Labels

Chanel, Polo Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Tommy Hilfiger, Juicy Couture, Lacoste, Gap, Brooks Brothers..

 ref:http://www.pvmgarage.com/2010/07/worlds-top-10-fashion-brands-and-their-websites/

Oops! That's not the kind of labels that I want to talk about. What I really want to talk about is labels that are branded to people by people. But before that, I want to apologize for using the word, "pig" in phrases such as,   "Come on, you fat-bellied pigs!" in my last post, which is referring to all government servants. I'll humbly take back my words i.e. "I want to apologize for using the word..", because I don't have to apologize. Why? It's just words. If it hurts you, you just have to suck it up. I don't think you or anybody else should apologize because anything can hurt anyone, intentionally or not. Like for instance, I see somebody throw out rubbish from their car, I(my feelings) got hurt. I don't think he/she should apologize. I think he/she should pick it up and put it somewhere appropriate. I got hurt from words, action of people, inaction of people etc.. And you don't have to lie to me saying that is not happening to you. I mean, the real situation here is, if you are not admitting it, you're just lying to yourselves. Doesn't matter. Point is, labels are just words. And words have many definition. And definitions can be set by "the" standards(dictionaries) or your own standards.

Surat 'Āli `Imrān (Family of Imran) - سورة آل عمران  

3:64

Sahih International
Say, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah ." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims."
ref:http://quran.com/3/64

Like what stated by Quran that I quoted above, GOD told the people who seek guidance by mean of books, let us set/define a standard of communicating that is acceptable and fairly understandable between the people involve. If the people "turn away" or refuses to accept the standard, just say, "Look at us, we are Muslims", implying that the way of the Muslim(one who submit to the will of GOD) brought the Muslim to where and what they are now. The other(non-Muslim) can be the judge to the Muslim. When a lot of people agree that it is not good to judge others, Allah told the people to judge the Muslim. My statement is by no way implying that the "Muslim" are the best of people, but I'm implying that if you see a "good" Muslim, his way of life("deen"/religion) is what lead him to be like that as do the "bad" Muslim with their ways. Not every "Muslim" follow what is required for them in the Quran as do the Christians with their bibles. The words of the priest or preachers is not the word of GOD.

So, how should we react to the labels? What about speech and expression? Is there any freedom? Maybe we'll discuss about this later. Till then, salam.

Freedom of Speech and Expression

2. How would one feel if someone comes up to you and calls you “a bastard, the offspring of sex between your mother and some man who is not your legally wedded father.”

ref:http://chedet.cc/blog/?p=840

The right to freedom of speech and expression

What is right? What is freedom? I'm pretty sure that it is so bright and clear that it blinds us all. We can yap about it all we want and it won't end unless either of us dies. Doesn't matter. What matter most is that what we all can understand equally; "speech" and "expression".

"Speech", in an easy to understand (my own) definition is, words that can be spurt out from one's mouth that may or may not make any sense and may or may not be heard by others.

"Expression" is by definition as above, is, any reaction of one's involvement to an event that is perceived by others.

-Ammar Zufar

 So, as per my definition, the first quote above that I quoted from Tun Dr. Mahathir's blog, contain a short speech or more commonly known as an insult. And my expression would be, "Who cares?". That's just another label. It may just be true(god forbids). Just like when people branded me with other labels such as, "good", "bad", "lazy", "smart" etc.. I may(depending on the situations) feels angry, and feel like killing somebody, and I may not. The point is, whether to express or not, those feelings. If I have a feeling to kill somebody, should I express it by killing somebody? Now that is freedom of expression. If, for instance, somebody who claims to act by the law, arrest me after the killing and somebody else(judge & jury) hold me liable for the killing and send me to the rope? That ain't freedom of expression! They'll justify by saying that I'm nuts just because they have set standards of feelings that we can and cannot have. Is that actually called freedom? (And "they" can actually do the killings freely).

So, if the western actually stands for the freedom of expression, let us kill anybody that we want to kill like what happen with the "Innocence of Muslims" incidents. You opt for freedom of expression right? Well I don't. It's not rational and not practical. Maybe we should bombs all the towers in the U.S. too right? Nah, just not my style.

What would anybody call a "freedom of expression" that is governed by set of rules and standards? Irony? Paradox? Maybe I'll just plainly call it, "Ridiculously Stupid". Got a nice touch to it.

What about "freedom of speech"? I vote for this one. It's what I'm doing now. But I know, there is no such thing. Maybe now, maybe later, there's always someone who's going to stop me, like they did with the rest. I know that you all know somebody so I'm not going to refer any to you. Speaking about "freedom of speech", here's an interesting open letter written by S.H. al-Attas or somebody that claimed to be him. You figure it out;

SURAT TERBUKA UNTUK SULTAN IBRAHIM (YEM)

I haven't finish reading it yet because it's so long, but I got the points. He is dissatisfied by the Malaysian Monarchy system namely the Johor Sultanate that he openly wrote about it. I bet he won't get his "freedom of speech and expression" entertained, but that "Sultanate" can get their freedom of doing whatever and whenever as always.

