LESSONS FROM VERSES OF AL-KAHF/ BY Sultan Interino

I thank Allah for His guidance and uncountable blessings to me, I also thank Allah for giving me responsible parents who brought me up with full caring and loving Islamic environment, may Allah showers them with His blessings and grant them Paradise, amen.
In this short journey of knowledge with you, I would like to just narrate the story of Moses and Khidhr and try to highlight some lessons that we can benefit from it. In verses 60 to 82, Allah (God) telling us the wonderful story about the superiority of Divine knowledge over human knowledge. Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians but that wisdom did not comprehend the special knowledge which Allah had bestowed to Khidhr. The story of Moses was begun when this Prophet of Allah started his journey with his attendant to seek wisdom from Allah. He says to his attendant: I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas (the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez) or (until) I spend years and years in travel. But when they reach the junction, they forgot about their fish, which took its course through the sea (Straight) as in a tunnel. When they had passed on (some distance), Moses said to his attendant: Bring us our meal; truly we had suffered much fatigue at this stage of our journey. He replied: Did you see what happened when we betook ourselves to the rock? I indeed forgot about the fish: none but Satan made me forgot to tell you about it. Moses said: That was what we were seeking after, so they went back on their footsteps, following the path they had come. In their way, they found one of Allah’s servants [Khidhr] on whom Allah had bestowed mercy and whom Allah had taught knowledge. Moses said to Khidhr: May I follow you so as you teach me something of the higher Truth which you had been taught. Khidhr said: “Verily you will not be able to have patience with me. For how can you have patience about things which are beyond your knowledge”? Moses replied: You will find me, if Allah so will, truly patient: nor shall I disobey you in auth. If then you would follow me, you should not ask questions about anything until I myself speak to you concerning it, said Khidhr.
The two continued their journey until when they were in the boat; he (Khidhr) scuttled it. Moses surprised and said: “hast you scuttled it in order to drown those in it”? Truly a strange thing you have done. He replied: Did I not tell you that you can have patience with me? Moses replied: Rebuke me not for forgetting, nor grieve me by raising difficulties in my case. They then proceeded until they met a young boy, he slew him. Again Moses reacted and said: Hast you slain an innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul (unheard-of) thing had you done! He answered: Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me? Moses replied with promise: If ever I ask you about anything after this, do not accompany me; then you would receive full excuse from my side.
The journey proceeded until when they came to the inhabitants of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall on the point of falling down, but he set it up straight. Moses said: If you had wished, surely you could have exacted some recompense for it. The teacher answered: “This is the parting between me and you, now I will tell you the interpretation of those things over which you were unable to hold patience.

ANSWERS BEYOND REACH OF HUMAN REASON:

The Teacher’s answers:

[a] As for the boat, it belonged to certain men in dire want; they plied on the water, but I wished to render it undesirable, for there was after them a certain king who seized on every boat by force.

[b] As for the youth, his parents were people of faith, and we feared that he would grieve them by obstinate rebellion and ingratitude to Allah. So we desired that their Lord would give them in exchange a son better in purity of conduct and closer in affection. [Please Read the full commentary on this part: [YUSUF ALI].

[c] As for the wall, it belonged to two youths, Orphans in the town; there was, beneath it a buried treasure, to which they were entitled; their father had been a righteous man; so their Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure a mercy and favour from their Lord. I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of those things over which you was unable to hold patience.

SOME LESSONS FROM THE ABOVE VERSES:

[a] Allah’s wisdom transcends all human reasons and calculations. Therefore, whenever there is conflict between Divine Law [the Qur’an and the Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.)] and human law, the former must prevail. Because Divine Law [the Shari’ah al-Islamiyyah] aims to save human’s benefits [Masalih al-Insan] in such a way that sometimes beyond human rationality as in the case of Moses [A.S.]. In our discussion about the “Objectives of the Islamic Law”, we highlighted that all of the benefits [Masalih] should be protected otherwise; the norm of any society will be destructed. Any crime act against these benefits will invite punishment in Islamic Law, and that act will be considered as criminal act against limitations of Allah [HududulLah]. Human being may think that drinking alcohol eases his problem and may cure some of his health problems, without knowing that soon or later, it will result another problem. The urgent unwanted result of drinking alcohol is to prevent mind to think and to prevent him to perform Ibadah [worship].

