Saturday, March 31, 2007

OREL update

A brief work-related note:

The Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project has (well, I have) just updated OREL: Online Resources for Endangered Languages. This bilingual library of annotated and categorised links now includes a total of more than 300 resources in English and Arabic, covering language endangerment and revitalisation, technology and techniques, ethical issues, and funding sources.

To access OREL in English, go to http://www.hrelp.org/languages/resources/orel/; to access it in Arabic, go to http://www.hrelp.org/languages/resources/orel-ar/.

Friday, March 30, 2007

Scenes from France

While France is a small country, it's diversity astounds. Below are a couple of albums of some of the places we visit during our teacher training sessions as well as showing you the possibilites just in the south of France.

The Language House
Chateauneuf du Pape with Travel Med Tours and The Language House

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Tamazight (Berber) proverbs of Tipasa

The second part of the book I discussed in my previous post is more immediately relevant to linguists: it is a collection of more than 150 Tamazight proverbs from the Tipasa area (specifically the village of Bou-Smail). These are transcribed in Arabic characters and provided with an Arabic translation, along with an interpretation of the proverb's meaning and usage and translations of the meanings of (some) individual words.

The proverbs selected are often slightly mystifying, as so many proverbs are; but a lot of their themes will have a familiar air to any Algerian, even where the form is unique to the region. Accurately reflecting the mood of the first half of his book, he opens with the splendidly chauvinistic:

  يَازِيطْ نَتْسمُورثْ إينُو وَلاَ أسْكورْثْ أَمِدَنْ (Yaziṭ ntsmurṯ inu ula asekkurṯ n medden)
  Better a chicken from my land than a partridge from someone else's.

Another proverb which he brought a strong social spin to was:

  أغْيُولْ وَمَاسْ يَتْغِمَغْ بْلا لَحْلاَسْ (Aγyul umas yetγimeγ bla leḥlas)
  A jointly owned donkey remains saddle-less.

and

  أخَامْ وَمَاسْ يَتَوِدْ لَهْوَاسْ (Axxam umas yettawed lehwas)
  A jointly owned house brings problems.

both reflecting the beylik mentality that remains all too common in Algerians' treatment of public property, and helps explain why socialism could never have worked there.

Given the author's interest in emphasising the Amazigh element of Algerian culture even outside Tamazight-speaking areas, though, he missed a trick by not pointing out how a number of the proverbs are shared across Algeria. A couple of proverbs were familiar to me from Dellys, for example:

  أَعْدِيسْ سْحَالْ دْيَرْوَا، يَقَّارْ إيِخَف غَنَّى (Aɛdis sḥal d yeṛwa, yeqqar i yixef γenni)
  Dellys: كي تشبع الكرْش، تقول للرّاس غنّي (Ki təšbə` əlkərš, tqul ləṛṛaṣ γənni)
  When the stomach gets full, it tells the head to sing.

and:

  أُويْتُسْمغَرْ يَخَفْ، سَالْ أَيْشَابْ يَخَفْ (sic; U yettsumγer yixef, sal a ycab yixef)
  Dellys: ما يكبر راس حتّى يشيب راس (ma yəkbər ṛaṣ ħətta yšib ṛaṣ)
  No head grows up until another's head grows white.

Others are apparently used in Chaouia too:

  وَانِي أتْيَقْنَنْ سِفَسْنِيسْ، أَتْيَرْزَمْ سِغْمَاسِيسْ (wani a-t yeqqnen s ifassn-is, a-t yerzem s iγmasn-is)
  Chaoui: wi -t- ikersen s ufus , at yefdek s teψmas (ويت يكرسن سوفوس، أت يفدك ستغماس)
  Darja: اللي عقدها باليدين ، يحلها بالسنين (əlli `əqqədha bəlyəddin, yħəllha bəssnin)
  He who ties it with his hands will untie it with his teeth.

  يُوسَادْ جَرْ وَكْسُومْ أَذْيِشَرْ   (yusa-d jer weksum ḏ yicer)
  Chaoui: ittedef jer n yicher d w-aksum (يتّادف جر ن ييشر دوكسوم)
  Darja (as heard from Dahmane El Harrachi): داخل بين الضّفر واللّحم (daxəl bin əḍḍfəṛ wəllħəm)
  Coming between the fingernail and the flesh.

