Reflections of Imam Ghazali - The Importance of Character

Imam Ghazali may have lived over 900 years ago, but in the true spirit of Islam his work, analysis and thoughts are as relevant today as they were when the scholar waited for his ink to dry on the paper he wrote on in the 11th century.
We may like to think of ourselves as continually evolving over hundreds of years as the world around us also transforms, but essentially, we are the same as our ancestors. We have similar hands and feet, eyes and ears, a heart, lungs, a mind and a soul.
 Ghazali’s analysis of people and society is based on the Qur’an, the hadith and Islamic history. His ability to break down complex information and ideas about our very nature make his books a powerful tool, which are breathtaking to read. People of all faiths have over the centuries talked about Ghazali’s brilliance, but the impact can only be fully felt when his books are opened and his thoughts are shared.


 On the basic subject of a person’s character, he writes: “Goodness of character was the attribute of the master of messengers, and is the fruit of the pious and self-discipline of the people of constant worship. Bad character is a mortal poison, which set a distance between man and the proximity of the Lord of the Worlds, and induced him to follow the path of Satan the accursed. Foul characteristics are the very sickness of hearts and the diseases of the soul, constituting an illness which deprives man of everlasting life. It is reported that the messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) was once told that a certain woman fasted all day and prayed all night, but was possessed by bad character, so that she injured her neighbours with her words. ‘There is no good in her,’ he said, ‘she is of Hell’s people’. It is also reported that the last of God’s prophets said ‘You will not be able to suffice all people with your wealth; suffice them therefore with a cheerful face and a goodly character.’”

 So what is good character? In his search for the answer, Ghazali turns to a host of ahadith, including, ‘A man once asked the Prophet of God about character, and he recited His statement: Hold to forgiveness, and enjoin kindness, and turn aside from the ignorant ones. Then he said, ‘It is that you should seek reconciliation with those who avoid you, give to those who withhold from you and forgive those who deal with you unjustly.’

 “Therefore the fundamental good traits of character are four in number: wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. By ‘wisdom’, we mean a condition of the soul by which it distinguishes true from false. By ‘justice’, a condition of the soul by which it controls anger and desire. By ‘courage’, we refer to the irascible faculty of the intellect, while by ‘temperance’ we have in mind the disciplining of the intellect and the Law. It is from the equilibrium of these four principles that all good traits of character proceed. When the intellect is balanced, it brings forth discretion, excellence and an understanding of the subtle implications of actions and the hidden defects of the soul. When unbalanced, in excess, then cunning, swindling, deception and slyness result. An example is thus: ‘Courage’ gives rise to nobility, endurance, dignity and suppression of rage. When unbalanced, this same trait came give rise to recklessness, arrogance, conceit, pride and quickness of anger. ‘Temperance’ is a quality that gives rise to generosity, modesty, patience and tolerance, but in excess it leads to greed, cupidity, ostentation and immorality.”

 “All human traits constitute branches of Wisdom, Courage, Temperance and Justice and a perfectly just equilibrium in these four has been attained by no one but the emissary of God; other people are of divergent degrees of proximity and distance from them.”
 Even though Ghazali identifies the various aspects of character, he also considers the excuses people use for not adopting good character and changing traits about themselves. He tackles this issue head on.

 “Know that the man who is dominated by sloth will consider unpleasant any spiritual struggle and discipline, or any purifying of the soul and refinement of the character. He will claim that the traits of a man’s character cannot conceivably be altered, and that human nature is immutable. Firstly, he will say that character is the form of the inward in the same way that the created form of man is the form of the outward. No one is able to alter his external appearance: an ugly man cannot render himself handsome, and vice versa; and thus a person who is ugly on the inside, cannot change. Secondly, he will assert that goodness of character proceeds from suppressing one’s desire and anger, and that he has tested this by means of a long inward struggle which demonstrated to him that these things are part of one’s character and nature, so busying oneself with such struggling is profitless and a waste of time.

To such an objection we would say: Were the traits of character not susceptible to change, there would be no value in counsels, sermons and discipline, and the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) would not have said, ‘Improve your characters!’ It is possible to improve the character even of an animal: a falcon can be transformed from savagery to tameness; a dog from mere greed for food to good behaviour and self-restraint, and these constitute a change in character.”

 Ghazali practically informs us that certain human traits like anger and desire cannot be entirely suppressed or dominated, but we can make these characteristics obedient and submissive through means of self-discipline and struggle. He says we must endeavour to control these traits as “we have been commanded to do, for it constitutes the means of our salvation and our coming to God.”