[b] Another lesson from these verses is that Mercy and Knowledge should be coming from Allah. Therefore, human being should always near to Allah (God) praying for His mercy and seeking knowledge to please Allah, so that Allah’s guidance will be with him. Human potentiality is not enough to survive this life; his mind is limited in solving the complicated problems of human beings. He should stand in the front of the Creator [Allah, the all knowing] to ask mercy and guidance. It is strange that this weak creation isolating God from his worldly activities especially in dealing with human like him. Knowledge and Iman and Taqwa are the secret of success. Leaders should first seek the pleasure of Allah before their subjects; they need full understanding about the meaning of “Khalifah” and the objective of his creation. They should deliver their responsibility with full of sincerity to Allah, without forgetting that it [sincerity] is gift from Allah, He will only give to those He loves. Sincerity is not achievable by our deeds no matter what we do [Ghair Muktasabah], because it is gift from God to whom He loves. The key to achieve sincerity is to get the pleasure of Allah [Ridhaullah] through Ibadah and Amanah.

[c] Human sciences should be guided by the Revealed Knowledge: It is important to note here that faith of a certain person would influence his reasoning. In other words, if a person does not believe God (Allah) and His supremacy, he will outline his thinking and reasoning based on that belief, and he will then put supremacy to his reasoning in such a way that whatever his mind sees good will be ultimately good for him and for other human beings and likewise for the bad deeds. It is obvious that this mentality disregards Religion and also the different levels of understanding between human beings. Forgeting that may be a person may see things good but not good for other people. The real life example of such is the changing of laws in some western countries pertaining to the legality of changing sex organ of a person, this is undoubtedly prohibited in all Religions, but with justification that these countries are secular countries. Therefore, Religion doesn’t have right to interfere what they see as good for them.
The same case to democracy, in Islam, decision of majority is highly respected but it is not ultimate, it should be subjected its validity to the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.). It is important to note here [in fact, it is the difference between Shurah and democracy], that in Islam, decision of majority could be rejected and the decision coming from minority, if it is according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, could prevail and accepted. In short, Revelation should be above human reasoning.

[d] Moses teaches us to adopt true attitude towards teachers with full respect and obedience. And be reminded that Satan is always misleading us whenever we are coming near to Allah.

In conclusion, Human reasoning alone does not guaranty our success in this life and Hereafter without Mercy and Guidance [Taufiq] of Allah.

REFERENCE:
[*] THE HOLY QUR’AN: An English Translation (Saudi Arabia: King Fahd Holy Qur’an Printing Complex).

ISLAM AND STATE/ By: Sultan Interino

After we learned about the concept of God in Islam and the duty of man, we need to examine the message that is given to him by God (Allah) to fulfill his duty as vicegerent on this earth. This message is Islam, which literally means full submission to God (Allah), the creator of all creations. It is the Call (Da’wah) of all Prophets, from Adam (A.W.) to Muhammad (S.A.W.) is to invite people to submit their will to the will of Allah and to bear witness that there is no god but Allah. Islam has divine laws governing the relationship of man with his Creator (Allah) and his relationship with his fellow creations. His responsibility, as vicegerent, is to follow and carried out this Divine Law in accordance with the objectives of Islamic Shari’ah Law.

OBJECTIVES OF ISLAMIC SHARI’AH LAW:

Muslim scholars have classified the entire range of objectives [maqasid] and benefits [masalih] into three descending categories of importance: the essentials [dharuriyyat], the complementary [hajiyyat], and the desirable or the embellishments [tahsiniyyat]. The essential objectives of Sharia’ah are enumerated, based on the general understanding of the Qur’an and the Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), as five, namely: life, intellect, faith, lineage, and property. These are considered as absolute requirements to the survival and spiritual-well being of individuals, to the extent that their destruction or collapse would result chaos and the demise of normal order in society no matter it is Muslim or non-Muslim society (*).
Shari’ah, on the whole, seeks primarily to protect and promote these essential values and validates all measures necessary for their preservation and advancement. Jihad has thus been validated in order to protect religion, and qisas, to protect life. One may ask question why qisas could protect life, while you are killing another one instead of only one? The wisdom of qisas is to safeguard the blood of human being because the blood of human being is sacred in Islam. Allah says: [Whoever kills a person for other than manslaughter or corruption in the land, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoever saves the life of one person, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind] (Al-Qur’an: 5:32). In many places in different parts of the world conflict that leads to killing between the families or tribes happened sometimes because of the ignorance of this divine Law. If someone kills somebody, the family of the victim will put the law on their hands and take revenge even to the innocent members of the culprit one (**). Indeed, the Shari’ah takes affirmative and even punitive measures to protect and promote these values. Theft, adultery, and the drinking of alcohol are punishable offences as they pose a threat to the immunity of private property, the well-being of the family and the integrity of the human intellect, respectively. In an affirmative again, but at a different level, the Shari’ah oblige the rich to give Zakat for the needy to enrich them, It also encourages work and trading activities in order to enable the individual to earn living. Shari’ah prohibits Riba to prevent the rich to monopolize economy and market. Thus, theft does not have valid reasons for his actions. With regards to adultery, Shari’ah encourages individuals to get marry in many traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.). It is also mentioned in one of the Hadith of the Prophet “that the less dowry (Mahr) the marriage is, the more Barakah (blessings) in it” (*). Shari’ah also commands the pursuit of knowledge, in fact, the first revelation revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) is Iqra (read), so as to develop the intellectual well-being of individual to contribute to the advancement of sciences and civilization, in other words, to fulfill his mission as khalifah on earth.
The second category of Maqasid or Masalih, known as Hajiyyat [complementary benefits] are not in themselves a completely independent category. They seek to protect and promote the essential objective or Masalih [benefits], they are secondary capacity. In definition, Hajiyyat are defined as the benefits that seek to remove severity and hardship in cases that severity and hardship do not pose a threat to the very survival of normal order. An example of this category is the concessions of shortening of Salat [prayer] by the traveler and so on.
The third category of Masalih [benefits] is Tahsiniyyah; they are in the nature of desirabilities. They seek to attain refinement and perfection in the customs and conduct of the people at all levels. Example of this category is the cleanliness of body and attire for the purpose of worship [Ibadah], the wearing of perfumes during Friday prayer (***).

WHY AN ISLAMIC STATE?

All mentioned above will remain theoretical so long as there is no worldly power responsible for enforcing Islamic Shari’ah Law by protecting its objectives and preventing rebellious behavior. This responsibility, in my humble understanding, can be discharged only through an agency invested with the powers of command [Amr] and prevention [Nahyu] according to the Qur’an and Sunnah: that is, the Islamic State in its true sense of the word, not a state inhabited predominantly or even entirely by Muslims but its laws and polities are founded or semi-founded with secular concepts which deny to Religion.

REFERENCE:
(*) Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Principle of Islamic Jurisprudence (Kuala Lumpur: Ilmiah Publishers SDN. BHD., Second Edition, 1998), p397.
(**) Professor Dr. Anwarullah, the Criminal Law of Islam (Kuala Lumpur: A.S. Noordeen, 1997), p31.
(***) Muhammad Al-Tahir Al-Misawi, Maqasid Al-Shari’ah Al-Islamiyah (Al-‘Amman: Dar al-Nafais, Second Edition, 2001), p299.

THE CONCEPT OF GOD IN ISLAM/ By: Sultan Interino

The first part of the Muslim confession of faith (the Shahadah) is the basis for the concept of God in Islam. The Muslim bears witness that: “There is no god but Allah”. The revealed Scripture of Islam, the Qur’an, is like a vast commentary on this simple statement, drawing from it all its implications for human life and thought.
This conception of the Deity is strictly monotheistic and Unitarian. Allah (God) alone has absolute being, totally independent and totally self-sufficient. Whatever exists or ever could exist does so by His will. He has no partner either in creating the universe or in maintaining it in existence. He is not only the First Cause, but also ultimately, the only cause, and He is Himself uncaused. The Qur’an says: “Say: He is Allah. One, the utterly Self-sufficient, He begets not neither is He begotten, and there is nothing that is like unto Him”. (Surah al-Ikhlas).
A further implication of the first part of the Shahadah is that there can be no power, force or agency in the heavens or on earth which is independent of God. Everything that exists and everything that happens is subject to His control; there is nothing that can compete with Him or that escapes His grasp, nothing that does not bear witness to His creative power and majesty. The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein praise Him. The Allah says: “And there is not a tiling that does not hymn His praise, though you understand not their praise”. (Al-Qur’an).
In conclusion, God in Islam is the only creator of all that exists and could exists in this world and in the Hereafter; He is only Who deserves worships, the all-powerful and all knowing Creator and the Lawgiver. Man is His creature and His ‘Abd [loving servant], his duty in this world is to worship Allah [al-‘Ibadah] and to fulfill Allah’s commandments by establishing His Law as a Khalifah [vicegerent] of Allah on earth.