In a final appendix which is something of a grab-bag, he puts a table of pronouns (he leaves out "we"), a couple of poems in Latin and Arabic script (only the Latin has been hopelessly messed up by a font problem), a list of names with Tamazight etymologies, a story about the jackal and the hedgehog (to which I've seen parallels as far away as Ghomara in northern Morocco) in translation, and - rather bizarrely - a certificate from the Arabic Language and Literature Academy of Algiers that they've agreed to publish this book.

The one problem with the book is its transcription system (worsened by a number of typos even in the Arabic parts.) Plain Arabic is better suited than plain Latin for the transcription of Tamazight; but, unfortunately, he did not take the minor steps, such as inventing a letter for ẓ or writing all instance of a, i, u as long, that could have allowed a perfectly phonemic Arabic transcription (along the general lines of Mohamed Chafik's.) As a result, it ends up with almost as many ambiguities as the Latin system used by Laoust a century earlier. A curious feature of the transcription is the frequent absence of gemination (tashdid) where it would be expected; since he does transcribe some instances, and presumably would have no difficulty hearing it, this might reflect an actual feature of the dialect. More expected is the frequent weakening of feminine t- to h-, and often its complete disappearance.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Tahajjud

590. Narrated Ibn 'Abbâs رضى الله عنهما : Whenever the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم got up at night to offer the Tahajjud prayer he used to say:اللّهُمّ لَكَ الحَمْدُ, أَنْتَ قَيّمُ السّماوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنّ, وَلَكَ الحَمْدُ, لَكَ مُلْكُ السّموَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنّ, وَلَكَ الحَمْدُ, أَنْتَ نُورُ السّموَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنّ, وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ مَلِكُ السّمَوَاتِ

Technology Update

Thanks to all the commenters on the previous post who advised to get a Mac.I'm sure I could break one o' those too.

I had a brainwave the other day: why not resurrect my old laptop and see if FTP works on that? So I did, and it did, mostly. There's a few sites that it cannot connect to but it can connect to sites that I'm working on now. So, for working at home I now have my new laptop that I do the work on, my old laptop with its non-functional screen beside me, connected to a 17" monitor that is sitting on a chair because I don't think our glass-topped dining table would take the weight. So when I need to upload a file (this only happens about 500 times a day) I copy it onto a memory stick, plug the stick into the old laptop, swap the LAN cable from the new machine to the old one (reminder to self: get another long LAN cable), and then do the upload and swap the chip and cable back to the new machine. It's an almighty pain in the ass, but it works for now.

On the mobile phone front, I bought the cheapest phone I could find: a neat little black Motorola for a paltry Dhs 99! Sadly, it would only offer SOS/emergency service. Ping! went a thought in my head. Maybe I should pay the bill, it's that time of the month (although the Interweb and landline were still working so it would be a bit odd for them to just disconnect the mobile). First thing the next morning I go to Itisalot in Gerbil Alley, and before handing over any cash I ask a clerk whether I've been disconnected. No, he says, not yet. Ah, so why do I only get SOS service on this phone? He asks me how long I've had my SIM card, and I have no idea - 7, 8, 9 years? Ah, he says, it'll be worn out. You need a replacement: dhs 50. Surely, I say, it should be free: it's not my fault it's worn out! But, he says, you've been using it for 789 years haven't you? Hmm, can't win against Itisalot.

So I fill in the form for a replacement SIM card, wait in a queue for a bit, and get the new one. The guy says it will be active in half an hour. Actually it was activated 10 minutes later when I got a flurry of voicemail alerts.

Anybody want to buy a Motorola C113a: never used?

A new(ish) book on the Tamazight (Berber) of Tipasa

I've recently finished reading الأمازيغية - آراء وأمثال (تيبازة نموذجا) Tamazight: Views and Proverbs (the Example of Tipasa), by Mohamed Arezki Ferad (Algiers:Dar Huma 2004). It appears to be only about the third or fourth work ever written focusing on this dialect, but is unlikely to come to most English-speakers' attention, so I decided to review it, if only to remind myself what's in it.

