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.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Back to the Future
The book titled How Do You Know? Reading Ziauddin Sardar on Islam, Science and Cultural Relations is one of the several books selected for pre-Ramadan reading this year. Ehsan Masood introduced Sardar as a writer, thinker, scholar, theorist, broadcaster, critic, journalist and futurist; Muslim, British, Pakistani, South Asian. He has many occupations and more than one identity. Indeed, many of his critics complained that he deliberately cultivates "a carefully calculated ambiguity" projecting several things at once, yet none of them on their own. Sardar wants to be seen simultaneously as both traditionalist and modernist - while at the same time being a severe critic of both.
I stumbled upon Ziauddin Sardar's works during the literature review phase of my doctoral work more than a decade ago. He was (and still is) the editor of Futures and his papers on Islamic Futures were seminal and thought provoking. In some ways those papers sparked my interest in second-order cybernetics, syntegration, scenario planning, strategic analysis and open futures - crystal ball gazing stuff!
If my memory (still) serves me well, Sardar argued that Muslim societies have ignored the future-oriented message of their faith - the very source of the dynamism inherent in Islam. As a result, Muslim understanding of the worldview of Islam has been frozen in history. Muslims have (now) lost the capability for developing fresh insights, appreciations and interpretations of the fundamental sources of Islam: the Quran and the examples from the life of Prophet Muhammad (saw). Contemporary Muslim societies prefer to look back, wallow in nostalgia for their "golden past" rather than plan and work towards a vibrant future.
I share Sardar's assertion that Islam is intrinsically a future-orientated worldview. The Qur'an specifically asks the believers to be conscious of their history as well as their future: "Beware of what lies before and behind you, so that you may be given mercy" [Q 36:45]. The idea of the future and the notion of accountability in Islam are tied up in two fundamental concepts - akhirah (hereafter) and khilafah (trusteeship of humans over God's creation).
Our life do not end with our death and our deeds on Earth continue to impact on our life in the life to come. The concept of khilafah adds another dimension to the synthesis of accountability and future. Believers, as trustees of God's creation, are required to manage the trust (amanah) in an ethically and socially responsible way. This means that the planet and the well-being of its people must be delivered to future generations in at least as good, if not better, condition that they found it.
Islam does not only emphasise that we be aware of our future, it insists that we should actively shape our future. By the very nature of our faith, we are required both to engage with the world and change it. The Qur'an repeatedly asks us both to change ourselves and to constantly strive to change the world so that it could become a more just, equitable and peaceful abode for humanity.
Man will only have what he has worked towards, that his labour will be seen and in the end he will be paid in full for it. [Q 53:39-41]
The answer to the question "How Do You Know?" posed by the book depends on who "we" are: how we look at the world, how we shape our inquiry, the period and culture that shapes our outlook and the values that frame how we think.
Knowing is accompanied by shaping.
I stumbled upon Ziauddin Sardar's works during the literature review phase of my doctoral work more than a decade ago. He was (and still is) the editor of Futures and his papers on Islamic Futures were seminal and thought provoking. In some ways those papers sparked my interest in second-order cybernetics, syntegration, scenario planning, strategic analysis and open futures - crystal ball gazing stuff!
If my memory (still) serves me well, Sardar argued that Muslim societies have ignored the future-oriented message of their faith - the very source of the dynamism inherent in Islam. As a result, Muslim understanding of the worldview of Islam has been frozen in history. Muslims have (now) lost the capability for developing fresh insights, appreciations and interpretations of the fundamental sources of Islam: the Quran and the examples from the life of Prophet Muhammad (saw). Contemporary Muslim societies prefer to look back, wallow in nostalgia for their "golden past" rather than plan and work towards a vibrant future.
I share Sardar's assertion that Islam is intrinsically a future-orientated worldview. The Qur'an specifically asks the believers to be conscious of their history as well as their future: "Beware of what lies before and behind you, so that you may be given mercy" [Q 36:45]. The idea of the future and the notion of accountability in Islam are tied up in two fundamental concepts - akhirah (hereafter) and khilafah (trusteeship of humans over God's creation).
Our life do not end with our death and our deeds on Earth continue to impact on our life in the life to come. The concept of khilafah adds another dimension to the synthesis of accountability and future. Believers, as trustees of God's creation, are required to manage the trust (amanah) in an ethically and socially responsible way. This means that the planet and the well-being of its people must be delivered to future generations in at least as good, if not better, condition that they found it.
Islam does not only emphasise that we be aware of our future, it insists that we should actively shape our future. By the very nature of our faith, we are required both to engage with the world and change it. The Qur'an repeatedly asks us both to change ourselves and to constantly strive to change the world so that it could become a more just, equitable and peaceful abode for humanity.
Man will only have what he has worked towards, that his labour will be seen and in the end he will be paid in full for it. [Q 53:39-41]
The answer to the question "How Do You Know?" posed by the book depends on who "we" are: how we look at the world, how we shape our inquiry, the period and culture that shapes our outlook and the values that frame how we think.
Knowing is accompanied by shaping.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Countdown Ramadan
My handphone rang when I was just about to lunch at Amirah Grill today. Together with colleagues we hosted a farewell lunch for a friend who will be leaving Singapore for her next foreign service posting at Colombia. I immediately answered the call, when I saw Muslim's (my son) name flashing on the phone - somewhat unusual for him to call me at this hour particularly because he is in Tekong commanding a platoon, for his NS.
I was relieved when he asked me whether I can get him the prayer and iftar (breaking of fast) schedule to organise meals for his Muslim recruits come Ramadan. The few seconds interval between our first hellos were filled with suspense. Given the recent death of NSmen during training, and the injury on his left eye during his OCS training in Thailand, I wasn't sure what to make up when the phone rang. Alhamdulillah, it was just about Ramadan schedule and nothing serious or shocking.
Interestingly, that call triggered a series of thought processes including my performance last Ramadan. Firstly, it is now apparent that we are just about less than 2 months away from it - and even if we pretend it is still a long time to come, the days will come and go in a flash and very soon before we know it, Ramadan will come knocking at our door. Secondly, I started thinking what I need to do to prepare myself adequately for Ramadan to gain its highest reward. And since Ramadan is a madrasah (school) to strengthen faith and intellect I begin to work out a plan to complete the reading of the Qur'an as well as other reflective readings for both spiritual and intellectual nourishments. Almost in a typical Kiasu Singaporean fashion, I listed all the things and tasks I intend to do, in preparation for, and during Ramadan. InsyaAllah.
My performance last Ramadan was far from satisfactory, and I could not really understand why and how it happened. Alhamdulillah, although I managed to fast the entire month and performed the night prayers during the last 10 days at the mosque to seek and hope for Laylatul Qadr, I did not finish the reading of Quran or put simply, I did not khatam Qur'an. And it was the first time in years that I failed to do it. For some years in the past, I even managed to khatam Quran twice in Ramadan. Even if this was not a good and accurate measure of the quality of my Ramadan, I felt last Ramadan came and went in a blink of an eye, without a significant impact on me. This time round I intend to savour every second of it and experience its magical effect, I promised myself.
Ramadan is very special for the blessings it bring.
It welcomes those who seek it but wait for no one.
Countdown Ramadan has begun.
May Allah give us life to meet and live through this blessed month.
I was relieved when he asked me whether I can get him the prayer and iftar (breaking of fast) schedule to organise meals for his Muslim recruits come Ramadan. The few seconds interval between our first hellos were filled with suspense. Given the recent death of NSmen during training, and the injury on his left eye during his OCS training in Thailand, I wasn't sure what to make up when the phone rang. Alhamdulillah, it was just about Ramadan schedule and nothing serious or shocking.
Interestingly, that call triggered a series of thought processes including my performance last Ramadan. Firstly, it is now apparent that we are just about less than 2 months away from it - and even if we pretend it is still a long time to come, the days will come and go in a flash and very soon before we know it, Ramadan will come knocking at our door. Secondly, I started thinking what I need to do to prepare myself adequately for Ramadan to gain its highest reward. And since Ramadan is a madrasah (school) to strengthen faith and intellect I begin to work out a plan to complete the reading of the Qur'an as well as other reflective readings for both spiritual and intellectual nourishments. Almost in a typical Kiasu Singaporean fashion, I listed all the things and tasks I intend to do, in preparation for, and during Ramadan. InsyaAllah.
My performance last Ramadan was far from satisfactory, and I could not really understand why and how it happened. Alhamdulillah, although I managed to fast the entire month and performed the night prayers during the last 10 days at the mosque to seek and hope for Laylatul Qadr, I did not finish the reading of Quran or put simply, I did not khatam Qur'an. And it was the first time in years that I failed to do it. For some years in the past, I even managed to khatam Quran twice in Ramadan. Even if this was not a good and accurate measure of the quality of my Ramadan, I felt last Ramadan came and went in a blink of an eye, without a significant impact on me. This time round I intend to savour every second of it and experience its magical effect, I promised myself.
Ramadan is very special for the blessings it bring.
It welcomes those who seek it but wait for no one.
Countdown Ramadan has begun.
May Allah give us life to meet and live through this blessed month.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Say What You Mean ..
... and mean what you say, goes the expression. In an attempt to soften the impact of a direct feedback to a colleague over a piece of work, I resorted to innuendoes instead of saying exactly what I meant. I was reminded that this was not the first time but I replied that I had meant it in jest previously with no mischief or malice. I thought long and hard after the friendly exchange and admitted there was no excuse. It was simply a case of bad habits, and a delicate balancing act of using proxies to get the message across as opposed to saying it as I meant, outright.
