35 Petua Pelajar Cemerlang

Oleh Dato’ Dr Hj Mohd Fadzilah Kamsah


1. Menggunakan kedua-dua belah otak kanan & kiri. Ini dapat dilakukan dengan membuat aktiviti merangsang kedua-dua belah otak tersebut.
2. Merangsang kesemua deria dalam pembelajaran. Kajian menunjukkan bahawa:

* kita ingat 10 % apayang dibaca
* kita ingat 20% apa yang didengar
* kita ingat 50 % apa yang didengar & dilihat
* kita ingat 70% apa yang dicakapkan
* kita ingat 90% setelah dipraktikkan
3. Belajar secara aktif dengan pen/pensil ditangan.
4. Belajar 3 jam sehari atau 20 jam seminggu (tidak termasuk kerja rumah).


…Tahu memberi ganjaran kepada diri sendiri selepas belajar seperti membaca surat khabar, melawat rakan dan sebagainya….


5. Belajar dalam persekitaran kondusif.
* pastikan cahaya adalah terang
* kurangkan gangguan bunyi
* tampal poster yang mengandungi slogan yang menaikkan semangat belajar
* tampal gambar-gambar yang menenangkan fikiran
* kerusi dan meja menghadap kiblat
* jangan lupa untuk senyum
6. Tidak ponteng kelas. Kalau tertinggal kelas, salin nota dari rakan.
7. Mengulang kaji menggunakan kaedah ‘output learning’ iaitu belajar untuk melatih otak menggunakan maklumat yang terkumpul. Ini dapat dilakukan dengan membaca buku/nota, ingat kembali, lakar/tulis, sebut apa yang difahami, dan jawab soalan.
8. Tahu teknik merangsang memori:
* memasukkan maklumat dalam memori (registration)
* menyimpan maklumat dalam sel memori (retention)
* mengingat kembali (recall)
* menggunakan maklumat untuk menjawab soalan atau kegunaan lain (application)
9. Sentiasa awal dan mendahului:
* persediaan awal akan memberikan permulaan yang baik dan memberi tanggapan yang positif pada guru.
* pelajar yang mendapat A pada ujian lazimnya akan dapat mengekalkan kejayaannya.
* belajar awal ketika tiada tekanan adalah tidak membosankan.
* untuk sentiasa awal dan mendahului, bacalah dahulu sekali atau 2 kali sebelum guru mengajar.
10. Berbuat baik dengan guru. Setiasa hormati dan sayangi guru.
11. Mempunyai teknik membaca yang betul:
* duduk dengan tegak & bernafas dengan betul
* memberikan tumpuan sepanuhnya
* menggunakan jari telunjuk untuk membaca
* menyesuaikan kelajuan membaca dengan kesukaran bahan bacaan
12. Sentiasa mengawasi pencuri waktu belajar iaitu angan-angan kosong, bertangguh & malas.
13. Membaca doa penerang hati setiap kali selepas sembahyang, sebelum mengulangkaji, dan sebelum menghadapi peperiksaan.
14. Tidak membuang masa dengan belajar ketika letih.
15. Mengadakan rehat sebentar setiap 20 minit mengulangkaji.
16. Belajar mengikut waktu yang sesuai dengan diri (study according to your biological clock). Bagaimanapun, perlu tahu waktu-waktu yang sesuai untuk belajar iaitu sebelum tidur, selepas bangun tidur, selepas mandi air panas, selepas baca al-quran/zikir selepas riadah dan selepas berdoa.
17. Mengulang kaji secepat mungkin. Ulang kaji ringkas selepas belajar (kita akan lupa 80% selepas belajar).
18. Mengulang kaji secara bersendirian atau berkumpulan.
19. Tahu mengulang kaji adalah aktiviti pembelajaran terpenting sebelum peperiksaan.
20. Mengulang kaji pelajaran berulang-ulang kali.
21. Mengulang kaji apabila mulai terlupa.
22. Tahu petua mengulang kaji
* cari tempat yang tenang dan serasi dengan jiwa kita
* siapkan semua ‘bekalan’ dengan sempurna
* duduk tegak dikerusi yang selesa
* baca doa penerang hati
* baca buku atau nota mengikut teknik membaca yang betul
* fikir dan ingat kembali isi utama
* catat/lakar
* semak semula ketepatan maklumat
* ulang sebut atau ceritakan pada orang lain
* buat rumusan
* jawab soalan
* tampal maklumat yang rumit di dinding
* baca doa tanda kesyukuran selepas belajar
23. Tahu memberi ganjaran kepada diri sendiri selepas beajar seperti membaca surat khabar, melawat rakan dan sebagainya.
24. Tahu petua-petua agar tidak lupa:
* jangan makan kepala ikan
* jangan makan organ dalaman
* jangan minum semasa makan
* jangan minum atau makan makanan yang tercemar oleh semut
* jangan melihat kemaluan
* jangan melihat buih
* jangan membaca nama pada batu nisan
* banyakkan makan makanan yang mengandungi soya seperti tempe, tauhu dan lain-lain
* banyakkan makan kismis, kurma dan madu
* banyakkan makan kekacang
* pakai minyak wangi ketika belajar atau menghadapi peperiksaan
* jangan makan sehingga terlalu kenyang
* jangan kencing berdiri
25. Tahu kemahiran mengingat:
* tampal nota-nota penting di dinding
* tukar perkataan, ayat atau definisi dalam bentuk gambar atau rajah
* gunakan kaedah akronim
* reka cerita atau ayat mengenai konsep yang perlu diingat
* pecahkan maklumat kepada kumpulan kecil
26. Cekap mengatur jadual belajar:
* mempunyai jadual belajar
* patuh kepada jadual
* buat jadual yang boleh diikuti
27. Tidak menangguh belajar pada saat akhir dan tidak menumpukan peperiksaan sebagai dorongan untuk belajar.
28. Cari maklumat mengenai subjek yang tidak diketahui. Sediakan perkara-perkara yang tidak diketahui dan dapatkan penyelesaian dari orang yang lebih arif.
29. Membina kepelbagaian dalam pembelajaran. Sebagai contoh, satu hari dipelbagaikan cara dan topik untuk belajar.
30. Menggunakan masa terluang untuk mengulang kaji atau mencuri masa.
31. Membawa nota ke mana-mana sahaja (kecuali ke tandas).
32. Pelbagaikan tempat belajar.
33. Menyedari guru-guru adalah sumber ilmu yang baik. Tanya guru apabila tidak faham
34. Menjadikan nota-nota menarik seperti membuat corak, menggariskan isi penting dan sebagainya.
35. Ciri-ciri pelajar cemerlang:
* taat kepada Allah
* mendirikan sembahyang
* menghormati kedua ibu bapa dan sentiasa mendoakan mereka
* hormati & sayangi guru
* bersungguh-sungguh dalam melakukan kerja untuk mencapai kecemerlangan.
* suka pada setiap mata pelajaran yang dipelajari
* membantu rakan yang memerlukan
* berdoa dan bersyukur kepada Allah
* sentiasa bertawakal
* mahir dalam setiap mata pelajaran


Kita juga perlu ingat pelajar yang cemerlang, adalah juga cemerlang pada akhlak dan tingkah lakunya dan seimbang dalam kehidupannya. Kecemerlangan pelajar bukan semata-mata dilihat pada nilai akademiknya sahaja. Semoga bermanfaat.

http://feryco.com/35-petua-pelajar-cemerlang

Memo From A Child To Parents

1. Don't spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not to have all I ask for. I'm only testing you.

2. Don't be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it, it makes me feel secure.

3. Don't let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.

4. Don't make me feel smaller than I am. It only makes me behave stupidly "big".

5. Don't correct me in front of people if you can help it. I'll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private.