Are any of you "people of the books"? Scholars? Most Muslim will refer "people of the books" or "ahl-al-kitab" to the believers of the four scripture, namely, Zabur(Psalm), Taurat(Torah), Injil(Bible), Quran, because that is what they are taught. But for me, any verses in the Quran that refer to "ahl-al-kitab" is anybody that study and learn with references. To me, most of the Muslims are not "people of the books". Why? Because they are ignorant. Same as the Christians. They just do as they're told by the preachers. They rarely feel the needs to study for themselves, refer to the books, be the "people of the books". What about Jews? Jews are rare where I'm from(Malaysia). I haven't met any Jews my entire life. Looking forward meeting one.

Just do what you want to do. Kiss people, diss people, kill people, heal people. Just make sure you have the guts to face the consequences. If you don't want to do anything, just keep thinking.

Thinking is never-ending.

-Ammar Zufar  

Well, that should wrap up everything. Till next time. Salam.

Seeing the Unseen(al-Ghaib)

If any of you old folks have a hard time reading the texts, click here.

From my last post, I mentioned about posting stuffs on "al-Ghaib".
ref:http://i-aboutlife.blogspot.com/2012/09/reading-quran-is-taboo-in-malaysia.html

I don't actually know where to start. It's a huge information with multiple point of access. Maybe I'll just start with the basics i.e. the very definition of the word "Ghaib".


Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow) - سورة البقرة
2:2

Sahih International
This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah -

2:3

Sahih International
Who believe in the unseen(al-ghaib), establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,


2:4

Sahih International
And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith].


Take note that the phrases in square brackets e.g."[O Muhammad]", are not in the original manuscript as can be seen in the Arabic text above but rather the supposed translation from Sahih International. From now onward I shall omit the brackets phrases to show a more direct translation of the scripture. Please refer to the references(links) given beneath each citation.
ref:http://quran.com/2/1-6


Ghaib means the unseen.
ref:http://www.islamic-dictionary.com/index.php?word=ghaib

Ghaib also means secret/absent/hidden.
ref:http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=gyb

A lot of people, including the ulama', ustaz, and imams claim that no people knows about the ghaib except the prophet Muhammad and Allah swt, but I disagree. That if only if the word ghaib is discuss in the social level of context. But if we look into the definition itself, it's becomes clear and obvious that "al-ghaib" by the very definition itself means unseen/secret/absent/hidden...

..to who?

Obvious right? The secrets only secrets to the one without the knowledge(the masses). The unseen cannot be seen by those who can't see(the masses). The 'things/stuffs' absent are only absent to those who are not with the 'things/stuffs'(the masses). The hidden are only hidden to the people it hides from(the masses). This really don't need any explanations right? WRONG!!

The ghaib exist in all believes whether it religious, social, politics etc. People from all societies all have a warner about these ghaib stuffs but like the bible says(yes, I read everything I can.);

Mathew 13:13

International Standard Version (©2008)
That's why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look but don't see, and they listen but don't hear or understand.'
ref:http://bible.cc/matthew/13-13.htm

A parable is a succinct story..
ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable

succinct:expressed in few words; concise; terse.

ref:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/succinct

Isaiah(6:9)

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

ref:http://bible.cc/isaiah/6-9.htm

In addition, in case you are wondering, conspiracies are included in the 'ghaib'.

To conclude this post, you folks really need to open and widen your mind. Throw all the known knowledge out of the 'box'(your mind), and sort it. Keep the junk away. Don't just blindly believe what people told you. Research! You got libraries, bookstore, internet, Brain!(maybe?), spirits and soul(they are different). The most important research you could do is researching your own faith. You will see that what your religious book are telling you to believe differ from what people you know told you to believes. Heck even they don't read their own religious scripture, or even if they do, they don't read it with understanding. Forcing people to believe something even they do not understand. And you're stupid for believing in them. Turn to your GOD! Ask Him for guidance.

Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow) - سورة البقرة
2:137

Sahih International
So if they believe in the same as you believe in, then they have been guided; but if they turn away, they are only in dissension, and Allah will be sufficient for you against them. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
ref:http://quran.com/2/137

Really, don't believe if the people told you not to read your religious scripture.
ref:http://i-aboutlife.blogspot.com/2012/09/reading-quran-is-taboo-in-malaysia.html

God told you to read it!!


Surat Al-`Alaq (The Clot) - سورة العلق

96:1

Sahih International
Recite in the name of your Lord who created.

ref:http://quran.com/96/1

This is just an introduction to the 'ghaib' world. Next time, I'll reveal to you the ghaib and all that I know/learn from it. You would really be surprise to know that it's closer to you than you think. Until next time! Salam..