Become a Filter Paper

Thursday, April 15, 2010.

Edited on Monday, April 19, 2010.

Have you ever seen one? What? A filter paper of course. Here's an example.

Aww..just look at it. It's so round and cute and white and pure. (Laughs)

Sorry. Forgive me friends. You know I like to ramble sometimes. Well, maybe a lot. Most of the times.

But, if you'll just give me a chance, I want to share something about this filter paper 'guy'. Girls, don't take it too personally (smiles).

Being a science streamed student, I've known this guy for quite a while. Though..I can't really remember the first time we've 'met'. I guess that would be in secondary school, when I was 16..perhaps.

But sadly..I don't really know him that well. I thought I did. But if I did..why did it took me so long to realize its potential?

Potential?

A silly paper's..potential?

Yes. And I wouldn't call him "silly", if you will. For silly is hardly the word to describe him.

Allright2. Enough ramblings!

I'll get to the point now. The point..?

Is there any point to this, AT ALL, you're asking?

Well, there is, is my answer. Why would I be talking or..writing to you if otherwise?

When you want to know 'somebody'..or something in this case, what's the first thing you have to know? What's the first thing you've got to pay attention to?

Anyone?

THE NAME.

Why the name? Because a name bears a meaning. People don't just give names to things. Fathers and mothers don't just give any name to their children. In fact, Malay folk are really..shall we say meticulous, when it comes to naming their newborn child. Just walk into bookstores, and you will notice there's quite a few titles on good names for your baby, especially muslim ones.

Because we believe the child will grow up to be who he is named. Say, for instance, a boy's name is Mukhlis which literally means a sincere person. His parents will call him,

"Come here Mukhlis." "Come and have dinner Mukhlis." "Let's pray together, my son Mukhlis."

His friends will call him,

"Let's play football Mukhlis." "Mukhlis, I have something to discuss with you." "Mukhlis, I need your help."

Mukhlis. Mukhlis. Mukhlis. How many times has the boy been called Mukhlis? Countless. I'm not sure where I've heard this, but if I'm not mistaken, sometimes people's words are prayers. I'm unsure whether this applies to muslims alone, or that it may apply to anyone. Allahu `alam. Anyway, the point is when the people around the boy keeps calling, addressing him as "Mukhlis", then they are actually praying him to be Mukhlis. To be a sincere person.

And that is the value of names. So call your friends, your relatives with good names..for you are actually praying for him/ her to be just that.

...I'm still not getting to the point now, am I? (sheesh..you're NO WHERE near, you know that??)

Fine. Here we go. What were we talking about..?(haiya..nyanyuk dah ka?)

Oh, right. the filter paper guy. Humans call it the filter paper because..?

Because it filters things silly..

Right! Genius! No, I'm not slandering you or anything. I meant it. You're a genius. For being able to understand THE MEANING behind the name. And what exactly is the meaning?

It is the FUNCTION. A filter paper filters unwanted things. In experiments in the lab, the filter paper's job is to separate the element, or compounds that we do not want. Repeat: we do not want. In simpler terms, the filter paper is our helper in discarding unwanted materials.

Now. Let's look at the bigger picture. Let's look at life itself.

In life, what is it that we don't want, generally?

Don't want to get married?? Well, why not? I quote from Maher Zain, "It's sunnatul hayah (Sunnah of life)."

Don't want to study? Masya Allah. Don't you want to discover your true potential?

Don't want to DIE? Astaghfirullah al-azim. Anyone who is given life, will die. Even iblis laknatullah..WILL DIE..eventually.

I'm talking about really general things. Naturally, humans wouldn't want something which is bad. Between rotten eggs and fresh eggs, which would you prefer for breakfast? Between fresh lettuces and the ones with 'extra' crawling little maggots..which? (laughs) Well, you get my point.

