Part 1: My Version of "The Secret"

Couple of months ago, I read a book called The Secret. I am sure you and everybody else have heard or even read it. It’s a good book. The way it was written, it’s simple and easy to understand. However, what’s written in the book is nothing new for me, and I guess it is not either for many of us who have learned about the Quran and Islam. The concepts that were written in the book are something that we, as Moslem, have or even should have known.

Being a person who always try to understand everything that happen in this world and try to connect or relate them back to the Quran, for me the concepts in the book are nothing new. It is because I know for sure that the answer of everything are there written and stated clearly in the Quran. It’s just the matter of whether or not do we comprehend and accept the truth of the Quran.

So, everytime I read a book, see things that are happening in life or in nature, or when I experience something in my life and learn experience from others, I always refer and relate them back to the Quran to find the answers and what really is behind those. For me, and for everybody too, Quran is the only truth that we must believe in.

Same thing happens when I read The Secret. I found that many of the concepts written in the book were actually written and stated through the verses of the Quran. Here, I try to summarize those points on The Secret vs the verses in the Quran. My summary will come in several parts and this is part one.

Keberadaan tidak datang dari luar, dan bahwa segala sesuatu pertama-tama datang dari dalam pikiran dan perasaan.

o QS 22:74 “Mereka tidak mengenal Allah dengan sebenar-benarnya. Sesungguhnya Allah benar-benar Maha Kuat lagi Maha Perkasa.”

Akal Anda adalah daya kreatif dari segala sesuatu. Jadi, bagaimana mungkin akan ada kekurangan? Ini tidak mungkin. Kemampuan Anda untuk berpikir tidaklah terbatas, begitu pula hal-hal yang dapat Anda wujudkan melalui pikiran. Begitu pula dengan setiap orang.

o QS 95:4 “Sesungguhnya Kami telah menciptakan manusia dalam bentuk yang sebaik-baiknya.”

o QS 16:78 “Dan Allah mengeluarkan kamu dari perut ibumu dalam keadaan tidak mengetahui sesuatupun, dan Dia memberi kamu pendengaran, penglihatan, dan hati agar kamu bersyukur.”

o QS 7:179“… mereka mempunyai hati, tetapi tidak dipergunakannya untuk memahami (ayat-ayat Allah) dan mereka mempunyai mata (tetapi) tidak dipergunakannya untuk melihat (tanda-tanda) kekuasaan Allah, dan mereka mempunyai telinga (tetapi) tidak dipergunakannya untuk mendengar (ayat-ayat) Allah. Mereka itu seperti binatang ternak, bahkan mereka lebih sesat lagi. Mereka itulah orang-orang yang lalai.” – QS 7:179

Anda tidak dapat menciptakan hidup bagi orang lain. Anda tidak dapat berpikir untuk mereka, dan jika Anda mencoba memaksakan pendapat Anda pada orang lain, Anda hanya akan menarik kekuatan serupa kepada Anda. Jadi, biarkan orang lain menciptakan hidup yang mereka inginkan.

o QS 6:52 “…Kamu tidak memiliki tanggung jawab sedikitpun terhadap perbuatan mereka dan mereka pun tidak memikul tanggung jawab sedikitpun terhadap perbuatanmu,…”

o QS 10:41 “…Bagiku pekerjaanku dan bagimu pekerjaanmu. Kamu berlepas diri terhadap apa yang aku kerjakan dan aku pun berlepas diri terhadap apa yang kamu kerjakan.”

o QS 17:7 “Jika kamu berbuat baik (berarti) kamu berbuat baik bagi dirimu sendiri dan jika kamu berbuat jahat, maka (kejahatan) itu bagi dirimu sendiri…”

o QS 17:14 “…Dan seorang yang berdosa tidak dapat memikul dosa orang lain, dan Kami tidak akan mengazab sebelum Kami mengutus seorang rasul.”

o QS 2:139 “…Bagi kami amalan kami, bagi kamu amalan kamu, dan hanya kepada-Nya kami mengikhlaskan hati.”

o QS 50:45 “Kami lebih mengetahui tentang apa yang mereka katakan, dan kamu sekali-kali bukanlah seorang pemaksa terhadap mereka. Maka beri peringatanlah dengan Al Quran orang yang takut kepada ancaman-Ku.”

What Can We Do About It...?

Surabaya, Feb. 2nd, 2008

The mistakes that we keep on doing...
Today is Saturday, Feb 2nd, 2008. I am in Surabaya for business assignment. I’m supposed to go back to Jakarta today afternoon at 5pm. Unfortunately, I had to change my plan. Jakarta is flooding again! How terrible it is… All flights were delayed or even cancelled due to the weather and flooding in Jakarta, especially at the airport area. Even one of our guest speaker for Surabaya event had to cancel his trip due to the situation.

So, I and my colleagues decided to stay over in Surabaya for another night. As much as I wanted to go home the soonest, there was nothing I could do other that postpone my flight. I just didn’t want to force myself for something that is out of my control.

Finally, I and my colleagues managed to fly on Sunday morning. Although our flight was delayed and we were separated, I was so blessed actually because my flight wasn’t delayed for more than just 1 hour. The other flight was delayed until 2pm. I arrived in Cengkareng at 1200. I took Damri to get home as I heard that taxi fare was ridiculous. It could cost us at least Rp400.000,-!!! It’s amazing how people can actually use the moment to take advantage for themselves. But then again, they have to feed gasoline to their cars, don’t they…?

