areas currently occupied by the Orang Asli, and not generally disputed by others. Any delay in giving Orang Asli some legality of tenure over these areas can lead to disputes over ownership, as is already happening in some settlements.
Accepting that the bureaucratic procedures involved in gazetting Orang Asli reserves can be time-consuming, an initial declaration can be made by the respective state land offices recognising the existence of present Orang Asli settlements. Such declarations would be useful in settling any dispute over land ownership when Orang Asli areas are leased or titled out to others for exploitation. It would also ensure that, in the event of compulsory acquisition of their lands, Orang Asli are equitably compensated for their lands (and not just for their fruit trees or dwellings, as is the practice now).
To retain the identity of Orang Asli communities, all such lands are to be vested in the name of the community. There should therefore be no intermediary agency holding land in the name of the Orang Asli. Strong group rights reduce divisive pressures by maintaining the integrity of Orang Asli lands and reinforcing traditional mechanisms for sharing and distributing group resources. On the other hand, policies which encourage Orang Asli to privatise and sell communal homelands piecemeal would make it easier for developers to obtain land through distress sales.
Resource Rights For Orang Asli, the most obvious and reliable way to earn an income is through economic control and sustainable exploitation of the resources on their own lands. Every effort should therefore be given to assist the Orang Asli in obtaining full title to their lands, as well as rights to the resources above and below those lands.
While Orang Asli resource rights are, to a large degree, recognised by the Aboriginal Peoples Act, the same recognition is not accorded by various other agencies such as the Forestry Department and the District Office. The timber, sand and fruits of the Orang Asli, among other resources, are frequently exploited by non-Orang Asli who often have the permission of these agencies. Orang Asli not only have no share in the extraction of such resources but they also have to bear the burden of environmental destruction of the their lands that come in the wake of these activities. For this reason, encroachments into Orang Asli lands, whether officially sanctioned or not, are to be stopped immediately.
Legal Reforms Policies alone provide no guarantee to the Orang Asli that their wellbeing and advancement would be assured. Safeguards for their rights can only be guaranteed if they are enshrined in the Constitution and legal framework of the country. While it is accepted that any reform will undoubtedly involve a long and meticulous process, such reform can no longer be postponed. Basically, what is needed is to turn the policy reforms discussed above into law.
It should be equally important to ensure that the reforms, once incorporated into the Constitution and other legislations (such as the Aboriginal Peoples Act and the National Land Code), should take precedence over conflicting provisions found in other laws (such as the National Forestry Act and the Land Conservation Act).
Development Assistance Orang Asli are not anti-development, as often alleged by the government. On the contrary, they have frequently requested for various forms of assistance, especially for improvements in the quality of life - in areas of health, education, human capital formation and infrastructure.
Alternative development strategies must reflect the needs of the Orang Asli and their specific social and physical environments. For example, aboriculture could be developed for communities undergoing the transition from traditional, subsistence-oriented economies to more settled, agriculture-based communities.
The preferential treatment status accorded to the Orang Asli in Article 8(5)(c) of the Constitution should also be applied.
The right to affirmative action should be transformed into actual programmes and opportunities. For example, positive discrimination in economic projects affecting or involving Orang Asli traditional areas (such as eco-tourism projects, trading in forest products and alternative agriculture) as well as preferential status in business opportunities, educational placings and job placements should be instituted.
Every encouragement and assistance should also be given to Orang Asli efforts to uplift their economic position through their own cooperatives, foundations or other such bodies.
Natural Integration The integration of Orang Asli with the mainstream national society should be a natural process without any attempt to set artificial targets or to apply dominant perceptions of what constitutes "integration."
Successful adaptation of the Orang Asli to new circumstances can best be handled by the Orang Asli if they are encouraged to retain their indigenous customs as this would enhance maintenance of their ethnic identity and their stability as a productive unit.
Development efforts should be directed towards the Orang Asli, not for the sake of achieving "integration" into the mainstream, but simply because they are a community deserving such assistance.
Politics Recognising that much of the social and economic decisions affecting Orang Asli are situated in the political realm, Orang Asli representation in politics should be increased. The sole seat in the Senate reserved for Orang Asli is inadequate representation. There should be provisions for representation in Parliament and the State Assemblies as well. This can be done through elections in seats where Orang Asli represent a sizeable section in the constituency, or through appointment.
Autonomy The Orang Asli community should not be more controlled than any other community in the country. Doing so merely extends the perception that the Orang Asli are wards of the government, incapable of leading their own lives.
Regulations delegating traditional power to the authorities (such as the appointment of headmen and the control of entry into Orang Asli settlements) should be restored to the community. In general, Orang Asli should be allowed to maintain the social order within their community. And in all other matters affecting the Orang Asli, there should be consultation and consensus-seeking by the parties concerned.

INTRODUCTION

Titian asli project was established on May 2000 under community service team IIUM. We are focusing on aborigine community especially in Selangor and Pahang. Before this, we only focused on children but now we expand our target group to adults. There are 3 aborigine villages under Titian Asli which are:

• Kg. Bukit Kala, Bt. 12 Gombak.
• Kg. Sg. Gapoi, Bentong.
• Kg. Songkok, Batang Kali.

MISSION

To be a place of training , reference and da'wah for aborigine community and student itself in order to restore the progressive role of the society in all aspects of life.

VISION

To change the aborigine community life in terms of :

• Social.
• Economic.
• Education.
• And Thinking.

MOTTO

Teaching

Approaching

Caring.

Taqwa

Salam Ukhuwwah to all TA members..

Assalamuallaikum wr.wb...

Alhamdulillah dengan limpah kurnia-Nya, Titian Asli (TA) dapat melahirkan blog 001.. semoga blog ini dapat mengeratkan lagi ukhuwwah antara semua ahli Titian Asli (yang dah grade ke, blum grade lagi ke, atau x grad-grad lagi ke, Ops-Ops the joking !! don't worry be happy because we're one family). selain itu, diharapkan blog ini juga dapat menjadi bahan rujukan, bacaan yang dapat menjadi santapan rohani buat kita semua hendaknya, amiennn!
Sekian dulu dari kami bureau info & editing..., have a great day...! Allah save us...!
Wassalam...
( info & editing biro -08 )
nb: To all TA members, do you have any brilliant idea to share with??? or do you have a good story, experience, built opinion to post ??? just send to our milist. your cooperation give us high inspiration to move forward...!