6. Don't make me feel that my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.

7. Don't protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way sometimes.

8. Don't be too upset when I say "I hate you". Sometimes it isn't you I hate but your power to thwart me.

9. Don't take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get me the attention I need.

10. Don't nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.

11. Don't forget that I cannot explain myself as well as I should like. That is why I am not always accurate.

12. Don't put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you will find that I stop asking and seek my information elsewhere.

13. Don't be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.

14. Don't tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand.

15. Don't ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither.

16. Don't ever think that it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm towards you.

17. Don't forget I love experimenting. I couldn't get along without it, so please put up with it.

18. Don't forget how quickly I am growing up. It must be very difficult for you to keep pace with me, but please do try.

19. Don't forget that I don't thrive without lots of love and understanding, but I don't need to tell you, do I?

20. Please keep yourself fit and healthy. I need you.          
                                    
 (Reprinted with permission from The Message International, June 1991, p. 40)

What Skills Create Successful Readers?

• Written By: Jodie Maher
• 29-11-2010
• Categorized in: The Learning Blog

The process of learning to read is quite complex. There are so many skills children are required to know to read successfully, including understanding what letters, sounds, words and sentences are; the grammar conventions and punctuation (just to name a few).
                                    
There are a number of behaviours that show us that our child is learning to read. These include:

• Directional movement – children know how to read from left to right and then move to the next line – that is they follow the words on the page correctly.

• Children read for meaning – children are able to tell if what they are reading makes sense.

• One to one matching – children are able to match a written word with a spoken word – here they are not skipping large chunks of text.

• Self monitoring – children are able to tell when they have read something wrong.

• Searching – children are able to look for the information they need to help them read – they look at the print (what the word looks like), the language structure (how the sentence is written) and the content (what the story is about). They know they can also use the pictures to help out. That is if they are not sure of a word they can work it out through the meaning of the text, letters used or the way it is written.

• Self correction – children are able to use all of the above to correct any mistakes they make when reading.

If your children are developing some of these behaviours then they are on their way to becoming successful, independent readers

GOAL SETTING

What are your goals? Really, what are your goals? Do you want to lose 10 pounds, have shinier hair, land that cute guy in your Algebra class, or get an “A” in basket weaving?  Goals are important for everyone and identifying them up front helps you keep your eye on the prize.

Why set goals? Life is tremendously varied. At any given moment, there are thousands of things you could do. When you're driving, you could turn left, turn right, speed up, slam on the brakes, stop for lunch, stop for gas, decide to drive to Alaska to see what Kodiak bears look like, and on and on. But what is it that keeps you from ending up in Alaska every time you get into your car? Why don't you end up at random locations all the time? The answer is that you got into your car with a clear idea of where you wanted to go. You knew at the beginning.

Life is the same way. If you know at the beginning where you want to go, you'll probably get there. Even if detours and delays arise, eventually you'll get there. But if you don't know where you're going, you probably won't get there.

It might help to divide your goals into time frames (immediate goals, short-mid-term goals, and long-range goals).  You don't have to have firm answers to those gripping questions about what you want to be or do when you're done at college to make this work; your goals are likely to shift and change over time anyway. All you need to do right now is think of a handful of goals to get started. Write down a list of goals now before reading further.

Take a look at your list of goals. How many of the tasks you intend to do today contribute to accomplishing the goals you have set for yourself? Are you actively working on these goals? Are you putting any of them off for a later time? What would you have to change in your life to make it possible to work on these goals?
Sub-dividing those goals into manageable pieces can help.  Once you have a set of goals, it is useful to decompose the goals into manageable steps or sub-goals. Decomposing your goals makes it possible to tackle them one small step at a time and to reduce procrastination.

Consider for instance the goal of obtaining your degree. This goal can be broken down into four sub-goals. Each sub-goal is the successful completion of one year of your program. These sub-goals can be further broken down into individual courses within each year. The courses can be broken down into tests, exams, term papers and such within the course or into the 13 weeks of classes in each term.  Each week can be further subdivided into days, and each day can be thought of in terms of the hours and minutes you'll spend in your classes and doing homework for today.

While it may seem challenging to take in the whole scope of that convergent goal, thinking of your goals in this way helps to reinforce the idea that there is a connected path linking what actions you take today and the successful completion of your goals. Seeing these connections can help you monitor your own progress and detect whether you are on track or not. Take some time now to think through the goals you've set and to break them down into their smaller constituent parts.

Now that you have a list of goals, pre-experience them in your mind. Visualizing the steps you will take to obtain the goal increases the probability of actually reaching it. Successful athletes pre-experience over and over in their minds how they are going to perform in a game so they can be at their peak effectiveness once the game begins.

        
One mistake made in seeking a goal is to focus so much on reaching the goal that we fail to enjoy the process of getting to it. We enjoy life more when we find satisfaction in our immediate efforts rather than thinking how nice it is going to be when we finally arrive at our distant goal.

For example, we enjoy a trip more if we decide to take an interest in the landmarks along the way rather than just enduring the ride until we arrive at our destination. Similarly, we enjoy a class more if we explore the content beyond what is required rather than just do the bare minimum to pass the class.
        
Don’t make the mistake of setting unrealistic goals or having so many that it is impossible to reach them. We frequently do this at the beginning of the semester. We soon become discouraged when we realize we have neither the time nor the energy to accomplish all of our goals. Recognizing our physical, mental and emotional limits is an important component to realistic goal setting.

Now that you have your goals in mind, the next step is walking the road toward achieving them.  That begins with time.  Let’s explore how to become aware of the time you have available to you

http://www.time-management-for-students.com/Goal_Setting.php

Bismillahir'rahman'nir-rahim.

Allahumma sali'ala sayyiddina Muhammadin wa 'ala alay sayyiddina Muhammadin wa barik wa salim.

