(Lesson # 2b)tauheed course-(batch-january-2014)-5-february-2014

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH
MOST COMPASIONATE
MOST MERCIFUL

TCH -MAY
BA
RY
NUA 4]
[JA 201

LESSON

#2b

“INTRODUCTION TO STUDY OF
TAUHEED – (AQA’ID) ”
Intermediate Level Islamic course in English for Adults
conducted by Ustaz Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail

18 weekly class started on : 15th JANUARY 2014
Every Wadnesday night @ 8pm – 10pm
Wisma Indah, 450 Changi Road, #02-00 next to Masjid Kassim

IT CAN ALSO BE A
REFRESHER COURSE
FOR MUSLIM
PARENTS, EDUCATORS,
IN CONTEMPORARY
SINGAPORE.
OPEN TO ALL

For further information and registration contact E-mail :
ad.fardhayn.sg@gmail.com
or +65 81234669 / +65 96838279
Using curriculum he has developed especially for English-speaking
Muslim converts and young English-speaking Adult Muslims.
“To seek knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim (male & female)”
All Rights Reserved ©Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail.2014

Updated 5 February 2014

“And remember! your Lord caused to be declared
(publicly): "If ye are grateful, I will add more (favours)
unto you; but if ye show ingratitude, truly My
punishment is terrible indeed."
(Qur’an: ibrahim: 14: 7)


ROB-BANAA- AN-FA’-NAA -BI-MAA- ‘AL-LAM-TA-NAA
O our Lord! Make us to benefit from what You have taught us .


ROB-BI –’AL-LIM- NAL- LA-DzI- YAN-FA- ‘UNA
O Lord! Teach us whatever that is beneficial for us.


A MODERN
PARABLE

“THE JIG-SAW PUZZLE”
By : Ustaz Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail.

All Rights Reserved © Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail (2014)
)

5

Information gathered are like
pieces of jig-saw puzzle.

)

6

Information gathered are like pieces of
jig-saw puzzle.
It may seem quite easy to get them,
especially when they seemed to be
scattered about almost everywhere.

)

7

Some people are keen to only gather
them, to pick them up, to steal these
pieces, and are obsessed with merely
having as much of them as possible –
not realizing its true meaning, its true
significance, its true place and
purpose.

)

8

Thus, some people may feel that they
have ‘knowledge’, whereas what they
possess may just be merely
‘information’.

)

9

Actually by “knowledge”, we
are referring to the relevant
“meaning of that subject that
we seek to acquire, arriving in
our soul ...”

)

10

The “Soul” (or sometimes
referred to as the ‘heart’,
‘mind’ or ‘intellect’) is the
spiritual Self of who we are our cognitive essence, capable
of knowing and of learning.

)

11

When we speak of
“knowledge” as referring to
“meaning” , it is:

)

12

When we speak of
“knowledge” as referring to
“meaning” , it is:
“ ... the arrival of meaning of
not just the subject per se, but
how it relates to whatever
knowledge which we already
possess within our soul.”

)

13

Thus education is said to be
“organic” liken to a living
organism – which pertains to
the growth of our soul.

)

14

Thus education is said to be
“organic” liken to a living
organism – which pertains to the
growth of our soul.
Education is not a mechanical
construct, but it entails nurturing
of something with Life –
educators to be likened as the
gardeners not engineers.
)

15

Actually, (in Islamic education),
when acquiring any pieces of it
(information), you (as students)
should also be learning what its
meaning and significance is, and
how it is to be applied (fixed)
unto what you already possess
thus far – increasing your
growth.
)

16

This can only be possible
when such pieces are given to
you by one who has true
ownership of these, and who
consents to give them to you
and helps you with how you
should understand them, and
to form (or attach) them unto
your own overall worldview.
)

17

Thus, you must also be learning
from the right person, i.e. those
who has ‘seen’ the full - the
completed picture. Only they
are the ones who can rightfully
teach you how you are to make
each pieces to become
meaningful to what you already
possess.
)

18

And the manner or approach
towards making it meaningful
(enlightening), may be seen
from various perspectives
(angles) amongst fellow
students in the same class,
because each student may have
a limited vision of what the
teacher was teaching.
)

19

Thus traditional teachers
often encourage revision – (if
individually, the Malay term
used, that I remember was
“menderas”), or if in group
discussion, as “halaqah”
(study circle).

)

20

Thus traditional teachers
often encourage revision – (if
individually, the Malay term
used, that I remember was
“menderas”), or if in group
discussion, as “halaqah”
(study circle).
Group sharing exercise,
enhances your learning.
)

21

N
RI E)
M
S
TA RCI
E
EX
(

Get into groupings (not more than 8) and do
a brief self-introduction to each other in this
new group.
Discuss briefly – from given notes #1 & #2 - what
has thus far been covered in “Introduction to
Tauheed” - up to the previous lesson “Causes of
wrong thinking”..
1.

Briefly – share - what ‘take-ways*’ you had
noted from the lesson; feedback, comments;
additional “*ah…haa-h s !”.

2.

Prepare a summary (synopsis). Each group to
present a brief RECAP for the class to ease the
continuation of the next lesson.

“Can I get to know
you ? What have
we learnt?”

HALAQAH

You are given only 30 minutes to complete this assignment

RE-CAP PREVIOUS LESSON


RE-CAP PREVIOUS LESSON

All Rights Reserved © Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail. 2012

TO CONTINUE


Criterion of Antithesis
Intellectual perception of all things, material or spiritual, tangible or
intangible, revolves around 3 postulates:

[1] inevitability (WAJIBAH);
When the evidence presents itself convincingly, such that we have to
make a certain conclusion (judgement) and cannot remain neutral or
uncommitted.



[2] possibility (HARUS);
This generally is a position of neutrality, neither an acceptance nor a
categorical rejection, but we remain open. (just like in cases when we
say to it as: "Maybe, maybe not, or perhaps").



[3] impossibility (MUSTAHIL).
In Islam, this third postulate in thinking is termed 'rational impossibility'
or 'absurdity' or 'antithesis‘.


[3] impossibility (MUSTAHIL).
The word 'impossible' may be clear to simplest of people. Here we are
not taking its meaning in the general sense, but rather specific to
thinking process - the ratio. i.e. rationally impossible or absurd, which
our mind cannot even register.
Not the type of ‘impossible’ because it seems uncommon.
But some of the best educated young people fail to differentiate between
these two kinds of impossibilities (common and rational):

NOTE: There are 2 kinds of ‘impossibility’
(a) Rational impossibility, whose existence or non-existence, when
visualised, is unacceptable to the mind (e.g. when we say that “ one ” is
the quarter of "two" and not half of it” , or that “a part of an object is
larger than the object itself” !? )
Or, when a proposition presented which inherently is self-contradictory,
or inconsistent.
Thus, rightfully we have basis to reject such assertion or proposition .

(b) Common impossibility is that which, while not altogether
unacceptable to the mind, does seem so by the force of our habit or to
consider it as such because it it does not occur ordinarily (customarily).
Eventually, however, we learn that it is not the same as rational
impossibility (e.g. like soaring to the sky, talking to people and seeing
things from far corners of the earth or landing on the moon.)
Actually, common impossibility still falls under the category of
possible (HARUS) i.e. it is still not rationally impossible, and we remain
neutral or open towards it – neither to accept yet nor to reject
outright.


The criterion for dismissing a piece of information does not lie in the
fact that it seems improbable and strange, but that it must be
something which produces a mental antithesis * , an obvious
absurdity - something glaringly inconsistent and therefore selfevidently false.
•Antithesis : “Contrast of ideas expressed by parallelism of strongly contrasted
•words; opposition, contrast, direct opposite, or consisting of two opposites,
contradiction, inconsistency to reason. etc. “


Hence if a contention (proposition) produces such antithesis, we
repudiate it, and if it does not, then we should refrain from
repudiating it although we do not as yet believe it.
We need to substantiate with evidence and convincing basis - for both
cases, either of its acceptance or its categorical rejection. Without
which, we hold to an open mind.


Therefore, an educated young man should not forget to differentiate
between these two kinds of impossibilities whenever he engages in an
argument within himself about God, religion, and the Qur'an.


“When a person possesses deep thought,
Then by everything is a lesson taught.”

-Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali (Rahimahullah)


1. Pick up the paper and fall in the dustbin.
2. Both of you stand together separately.
3. Why are you looking at the monkey outside when I am
inside.
4. Will you hang the calendar or else, I will hang myself.
5. I have 2 daughters, both are girls.
6. Give me a blue pen of any colour.
7. The principal is revolving in the corridor.
8. All of you stand in a straight circle.
9. Open the window let the air-force come in.


