~aNTaRa AgaMa DaN NeGaRa~

Ok, lets face it for real. Blogging is bloody addictive and self indulgent. I just posted a new entry less than four hours ago, yet, here I am, typing for a new one. Whatever happens to my self proclaimed that I am not an avid blogger? *sigh* Nah, lets shrug it off for a while. As I've promised you reader in the last entry, I would write something about my BTN. To those who had hoped for my crazy experience of BTN (not to mention embaressing as usual), I'm so sorry for I have to crush it now. And to those who wished for a pleasure reading, you may want to skip this entry for what I am going to write next is a serious matter. Nevertheless, I DO hope, you might read this entry somehow.

Ok, tengok tajuk pun dah bunyi macam serius kan? Antara agama dan negara. Well, all my siblings including my sister in laws had warned me prerequisite the BTN that I should do less talking and of course, put down my debating skills for a while. They meant well actually. You see, I am kind of person who loves to talk and at times, debating with others especially when the topics concern my principles and beliefs. Such attitudes, they afraid, might put me in 'danger' as I could be very into the 'discussion' and as usual, it might turn out to be the heated ones! So, being an obedient sister, I had tried my best to remain silent (read: silent here means not to talk more than 5 minutes per speech) and listen more. Well, who knows that less talking would put me in a GREAT DANGER as well!!!! Sob..Sob..Sob..To illustrate the event, here is an excerpt of what had happened. Isunya? 'Antara agama dan negara, mana yang lebih penting?'

N= My facilitator
A= Me

N: Ok, saya setuju dengan pandangan kamu semua ya. Tapi saya ingin mendengar pandangan aziati pulak. Aziati ni pendiam pulak dia yer. (When he said this, I swear I could see all my group members were trying their best to contain themselves. Knowing me, they know the last description that people would label me is 'pendiam') So apa pandangan aziati? Mana yang lebih penting?

A: (Chuckle bits..alamak soalan maut plak dier kasi kt aku) Erm, antara agama dan negara, bagi saya yang lebih penting ialah agama. Agama merupakan satu pegangan yang dapat membentuk pemikiran dan peribadi. Secara ringkasnya, agama saya, Islam, mengajar saya untuk mencintai negara. Ada hadis yang menyatakan 'hubbul watani minal iman' yang bermaksud 'mencintai negara itu sebahagian daripada iman' . Jadi, kerana saya yakin dengan ajaran Islam, saya secara tidak langsung, turut mencintai negara saya. (ok, i knew it was more than 5 mins already)

N: Maksud aziati, kalo kena memilih, aziati akan pilih agama dahulu,bukan negara?

A: yer..cmtu la

N: Ok, cuba aziati fikir, tanpa sebuah negara, dapat tak aziati amalkan ajaran Islam? Dapat tak Islam itu berkembang?

A: Kenapa tidak?

N: Cuba aziati lihat banyak je negara- negara yang ditindas tidak dapat mengamalkan ajaran Islam. Kosovo, Bosnia dan Iraq.Islam kat situ pun tak berkembang langsung. Orang sibuk perang, bunuh umat Islam. Sedangkan Rasulullah S.A.W pun perlu berhijarah ke Madinah untuk mengembangkan Islam. Nampak tak negara yang lebih penting? So, setuju atau tidak jika saya katakan negara lebih penting daripada agama...walaupun kedua-duanya penting.

diam...pada waktu ni all eyes were fixed at me. Deep down inside, I knew some of us disagree, but they remained silence. Even the two people whom I really hoped to help me wont say anything. They were muted. Speechless? I dont know. Afraid that whatever they said might fail them for the BTN? Perhaps so.

A: Maaf tuan, saya kurang bersetuju. Saya tetap rasa agama lebih penting. Jika kita lihat kembali sejarah Islam, ketika Rasulullah berdakwah secara sembunyi di Mekah, umat Islam masih boleh mengamalkan ajaran Islam, walau tidak sepenuhnya dan kesannya, kita dapat lihat bagaimana ajaran Islam itu berkembang sehingga ke Madinah. Perkembangan inilah yang merintis jalan kepada penubuhan negara Islam yang pertama iaitu Madinah. Kerana akidah yang kuat, umat Islam dapat membentuk sebuah negara dan seterusnya mempertahankan dan memakmurkan negara tersebut daripada pelbagai ancaman. Jadi di sini, walaupun tanpa sebuah negara, umat Islam masih dapat mengamalkan ajaran Islam dan Islam terus berkembang walaupun tidak sepesat jika kita memiliki sebuah negara yang aman. Bagi saya, memiliki sebuah negara yang merdeka merupakan satu bonus. Memang benar, di beberapa buah negara yang dilanda peperangan, umat Islam tidak bebas dan ditindas, tapi adakah mereka tidak dapat langsung mengamalkan Islam? Saya rasa tidak. Islam merangkumi semua tatacara hidup. Jadi saya tetap merasakan agama lebih penting dari negara. (of course, i exceeded 5 mins again!)

There I have said it. Loud and clear. I could see that my facilitator was not happy at all with my answers. He even gave me 5 mins to rethink about my decision and yet, I chose to stay with my beliefs. Others might not want to express their disagreement but I thought (and still think) that I have to reveal the truth. Especially, when there were non Muslim amongst the audience. Up to this point, I still uncertain whether my action to speak up my mind is right or not. I remembered one of the Imam Hassan Al-Bana's advices that we muslim should not dispute about our religion and it is wiser to avoid any debate regarding 'furuk (remeh temeh) matters. I know I might fail my BTN and of course, it would be difficult for me to get 'pengesahan jawatan' soon but do I regret it? No, not at all. How about you readers? Would you choose to speak up if u were me? Would you jump at the second chance that he gave you and change your mind about what you said? Something that you want to ponder about. Pen-off.