I want to state categorically that I had no intention to demean my good colleague - one who I had relied upon for many of the successes at work. And if there was even a tinge of pain caused by it, I offer my apologies with a deep sense of remorse and regret.
One of the findings of the 360 degrees review on me was the remark by my officers (who report to me) that I don't usually given them feedback on their work or deliverables. Put simply, I did not offer my views whether the quality of work was up to mark or otherwise. However there were also many positive remarks about me, one worth mentioning was that I trusted them as professionals and therefore did not "breathe down their neck" for progress or updates to keep to deadlines.
On reflection I do admit that I am the "suffer in silence" type, often prefering to live with what's given although it may requires a major rework. Ironically, I do give feedback or comments on quality of work to a very few - and they are those that I consider them not as mere colleagues, but confidants. And I hasten to add because I value them immensely, I do not have the heart to express my disappointment or frustration outright. Hence the creative innuendoes, and it had backfired on me this morning.
Some people are better at writing rather than speaking. It is now evident that I expressed better in writing than saying it out aloud, particularly at close range. With writing, there is time to select the most appropriate words and sequence it to make an elegant arrangement. The spoken word is hazardous, and I am reminded of the Malay proverb, terlajak perahu boleh ditarik, terlajak kata buruk padahnya - it simply means that we cannot retract what we have said, quite apart from its undesirable consequences. What more with the incomprehensible "you only know what you said after it had been said" instinct, followed by the "why did I say that in the first place?" aftermath.
This explains the Hadith, "Whoever believes in Allah and His Messenger should say that which is useful or keep silent."
The art of reprimand or giving (negative) feedback calls for the use of the right words and saying it right, and not to mention with the right intentions. Conventional wisdom suggests that the most effective way to give feedback for self-improvement or development is by turning the negatives into positives.
But all positives (instead of the initial negatives) may misrepresent what was initially a quality deficit or shortfall into a praise or plaudit instead.
Alas, I am not any wiser.
Perhaps I should just stick to say what I mean, and mean what I say.
I want to state categorically that I had no intention to demean my good colleague - one who I had relied upon for many of the successes at work. And if there was even a tinge of pain caused by it, I offer my apologies with a deep sense of remorse and regret.
One of the findings of the 360 degrees review on me was the remark by my officers (who report to me) that I don't usually given them feedback on their work or deliverables. Put simply, I did not offer my views whether the quality of work was up to mark or otherwise. However there were also many positive remarks about me, one worth mentioning was that I trusted them as professionals and therefore did not "breathe down their neck" for progress or updates to keep to deadlines.
On reflection I do admit that I am the "suffer in silence" type, often prefering to live with what's given although it may requires a major rework. Ironically, I do give feedback or comments on quality of work to a very few - and they are those that I consider them not as mere colleagues, but confidants. And I hasten to add because I value them immensely, I do not have the heart to express my disappointment or frustration outright. Hence the creative innuendoes, and it had backfired on me this morning.
Some people are better at writing rather than speaking. It is now evident that I expressed better in writing than saying it out aloud, particularly at close range. With writing, there is time to select the most appropriate words and sequence it to make an elegant arrangement. The spoken word is hazardous, and I am reminded of the Malay proverb, terlajak perahu boleh ditarik, terlajak kata buruk padahnya - it simply means that we cannot retract what we have said, quite apart from its undesirable consequences. What more with the incomprehensible "you only know what you said after it had been said" instinct, followed by the "why did I say that in the first place?" aftermath.
This explains the Hadith, "Whoever believes in Allah and His Messenger should say that which is useful or keep silent."
The art of reprimand or giving (negative) feedback calls for the use of the right words and saying it right, and not to mention with the right intentions. Conventional wisdom suggests that the most effective way to give feedback for self-improvement or development is by turning the negatives into positives.
But all positives (instead of the initial negatives) may misrepresent what was initially a quality deficit or shortfall into a praise or plaudit instead.
Alas, I am not any wiser.
Perhaps I should just stick to say what I mean, and mean what I say.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Inner Peace and Tranquility
"Karma is intentional action" explained Mr Kweh Soon Han, our speaker on Buddhism this afternoon. I had to attend to other urgent matters and therefore did not arrive on time to benefit the preambles of his presentation. He eloquently elucidated many concepts and terms from Buddhist teachings which I am not familiar with. To be honest I didn't really follow or understand parts of the explanation, particularly when he made reference to concepts in Pali - the language of Buddha. Nirvana, Dharma, four noble truths and eightfold path, among others.
What struck me though was the different levels and states of enlightenment arrived through meditation. I found the idea of inner peace and tranquility attractive, and recalled the verse:
"Those who believe and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of God -- truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace" [Q 13:28]
Inner peace and tranquility are for those who are at peace with themselves, their environment and condition, their relationships with others and not least, their Lord. It is not something that can be exchanged or purchased like other material goods. It is personal -- you either know you have it or don't. And it fluctuates over time given the externalities and challenges or trials both from others and that which is willed by Allah to elevate His servant to a higher station of faith.
We may have all the wealth in the world but that does not guarantee inner peace and tranquility. Like the Buddhist monks who lived on one meal a day and the basic minimum, there are those who may not be economically rich, but certainly not spiritually poor. I am not advocating poverty or to remain poor. On the contrary I dream to follow the footsteps of Professor Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank and for his invaluable contributions to make poverty history, a Nobel prize winner. But wealth understood as material possessions - cash, properties, shares and stocks may skew our perception and a misunderstanding of its value and worth. It may even lead us to a lifelong preoccupation with worldly wealth as mentioned at the beginning of Surah Al-Takathur [Q 102].
Allah's blessings are in no small measure what wealth is made up of. It certainly includes a happy and loving family, pious and virtuous spouse and children, good health, great friends and bountiful sustenance - not forgetting timeful time.
Contentment and inner peace are outcomes of continuous expression of gratitude to Him, and an attitude of abundance - that we are not poor to give, even if we are the poorest of the poor.
For only by giving we will increase what we have.
Or the more we give, the more we will be able to give.
And that is good karma.
What struck me though was the different levels and states of enlightenment arrived through meditation. I found the idea of inner peace and tranquility attractive, and recalled the verse:
"Those who believe and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of God -- truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace" [Q 13:28]
Inner peace and tranquility are for those who are at peace with themselves, their environment and condition, their relationships with others and not least, their Lord. It is not something that can be exchanged or purchased like other material goods. It is personal -- you either know you have it or don't. And it fluctuates over time given the externalities and challenges or trials both from others and that which is willed by Allah to elevate His servant to a higher station of faith.
We may have all the wealth in the world but that does not guarantee inner peace and tranquility. Like the Buddhist monks who lived on one meal a day and the basic minimum, there are those who may not be economically rich, but certainly not spiritually poor. I am not advocating poverty or to remain poor. On the contrary I dream to follow the footsteps of Professor Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank and for his invaluable contributions to make poverty history, a Nobel prize winner. But wealth understood as material possessions - cash, properties, shares and stocks may skew our perception and a misunderstanding of its value and worth. It may even lead us to a lifelong preoccupation with worldly wealth as mentioned at the beginning of Surah Al-Takathur [Q 102].
Allah's blessings are in no small measure what wealth is made up of. It certainly includes a happy and loving family, pious and virtuous spouse and children, good health, great friends and bountiful sustenance - not forgetting timeful time.
Contentment and inner peace are outcomes of continuous expression of gratitude to Him, and an attitude of abundance - that we are not poor to give, even if we are the poorest of the poor.
For only by giving we will increase what we have.
Or the more we give, the more we will be able to give.
And that is good karma.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Backpacking Anyone?
My wife (affectionately called Kak Mariam) and I attended Br Zalman and Sis Masyithah's sharing of experience from their 22 months studying in Hartford Seminary, Connecticut. Thanks to them for inviting us to the session, and to the younger Perdaus/SAFF brothers and sisters for receiving us, despite our intergenerational difference. Kak Mariam felt that they should be calling us uncle and auntie because many of them are of the same age as our own children (ps: I once mentioned to Aisyah - that age is in the mind, if you don't mind age, age will not mind you).
Although we arrived late (due to an accident at Chai Chee Road junction) we were able to connect with their experiences, and for me it brought back memories of my 3-week International Leaders Visitors Programme in the United States in 2004.
On particular interesting reflection shared by Sis Masyithah was the Passover she attended on invitation of the Jewish community in Hartford. She pointed out that the elaborate dinner was sequenced to re-enact the religious history of Prophet Moses and the Children of Israel. Every "course" of the dinner signified an episode of the history and tradition. What was amazing for me what that the Passover dinner was a family affair - and they involved their children to partake in the preparation of the dinner and involved games (as part of the dinner sequence) to make it exciting for them. It was a three-in-one, I told myself (or is it a trinity !?) - RFF (Religious learning, Family bonding, and Food for everyone) What a great idea ! Something we could adopt and adapt within our family.
Kak Mariam and I truly appreciate the value of living abroad. It had enriched us and our children too. They spent their vacation in New Zealand's South Island last year to appreciate the beauty and grandeur of Allah's creation. But visit as a tourist to another country can never be compared with living and be part of the community of that country. Particularly if you end up staying in the Marriotts or Le Meridiens, strolled along fancy boulevards and shopped at Dorothy Perkins, Downtown.
Have you visited a place or a country and yet never got to speak to a local throughout your stay (and getting a piece of info at the hotel reception cannot be counted - since the staff too is a foreigner herself :o) for a richer appreciation of the society - rather than beautiful (digital) photos of places, monuments and landmarks (and yourselves in the forefront, of course).
