KUALA LUMPUR: The Islamic holy month of Ramadan, commemorating the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad, has arrived.

It is the third pillar of Islam and the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which Muslims across the world observe a strict fast from dawn until sunset each day.

There is more to this holy month for the Muslims than just the act of keeping and breaking the fast. They should abstain from acts that nullify the fast, such as inappropriate use of the social media, experts said.

Commenting on the issue, a lecturer at the Department of Quran and Hadith Studies, International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), Mohamad Haeqal Ishak said basically, Muslims are urged to not cause harm to others in any manner, as such actions are deemed sinful, especially when directed towards fellow Muslims who are regarded as brothers and sisters within the faith.

“As stated by Prophet Muhammad SAW, ‘A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And a Muhajir (emigrant) is the one who gives up (abandons) all what Allah has forbidden’,” he told Bernama.

According to him, these include cyberbullying or posting offensive comments on social media toward fellow Muslims.

“What’s worse if such actions or behaviours are taking place during Ramadan, a month full with barakah (blessings),” he added.

Committing a sin during Ramadan, he said, shows that the individual does not respect the holy month when other Muslims are striving to obtain the most barakah (blessings) from the holy month, with the hope of attaining great rewards as promised by Allah SWT.

“Unfortunately, the holy month is marred by offensive and harmful acts by certain quarters. As such, Muslims should observe Ramadan in accordance with Islam’s spiritual objectives and teachings. By avoiding the prohibitions and focus more on their faith, Muslims can experience a truly transformative and spiritually uplifting Ramadan.

“It would be a waste for those who experienced hunger and thirst daily during Ramadan to end up as ‘bankrupt’ in Allah’s eyes due to the sins they committed such as gossiping, mocking and defaming others.

“It was narrated from Abu Hurairah RA, the Prophet said: “Many people who fast get nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst, and many people who pray at night get nothing from it except wakefulness.” (Ibnu Majah 1690). As such, don’t be a Muslim who wasted their fasting through their actions and behaviours that nullify their fast,” he added.

BEWARE OF CONTENT SHARING

As such, it is incumbent upon all Muslims, who are still hooked on social media, to ensure they only share positive content as a mark of respect during the holy month of Ramadan.

Mohamad Haeqal said the concept of ‘ihsan’ (excellency in deeds and charity) is a matter of taking one’s inner faith and showing it in both deeds and actions, a sense of social responsibility borne from religious convictions.

“Muslims who are ‘ihsan’ will always be aware that Allah is Ever-Watchful and knows Allah is watching everything under every circumstance. This should make us more aware of Allah’s rights over us and of our duty towards Him.

“They are always aware that two angels (malaikat), on the right and the left, record their deeds. Hence it is important to be careful with what we do in our daily lives. Besides that, being fair and just, we will be able to reflect on what we have done to others, it’s as though we can feel their pain and suffering, to the extent that we can no longer bear to do injustice to others in the future.

“Such acts include typing and writing words that could hurt other people’s feelings,” he said.

According to the lecturer, if Muslims understand ‘jalal’ (majesty), one of Allah’ attributes (greatness), they would definitely realise that every bad deed will be judged and punished by Allah in the hereafter.

“Are we prepared to be tormented in the blazing and horrifying fire in hell while even a slight fever, we become lethargic. Is it worth it when with just several words (posted online), we will be tormented in hell for thousands of years? If we reflect on this issue, we wouldn’t dare to do it or for that matter hurt others from any aspect and form,” he said.

As such, he said, the best practices that will reap ‘pahala’ (rewards) from Allah are from good deeds, namely through ethical words and writing.

“Those who promote good ethics through words and writing will be rewarded (by Allah) based on their dakwah outreach activities.

“Besides making it a practice to multiply reciting the Quran in the blessed Ramadan, the Muslim community can perform their acts of worship together. Stop wasting time on activities that will not bring benefits in terms of gaining rewards during Ramadan, such as idle chat or writing negative stuff,” he said.

APPRECIATING RAMADAN

Ibadah (acts of worship), which encompasses the notion of devotion and submission to Allah, said Mohamad Haeqal, has many benefits that can be gained individually or collectively.

Individually, he said, fasting is a form of physical training and can strengthen a Muslim’s spiritual connection with Allah.

According to him, fasting imparts sympathy to the poor for whom hunger is a common experience, adding that fasting also provides the body with an opportunity to detoxify and cleanse itself.

“From the spiritual aspect, Muslims are not only trained to exercise self-restraint from all actions that invalidate the fast but also towards other matters that could reduce their rewards from fasting.

“Qanaaah’, an attitude of being grateful for what Allah has given and feeling content with it all, is developed through Muraqabah al-Nafs’ (mindful of our ego),” he added.

