Which Best Education?

So I can say that I am the best product of conventional education. Started from conventional kindergarten, government elementary school, government junior high school, government senior high school, and ended up by graduated from Institute Technology Bandung - I assume this is the best university in Indonesia.

And I still hoping when my salary is transferred in the starting month. From that, I earn only my nuclear family.

Not to be defying the current condition, but I should have to do much more than this. There are many people need job, need help, need enlightment. And I suppose to give part of it, as much as I can.

So there should be something wrong with our education. There should be some parts is need to be taught, and some parts is not need to be taught.

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Based on it, me and my wife decided for our daughter not to school at government school -although I myself have some hope in the new Education Minister, Nadiem Makarim. Our daughter school named Kuttab Al Fatih. They said, they copied the education system from the humanity best ever generation, which is Rasulullah saw and his sahabat (can i translate this as 'his best friends'?). And at that time we are kind of amazed, because we saw some of their student have good attitude, which we never saw before.

My wife, started and excited by their education, and still like that until now. While me, keeps questioning and searching. Because at that time, Rasulullah saw started at age 40 as prophet, and died at age 63. It is 23 years. That is included war between muslim and musyrik. It produced the best ever generation in humanity history.

(I had a peaceful and government standard education from age 5 to 22, which is 17 years, and still not resulting something significant for humanity.

Or should we have a war first?)

The strange thing about that school, although they said that they referred to that generation, actually they referred to generation after that. Regardless that the generation really after that is still the best, but there are things which is not copied from Rasulullah saw. And this is where my doubts came from. Because Rasulullah saw, never educate the children from age 5, with peaceful conditon, and Islam has perfected.

So my daughter school is not a warranty also, to be a really useful person. Maybe to see the result of the education will not happened in a generation -they excused.

Understanding to be a Moslem

How do I understand to be a Moslem is how do I care about myself, ONLY. How do I care about get 'points' as much as possible to prepare the afterlife.

The problem is, the afterlife is far more veeeery loong than the life itself. Meanwhile, the chance to get the points is only while I am alive, and no one knows when the life will ends. Tricky things to make me always being reminded of life may ends at any time, so no time to not getting the points.

I always make an example of I am on the way to, say, Disneyland. There will be tonnes of happiness, for, say, 3 days for free. But the road is got into heavy traffic jam. No one knows when the traffic is lasts. It can be 1 hour. Or it can be 6 hour.
And the road always have its signs. No taking emergency lanes. No overtaking. No honking maybe. Wearing seatbelt. Etc.

Because there are no other way, I have to go into that way, and I have to obey the whatever the signs tell me to.
And there are many junctions, and there are many fake road signs. Quran, can be said as the road map. It should be learned with expert, to get the real clue of true direction. If I succeed to obey, I will get into the Disneyland. If I am not succeed, I will NOT get into the tonnes of happiness, and get me nowhere.

So, the trick is how I maintain the belief of obeying the signs while I am in the road, will take me to the Disneyland.

And... that is not that easy... 😥

I am not always done what I have know, because I do not always believe some things. Believing some thing that is not proven yet is kind of hard. But I will get the reward, for ONLY what I believe. Even, I will get into heaven, ONLY with that believe.

And the heaven, is beyond my wildest imagination of whatever makes me happy. And it is for ever.

Only with believing.

After all, that is not that hard and will not be that bad, to be a Moslem.

I will not find the happiness if I looking for it in this life.
But happiness in this life will come after me if I try to be a good Moslem. And happiness in the afterlife. For bonus. Very out of mind bonus.

Understanding to be a Moslem

How do I understand to be a Moslem is how do I care about myself, ONLY. How do I care about get 'points' as much as possible to prepare the afterlife.

The problem is, the afterlife is far more veeeery loong than the life itself. Meanwhile, the chance to get the points is only while I am alive, and no one knows when the life will ends. Tricky things to make me always being reminded of life may ends at any time, so no time to not getting the points.

I always make an example of I am on the way to, say, Disneyland. There will be tonnes of happiness, for, say, 3 days for free. But the road is got into heavy traffic jam. No one knows when the traffic is lasts. It can be 1 hour. Or it can be 6 hour.
And the road always have its signs. No taking emergency lanes. No overtaking. No honking maybe. Wearing seatbelt. Etc.

Because there are no other way, I have to go into that way, and I have to obey the whatever the signs tell me to. If I succeed to obey, I will get into the Disneyland. If I am not succeed, I will NOT get into the tonnes of happiness.

So, the trick is how I maintain the belief of obeying the signs while I am in the road, will take me to the Disneyland.

And... that is not that easy... 😥

I am not always done what I have know, because I do not always believe some things. Believing some thing that is not proven yet is kind of hard. But I will get the reward, for ONLY what I believe. Even, I will get into heaven, ONLY with that believe.