REFERENCE:
Hasan Abdul Hakim, The Concept of God in Islam (Egypt: Conveying Islamic Message Society).
www.islamic-message.net

SULTAN ALEMUDDINULLAH PAHARUDDIN ANTERINO [INTERINO] ZULQARNAIN’S FAMILY

[1] BAI AGA [LATE BAI-A-LABI OF BALABAGAN]

Children:
Bai Pinundang [current Bai-a-labi sa Balabagan]

[2] SULTAN HADJI ABDUL GHANI [LATE SULTAN OF BALABAGAN]
Children:
Sultan Daud [Ankop] Interino [late Sultan of Balabagan]
Datu Abdul Wahab Interino
Bai Dayamon Interino
Bai Nora Interino
Sultan Abdul Wahid [Wakid] Interino [Current Sultan of Balabagan]
Datu Ustaz Muslimin Interino
Datu Abdul Qadir Interino
Bai Sa’adah Interino
Bai Faridah Interino
Datu Titingan [Botchoy] Interino
Datu Robin Interino
Datu Jamaluddin Interino

[3] BAI HADJAH MARIAM INTERINO [BAI-A-LABI SA MAGULALENG]

Children:
Bai Normah Interino Marohom
Datu Jonaid Interino Marohom
Datu Jonior Interino Marohom
Datu Boniamen Interino Marohom
Bai Bailo Interino Marohom
Datu Abdul Samad Interino Marohom
Datu Ustaz Maceda Interino Marohom

[4] DATU MAORAK INTERINO
Children:
Bai Dayang Interino
Datu Abdul Razzaq Interino
Datu Amer Interino
Bai Sindirilah Interino

[5] BAI KAPOK INTERINO [BAI-A-WATA OF BALABAGAN]

Children:
Datu Umbra Interino
Bai Turumbai Interino
Datu Sukarno Interino

[6] DATU SOLAIMAN INTERINO
Children:
Bai Linang Interino
Bai Dang-dang Interino
Bai Jin-jin Interino
Bai Jonalin Interino
Datu Solaiman Jr. Interino
Datu Jonatan Interino

[7] SULTAN SHAMSUDDIN CANACAN ZULQARNAIN INTERINO

Children:
Bai Sinaidah Interino
Datu Kenedey Interino
Datu Abdul Malik Interino
Datu Tungko Interino
Datu Nanao Interino

[8] BAI BUKA INTERINO

Children:
Datu Usman Interino
Datu Naga Interino
Datu Tailisan [Ili] Interino
Bai Apao Interino
Bai Olindang Interino

Thinking Skills: A Comparative Study/ By: Sultan Interino

Lesson: ONE

Main Topics/Issues/ Points

- The concept of Thinking
- Thinking Styles in Islamic and Western Perspectives
- The Importance of Thinking
- Barriers of Thinking
- Comprehensive Questions

Learning Outcome

By the end of this session, the student will be able to:
1) Identify the concept of Thinking and its important role in Ijtihad.
2) Realize that thinking helps the person to understand his relationship to Allah and other creations.
3) Understand factors that prevent person to think.

Discussions: Main Ideas

Concept of Thinking
• Think: means to exercise the mental faculties to form ideas to arrive at conclusions. Thinking: is the action of one who thinks or the result of such action (Neufeldt, Victoria. Webster’s New World Dictionary (New York: Prentice Hall, 1994).
• Tafakkur: is the Arabic term for thinking.
Al-Fayruzabadi defined al-fikr (tought) as reflection upon something. (Al-Fayruzabadi, al-Qamus al-Muhit (Beirut: Muassasat al-Risalah, 1996).
Al-Manzur says Tafakkur is the noun of Tafkir means pondering and contemplating.
Professor Malik Badri says Tafakkur is deeper and broader than Tafkir. Tafakkur bridges perceptions and conceptions from this life to the Hereafter and from creations to its Creators (I’tibar). Tafkir is confine to solving problems of our present life where emotions may not involve. (Al-Tafakkur min al-Mushahadah ila al-Shuhud (Herndon: IIIT publication, Va., 1993), p4).

