Field: Islam
Title: Fikah Luar Negara
Author: Maszlee Malik dan Hamidah Mat
Publication: PTS Millenia Sdn. Bhd
ISBN: 978-983-3603-00-8
Rating: 4/5
Level: Beginner
Reviewed by: A.S Abd Mokti

Fikah Luar Negara adalah buku wajar dimiliki oleh setiap pembaca dari segenap lapisan masyarakat, terutamanya bagi individu Muslim yang selalu bermusafir ataupun telah berada di luar Negara dan mereka yang berminat untuk mengetahui selok belok fiqh semasa musafir.

Buku ini padat dengan topik-topik fekah kontemporari yang seringkali menjadi perbincangan dan perbahasan bukan sahaja orang awam malahan para ulamak, dan majlis fatwa seluruh dunia. Buku ini dimulakan dengan memperkenalkan kepada pembaca mengenai prinsip-prinsip fikah luar Negara yang banyak bersangkut paut dengan Maqasid Syariah dalam menetapkan hukum-hukum Islam serta keharusan dan penyesuaian berdasarkan kadar semasa umat Islam.

Seterusnya, penulis mengeksplorasi tajuk-tajuk seperti kaedah menyucikan daripada najis Babi, Keharusan menyapu khuf, stoking atau kasut semasa bermusafir dan perbincangan para ulamak mengenai syarat-syarat melakukannya berdasarkan dalil-dalil quran dan sunnah serta rasional setiap perkara. Penulis dengan bijak mengemukakan dalil dan perbahasan ulamak dalam bentuk ‘point form’ agar pembaca tidak terlalu terkeliru dengan perbincangan yang panjang lebar, sebaliknya hanya mengambil intipati penting perbahasan tersebut. Suatu perkara lagi yang menarik mengenai perbincangan fikah di dalam buku ini adalah keluasan pengamatan pendapat para ulamak dan tidak terlalu rigid dan hanya berdasarkan pendapat mazhab imam syafie.

Seterusnya, dengan menggunakan teknik yang lebih kurang sama seperti tajuk sebelumnya dengan menyelitkan sedikit unsur humor, penulis menerangkan kepada pembaca tentang rukhsah solat jamak yang dipinggirkan. Kontrari kepada pendapat sesetengah ulamak pondok dan mazhab hanafi, rukhsah solat jamak menurut penulis boleh dipraktikkan bukan sahaja semasa musafir tetapi juga semasa hujan, sakit dan hajat atau kepayahan yang timbul, berdasarkan dalil-dalil dan hujah para ulamak. Penulis juga menerangkan serba sedikit mengenai solat qasar walaupun umum telah mngetahui perihal mengenainya. Dalam tajuk ‘saya pilih koshe’ pula, penulis membincangkan perbezaan pendapat ulamak mengenai perihal sembelihan ahli kitab (orang yahudi dan kristian) dan sejauh mana keharusan umat Islam dalam memakan sembelihan mereka

Selain itu, penulis juga membincangkan perihal pakaian wanita dan lelaki Islam yang wajib dipatuhi tetapi telah mula dilupakan dek kerana mengikut-ikut budaya barat yang tidak selari dengan Islam. Penulis juga membidas pendapat-pendapat sesetangah individu berpahaman feminis liberal yang menyatakan Islam agama yang anti-feminist dan male chauvinist kerana ‘mengurung’ wanita di dalam pakaian mereka. Berkait rapat dengan fahaman ini juga, penulis dengan tegas membidas hujah-hujah golongan ‘wadudiyah’ diketuai Dr Aminah Wadud yang membolehkan wanita mengimamkan solat jumaat dengan rasional, berdalil dan tidak emosional seperti yang mungkin dilakukan oleh sesetengah penulis lain.

Selain membincangkan mengenai ibadah solat dan bersuci, penulis juga membuka tajuk perbincangan fiqh kepada perkara-perkara kebudayaan yang dicedok oleh umat islam tanpa ‘tapis seperti hukum bertatu dan bertindik, perihal meraikan hari kekasih atau ‘valentine’s day’ dan budaya meraikan tahun baru yang tidak islamik dan hanya merugikan dan merosakkan muda mudi umat Islam. Penulis juga tidak lupa memeberi peringatan di dalam buku ini akan kewajipan yang semakin dilupakan oleh umat Islam iaitu menyampaikan Islam kepada orang Islam dan bukan Islam sama ada di dalam ataupun luar Negara.

