Sunday, February 20, 2011

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)

9 comments:

Mohamad Nazrul Fazli bin Abdul Mutalib said...

perfect and thumbs up.. i kind of agree with dr waleed opinion, we can work at the premise (e.g gracies at rit) but not to serve the pork, alcoholic beverages or something related with those i mention above. nani n rizi had asked me about this before, and i gave the situation when somebody work at the supermarket (giant,tesco, etc). these supermarkets for sure sell non halal food and beverages.since those haram food are not primary items sold at the supermarkets, so muslim can work there. but to work there as a cashier, i dont think we can because we have to deal with buyers who buy beer,pork or whatsoever haram food (based on hadith you mention in this post"God’s curse falls on ten groups of people who DEAL with alcohol").. like in our situation at rit, we can work at gracies as long as we ain't working as a food server. may be we can work there as custodian..wallahua'lam.just my humble opinion..btw, congratz to all of you who are very concern about this matter.may Allah forgive all of us, whatever wrongdoing we committed before..:)

P/S: betul dah paan hadith tu. insya Allah x de silap..:)

siputsedut said...

well written..well elaborated..bangga dpt kwan mcm korang, be able to quit from that job for Allah's blessing, Alhamdulillah. inshaAllah, you'll get a better job next time. rezeki Allah itu bertebaran di muka bumi ni, bergantung kepada si pencari untuk mencari yang halal dan diredhaiNya..

Unknown said...

finally,the real post came out.after several drafts,ait?
we learnt a lot actually from this experience. i mean instead of being taksub from one's opinion,we did research and are able to justify the information.the second hadith from bukhari and muslim really touched my heart.yg halal tu nyata dan yg haram nyata,apa2 yg di antaranya termasuk dlm syubhah.dan perkara syubhah tak akan termasuk dlm halal.

Rasulullah Sallallahu 'alaihi Wasallam pernah bersabda yang bermaksud: "Mencari yang halal adalah wajib atas setiap Muslim" (H.R. Thabrani dan Dailami)

so,One should safeguard himself against issue that are on the borderline between Halal and Haram (Mushtabahat)

great one.
thanks for joining in our little but meaningful revolution.proud of you my friend.

FaRHaN SyAHiR said...

thanks for all of you. Without you guys as the one that came out without this matter first, I dont think I will realize how serious this matter is.

yun: I do thinks custo is a better, permissible job. Do appreciate it before you lose it...:)

Wanie: amin... btol2 rezeki ade dimana2...keberkatan itu lebih utama.

Bha: I really should thank to you who pioneered this "small revolution". Hehe.

Fatin Inani said...

paan.. so matured.. well written ! wow wow wow

p/s: aku penat tgk status kau yg selalu kena hack, lepasnie log off la tau hahahah

riziaq said...

"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 did the same!!

Oh Allah, forgive us for all the wrongdoings and the ignorants we did without realize.

Well-written :)

FaRHaN SyAHiR said...

Nani: thanks...hahaha

Iji: well, every human made mistakes...

Ridzuan Ariffin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ridzuan Ariffin said...

Sila check website nie:

Jawapan daripada Ustaz Nor Amin:

http://www.ustaznoramin.com/2010/11/hukum-bekerja-di-restoran-tidak-halal.html

Rasulullah s.a.w once said:
"Until when no Alim is left, people will take the ignorant as their teachers. They will be questioned and they reply without knowledge. They're themselves misguided, and they also misguide others"