Synonymous Qur’anic Terms of Thinking

1. Nazar (To consider):
See: (Yunus: 101)
2. Tabassur (Insight):
(Yusuf: 108)
3. Tadabbur (Pondering):
(Muhammad: 24)
4. Tafaqquh (To fully understand):
(Al-Ana ‘am: 65).
5. Tadhakkur (To bear in mind or to take into heart):
(Al-Baqarah: 221).
6. I’tibar (To learn, to take a lesson from the history of other nations and not to repeat the same faults they have done):
(al-‘Imran: 13).
7. Ta’aqqul (To use ones mind in the right way):
(Al-Hajj: 46).
8. Tawassum (To contemplate or reflect):
(Al-Hijr: 75)

Thinking Styles in Islamic and Western Perspectives

Thinking Styles in Islamic Perspectives
1. Inquisitive Thinking Style (Asking questions)
2. Objective Thinking Style (Means that expressing claims and judgments should be based on truth by giving proofs and evidences)
3. Positive Thinking Style (The Qur’an, in many verses, arguing believers not to loss hope in Allah.
4. Hypothetical Thinking (This style of thinking aims at increasing human intellect by exposing it to truth. There are verses telling us how Allah challenges the unbelievers. See: (Al-Tur: 35-36) See also (Yusuf: 26-27).
5. Rational Thinking (To think rationally about the creations and oneself in order to understand and affirm the existence of Allah, His oneness, His attributes and that He is the only one that deserves to be worshiped
6. Reflective/ Contemplative Thinking (Means to contemplate and reflect upon the message of the Qur’an. (See: Sad: 29).
7. Visual Thinking (The Qur’an tells us the story of what will happen in the Day of Judgment to visualize it in our mind that this fact will happen as Allah described. (Al-Hajj: 1-2).
8. Metaphorical Thinking (Metaphor is a device for seeing something in terms of something else). (Al-Zumar: 29).
9. Analogical Thinking (Can be in the way of comparing two things. In the Qur’an, Allah compares between Good words and bad ones for believers to analyze what is better for them. ((Ibrahim: 24-25).
10. Emotional Thinking (This thinking style can be found in many places in the Qur’an, where expression is used to touch the heart of the readers or listeners). (Al-Nisa: 27) See also (Al-Baqarah: 186).
11. Wishful Thinking (The Qur’an uses this style of thinking when describing other people who wish to live longer (i.e. Jews) more than others). (See: Al-Baqarah: 96).

Thinking Styles in Western Perspectives (De Bono's Six Hats)

White hat (Blank sheet): Information & reports, facts and figures (objective)
Red hat (Fire): Intuition, opinion & emotion, feelings (subjective)
Yellow hat (Sun): Praise, positive aspects, why it will work (objective)
Black hat (Judge's robe): Criticism, judgment, negative aspects, modus tollens (objective)
Green hat (Plant): Alternatives, new approaches & 'everything goes', idea generation & provocations (speculative/creative)
Blue hat (Sky): "Big Picture," "Conductor hat," "Meta hat," "thinking about thinking", overall process (overview)

The Importance of Thinking

Thinking is considered as “Ibadah” which mean worshiping to Allah. The person who thinks the creations around him/her appreciates and acknowledges the power of its Creator, the Almighty Allah with full of sincerity “Ikhlas”, good intention and good purposes; this will be rewarded by Allah. Abbas Al-‘Aqad, considers “Tafkir” or thinking as an Islamic obligation. (Bakkar, Abdul Karim: (Al-Tafkir Faridhatun Islamiyyah).
To overcome the challenges facing by the Ummah thinking is important, because there are sunan or divine principles, which govern the human life, which only through thinking could be explored and discovered.
Thinking or Ijtihad is also necessary for Islamic values to be put in practice, such as the following:
Shurah or Mutual Consultation:
Since life is becoming more complicated there is a great need now to think to improve and enhance the ways of implementing Shurah and to crystallize this great value in new organized forms in order to be relevant to contemporary issues.
The Unity of the Ummah:
The Ummah needs continues thinking and discussion on the causes of the existing Muslims disunity in order to avoid it. Also we should think about suitable frames of Unity which fit the complicated conditions that we are facing.
Helping the Needy:
Helping the needy is on of the great Islamic values, which is encouraged by the Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah says: (And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind) (Al-Ma’idah: 32). Because of the desire to get reward, this value lasted in practice in the Muslim society. But contemporary challenges such as wars, flood, earthquakes, drought, poverty… etc. necessitates more effective and organized efforts in order to overcome those challenges. Thinking is the keyword again.