Secara keseluruhannya, buku ini mampu memberi sedikit sebanyak panduan kepada pembaca berkenaan fiqh seharian dalam kehidupan seorang Muslim. Ia jua merupakan buku yang mampu menjadi pencetus kepada pembaca agar tidak hanya ‘bertaklid buta’ tetapi juga mengkaji dan mengambil kira dalil, hujah dan pandangan banyak pihak terhadap fiqh seharian.

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Field: Economy, Islam
Title: Wang, Anda dan Islam
Author: Zaharuddin Abd Rahman

Publication: True Wealth Publishing
ISBN: 978-983-3364-47-3

Rating: aaaaa

Level: Beginner

Reviewed by: A.S Abd Mokti

Tulisan Al-Fadil Ustaz Zaharuddin Abd Rahman (UZAR) ini merupakan pembuka mata bagi semua pihak berkenaan muamalat perbankan, kewangan, kerjaya semasa dan hutang menurut persepsi Islam. Sebagai orang yang berkelulusan dalam bidang Syariah dan pernah bekerja di institusi kewangan Islam, UZAR telah berjaya merungkai permasalahan berkaitan riba, unsur gharar dan syubahat yang terdapat dalam institusi kewangan konvensional dan seterusnya membandingkan dengan sistem ekonomi Islam seperti yang dipraktikkan oleh bank islam dan ‘jendela-jendela’ Islam bank konvensional yang lain.

Buku ini dimulakan dengan memberikan pemahaman kepada pembaca akan betapa pentingnya ilmu berkenaan halal dan haram dalam kewangan, bahaya riba’, nas-nas berkaitan dan salah faham masyarakat hari ini terhadap konsep zuhud dalam Islam. Seterusnya, pembaca dihidangkan pula dengan pengenalan asas berkenaan Ilmu Fiqh Mu’amalat iaitu asas-asasnya, jenis-jenis kontrak (mudhrabah, musyarakah, ijarah, dsb.) dan syarat jual beli dalam Islam secara amnya.

Seterusnya, penulis mengeksplorasi riba’, jenis-jenisnya, konsep gharar (ketidaksamaran) dan judi yang terdapat dalam kerjaya dan perniagaan semasa dan bagaimana cara pembaca boleh mengelakkan diri dari terjebak ke kancah syubahah yang mendekati haram. Penulis seterunya membuat perbandingan secara menyeluruh antara perbankan dan insurans konvensional dengan perbankan Islam dan takaful, sekaligus membetulkan salah faham yang berlaku di kalangan orang awam berkenaan kedua-dua sistem ini. Dalam bab 8 (Isu perbankan dan takaful), UZAR merungkai satu persatu urusniaga konvensional bermula dari simpanan sehingga pelaburan dan mendedahkan kepada pembaca keterdapatan riba’, gharar dan unsur jahalah yang menjadikan kebanyakan skim yang ditawarkan konvensional tidak menepati Syariah. Urusniaga perbankan Islam dan takaful yang menjadi alternatif kepada pengguna juga diterangkan dengan ringkas dan mudah dengan contoh yang praktikal. Semuanya juga dibuat berdasarkan dalil dan nas serta keputusan ijmak ulama dan persidangan ulama peringkat nasional dan antarabangsa.

Selain berbincang mengenai topic perbankan, penulis juga membicarakan tajuk harta haram dan pelbagai cara untuk melupuskannya dalam bab ke 9. Tidak kurang dipentingkan dalam buku ini juga adalah Isu Syariah dalam jualan langsung (Direct selling- Multi Level Marketing), keraguan Syariah dalam skim ini, dan syarat minimum untuk menjadikan MLM suatu skim yang harus, walaupun umum telah mengetahui akan kaburnya skim ini. Tambah menarik tentang buku ini dan menjadikannya lain dari yang lain adalah komentar informatif berkenaan skim pelaburan internet semasa seperti Swisscash, ABB Fund, Eaindex, Winlifund, Dinar Iraq, dan instrumen-instrumen kontemporari seperti ‘leverage’, ‘options’, ‘futures’, jualan saham dan banyak lagi beserta pandangan syarak dalam perkara ini; semuanya bersandarkan nas, dalil dan keputusan ulama’ mu’tabar silam dan kontemporari.

