Needs for Changes

Yesterday, I discussed with my friend (who must not be named, to protect his privacies) about several candidates of Lower 6 students to replace Alif Azni holding the position as President in JOSIPA Society. He suggested that to we (The Highest Board of Directors) to choose anybody except our current Head Boy.

At there, he complained about the way choosing our Head Prefect. According to him, Head Boy are chosen based on the vote in the Prefectorial Board (which are just 1/3 from the whole students) and not by students' vote. I kept reminding him that we are not in USA, where Head Student are chosen in a very democratic way.

He also suggested to us that we should change the name of the society. For him, the name JOSIPA is not symboling the image of Muslim students. In other words, the name JOSIPA (according to him) is not very Islamic.

I just be the listener. After all, I just the Vice-President 1.

Insya-Allah, I'm going to bring this topic in our First Highest Board of Directors Meeting (or next) and discuss about it with the other directors.

After all, I cannot force them to use my view. Different people have different view. (now, this is more sounds like Islamic).

:D

* * *

Today, during recess time, I just sat alone, with my Jacob crackers and Syariah Islamiah Studies Form 4 textbook. (Well, I suppose you know what I'm doing with that).

There, Mdm. Liew my Add Maths teacher passed by and saw me reading while eating. Then, she have a look to my book.

After that, she said: "I wish I can read this (textbook)."

I replied: "Never mind, teacher. I will translate it (from Jawi scripts to Rumi scripts)."

Nevertheless, what she said made me think deeply. Isn't it now the time to change? Putting ourselves in the old ways made ourselves outdated. This is going against the principles of Islam, which are suitable to any time, place and situation.

I then remembered what I had read in AL ISLAM magazine.

"Apa yang perlu kita pertahankan adalah prinsip syariah dan cuba cipta fikah yang ada sekarang (fikah baru). Sebab itu saya usulkan terutamanya sekarang ini, diwujudkan fiqah tempatan (local fiqh) supaya kita dapat merumuskan keperluan-keperluan kita. Kalau tidak, banyak benda yang kita tidak boleh buat, contohnya aktiviti pemeliharaan buaya, cacing dan lintah.

"Kalau kita lihat realiti sekarang dan pakai ketentuan fikah lama, tentulah kita tidak boleh bergerak ke hadapan. Contohnya, dalam kitab-kitab lama tertulis, buaya itu tidak ada faedah, maka ia bukan harta. Begitu juga kedudukan cacing dan lintah. Jadi, bila ia bukan harta maka tidak boleh dijual beli. Kalau dijual beli maka haram. Sedangkan sekarang ini keuntungan daripada penternakan haiwan-haiwan seperti cacing dan lintah ini begitu besar sekali, malah sudah menjadi satu manfaat kepada manusia," jelasnya.

Sementara itu, beliau (Datuk Paduka Dr. Mahmood Zuhdi Abdul Majid) menyelar ulama sekarang yang terlalu terikat dengan paradigma sempit. Kata beliau, kalau ulama zaman dulu itu masih hidup, tentu ulama zaman dulu itu marah dengan ulama kita sekarang ini kerana paradigma mereka terikat sangat.

Jelas beliau, perkara begini berlaku disebabkan mereka tidak diberi latihan untuk mengkritik dan menganalisis. Terlampau takut untuk berubah. Ada di kalangan mereka ini ortodoks. Jadi, orang-orang beginilah yang menyebabkan masyarakat ragu terhadap Islam. Orang kata, Islam ini sudah habis fungsinya dan hilang asalnya, dan sebagainya.

Extract from AL ISLAM magazine November 2008 edition.

Please, think beyond what Dr. Mahmood Zuhdi had said.