Doubtful

I was asked to give some reminder during the Usrah session which supposedly held last night. However, as MySA handled meeting and Yasin recitation, the Usrah might be postponed I guess. As I already prepared the thing to say, I think it is better to share it here. However this post will includes the situation that happen to me, which I planned to not saying it during the Usrah session.

Back in the high school, I learned Islamic Jurisprudence Study. In my own word, I define this study as a study basically on how the rule and regulation of Islam be made. I learned about 4 guidance to determine a law in Islam which is Al-Quran, As-Sunnah, Qiyas, and Ijma'. This topic was among the one that I like the most.

If you remembered I said that I quit my job because of the religious concern is it. I worked at the dining hall that served a non-halal food, which include pork. After working for a while, I read a post on a friend's blog whether we are permissible to work with that thing. I search through the internet and found related post, but almost all of it talk about alcohol. Alcohol is strictly haram in Islam, as reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

"God’s curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distills it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who drinks it, the one who transports it, the one to who it has been brought, the one whom serves it, the one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it, the one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else."

Al Tarmizi

Then I remembered about Qiyas that I learned back in the high school. It basically comparing two things, between one that is certain it's hukum with the other based on their similarities. I compared alcohol and porks, with the facts that both of them were haram to be eat by Muslim (I do want to find whether I can works with porks or not, which the hukum is not certain by Quran and Hadith).  So, after that, I felt something is not right. However, honestly said, I am afraid to search for the truth, because I am afraid if the truth is it was not permissible to work with those haram foods, I had to quit my job. I told several friends about this, which several of them work at the same place with me. I raised this question in a car during one of the roadtrips, and one of the people inside told me about this hadith.

Narrated An-Nu`man bin Bashir: I heard Muhammad PBUH saying, 'Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.

Bukhari and Muslim

From this hadith, it says that there are halal and haram things that are definite, and in between them was a doubtful. It was mentioned that someone that preserved him/herself from those doubtful things preserves his religion and honor. The hadith also warned us, with an analogy of a king. A king must have his private site ( a site which everyone can't enter). Allah also have it's private site (on the earth), which is the forbidden things. In this hadith it was mentioned whoever involves with the suspicious things is like a sherped with his animal near the forbidden area. This shepherd can't control its animal for not entering the forbidden area once they reaching near it. The shepherd here pictures that how hard for a person to avoid the haram thing (Private site) once you are near it (doing the doubtful thing).

After a while, I still continue to works at the dining hall, accompanied by this thing around my head. Luckily, one of my friend make a move, and ask around about this thing. We were attending a seminar in New Jersey, and she ask one of the speakers, Dr Waleed. Based on what I heard, Dr Waleed said we can works on other department that are not related to pork (i.e: beverages and salad). However, I remembered when I first apply for the job, the supervisor ask me whether it is ok or not for me to handle the meat. I answered yes as long as I wore a glove. I never thought about the hukum of halal and haram at that time. I also had a chance to have a conversation with Dr Waleed, he then left me with a hadith. Hadhrat Ubaidullah Ibn Muhsin (radiallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:

“He among you who arises in the morning with Imaan, health and sufficient food for that day, should consider himself as being in possession of the whole world.”

(Tirmizi)

At this point, I set my mind to quit the job. I felt bad to prioritize money instead of Allah blessing.  Alhamdullilah, I already quit the job about 3 days ago. I will looking for a better, permissible income, InsyaAllah.  

 Before end this long post ( the longest I ever made), I want to share with you something to be ponder on. It is one of the verses in Al-Quran, which made my whole body hair raised when hearing it, literally. Yes it is! It was when I joined ESQ 165 leadership training a year ago. It was from surah Al-Anbiyaa', verse 30.

Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted them? And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?

The malay translation  of it, (give a more impact for me if reading this in Malays)

Dan tidakkah orang-orang kafir itu memikirkan dan mempercayai bahawa sesungguhnya langit dan bumi itu pada asal mulanya bercantum (sebagai benda yang satu), lalu Kami pisahkan antara keduanya? Dan Kami jadikan dari air, tiap-tiap benda yang hidup? Maka mengapa mereka tidak mahu beriman? (Surah 21:30)