"The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk, and the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows. So as for the seller of musk then either he will grant you some, or you buy some from him, or at least you enjoy a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows then either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from him."
~~~~~~~~~~~

Islam and the concept of Friendship

Humans are social creatures by nature; they're always in need of friends and companions. Most of our lives depend on interaction with others. Strong individuals are the core of a strong community, something that Muslims should always strive for.

We all know that Allah the Most High has brought us to life in order to test us. Thus we are here for a relatively short period of time and that we shall meet Allah one Day, so we need to use our present life for what is best for us in the hereafter. Once we know our purpose and our goal in life, we should seek ways to achieve them so as to benefit our own selves.

In an authentic Hadith, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend."

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) who has the most noble character and dealings with fellow humans gave us a very clear and simple message and advice in regard to friendship.

How should we choose our friends?

We should choose the friend that believes and abide by our religion (Islam) and gives great respect to what Allah and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has ordered us. And we should stay away from that who is not well mannered and gives no attention to what Islam is about or what pleases or displeases Allah, for he'll surely affect us negatively. There is no good in the companion drowns us in sins and displeasing Allah.

The bases for the actions of those who follow the evil ways are corrupt; their actions are built upon misguidance and deviation. Their deeds are worthless to them as Allah said:

"And We will proceed to what they have done of deeds, so We shall render them to scattered floating dust." Qur’an (25:23)

Their actions, even if we see them as righteous and noble are of no value to them, so how can they be useful to us?

Good friends are those who share their companions both happiness and sadness. If we share our feelings with the wrong-doers whose actions are worthless and based on corruption, then we are following the same ways and standards as they are, and we'll end up being as corrupted as they are, and then we're in a big trouble, how can we face Allah's dissatisfaction and displeasure?!

Instead of making friends with the misguided ones we should befriend the righteous, yet treat the rest in a gracious and just manner. Staying at sufficient distance is necessary; yet treating everybody in a noble and kind manner is required.

In another Hadith, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk, and the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows. So as for the seller of musk then either he will grant you some, or you buy some from him, or at least you enjoy a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows then either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from him."

When choosing our friends we should ask ourselves first: Are they going to help us achieve the purpose for which we were brought to life? or will they take us away from it? Will they desire for us Allah's pleasure or is that completely irrelevant to them and not their concern at all? Are they leading us to Paradise or to the Hell?

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"O you who believe! Take care of your own selves. If you follow the right guidance and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong no hurt can come to you from those who are in error. The return of you all is to Allah, then He will inform you about (all) that which you used to do." Qur'an (5:105)

Allahumma sali'ala sayyiddina Muhammadin wa 'ala alay sayyiddina Muhammadin wa barik wa salim. Rawdhina billahi Rabba wa bil'islaami deena wa bi'Muhammadin nabiyaa, wa akhirud'duana anil'hamdulillahi rabbil'alameen. Walaykumasalam wa rahmatullah

http://hidupkucahaya.blogspot.com/2009/07/tazkirah-in-english.html

Fadhilat atau Hikmah Wuduk

Kita sering melakukan wuduk iaitu ambil sembahyang ataupun ingin membaca al Quran. Tahukah kawan-kawan bahawa perbuatan wuduk itu mempunyai pengajaran yang tersirat disebalik perbuatan yang dilakukan.

Kita disarankan  setiap kali  mengambil wuduk supaya dalam hati kita berdoa sesuatu sebagaimana berikut;

1. Ketika berkumur, berniatlah kamu dengan, "Ya Allah, ampunilah dosa mulut dan lidahku ini".(Kita hari-hari bercakap benda-benda yang tak berfaedah)

2. Ketika membasuh muka, berniatlah kamu dengan, "Ya Allah, putihkanlah muka ku di akhirat kelak, Janganlah Kau hitamkan muka ku ini".(Ahli syurga mukanya putih berseri-seri)

3. Ketika membasuh tangan kanan, berniatlah kamu dengan,"Ya Allah, berikanlah hisab-hisab ku di tangan kanan ku ini".(Ahli syurga diberikan hisab-hisabnya di tangan kanan)

4. Ketika membasuh tangan kiri, berniatlah kamu dengan,"Ya Allah, janganlah Kau berikan hisab-hisab ku di tangan kiri ku ini".(Ahli neraka diberikan hisab-hisabnya di tangan kiri)

5. Ketika membasuh kepala, berniatlah kamu dengan,"Ya Allah, lindunganlah daku dari terik matahari di padang Masyar dengan Arasy Mu".(Panas di Padang Masyar macam matahari sejengkal di atas kepala)

6. Ketika membasuh telinga, berniatlah kamu dengan,"Ya Allah, ampunilah dosa telinga ku ini" .
(Hari-hari mendengar orang mengumpat, memfitnah dll)

7. Ketika membasuh kaki kanan, berniatlah kamu dengan."Ya Allah, permudahkanlah aku melintasi titian Siratul Mustaqqim".( Ahli syurga melintasi titian dengan pantas sekali)

8. Ketika membasuh kaki kiri, berniatlah kamu dengan,"Ya Allah, bawakanlah daku pergi ke masjid-masjid, surau-surau dan bukan tempat-tempat maksiat".(Qada' dan Qadar kita di tangan Allah)

Ramai di antara kita yang tidak sedar akan hakikat bahawa setiap yang dituntut dalam Islam mempunyai hikmahnya yang tersendiri. Pernahkah kita terfikir mengapa kita mengambil wuduk sedemikian rupa? Pernahkah kita terfikir segala hikmah yang kita perolehi dalam menghayati Islam? Pernahkah kita terfikir mengapa Allah lahirkan kita sebagai umat Islam? Bersyukurlah dan bertaubat selalu.

Kebersihan Jasmani

Rasulullah SAW bersabda:

"Barangsiapa yang telah memakan bawang merah, bawang putih dan kurrath, maka janganlah sesekali menghampiri masjid kita, kerana sesungguhnya malaikat merasa susah dari perkara yang menyakitkan manusia." (H.R Muslim)

Rasulullah SAW sangat melarang orang-orang yang makan sayuran yang berbau busuk supaya tidak menghampiri masjid supaya bau busuk mulut mereka tidak menyusahkan malaikat dan manusia.

Dari Jabir r.a bahwasanya beliau berkata: Rasulullah SAW telah datang kepada kita kerana berziarah lalu baginda melihat seorang lelaki yang memakai pakaian kotor lalu baginda bersabda: "Tidakkah orang ini dapat sesuatu yg dipakai untuk membasuh pakaiannya?" (H.R Imam Ahmad dan Nasai')

Rasulullah SAW tidak membenarkan manusia menghadiri majlis2 dgn pakaian yg kotor selagi dia mampu mencuci dan membersihkannya, agar orang yg demikian menyedari hidayah Rasulullah SAW, supaya setiap muslm sentiasa bersih badan dan pakaiannya, bagus pada lahirnya dan sedap dipandang. RSAW bersabda: "Tidak mengapa kalau seorang dari kamu memakai dua pakaian utk hari Jumaat selain dari dua pakaian kerja" (H.R Abu Daud)

[Mohd Ali Hashimi, Keperibadian Muslim, ms 57-58]

How to Inspire Students

By an eHow Contributor 