The first half of the book is a set of essays on the place of Amazighness in Algeria's national identity, in which he argues that Algeria's Amazigh identity is undeniable, is relevant to the whole country and not just the minority that speak Tamazight, and complements rather than contradicts Algeria's Arab identity. The point is so obvious that it should scarcely need to be made; yet, as he notes, for decades the government used to make life difficult for those who spoke in such terms. He reminisces on his own experience (p. 54):

I remembered being excluded from the university and forbidden to teach in the history faculty in the early 1980s simply because I presented a thesis for my certificate of advanced studies on Amazigh history in Andalus in the period of the petty kings (reyes de taifa), and my viva was not scheduled until after great efforts, only to yield a blow that hit me harder than a thunderbolt: being excluded from the university and not hired by it! For the decision-makers back then thought that the thesis's topic reeked of anti-Arabism and encroachment upon the sanctity of this language which could never accept a rival! How great was my disappointment - I, a Kabyle born in a conservative environment built on Islam as its religion, Arabic for its writing, and Tamazight for its speech! I remembered - from as far back as I can recall - how we would study Arabic in Kabyle - yes, we studied Arabic in Kabyle, by the method of alif u yenqeḍ ara, ba yiwet s wadda, ta snat ufella... (ا alif has no dot, ب ba one underneath, ت ta two on top...) I remembered how we used to venerate the Arabic language and hurry to gather papers with Arabic writing on them when we found them scattered on the ground, for fear that some passer-by might tread on them with his feet... I remember how the name of "Mohamed Larbi" (lit. Muhammad the Arab) was on every tongue, with scarcely a family not using it, and the name of "Fatima" as a blessing for the Prophet (PBUH). For all these personal reasons, I couldn't understand the viciousness of the assault on the Amazigh dimension of the Algerian personality...

It is difficult for the uninformed reader to gauge whether his non-hiring was motivated by political or academic considerations; but in this quote, equally targeted at Arabists seeing Berber identity as a probably treacherous fifth column and Berberists seeing Arab identity as an alien false consciousness, he eloquently expresses the contrast between the absurd ideological concept of Arab and Berber cultures as opposing one another and the reality of traditional (and indeed modern) North African life where they intertwine inextricably. The degree to which things have improved in this regard is emphasised by the certificate he encloses from the Arabic Language and Literature Academy of Algiers stating that they've agreed to publish this book.

To reinforce the point, he devotes more than 20 pages to summarising the views of various leading thinkers of Ben Badis' Islah movement (an effort to reform Islamic practice in Algeria in the early 20th century that played a key role in reinforcing the idea of a shared non-French Algerian identity) on Berber, arguing that virtually all of them took this view (and hence that it must be the patriotic view to take...), along with a couple of Middle Eastern Arab writers whom he repeatedly mentions. He waxes enthusiastic about the constitutional amendment of 2002 that made Tamazight a "national language", and discusses the question of writing systems for Tamazight in its wake, coming out in favor of Arabic while acknowledging that, over the years of government hostility, Latin has taken the lead. While criticising the ideologues who oppose any recognition of Tamazight, he constantly dissociates himself from extremist Berberists who want nothing to do with Arabic or even Islam, warning that if the state doesn't promote Amazigh heritage, unsavoury characters of that ilk will. Here as so often in politics, it seems that extremists can be rather useful to moderates! While his doctrinaire political orthodoxy sometimes left me impatient for a more forthright style, it's probably exactly the right tone for his audience.

The second part, a set of proverbs of the area, will be reviewed in my next post.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Humility

TAWAADHU' (Humility)Almighty Allah says:"And the servants of Rahman are those who walk with humility on earth"This means that in all matters humility forms part of their nature.Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said:"Whoever humbles himself for the sake of Allah, Allah grants him elevation."THE REALITY OF TAWAADHU'Tawaadhu' in reality is to regard oneself as a non-entity; as low and debased;

Monday, March 26, 2007

Topik Kajian 2: Nakiroh Ma'rifah

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Pada topik 1: telah dibahas secara sepintas pembagian jenis kata dalam bahasa Arab, dimana kata dalam bahasa Arab hanya dibagi 3, yaitu kata benda (isim), kata kerja (fi'il), dan kata tugas (harf). Contoh yang dipakai menggunakan surat Al-Baqaroh ayat 1 - 2. Pada topik kali ini akan dibahas mengenai topik kata benda, mengenai kata benda telah diketahui (definitif), dan kata benda belum diketahui (ma'rifah).