Collectively, he said Muslims should realise that fasting is a way of appreciating the concept of being grateful and ihsan as fasting trains an individual to empathise the sufferings of our impoverished fellow Muslims, especially Palestinians in Gaza, who are currently faced with food insecurity as well as security and health threats.

“Muslims who truly appreciate this will be more grateful and practise the ihsan concept as well as not waste their time; instead, they will be at the forefront in helping the needy,” he said.

MORE EMPATHY

Meanwhile, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Media and Communication Studies, Universiti Malaya, Dr Mohamad Saleeh Rahamad said ethical language does not merely apply during Ramadan, but it should be observed by every individual in their daily lives and that society should be on guard against the use of abusive or foul language.

“In the Malay culture, the phrase ‘budi bahasa’ (virtues) is uttered as one word, which means a noble person who protects his language as a mark of high integrity,” he said.

He said that today, social media serves as a platform for expressing opinions and allowing news to be shared freely given the absence of a gatekeeper, and as such users are free to showcase their “expertise” on any issues as part of their psyche or to reflect their state of mind.

“They should think before writing as it can affect other people’s feelings. If there is obscenity, defamation or provocation that can result in animosity, this is not just considered a sin but can also have an adverse impact on the community,” he explained.

Asked about the attitude of keyboard warriors who express aggressive or controversial opinions online while hiding behind anonymity during Ramadan, Mohamad Saleeh said, the desire to air their opinions becomes uncontrolled when an individual regards fasting as routine or ritual.

For example, writers, who specialise in whatever field or genre, must realise that as long as their actions have a negative impact on others, they will continue to be burdened with sins.

“Those who don’t appreciate the true meaning of fasting will find it difficult to exercise self-restraint without being controlled by a visible authority,” he added.

“Writers for example, if they leave their writing that can have a bad influence on readers, their sins will multiply. As such, leave positive writing for readers as that will be their harvest in the afterlife what they sow in this world,” he added.

FASTING, GOOD TRAINING

According to Mohamad Saleeh, the restraint and devotion felt during Ramadan will make them better Muslims as they are expected to strive to make those feelings and attitudes stay and carry over during their ‘normal lives.’

“During fasting, there are prohibitions and without questions asked, they must obey.

“This means that the servants of Allah must obey Him without questioning His intention or reasons why He placed the commands for us to follow. If there’s a secret or blessing from health or other aspects, that’s a bonus.

“What’s important is fasting trains Muslims to obey Allah’s command without any human control. For example, while we can eat at a place that is hidden from the public, we won’t eat as obedience to the command of Allah is an obligatory duty,” he said.

While resisting the urge to convey thoughts with negative vibes during Ramadan, he said, that people should embrace empathy.

“What if we are being condemned and defamed through other people’s writing, how do we feel? Obviously, we will be hurt, angry and want to retaliate. Similarly, others who bear the brunt of our actions will also retaliate. Think 10 times before writing something negative as its effects will not stop and in fact, the consequences will be prolonged,” he added. – Bernama

Source: The Star

12 Mac 2024 11:40am

KUALA LUMPUR – Hari ini 12 Mac, umat Islam di Malaysia menyambut 1 Ramadan, bulan yang dinanti-nantikan untuk menunaikan ibadah puasa dan pastinya ramai yang berlumba-lumba mengumpul pahala sepanjang sebulan menunaikan Rukun Islam ke-3.

Bukan sahaja menahan lapar dan dahaga tetapi juga banyak lagi perkara yang perlu dijaga termasuk pertuturan, tambahan dengan penggunaan berleluasa media sosial yang banyak mengandungi perkara yang boleh dikongsi dan mungkin hanya mendatangkan dosa.

Mengulas perkara ini, Pensyarah Jabatan Al-Quran dan Al-Hadith, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) Mohamad Haeqal Ishak berkata, pada asasnya, apa sahaja perbuatan buruk yang menyakitkan saudara muslim lain sama ada lahiriah atau batiniah, ia satu perbuatan dosa tidak kira bagaimana bentuk sekalipun perbuatan itu dilaksanakan berikutan seseorang muslim itu bersaudara.

“Sepertimana sabda Nabi Muhammad SAW, seseorang muslim ke atas muslim lain perlu dipastikan selamat daripada melakukan kejahatan lidah serta tangannya, ” katanya kepada Bernama.

Menurut beliau, ia termasuk perbuatan buli siber atau menghamburkan kata-kata yang tidak enak melalui media sosial kepada saudara kita yang lain. Lebih-lebih lagi apabila perbuatan itu dilakukan pada bulan Ramadan yang penuh dengan kemuliaan dan keberkatan,” tambahnya.

Melakukan dosa di bulan mulia, kata beliau, menunjukkan seseorang itu tidak menghormati kehormatan bulan Ramadan di saat umat Islam lain berlumba-lumba mengerjakan kebaikan dan mengejar pahala atau ganjaran berlipat ganda yang dijanjikan oleh ALLAH SWT.

