What do we know about the Truth?

There's a lot of issues that people are bringing up online, and i just finished Fadhilah Wahid's Light upon Light book, but tonight i feel like talking about what i heard my mum say to me earlier this morning which was ringing in my mind a few moments after our short conversation:

M: How strongly do you believe that there is a need for the 4 mazhabs?

K: uh...yeah i believe there's a need.

M: How strongly do you believe?

K: ...uh yeah pretty strongly

M: That time Ustaz (Hasbi) baru explain dengan detailed, dengan buku2 yang sahih, kenapa mazhab itu penting. But i cannot put it in words why exactly. Why did you take long to answer?

K: No i was just wondering why you would ask me smtg like that.

M: I'm just worried that's all.

...

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I should have thanked mum for the concern, but i didn't. Mum has her heart in the right place, she thinks she is on the right path of Truth and she's making sure that i'm safely on it with her. She didn't have to say anth about this matter (she could have just lepas tangan and let me be, which is the easier way of doing things), but she took time to advise me anw and that alone warranted my gratitude and i was dumb to not say thanks to her just now.

But a few thoughts came across my mind, thoughts which have been recurring throughout my years in NUSMS. How are we so sure that the path we're on is the Truth? Mum's teacher explained to her, and since mum doesn't rmb the explanation, it goes to show that she is basing her choice based on her loyalty to Ustaz Hasbi, and not on reason, even though no doubt Ustaz Hasbi is a man of solid credential.

I rmbed also my father used to blame some of my misdeeds on 'salah cikgu' or 'fikir dah pandai', but i know he himself does not base his path of Truth on logical reason, but more of circumstance (ie finding a respectable, credible teacher that says this is the Truth and not actl comprehending the reason behind it yourself). Wouldn't this mean that the Truth would be based solely on circumstance?

Have always wondered what if i was brought up in a Syiah/Salafi/etc household and have learnt from Syiah/Salafi scholars, would i still be convinced that the current Truth i hold on to (one which is upheld in my family) is the Truth?

If i were borned without external influence, would i have found the Truth?

How do we know that the path that we're on now iz really the path of Truth?

Well i guess the answer is pretty short: we won't ever know for sure, but we should try to understand 'Truth matters' in any case. It pains me to see people very staunch in their belief, but not really understanding why they're doing what they're doing. It also pains me to see people (my age) thinking they're really smart and trying to rationalise and conclude on what is the Truth. None of us have a huge cult following or have tested our ideas on a mass public level, and none of us can truly say we have reached an intelligent conclusion on the Truth, unless we base our conclusions based on ulama' or religious authorities who have reached their conclusion of the Truth themselves (ie Mazhabs/ulama'). And so yeah it makes sense for us to follow them even though we might do it blindly.

The thing is, there are Salafi and Syiah scholars around, just like there are Sufi and traditional scholars. This appraisal of the Truth iz ultimately a scholar's debate, and we have no domain in it (though we should try to uds it). Perhaps the main point then is that we should focus on having good character to everyone (esp those who don't share our povs) since that is in everyone's domain you know. And this includes giving thanks to well-intentioned people who advice you out of their own want, even if we are uncomfortable with the advice given.

We may not be muslim scholars, but we certainly can be muslims with good character, and that to me is the biggest Sunnah for us general Muslims to follow.

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Today i killed someone at least 10 levels ahead of me in the Wilderness volcano of Runescape (who attacked me btw hehe), and i got a full set or Rune armour for it. And i killed two PKers and nearly one more bugger who attacked me. And i killed a Dangerous Greater Demon, while killing 2 side Greater Demons with Dragon Breath on the side hahaha. Was a good runescape day.

I also completed more job applications. Hopefully will get a job soon :) everyone else seems to have started working alrd.

Fi amanillah!

Bismillah

Well here goes another attempt at maintaining a blog. A few reasons why i'd like to make this blog though:

1) Iz a good place to reflect and i think i need that man - don't wanna go through the paces in life and miss the important moments. Perhaps this can be a place for me to look back over time and see what a noob/douche bag i was or just simply to see my own transition in life (for better or for worse)

2) So many people have views of social media of many issues. Thiz blog can be a place for me to record my views on certain issues and see how it changes over time (see above)

3) Am getting bored with other stuff online :(

4) Place for me to rant i guess. But will try to keep it honest.

I think i'll try to write about just one topic for every post so this doesn't turn into a sad emo teenage blog. Your boi here iz (trying to be) better than that.


TOPIC ONE: Reflections.

I was reading this brilliant book by Fadhilah Wahid called Light Upon Light, which is essentially a pile of letters she wrote as reminders and learning points for herself (and the readers lah kan) and it's like a blog lah in other words. I read this story about how she was listening to this online lecture from Shaykh Hamzah Yusof abt Heedlessness and how she was reading this other book by another person about practising intent and she decided (since it was the new year when she received this epiphany) that she was gonna keep a diary to reflect on her life everyday.

Heedlessness as SHY defined it is the lack of attentiveness towards life itself. Reflection is a great way for one to pay attention to thought processes, emotions, reactions, problems and really allows one to "pull further and further away to see the bigger picture" (quoted from her) of life. I think its great man. Esp when you reflect on raw, honest feelings, and if you're writing from an emotional pov then even better, cause you'll see how you act/react with all the emotions going on in your head.

Reflections are great as a marker for personal development. If you feel comfortable with sharing these reflections (and if you're a good writer HAHA) i guess you can even inspire by sharing with others and even write an award winning book with it haha.

I don't want to miss one thing and perhaps in the future i'll look back on this evening and see this blog of Reflections as a step forward in my own journey of life inshaaAllah.

Will try to write at least once a night, as short and sweet as posssible :). Fi amanillah!