Secara keseluruhannya, buku ‘Wang, Anda, dan Islam’ adalah sebuah buku yang sesuai untuk semua umat Islam yang mementingkan akan halal haramya harta mereka, dan memberi ‘guidline’ kepada pembaca tentang kewangan dan perbankan yang suci dari sudut kaca mata Islam.

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Field: Medicine
Title: How Doctors Think
Author: Jerome Groopman
Publication: Houghton Mifflin Company
ISBN: 0-547-05364-9
Rating: aaa
Level: Intermediate
Reviewed by: A.S Abd Mokti

This brilliant, myth-shattering piece of work digs into the minds of the physicians (doctors), the processes of decision making and the pitfalls in their cognition which makes them arrive at a right diagnosis or a misdiagnosis. Unlike some other authors of the medical literature, Groopman utilised the narrative style of writing, telling stories of individuals consists of doctors, patients and their family members and also other staff like nurses and how both doctors and patients could help each other in arriving at a cogent diagnosis and to avoid thinking errors.

Suitable for both laymen and healthcare professionals, the book transcends the typical case that physicians from many specialities face in their daily practice, and how by being too simplistic or too wary could do harm to the patients once the wrong diagnosis is made. Quoting real life stories from doctors, patients and their loved-ones, Groopman shows how ‘misdiagnosis is the elephant in the living room’ by summarising the cognitive errors into 3 A’s; anchoring error, attribution error and availability error. Basically, anchoring error is to seize initial symptoms and making snap judgement out of them; attribution error is to stereotype a patient as a complainer and keep attributing benign condition to the patient; and availability error is when physicians simply considers the patient to be fine since the previous patients he/ she have met with the particular symptoms were fine too.

He also outlined the danger of satisfaction of search; i.e. being satisfied once almost all the symptoms can be explained without further analysis of multiple causes, and confirmation bias where an abnormal test result, though minor is instead of seeking explanation and follow-ups was put aside in favour of a more conclusive diagnosis though not explanatory . He also addresses the reality of time-constraints that doctors nowadays face with the increase burden of workloads and the tension that medicine should be cost-effective but safe.

Nevertheless, the author advises the patients to look for 3 C’s in a thinking doctor: communication, critical reasoning of thought process that generated the diagnosis and compassion: denoting respect for a patient’s value and spiritual needs. Three cardinal queries should be asked doctors to make them re-evaluate their diagnosis- “What else can it be?” to avoid the 3 A’s cognitive errors, “Could two things be going on to explain my problem?” eradicates ‘satisfaction of search’ and “Is there anything in my history or physical examination or lab tests that seems to be at odds with the working diagnosis” to safeguard against confirmation bias.

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Field : Palestine
Title : Palestine; peace not apartheid
Author : Jimmy Carter
Publication : Pocket Books
ISBN : 978-1-84739-154-4
Rating : aaaa
Level : Intermediate
Reviewed by: A.S Abd Mokti

Informative, argumentative, and provocative, the book offers to readers of different background; i.e. friends of Palestine, Israel or both the perspective of an American statesman who was heavily involved in the issue of Israel-Palestine in the Middle East. Carter has chosen to write the book in a simple but clear language as to suit the readers of different level. This is surely a must-read book for readers of interest in the issue concerning Palestine-Israel and the struggle for peace in the Middle East. It is also completed with Maps of the region based on the events that happened, historical chronology and appendices of the various peace agreement proposed by the US, UN and other parties.

Carter starts with his view on the prospect of peace in the troubled region and examined the root of the conflict, history of main key players and the hurdle for peace in Israel and the occupied land of Palestine. Carter shares his intimate experience with various prominent individuals of Arab leaders of Syria, Saudi, Jordan, and Lebanon, generations of Israeli leaders, the Palestinians and US officials and managed to address the sensitive political issues many western officials shied away according his experience working directly inside the White House as presidents and outside as the founder of The Carter Centre.