So what is a "better" way to travel? you may asked. Should we be backpackers to enmesh into the society or a community? How can we live with, and amongst them to learn and be enriched within a matter of days or weeks - short period of time (and when we actually need a good break and rest to re-charge after a year of hectic living)?
I usually stayed in the Marriotts, Le Meridiens and Royal Lancasters so that I do not trouble my local hosts or friends who I knew in the city or country. But I usually seek their help for me to visit local mosques, organisations and institutions to meet the locals or the heartlanders (- to borrow a Singaporean parlance). And even to savour the taste of local delicacies at backalleys and unfriendly nooks.
I asked Kak Mariam what was that one significant takeaway for us from the sharing session. She replied almost instantaneously (and interestingly similar to what I had in mind) that we should encourage our young to live abroad so that they may learn and experience beyond the familiar and the comfort of home.
Living with others is learning with others,
learning with others is learning together about life and living,
and not just living as next door neighbours.
Although we arrived late (due to an accident at Chai Chee Road junction) we were able to connect with their experiences, and for me it brought back memories of my 3-week International Leaders Visitors Programme in the United States in 2004.
On particular interesting reflection shared by Sis Masyithah was the Passover she attended on invitation of the Jewish community in Hartford. She pointed out that the elaborate dinner was sequenced to re-enact the religious history of Prophet Moses and the Children of Israel. Every "course" of the dinner signified an episode of the history and tradition. What was amazing for me what that the Passover dinner was a family affair - and they involved their children to partake in the preparation of the dinner and involved games (as part of the dinner sequence) to make it exciting for them. It was a three-in-one, I told myself (or is it a trinity !?) - RFF (Religious learning, Family bonding, and Food for everyone) What a great idea ! Something we could adopt and adapt within our family.
Kak Mariam and I truly appreciate the value of living abroad. It had enriched us and our children too. They spent their vacation in New Zealand's South Island last year to appreciate the beauty and grandeur of Allah's creation. But visit as a tourist to another country can never be compared with living and be part of the community of that country. Particularly if you end up staying in the Marriotts or Le Meridiens, strolled along fancy boulevards and shopped at Dorothy Perkins, Downtown.
Have you visited a place or a country and yet never got to speak to a local throughout your stay (and getting a piece of info at the hotel reception cannot be counted - since the staff too is a foreigner herself :o) for a richer appreciation of the society - rather than beautiful (digital) photos of places, monuments and landmarks (and yourselves in the forefront, of course).
So what is a "better" way to travel? you may asked. Should we be backpackers to enmesh into the society or a community? How can we live with, and amongst them to learn and be enriched within a matter of days or weeks - short period of time (and when we actually need a good break and rest to re-charge after a year of hectic living)?
I usually stayed in the Marriotts, Le Meridiens and Royal Lancasters so that I do not trouble my local hosts or friends who I knew in the city or country. But I usually seek their help for me to visit local mosques, organisations and institutions to meet the locals or the heartlanders (- to borrow a Singaporean parlance). And even to savour the taste of local delicacies at backalleys and unfriendly nooks.
I asked Kak Mariam what was that one significant takeaway for us from the sharing session. She replied almost instantaneously (and interestingly similar to what I had in mind) that we should encourage our young to live abroad so that they may learn and experience beyond the familiar and the comfort of home.
Living with others is learning with others,
learning with others is learning together about life and living,
and not just living as next door neighbours.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Timeful Time
Have you ever came across time when it appeared as if time has stopped or moved much slower than usual, hence allowing you to achieve much more at a comfortable pace? A rare exception to the rule characterised by fast paced living with no time to reflect before the next job appears on life's conveyor belt.
This week something unusual happened, alhamdulillah. I will try to elaborate but it may not be easy to describe experience as experienced. So here goes three instances ..
I took upon myself to chair-cum-moderate the Mosque Religious Officers (MRO) meeting held at Al-Istiqamah Mosque, since my colleague was on medical leave. The meeting started half-an-hour later than scheduled but we were able to end on time for lunch before everyone made their way to their workplaces. I opened the meeting with introductory remarks covering several happenings and important issues of the week. Subsequently we had two presentations, the first was a beautiful tazkirah (reminder) by Ustaz Abdul Manaf on Hati Yang Hidup (A Living Heart) followed by a briefing on Mosque Management by Hj Kassim Kamis. Although we started late, we were able to have a good discussion and additional contributions by the participants. Much to my surprise, we were able to add 2 more items to the programme, a) reflections on their visit to Khalsa Prison and b) plenary for MROs to share the happenings at their respective mosques. I felt that as more MROs took the floor to offer their updates and views, the slower the time went. It was almost as though time had given us additional 3 minutes for every minute passed. Truly blessed time!
Our meeting with Br Necmettin, Br Erkan and Br Cengzhi from the Turkish Cultural Centre took an interesting twist. We had put aside 2 hours for the meeting for this getting-to-know each other session. As expected our guests arrived on time but requested to pray Asr when they arrived at An-Nahdah Mosque. We started the meeting after the pleasantries and both parties took turns to share our activities, through video and powerpoint presentations. We were conscious that we will have to wrap-up before Maghrib prayers. Alhamdulillah, we explored several initiatives and at the of the meeting we discovered that there were 6 areas of collaboration agreed. And it was a bonus for we started without expecting any deals and were pleasantly surprised that we were able to end the meeting well ahead before Maghrib. What a Turkish delight!
This week something unusual happened, alhamdulillah. I will try to elaborate but it may not be easy to describe experience as experienced. So here goes three instances ..
I
I took upon myself to chair-cum-moderate the Mosque Religious Officers (MRO) meeting held at Al-Istiqamah Mosque, since my colleague was on medical leave. The meeting started half-an-hour later than scheduled but we were able to end on time for lunch before everyone made their way to their workplaces. I opened the meeting with introductory remarks covering several happenings and important issues of the week. Subsequently we had two presentations, the first was a beautiful tazkirah (reminder) by Ustaz Abdul Manaf on Hati Yang Hidup (A Living Heart) followed by a briefing on Mosque Management by Hj Kassim Kamis. Although we started late, we were able to have a good discussion and additional contributions by the participants. Much to my surprise, we were able to add 2 more items to the programme, a) reflections on their visit to Khalsa Prison and b) plenary for MROs to share the happenings at their respective mosques. I felt that as more MROs took the floor to offer their updates and views, the slower the time went. It was almost as though time had given us additional 3 minutes for every minute passed. Truly blessed time!
II
Our meeting with Br Necmettin, Br Erkan and Br Cengzhi from the Turkish Cultural Centre took an interesting twist. We had put aside 2 hours for the meeting for this getting-to-know each other session. As expected our guests arrived on time but requested to pray Asr when they arrived at An-Nahdah Mosque. We started the meeting after the pleasantries and both parties took turns to share our activities, through video and powerpoint presentations. We were conscious that we will have to wrap-up before Maghrib prayers. Alhamdulillah, we explored several initiatives and at the of the meeting we discovered that there were 6 areas of collaboration agreed. And it was a bonus for we started without expecting any deals and were pleasantly surprised that we were able to end the meeting well ahead before Maghrib. What a Turkish delight!
III
Aisyah gently reminded me to finish the REA meeting by 10.00 pm, and understandably so since she lives in the west quite a distance from the venue in the east. We arrived at the meeting place at 8 pm sharp but no other members had arrived. And since its dinner time, we went to the nearest coffee shop for a plate of fried chicken. We were already behind schedule the moment we started, and almost with his magical touch Br Hakeem led the meeting for us to discuss several outstanding issues and seek commitment to undertake various tasks for the inaugural award ceremony sometime in October this year. Contrary to our fears that this meeting will go into the night to make up for the brief hiatus, I was personally impressed when we closed the meeting with Tasbih Kaffarah and Surah Asr at about 9.30 pm. It certainly made Aisyah's day!
&
How did it happen? I wondered and asked myself. What were the "right" elements that came together on the day, at the meetings and during it to achieve much more, without the stress or rush to compete with time.
Is this what is meant by Allah's blessings of time?
That made time timeful.
The All-Knower, only He knows best.
Is this what is meant by Allah's blessings of time?
That made time timeful.
The All-Knower, only He knows best.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Rafiq Endeavour Award
After a brief hiatus caused by busy schedules and frequent travels, the team met today to kick-start the work for the inaugural REA award this coming Syawal. Alhamdulillah, despite the no-so-great attendance, we were able to motivate ourselves and to commit to agreed deadlines.REA is our small contribution to celebrate the life of a young man, Muhammad Rafiq Yahya.
I knew Rafiq when he was helping out at FMSA and saw him off at Changi Airport when he courageously took the journey to Pondok Moden Darussalam Gontor for a Diploma in Islamic Studies. Some years later I met him in Damascus when he continued his undergraduate study at Jami'atul Abu Nour, much to my delight and to his determination and ambition of becoming a scholar one day.
Last year during Ramadan he worked at An-Nur Mosque. And on the eve of Eid, after making sure that all preparations were done and completed for the next morning's Eid Fitr prayers he rode his motorbike to return home to Teck Whye, where he lived with his parents. But he was not destined to reach home - he fell from his bike in front of Al-Khair Mosque some minutes away from his house. He never gained consciousness and passed away on 2 Syawal 1428H.
May Allah bless his soul and place him amongst His righteous and favoured servants.
Allahyarham Muhammad Rafiq was of exemplary character and a role model for the young. He touched and mentored many young Muslims and left positive impressions over the young and old whoever he met and served. His determination and dedication in his personal transformation from an ITE student to a University undergraduate was exemplary - a young man deep in religious conviction, fluent in Arabic and passionate in his pursuit for knowledge.