And the heaven, is beyond my wildest imagination of whatever makes me happy. And it is for ever.

Only with believing.

After all, that is not that hard and will not be that bad, to be a Moslem.

I will not find the happiness if I looking for it in this life.
But happiness in this life will come after me if I try to be a good Moslem. And happiness in the afterlife. For bonus. Very out of mind bonus.

Works for...

So I have made up my mind, about whom I have to work for?
For me or for other people? Should I have to own my business enterprise or should I join a running company?

First of all, work is one of ikhtiar. And as I know, ikhtiar is thing that I have to do, because it is a must. Quite simple. And it does not relate with the rizqi, that had been determined 50,000 years before the world is creates. And this is quite hard to be accepted sometimes. Because, that two statement conclude that I can do any kind of ikhtiar, and I will still get the rizqi that had determined for me. Literally anything. Practically......fills in the blank......

That is quite challenging for iman. My brother had resigned has jobs as an auditor in banks, and he had a fine life, really fine. Then he decided to resign of that ribawi jobs. And he open laundry home business and car buying & selling. Then his wife is starting to have growing cancer. And his life has start to downgraded, if I see. I won't judging and I just pray for him, and whatever our condition now, it must be the best condition that Allah determined for us. The Ar Rahman and Ar Rahim is deeply knows what we are needed in very accurate timing. That is challenging.

So, now I had joined in a running company (was) as mechanical engineer. That was qualified by my ITB education certificate. I have been working for around 10 years. I applied my knowledge of mechanical engineer about...3 months, for probation only. Since then, only administration, coordination, formal matter, and good communication. Good communication is tend to be having dinner with colleagues, playing tennis, having chit chat of how easy working at another departments, and another wasting-time activities. And I still get monthly payment, and bonus, and THR. And worker union is still have negotiation every year to increase salary -for our not very increasing performance-. While inflation is theoritetically happened because our activities of taking loan from banks, to have not really needed things. By syllogism, worker union is struggle for not really needed things. I wonder myself now.

But the thing is, I will not have my position now without my ITB education certificate. Also means that the company will not be running without my qualification. Or another person qualification. And that mean also there will be no worker union.
So, by joining the running company as qualified by education certificate, I will enable 1500 people to have their rizqi. And if that 1500 people is spend their money for not really needed things, I should not aware of it...sometimes.

Comparing to have my own business...which I do not have now, I imagined that it should starts from very bottom, of having nothing. Includes not having the education certificate. Of course, it will not produce anything. It will be very nothing for me, and my family, because I am their rizqi door. They have their own rizqi, but I am the door. And how long it takes to produce something, at least for my little family? 1 week, 1 month, 1 year,  10 years? How long it takes for me to open the rizqi door as wide as possible? I can not imagine, that I will have no time for 'good communication' as I have now. I will be the boss for me. There will be no one to yell at me of doing terrible mistakes. But there will be leaving customer, wishy washy customer, and other abstract customer. That is challenging.

I am not seeing why I have to leave this jobs now, in terms of having own business. While my wife is also not having the entrepreneur skills and mental. And alhamdulillah we can supports some of our family. I mean by visiting them, not financially supporting.

It is challenging that having own business will be more financially supporting for other family and not family. But do not forget that by working in running company, I also financially supporting another employees, although yet through company's hands...

Imagine if there is parallel world. Me joining the running company, and me having own business enterprise, in a same age.

I being employee:
I have salary 3 times gov standard salary. And I enable hundreds employees have standard salary, another hundreds have 2 times standard, another have 4, 5, 10 times, even more. It can sustains for at least 5 years further. It is warrantied I get some money more if I get fired or the company is bankrupt.

I have my own business:
I have 20 times standard earning, and I have my own employees of 20 people. A paid them on standard gov salary. No one warranty the sustainable.

So, it is challenging I said for now.

I think that no matter what choice I take, as I have it with faith to Allah, do what I have to do, not breaking any law, the result will be same. Some ustadz and ulama has define some rizqi door key. It does not depend on whether we as an employee or we as a boss (but customers is kings).

How Mighty Allah Is

Referring to the previous earthquake in Palu, may Allah give His rahman and rahim to our brothers and sisters, which is 7.4 magnitude, there is some empirical formula to know how much energy is released.

log E=5.24+1.44M

I inputted 7.4 as M, and got 7.87X10^15 Joule. Can you imagine that enormous energy?

That earthquake cause tsunami, and kill more than 831 people until now and still rising. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi roojiun. One liter of water weigh one kilogram. The earthquake releasing the energy and causing the sea water to flow to the land. I really have no idea how much sea water was flowing into. And how that energy flow is generated in one blow. But I know for sure, who did that.

Ulama said that the death is coming suddenly. I think, it doesn't matter how we die. But it always matter what we have prepared for this sudden death. Tricky thing, we will never know the result of our preparation. We may have done all the good things in our life, and we think that we have well-prepared. Or we may have done all the bad things in our life, and we think we have no preparation. None of us know precisely the result. We will know after the chance is closed, and there is no turning way.

Let us have positive thinking. Allah did that, for the victim (Allahumaghfirlahu warhamhu wa'afihi wa'fuanhu) is indeed their ajjal, no matter they were good people, or bad people. I don't think that it is azab. For people who know that natural phenomena, is a reminder, that death will come to you anywhere anytime without prior notice. For me, which is still able to write this, is still having time to to taubat, making more preparation, in case of my previous preparation is missing. Who knows? And really, no one will ever have the power like that but Allah. So I am happy that I am worshiping the mightiest one, the rightest one. But this faith, unfortunately, coming up and down without any exact cause. One time you remember, other time you forget, and Allah gives an earthquake, and you remember again. There is no warranty tomorrow you still remember. Or still alive.

Once we have faith in Islam, do all the syariat, there will be peace in our life. And we are taught to be sure that we will harvesting all of our good deeds when we were in dunya. So, peace in dunya, happily ever after in akhirat, insya Allah.

And by the way, is there someone who has figured out what makes the tectonic plate moves? Are we able somehow, sometimes, somewhere, to extract that energy?

Dunia bagi Seorang Muslim

So, I've seen the words of hadith today, said that, world is like dead body, which is only a dog that chase it.

And I thought instantly, it would never been me.

Was I?
Am I?
Will I?

What is World? Why would i chase it?

There is nothing in this world that Money can't buy. Then let's substitute the World with Money.

What is Money? Why would I chase it?

I need money for living my life. But I won't chase it. Then let's substitute the word chase with need.

Why would I need money? Is there any needs besides living the life?

I need money for living my family. Buying food, clothes, place of life, transport, communication, recreation. That is life balance. I need comfortable place of life, transport, gapless communication, soothing experiences of recreation to have more productive life.

So I am making worldly reason for how I need the money. These reasons is somehow has engraved in my subconscious mind. If I say I am not needing those, there always be someone saying (reminding) that I need that.

I do not need house.
   Really? So where your family have a shelter?
Ok. I will rent one.
   Are you ready to pay to the landlord every month for the entire of your life?
Ok. I will buy the cheapest one.
   And how your children will get the good rest in the small house? What if your family come along?
Ok. I will have the medium one.
   Will you not having a carport?
   Do you think a wifi router seems a good option for cheap internet connection?
   Also a car will save us from complicated public transportation.
   The childs is needing the good school, but its distances is required dedicated vehicle with four wheels.
...and other worldly bloody-logical-considerations of how I tragically need the money to compensate.

Actually there will not be any religious reward for having any worldly accomplishment. Religious reward is (should be) the target in every seconds of our life. It should be in behind of each consideration in my life. I must looking for how I get religious reward in each rupiahs i spent.

Afterlife is something which is infinite. There will be nothing in this world that can buy afterlife. Allah has made it so clear about what is required to get inside His Heaven.

But still, I am making excuse for ignoring the requirements. Meanwhile He said that I will find happiness ONLY if I struggle for the afterlife. That's what is the OEM said in the manual book. How can I still doubt the manual book from OEM?

And really, how can I still chasing the world?

(After)life Gambling

Kadang saya merasa kurang beruntung hidup di masa setelah Rasulullah tidak ada, kecuali hanya ditinggalkan Al Quran dan Hadits nya. Padahal pada saat kiamat nanti umat Rasulullah akan terpecah menjadi 73 golongan, dan hanya satu saja yang masuk surga.

Masalahnya adalah, kita bisa tahu satu golongan itu, setelah kita meninggalkan dunia ini, tempat kita diuji selama rata-rata 70 tahun, dan kita tidak akan pernah bisa minta ujian ulang. Kita harus 'gambling' untuk mencari, meyakini, dan mengikuti satu golongan yang paling kita anggap benar, dan kita anggap sebagai satu golongan yang akan masuk surga.

Mencari.

Sejak lahir kita sudah dalam keadaan Islam, kecuali orangtua kita memutuskan yang lain. Berarti sudah aman satu masalah, yang penting sudah syahadat dulu. Kemudian kita harus mencari 1 diantara 73, yang minimal baru bisa kita lakukan setelah umur balig. Itupun kalau ada niatan untuk mencari. Mencari artinya harus belajar dari berbagai referensi dari seluruh waktu mulai dari zaman Rasulullah sampai sekarang (sejarah), berbagai versi, berbagai belahan dunia, menurut subjektivitasnya masing-masing. Apakah waktu kita cukup? Atau kita sedang sibuk mencari uang untuk mencicil rumah yang sedang kita tinggali?