 However, Imam Ghazali believes we have been weakened when it comes to dealing with ourselves because we have been “plunged into the desires of the world and fallen into slumber.” This was his view of Muslims over 900 years ago, since then we have seen the rise and fall of a Muslim empire; Muslim scientists and philosophers leading the world through their knowledge; and Islam spreading to every part of the world.
 It is evident that Ghazali was able to identify the tiny roots of a widespread problem centuries before it would take root in the form we have today. The world may be a very different place to the one it was hundreds of years ago, but our personal challenges and distractions have remained enclosed within us, still waiting to be challenged - with the help of the books we are still fortunate to have.

Extracts taken from Al-Ghazali on Disciplining the Soul and on Breaking the Two Desires. Books XXII and XXIII of The Revival of the Religious Sciences, first published by the Islamic Texts Society 1995. 
source: muslim lifestyle

Touching hearts and souls

captured in USM

We can never retrieve the time that slips away, no matter how much we clutch and grasp the moments, it will definitely slip and fade away…the day of judgment is definite and we all will be accountable for all our deeds, speech and thoughts….so let us touch human hearts and souls with a clear vision….

If we make a decision based on our blur vision, without noticing being so individualist in our walk of life, we can crush hearts and hurt souls when we rush to reap the harvest of joy which is just an illusion as the field is barren…but if we to open our hearts, minds and souls…our vision becomes clear and we will began to realize that unveiling the moments with the touch of love and patience, will make us grow in maturity, sincerity and trustworthy…

So, let’s move on and  keep on loving, sharing, forgiving and caring to all those around us, so that we can reap the harvest of joy....touching hearts and souls .. …by God’s will…

Don't Be Bitter My Friend

don't be bitter my friend
you'll regret it soon
hold to your togetherness
or surely you'll scatter

don't walk away gloomy
from this garden
you'll end up like an owl
dwelling in old ruins

face the war and
be a warrior like a lion
or you'll end up like a pet
tucked away in a stable

once you conquer 
your selfish self
all your darkness
will change to light

~Maulana Rumi

The Journey Starts Here

Don’t go off sightseeing.
The real journey is right here.
The great excursion starts
from exactly where you are.
You are the world.
You have everything you need.
You are the secret.
You are the wide opened.

Don’t look for the remedy for your troubles
outside yourself.
You are the medicine.
You are the cure for your own sorrow.

Threshold to freedom.

Do not be ruled by lust; 
seek freedom by following the righteous.
Mere claims of piety will not earn you inner freedom. 
Remain patient in adversity to attain peace,
for adversity is the threshold to freedom.
[Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani]

Praise belongs to God

When someone praises you, you must feel dislike for his praises within your heart. If he has praised you for something you truly possess say: 'Praise belongs to God Who has revealed the good things and concealed the ugly ones.' And if he praises you for something which you do not possess, say as one of our predecessors said: 'O God! Do not call me to account for what they say, forgive me what they do not know, and make me better than they think.'

In your case do not praise anyone unless you know that your praises will incite him to more good works or unless he is a superior man whose superiority is not well known and you wish to make it so, this being on condition that you are safe from lying and he is safe from conceit. [Al-Haddad, The Book of Assistance]

four signs of a diseased heart

There are four signs of a diseased heart:

1. To feel no enjoyment in worship.

2. To be in a state without fearing God.

3. To take no lessons from worldly events.

4. To learn something and not to put into practice. [Dhunnun al Misri]

A Valuable Lesson In Life From The 'Proof Of Islam' Hazrat Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih)

Having completed his studies, Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih) was en route back home. On the way the caravan in which he was travelling was waylaid by robbers. Together with his co-travellers, Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih) was dispossessed of all his goods. Amongst his possessions were the carefully written notes of the lectures delivered by his ustads. These notes were also taken by the robbers. Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih) sought out the leader of the band of robbers and pleaded with him: "Your men have taken all my possessions except for the clothes I wear. You may keep the extra clothes and other valuables - I do not lament their loss. However, please ask your men to return the papers they have taken."

The leader of the band of robbers was amazed at this unusual request. This young man was not worried about clothes and valuables, but he was asking for some pieces of paper to be returned!

Very curious, he asked: "What papers are these?"

Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih) explained: "I am a student returning home after completing my studies. When my teachers used to lecture, I used to make notes. These are those very pages of 'ilm that I am requesting to be returned to me."

The leader of the robbers said, "What you have just said fills me with great sorrow and regret. Young lad! Is your 'ilm on pieces of paper when it should have been in your heart? Papers can get lost. Papers can be destroyed by fire, become parched by the sun, get eaten by moths, become damaged with damp, etc., etc. You are dependent on papers? It fills me with great pity. Your 'ilm should be in your heart! Be that as it may, your papers will be returned."

He summoned one of his men and ordered him, "Give back to this boy his papers." The notes were retrieved and returned to Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih).

Imam Ghazali (Rehmatullahi ’Alaih) was of noble character. He was, moreover, a dedicated student. The words of the gang-leader were like a knife piercing his heart. On reaching home, he lost no time in memorising all his notes!
source: islamic forum/spreading the light of islam

I Don’t Get Tired of You – Rumi

I don’t get tired of you. Don’t grow weary
of being compassionate toward me!

All this thirst equipment
must surely be tired of me,
the waterjar, the water carrier.

I have a thirsty fish in me
that can never find enough
of what it’s thirsty for!

Show me the way to the ocean!
Break these half-measures,
these small containers.

All this fantasy
and grief.

Let my house be drowned in the wave
that rose last night in the courtyard
hidden in the center of my chest.

Joseph fell like the moon into my well.
The harvest I expected was washed away.
But no matter.

A fire has risen above my tombstone hat.
I don’t want learning, or dignity,
or respectability.

I want this music and this dawn
and the warmth of your cheek against mine.

The grief-armies assemble,
but I’m not going with them.

This is how it always is
when I finish a poem.

A great silence comes over me,
and I wonder why I ever thought
to use language.

By: Maulana Rumi
Translation: Coleman Barks

tawakkul (trust and reliance on Allah)

The Marvels of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

Sayyidi wa Imami, Imam ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu, (1044-1132 A.H) in expounding on tawakkul (trust and reliance on Allah) in his spiritual masterpiece Risalat u’l Mu’awanah (The Book of Assistance) explains the signs of tawakkul and supports his position with the example of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani,Rady Allahu ‘Anhu whom he calls “sayyidi” (“my master”).

“The one whose reliance is sincere has three marks. The first is that he neither has hopes in nor fears other than God. The sign of this is that he upholds the truth in the presence of those in whose regard people usually have hope or fear, such as princes and rulers. The second is that worrying about his sustenance never enters his heart, because of his confidence in God’s guarantee, so that his heart is as tranquil when in need as when his need is fulfilled, or even more. The third is that his heart does not become disturbed in fearful situations, knowing that that which has missed him could never have struck him, and that which has struck him could never have missed him. An example of this was related of my lord ‘Abdal-Qadir al-Jilani, may God spread his benefit. He was once discoursing on Destiny when a great viper fell on him, so that his audience panicked. The viper coiled itself around the shaykh’s neck, then entered one of his sleeves and came out from the other while he remained firm and unperturbed, and did not interrupt his discourse”. (Risalat u’l Mu’awanah, The Book of Assistance, translated by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, p. 121-122).

This incident demonstrates that Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani was matchless in a very special way. It also reminds us about the following verses of the Holy Qur’an on theawliya Allah (friends of Allah):

Surely, on the friends of Allah, there is no fear, nor do they grieve. Those who believed and guarded (against evil). For them are glad tidings in this world’s life and in the Hereafter; there is no changing the words of Allah; that is the Supreme Triumph. (10:62-64)

It has been narrated in the biographies of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani that once he saw a dazzling light which filled the whole sky. Then a human frame appeared in it and told him he was his lord and that he had made everything that was prohibited in Islam lawful for him. Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani recognized him as the devil and told him to get lost. Then the sky turned dark and the human frame fizzled out into smoke. Following this, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani heard someone say to him that he had misled seventy people in this way but that his knowledge and piety had saved him. To this the Shaykh responded that it was through the Grace of Allah that he had been saved! The machinations of shaytan could obviously never make Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani abandon the shari’a (sacred Muslim law).