When you inspire a student, you are motivating her to set high goals for herself and accomplish those goals. Inspiration is based on influence. The more your students respect you, the more likely they are to listen to your encouragement. Follow these steps to inspire your students to dream big.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Express passion about the subject matter you're teaching to students. Inject humor and excitement into even the most mundane of topics to jump-start your students' thought processes.

Provide detail as to why lessons are relevant. If students show interest in the subject matter and can apply what they're learning to their own lives, they're more likely to pay attention and think creatively.

Cultivate an open relationship with students. If you are approachable and positive, your students can then look to you for guidance and think of you as a role model and not simply an educator.

Talk with students about their goals and inform them about any of your personal achievements that relate to these goals. Doing so can inspire your students to believe that they too can succeed-because they know that you have.

Incorporate technology wherever possible to grab students' attention. Children's lives are technology-driven. If you're able to incorporate a computer or other electronic device into your lesson, your students are more likely to respond.

Understand students' chosen career paths. Once you can identify what students want to accomplish, work with them to find the correct training and develop the proper learning environment to achieve these goals.

Tips & Warnings

• Students listen to adults they admire and respect. Show true interest in their lives and dreams so students understand that you want them to succeed.
•  A bored or uninspired teacher can't motivate students. Even if the lesson you're teaching bores you, don't let your students sense this.

Read more: How to Inspire Students | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2081259_inspire-students.html#ixzz18hrgMHjj

Qualities of a Good Teacher

The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.

Michelangelo

Empathy
You have the ability to bond with your students, to understand and resonate with their feelings and emotions. To communicate on their level. To be compassionate with them when they are down and to celebrate with them when they are up.

Positive Mental Attitude
You are able to think more on the positive and a little less on the negative. To keep a smile on your face when things get tough. To see the bright side of things. To seek to find the positives in every negative situation. To be philosophical.

Open to Change
You are able to acknowledge that the only real constant in life is change. You know there is a place for tradition but there is also a place for new ways, new ideas, new systems, and new approaches. You don't put obstacles in your way by being blinkered and are always open and willing to listen to others' ideas.

Role Model
You are the window through which many young people will see their future. Be a fine role model.

Creative
You are able to motivate your students by using creative and inspirational methods of teaching. You are different in your approach and that makes you stand out from the crowd. Hence the reason why students enjoy your classes and seek you out for new ideas.

Sense of Humour
You know that a great sense of humour reduces barriers and lightens the atmosphere especially during heavy periods. An ability to make your students laugh will carry you far and gain you more respect. It also increases your popularity.

Presentation Skills
You know that your students are visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learners. You are adept at creating presentation styles for all three. Your body language is your main communicator and you keep it positive at all times. Like a great orator you are passionate when you speak. But at the same time you know that discussion and not lecturing stimulates greater feedback.

Calmness
You know that the aggression, negative attitudes and behaviours that you see in some of your students have a root cause. You know that they are really scared young people who have come through some bad experiences in life. This keeps you calm and in control of you, of them and the situation. You are good at helping your students de-stress.

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Respectful
You know that no one is more important in the world than anyone else. You know that everyone has a place in the world. You respect your peers and your students. Having that respect for others gets you the respect back from others.

Inspirational
You know that you can change a young person's life by helping them to realise their potential, helping them to grow, helping them to find their talents, skills and abilities.

Passion
You are passionate about what you do. Teaching young people is your true vocation in life. Your purpose in life is to make a difference.

Willing to Learn
You are willing to learn from other teachers AND your students. Although knowledgeable in your subject you know that you never stop learning.

http://www.school-teacher-student-motivation-resources-courses.com/goodteacher.html

SATAN HINDERS THE SLAVE FROM ACTING BY MEANS OF PROCRASTINATION AND LAZINESS

Chapter: From the Ways of Satan in Leading Humans Astray The World of the Jinn and Devils Dr. `Umar Al-Ashqar  © 1998 al-Basheer Publications and Translations

Concerning this point, Satan has many ways and means. It is recorded in Saheeh al-Bukhari that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"During your sleep, Satan ties three knots at the back of your Decks. He breathes the following into them, 'The night is long so keep on sleeping.' If the person wakes and praises Allah, then one of the knots is unfastened. And if he performs ablution, the second knot is unfastened. When he prays, all of the knots are unfastened. After that he will be energetic and happy in the morning. Otherwise he would get up listless and grouchy."

 It is also recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that he said,
"When one of you rises from your sleep he should make ablution. He should rinse his nose three times. For Satan stays in the upper part of one's nose during the night."
Al-Bukhari also records that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about a man who sleeps until the morning comes, that is, after the time of the dawn prayer. He said,
"That is a man whom Satan has urinated into his two ears."

What we have mentioned is from among the ways that Satan hinders the human from doing some actions. He also whispers into the human a love for laziness, postponing or procrastinating actions and thinking about what a long period of time one has for such and such action or work. Ibn al-Jauzi has written on this topic, stating,

How many of the Jews or Christians have considered in their hearts love for Islam. But Iblees always hinders them. He says to them, "Do not be hasty. Look closer into the matter." And they postpone their conversion until they die as unbelievers. In the same way the one who is disobedient to Allah postpones his repentance. He sets his sights on his desires and he hopes he will repent later. But, as the poet said, "Do not rush to perform the sins you desire and think about the period of repentance beforehand." How many are determined to do something and then they postpone it. Perhaps a scholar is determined to return to his study. Satan says, "Rest for a while." Or a servant is alerted to the prayer at night and he says to him, "You have plenty of time." He will not stop making people love laziness and postponing of actions and he makes the person rely on hopes and dreams.