It was so sad to see that we have to face the same old situation again every year. As far as I can recall, Jakarta has been experiencing flooding every year since the last 10 years. It seems that we just keep doing the same mistake all over again. I think the nation never learns the mistake… we never learn from the mistakes. But whose mistakes are these anyway? Are we fair if we point our finger and say that this is all the government’s mistake…? I don’t think so… For me, it is everybody’s mistake, including myself. It is the mistake of the nation. Everybody is responsible of what is happening in our country these days… Everybody…, including myself…

The questions left for each of us are: what can we do to save our nation? Do we have strong will to really help our nation? Do we have strong desire and passion to make a different for our nation? Where do we start, if we do…? Have we done enough for our country? Have we even done something? Have we really thought about Allah's verses below...? It's time for each of us to think and take our portion to make a different, for ourselves, others and the country.

Sesungguhnya Allah tidak mengubah keadaan suatu kaum sehingga mereka mengubah keadaan yang ada pada diri mereka sendiri…” – QS 13:11

“…Sesungguhnya Allah sekali-kali tidak akan mengubah sesuatu ni’mat yang telah dianugerahkan-Nya kepada suatu kaum, hingga kaum itu mengubah apa yang ada pada diri mereka sendiri…” – QS 8:53

“Sesungguhnya Allah tidak berbuat zalim kepada manusia sedikitpun, akan tetapi manusia itulah yang berbuat zalim kepada diri mereka sendiri.” – QS 10:44

Have we thought about it...?

Have we ever thought what we will become and how will our life be in the next 10 or 15 years? That’s when we are retired. My conversation with my friend, Lisa, this morning strikes my attention and got me really thinking about my future. This morning I went to Bank Syariah Mandiri (BSM) to withdraw some money, and met Lisa after that (Lisa works at BSM-red). We chatted for a while about usual things, like how she’s been doing lately, our work, family, etc. etc. But there is one subject that really got me thinking. It’s a story about Lisa’s office colleague who was retired last week. He is a 56 years old man with 12 children. 6 of the children were married which means that he still has obligation to raise and take care of them, and now he is jobless. He was so confused and wondering how he would live without a job. How will he raise his children and finance their family then?

This story really made me thinking about myself when I’m retired later. What would happen with me if I retired 10 or 15 years later? How am I gonna live then? How am I gonna finance myself? What job will I take or have to support and pay all my living expenses? How am I gonna support my parents and family? How am I gonna pay my mortgage? Is my saving enough? Do I have enough money to pay all those bills and installments? What if I don’t have enough money for that? Who’s gonna support and help me?

Those questions disturb me a lot and make me so terrified that it got me thinking that I must do something major now to prepare my retirement. It’s something that I must do urgently. When I’m retired, I must have enough money to pay all my living expenses, installments, bills, and at the same time still able to support my parents and family. I must force myself to do some financial rearrangements and set my financial goals for my retirement period. And I must do it right now!

First thing first, these are my financial goals for 2008:
1) By the end of Mar. 2008, no more bills on my credit card
2) By 13-Nov. 2008, I pay Rp10 million for my mortgage & restructure it to a shorter installment period (5 years)
3) By the end of Dec. 2008, I have Rp31 million savings (PIA, PAA, and savings)

These are my financial rearrangements in 2008:
1) Apply for PRUsyariah (PIA) with single premium of Rp15 million (31-Mar)
2) Apply for PRUsyariah (PAA) with monthly premium of Rp600,000 (31-Mar)
3) Use my BCA account for all travel allowance money (5-Feb)
4) Shopping fund is limited to Rp500.000,- for 3 months (starting January)
5) Dine-out fund is limited to Rp400.000,- for 3 months (starting January)
6) House renovation is limited to Rp20 million (first of March)
7) Total monthly expenses is limited to Rp3.655.000,- (incl. transport, meals, Astro, HP, PLN & PAM)
8) No travelling plan in 2008

Off course, along the way my financial goals and arrangements will be reviewed and revised accordingly in order to suit my needs and conditions at the time. However, I will try my very best to achieve all those goals and commit 100% to all my financial arrangements this year. May Allah guide and bless me. Amin ya Robbal alamin...

Just One Hour...

A person can not become a good moslem just because they were born from moslem parents nor raised in a moslem family. A person can only become a good moslem by having a knowledge about Islam. It is because Islam can only be achieved through knowledge. Without knowledge, we will walk in ignorance along the way and be fooled by dajjal (evil). By having knowledge of Islam, we will discover that Islam is the only true path in our lives. If we see thru and live in Islam in every step of our life, only then will we be able to acknowledge and avoid the path of the kufr, syirk, bid’ah and immorality that are standing in our way.

If we realise that, then why don’t we act seriously and work hard in finding the true knowledge of Islam where we depend ourselves to be called a good moslem and continue to being a moslem for rest of our lives? Isn’t it true that if we are not really serious in finding the knowledge of Islam, we will end up loosing something that is utmost valuable for ourselves, our iman or faith? Isn’t it true that our iman is the utmost valuable thing for us, even than our life itself?

Let’s spare a little of our so many times that we spend to work and chase the world. Can’t we just spend one tenth of our times to protect our iman? Just one hour out of the 24-hour that we have in a day that we reserve our time for learning and studying about our diin, understanding the essence of Al-Quran and searching the real meaning of why Allah SWT reveal HIS divine revelation in the Al-Quran.

For us, our iman is the utmost precious thing compare to all the things that exist in this world. It is not hard for us to spare just one hour of our time everyday to learn, study and understand the knowledge of Islam. Just one hour a day... everyday...

And... this was, is and will be my resolution every year, including this year of 2008... insha Allah...