Professor Shetha al-Dargazelli and Dr. Louay Fatoohi explain in their “Introduction” to  the translation of Jila al-Khatir how Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani came to be called Muhyiddin. Once on a Friday in the year 511 A.H, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani came across a frail old invalid who greeted him and asked him to help him to sit up. When he helped him to sit up, he became well again and his whole condition improved. He told Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani that he was the religion of Islam which had been forgotten but which he had helped to revive. Following this incident, Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani went to the congregational mosque where people greeted him as “Muhyid Din” (Reviver of Religion). He had never been called by that name before!

All the biographers of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani marvel at his miracles. Dr. Muhammad Haroon Rahmatullahi ‘alayh of the Raza Academy in England has described the miracles of the Shaykh in detail in "The World Importance of Ghawth al A’zam Hadrat Sheikh Muhyiddin Abdul Qadir Jilani". To gain baraka (blessings), let us at this juncture recall one of these miracles which relates to fasting in the month of Ramadan. It is related that as it was cloudy, the new moon had not been sighted and people were confused whether to fast or not to fast. They came to Ummu’l Khayr and asked if the child had taken milk that day. As he had not, they surmised that they had to fast. His mother relates; "My son 'Abdul Qadir was born in the month of Ramadan. No matter how hard I tried he refused to suckle in the daytime. Throughout his infancy he would never take food during the month of fasting." (Sirr al-Asrar, “Introduction” by Shaykh Tosun al-Jerrahi al-Halveti, p. XIII)

This is how Shaykh Tosun al-Jerrahi al-Halveti explains about the daily life of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu: "He himself had given all of himself to Allah. His nights passed with little or no sleep in secluded prayer and meditation. He spent his days like a true follower of the Prophet in the service of humanity. Three times a week he would deliver public sermons to thousands of people. Every day in the morning and the afternoon he gave lessons in Qur'anic commentary, Prophetic traditions, theology, religious law and sufism. He spent the time after the midday prayer giving advice and consultation to people, whether beggars or kings, who would come from all parts of the world. Before sunset prayers, rain or shine, he took to the streets to distribute bread among the poor. As he spent all his days in fasting he would eat only once a day, after sunset prayer, and never alone. His servants would stand at his door asking passers-by if they were hungry, so that they could share his table." (Sirr al-Asrar, p. XLIV)

Shaykh Hammad al-Dabbas Rahmatullahi ‘alayh had predicted that one day Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani would be commanded to proclaim that his foot is on the neck of everyWaliyallah (friend of Allah). This prediction was fulfilled when Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani declared at one of his majalis (religious sessions) in the presence of more than fortymashaayikh (spiritual masters) of Iraq that his foot was on the neck of every Waliyallah. All the mashaayikh, those that were present as well as those in far off lands and places acknowledged and accepted this fact. Qutb u’l Irshad Imam ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad has versified on this spiritual reality in one of his qasaaid (eulogies) in Ad-Durr ul Manzum li Dhawil ‘Uqul wa’l Fuhum (Poetic Pearls For Discerning and Understanding Minds). A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Rahmatullahi ‘alayh has versified on it in his “Salaams”, while Shaykh ‘Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlawi has expounded on its spiritual reality in Akhbar u’l Akhyar (Narrations About The Chosen Ones).

But the initiate sometimes wonders why Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani revealed so many spiritual secrets when most other shuyukh (spiritual masters) are reticent. To answer this question, we will need to turn to Sayyidi wa Imami Qutb u’l Irshad al-Habib Mawlana ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu. In It-haaf i’s-saail (Gifts for the Seeker), he explains that Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu ‘Anhu had received permission to divulge these spiritual secrets - "for the man who receives such permission is under an order which he can but obey - and the secret of the permission granted in such matters is itself one that cannot be divulged." (Gifts for the Seeker, translation by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, p.11).

Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum

source: iqra.net.articles

Open the Window

There's a street where the Beautiful One

 is known to take a stroll.

When a certain radiance is noticed

through the laticed windows

of that neighborhood,

people whisper, The Beloved

must be near.

Listen:open a window to God

and breathe. Delight yourself

with what comecesss through that opening.

The work of love is to create

a window in the heart,

for the breast is illumined

by the beauty of the Belowed.

Gaze incessantly on that Face!

Listen, this is in your power, my friend!

Find a way to your innermost secret.  

Let no other perception distract you.

You, yourself, possess the elixir,

so rub it into your skin,

and by this alchemy

your inner enemies willbecome friends.

And as you are made beautiful,

the Beautiful One will become your own,

the intimate of your once lonely spirit.