The book also elaborates on the various measures taken by him and other US presidents, especially Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush in tackling the complex problem in the middle east, and how usually Israel has always been reluctant to dismantle the illegal settlements and continue to occupy the Palestinian land. Readers are also given a brief account of the episodes of both the Palestine’s and Israel’s election and the aftermath.

The end chapter entitled ‘the wall as a prison’ describes the situation of apartheid-like treatments that the Palestinians experienced combined with constant building of illegal settlements in their territory. He finally concludes the book by prescribing the long-abandoned role of the USA as the mediator of peace between the two disputing sides combined with the two-state solution which shares the Holy Land based on UN approved border 1967 without a system of apartheid or the constant fear of terrorism from both sides.

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Field: Wars, world history
Title: The second world war
Author: Alan Farmer
Publication:
ISBN: 0-340-88493-2
Rating: aaa
Level: Beginner
Reviewed by: A.S Abd Mokti

As one of the series of ‘teach yourself’, this book is useful for people with little or rather no knowledge about the second world war. The book outlines the events of WW2 in a rather narrative but concise way that would be found appealing to the readers of all walks of life.

Instead of going through the chronologies of events in the war, Farmer brings the readers towards the event itself and explains its importance in the point of view of history. The first chapter; ‘origin’ explained the dissatisfaction of Germany, Italy and several Baltic states over the Treaty of Versailles 1919 which is explained in the ‘trouble peace 1919-1933’ subtopic and the emergence of Hitler and his Nazi regime in 1933 and Mussolini in Italy . Hitler which his sleek strategy was able to demolish the Versailles and the war officially started when the Nazi Germans invade Poland in 1939. The combination of military advancement, sleek strategy, the Axis formation and the spirit of ultra-nationalism contributed to Hitler’s victory during the first few years of war, both in the east against Russia and in the west against the West European Nations. This brought western European countries including France to their knees and at one point, Britain was seen as being alone in the war. Nazi regime was ruling most of western and eastern Europe and some became Germany’s satellite countries.

However, operation Barbarosa which is the invasion of Soviet territory changed the tide of the war. Though the Nazis gained territory, the attack made Germany a common enemy among the 3 leaders; Roosevelt from USA, Churchill of Britain and Stalin of Soviet. The Allies were formed with a common vision; i.e. to make defeat the Nazi and made them accept unconditional surrender. However, Germany was still pushing for territorial gain in the east (soviet territory) and the west by bombing Britain. Several operations like the operation Blue which increases Germany’s territory but rather fatal as the increase in area is not matched with increase in resources and development.

In the east, the emergence of Japan which conquered many colonies of British, French and Dutch was also elaborated in-depth, ensuing with the Pearl Harbour tragedy and the Nazi-Japanese coalition in their heights of the war.

As other historians, Farmer also highlighted several events such as the Holocaust, the battle of Atlantic, D-day (operation Overlord), the Manhattan Project (atomic bomb project) and how the Allies gain the upper hand and the Axis gradually lost- mainly due to military war development, economic rations and the rise of resistance powers in Greater Germany areas. Japanese defeat was also explained-mainly the release of Fat man and Little Boy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At the end, the book explores the reasons behind the contributing factors for Allies win and the consequences of the war from then till today.

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Field: Others
Title: First things first
Author: Stephen R. Covey, A Roger Merrill, Rebecca Merrill
Publication: Prentice Hall & IBD; Reprint edition (1 Jun 1995)
ISBN: 0-684-80203-1
Rating: aaa
Level: Beginner
Reviewed by: A.S Abd Mokti

From the 7 habits of highly effective people, Covey and the Merrill’s extracted the 3^rd habit which is to ‘put first thing first’ and elaborated the framework of time management in a more relevant perspective of today’s hassle and bustle life. The book discussed on the levels of time management and to the 4^th generation of management which incorporates all the other 3 generations’ strength transcends readers to enhance their techniques from being in the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd generation and eliminates their weaknesses. As the title suggests, the book is relevant to busy people and the alike.

The book also incorporates the other 6 habits into the 3^rd habit and enhances discussion on the importance of people to realize the need and capacities of human; i.e. the need to live, love, learn and to leave a legacy. He argued that human achievement are not based on ‘numerical’ values such as money in the bank, properties, number of friends etc, but rather it’s the quality of those few that matters. Putting first things first also coincides with the four endowments- self-awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination all of which needed to fulfill our needs and capacities in a principle-centered way.

Covey and the Merrill’s also introduced the concepts which could be foreign to other non-reader of his book such as ‘setting the compass right instead of the clock’, avoiding ‘cotton-candy’ satisfaction, living on a ‘true-north principle’ etc. Rather than confusing, these concepts are highly relevant in our lives today as we are used to be living on a ‘quick-fix’ world instead of endeavouring the rough lane. He also outlined the ‘four quadrants’ of activities, which many of us would have missed out and showed how the power of vision and personal leadership could govern the time management. Balanced in roles and seeing the roles as interdependent rather than competing each other is also the essence of his discussion in this book.

Although most of the sections in the book concern personal time management, there is also a section of interaction with other people in putting ‘first things first’. Here, he discussed the ‘think win-win’ manifestation in a company and how to create synergy from difference and to always seek a 3^rd solution to the problems that arise. The book is loaded with a lot of real life examples based on the experience of the Covey and the other 2 authors in handling seminars to improve companies and their experiences with individual people in their daily lives in realizing the reality.

The end section of the books emphasizes the importance of ‘the peace of the results’ with the realization that all are not governed by us, only are actions are, but the results are based on the ‘natural law’. As M. Scott Peck observed on the ‘Road Less Traveled’:

“Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. Its is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we know that life is difficult- then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”

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Field: Islam
Title: Duties of the Muslim Youth
Author: Shaykh Yusuf Al-qaradawi
Publication: Islamic Institue of Da’wah and Research
ISBN: 0-921-6585-0-5
Rating:
Level: Beginner
Reviewed by: A.S Abd Mokti

In this era of globalization and constant need for human resource in al fields, the youth are the targeted group to bear the brunt of responsibility either in worldly matters or spiritual matters. Not only that, this specific group of people are at their best of times (golden age) in terms of mental, physical and emotional capacity, though most of them are ignorant and reluctant to burst into full performance. This book is intended to address the issue of the duty of Muslim youth, in which Dr Yusuf Qaradawi deals the issues in a very simple yet eloquent manner. Having himself involved in the Call (da’wah) and the pursue of knowledge, Qaradawi highlighted the 4 most important responsibility to Muslim youth in a conference which is then compiled in this treatise and translated into English.

Of the four questions to be asked on the Day of Judgement, 2 are related to the concept of time. Life- what did you spend it? Period of youth- how did you spend it? It is this realization of youth hood immense importance that motivates Muslim youth of the glorious Islamic history that perpetrates martyrdom in their hearts. It was also based on such insight that 17 years –old such as Muhammad Ibn Qasim could conquer the world. It has also been proven that the youth are the backbone of Islam in the early advent of da’wah; such as the Khulafa’ Rasyidun (Rightly-guided sucessors).

The first and the most important duty of Muslim youth is to the need for a correct understanding of Islam. In the age when Muslims are in the period of backwardness, decadence and disorder, to gain a sound understanding is Islam is a challenge that Muslims have to endeavour. Fabricated and week ahadith (sayings of the prophet), interpolation by customs, the mixture of Israeli tradition (Israiliyat) have altered the true message of Islam. Thus, Qardawi emphasized on referring to the Quran and the authentic hadith and understanding of the Salafus Salih, and this can only be done with learning which requires reading. Qaradawi also emphasizes that firm understanding of Islam does not mean neglect in other aspects of Islam; i.e. to excel in studies etc but rather to place along with all other obligations in such a way that one does not undermine the other.

Secondly is the need to practice Islam, in its true form after understanding it. This is the action and behaviour that should characterize each Muslim especially the youth, for knowledge without the action and practice is void and pointless. Hopefully, the elucidation of the wonderful character of true Muslims would contribute to the rectifying the misunderstanding that the world have on Muslim. The lawful and prohibited should constantly be observed in their daily life.

Moreover, showing good example is not enough for a Muslim youth, but rather they have to respond to the Call to Islam (Da’wah) while observing himself. Having prepared with the spiritual, knowledge and passion towards Islam, Muslim youth carry the brunt of duty to invite others to the true path of God. Qaradawi argued that if he/she urges others to the truth, he will try and become a good model for what he calls to and thus making him adhere to the Islamic teachings as well. Steadfastness is the central tenet of da’wah for in this time’s Pharaoh, Namrud and Abu Jahal is more than just an individual, but rather an ideology; be it Communism, Socialism, Fascism etc.