“Namun begitu terdapat sebilangan yang memilih untuk mengotori keindahan bulan ini dengan perbuatan nista dan binasa.

“Justeru seorang muslim haruslah meninggalkan perkara terbabit demi menjamin kesempurnaan pahala berpuasa mereka di sisi ALLAH. Amat rugilah mereka yang seharian kepenatan dalam lapar dan dahaga pada akhirnya menjadi seorang yang muflis di sisi ALLAH disebabkan dosanya mengumpat, mengeji dan memburuk-burukkan orang lain.

“Dalam sebuah hadis yang diriwayatkan oleh Abu Hurairah RA, Rasulullah SAW bersabda: “Boleh jadi orang yang berpuasa itu tidak mendapat apa-apa daripada puasanya melainkan lapar dan boleh jadi orang yang berqiyam itu tidak mendapat apa-apa daripada qiyamnya melainkan hanya berjaga malam”. (Riwayat Ibnu Majah, no. Hadith 1690). Justeru, janganlah menjadi seorang muslim yang sia-sia dan mensia-siakan amalannya,” katanya.

Menurut Mohamad Haeqal, konsep ihsan adalah suatu konsep yang berupaya memastikan kebertanggungjawaban seseorang umat terhadap apa sahaja perbuatan yang dilakukan.

“Muslim yang ihsan akan sentiasa berasa dirinya diperhatikan oleh Allah yang Maha Melihat sehingga dirinya tidak akan tergamak melakukan sebarang perbuatan mungkar dan keji. Insan beragama Islam yang ihsan juga tahu bahawa dirinya kelak akan dipertanggungjawabkan terhadap apa sahaja tindak tanduknya di atas muka bumi.

“Mereka sentiasa sedar bahawa di sisinya sentiasa diapit oleh dua malaikat pencatat amalan. Maka penting menjaga tindak tanduk kehidupan seharian kita. Selain itu sifat ihsan juga membuatkan kita merenung kedudukan orang yang kita zalimi sehingga seolah-olah kita dapat merasai betapa sakitnya dizalimi sehingga kita tidak akan sanggup untuk berlaku zalim lagi.

“Ini termasuk kesanggupan kita untuk menaip dan menulis perkataan yang tidak enak yang boleh menyinggung perasaan orang lain,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, seandainya muslimin dan muslimat mengenali sifat ‘jalal’ (keagungan) ALLAH, sudah tentu akan menyedari bahawa setiap amalan buruk seseorang itu akan dihakimi dan dihukumi oleh Allah kelak.

“Apakah kita sanggup berhadapan dengan azab neraka menggerunkan sedangkan sekadar demam sahaja kita sudah menjadi lemah dan lelah. Berbaloi ke ketikan beberapa perkataan jahat kita itu ditimbal balik dengan ribuan tahun seksaan di neraka? Seandainya kita merenung perkara ini nescaya tidak ada yang sanggup berbuat demikian apatah lagi menyakiti orang lain dari apa-apa segi dan bentuk pun,” katanya.

Justeru, katanya, amalan meningkat gandaan pahala menerusi perkataan dan penulisan di bulan Ramadan amat dituntut dengan membanyakkan berbuat baik.

“Mereka yang mengajak kepada kebaikan melalui perkataan dan penulisan akan memperoleh manfaat pahala seluas sebaran dakwahnya itu.

“Selain melipatgandakan amalan membaca Al-Quran yang menjadi keutamaan di bulan Ramadan, masyarakat juga boleh mengajak sahabat melakukan ibadat bersama-sama. Meninggalkan perkara yang tidak berfaedah juga suatu kebaikan termasuk meninggalkan perbualan yang sia-sia atau penulisan yang melalaikan serta buruk,” katanya.

HAYATI RAMADAN

Setiap ibadah yang difardhukan oleh Allah, menurut Mohamad Haeqal, menyimpan pelbagai hikmah sama ada untuk dihayati penilaiannya secara individu atau kolektif.

Secara individu, katanya, berpuasa adalah suatu bentuk latihan fizikal dan juga mengukuhkan kerohanian dalaman seseorang muslim.

Individu dibiasakankan untuk berhadapan dengan cabaran lapar dan dahaga melalui amalan berpuasa dan ibadah ini juga memberi kerehatan kepada tubuh badan manusia serta peluang untuk perut membersihkan segala isi kotorannya.

“Dari sudut kerohanian, umat Islam bukan hanya dilatih untuk mengawal nafsu daripada segala perkara yang membatalkan puasa bahkan terhadap perkara yang mengurangkan pahala puasa. Sikap berpada (qanaaah), bersyukur dan bersabar dibentuk melalui latihan ‘Muraqabah al-Nafs’ (pengawalan manusia terhadap nafsunya),” tambah Mohamad Haeqal.