Baiklah, kita mulai saja.

Pada topik 1, ada penanya (syukron atas pertanyaannya), yang menanyakan kalau memang kata benda (isim) dalam bahasa Arab, sangat tergantung pada jenis kelamin kata (apakah perempuan atau laki-laki), maka bagaimana cara menentukan apakah kata benda ini berjenis laki-laki (male), atau berjenis perempuan (female).

ambil contoh:
ذلك كتاب
dzalika kitaabun = itu (sebuah) kitab. Adalah struktur kalimat yang benar. Karena kata dzalika (berjenis laki-laki), kitaabun (berjenis laki-laki).

ذلك شجرة
dzalika syajaratun = itu (sebuah) pohon. Adalah struktur kalimat yang salah. Karena kata dzalika (berjenis laki-laki), sedangkan pohon (berjenis perempuan).

تلك شجرة
tilka syajaratun = itu (sebuah) pohon. Inilah kalimat yang benar, karena dua-duanya merupakan kata benda berjenis perempuan.

Lalu bagaimana mengetahui suatu isim termasuk berjenis laki-laki atau perempuan?

Untuk kata benda penunjuk (isim isyaroh) spt "ini", "itu", maka tidak ada cara kecuali dihapalkan saja. Wah repot dong.... Gak juga, kata dalam kelompok ini tidak begitu banyak spt:
ذلك
dzalika = itu (laki-laki)
تلك
tilka = itu (perempuan)
هذا
hadzaa = ini (laki-laki)
هذه
hadzihi = ini (perempuan)

Mengenalkan Teman
Bayangkan disebelah anda Ada, Febrianti dan Sutanto. Kemudian datang teman lain yang belum kenal Febrianti dan Sutanto, maka Anda akan berkata:
هذا Sutanto (hadzaa Sutanto), هذه Febrianti (hadzihi Febrianti). Ini Sutanto, ini Febrianti.

Untuk kata benda alam (isim alam) seperti mobil, kantor, perpustakaan, buku dll, maka cara yang paling mudah adalah dengan melihat apakah ada ta marbutoh ة atau ـة (ta tertutup) pada akhir katanya. Jika ada ta marbutoh, maka kata ini termasuk jenis perempuan.

Contoh:
شجرة syajaratun = pohon
بقرة baqoratun = sapi betina
فاطمة fatimah = nama orang

Ada beberapa tanda-tanda lain (yang lebih jarang muncul) untuk isim alam jenis perempuan, tetapi pada kesempatan kali ini kita hanya tampilkan satu yaitu adanya ta marbutoh. Tanda ini paling sering muncul.

Nakiroh dan Ma'rifah

Sekarang kita masuk ke topik baru. Pada saat kita baca ذلك الكتاب dzalika al-kitaabu (buku itu), kata buku كتاب (kitaabu) ditambahkan AL (الـ) menjadi الــكتاب (al-kitaabu), penambahan AL ini maksudnya adalah menjadikan suatu kata benda menjadi sesuatu yang diketahui (definitif), sama halnya dalam bahasa Inggris, untuk memberitakan sesuatu yang sudah diketahui ditambah THE.

Misalkan:
I read a book أقرأ كتابا aqra-u kitaaban
I read the book أقرأ الكتاب aqra-u al-kitaaba

Pada contoh pertama, si pendengar belum mengetahui buku apa yang dimaksud oleh si pembicara. Sedangkan pada contoh kedua si pembicara yakin si pendengar sudah sama-sama tahu buku apa yang sedang dia baca.

Pada contoh pertama, kata kitaab disebut nakiroh (artinya belum definitif, belum diketahui oleh yang mendengar object yang jelas). Sedangkan pada contoh kedua disebut ma'rifah (definitif) yang artinya pembicara yakin pendengar tahu secara pasti (definitif) object mana yang disebut.

Kembali ke surat Al-Baqaroh:
ذلك الكتاب dzaalika al-kitaabu

maka kitaab (buku) disini ma'rifah, artinya pembaca ayat ini diasumsikan sudah tahu kitaab apa yang dimaksud. Dzalika Al-kitaabu = buku itu, atau bisa dibaca buku (yang kalian sudah tahu tentangnya) itu. Menurut tafsir, maksud dari "buku itu" adalah Al-Quran itu sendiri.