Over a short period of time he had served and contributed to many organisations and youth groups, including ITE, FMSA, Pondok Moden Darussalam Gontor, Jami’atul Abu Nour, DMASYQ, PADA, Huda, RKM, An-Nur Mosque.
We have put together some visuals to remind ourselves of his joyful life.
We are saddened by his demise but resolved to keep his experiences, achievements and aspirations alive through an award in his memory.
The REA award is created to support the personal transformation and endeavours of young Muslims who have the potential to create positive change amongst youth and contribute to the community.
I invite you to join me in this endeavour.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
JK Rowling's Commencement Speech
Dr Siti Maryam Salasal forwarded an e-mail with the text of JK Rowling's Harvard Commencement Speech today. It was the best e-mail or rather the best read for the day, for me.
Not only because it's by the famous and renowned author of the best-selling Harry Potter books, but also the honest-to-goodness reflection of her past failure in life and how it benefited her. It was quite a long and substantive speech, and it must be - for such a significant and important moment for the graduates.
I strongly recommend a read and (re)read to enjoy the beautiful and elegant use of language as well as the profound meaning of her calling. The full text is found at the following link:
http://harvardmagazine.com/web/breaking-news/jk-rowling-commencement-2008
At the risk of copyright infringement, I append (in quote) one of the segment of the speech aimed at the graduating students.
"Your intelligence, your capacity for hard work, the education you have earned and received, give you unique status, and unique responsibilities. Even your nationality sets you apart. The great majority of you belong to the world’s only remaining superpower. The way you vote, the way you live, the way you protest, the pressure you bring to bear on your government, has an impact way beyond your borders. That is your privilege, and your burden. If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence, but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped transform for the better. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better."
JK Rowling had fired the imagination of millions here and the world over. The Harry Potter books (and movies) transcended country, ethnic, culture and language. In fact it unified millions of fans and readers as a global Potter family. The power of JK Rowling's work and Harry Potter specifically is beyond measure, not to mention its commercial value.
The above extract (as quoted) is not only useful and relevant to the Harvard graduating class but also to anyone who is endowed to serve and has the power to transform reality for the better.
Are there Rowlings in the making, in our midst?
Many thanks to Dr Siti Maryam for making my day.
Not only because it's by the famous and renowned author of the best-selling Harry Potter books, but also the honest-to-goodness reflection of her past failure in life and how it benefited her. It was quite a long and substantive speech, and it must be - for such a significant and important moment for the graduates.
I strongly recommend a read and (re)read to enjoy the beautiful and elegant use of language as well as the profound meaning of her calling. The full text is found at the following link:
http://harvardmagazine.com/web/breaking-news/jk-rowling-commencement-2008
At the risk of copyright infringement, I append (in quote) one of the segment of the speech aimed at the graduating students.
"Your intelligence, your capacity for hard work, the education you have earned and received, give you unique status, and unique responsibilities. Even your nationality sets you apart. The great majority of you belong to the world’s only remaining superpower. The way you vote, the way you live, the way you protest, the pressure you bring to bear on your government, has an impact way beyond your borders. That is your privilege, and your burden. If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence, but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped transform for the better. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better."
JK Rowling had fired the imagination of millions here and the world over. The Harry Potter books (and movies) transcended country, ethnic, culture and language. In fact it unified millions of fans and readers as a global Potter family. The power of JK Rowling's work and Harry Potter specifically is beyond measure, not to mention its commercial value.
The above extract (as quoted) is not only useful and relevant to the Harvard graduating class but also to anyone who is endowed to serve and has the power to transform reality for the better.
Are there Rowlings in the making, in our midst?
Many thanks to Dr Siti Maryam for making my day.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Rahmatan Lil Alamin (RLA)
Wa ma arsalna ka illah rahmatan lil alamin. [Q 21:107]
And We have sent you not but as a mercy for all the universe.
I am not able to join my colleagues to donate blood to contribute to the RLA Blessings To All Day.
Not for the lack of blood or fear of the needle, but simply because I had once resided in the UK during the time of the Mad Cow Disease. I truly understand the safeguards put in place to prevent contamination at the blood bank and health risk to other patients due to bad blood (forgive the pun). But I am beginning to feel "stigmatised" due to the repeated publicity and expression of thanks to all who have signed up for the blood donation. Why do I feel this way? I asked. My conscience is clear - it is not that I do not want to give my blood. I should not feel guilty or awkward but I felt the urge to make my frustration known.
In reply to the staff notice which updated the number of pledgers and thanked them for the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Fund (RLAF) Blood Donation Drive I explained why my blood will not be accepted. I then asked the following question:
"Is there anything other than blood and cash that I can offer to be included in the RLAF gang - I feel marginalised if blood is the only commodity that carry the legal tender to be RLAF-ed.
Yours bloody but not wanted,
b"
I have now resigned to the fact that we (or I), blood donor "wannabes" are too small a number to justify attention and time to think of alternatives other than blood. Perhaps I should announce that I will donate my brain as substitute for blood to get the attention. But this is not about getting attention, isn't it? It is about offering choices and opportunities for all to participate and contribute.
Although demand for blood is greater than supply and a must for surgeries and critical medical conditions, Rahmatan Lil Alamin must not be reduced to blood donation.
I have thought long and hard what I would do to be blessings to all or to paraphrase, become a RLAF-ed person. I have decided to venture the following:
a) Tell others how important they have been to me - I will find one person a year and write them a letter and tell them how they had changed my life.
b) Give others a chance to do good - I will offer 50 envelopes, each with a $50 note. Anyone can have the envelope, no strings attached. All I ask is that the money be used for a good cause. I reckoned those who took the offer or picked the envelopes will ponder how best to spend the money and make a difference. I trust them to use the money wisely and pass on the trust they took from me.
c) Smile to whoever I meet at work, in the lift, on the street, even when someone stepped on my toe in the crowded MRT train.
Today, do something that will make someone's day.
And make animals, plants and the invisibles feel good (if you have access to them).
Stand up even if you are not counted!
And We have sent you not but as a mercy for all the universe.
I am not able to join my colleagues to donate blood to contribute to the RLA Blessings To All Day.
Not for the lack of blood or fear of the needle, but simply because I had once resided in the UK during the time of the Mad Cow Disease. I truly understand the safeguards put in place to prevent contamination at the blood bank and health risk to other patients due to bad blood (forgive the pun). But I am beginning to feel "stigmatised" due to the repeated publicity and expression of thanks to all who have signed up for the blood donation. Why do I feel this way? I asked. My conscience is clear - it is not that I do not want to give my blood. I should not feel guilty or awkward but I felt the urge to make my frustration known.
In reply to the staff notice which updated the number of pledgers and thanked them for the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Fund (RLAF) Blood Donation Drive I explained why my blood will not be accepted. I then asked the following question:
"Is there anything other than blood and cash that I can offer to be included in the RLAF gang - I feel marginalised if blood is the only commodity that carry the legal tender to be RLAF-ed.
Yours bloody but not wanted,
b"
I have now resigned to the fact that we (or I), blood donor "wannabes" are too small a number to justify attention and time to think of alternatives other than blood. Perhaps I should announce that I will donate my brain as substitute for blood to get the attention. But this is not about getting attention, isn't it? It is about offering choices and opportunities for all to participate and contribute.
Although demand for blood is greater than supply and a must for surgeries and critical medical conditions, Rahmatan Lil Alamin must not be reduced to blood donation.
I have thought long and hard what I would do to be blessings to all or to paraphrase, become a RLAF-ed person. I have decided to venture the following:
a) Tell others how important they have been to me - I will find one person a year and write them a letter and tell them how they had changed my life.
b) Give others a chance to do good - I will offer 50 envelopes, each with a $50 note. Anyone can have the envelope, no strings attached. All I ask is that the money be used for a good cause. I reckoned those who took the offer or picked the envelopes will ponder how best to spend the money and make a difference. I trust them to use the money wisely and pass on the trust they took from me.
c) Smile to whoever I meet at work, in the lift, on the street, even when someone stepped on my toe in the crowded MRT train.
Today, do something that will make someone's day.
And make animals, plants and the invisibles feel good (if you have access to them).
Stand up even if you are not counted!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Eggs and Chicks
An energizer, as the name suggests, is a simple activity to create and inject energy during workshops when the energy level among participants is low, or to serve as a break between sessions.
For an energizer at a workshop I attended some time ago, participants were asked to draw an animal that best represents them or simply put – if you are an animal what will it be? This question may be construed to be dehumanising, hence sensitive for some. Not wanting to be difficult (or even perceived as anti-social), I diligently pondered a while before putting pen to paper.
Eventually I drew a hen and subsequently was asked to share my drawing to everyone else and more importantly (or embarrassingly) why I chose the hen.
I explained to my fellow participants that it was a good friend who pointed out to me that I am akin to a hen that laid eggs wherever I went and whoever I met. Although he clarified what he thought those metaphorical eggs were, I hesitate to reveal it for fear of self-conceit.
But he was also quick to point out that while I am very active at laying eggs, I failed to hatch these eggs and nurture the chicks.
I received my copy of the latest issue of The Economist today and the words on the promotional cover wrap brought this metaphor - the hen and the unhatched eggs, back to me. The words were from The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and it read:
Wanted:
20 people to
For an energizer at a workshop I attended some time ago, participants were asked to draw an animal that best represents them or simply put – if you are an animal what will it be? This question may be construed to be dehumanising, hence sensitive for some. Not wanting to be difficult (or even perceived as anti-social), I diligently pondered a while before putting pen to paper.