See, we really won't like something that is bad. So, if we were to be like a filter paper..what would we filter, naturally? Bad things right? And that is the point of this dreadfully long discussion (haha)

I've been observing. Lately. Whether we like it or not..whether we want to admit it or not..we are living in bad times. Times where..the spreading influence is just..BAD. I don't know how best I can describe it.

Television. A box which transforms man into potatoes. (potato couch). Well, not literally, but in essence my friends.

Don't you realize it?

We, ourselves, haven't we've wasted enough of our hayah (lifetime) in front of that STUPID, MIND-CONTROLLING BOX? And for what? We're not even given the facts. The real information. Heck, can it even be called information? It's all LIES. Read again. LIES. Again. L.I.E.S. All of it.

Politics. Bickering between politicians who claim to be leaders..who claim to be representatives of the people..when in fact they're only representing themselves! I'm embarrassed. Won't you be, if the House of Parliament acts no better than preschool kids? What are they discussing actually? And that's all they'll ever do..discuss3x. And then bicker some more. Macam budak kecik. Berebut lolipop. (Like small kids, bickering over a lollypop.) Do they think of us as that? LOLLYPOPS?? Well let me tell them something.

We are lives. We are bodies with souls. And YOU are caliphs!! Where is that promise you made? Wait, correction. Where are those PROMISES (plural) that you have made come every election..? Where is it?? Where? Did you think you would get away with empty promises? If you think you are safe here, then don't think Allah Taala will let you be safe in akhirat! He is al-`Adlu. Yang Maha Adil (The Most Just). I trust Him. He WILL make you pay for all those empty, good for nothing promises!

I'm sorry. It's just that I cannot..I cannot stand it any longer. It angers me somewhat, to see them wearing comfortable coats, riding luxurious cars, eating at expensive diners..when they are blind. Blinder than bats. They are also deaf.

Blind, deaf and mute.

Blind because they fail to see that beggars still exist during their 'ruler ship'.

Deaf because they let the whispers of lobbyist (orang yang melobi/mengampu) cover the cries of the needy.

Mute..because they've not spoken for the truth. Not yet, at least.

Anyway, back to the main idea. Friends, sahabat. Become a filter paper. I urge you..and I urge myself. Let us filter all these ..lies..all these fitnah. Enough is enough. They, whoever they may be..have fooled us long enough. I do not want to see the younger generation fooled as well. Enough. We will put a stop to this.

However, you might ask..how exactly? In my opinion, the first thing on the list is; the media. For the media is the BIGGEST source of fitnah on this earth. TV, internet, newspapers, magazines (most of them)..whatever media you can think of. That's our first challenge. Including blogs, facebook whatever you think is a bad influence for your little brothers and sisters, then watch them.

Watch your little brothers and sisters. Their minds are young..like a white cloth. Untainted. So clean and so pure. Do not. I repeat, do not let anything taint them. Protect them. It is our job. It is our war. Yes this is a war. A war over minds. And we are their shields. Their filter papers.

My cousin, I believe he's just turning 7 this year. Now, don't be shocked..but he has a facebook account. Yep. That's how far the media has infiltrated our lives. (I didn't add him though..he2)

However. However. The media is just the TOOL. A tool is not dangerous..when it is used by the right people. Thus, it is the people behind the media who are dangerous. Remember this.

Which brings us to the main part. (What??) (chuckles) I know. It's always long isn't it? Allright2. The main thing.

As I've said, the tool, when used by the right people..is not dangerous. In fact, it will benefit others, when the people behind it are of good intentions. Sincere intentions. Ikhlas.

Where am I going with this? (Inhales deeply). As filter papers, I ask you, as I ask myself, to be a little more creative. How exactly can we filter bad influences? How?

Use the tool. Use the tool. Use the tool.

The tool my friend. If we are sincere, then we can turn this war around. We still have a chance.

Examples. Facebook. Now, I am aware what most muslims think about it.

Bad. Bad facebook.

A waste of time.

Encouraging interactions between a boy and a girl, a male and a female (which is not really good).

