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Di Bawoh Rang Ikang Kering
Random Ramblings of A Retired Retainer

MUSLIMS & MUKMINS

Monday, November 29, 2004


I usually do not blog about religions or politics since I do not have the credentials or enough knowledge in both the subjects. Recent events in my daily living in an apartment prompted this exception. Please bear with me. Indulge me.

The question of what or rather who is a Muslim and who is a mukmin dogged me for the last few days.

Last week, I read a blog condemning Muslim preachers who condemned non-Muslims even though Islam teaches tolerance and warmness towards those of not the same faith. Someone commented that there is a difference between a Muslim and a mukmin.

While enjoying the ride to Ipoh, my college mate, who was driving, asked me the difference between a Muslim and mukmin. My friend does not even know what a blog is. I guessed my answer did not register because after a nice dinner at his club, the Royal Perak Golf Club, he again asked me the same question. I told him (again) that anyone who mengucap the shahadat is a Muslim. A new born baby will be deemed to be a Muslim when his father (or the closest male relative) bang or qamat as soon as possible. A lot are born Muslim and some became Muslims. All are supposed to strive towards becoming a mukmin by learning and living the religion. Then when I got home to my pc and my Quran software, I searched the Quran for the definition of a mukmin and was pointed to Surah Al-Baiyina, verse 7. The translation goes like this:

"Those who have faith and do righteous deeds; they are the best of creatures."

So, I surmised that mukmins are the best of creatures according to that verse. As I understood it, there are two main relationships in Islam. There is hablum minallah, your relation with Allah and hablum minannas, your relation with your fellow human beings which encompasses other creatures and creations. A mukmin is a Muslim who does his very best in both. You think you are pleasing Allah by praying until you wear out your floor or your forehead but it will come to nought if you hate or get hated by your fellow human beings.

Let me give you a few examples of Muslims who still have to reach mukmin status. You might have lots of other examples but let me get these off my chest:

  1. The persons that blocked my paid parking lot in my apartment effectively preventing me from going anywhere with my car.
  2. The persons that blocked my paid parking lot in my apartment effectively preventing me from going in to park my car in heavy rain.
  3. The persons that PARKED in my paid parking lot in spite of knowing that it is not a public parking lot.
  4. The persons that left their plastic bags of rubbish inside the lifts.
  5. My upstairs neighbours who banged on the lesong every sahur time during Ramadhan.

I am not praying for more Muslims although I would be very happy to have more grandchildren. (Didi & Nizam, the message is brought to you by Hints-R-Us). But I am praying for more mukmins and more caring Malaysians. Our Maktab Perguruan Bahasa college mate and student leader, the Hon. Dato' Seri Utama Di Raja Rais Yatim is going to start a campaign to get rid of Ugly Malaysians out of our everyday life. Thank you Dato'. I will be surely rooting for you. In the mean time, I have to put up with the inconvenience of chaining up my parking lot and maybe next Ramadhan I will give my upstairs neighbours a few bottles of Kimball Sambal Asli so they can give their lesong a rest while they strive to be good mukmins.I am trying too. Amin!

| 12:01 PM :: ::
22 CommentsOldStyle:

  • Many get confuse about being a Mukmin. Have to agree Pok Ku, your Mukmin's definition is correct in my point of view. I don't want to interfere with this sorts of stuff because I'm inexperience and I don't have enough knowledge in it too.

    By Blogger Fuad, at 12:19 AM  

  • sidetracking: oopss...my Papa+Mama were at LI when Rais Yatim was there too. mmmm, mungkin dia kenal Pok Ku kot. errr, was that circa mid 60's, or 62,63 gitu? (i think).

    By Blogger Atok, at 3:33 AM  

  • Thank you for your entry - Reminders as these are the little things in life that a Muslim sometimes forgets about trying to become a Mukmin :)

    Leen@xanga.com/ashburn

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:32 AM  

  • Interesting article to share :)

    http://www.themodernreligion.com/racism/racism-muslims.html

    BoredSam

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:32 AM  

  • Sedangkan orang muslim sendiri pun tak faham akan maksud muslim dan mukmin apakan lagi orang bukan muslim kan Pok Ku. Sedihnya bila yang muslim sendiri yang berlebih-lebih mempertikaikan itu ini.

    By Blogger Aku Tak Reti, at 11:33 AM  

  • a little thought on what 'teganusapatulangkering'commented.
    besides 'the believers' (mukmins), the quran also addresses the rest of humans (ya ayuhannas)...who are both believers and non-believers.

    there is none I have come accross, 'ya ayuhal muslimun'...that one, I agree.

    my opinion is, in a more universal definition, every creature submits to the will of the Creator (being muslim), either like it or not.

    be it a single atom...

    - riza

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:06 PM  

  • Being muslims is a minority in this world.Being muslims who have faith(mukmin) is a minority of the muslims.Mukmin with knowledge is a minority of the mukmin and lastly the mukmin with knowledge and follow the sunnah is smallest minority amnong the minorites.