Finally, the 4^th duty is be cohesive in Islam. The youth who understand Islam in a correct manner, believe in it wholeheartedly, and urge each other to abide by it and invite others to it, need to assist each other and remain bonded together. He said that no action appears in an individual light, and the individual action does not benefit nor it is sufficient. There would be individualism and vacuum domination on the side of Truth when there is no cohesion. Muslim youth should therefore always bear in the minds of these four duties and be ashamed of the absence of a truly Islamic state which embraces belief (aqidah), shariah (jurisprudence), akhlaq (morals) and hadarah (civilization). Qaradawi also quoted from the quran (Al-rum: 4-6) that the day will arrive when Islam is glorious again the eyes of mankind.

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Field: History of Islam
Title: Islam; a short history
Author: Karen Armstrong
Publication: Weidenfield and Nicolson, The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
ISBN: 1-84212-583-4
Rating:
Level: Intermediate
Reviewed by: A.S Abd Mokti

It has always been the case where Islam is being misunderstood by the masses. Islamophobia, the presentation of fear and ignorance of the Western society towards Islam haunts their popular imagination of the religion as an extreme faith that promotes authoritarian government, female oppression, civil war and terrorism. This book could be a vital corrective of the stereotype which demonstrates the idea of social justice and compassion which are and had always been the centre tenet of Islam.

Completed with maps and the chronology of the Islamic history, this book gives a bird’s view on the events in history dated back from 610 AD till the year 1998. There is also a list of A to Z of political, religious and academician throughout the History of Islam which is useful for readers to refer.

Beginning with the advent of preaching of Islam by Prophet Muhammad pbuh with dated back more than 1400 ago, Karen Armstong highlighted the era of tribulations and the uproar of the mushrik (infidels) as a retaliation against Muhammad’s teaching of Islamic Monotheism until the times of Madinah where the first Islamic state is founded. Followed heed is the history of the Khulafa’ Ar-rasyidun (Rightly-guided caliphs) and the First Fitnah (upheaval) which is an important marker of the commencement of division of the ummah.

Despite the emergence of sects due to political collision, Muslims continue to develop and explore new lands. However, Muslims would particularly disagree with the author on the point of the judgment of conquering other lands merely for material gain and influence backed by the upholding of the Shariah Law; which is unparallel to most of our (Muslim) believes and the description of the Umar II (Umar Abdul Aziz) tenure. Nevertheless, the Umayyads dynasty continued to flourish alongside the establishment of religious movement such as the Kharajites, Qadarites, Shiis until the last years of the dynasty when change in the leadership of the ummah is inevitable. The Abbasids through the manipulation of the Shiis came to power and brought the ummah to the level which is oftenly described as the ‘Golden Age of Islam’. The author also explains the origin of split between Shiis and Sunni Muslims and the emergence of Sufi mysticism and the beginning of esoteric movement of Shiis at a time when there is influx of information, new scientific discoveries and the translation of the Greek and Roman scriptures were occurring.

On the other hand, like any other civilization, Islam had to face the shattering effects of new orders which divide the empire but has its benefit as well. They are the Mongols from Central Asia and the Crusades from Christendom in the early till mid second Christian millennium. However, Islam and its empire were able to rise from the deadly culmination period and triumphs as the Ustaziyatul Alam (World Order) in which the author named as the period of ‘Imperial Islam’ between 1500 to 1700. The worlds saw 3 huge Islamic empires; the Safavid (Shiism inclined), Moghul Empire (Sufism inclined) and the Ottoman Empire.

In the mean time, the rise of the West particularly forces from Europe and the USA which is industrial-based bloomed the ideas of secularism, colonialism, capitalisme, socialism, facism, and the mostly-affecting idea of nationalism by which the states in began to demand for a local authority instead of a central authorization. The First World War, in which the Ottoman Empire fought along Germany and lost, is an event so significant that it topples the caliphate in favour for a secularized modern state of Turkey led by Mustafa Kamal the Attartuk.