Rumi Mathnawi  IV, 3095-3097

Kabir Helminiski& Ahmed Rezwani

One of the greatest rewards – achieving the love of Allah swt

Imam Ibn ul Qayyim,   said there are 10  ways of bringing about  the love of Allah  swt.  All of them  involve seeking knowledge:

• Recitation of Quran, reflection and understanding
• After obligatory acts of ibadat, doing superogatory acts
• constant remembrance in every circumstance by the to tongue and actions
• Preferring His love over your own
• Comprehension of Allah swt Names and attributes, witnessing them and having knowledge of them
• Witnessing and acknowledging His generosity and His Benevolence, Favours and blessings
• The hearts total defeat and humility in front of Allah
• Being alone at the time of descent of Allah for having private conversations with Him, reciting His Words and repenting in front of Him
• Sitting with the truthful lovers of Allah and gathering the good fruits
• Keeping distant from everything that comes between the heart and Allah, the Mighty the Majestic

From  these 10 ways can  the love of Allah  be reached and the  chief fundamental principle  behind that comprise  two.  Preparing the  soul for it and  opening the eye to  keen, sure knowledge.

Tender Words

Tender words we spoke

to one another

are sealed

in the secret vaults of heaven.

One day like rain,

they will fall to earth

and grow green

all over the world.
--Mawlana Rumi

The new literature text used in Form 4 and 5

Interestingly very challenging, yet rather appealing but seems amusing ...that's what feel as I explore the new text prepared for the Form 4 and Form 5...moving like a snail, but being observant and  reflecting on the words chosen and used by the author and drawing out response is an amazing experience...and the most interesting part is when throwing the light to my students when teaching them to understand the text...

Form 4:
Poems
1. In the Midst of Hardship -Latiff Mohidin
2. He Had such Quiet Eyes -Bibsy Soenharjo
Short Stories
1. QWERTYUIOP -Vivian Alcock
2. The Fruitcake Special -Frank Brennan
Drama
1. Gulp and Gasp- John Townsend

Form 5:
Poems
1. Nature -H.D. Carberry
2. Are you Still Playing Your Flute -Zurinah Hassan

Novel

The Curse by Lee Su Ann ~ Pahang,Terengganu, Johor,Sabah,Sarawak & Labuan.

Step by Wicked Step by Ann Fine ~Selangor,KL,Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan & Malacca.

Catch Us If You Can by Catherine McPhail ~Perlis,Kelantan,Kedah,Penang & Perak.

And a youth said, "Speak to us of Friendship."

Friendship  by Khalil Gibran

And a youth said, "Speak to us of Friendship." 

Your friend is your needs answered. 

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. 

And he is your board and your fireside. 

For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace. 

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay." 

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart; 

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unclaimed. 

When you part from your friend, you grieve not; 

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain. 

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. 

For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught. 

And let your best be for your friend. 

If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also. 

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill? 

Seek him always with hours to live. 

For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness. 

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. 

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed

Living in the light of true friendship

Living in the light of true friendship is a blessed relationship as its filled with love, joy and solace. To sustain a strong friendship and making it glow can be maintained by practicing classical traditional views of maintaing good reationship  In classical traditional views, friendship based on utility and pleasure will not survive, it will be stagnant, hurtful, one-sided or may even cause harm than good but friendship based on goodness is lasting as it has enduring quality. Thus, when friends possess the good attributes, the friendship survives as it is based on goodness which has love & purity, with lasting & enduring quality. However we all know that a deep sustaining, timeless friendship is really, really rare…as it’s a friendship for the sake of God which abides in purity and sealed with modesty…

Spices of life –True Friends are jewels

Photo of Sanga View by Zaid Abraham, Kashmir

Making friends in the fold of mutual understanding, trusting companionship, honest relationship for the sake of Allah is an amazing experience and a lifetime joy but only true friendship grows as the time passes, surviving through the tough and challenging moments and staying by our side in  our smiles and tears. Some friends come like  pieces of chocolate moist cake but as time passes when we began to indulge in it ,we will realize that it’s just an illusion and some friends are jewels bringing lasting love,overflowing with serene comfort and radiating the light of love for the sake of Allah.

There are some friends whom I put my trust , give my love and I get trust and love in return but just like the morning dew

Answering more questions on “The Pearl” for SPM 2010/ English/ Literature Component

Dear Form 5 students, since your examination is just around the corner, I have written the answers to 5 more questions in order to aid you…

1.    Based on the story that you have learned, write about the HOPES of ONE of the characters. WHAT DID THE CHARACTER DO to achieve his/her hopes? Support your answer with close reference to the text.