It is necessary for the energetic person to take matters into his own hand and act upon his energy. The energetic finds the time to do things and does not procrastinate and he turns away from just dreaming. The one who has a real fear of Allah does not feel safe of punishment. The soul never stops in its dispute about evil and facing the good. But it always expects that it will have plenty of time to complete the good. One of the early scholars said, "Beware of procrastinating. It is the greatest of the soldiers of Satan." The serious, non-procrastinating person and the one who rests on his hopes and puts off working are like two who are passing through a city while journeying. The serious, energetic one buys his provisions early and waits for his traveling out of the city. 

The procrastinator says, "I will wait, as perhaps we will stay here a month," and continues to put off buying his provisions and preparing for his departure, until the last minute wherein he becomes rushed and mistake prone. This is how people are in this world. Some of them are prepared and alert. When the angel of death comes, he is not sorrowful. Others are deceived by thinking they can procrastinate and they will despair when the time to move on comes. It is part of one’s nature to love laziness and dreams but then Iblees comes and builds upon that. This makes it difficult to struggle against him in that matter. But the one who is alert knows that he is in the middle of a battle. He knows that his enemy does not rest. And if it seems that he is resting, it is actually just part of his strategy…

Ibn al-Jauzi, Talbees Iblees, p. 458

Bacaan zikir dan wirid selepas sembahyang

Posted on Januari 16, 2009 by sulaiman

1. “Lailaha illallah” dan “Allahuakbar“
Dalam satu hadith dari Aisyah r.a. katanya “aku tahu sembahyang telah selesai apabila ada zikir” .Rasulullah ada berzikir beramai-ramai selepas sembahyang, cuma tidak diketahui apakah zikir itu “Lailaha illallah” atau “Allahuakbar”. Oleh itu bacalah keduanya sekali.
 
2. Surah Israa ayat 111- Alhamdulillahillazi….
Dalam satu hadith disebut “Mengucapkan Alhamdulillah akan memenuhi timbangan (mizan)”. Bacaan ini sering dibaca imam selepas sembahyang.

3. Istigfarlah 3 kali (Astagfirullah hal azim) dan membaca “Allahuma antas salam wa minka salam, taba rak ta, ya zal jala liwal ikram”,.
Dari Tsauban,dia berkata:
“Biasanya Rasulullah s.a.w. apabila telah selesai solat mengucapkan: astaghfirullah tiga(3) kali,kemudian mengucapkan: Allahumma antas salaam wa minkas salaam tabaarakta yaa dzal jalaali wal ikram.”
 
4. Ayat Qursi
Kalau wirid dengan membaca ayat kursi, lebih baik jika terus dibaca “Allahu la ila”. Tidak perlu baca ‘Waila hukum” kerana ayat kursi itu ayat terbesar, sangat besar fadilatnya dan lebih baik dibaca bersendirian.
Dari Abi Umamah,Nabi s.a.w bersabda:
“Barangsiapa membaca ayat kursi di belakang setiap solat maktubah/fardu/wajib, nescaya tidak ada yang menghalanginya dari masuk syurga kecuali kalau dia tidak mati.”

5. Membaca surah Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq dan An-Nas selepas solat untuk menolak sihir.
Dari ‘Uqbah bin Amir,dia berkata:
“Rasulullah s.a.w. telah memerintahkanku supaya aku membaca ‘Al-Muawidzat’ (1.Qulhuwallahu Ahad. 2. Qul a’udzu bi rabbil falaq 3. Qul a’udzu bi rabbinnaas.) di belakang setiap solat(fardu/wajib).”

6. Tasbih (Subhanallah 10x), tahmid (Al-hamdulillah 10x), takbir (Allahuakbar 10x)
Bilangan zikir untuk tasbih, tahmid, takbir 33 atau 10 kali bergantung kepada solat. Lepas maghrib, seelok-eloknya dipendekkan / cepatkan zikir kerana solat sunat lepas maghrib diangkat bersama fardhu maghrib. Kalau ada solat sunat selepas itu, pendekkan zikir dan buat solat sunat. Boleh sambung zikir lagi selepas solat sunat jika mahu.
Kalau dilakukan 10 kali setiap solat, jumlahnya 30 kali 1 solat. Sehari ada 5 solat, maka jumlah zikir ialah 30 x 5 = 150 kali. Pahalanya pula 150 x 10  = 1500. Nabi ada menyebut dalam satu hadith, siapalah yang melakukan sehingga 1500 kejahatan satu hari.

Dari Abdullah bin Amr,Nabi s.a.w bersabda:
“Dua macam yang tidak memelihara akan keduanya seorang hamba Muslim melainkan dia akan masuk syurga(siapa yang memeliharanya akan masuk syurga). Ketahuilah! Keduanya itu mudah,akan tetapi sedikit orang yang mengamalkannya, iaitu mensucikan Allah(bertasbih subhanallah) di belakang setiap solat maktubah/wajib sepuluh(10) kali, memuji-Nya(bertahmid-alhamdulillah) sepuluh(10) kali, dan membesarkan-Nya(bertakbir-allahuakbar) sepuluh(10) kali, maka yang demikian itu menjadi seratus lima puluh (150) kali pada ucapan (30 X 5 solat fardu=150) dan seribu lima ratus(1500) kali pada timbangan.Kemudian bertakbir(allahuakbar) tiga puluh empat(34) kali ketika hendak tidur dan bertahmid(alhamdulillah) tiga puluh tiga(33) kali dan bertasbih(subhanallah) tiga puluh tiga(33) kali, maka yang demikian itu menjadi seratus(100) pada ucapan (34+33+33=100) dan seribu pada timbangan. Maka, siapakah di antara kamu yang mengerjakan dalam sehari semalam dua ribu lima ratus(2500) kesalahan?” Mereka (para sahabat) bertanya: “Ya Rasulullah,mengapa kedua itu mudah tetapi sedikit orang yang mengamalkannya?” Nabi s.a.w menjawab: “Kerana syaitan datang kepada salah seorang kamu apabila dia telah selesai solatnya lalu syaitan mengingatkannya akan keperluan ini dan itu,terus dia bangun dan tidak mengucapkannya. Kemudian syaitan datang kpdnya apabila dia hendak tidur lalu syaitan menidurkannya sebelum dia mengucapkannya.” Berkatalah Abdullah bin Amr: Aku melihat Rasulullah s.a.w. menghitung tasbih dengan tangan kanannya.”

http://nasbunnuraini.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/bacaan-zikir-dan-wirid-selepas-sembahyang/

Raih Keberkahan Di Pagi Hari

oleh: http://wirausahapesantren.blogspot.com

Saudaraku, Islam ternyata sangat peduli dengan dinamika dan semangat beraktivitas di awal waktu. Setiap hari selalu diawali dengan datangnya waktu pagi. Waktu pagi merupakan waktu istimewa. Ia selalu diasosiasikan sebagai simbol kegairahan, kesegaran dan semangat. Barangsiapa merasakan udara pagi niscaya dia akan mengatakan bahwa itulah saat paling segar alias fresh sepanjang hari. Pagi sering dikaitkan dengan harapan dan optimisme. 

Pagi sering dikaitkan dengan keberhasilan dan sukses. Sehingga dalam peradaban barat-pun dikenal suatu pepatah berbunyi: ”The early bird catches the worm.” (Burung yang terbang di pagi harilah yang bakal berhasil menangkap cacing).

Dalam sebuah hadits ternyata Nabi Muhammad shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam juga memberi perhatian kepada waktu pagi. Sehingga di dalam hadits tersebut beliau mendoakan agar ummat Islam peduli dan mengoptimalkan waktu spesial dan berharga ini.

Nabi shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam berdoa: “Ya Allah, berkahilah ummatku di pagi hari.” Rasulullah shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam biasa mengirim sariyyah atau pasukan perang di awal pagi dan Sakhru merupakan seorang pedagang, ia biasa mengantar kafilah dagangnya di awal pagi sehingga ia sejahtera dan hartanya bertambah.” (HR Abu Dawud 2239)

