LEARNING ISLAM

Among Muslims today, millions of hadiths circulate with various classifications: sahih (authentic), hasan (good), da'if (weak), ahad (singular), and even mawdu' (fabricated). This situation often creates confusion, especially when these hadiths are used as legal foundations despite some being intertwined with mythological narratives, fables, or beliefs that are difficult to verify rationally or Quranically. The issue becomes more serious when these hadiths are elevated to a status equal to, or even surpassing, the Quran as if both possess the same authority in establishing law. Methodologically, however, the positions of the Quran and Hadith have never been identical. The Quran as a Verification Tool, Not Vice Versa The Quran is a preserved revelation, directly corrected by Allah, and conveyed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through mutawatir (continuous and massive) transmission. Meanwhile, hadiths are human records, written and codified hundreds of years after the Prophet's pas...

The word Tartil is mentioned four times in the Qur'an: twice in QS. Al-Furqan (25:32) and twice in QS. Al-Muzzammil (73:4). According to the conventional definition in Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), Tartil is defined as the act of reciting the Qur'an slowly, calmly, and without haste, while fully observing the rules of Tajwid, such as makharijul huruf (articulation points), the characteristics of letters, and the rules of recitation (vowel length, thickness/thinness). This definition is largely based on QS. Al-Muzzammil 73:4: أَوۡ زِدۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ تَرۡتِيلًا "...And recite the Qur'an with measured recitation (tartila)." From this common translation, the definition of Tartil is derived. However, if we look closer at the original Arabic text of that verse, there are two related words: Rattil (رَتِّلِ) = often translated as "read/recite" Tartila (تَرۡتِيلًا) = often translated as "slowly/measured" Interestingly, why is ...

If many Muslims are asked, "What is the purpose of your worship?" they often answer, "For mardhotillah." When asked further what mardhotillah means, they say, "To attain the pleasure of Allah." But then, why not use the term ridwanillah? Many feel confused or unfamiliar with that term; perhaps because the word "Ridwan" is more commonly used as a person's name rather than a daily vocabulary word. Did you know that both Mardho and Ridhwan originate from the same root words: "Rho – Dho", which means to be pleased, to accept, and to express satisfaction. In the word Mardho, there is an additional letter "Mim" at the beginning, whereas in Ridhwan, there are additional letters "Wau" and "Nun" at the end. The Meaning of Mardhotillah In our previous lesson, we learned that an additional "Mim" at the beginning of a word often signifies the involvement of a "created being" (human), wheth...

Conscious Faith vs Mechanical Faith in the Qur’anic Perspective Many people practice religion in the same pattern: read a command, carry it out, done. At a glance it looks pious. But the Qur’an invites us to ask a deeper question: Does Allah want humans to merely obey, or to obey with awareness? The Qur’an’s answer is firm: Islam is not an “auto-pilot system.” Islam is a system of consciousness. In the Qur’an, faith (iman) is always associated with: ‘Ilm (knowledge) Tafakkur (deep thinking) Ta‘aqqul (using reason) Tadabbur (reflecting on meaning) Allah repeatedly asks: “Afalā ta‘qilūn?” – Will you not use your intellect? “Afalā tatafakkarūn?” – Will you not think? If faith were sufficient by mere following, these verses would not exist. The message is clear: Qur’anic faith is understanding faith, not imitative faith. Practicing religion without understanding its reasons and meanings is called blind imitation. In modern terms: Blind Trust, not Smart Trust. Blind trust is fragi...

The development of science and technology today has not only changed the way humans live, but has also changed the way humans understand reality. Throughout the history of civilization, humans have always read signs to understand the world. In Islam, signs are called ayat, something that points, directs, and guides mankind toward the Truth (Al-Haqq). However, today we live in a very different era, an era in which signs no longer represent reality, but instead create false realities. The digital world, social media, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have built new layers of reality that are often believed more than reality itself. When we see someone speaking on TikTok, their face and voice may not even reflect the true person. On one hand, we can now easily trace Arabic root letters and meanings, yet on the other hand AI is capable of reshaping how Muslims especially future generations, define reality itself. With the rise of AI, we are living in a new reality where representation is...

Objectivity in maintaining health by not being excessive in eating and drinking “O Children of Adam, wear your adornment at every mosque, and eat and drink but do not be excessive. Indeed, He does not love those who commit excess.” (Al-A‘raf 31) Eating what is lawful and good has no “and” between them, so the meaning is one unified concept: halalan thayyiban. “O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth that is lawful good, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is a clear enemy to you.” (Al-Baqarah 168) Satan is illusory and imaginative thinking that opposes Ar-Rahman (the objectivity of Allah). “O my father, do not worship Satan. Indeed, Satan has been rebellious against Ar-Rahman.” (Maryam 44) Objectivity in warfare and seeking knowledge “It is not for the believers to go forth all together. Why should not a group from every party among them go forth to gain understanding in religion and warn their people when they return to them so that they may beware?” (At-T...