Since then, Muslims continuously tried to rise from the defeat of which we saw the founding of the hard-line fundamentalist such as movement led by Syed Qutb and the moderate such as Dr Yusof Abdallah Al-qardhawi. The history has seen transformation of Islam through time in which the tenets of the deen (way of life) should be uphold. The author also made a point at the end that Western did contribute to the extremism in Islamic faith.

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Field: Islam
Title: Sharh al-Aqeedat-il-Wasitiyah
Author: Ibn Taimiyah
Publication: Darussalam Publications 1996
ISBN: 9960-899-63-2
Rating:
Level:
Reviewed by: A.S Abd Mokti

This treatise Sharh Al-aqeedat-il-wasitiyah, describes the belief of the genuine followers of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah based on the Quran and Hadiths. The belief of this saved and successful sect (Al-Firqatun Naajiyah Al-Mansoorah) includes the fundamental belief of faith to Allah and His attributes, His angels, His scriptures, His messengers, the hereafter and in having good or bad destiny. These faiths which forms the articles of Iman (faith) are thoroughly discussed in this book.

The saved sect believes that Allah has attributed those attribute to Himself and neither negation nor alteration should be done, as Allah has stated clearly through his book (Quran) and sent guidance to the prophet s.a.w.

Ibnu Taimiyah portrayed a rather clear, striking and elegant method of addressing the readers. This book is so richly stepped in references to the Quran, to Ahadith, to the saying of the rightly guided companions and their followers, and to opinion of other experts in jurisprudence, that make as if the Muslim reader feels that he is leaving in the blessed age of Islam.

Sharh Al-aqeedat-il-wasitiyah starts the discussion of faith with the meaning of Bismillah, Hamd and Madh followed by the meaning of the Shahadah itself. He then kicks of the introduction of the Saved Sect and its Faith by describing the attributes of Allah. Among the attributes discussed are hearing, seeing, intention, love, justice, mercy, pleasure, wrath, curse, coming etc and the controversially-understood attribute of Istiwa’ for Allah. It is important to note that these attributes of Allah are as what that suits His Majesty and neither negation nor measurement with His creatures should be made. Ibnu Taimiyah also stressed on the importance of avoiding ta’weel (to interpret into another meaning) as the Quran is the word of Allah and Allah knows best what He said. But, rather it is the belief of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah to have faith in the attributes which Allah qualified for Himself.

The faith to the prophet as messengers and the life after death then ensues with illustration of the day of resurrection and its events, Haud, Sirat, and Intercession as stated by the Quran and Ahadith. Discussion continues with the belief in Qadar(Divine Decree) in which the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah are the moderate between the Qadariyah and Mu’tazilah, In the mater of the Sahabah (companions) and the Ahlul Bait (family of the prophets), Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah should believe and love them.

The author ends the book with the affirmation of belief in karamah of auliya, following the Sunnah of the prophet, and the basic principles of Shari’ah.

Sheikhul Islam also affirmed that Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah are the moderate sects among the Ummah, which is described in one of the chapter as follows:

“In such Ahadith in which the prophet pbuh gives information about Allah the Almighty and Glorious, the men of the saved sect have faith in the same manner as they have faith on the information given about them by Allah in His book without distortion and negation and without adding adding quality and resemblance. In fact, among all the sects of the Ummah, this sect is moderate just as the community of Muslims is a moderate one among all the communities.

The followers of ASWJ occupy a moderate position between the Ahlul Ta’teel (Jahmiyah: deny names of Allah and attibutes) and Ahlul-Tamtheel (Mushabbiha-resemble Allah’s attribute with His creatures), and are moderate between the Jabariyah sect (belief that slaves has no will and power to do good or bad) and Qadariyah (belief that slaves have full will and power after himself) regarding the act of Acts of Allah, and are moderate about the promise of Allah between Murjiah (believe that action are not part of faith, only testimony and confession are) and the Wa’eediyah sects among Qadariyah (believe that the believer who commits major sins and do not repent will enter hell forever) and moderate on matters of the Faith and names of the religion between Harooriyah (Khawarij-rebellion against Ali) and Mu’tazilah and between Murhi’ah and Jahmiyah, and are moderate regarding the companions between Raafidah (Shia) and Khawarij.”

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