What benefit could it possibly have?

Well, let me share my experience then. At first..when my friends invited me I monologued,

"Malasnye nak buat account. Friendster pun tak terbukak-bukak. (Literal : I feel so lazy to open up an account. Even my friendster account not open-open)(Actual: I'm not really in the mood to set an account. Even my friendster's, i'm not really active.)

However. I did open an account, eventually. To be honest, I was really puzzled as to why people are so addictive to fcbook. I mean, aren't MySpace and Friendster enough? They're just the same, right?

Hmm..well, apparently not quite similar. There are some features which I find.. likable. For example, on your wall, it asks, "What's on your mind?" Then I instantly replied what was in my mind at the time. Brilliantly thought of, in my opinion. It asks questions, the right question to get you started. And then you start posting your thoughts, or status. And then your friends will see it, and sometimes they comment. After a while..I started to get the hang of it. You might say..I almost became an addict (ashamed). But then I stopped. I said, "Ummu Hurairah, you've got to have limits with this thing." So, am I saying that fcbook is bad afterall?

Hmm, not quite. As I've said, it is a tool. And a tool's benefit or disadvantage that is might bring depends on what class...the user! Very good! Well done my brilliant students! (just joking)

No, fcbook is not entirely bad. My opinion ok. It's just an opinion. But what I came to realize was more important.

Remember about the commenting i've mentioned? When my friends commented on my thoughts, and when I commented on theirs..I somehow knew more about them. I felt..closer to them. I knew more things about them. And we..most of the time joked about each other's comments. It was..good fun. I had fun. And the best part is..I felt more connected to them.

Because you see, even though you're studying in the same lecture hall, it's not like you go there to chit-chat about yourself. There's simply not enough time. Anyway, it's not the purpose you go to a lecture. And so, it's the time after classes that we spend time knowing about each other, through fcbook. What I'm trying to say is..I guess it builds ukhuwah.

Funny right? I know. But it's up to you really, how you use it. Remember, there must always be a limit to it. Know your limit.

Don't let it interfere with your solat. Don't let it interfere with your studies. Don't let it interfere with real life interactions. Meaning that when somebody invites you to play football, then go. (example).

That's it. Be sincere and know your limit. And you have a powerful tool to your advantage. Besides, need I mention the global connection of fcbook? You can meet new muslim or non-muslim friends from anywhere you wish. Time..simply has changed. Rasulullah..(SAW) and his companions are not going to believe how times have changed..

So. To sum it all up. My dear friends, when I encourage us to become "filter papers", do not take its property (sifat) of being a paper. For a paper is weak and easily torn. (rapuh) Rather, take its quality of being a filter of bad components. Incorporate into ourselves its function. Become the filter. Make sure the young do not receive bad influences, as you and I did. Ensure that they grow in a proper Islamic environment, as you and I did not. Teach them al-Quran..as-Sunnah, and tell them of tales of prophet's companions (Sahabah) and the followers of Sahabah (Tabiin) and so on. And also, remember the HOW. How to play your part as a filter. Be creative.

We live in times where the enemy, whoever they may be, is more creative and a 100 times more intelligent than we are. What is wrong with admitting that we are behind them? Does it make us weaker than them?

On the contrary. It makes us aware. When you are honest with yourself, only then can you take the next step. Trust me. I've tried.

A last note for all of us, prophet Muhammad SAW said,

"Innamal `amalu binniat. Wa innama likullim riim ma nawa.." which means "Each amal (deed/doing) begins with niat (intention). And every (man) will be accounted for his intentions.."

p/s: ADDITIONAL NOTE: Although "the tool" as discussed can be advantageous if used in the right way, be careful so as not to be used ourselves. E.g. Do not upload..certain images which can be used against you..which can be used to blackmail us, yourselves. And..personally, I think it is better if we were to be more selective when uploading personal photos, especially the girls/women. Just my opinion..:)