Melalui doa di atas Rasulullah shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam ingin melihat umatnya menjadi kumpulan manusia yang gemar beraktifitas di awal waktu. Dan hanya mereka yang sungguh-sungguh mengharapkan keberhasilan dan keberkahan-lah yang bakal sanggup berpagi-pagi dalam kesibukan beraktifitas. Oleh karenanya, saudaraku, janganlah kita kecewakan Nabi kita. Janganlah kita jadikan doa beliau tidak terwujud. Marilah kita menjadi ummat yang pandai bersyukur dengan adanya waktu pagi. Marilah kita me-manage jadwal kehidupan kita sehingga di waktu pagi kita senantiasa dilimpahkan berkah karena kita didapati Allah dalam keadaan ber’amal.

Janganlah kita menjadi seperti sebagian orang di muka bumi yang membiarkan waktu pagi berlalu begitu saja dengan aktifitas tidak produktif, seperti tidur misalnya. Biasanya mereka yang mengisi waktu pagi dengan tidur menjadi fihak yang sering kalah dan merugi. Bagaimana tidak kalah dan merugi? Pagi merupakan waktu yang paling segar dan penuh gairah… Bila di saat paling baik saja seseorang sudah tidak produktif, bagaimana ia bisa diharapkan akan sukses beraktifitas di waktu-waktu lainnya yang kualitasnya tidak lebih baik dari waktu pagi hari…???

Maka, di antara kiat-kiat agar insyaAllah kita selalu memperoleh keberkahan di pagi hari adalah:

Pertama, jangan biasakan begadang di malam hari. Usahakanlah agar setiap malam kita bersegera tidur malam. Idealnya kita jangan tidur malam melebihi jam sepuluh malam. Kalaupun banyak tugas, maka pastikan mulai tidur jangan lebih lambat dari jam sebelas. Kalaupun tugas sedemikian bertumpuknya, maka pastikan bahwa pukul duabelas tengah malam merupakan batas akhir kita masih bangun.

Kedua, pastikan bahwa sedapat mungkin kita bisa bangun di tengah malam sebelum azan Subuh untuk mengerjakan sholat tahajjud dan witir. Idealnya kita selalu berusaha untuk sholat malam sebagaimana Rasulullah shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam, yaitu sebanyak delapan rakaat tahajjud dan tiga rakaat witir. Namun jika tidak tercapai, maka kurangilah jumlah rakaatnya sesuai kesanggupan fisik dan ruhani sehingga minimal dua rakaat tahjjud dan satu rakaat witir. Tapi ingat, ini hanya dikerjakan bila kita terpaksa karena tidur terlalu larut malam mendekati jam duabelas malam. Yang jelas, usahakanlah setiap malam agar kita selalu bisa melaksanakan sholat malam (tahjjud plus witir). Karena Nabi shollallahu ’alaih wa sallammenjamin bahwa orang yang menyempatkan diri untuk bangun malam dan sholat malam, maka ia bakal memperoleh semangat dan kesegaran di pagi harinya. Dan sebaliknya, barangsiapa yang tidak menyempatkan diri untuk bangun dan sholat malam, maka di pagi hari ia bakal memiliki perasaan buruk dan malas.

“Dari Abu Hurairah radhiyallahu ’anhu bahwa Nabi shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam bersabda: “Syetan akan mengikat tengkuk salah seorang di antara kamu apabila ia tidur dengan tiga ikatan. Syetan men-stempel setiap simpul ikatan atas kalian dengan mengucapkan: Bagimu malam yang panjang maka tidurlah. Apabila ia bangun dan berdzikir kepada Allah ta’aala maka terbukalah satu ikatan. Apabila ia wudhu, terbuka pula satu ikatan. Apabila ia sholat, terbukalah satu ikatan. Maka, di pagi hari ia penuh semangat dan segar. Jika tidak, niscaya di pagi hari perasaannya buruk dan malas.” (HR Bukhary 4/310)

Ketiga, pastikan diri tidak kesiangan sholat subuh. Dan khusus bagi kaum pria usahakanlah untuk sholat subuh berjamaah di masjid. Sebab sholat subuh berjamaah di masjid merupakan sarana untuk membersihkan hati dari penyakit kemunafikan.

Bersabda Rasulullah shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam: “Sesungguhnya sholat yang paling berat bagi kaum munafik adalah sholat isya dan subuh (berjamaah di masjid). Andai mereka tahu apa manfaat di dalam keduanya niscaya mereka akan mendatanginya walaupun harus merangkak-rangkak. (HR Muslim 2/123)

”Dan sungguh dahulu pada masa Nabi Muhammad shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam tiada seorang tertinggal dari sholat berjama’ah kecuali orang-orang munafiq yang terang kemunafiqannya.” (HR Muslim 3/387)

Keempat, janganlah tidur sesudah sholat subuh. Segeralah isi waktu dengan sebaik-baiknya. Entah itu dengan bersegera membaca wirid atau ma’tsurat pagi atau apapun kegiatan bermanfaat lainnya. Barangkali bisa membaca buku, berolah-raga atau menulis buku atau bahkan berdagang sebagaimana kebiasaan sahabat Sakhru bin Wada’ah. Orang yang tidur di waktu pagi berarti menyengaja dirinya tidak menjadi bagian dari umat Islam yang didoakan Nabi shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam memperoleh berkah Allah di pagi hari. 

Ia menyia-nyiakan kesempatan berharga. Pagi merupakan saat paling berkualitas sepanjang hari. Alangkah naifnya orang yang sengaja membiarkan waktu pagi berlalu begitu saja tanpa aktifitas bermanfaat dan produktif. Tak heran bila Nabi shollallahu ’alaih wa sallam justru memobilisasi pasukan perangnya untuk berjihad fi sabilillah senantiasa di awal hari yakni di waktu pagi sehingga fihak musuh terkejut dan tidak siap menghadapinya.

Ya Allah, berkahilah kami di pagi hari selalu. Ya Allah, kami berlindung kepada Engkau dari kemalasan dan ketidakberdayaan dalam hidup kami, terutama di waktu pagi hari.

New year, new goals

Sunday December 12, 2010

TEACHER TALK
By NITHYA SIDHHU

Teachers must take time to take stock and bring about positive changes in class for the year ahead.

IT WAS Khalil Gibran who said that “the significance of a man is not what he attains, but rather in what he longs to attain”. Yes, what is it that you would like to achieve in the coming year?
For the Chinese, 2011 is going to be the Year of the Prosperous Rabbit so if there is one thing that teachers can choose to focus on, it could definitely be their productivity!

If you have no idea as to what your resolutions should be, here are 10 suggestions that can help you become a better teacher. Each one of them is inspired by a famous personality and I hope you will be motivated by them :

Resolve to be the master of your own will. According to motivational guru Robin S. Sharma, “people blame everything and everyone except themselves for their lack of willpower”.
You can, if you should choose to do so, adopt a more positive attitude towards your job and not let your frustrations affect your productivity and performance.

Sharma advises, “If you doubled or tripled the amount of willpower you currently have, you could be far more efficient with your time, erase all your bad habits and rekindle your drive and energy for living”. Try it!
Resolve to be a more interesting teacher. Think of the avoidance vs. approach principle. You have to attract your students to your teaching. Therefore monitor constantly your teaching style and reflect on the methodologies you employ and note which aspects of your personality ought to be highlighted in order to generate a positive response from your students.

Voice, body language, interaction levels and mannerisms can all be modulated. Offer your students learning stimuli which are varied and fun. As Mahatma Gandhi put it: “Be the change you want to see in the world around you.”

Resolve to communicate more with your students and be more connected to them. American management guru Peter F. Drucker was convinced that the “most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said”. What are your students not telling you? Do not take their comprehension for granted.
The silence of students who neither like nor understand their teacher can be as deafening as the enthusiastic accolades they give to a teacher who can genuinely communicate and interact with them.
Resolve to improve your pedagogical content knowledge — that is, know how to teach better. The former CEO of Ford, Lee Iacocca, explained that a person can can have brilliant ideas, but if he can’t get them across, then his ideas won’t get him anywhere”.