Eventually I drew a hen and subsequently was asked to share my drawing to everyone else and more importantly (or embarrassingly) why I chose the hen.
I explained to my fellow participants that it was a good friend who pointed out to me that I am akin to a hen that laid eggs wherever I went and whoever I met. Although he clarified what he thought those metaphorical eggs were, I hesitate to reveal it for fear of self-conceit.
But he was also quick to point out that while I am very active at laying eggs, I failed to hatch these eggs and nurture the chicks.
I received my copy of the latest issue of The Economist today and the words on the promotional cover wrap brought this metaphor - the hen and the unhatched eggs, back to me. The words were from The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and it read:
Wanted:
20 people to
help change
the World.
I was struck by the bold and confident tone of the message. And I quite like the idea of inviting some 20 people to help change the World.
Then suddenly I thought I could possibly do that (too!).
By the way, that was an advert for the 20 places at the LKYSPP's Master in Public Management programme targeted at senior policymakers in the public and private sector and civil society with a proven track record of leadership in their organisations.
But will be my value proposition? For the LKYSPP's MPM programme participants will work towards a degree and a lucrative career. What value or benefit can be expected from participating in this venture or going on this journey together?
Making a difference to our lives and the people around us, I thought.
It may not appear elegant in its wording or sounding. Some may even reject it as a distasteful cliché. But that should not deter us to be useful and contribute to improve the lives of others, no matter how small or insignificant it may be.
I was struck by the bold and confident tone of the message. And I quite like the idea of inviting some 20 people to help change the World.
Then suddenly I thought I could possibly do that (too!).
By the way, that was an advert for the 20 places at the LKYSPP's Master in Public Management programme targeted at senior policymakers in the public and private sector and civil society with a proven track record of leadership in their organisations.
But will be my value proposition? For the LKYSPP's MPM programme participants will work towards a degree and a lucrative career. What value or benefit can be expected from participating in this venture or going on this journey together?
Making a difference to our lives and the people around us, I thought.
It may not appear elegant in its wording or sounding. Some may even reject it as a distasteful cliché. But that should not deter us to be useful and contribute to improve the lives of others, no matter how small or insignificant it may be.
I have yet to work out what this programme will entail. Ideally it should be designed by participants collectively as a learning community. It may sound and appear loose and unstructured at this point in time, but I make no bones of the commitment and passion needed to grow and develop together. And without doubt, high standards of discipline.
This is an invitation for 20 young leaders to help change the World.
Only those who are able to put others before self should apply.
Needless to say, this is one nest of eggs I very much like to hatch and nurture the chicks.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Awakening
It is He who calls your souls back by night, knowing what you have done by day, then raises you up again in the daytime until your fixed term is fulfilled. It is to Him that you will return in the end, and He will tell you what you have done. [Q 6:60]
Sleep is an interesting phenomenon.
Some will doze off the moment their head hits the pillow while others will need to count sheep to fall asleep. I am one of those who suffer from both and usually cannot recall how and when I actually doze off into dreamland. Perhaps it is not for humans to know when our souls return to Him at night.
Beyond the physical, many strange things happen during our sleep. Depending on the state of mind, one may reveal secrets while asleep. I used to do maths while sleeping during my computing and software engineering days much to the concern and perhaps the inconvenience to my wife.
For a while now I am in search of answers on awakening rather than sleeping, per se.
How do we do our sleep (or “control” it) so that we are able to wake up at a predetermined time (and yes, I know we can rely on the alarm of the clocks – notice the plural)?
And certainly with His permission for we only continue to wake up until we meet death at the appointed time.
Why is it that when there is a place to go or a meeting to attend we are able to tune and time our body and mind to wake up early so that we will not be late or miss the taxi to the airport?
Why is it that when it’s the first day of school (and tomorrow is the beginning of the new school term) we are able to wake up in the early hours to get everything done, including breakfast, before waking the kids up for prayers and school?
Why is it that when we attend a sleepover programme in a mosque, we are able to wake up during the last hours of the night to do our Tahajjud prayers?
I am envious of those who are able to wake up for their tahajjud and spend time with their mathurat after Fajr prayers. I also admire those (Pak Azyumardi and Br Tariq Ramadan, included) who contemplate and write books in the early hours after their prayers.
Why is it that our waking-up is not much of an awakening but at best a struggle between being horizontal and vertical?
Is it a case of not consistently practicing and internalizing the do’a the Prophet taught us, before sleeping and upon waking-up as well the reminder of the three knots as in the Hadith reported in Bukhari and Muslim?
I crave a good night's sleep but I yearn to be the first to wake-up to call the morning azan. And every waking-up is a new awakening for the soul, mind and body.
There is still much to be desired before aspiring to be a warrior in the day and a monk in the night.
O Allah, I surrender myself to You and turn my face towards You, and entrust myself to You ….
….. zzzzz
Sleep is an interesting phenomenon.
Some will doze off the moment their head hits the pillow while others will need to count sheep to fall asleep. I am one of those who suffer from both and usually cannot recall how and when I actually doze off into dreamland. Perhaps it is not for humans to know when our souls return to Him at night.
Beyond the physical, many strange things happen during our sleep. Depending on the state of mind, one may reveal secrets while asleep. I used to do maths while sleeping during my computing and software engineering days much to the concern and perhaps the inconvenience to my wife.
For a while now I am in search of answers on awakening rather than sleeping, per se.
How do we do our sleep (or “control” it) so that we are able to wake up at a predetermined time (and yes, I know we can rely on the alarm of the clocks – notice the plural)?
And certainly with His permission for we only continue to wake up until we meet death at the appointed time.
Why is it that when there is a place to go or a meeting to attend we are able to tune and time our body and mind to wake up early so that we will not be late or miss the taxi to the airport?
Why is it that when it’s the first day of school (and tomorrow is the beginning of the new school term) we are able to wake up in the early hours to get everything done, including breakfast, before waking the kids up for prayers and school?
Why is it that when we attend a sleepover programme in a mosque, we are able to wake up during the last hours of the night to do our Tahajjud prayers?
I am envious of those who are able to wake up for their tahajjud and spend time with their mathurat after Fajr prayers. I also admire those (Pak Azyumardi and Br Tariq Ramadan, included) who contemplate and write books in the early hours after their prayers.
Why is it that our waking-up is not much of an awakening but at best a struggle between being horizontal and vertical?
Is it a case of not consistently practicing and internalizing the do’a the Prophet taught us, before sleeping and upon waking-up as well the reminder of the three knots as in the Hadith reported in Bukhari and Muslim?
I crave a good night's sleep but I yearn to be the first to wake-up to call the morning azan. And every waking-up is a new awakening for the soul, mind and body.
There is still much to be desired before aspiring to be a warrior in the day and a monk in the night.
O Allah, I surrender myself to You and turn my face towards You, and entrust myself to You ….
….. zzzzz
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Story of My Life
After celebrating the success of some 30 families who participated in Muis Empowerment Programme Scheme (EPS) and performing the Zuhr prayer, I left Sultan Mosque for One Fullerton to meet a group of students from SIM who are also EXCO members of the SIM Malay Cultural and Muslim Society. These students wanted to meet me for sometime now, but delayed due to my travels and their exam periods.
My mind was occupied with possible talking points for the meeting, to ensure that it will be worthwhile for the students, during the ride on the MRT train from Bugis to Raffles Place. I was prepared to talk about my observations on what would be necessary and useful issues for Learning the Future - which I mentally summarised as the 3-world reality: a) A Sustainable World, with its attendant issues of climate change, and its impact on energy policy, tourism planning, food security and water resource, b) A Multipolar World, with the rise of China and India, a new Europe, the turbulent Africa and the opening of Central Asia as well as the emergence of ideologies and its nexus with geopolitics and, c) A Hyperlinked World, through globalisation and issues of national identity and human migration.
It all began when Sis Nadiah, the President of the newly formed society, attended the TMSN camp at An-Naeem Mosque in March during which she invited me to meet her EXCO members for a sharing. Last Wednesday, my family and I happened to meet her and her peers at Downtown East, and to my surprise, she happens to be Muslihah's Chemistry teacher at Al-Maarif. She has taken up a part-time teaching post at the madrasah while studying for the University of London degree at SIM. Certainly her time are well spent and her commitments, exemplary!
Soon after all five students had their seats at Starbucks-One Fullerton, I was asked to share what I have done in the past, the motivations and my aspirations for the future.
On reflection after the meeting, I thought I had shared the story of my life and signposted major decisions that may have led to where and who I am today. I had never entertained this thought or attempted this task, partly because I do not believe one can be absolutely objective and accurate with autobiography. But since there may be learning points for them, I obliged and tried to be as comprehensive as possible, but aware that a 40-plus years of life history cannot be summarised in an hour without losing many of the episodes which are also significant to make the account complete and accurate.
I began with experiences of being the eldest in the family, the upbringing I had, the influences that shaped and developed my worldview, the challenging days of working-in-the-day and studying-at-night after dropping out of secondary school, right through overseas education in the UK and fulfilled my ambition to be a University lecturer.
The students listened attentively while I consistently tried to be succint and factual. It reminded me of the days I sat at the feet of (late) Prof Stafford Beer, who supervised my doctoral work when I visited him at his cottage in the valley in Mid Wales. A world renowned cybernetician, Stafford was multi-talented and a true polymath. He was conversant in English (of course), French, Latin, Spanish, Sanskrit and Hindi (which he picked up during his stint in India when he led the Gurkha contingent). He was a poet, painter, philosopher, a carpenter and taught veda and vedic yoga to his students.
But unlike Stafford who was a Guru and almost a sage to his students, I shared the story of my life with the hope that it may inspire them to discover their talents, realise their potentials, chase their dreams and break new frontiers.
I hope they too will inspire others to greater heights (and heavens)!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Friday Khutbah .... zzz
Today as I listened to the Friday khutbah at An-Nadhah Mosque delivered by a young imam, I had a glimpse of many in the congregation who fell asleep or perhaps used the time to catch a nap. I had wondered for a long time now how to help the imam(s) deliver their khutbah in a manner that is captivating and interactive so that the congregation "is with the khutbah" and is not sleeping through it.
Sometime ago, when I attended Friday prayer at a mosque in Atlanta, USA, the Afro-American imam engaged his congregation by asking them questions that were spontaneously replied by some members and supported by many others with their Jamaican "Ya Man ..." expression of agreement. Initially I was taken aback with such interactivity since at home (in Singapore), we were told to maintain silence when the imam or khatib delivers the khutbah. I once mentioned to a brother that perhaps we should encourage our imam to engage his congregation by asking them to finish off or complete the verse of the Quran that he is reciting to stimulate some degree of interaction, rather than total and complete silence on the part of the congregation, and in a sense deliver a one-way monologue.
I am aware of the Hadith that reminds us to listen attentively to the khutbah and not speak a word, even to reprimand someone else who is talking, failing which the reward of the Friday prayer is lost. But listen attentively requires some effort - to concentrate and keep awake, and I am concern that it is now becoming a norm for congregation to fall asleep or catch a nap during the khutbah. Hence the intent of the khutbah would not be achieved, and the message that the imam wishes to share did not really reach the congregation.
Is someone who is asleep during and throughout the khutbah tantamount to "talking to his other self" and not within the "khutbah circle" or the "sermon space" to deserve the reward of the Friday prayer? What about those who are not asleep but sms-ing (or texting) on their handphones, or dreaming of other worldly yearnings during the khutbah? I asked myself (and in a sense while I was analysing, risk myself at the edge of the "khutbah circle", too).
But are those who fell asleep to be faulted if we continue with the practice of reading the khutbah or rather the prepared text, instead of delivering the khutbah? How do we make our imam(s) deliver from the prepared text but without reading it? Or better still, how do we develop them so that they are able to internalise the essence of the prepared text yet deliver it straight from their heart? Surely an imam who communicates from his heart will invigorate the congregation and gravitates them to his khutbah.
I fear the prospect of one who gives nothing to it will get nothing from it.
Sometime ago, when I attended Friday prayer at a mosque in Atlanta, USA, the Afro-American imam engaged his congregation by asking them questions that were spontaneously replied by some members and supported by many others with their Jamaican "Ya Man ..." expression of agreement. Initially I was taken aback with such interactivity since at home (in Singapore), we were told to maintain silence when the imam or khatib delivers the khutbah. I once mentioned to a brother that perhaps we should encourage our imam to engage his congregation by asking them to finish off or complete the verse of the Quran that he is reciting to stimulate some degree of interaction, rather than total and complete silence on the part of the congregation, and in a sense deliver a one-way monologue.
I am aware of the Hadith that reminds us to listen attentively to the khutbah and not speak a word, even to reprimand someone else who is talking, failing which the reward of the Friday prayer is lost. But listen attentively requires some effort - to concentrate and keep awake, and I am concern that it is now becoming a norm for congregation to fall asleep or catch a nap during the khutbah. Hence the intent of the khutbah would not be achieved, and the message that the imam wishes to share did not really reach the congregation.
Is someone who is asleep during and throughout the khutbah tantamount to "talking to his other self" and not within the "khutbah circle" or the "sermon space" to deserve the reward of the Friday prayer? What about those who are not asleep but sms-ing (or texting) on their handphones, or dreaming of other worldly yearnings during the khutbah? I asked myself (and in a sense while I was analysing, risk myself at the edge of the "khutbah circle", too).
But are those who fell asleep to be faulted if we continue with the practice of reading the khutbah or rather the prepared text, instead of delivering the khutbah? How do we make our imam(s) deliver from the prepared text but without reading it? Or better still, how do we develop them so that they are able to internalise the essence of the prepared text yet deliver it straight from their heart? Surely an imam who communicates from his heart will invigorate the congregation and gravitates them to his khutbah.
I fear the prospect of one who gives nothing to it will get nothing from it.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Child On The Disused Track
On the train from Oxford to London Paddington, I asked Prof Tariq Ramadan whether he had met the Grand Mufti of Bosnia, Sheikh Dr Mustafa Ceric recently. He affirmed and laughed, while mentioning that the Grand Mufti is a humorous man. At an event cited by Prof Ramadan, Sheikh Mustafa Ceric made everyone laughed by his humour through simple and innocent statements.
I told Prof Ramadan that we have invited the Grand Mufti to deliver the lecture on Prophet Muhammad's Enduring Message to Humanity, which was eventually delivered by his goodself last April, and that we have an open invitation for the Grand Mufti to visit Singapore.
I met the Grand Mufti last year at the Conference on Islam and Muslims in the World Today, organised by University of Cambridge. His presentation on Muslims in the West: Engagement and Representation was rich and profound, to say the least.
He asserted we are at the threshold of a new age in which morality must prevail; in which understanding for our neighbours, justice in our dealings, and willingness to help each other must be our command. "Neither intelligence nor atomic weapons nor nuclear threats nor institutions can serve as substitutes for moral values and human decency", he argued. "You may win the war, but that does not mean that you have won the peace. The world was promised freedom from fear, but in fact fear has increased in recent years. The world was promised freedom from want, but large parts of the world are faced with starvation while others are living in abundance. Territorial questions and arguments of power still prevail over the essential demands of common welfare and justice". Such was the profundity of his analysis.
I found his choice of the story of the great critic Leo Velski Julian to be very appropriate for this general situation. In it he tells us about a group of children playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other is disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.
The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the children. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?
Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way. To save most of the children at the expense of only one child is a rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?
Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.
The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.
While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.
"Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right."
I told Prof Ramadan that we have invited the Grand Mufti to deliver the lecture on Prophet Muhammad's Enduring Message to Humanity, which was eventually delivered by his goodself last April, and that we have an open invitation for the Grand Mufti to visit Singapore.
I met the Grand Mufti last year at the Conference on Islam and Muslims in the World Today, organised by University of Cambridge. His presentation on Muslims in the West: Engagement and Representation was rich and profound, to say the least.
He asserted we are at the threshold of a new age in which morality must prevail; in which understanding for our neighbours, justice in our dealings, and willingness to help each other must be our command. "Neither intelligence nor atomic weapons nor nuclear threats nor institutions can serve as substitutes for moral values and human decency", he argued. "You may win the war, but that does not mean that you have won the peace. The world was promised freedom from fear, but in fact fear has increased in recent years. The world was promised freedom from want, but large parts of the world are faced with starvation while others are living in abundance. Territorial questions and arguments of power still prevail over the essential demands of common welfare and justice". Such was the profundity of his analysis.
I found his choice of the story of the great critic Leo Velski Julian to be very appropriate for this general situation. In it he tells us about a group of children playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other is disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.
The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the children. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?
Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way. To save most of the children at the expense of only one child is a rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?
Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.
The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.
While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.
"Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right."
Friday, June 13, 2008
Self-Discipline Foodstyle
There were times when I was able to walk into my favourite kebab place or ice-cream counter but decided to give it a miss at the point of placing the order. I had always thought that was somewhat an exercise in sacrifice, if not self-discipline.
Self-discipline was what I wanted to teach myself by deciding to go on diet on 26 May 08, through the posting on Qawiyyal Jism. I had also intended to report back two weeks later (on 9 June) whether I achieved my target of losing 10 kg off my weight. Since I could not find a weighing scale (this is absolutely true!) on Mon the 9th in London, I decided to weigh myself the moment I arrived home.
I started at 84 kg, and alhamdulillah weighed 77 kg today. I have lost 7 kg from the day I started this lifestyle (or rather, foodstyle) but short of 3 kg from the 10 kg target.
It was quite an experience. I vividly remembered the search for a "non-rice" stall during lunch on the first day. After a tiring search and walk, I resigned to a plate of steak at an eating place in Toa Payoh - disappointingly, it was not quite the quality I had in the past and yet, pricey too. Subsequently it was much easier - bowl of Yong Tau Foo full of vegetables (and I love the soup) at Fork and Spoon, Chicken Chop at Adam Road and Salad from KFC. Not forgetting, plain water for drinks.
There were moments when I thought how could I give up the Samiramis pastries (with apricot filling) that I brought back from Damascus and my favourite ice-cream (in the fridge).
Soon I began to cope with the "no rice, no bread, no sweets and low fat" diet, and enjoy the thought of figuring and choosing what to eat. Choice is a key word here - I choose what I want to eat based on what I believed it will do to my body and health.
It was made easier in Amsterdam and London because there were many Kebab restaurants, particularly around Edgware Road. And since I did not opt for breakfast by the hotels, it was very convenient to avoid the English breakfast and its traditional orange juice. Instead, I bought a packet of fresh tomatoes - and had it one per day for breakfast.
In addition to the diet, I did a lot of walking too. My wife and I did our walk in the evening after Isya' prayer in our neighbourhood. And I walked miles in Amsterdam and London - thanks to the beautiful end-spring and early-summer breeze and weather.
I feel much lighter and healthier and at times suprised at how easy it was to bend to pick up things from the floor.
But the challenge is not over - tomorrow I will be attending a wedding of the son of my cousin, and next Monday onwards, when I am having lunch with my "lunch kakis" at work.
They have already noticed my weight loss, and remarked how I looked "run-down" from my travels. I will have to be truthful to them soon - that it was not because of the travels, lest they think I am burdened by it.
I am no longer able to eat large portions, and may not make a significant contribution to the current food shortage.
Eating by choice is my very small effort to self-discipline.
It will be my lifestyle for quite a long while now, InshaAllah.
Self-discipline was what I wanted to teach myself by deciding to go on diet on 26 May 08, through the posting on Qawiyyal Jism. I had also intended to report back two weeks later (on 9 June) whether I achieved my target of losing 10 kg off my weight. Since I could not find a weighing scale (this is absolutely true!) on Mon the 9th in London, I decided to weigh myself the moment I arrived home.
I started at 84 kg, and alhamdulillah weighed 77 kg today. I have lost 7 kg from the day I started this lifestyle (or rather, foodstyle) but short of 3 kg from the 10 kg target.
It was quite an experience. I vividly remembered the search for a "non-rice" stall during lunch on the first day. After a tiring search and walk, I resigned to a plate of steak at an eating place in Toa Payoh - disappointingly, it was not quite the quality I had in the past and yet, pricey too. Subsequently it was much easier - bowl of Yong Tau Foo full of vegetables (and I love the soup) at Fork and Spoon, Chicken Chop at Adam Road and Salad from KFC. Not forgetting, plain water for drinks.
There were moments when I thought how could I give up the Samiramis pastries (with apricot filling) that I brought back from Damascus and my favourite ice-cream (in the fridge).
Soon I began to cope with the "no rice, no bread, no sweets and low fat" diet, and enjoy the thought of figuring and choosing what to eat. Choice is a key word here - I choose what I want to eat based on what I believed it will do to my body and health.
It was made easier in Amsterdam and London because there were many Kebab restaurants, particularly around Edgware Road. And since I did not opt for breakfast by the hotels, it was very convenient to avoid the English breakfast and its traditional orange juice. Instead, I bought a packet of fresh tomatoes - and had it one per day for breakfast.
In addition to the diet, I did a lot of walking too. My wife and I did our walk in the evening after Isya' prayer in our neighbourhood. And I walked miles in Amsterdam and London - thanks to the beautiful end-spring and early-summer breeze and weather.
I feel much lighter and healthier and at times suprised at how easy it was to bend to pick up things from the floor.
But the challenge is not over - tomorrow I will be attending a wedding of the son of my cousin, and next Monday onwards, when I am having lunch with my "lunch kakis" at work.
They have already noticed my weight loss, and remarked how I looked "run-down" from my travels. I will have to be truthful to them soon - that it was not because of the travels, lest they think I am burdened by it.
I am no longer able to eat large portions, and may not make a significant contribution to the current food shortage.
Eating by choice is my very small effort to self-discipline.
It will be my lifestyle for quite a long while now, InshaAllah.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Father's Day
Selfridges, The House of Fraser, Debenhams and all other stores on Oxford Street were dressed for Father's Day. Even Waterstone's was no exception. It had shelves labelled Books for Fathers to help children decide a gift for their book-loving fathers. There were other gifts too - like mugs with Super Dad printed on it. I particularly liked some of the gift items, but thought it would not be appropriate to buy it for myself.
Neither did I present my (late) father gifts every Father's Day, except on occasions when I travelled and saw something which I believed he would appreciate. But somehow being in London, compounded by the posters and window dressing of these big stores, I suddenly missed my father immensely.
When I was in Amsterdam, I mentioned to a colleague the gift I presented to my father, when he asked me what would make a good gift. I told him I gave my father a box of cigars! The wooden box was beautiful and the cigars in it, were like art pieces and together it was impeccable. My father was delighted but my wife was not very pleased since it meant I encouraged him to smoke.
One of the things I carried with me to London was a shopping list - my family has a craving for many cakes and chocolates from Tesco. And it usually includes two items for my father - cheese and scones, a liking he developed during his visits to the UK. This time round, when I ran through the list, my father's delightful expression the last time I delivered him the cheese and scones appeared in my mind. It would be a perfect Father's Day gift for him, I thought. I felt sad and tearful - I missed him very much.
It is said that we will only cherish and value our parents (and everybody and anything else) when they are no longer around. I now understood the truth of this statement. And indeed, there were instances when we disagreed as well as the reprimand on Hari Raya Eid Fitr when I expressed my views from Liverpool over the Ramadan Bazaar at Geylang Serai.
But as days passed into the third month of his passing, I missed him even more.
There were not many occasions when my father and I had a walk together. Perhaps being the eldest child, I was meant to do my "own things", and indeed I did. I worked, served National Service, traveled to Paris and London after NS, worked again and eventually moved to the UK. It was during his second visit that we brought him to London to spend time with my family and I, together.
I retraced the walk we did along The Serpentine in Hyde Park, Constitution Hill, Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards, and the Birdcage Walk along St James Park. The squirrels, the swans and the birds in St James Park were there, just like when my father, Muslim and Muslihah tried to feed and photographed them - and each of these actions were visually replayed in my mind.
It was moments like these that I wished I had spent more time with him.
My wife told me not to repeat it and asked me to spend more time with my mother. I also intend to spend what ever little time I have, with my children. And now that they have grown up, we hardly walked together.
When I reached home, Murshidah gave me a present. I unwrapped it with excitement - it was an exercise book, autographed with good wishes. Mus'ab gave me a crumpled piece of paper with his drawing of SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon on it, for Father's Day.
Allah, please forgive me for the things I did, and for the things I did not do, for my father when he was alive.
Please grant him Your mercy, Allah.
And Your garden for his abode.
Neither did I present my (late) father gifts every Father's Day, except on occasions when I travelled and saw something which I believed he would appreciate. But somehow being in London, compounded by the posters and window dressing of these big stores, I suddenly missed my father immensely.
When I was in Amsterdam, I mentioned to a colleague the gift I presented to my father, when he asked me what would make a good gift. I told him I gave my father a box of cigars! The wooden box was beautiful and the cigars in it, were like art pieces and together it was impeccable. My father was delighted but my wife was not very pleased since it meant I encouraged him to smoke.
One of the things I carried with me to London was a shopping list - my family has a craving for many cakes and chocolates from Tesco. And it usually includes two items for my father - cheese and scones, a liking he developed during his visits to the UK. This time round, when I ran through the list, my father's delightful expression the last time I delivered him the cheese and scones appeared in my mind. It would be a perfect Father's Day gift for him, I thought. I felt sad and tearful - I missed him very much.
It is said that we will only cherish and value our parents (and everybody and anything else) when they are no longer around. I now understood the truth of this statement. And indeed, there were instances when we disagreed as well as the reprimand on Hari Raya Eid Fitr when I expressed my views from Liverpool over the Ramadan Bazaar at Geylang Serai.
But as days passed into the third month of his passing, I missed him even more.
There were not many occasions when my father and I had a walk together. Perhaps being the eldest child, I was meant to do my "own things", and indeed I did. I worked, served National Service, traveled to Paris and London after NS, worked again and eventually moved to the UK. It was during his second visit that we brought him to London to spend time with my family and I, together.
I retraced the walk we did along The Serpentine in Hyde Park, Constitution Hill, Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards, and the Birdcage Walk along St James Park. The squirrels, the swans and the birds in St James Park were there, just like when my father, Muslim and Muslihah tried to feed and photographed them - and each of these actions were visually replayed in my mind.
It was moments like these that I wished I had spent more time with him.
My wife told me not to repeat it and asked me to spend more time with my mother. I also intend to spend what ever little time I have, with my children. And now that they have grown up, we hardly walked together.
When I reached home, Murshidah gave me a present. I unwrapped it with excitement - it was an exercise book, autographed with good wishes. Mus'ab gave me a crumpled piece of paper with his drawing of SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon on it, for Father's Day.
Allah, please forgive me for the things I did, and for the things I did not do, for my father when he was alive.
Please grant him Your mercy, Allah.
And Your garden for his abode.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Champions
I arrived early at St Pancras for the train to Leicester, and wondered whether I should get a book from the bookstore to read on the train. As I visually browsed the shelves, I saw Garry Kasparov's How Life Imitates Chess. Interestingly, I recalled Deepak Chopra's Golf For Enlightenment: The Seven Lessons for the Game of Life, when I saw Kasparov's book.
Chess was one of the two games I played when I was younger. The other is Monopoly. I picked up chess by observing how my other classmates played in class to kill time (so to speak) when teachers were busy marking exam papers during my primary school days. I felt a great sense of achievement when I played my first game, and occasionally won games played in class. Now my two sons too play chess, and they too learnt it from observing how their classmates played.
Every Grandmaster left behind legacies and Kasparov was no exception.
Mikhail Botvinnik who was titled "the patriarch of Soviet chess", left professional chess in 1970 to concentrate on coaching. He invited the top junior chess talents from all over the country two or three times a year to join the Botvinnik School. It went on to produce several generations of champions. In the first "graduating" cohort in the early 60s was the young Anatoly Karpov. In 1973 one of its students was the ten-year-old Gary Kasparov. By 1987 when another (future) world champion Vladimir Kramnik arrived in 1987 it had become the joint Botvinnik-Kasparov School - quite impressive record of champions.
What makes someone a better manager, a better writer, a better chess player - a champion?
For there can be no doubt that not everyone performs at the same level or has the capacity to do so. What is critical is to find our own paths to reach our peaks, to develop our talents, improve our skills, and to seek out and conquer the challenges we need to push us to the highest level.
I am not a devout chess player.
But Kasparov's lessons about mastering the strategic and emotional skills to navigate life's toughest challenges are worth more than the 8.99 Pounds Sterling price marked on the book.