Surmise (conjecture) cannot be the
same as Truth

"Yet behold, never can surmise (conjecture) take the
place of Truth"
(Q: Najm 53 :28)


same as Truth
From this verse, it stresses exactly the mind's logical process for
establishing a fact or negating it.
In the matter of certitude, there is a great difference between proof
and denial.
Thus we can be absolutely certain about an existence of an object if
such existence is proven scientifically or logically.

same as Truth
But we should not categorically deny the existence of an object or a
piece of information just because there is no proof of it - unless the
visualisation of that object or information produces a mental
antithesis.
•Antithesis : “Contrast of ideas expressed by parallelism of strongly contrasted
•words; opposition, contrast, direct opposite, or consisting of two opposites,
contradiction, inconsistency to reason. etc. “


same as Truth
If, however, the object or information is in the realm of possible,
then we should look at it the way we look at everything that is not
impossible. i.e. neither to accept it unquestionably nor to deny it
categorically.


Limitations of the mind
Another cornerstone of Islamic thought based on principles of the Qur'an
is the distinction made on the between perceptions of the visible and
invisible worlds.
There are two kinds of perceptions:
(1) perception of the true essence of an object, and

(2) perception of the evidence of its existence, although absolute
perception of its essence may not be possible

Limitations of the mind
The human mind can more or less perceive the essence of objects within
a limited scope, the scope of the tangible world. But in the world of the
intangible, it can only deduce the existence of an object from its
attributes or effects. This is an established fact.

This latter kind of perception enables us to ascertain the existence of God
and some of His attributes of perfection through the signs He has given
us, and not because we can perceive His true essence.


Visualization and Conception
Human mind's ability to abstraction (and deduction) enables him to
know the reality of a thing beyond merely the physical perception.

Thus distinction between visualization and conception - is another
cornerstone of Islamic thought, which springs forth from the principles
of the Qur'an.


VISUALIZATION
“ To perceive the object with our senses or the mind's eye by
picturing its essence”
and
CONCEPTION
“Being aware of the existence of an object without the need
to form a mental image of its essence” All Rights Reserved ©Zhulkeflee Hj Ismail.2014

We cannot visualize all things we conceive.

For, we may conceive the existence of an object through its
manifestations, although we may not be able to visualize its form.

The fact that we cannot visualize an object already conceived to exist,
does not justify the claim that it does not exist.


Thus, for example, although we cannot imagine (visualize) that a
paper, if cut in half and then stacked and pieces are each cut in half
again, 45 times and stacked, would make a pile that reach the clouds;
yet we can conceive it (i.e. its possibility) after a simple mathematical
calculation.


Again, if a television set falls in our midst from one of the galaxies,
would it not prove to us the existence of its maker and indicate that,
that ‘being’, is a wise and intelligent scientist?

Yet, despite this knowledge (concerning some of his attributes), we
cannot visualize the essence of that maker because we have not seen
or felt him; we do not know whether he is a human being or a robot.



But would it be logical to deny his existence altogether? .... just because
we cannot visualize his essence, although we did conceive his existence
as well as some of his attributes?


Man's Limitation
Another cornerstone of Islamic thought based on the principles of the
Qur'an is that we are incapable of perceiving the beginnings and ends
of things.

This is a fact. That is the way our minds and senses were created, even
in the material world in which we live in, our limitations are obvious.


Man's Limitation
A sound that is too loud deafens us, and a light that is too bright
blinds us as it blinded Prophet Moses a.s.
Excessive closeness to an object prevents us from seeing it, and so
does excessive remoteness from it.
If this is true of the tangible world, it is much more so of the
intangible world!

TO BE CONTINUED

All welcome to visit my web-blog:

http://an-naseehah.blogspot.com/
http://introductiontotauhid.blogspot.com/
http://oyoubelievers.blogspot.com/
http://al-amthaal.blogspot.com/
http://zhulkeflee-archive.blogspot.com/
http://criteriaforaholybook-quran.blogspot.com/
http://with-the-truthful.blogspot.com/
http ://muqaddam-nurul.blogspot.com/


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(Lesson # 2b)tauheed course-(batch-january-2014)-5-february-2014

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