Meyakini.

Sebagian besar dari kita sudah memutuskan mana yang benar tanpa ada proses pencarian dulu. Mengikuti apa yang orangtua dan lingkungan kita ikuti. Ikuti mana yang banyak, supaya tidak berat. Tapi kelihatannya 1 golongan dari 73 golongan menjalani hidup mereka dengan sangat berat karena melawan arus yang sedemikian besar. Meyakini adalah memperjuangkan. Kita menganggap diri kita benar. ISIS juga menganggap mereka benar. Besar manakah keyakinan kita dengan keyakinan ISIS? Apakah kita melakukan perjuangan segigih ISIS? Hidup mulia atau mati syahid? Menghancurkan negara orang lain, membunuh yang tidak sepaham dengan mereka, menantang negara-negara adidaya, dan lain nya.

Mengikuti.

Mempertahankan keyakinan adalah suatu hal yang jauh lebih sulit untuk dilakukan. Terlebih apabila keyakinan itu didapat tanpa adanya proses pencarian pribadi, dan didapatkan secara instan. Ketika ada referensi baru yang lain, maka bisa saja keyakinannya berpindah. Apabila kita mencari referensi secara menyeluruh, tentunya tidak akan ada referensi lain yang baru kita ketahui. Dan akan lebih mudah untuk mempelajari referensi yang baru muncul, karena bisa dibandingkan dengan referensi yang sudah kita ketahui sebelumnya.

Secara pribadi, saya tidak menyalahkan paham Salafisme, yang mengatakan bahwa kehidupan ideal adalah kehidupan di masa Rasulullah di Madinah. Sehingga kehidupan kita saat ini sedapat mungkin disamakan dengan kehidupan tersebut. Dengan demikian kita terhindar dari berbagai macam bid'ah.

Pun juga dengan paham Wahabisme. Mereka menghancurkan (dan tidak merawat) beberapa situs peninggalan bersejarah, seperti tempat lahir Rasulullah, makam para istrinya, dan situs-situs lainnya. Hal ini dilakukan supaya umat Islam tidak terjebak menyembah situs tersebut. Cukup logis, karena Islam adalah mengenai pola pikir yang kemudian membentuk cara hidup. Hal inilah yang menjelaskan mengapa Islam bisa tumbuh lagi setelah beberapa kali dihancurkan tanpa sisa di masa lalu.

Namun demikian, Islam akan mencapai masa jayanya sekali lagi dengan menguasai dunia, paling tidak sekali sebelum kiamat. Menguasai dunia artinya mengalahkan kekuatan-kekuatan yang ada saat ini. Padahal saat ini bahkan menyamai pun tidak.

Mesin uap (yang kita tahu) ditemukan oleh James Watt. Padahal ratusan tahun sebelumnya, mesin uap sudah digunakan di jaman dinasti Abbasiyah, untuk memanggang kambing supaya merata pada pesta-pesta perayaan. Namun alat pemanggang ini tidak berkembang seperti halnya mesin uap yang ditemukan James Watt. Di Inggris mesin uap ini digunakan untuk mempercepat pengangkutan kayu dari hutan ke pasar. Siapa lambat dia akan kalah dalam persaingan. Dengan demikian mesin uap semakin disempurnakan. Yang pada akhirnya muncul Revolusi Industri. Adanya revolusi ini memerlukan sumber daya energi, yaitu minyak, yang banyak terdapat di bawah tanah yang diduduki kaum muslim. Maka kaum muslim hanya perlu menjual apa yang tidak mereka buat, untuk membeli apa yang mereka inginkan. Mereka hanya memperkaya diri mereka sendiri, tapi tidak akan mengembangkan lingkungan mereka pada khususnya, dan Islam pada umumnya. Bagaimana kita bisa mengalahkan mereka apabila kita masih membeli pada mereka? Memang Raja Salman pernah mengembargo minyak pada Amerika, yang memang menimbulkan efek yang menghancurkan. Dan juga berefek pada Arab sendiri, karena mereka masih membeli dari Amerika.

Jadi, apabila ada mesin waktu, saya akan kembali ke, masa Rasulullah. Saya tinggal mengikuti apa yang Rasulullah perintahkan tanpa perlu 'gambling'. Saya tidak perlu 'gambling' mencari, meyakini, dan mengikuti satu golongan yang melawan arus 73 golongan lainnya, tapi yang paling unggul dan mencapai kejayaannya, mengalahkan semua kekuatan di dunia.

Rabbana, berilah petunjuk bagi kami jalan yang benar... Amiin..