The Early Hours

The taxi driver remembered the old Alkaff Kampong Melayu Mosque at the top of Kaki Bukit when I mentioned that I wished to be taxi-ed to the mosque at Bedok Reservoir. He even remembered the old clinic housed in a building made of wood, nearby the old mosque and the surrounding Malay village. It was just before 4am and the conversation brought back childhood memories. I hoped it had broke the monotony of the quiet morning and the deserted road for him, as he searched for the next passenger after we exchanged thanks and goodbyes.

When I reset the alarm on my handphone to wake me up for this journey, it was just over 3 hours left to fulfil its function. I almost shrieked at the amount of time left for sleep. But it was indeed a good sleep despite how brief it was. Perhaps a hypothesis may be apt here: The quality of sleep and the ease to wake from sleep depend on the significance attached to the task or activity to be done after waking-up. Or put it another way: The task and its significance determine the quality of sleep that precedes it.

The early hours are precious but often neglected time during the night. This is the time during which Allah is closest and most receptive to His servants. Rasulullah (saw) said: Our Lord descends each night to the nearest Heaven when only the last third of night remains, and says: "Is anyone praying that I may answer him? Is anyone seeking forgiveness, that I may forgive him? Is anyone asking, that I may give him?" and this continues until dawn (Tirmidhi).

The later part of each night is the most conducive period for reflection and self-development. It is the occasion with the most potential for the heart to be present, alert and free of worldly concerns as the Quran declares: Lo! The vigil of the night [a time] when impression is more keen and speech more certain [al-Muzzammil 73:6].

The beautiful recitation of Al-Baqarah for the Tahajjud prayer nourished the soul and energised the mind. It was opportunity to check what I had memorised in the past. Beyond the exercise of the mind, the prayer - its recital and supplication was a Mi'raj for me. I wanted to ascend to Him, to seek forgiveness and mercy.

The 1.5 hours Tahajjud and Witr prayers were completed without noticing time and as though time did not matter. How different it was compared to other prayers in the day when worldly affairs dictate the time to spend for prayers - and even during prayer, these affairs occupied the mind. It was pointed out by Ustaz Zainal Abidin during kuliah subuh (the Talk after Fajr Prayer) that we never think of Allah when we go shopping, but we think of shopping even during our prayer, when we are supposed to be praying in a state of khusyu' (full concentration) in Allah's presence. I am no exception. Only Allah knows how I wish my heart trembles and my faith increases when His revelations are recited [al-Anfal:2].

Yet it was not just another ordinary morning. There was the eclipse of the moon, something that rarely takes place. It is another sign of Allah's Greatness. We performed the Prayer of the Eclipse (Salatul Kasuf) and it was my first.

A bountiful morning, indeed. Tahajjud, Witr, Kasuf and its sermon, followed by Fajr and a talk. Accompanied by the beautiful recital of the Quran, believers who came and prayed together to seek His forgiveness, and angels who witnessed the beautiful gathering.

What better way to spend the early hours?

Alhamdulillah.

Hawa/Nafs (Desire)

Last night we discussed the hadith on hawa nafsu (Hadith 41) from Ibn Rajab al Hanbali's Jami 'ul Uloom wa'l Hikam (A Collection of Knowledge and Wisdom), after reading Surah Al-Hujurat. After a long week at work, evenings such as these serve to recharge the soul, mind and body, as Mu'adz bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) once said to his companions ijlis binaa nu'min saa 'ah (Let us sit for a second of faith).

Surah Al-Hujurat contains a number of instructions about correct behaviour to strengthen the community and protect it. The surah also draws our attention to several ignoble attributes that must be avoided. Islam rejects fault-finding, insults, slander and back-biting. The unfortunate fact is most gatherings are not free of these banes. If humans refrained from them, they would spend half their lives in silence! The Prophet (saw) himself had reminded us that nothing is more destructive to human society than our own tongues. They sometimes work more havoc in the community than all that our enemies can muster again us. The current saga up north is an example in point.

The discussion on the selected hadith that meant none is a believer until his/her desire (hawa/nafs) adheres to my (read: Prophet's) teachings took several twists and turns along different theoretics and illustrations, not to mention the metaphor of a wild/tamed horse for a negative/positive nafs respectively. Desire for power and its presupposed consequence that power corrupts also attracted much debate. It was also acknowledged that hawa/nafs stands between us and Syaitan and the winner takes it for good or otherwise. But to avoid challenges and to stay away from responsibilities so as to protect hawa is not consistent with tarbiyah and da'wah.

How do we encourage ourselves and the young to move from a hawa of idle, "couldn't care less" (or bochap, as in a Hokkien expression) and self-centredness to a hawa of zeal, dynamism, and contributive: a hawa of Rahmatan lil alamin? I asked. And by the latter, we would probably also addressed the continuous tension between the two states - good or bad hawa/nafs.

There are clear steps to tame one's hawa/nafs, one of which is highlighted in Surah Jumu'ah - yatlu 'alaihim aayatihi (reciting to them His verses), wa yuzakiihim (purifying them) wa yu 'al limuhumul kitaab wal hikmah (teaching them the Book and the Sunnah of the Prophet). It is worth mentioning here some commentators also considered al-hikmah to include modern sciences for humans to serve this world, as kitaab (the Book, referring to the Quran) implied knowledge about and for the Hereafter.

In all, it was an enriching evening that went late into the night.
A night of good hawa and humour to entertain the soul.
Souls that desire nothing but mardhatillah.

A One More Knowing

Wa fawqa kulli dhi 'ilmin 'alim

"So he searched their saddle-bags before his brother's, then produced the cup from his brother's bag. This is how We planned for Yusuf, for he could not take his brother under the law of the king unless Allah so willed. We raise in status whom We please. And over everyone endowed with knowledge is one/One more knowing."

Does it mean that over everyone endowed with knowledge is a person more knowing, or that over everyone endowed with knowledge is the One who is All-Knowing?

The one does not exclude the other.

In either case, the impact upon us is the same.

When it comes to knowledge we are tormented by our status, taunted by the status of others,
and confronted by the status of God.

Knowledge belongs to God, and we carry the burden of lucidity in understanding and expressing God's knowledge. The infinite ability of human beings to produce absurdities only reminds us of our status. Over everyone endowed with knowledge is The One who is more knowing. The burden of lucidity taunts and torments us. The knowledge of the All-Knowing comforts us.

And we pray, "God ease the burdens of my heart and lift the impediments of my tongue so that they may understand what I say" (20:25-28)

{Khaled Abou El-Fadl, Conference of the Books}