Barriers of Thinking

There are many factors that hinder people from thinking. These hindrances may detain a person from thinking and seeing the truth. In this respect, it is important that everyone identify the factors that affect them negatively, and be rid of them. Otherwise, one cannot see the real face of the life of this world, and that might bring great loss in the hereafter. In the Qur’an, Allah tells us the situation of those people who are accustomed to think superficially: (They know an outward aspect of the life of this world but are heedless of the hereafter. Have they not reflected within themselves? Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them except with truth and for a fixed term. Yet many people reject the meeting with their Lord) (Al-Rum: 7-8). These are some reasons that prevent thought:

1. Following the Majority Causes Mental Numbness:

According to Harun Yahya in his book “Deep Thinking”, one of the issues that mislead people most of their belief that what the “majority” does is right. Man is usually inclined to accept what he is taught by the people around him, rather finding the truth by thinking. (p.27).
In logic, this is called appeal to people which is considered a fallacy in reasoning. In Islam, Allah has denounced any attempt to hold a view only because others hold it as well. Allah says: (Meaning: And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie) (Al-An’Am: 116). The concept of Ijma’ (consensus) in Islamic Law is quite different from this blind adherence to what others believe in. Ijma’ is based on hard evidence from general understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah which pushes considerable number of scholars to adopt the same view on the matter at hand.

2. Mental Indolence:

Mental indolence is another factor that keeps the majority of the people from thinking. Because of mental indolence, people do everything the way they have always seen and to which they are used. To give an example from our daily lives, the way housewives do the cleaning is just how they have seen their mothers do it. They generally do not think, “How could things be done in a cleaner and more practical way” nor try to find new methods of cleaning.

3. Conditioned Response that “Thinking Too Much is Not Good”:

There is convection prevalent in society that deep thought is not good. People warn one another saying “doesn’t think so much, you will lose your mind”. This is surely nothing but superstition invented by people who are remote from religion. People should not avoid thinking Harun Hahya argued.

4. Avoiding the Responsibility that Thinking Brings:

Most people think that they might be able to evade various responsibility by avoiding thinking and setting their brain to work on certain issues. By doing so in the world, they succeed in holding themselves aloof from many subjects. One of the greatest ways in which people are deceived, however, is in their supposition that they can escape their responsibility to their Lord by not thinking. This is the main reason according to Harun Yahya why people do not think about death and life after death. If man thinks, he adds, that he will die one day and remembers that there is an eternal life after death; he will necessarily have to strive strenuously for his life after death. Without thinking about the existence of the here hereafter is a great self-deception, and if a man does not attain truth in this world by thinking, he will understand, with death, that there is no escape for him. Allah says: (The stupor of death will come in truth. (And it is said unto him): That is what you were trying to evade! The trumpet is blown. That is the day of the threat) (Qaf: 19-20).

5. Shortage of Time:

Majority of the people spend their whole live in a “rush”. When they reach a certain age, they have to work and look after themselves and their families. They call this “the struggle of life” and complain that they have no time for anything as they have to rush around in this struggle. In this so-called “shortage of time”, thinking is one of the things for which they cannot spare any time. Therefore, they are swept away wherever the flow of their daily lives takes them. In this way of life, they become insensitive to events taking place around them. Finally this “shortage of time” hinder them thinking of their final destination, the Hereafter.

Comprehension Questions

1) Define the concept of Thinking.
2) What is the difference between Tafkir and Tafakkur?
3) Give at least five synonyms of thinking that used by the Qur’an.
4) Why thinking is important in Islam?
5) Why Yellow Hat Thinking is important to the leader?
6) Green Hat Thinking is said to be good for the researcher. Why? Give the Reason,
7) Why emotion can affect our thinking? Give the three reasons “under Red Hat Thinking”.
8) Do some Green Hat Thinking on: Creating a new television series.
9) What are some reasons prevent us from thinking? And why we need to get rid of them in our lives?
10) Give your comment on the importance if Ijtihad for the Ummah?

Selected Readings:

· Dr. Jamal Badi. Creative Thinking: An Islamic Perspective. Kuala Lumpur: Research Center, IIUM, 2nd Edit., 2005.
· Harun Yahya. Deep Thinking. U.K: Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd, Fist Edition, 2000.
· Webster’s New Dictionary. 2nd College Edition, 1986.