And even the cashier told me that he will be reading this book on his train ride to Yorkshire, this weekend.
Chess was one of the two games I played when I was younger. The other is Monopoly. I picked up chess by observing how my other classmates played in class to kill time (so to speak) when teachers were busy marking exam papers during my primary school days. I felt a great sense of achievement when I played my first game, and occasionally won games played in class. Now my two sons too play chess, and they too learnt it from observing how their classmates played.
Grandmaster and World Chess Champion Gary Kasparov's pieces on strategy and winning tactics in Chess had appeared in Harvard Business Review (no less) which are useful and relevant for business. He beat his opponent, fellow Soviet Anatoly Karpov in 1985 to become world champion and went to hold the title for 15 years. Despite the win, he acknowledged Karpov as the adversary who shaped his life.
Kasparov woke up to find the best present he ever had for his 6th birthday. It was an enormous globe - he had always been fascinated by maps and geography, and his favorite stories were those of voyages of Marco Polo, Columbus and Magellan. These stories fired his own sense of pioneer spirit. He wanted to blaze new trails, even if at that point that meant little more than taking a new route on the walk home.Every Grandmaster left behind legacies and Kasparov was no exception.
Mikhail Botvinnik who was titled "the patriarch of Soviet chess", left professional chess in 1970 to concentrate on coaching. He invited the top junior chess talents from all over the country two or three times a year to join the Botvinnik School. It went on to produce several generations of champions. In the first "graduating" cohort in the early 60s was the young Anatoly Karpov. In 1973 one of its students was the ten-year-old Gary Kasparov. By 1987 when another (future) world champion Vladimir Kramnik arrived in 1987 it had become the joint Botvinnik-Kasparov School - quite impressive record of champions.
What makes someone a better manager, a better writer, a better chess player - a champion?
For there can be no doubt that not everyone performs at the same level or has the capacity to do so. What is critical is to find our own paths to reach our peaks, to develop our talents, improve our skills, and to seek out and conquer the challenges we need to push us to the highest level.
I am not a devout chess player.
But Kasparov's lessons about mastering the strategic and emotional skills to navigate life's toughest challenges are worth more than the 8.99 Pounds Sterling price marked on the book.
And even the cashier told me that he will be reading this book on his train ride to Yorkshire, this weekend.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Clarity of Mind
One of my fascination is how the mind works to organise a huge variety of information into meaningful summaries. There are many instances where the skill to summarise and report the salient points of the discussion are required - as a chairperson for a meeting, a moderator for a panel of speakers in a seminar, and even for breakout sessions or group work. Often this task is to be completed within a very short period of time, not to mention the added pressure to reflect accurately yet concisely the entire discussion and presentation made during the sessions.
The same is true for making speeches, be it opening or welcoming remarks, closing speech or way forward remarks and valecdiction - tasks that are usually assigned to me, perhaps because I am usually the most elderly at the occasion. Let me attempt to share my observations and experiences on speech-organising before we move to the more complex task of summarising discussions or conversations into meaningful and coherent statements.
There are several styles to adopt for the opening or welcoming speech. I particularly like the "many firsts" opening - particularly if we have several first to announce as the opening line, for the welcoming remarks. The "the first first, ..., the second first etc" style however, cannot be repeated for the same audience. For closing, I usually adopt a crisp, the "one-two-three" approach - 1 mission for the participants to accomplish, 2 "must-haves" to accomplish it, and 3 observations in my view that will make or break the mission. This "one-two-three" approach makes the closing pointed and mission-directed, and is also suitable when pressed for time at the end of the session.
For valecdiction, the best example I have seen thus far was the one delivered at the graduation dinner of the MPM course at LKYSPP early this year. The (overseas) student who represented the class did an excellent job by landscaping his valecdictory speech with how the group (of students) came, bonded and struggled together, and how they have benefited from the course. The speech was peppered with citations made by lecturers during their lessons to demonstrate that they remembered and internalised the points and messages taught. One of the highlights of the speech for me is how the student have managed to reflect their attitude and aptitude pre-course, the main takeaways from the course and their intention to apply what they learnt in their own operating environment, when they return to their own countries.
But my admiration goes to Father Justo Balda, a Jesuit priest who rapporteured our workgroup presentation and discussion through an interesting strategy. He captured all the keywords from the presentations and discussions as it happened and grouped them into three broad categories. The categories formed the idea while the words formed the sentences that reflected the intent, spirit and desired meaning of the discussion.
There are other interesting ways we have used (often subconciously) to organise the discussion or notes - from Buzan's mindmaps, highlighting and clustering techniques. While the tools are readily available and commonly known, they do not replace the cognitive capacity of the mind needed to organise thoughts before it is mapped on paper.
Clarity of mind is a gift.
But a greater gift is the purity of the heart.
The same is true for making speeches, be it opening or welcoming remarks, closing speech or way forward remarks and valecdiction - tasks that are usually assigned to me, perhaps because I am usually the most elderly at the occasion. Let me attempt to share my observations and experiences on speech-organising before we move to the more complex task of summarising discussions or conversations into meaningful and coherent statements.
There are several styles to adopt for the opening or welcoming speech. I particularly like the "many firsts" opening - particularly if we have several first to announce as the opening line, for the welcoming remarks. The "the first first, ..., the second first etc" style however, cannot be repeated for the same audience. For closing, I usually adopt a crisp, the "one-two-three" approach - 1 mission for the participants to accomplish, 2 "must-haves" to accomplish it, and 3 observations in my view that will make or break the mission. This "one-two-three" approach makes the closing pointed and mission-directed, and is also suitable when pressed for time at the end of the session.
For valecdiction, the best example I have seen thus far was the one delivered at the graduation dinner of the MPM course at LKYSPP early this year. The (overseas) student who represented the class did an excellent job by landscaping his valecdictory speech with how the group (of students) came, bonded and struggled together, and how they have benefited from the course. The speech was peppered with citations made by lecturers during their lessons to demonstrate that they remembered and internalised the points and messages taught. One of the highlights of the speech for me is how the student have managed to reflect their attitude and aptitude pre-course, the main takeaways from the course and their intention to apply what they learnt in their own operating environment, when they return to their own countries.
But my admiration goes to Father Justo Balda, a Jesuit priest who rapporteured our workgroup presentation and discussion through an interesting strategy. He captured all the keywords from the presentations and discussions as it happened and grouped them into three broad categories. The categories formed the idea while the words formed the sentences that reflected the intent, spirit and desired meaning of the discussion.
There are other interesting ways we have used (often subconciously) to organise the discussion or notes - from Buzan's mindmaps, highlighting and clustering techniques. While the tools are readily available and commonly known, they do not replace the cognitive capacity of the mind needed to organise thoughts before it is mapped on paper.
Clarity of mind is a gift.
But a greater gift is the purity of the heart.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Diverse Diversities
People are diverse in so many different ways.I visited a mosque in East Amsterdam and met the Imam, an elderly man who came from Morocco. Over a meal of cous cous and lamb, he spoke in Arabic, which was translated to Dutch by a Mosque executive and further translated to English for the international visitors (me, included). But interestingly, some words and meaning were lost in translation, as I understood from the original Arabic and verses of Quran cited. The mosque serves Moroccons, Surinames, Turks, Arabs, Dutch, Africans, Somalis, etc. They are Muslims, from different ethnic background and origin but have become Dutch nationals. Are they Dutch, I asked? Or when will a Muslim from Nigeria be identified as Dutch by the Dutch themselves? I wonder.
In South Amsterdam, there are some 80,000 people of 135 dfferent nationalities living together under his care, said the Mayor when we visited him and his councillors. I cannot imagine the challenging and complex job of managing diversity and integration and not to mention identity formation, in this local Council.
At home, I often asked my children who or what they are - ethno-culturally, I meant. They are born in the UK, from parents who are Javanese-Malay-Sumatran on one hand, and Indian-Chinese-Malay on their hand. My IC states my race as Javanese and my wife's as Indian, but neither we speak Javanese nor Indian. (And considering there are many Indian languages - from Urdu, Hindi, Tamil to Punjabi and many others). Our children speak and read English mainly, converse in spattering Malay, and read and write Arabic to pass their exams. Perhaps because of their "immigrant DNA" my children have each comtemplated settling down overseas - Murshidah (10yrs) in Jamaica (don't ask my why :o) Mus'ab (12yrs) in Spain (perhaps because of football), and Muslihah (16yrs) has developed an attraction for New Zealand.
Diversity brings with it many interesting dimensions particularly the nexus between ethnicity and religion. We are all aware that not all Arabs are Muslims and that not all Muslims are Arabs. But this distinction is not quite straightforward for many other communities. Prof Suwanna Satha-anand from Chulalangkorn University explained that Buddhism provides the "Thai-ness" to Thai people, and therefore the existence of a different "sub-culture" in the predominantly Muslim south. This also reminded me of a sharing by a sister from Austria who heads a school in Neutiftgasse. She said that when an Austrian boy (from her school) met a white Austrian male Muslim, the boy asked him why is he not a Turk.
There are many other examples. The Malays are juxtaposed with Islam in Singapore, until recent time. The same applies to Zen Buddhism to Japanese, Spanish to Catholics, and the list goes on. As human migration increases across lands and religion, and religious affiliations are better understood, these assumptions will be reformulated to form new imaginings.
As we become aware of ourselves and who we are - culturally and psychologically - we cannot but admit the fact that a single identity marker is no longer adequate and appropriate for the globalised and cosmopolitan world.
Diversity offer opportunities to learn about others, with others.
It is through others, that we know ourselves better (and truer).
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