Think of how you convey content. Use clear and succinct explanations, systematic and efficient presentations, varied and apt examples and language that is clearly understood.
Even if it takes time, get the students involved and thinking. Shift your teaching goals from covering material to gaining understanding. Remember what author E.M. Forster said —“Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.”

Resolve to be a more effective teacher. In her book, Effective Teaching, educator Elizabeth Perrot emphasised that effective teachers exhibit a set of factors (known as the Ryan factors) which include the following three characteristics : ‘brisk and businesslike ; warm and understanding ; stimulating and imaginative’.

Also, teachers who are effective often use an open style of questioning which include techniques like probing, prompting, seeking clarification and re-focusing. Nothing escapes their eye in the classroom.
Resolve to find out what your students think of your teaching. Cast out your fears and get them to provide you feedback on the efficacy of your lessons. The evaluation method I myself like to use comes from lateral thinking advocate Edward de Bono.

Known as the PMI method – the format involves three columns — Plus, Minus and Interesting — in which the students can freely describe (using either words or sentences) your strengths, your weaknesses and your uniqueness (special qualities) respectively. Use the ‘plus’ comments to motivate you, the “minus” input to guide you on the improvements you need to make and the “interesting” observations to remind you of what makes you special to your students. If certain columns yawn empty, they are telling you volumes!
Resolve to look beyond race when you teach. Think of how you would feel if someone discriminated against you just because you were not of the same race! Martin Luther King, Jr. was guided by God when he said, “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

Resolve to be a more giving, kind, caring and concerned teacher. Be moved by a person like Mother Teresa who worked tirelessly among the sick, diseased and destitute.
She said, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” Think of this when your students approach you for help, support and understanding.

Resolve to have the right perspective on principals, paperwork, policies, pay and promotions. Each comes with its own attendant demands and in order to rise up, you sometimes have to bow down, put your shoulder to the wheel and press on.

In the face of adversity, have resilience and faith. As Calvin Coolidge put it: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
Finally, resolve to stay positive. Mix, mingle and be motivated by colleagues, students and people who are big and open-hearted. Paste Mark Twain’s wise words where you can read them daily for he was the one who said, “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

Have a great 2011. Happy New Year!

http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2010/12/12/education/7562361&sec=education

Doa ibu bapa sumber kekuatan batin, bentuk keperibadian anak

Oleh Mohd Rizal Azman Rifin
Berita Harian 2010/12/13

ALLAH SWT memerintahkan setiap hamba-Nya taat dan memuliakan ibu bapa. Bergaul dan memenuhi hak kedua-dua ibu bapa menjadi keutamaan yang mesti dilaksanakan anak, khususnya apabila ibu bapa lanjut usia. Derhaka kepada kedua-dua ibu bapa bermakna seseorang itu menderhakai Allah. Begitulah besar dan mulianya darjat ibu bapa.

Banyak ayat al-Quran yang memerintahkan supaya mentaati ibu bapa. Antaranya Allah berfirman, “Janganlah kamu menyembah selain Allah dan berbuat baiklah kepada ibu dan bapamu.” (Surah al-Baqarah, ayat 83)

Seseorang anak hanya dapat kedudukan anak salih jika sentiasa mentaati dan memuliakan ibu bapa. Sifat menyayangi dan mengasihi orang lain adalah fitrah semula jadi manusia, malah haiwan juga dikurniakan naluri ini.

Justeru, orang yang menderhaka kepada ibu bapa dianggap melencong daripada fitrah insan. Apabila kita dewasa dan mendapat pelbagai kesenangan hidup, kita tidak boleh sama sekali melupakan pengorbanan ibu bapa, sebaliknya kita sewajarnya berbakti untuk membalas jasa mereka mendidik sehingga menjadi insan berguna.

Anak yang salih akan berusaha menyenangkan hati kedua-dua ibu bapanya kerana mengharapkan keredaan hidup daripada Allah. Mereka mengetahui setinggi manapun kedudukan, pangkat atau pemilikan harta kekayaan semua tidak sama nilainya dengan kasih sayang terhadap ibu bapa.

Selain itu, doa ibu bapa sangat berkat dan mustajab. Oleh itu, anak yang salih akan mengharapkan keberkatan doa ibu bapa dalam menyusuri kehidupan.
Sabda Rasulullah SAW: “Tiga jenis doa mustajab yang tidak diragukan keajaibannya adalah doa orang tua untuk anaknya, doa orang musafir dan doa orang yang dizalimi,” (Hadis riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim)

Malah Nabi SAW menegaskan,

“Doa orang tua untuk anaknya bagaikan doa nabi untuk umatnya,” (Hadis riwayat ad-Dailimi).

Oleh itu, sewajarnya kita merebut peluang semasa ibu bapa kita masih hidup untuk berbakti disamping mengharap keberkatan doa mereka dalam menjalani kehidupan seharian kerana doa ibu bapa adalah sumber kekuatan batin anak. Hal itu akan membentuk keperibadian dan kewibawaan anak dalam menjalani kehidupan.

Petunjuk kedua ibu bapa terhadap anaknya sama seperti petunjuk Nabi kepada umatnya. Oleh itu, anak yang sentiasa memuliakan ibu bapanya tentu akan didoakan oleh ibu bapanya, sebaliknya anak yang derhaka itu sentiasa akan mendatangkan kemudaratan dalam hidup.

Penulis adalah pensyarah Jabatan Kejuruteraan Mekanikal, Politeknik Mukah, Sarawak

Love in Islam

A Khutbah by Mahmoud Mostafa

Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem

Praise be to Allah. We bear witness that there is only one god who has no partners beside Him, and we bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

Praise be to Allah who blessed us with the guidance of His prophets and messengers. Praise be to Allah whose Mercy encompasses everything. Praise be to Allah who knows our needs and answers our calls and brings peace to our hearts.

Praise be to Allah who breathed into us of His Spirit and placed the light of His guidance in our inmost being. Whomever Allah guides, no one can misguide, and whomever Allah misguides, no one can guide. We put our trust in Allah and seek His forgiveness, aid, and support.

A man once came to the Prophet (puh) and asked him about the hereafter. The Prophet asked him, “ And what have you prepared for that time? ” The man replied, “ Nothing, except that I love Allah and I love you. ” The Prophet (puh) answered him, “ You are with the ones you love. ”

Dear brothers and sisters, the guidance of Islam is the guidance of love. The innate, natural and ancient religion that is Islam is the religion of love. The Prophet (puh) came to guide us to love and to make clear the love that is at the core of all religion. Our purpose as human beings is to consciously manifest Allah ' s love in our lives. This is the most significant meaning of Khilafa and Ibada that can bring purpose to us and transform our lives. When we reflect upon the history of the Prophet (puh) and the spread of his message we will realize that Islam could not have taken root in the world without the love that filled the heart of the Prophet and was clearly manifest in his way of relating and interacting with people that brought out their own deep and profound love for him. Without this mutual and abiding love, none of us would be here today. Without this love Islam would not have been possible.