“The Pearl” by John Steinback is a novel that reveals the power of hope living in people. Kino, a poor pearl diver, begins to have great hopes after the discovery of the pearl of the world, so in order to fullfill his hopes, so became an ambitious, aggressive and determined person in order to protect the pearl before selling it.

Kino became an ambitious person when he tried to sell the pearl in order to fullfill his hopes to bring his wife, Juana, their baby, Coyotito out of the clutches of poverty, discrimination and hardship. Kino hopes to educate Coyotito through formal education, marry Juana in a proper ceremony in church, buy himself a rifle- Winchester carbine, and a harpoon. The doctor pretended to cure Coyotito from his scorpion bite, in order to get the pearl, but Kino is alert to protect the pearl and hid it. When the pearl buyers tried to cheat him, he took all the effort to protect the pearl, as he wanted a higher price for the pearl. He became too ambitious and is willing to go thru all the difficulties to sell the pearl for a better price.

Besides that, Kino became aggressive when he tried to protect the pearl to full fill his hopes. He killed an attacker in self defense when the attacker tries to steal his pearl. When Juana tried to throw away the pearl that have cause misery to her family, Kino caught her arm and wrenched the pearl from her. Kino struck Juana in her face with his clenched fist and she fell among the bounlders, and he kicked her in the side.

Kino, became more determined when he planned to go to another town to sell his pearl. After killing one of the attackers in self defence, he tried to flee with Juana and Coyotito, but their canoe was damaged by the evil hearted people who tried to get his pearl. Then he noticed that his brush hut is burnt down, so he got shelter from his brother, Juan Thomas. Later, he flees to the mountains with Juana and Coyotito to go to Loreto, another town to sell the pearl.

Through out the story, Kino’s hope to have a better life for him and his family made him undergo critical and dramatic moments, when Coyotito was accidently killed, his hopes changed into a regretful tone, when he threw the pearl into the sea, he hopes to go on with his life with his beloved wife but this time a hope to go on life without his beloved son, Coyotito.

2.    Based on the novel that you have learned, what is the significance of the title of the novel? Support your answer with close reference to the text.

Based on “The Pearl” by John Steinback, the significance of the title is the symbolism of the pearl which is revealed  ironically. The pearl symbolises goodness which brings purity, holiness and wealth but in this story, the pearl symbolises a bad image which brings evilness, greediness and enviness.

The pearl symbolises evilness when Kino’s personality changes from a benevolence husband and father to an evil person after he discovers the pearl of the world. In order to protect the pearl as he said the pearl has become his soul, he became aggressive when one of the attackers tried to steal his pearl, in self defense, he killed the attacker. Kino also hit Juana when she tried to throw the pearl which she claims had cause evilness to humans.

The pearl also reveals the symbol of greediness. Greediness is portrayed through the doctor’s hypocrisy. The doctor is willing to sacrifice his professional etiquette to obtain the pearl when he made Coyotito suffer by the drug he gave the baby and then returning to give him the antidote to cure. He did all this because he wishes to posses the pearl out of his greed.  Moreover the pearl buyers and dealers conspired to cheat the poor Kino into selling the pearl in a very low price. They want to cheat him because of their greediness to make more profit.

Apart from that, the pearl also revealed enviness.  This is revealed by the people who envied Kino, they burnt down his hut and damaged his canoe which he has inheritted from his grandfather. They are also willing to commit the crime to steal the pearl as they envy Kino being the owner of the pearl. Even the priest envied Kino and demands money from him as he wishes to repair the church.

Thus, the pearl brought the image of evilness, greediness and enviness which have destroyed the quality of humanity, caused disunity, deception and selfishness to control the human hearts.

3.    In life a person sometimes faces problems. How is this shown in the novel you have read? Support your answer with close reference to the text.

Based on the novel “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck, Kino, the main character,is a very contented pearl diver  although he lacks material possessions. However, he faces problems which cause him great suffering and discomfort of mind and soul as he struggle to overcome them.

Kino faces a problem when Coyotito is stung by a scorpion. He and his wife tried to save their baby by bringing him to the doctor. Unfortunately, the doctor refuses to treat the baby as Kino has no money to pay him. He became so desperate, so he went out to the sea to dive for pearls to cure Coyotito. He managed to find the pearl of the world, and hopes to cure Coyotito and to bring him and his wife, Juana, out of the clutches of poverty, discrimination and hardship. However, he faces more problems with the pearl.