    May the blessings and mercy of Allah be showered on the minorities...

    By Blogger Berisman, at 1:51 PM  

  • Pok Ku, thank you for the insights, laughs and gags, wonderful stories of the things that i don't have the chance to experience and many many more. They were very fulfilling even to a thick young person like me.

    Keep it up.

    By Blogger yatot, at 2:19 PM  

  • Afiq: Kita belajo kohor kohor.
    Atok: I was in the 63-64 batch. Your pa & ma could be my classmates, my juniors or my seniors. Let me know please.
    teganun: Treima kasih kerana komen bernah dan panjang lebo.
    Leen: We remind each other. Thats the way it should be.
    BoredSam: Thak you for the link and the visit.
    Aku TakReti: InsyAllah, umat Islam akan berubah maju hendaknya.
    Riza: Thank you for the enlightening comment.
    Berisman: InsyaAllah!!!
    kokoru: Thanks for visiting and the encouragement.

    By Blogger Bustaman, at 4:10 PM  

  • Pok Ku, thanks for explaining to people like Buaya69 here. now i understand ;)

    By Blogger Buaya69, at 4:32 PM  

  • Pa, probably you can write something on the origin of 'bustaman'. My husband is clueless when i asked. Thanx!

    chek-na

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:05 PM  

  • Buaya69: The key to harmony is understanding. You cannot live together with anyone without understanding each other. So the more we know about each other, the better it would be, hopefully.

    Cek Na: Bustaman (or Bustamam) was my original name that Bah got from an old book. I got very sick as a baby and the village ustaz advised Bah to change my name in honour of his Bah (father) which was Tengku Haji Ali.
    I used back the old name since that was the name I have been called at home and I have been sick since. Hehehe.

    By Blogger Bustaman, at 5:53 PM  

  • I like this story. I read it like a story book!

    By Blogger Hazelinesnow, at 6:41 PM  

  • Ameen... Thanx for this entry, Pok Ku! :)

    By Blogger hana_kirana, at 8:21 PM  

  • Everyone can claim to be of a faith but living it is another matter. no matter what faith we are born under, observing the tenets and teachings and living by them is what really determines one of the faith from another, be it Muslim, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. But the highest would be respect for our fellow humans regardless of each other's faith. Thanks for sharing and clearing up the difference for me :D

    By Blogger Kervin, at 9:44 PM  

  • They're everywhere, Pok Ku. It's going to be quite a task for the Dato Seri.

    By Blogger Kri, at 11:21 PM  

  • Pok Ku, good read, good read. Maybe there are Muslims who thinks that it's sufficient to stay a Muslim..

    Sidetrack:
    Ahh.. so this is where the "Hints-R-Us" began ;)

    By Blogger Yam, at 2:36 PM  

  • Pok Ku, I'm not going to comment on the Muslims and Mukmins since many have. I want to say too, that I don't like people blocking my gate when they park..even though it's only for a few hours at night. Emergency happen any time..and when I want to go out, I want to go out now!! Sorry Pok Ku...just letting some steam off...

    By Blogger Lollies, at 5:09 PM  

  • My bro is totally into yr blogs. Afiq, Afiq...jangang gok kacau Uncle ku banyok banyok.

    I have a few people I think should start upgrading themselves from being Muslims to Mukmins:

    1. The VP's wife at 'the Bank'. I think she should start respecting her husband and stop bossing ppl around like she owns the f**king Bank. (Sorry Pok Ku, I really have to get it off my chest. Just like you!!)

    2. My housemate. Stop bringing liquor into the house and using my glasses to drink 'em. Do it outside. I pray inside the house.

    For now it's a very short list.

    By Blogger ビビ, at 12:08 PM  

  • MUSLIMS & MUKMINS is a fun title to find. It just amused me when I came across it on my search
    for Full Moon in these blogs. Amazing what you can find and where you end up.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:26 PM  

  • A

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:19 AM  

  • Assalaamualaikum to Pa Ku, and people who read and commented in his blog. I realised that these comments were quite a while ago, and not sure anyone still visits this blog. Any way, knowing the vital question on difference between muslim and mukmin must not be left alone as it is the key issue to everything on misconception about Islam, iman, faith, sahadah, amal soleh, ibadah, etc. Knowing the correct answer and getting on track on the correct amal of being a mukmin is a determining factor whether a born muslim will be successful in this dunia and in akhirat in the sight of Allah. See the true meaning of al-Quran, Surah Al-Asr, 103:1-3. Allah only wants Mukmin and rescues/helps mukmins (Q.S. Al-Rum:47; Yunos:103), but left the muslims to themselves to solve own problems. Muslims in this context are born or converted muslims but never gone beyond it to become a true believers (mukmin). To learn more on this topic suggest you go the listen to Sheikh Dr. Ismail Kassim in You Tube, serch under same name. Jazakullah for your kind reading. Wassalam.

    By Blogger cowok gantenk, at 2:04 AM  
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