Today, it seems that we too often hear and read much that is harsh and heartless about Islam and not enough that is loving and beautiful. There seems to be too many messages of prejudice, literalism, legalism, violence, and oppression. The superficiality, ugliness and darkness that is too prevalent in today ' s Islamic discourse is nothing like what the Prophet brought us.

I would like to share with you part of the first sermon ever given by the Prophet (puh) in Medina. This is what he had to say to his companions,

“ Verily, the best discourse is the Book of Allah. One is truly successful whose heart Allah has adorned with the love of His Book, and whom, after living in denial, Allah has caused to enter into submission to Him, and caused him to prefer His Book above any human discourse. The Book of Allah is the most beautiful and eloquent of discourses.

Love that which Allah loves! Love Allah with all your hearts! Grow not weary of hearing the Word of Allah. Do not stop remembering Him. Do not let your hearts grow hard toward Him. For verily, Allah has preferred His Book above all of Creation. Indeed, Allah has endowed it with guidance to the best of deeds, and made it an example for the elect of His servants, and filled it with righteous discourse, and has made clear in it what is lawful and unlawful for you. 

So, serve Allah alone, and associate with Him no other. Be ever conscious of Him. Be truthful to Allah in what you utter from your mouths. Let the Spirit of Allah be the source of love between you. ”

Can you hear the love in his words? Can you hear his urgent call to our hearts? Can you sense the profound purpose in his teaching?

Love is so central to Islam that without it there can be no real faith. The Quran tells us clearly what following the Prophet is about,

3:31 “ Say, if you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you greatly and forgive your sins for Allah is forgiving and merciful …”

And even more decisively it says to the people of faith that,

5:54 “ O you who have faith whoever among you turns back from his religion Allah will surely bring forth a people He loves and who love Him who are humble before the faithful and exalted before the deniers. They strive in the way of Allah and fear no blame from any blamers. This is the favor of Allah, He bestows it on whomever He wills. For Allah is all-encompassing, all-knowing! ”

In these two tremendous verses we can understand some remarkable things. We can understand that faith and faithfulness are defined as love between God and the people of faith. A Mu ' min is one who is deeply and profoundly in love with God. It is this love that motivates us to strive, to seek, to turn back to Allah, to give up our worldly attachments and return to our Rabb. It is this love that gives us the power and strength to face the various trials of our faith throughout our lives. It is this love that teaches us humility, compassion, trust, obedience and honesty. It is this love that enables us to sacrifice, to give of ourselves and of our possessions for the sake of God. It is this love that opens us to submission, to Islam. We can also understand that this relationship of love is a special, precious gift bestowed by God upon us. Without His will and generosity we would be heedless of His love in our hearts. We can also understand that the abandoning of religion in the context of this Ayah is to turn away from love because the consequence of this abandonment is that God promises to replace us with people who have this relationship of love with Him. And we can understand that the way to God ' s love is to follow the Prophet (puh), to be in his footsteps, to strive to be like him and in this striving our love is made greater and greater by God.

In a Sacred Tradition Allah says,

“ I was a hidden treasure and I loved to be known so I created heaven and earth that I may be known. ”

One of Allah ' s names, one of His attributes, is Al Wajid. This word has several meanings among them is to bring into existence. It also has the meaning of intense, existential love. Reflecting upon this divine name, we can see that there is a relationship between love and creation. And reflecting upon the sacred tradition we can see that God ' s love to be known is the primary reason for creation. In this way we can come to a truly profound insight; Allah ' s love is the very cause of existence. We are alive today because of His love, the whole Universe is here because of His love.

The relationship of love between us and Allah, between us and others, and between us and all of creation is essential to reaching our full potential as human beings. When we nourish our hearts with love, when we manifest Allah ' s love in our lives; with our families, with our friends, in our work, in our prayers, in everything that we do, the entire meaning of life changes for us and our own experience of our humanness is transformed; we become adorned with the beautiful characteristics of the Prophet.

This is the meaning of following in the footsteps of the Prophet (puh); we follow him by adorning ourselves with the qualities of his noble character. We follow him by striving to become like him in our humanness, in our quality of relationships, in our conduct in society, in our service to humanity.

The noble character of the Prophet (puh) has been best explained by his cousin, Jaffar Ibn Abu Talib, when he was asked by the King of Abbysinia to explain his religion. Jaffar replied:

“ We were a people lost in ignorance. We worshipped idols, we back-stabbed one another in gossip, we committed sins without shame, we severed the bonds of mercy among us, and we were unkind neighbors. The strong among us devoured the weak. Thus we were until Allah sent to us a messenger from among ourselves, well-known to us in his nobility, honesty, trustworthiness, and tenderness. He called us to unity and to devoting our worship to Allah alone and to removing the idols from our hearts. He commanded us to be truthful when we spoke, and to fulfill our trust, and to preserve the bonds of mercy among us, and to be kind neighbors, and to desist from violating what is sacred. He called us to turn back from our sins, and from falsehood, and from devouring the wealth of orphans, and from defaming honorable women. So we believed in him and in his message and we followed what he received from his Lord. ”

Brothers and sisters, the Sunnah of the Prophet is about the kind of character that manifests God ' s love in existence. His Sunnah is that which ennobles us, that which transforms us into better human beings. It ' s about becoming kind and tender human beings who are deeply and profoundly in love with God.

The Prophet's love, awe, and longing for Allah comes through with overwhelming clarity when we reflect upon his prayers. Here is just one example:

"O my God make me love You, make me love those who love You, make me love all things that bring me closer to loving You. O my God, make me love You, and Your angels, and Your prophets, and all of Your creation. O my God, make my love for You dearer to me than myself, and my family, and my wealth, and my children, and from cool, pure water to the thirsty."

May Allah bless us with His love, and the love of those who love Him. May Allah fill our hearts with love. Allah bless Prophet Muhammad, his family, and companions. Peace be with you and Allah ' s mercy.