The pearl that Kino found caused evilness to root in the hearts of those who wish to possess them, so Kino has to go through difficulties to protect the pearl. He has to face the doctor who tried to get the pearl from him by pretending to cure Coyotito, the pearl buyers and dealers who tried to cheat him by offering a very low price for the valuable pearl, the priest who wish to repair the church, the attackers and trackers who tried to steal his pearl.

Kino also became obsessed of the pearl and began to behave unwisely. He killed one of the attackers on self defence, hit his wife, Juana, on her face and kicked her when she tried to throw away the pearl, he refused to sell the pearl for a low price and caused those who envied him to damage his canoe and burn his brush hut. He said the pearl has become his soul, and he could not part from it even when Juana, his beloved, patient wife tried to advise him to get rid of the pearl as it has caused evilness to root in the people’s heart, mind and soul.Kino flee to the mountains with Juana and their baby as he wanted to sell the pearl at Loreto, another town. However, he faced problems again when one of the trackers accidently shoot Coyotito. Finally he felt remorseful as the pearl has caused problems that he himself created and caused the tragic event of losing his beloved son which is much more valuable than the pearl.

4.    Based on the novel that you have learned, choose a character and describe how being poor affects the character’s life? Support your answer with close reference to the text.

5.    Identify a character in the novel that has experienced great hardships. How have the hardships experienced in the story changed the character?

For the question 4 and 5, I have already disscused during our class, end of last month, so I’ll not elaborate more on them. Please make sure you write good and concrete textual evidences to support all your statements and make sure of your grammar usage, spelling, variety of sentences and punctuation…..

-(Question 4) Have to find  a pearl to get money to cure Coyotito/

       Protect the pearl/ being so obssesed

        Renounce the pearl/ when Coyotito was killed

-(Question 5) From a loving father and husband to an aggresive one

       Being so obssesed/ commiting murder/ to protect the pearl

       Remorseful/ when Coyotito is killed/ he threw the pearl as though as 

       he is throwing away all his dreams and hopes.

so all the BEST for your coming SPM examination!!

Jihad Al-Nafs [Fighting The Ego]

Translated from the following parts of 

'Ihya' `Ulum al-Din' [The Revival of the Religious Sciences] by imam al ghazali

a)Definitions at the beginning of the book "Kitab sharh `aja'ib al-qalb"

 [Book of the Explanation of the Mysteries of the Heart]

b)Section entitled: "The Soldiers of the Heart" in the same book

c)Section entitled: "Shaytan's domination over the heart through whispering [al-waswas]" in the same book

d)Section entitled: "Proofs..." from the book "Kitab riadat al-nafs wa tahdhib al-akhlaq wa mu`alajat amrad al-qalb" [Book of the training of the ego and the disciplining of manners and the healing of the heart's diseases]

a) Meaning of nafs: It has two meanings. First, it means the powers of anger and sexual appetite in a human being... and this is the usage mostly found among the people of tasawwuf [sufis], who take "nafs" as the comprehensive word for all the evil attributes of a person. That is why they say: one must certainly do battle with the ego and break it (la budda min mujahadat al-nafs wa kasriha), as is referred to in the hadith: A`da `aduwwuka nafsuka al-lati bayna janibayk [Your worst enemy is your nafs which lies between your flanks. Al-`Iraqi says it is in Bayhaqi on the authority of Ibn `Abbas and its chain of transmission contains Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghazwan, one of the forgers].

The second meaning of nafs is the soul, the human being in reality, his self and his person. However, it is described differently according to its different states. If it assumes calmness under command and has removed from itself the disturbance caused by the onslaught of passion, it is called "the satisfied soul" (al-nafs al-mutma'inna)... In its first meaning the nafs does not envisage its return to God because it has kept itself far from Him: such a nafs is from the party of shaytan. However, when it does not achieve calmness, yet sets itself against the love of passions and objects to it, it is called "the self-accusing soul" (al-nafs al-lawwama), because it rebukes its owner for his neglect in the worship of his master... If it gives up all protest and surrenders itself in total obedience to the call of passions and shaytan, it is named "the soul that enjoins evil" (al-nafs al-ammara bi al-su')... which could be taken to refer to the ego in its first meaning.

b) God has armed soldiers which He has placed in the hearts and the souls and others of His worlds, and none knows their true nature and actual number except He... [He proceeds to explain that the limbs of the body, the five senses, will, instinct, and the emotive and intellective powers are among those soldiers.] Know that the two soldiers of anger and sexual passion can be guided by the heart completely... or on the other hand disobey and rebel against it completely, until they enslave it. Therein lies the death of the heart and the termination of its journey towards eternal happiness. The heart has other soldiers: knowledge (`ilm), wisdom (hikma) and reflection (tafakkur) whose help it seeks by right, for they are the Party of God against the other two who belong to the party of shaytan...