For a long time, many people have understood the verses of the Qur’an merely as text to be recited, limited to the sound of the tongue. Yet the Qur’an was revealed not only to be chanted, but also to be understood and deeply reflected upon. In Indonesia, efforts to bring Muslims closer to the meaning of the Qur’an began to strengthen in 1971 when the Ministry of Religious Affairs published the official translation. Since then, Muslims have not only read the verses aloud but have also been able to grasp their meanings. But the question remains: is reading the verses enough if it stops at recitation and translation? In my perspective, the way Muslims read the verses of the Qur’an can be divided into three levels:? 1. Reading only the sound This is an old tradition that is still widely practiced today. Verses are repeated many times without any attempt to understand their meanings. As a result, the reader fails to grasp the message Allah intends to convey. They become vulnerable to...

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh Meet again with me, Abu Musa. Today is midnight, heading towards the early hours of Saturday, May 16, 2025. Returning to the discussion of Ar-Rahman, this time we will react to two videos from a teacher whose voice is familiar to us. Let’s listen: "…Ar-Rahman is taken from the word rahmah, which means compassion. Through Rahman, everyone receives Allah's compassion; even those who drink alcohol why don't they die right now? Because they still receive Allah's compassion. Likewise, the polytheists, the infidels, animals, beasts, insects, and everything that crawls receive Allah's compassion..." Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFwUlaMD6iU Okay, that was the first video. The term Ar-Rahman is very familiar to us in daily life, usually paired with another term: Ar-Rahim. We recite them in the phrase Bismillahirrohmanirrohim. Generally, we understand Ar-Rahman as a term meaning "me...

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh Welcome again with me, Abu Musa. After we studied Allah’s Way of Thinking in Part 3, we came to understand that Al-Qalam is the diction Allah uses to explain the concept of teaching to living beings through arrangement, fragments, and configuration so that a language is formed. Yesterday we learned that in Surah Al-Qalam verse 1, the letter Nun is included in the phrase: نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ “By the arrangement/structure and what they teach.” The letter Nun, which we know as one of the muqatta‘at letters, usually stands separately between verses for example in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 1, Alif Lam Mim is a standalone verse. However, some muqatta‘at letters in the Qur’an do not stand alone and become part of a sentence. This indicates that such letters explain the meaning of the text they are in. Therefore, the Nun in Surah Al-Qalam verse 1 functions as an additional letter attached to a root word, producing a continuous d...

Bismillahirrohmanirrohim Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Today, Saturday, March 18, 2025, precisely in the third week of the month of Ramadan, I am Abu Musa. Let’s get straight to the point. In our previous discussion, we talked about "Qalam." Tonight, we will react to two videos from two Ustadzs (teachers) speaking about Al-Qalam. Let’s go straight to the first video. “...Qalam, linguistically, means 'to cut.' 'Taqlimul Azafir.' In the past, people made writing tools using reeds or bamboo with their tips cut off; that is why the writing tool is called Qalam. Some scholars say and this is a weak opinion, but I mention it because it exists, that the first thing God created was the Pen. That Pen wrote all of God's destiny. ‘Oh, this will be like this, that will be like that,’ all written by the Pen. I say this opinion is weak, but there is a better opinion: it is a writing tool. ‘Nun. By the Pen and what they write’ (Al-Qalam: 1-2). In the fi...

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh We meet again with me, Abu Musa. After we studied Allah Way of Thinking in Part 2 yesterday, we came to understand that in order to recognize the verses of Allah both the cosmic verses (ayat kauniyah) found in the universe and the verbal verses (ayat qauliyah) in the form of divine text or words, humans use at least three instruments: the brain, instinct, and inner awareness. Both ayat kauniyah and ayat qauliyah are received and perceived by humans through the brain via sound and form. Allah defines these two with a single term: Qalam. Before moving on to the next themes, we need to understand that Allah SWT transfers all information given by Him to us through Qalam. For this reason, the Qur’an is also referred to as Qalamullah. Qalam is interesting because Allah made it one of the 114 surahs in the Qur’an. Let us open Surah Al-Qalam: 1: نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ “Nun. By the Pen and what they inscribe.” In this verse, the w...

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh Meet again with me, Abu Musa. Today is Friday, March 7, 2025. Yesterday, we discussed the word lubb or albab in the Qur'an, which explains the mechanism of the human brain used to recognize and remember the Creator, Allah SWT, through the universe. Beyond that, this albab group also produces various branches of knowledge that benefit many people. In short, lubb or albab is the unification of dhikr (remembrance) and fikr (thought/reflection). This time, I want to react to two different videos. First, let’s listen to one ustadz whose voice is likely familiar to many of you. Let’s listen. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV4mBkYy8FU In that video, the ustadz defines lubb as being within the circle of the qalb (heart). He refers to qalb as the physical heart or "love"; it seems this ustadz has been influenced by Western-made doctrines. Today, we even recognize this modern symbol as "saranghaeyo," made by crossin...

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh We meet again with me, Abu Musa. Today is Friday, February 26, 2025. As we approach the month of Ramadan, I would like to wish you a blessed observance of the fasting of 1446 Hijri. This is the final theme in Allah Way of Thinking 2.5, in which Allah wants us to think logically and rationally in reading the Qur’an through four instruments: Qolbu, as a tool for tadabbur, tafakkur, and tafahum; Fuad, a faculty that must be controlled because its function often leads toward negativity; Shudur, the place where both Qolbu and Fuad reside; And finally LUBB, which will be our main discussion in this session. Lubb, more commonly known as Albab, is mentioned by Allah in Surah Ali ‘Imran (3): 190–191: إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمٗا وَقُعُودٗا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَبَّنَا ...