OLD il-bloop !

I read with great interest the latest post by Ms. Arietheile about Usrahs and also the post made by her friend that led to her writing her post. I’ve also read through the long discussion that followed her friend’s post. Well, not really. I just read half of all the entries. If I were to spend all my time on reading comments to blog postings, I wouldn’t have much of a life left.

Anyway, interesting debate actually. Usrah. Both proponents and opponents ( “the darkside”, why would anyone want to consider themselves affliated to that? Unless you’re sith of course. Kekeke) seem to have had a field day in giving their opinions on the matter. I won’t be commenting on it, however, since:

• I don’t have enough Usrah experience to claim to be a product of the usrah methodology (and please don’t get angry at the use of the term ‘product’, it doesn’t mean that people who follow usrahs are manufactured automatons. Its just the proper word to use here)
• I try to avoid debates. As Yusuf Estes would say, “Debates generate a lot of heat. But not a lot of light.” Also the fact that I’m not a very good debater (My record speaks for itself. Every debate competition I entered, I get booted out by the first round)

Anyway (love this word, should get myself a thesaurus), with “Keunggulan Cinta” blaring out of my brother’s phone in the background, I’d like to share what al-Hujjat ul-Islam wrote in his book, Al Amr bi al Ma'ruf wa al Nahi, an al Munkar. He wrote : "A person commanding the common good and forbidding that which is evil and undesirable should show compassion, sympathy, wisdom, and knowledge." He related to us the tale of a man who came to the Abbasid Caliph al-Ma’mun, and started to lecture to him about vice and virtue. The following is what happened:

a man who came upon al Ma'mun, the prominent 'Abbasi caliph, and started to "counsel" him about vice and virtue in a rough and crude manner with no consideration for his status.

Al Ma'mun, who had a good knowledge of fiqh, addressed the man: "Speak more kindly. Remember that Allah has sent someone better than you to a ruler worse than me, and commanded the former to speak mildly; he has sent Musa and Harun, who were better than you, to Pharaoh, who was worse than me, and commanded them:

'Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds, but speak to him mildly. Perchance he may take warning or fear [Allah]'.

Allah knows best.