God says: "Have you seen the one who chooseth for his god his own lust?" (25:43) and "He followed his own lust. Therefor his likeness is as the likeness of a dog; if thou attackest him he panteth with his tongue out, and if thou leavest him he panteth with his tongue out" (7:176) and about the person who controlled the passion of his ego God says: "But as for him who feared to stand before his Lord and restrained his soul from lust, Lo! The garden will be his home" (79:40-41).

Know that the body is like a town and the intellect of the mature human being is like a king ruling that town. All the forces of the external and internal senses he can muster are like his soldiers and his aides. The ego that enjoins evil (nafs ammara), that is, lust and anger, is like an enemy that challenges him in his kingdom and strives to slaughter his people. The body thus becomes like a garrison-town or sea-outpost, and the soul like its custodian posted in it. If he fights against his enemies and defeats them and compels them to do what he likes, he will be praised when he returns to God's presence, as God said: "Those who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and lives. Allah hath conferred on those who strive with their wealth and lives a rank above the sedentary" (4:95).

c) The thoughts that stir one's desire are of two kinds... praiseworthy, and that is called "inspiration" (ilham), and blameworthy, and that is called "whispering" (waswasa)... The heart is owned mutually by a shaytan and an angel... The angel stands for a creature which God has created for the overflowing of benefit, the bestowal of knowledge, the unveiling of truth, the promise of reward, and the ordering of the good... The shaytan stands for a creature whose business is to be against all this... Waswasa against ilham, shaytan against angel, success (tawfiq) against disappointment (khidhlan).

The Prophet (s) said: "There are two impulses in the soul, one from an angel which calls towards good and confirms truth; whoever finds this let him know it is from God and praise Him. Another impulse comes from the enemy which leads to doubt and denies truth and forbids good; whoever finds this, let him seek refuge in God from the accursed devil." Then he recited the verse: "The devil shows you fear of poverty and enjoins evil upon you" (2:268) [Tirmidhi: hasan; Nisa'i; `Iraqi did not weaken it].

Hasan al-Basri said: "Two thoughts roam over the soul, one from God, one from the enemy. God shows mercy on a servant who settles at the thought that comes from Him. He embraces the thought that comes from God, while he fights against the one from his enemy. To illustrate the heart's mutual attraction between these two powers the Prophet (s) said: "The heart of a believer lies between two fingers of the Merciful" [Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]... The fingers stand for upheaval and hesitation in the heart... If man follows the dictates of anger and appetite, the dominion of shaytan appears in him through idle passions [hawa] and his heart becomes the nesting-place and container of shaytan, who feeds on hawa. If he does battle with his passions and does not let them dominate his nafs, imitating in this the character of the angels, at that time his heart becomes the resting-place of angels and they alight upon it...

The Prophet (s) said: "There is none among you in whom there is not a devil" They said: "Even in you, O Messenger of God?!" He said: "Even in me, but God helped me to overcome him and he has submitted to me, so he doesn't order anything except good" [Muslim]... The mutual repelling of the soldiers of the angels and the devils is constant in the battle over the heart, until the heart is conquered by one of the two sides which sets up its nation and settles there... And most hearts have been seized by the soldiers of shaytan, who fill them with the whispers that call one to love this passing world and disregard the next.

d) The Prophet (s) said: al-mujahidu man jahada nafsahu fi ta`at Allah `azza wa jall [The fighter against unbelief is he who fights against his ego in obeying God; Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, Tabarani, Hakim, etc.]... Sufyan al-Thawri said: "I never dealt with anything stronger against me than my own ego; it was one time with me, and one time against me"... Yahya ibn Mu`adh al-Razi said: "Fight against your ego with the four swords of training: eat little, sleep little, speak little, and be patient when people harm you... Then the ego will walk the paths of obedience, like a fleeing horseman in the field of battle."