By: Nur Shahirah binti Omar "Are you going to take an Islamic course? Seriously! What are you going to work then?" These are some of the disrespectful stereotypes that we always heard in this new pace century. It is like there is no hope and light will be shine for those who take Islamic courses. Life is not just about what we eat, how much we earn, and what program we take. It is more than that. Let us swim into the journey of 3 meaningful experiences from Malaysians who take Islamic courses in the different land full of blessings. Yamen: the city of a thousand saints Maybe some of us were unfamiliar with this country as not many students accomplish their studies there. What I feel expressing about Yamen is the beauty of the way they practice their Deen. It was bizarre. Fari'ah is one of the students who's taking Shariah in Darul Faqih, Tareem, Hadramawt. She felt so blessed to study there because of the ambiance that keeps her feel tranquil and peaceful. Firstly, Tareem women are prohibited to wear colorful clothes except for black. They wear burqa' (a veil that covers a woman's face except for eyes) as their daily basic attire. Shockingly, there will be people who dress up until the shape of their hands and eyes are invisible. We may feel intense about this, but this is how women protect themselves and it is a symbol of modesty and politeness. Secondly, they have a forbidden time to hang out where it starts after Zuhr prayer until Asr. There will be no shops open at that time and it is rarely to see people on the street. Commonly, they are undergoing a teaching session at that time. Thirdly, they separate men and women in almost all activities although in an event such as wedding. Apart from that, Fari'ah felt thrilled because she got an opportunity to meet many pious and saints as Yeman is a gathering place for these people since ancient times. She still remembered a time where she managed to go to Zanbal (Cemetery for Allah's prophet and saint). It is said that there are more than 10 000 denominators there. To conclude, she stresses that wherever we are destined to seek knowledge, try to sincere our intention for Allah's mercy. "Here I learned that the knowledge is not only sustained in a book but our heart. That is why our examination never has dateline and we have been educated to appreciate knowledge every time". Jordan: the sophisticated desert Two years ago, Izzati Isa became the Sharia Usuluddin student of University Al-Albayt, Jordan. As she was pacing back and forth about her journey, it was hard at first. Trying to blend in with a new culture, a new environment, yet adapting to understand the local's slang. Fortunately, as Jordanian slang is quite similar to the Fusha Arabic (modern standard Arabic), she distinctly got away with it. By all means, this country is known to have a high living cost. Just imagine 1 Jod = RM6. Thus, this requires a lot of money to study there as she is not one of the sponsored students. However, she believes that Allah must just in His plans and will shower her with an abundance of sustenance soon. When I asked her what was special about Jordan, she mentioned two things. First, the education and examination system are more systematic than any other Arab country. Therefore, the timetable for every class was arranged accordingly. For example, if they have an Arabic subject on Sunday, the next class will be on Tuesday and Thursday as they have a day gap. Next, the way they celebrate Ramadan most likely to has a lively atmosphere. How they celebrate Ramadan is the same as we celebrate Hari Raya here. The most fascinating thing is that they will overflow with a month of Free-of-Food as almost every day, they will be sponsored for Iftar. Frankly, Izzati Isa reminded herself that she must strive and put in the best effort for her study. "Get involved with any association to build soft skills as an added value because for me academic is primary, but the association is not secondary. Lastly, "We must portray the best version of ourselves because everyone will guesstimate us to know everything about the law and regulation of Islam". Egypt: land that holds the arrow
Egypt is not much different from Jordan. It may seem distant in terms of cost of living and culture. But here, Siti mentioned that staying in Egypt needs a full package of patience that can only be bought with the price of Iman. We all know that Al-Azhar University is the center of the scholar's birth. That is why they called it the land that holds the arrow. Siti realized that she must grab all the knowledge while facing the tug of war of her good conscience to deal with Arabs. Sometimes, it triggered her patience and she remembers how they need to face the unstructured education system. Nevertheless, she asked herself to stay strong and focus on what she wants in her life. The most important weapon for a mu'min is dua. Keep your prayers wherever you are because "I know that I may be asking for a drop but Allah is writing for me an entire ocean".
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