Secara kolektifnya, kata beliau, umat Islam seharusnya menyedari bahawa puasa itu adalah suatu penghayatan ke atas konsep kesyukuran dan ihsan kerana berpuasa mengajar seseorang untuk mengerti penderitaan saudara-saudara yang serba kekurangan dan yang diuji dengan ujian rezeki, keselamatan dan kesihatan sepertimana yang dialami oleh rakyat Palestin sekarang.

“Seharusnya masyarakat Islam yang benar-benar menghayati perkara ini akan lebih bersyukur dan bersikap ihsan, tidak membazir dan menjadi lebih keterhadapan dalam membantu mereka yang dalam kesusahan, ” katanya.

LEBIH EMPATI

Sementara itu, Pensyarah Kanan Jabatan Pengajian Media dan Komunikasi Universiti Malaya, Dr Mohamad Saleeh Rahamad berkata, sepatutnya penggunaan bahasa yang baik bukan hanya dituntut dalam bulan Ramadan sahaja namun pada setiap masa manusia dituntut untuk menjaga lidah daripada dicemari bahasa yang cabul.

“Dalam budaya Melayu, frasa ‘budi bahasa’ diungkapkan serentak yang bermakna peribadi orang mulia itu menjaga bahasanya sebagai tanda ketinggian budi,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, ketika ini, media sosial sudah menjadi medan luahan pandangan yang mengghairahkan berikutan tidak ada kawalan atau dalam istilah media tiada pengampang maklumat, dengan itu membuatkan pengguna bebas menonjolkan “kepandaian” dengan berkata tentang apa-apa sahaja demi memenuhi psike atau situasi jiwa mereka.

“Sepatutnya mereka berfikir sebelum menulis kerana kesannya melibatkan perasaan orang lain. Jika ada kecabulan, fitnah serta provokasi yang boleh mengakibatkan perseteruan yang tidak betul jalannya, bukan hanya dosa yang diperoleh bahkan kesan buruk dalam masyarakat,” jelasnya.

Ditanya berhubung sikap sesetengah individu seperti “jiwa kacau” ketika berlaku sesuatu isu yang menarik perhatian umum dan jari begitu laju menghentam sesuatu yang berlaku itu sedangkan diketahui ia perlu dikawal semasa menjalankan ibadah puasa, Mohamad Saleeh berkata, nafsu untuk memberikan pandangan tidak lagi terkawal apabila seseorang itu berpuasa yang dianggap sekadar rutin atau ritual.

“Tanpa penghayatan makna puasa itu sendiri, tentulah sukar bagi seseorang untuk mengawal diri tanpa dikawal oleh kuasa yang tampak nyata. Seorang penulis walau dalam bidang atau genre apa-apa pun, perlu sedar bahawa selagi perbuatan mereka melibatkan kesan buruk pada orang lain maka dosanya berterusan.

“Bagi penulis misalnya, sekiranya mereka meninggalkan karya cabul yang merosakkan fikiran pembaca, selama-lamanya dosanya bercambah. Maka tinggalkanlah karya yang murni kepada pembaca kerana itu bakal menjadi saham akhirat bagi mereka,” katanya.

PUASA LATIHAN JADI BAIK

Menurut Mohamad Saleeh, penghayatan sebenar yang perlu diabadikan umat Islam ketika menunaikan ibadah berpuasa ialah memahami bahawa puasa adalah latihan untuk manusia menjadi baik dan taat kepada Allah.

“Ketika berpuasa, ada perkara halal yang dilarang, dan tanpa soal jawab, itu mesti dipatuhi. Maknanya, makhluk Allah mesti menurut perintah Allah tanpa banyak usul periksa. Jika ada rahsia atau hikmah dari segi kesihatan apa aspek lain, itu hanya bonus.

“Yang lebih utama, puasa mendidik manusia mematuhi perintah Allah walaupun tanpa kawalan manusia. Misalnya, walaupun kita boleh makan di tempat terlindung daripada pandangan awam, kita tidak akan makan demi perintah Allah,” katanya.

Dalam mengawal jari-jemari agar tidak menulis atau menaip perkara tidak baik semasa Ramadan, beliau berkata, masyarakat perlu bersikap empati.

“Andaikan kita dikutuk, dikecam, dan difitnah melalui tulisan orang lain, apa kita rasa ? Tentulah kita sakit hati, marah, dan mahu bertindak balas. Itu jugalah yang dirasakan oleh orang yang kita kecam barangkali mereka juga akan bertindak balas. Fikirlah 10 kali sebelum menulis sesuatu yang cabul kerana kesannya tidak akan berhenti malahan bersinambungan,” katanya. – Bernama

Sumber asal: Sinar Harian