Demikian pembahasan ringkas Ma'rifah dan Nakiroh. Insya Allah akan kita lanjutkan lagi pada minggu ini atau minggu depan. Jika ada yang ingin dikomentari, ditanyakan, memberikan usulan, atau perbaikan, silahkan klik comments dibawah. Syukron katsiron.

Topik berikut Insya Allah: Bagaimana struktur kalimat yang sempurna dalam bahasa Arab.

How many ways can you write Tamazight?

I noticed an interesting set of articles in Info-Soir the other day on Tamazight (Berber) language teaching in Algeria. It confirms that Algeria has not adopted any one script as official for Tamazight: rather, all three are in use, depending on wilaya. Latin is used where Kabyle is spoken, Arabic in much of the Chaoui-speaking area, and Tifinagh in the far south. M. Touati of the Ministry of Education reports that 119,000 children in Algeria are currently studying Tamazight, 35,000 of them in a new primary school program; however, they complain of a shortage of teachers.

I'm finding it hard to gather exactly where the language is being taught, partly because the Ministry of Education website is among the slowest on earth. But it seems that, in 2001-2, it was being taught in only 5 wilayas, mainly in Kabyle-speaking areas: Bouira, Boumerdes, Tizi-Ouzou, Bejaia, and Biskra. Orders regarding the expansion of Tamazight education from 2000 were issued to a much longer list of wilayas - Oum el-Bouaghi, Batna, Bejaia, Biskra, Bouira, Tamanrasset, Tizi-Ouzou, Setif, Oran, El Bayadh, Illizi, Boumerdes, Khenchela, Tipasa, Ghardaia; but it is reported that four of these, El Bayadh, Oran, Tipasa, and Illizi, have ceased to teach it, and in Biskra and Tamanrasset it is reported that most of the few who have taken it up are Kabyle families.

I've written somewhat on this topic before, incidentally, as Awal nu Shawi recently reminded me. One of these days I need to update that essay.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Time

Time is like a river - it flows by and doesn'treturn.Chinese Proverb

Technology Hates Me

My apologies for the complete lack of blogging for almost a fortnight, I’ve been having serious problems with my laptop and the Interweb.

I blogged earlier about my problem with using FTP from my ‘broadband’ connection at home. After two weeks of whingy emails from me, Itisalot finally sent an engineer to have a look. Of course, when he plugged in his laptop, everything was fine. His conclusion was that I might have a virus on my machine, so he downloaded AVG and set it off on a mighty scan. I have gazillions of files and after two hours it was only halfway through the scan, although it had found a worm by then. The engineer took that as his cue to leave, saying ‘it will work after the scan is finished’. Hmm, well no, it bloody well didn’t work. And he had not explained to me why it works just fine using my Media City connection.

I had forgotten about the clever Windows feature known as System Restore. This lets you roll back the configuration of your system to a point where you know things were working fine. I decided to do a restore to a few days before I had the FTP problem. It made no difference, but it did stop the Interweb from working at the office.

DMC’s IT dude had a play with it and got nowhere.

Then I thought it would be a bright idea to re-install Windows. I had forgotten, of course, that when you do this you lose all the emails and the address book that you have built up over the years, and the Registry forgets about all the software you have installed. The software is still there, but the computer no longer knows where to find it so you have to install everything again.

Re-installing Windows did not have the desired effect. FTP was still not working and wi-fi is totally buggered. I can connect using a LAN cable at home, but not at the office. Strangely the computer tells me, with great delight, that it has found some new hardware every time I boot up. I offer the drivers for the Ethernet Controller, but it declines to take them because that device is already installed.

So, my Interweb is muxed ip big time. I cannot even access the Blogger edit page from home right now, and when I’m at the office I don’t have time to do any posting.

I cannot begin to describe how frustrating this is. It looks like I’ll be doing a format c:/ on the beast(ard) this weekend and then re-installing all my software and files. And, as if that wasn’t enough shit, my bloody phone packed up three days ago. The Palm Treo 650 that was my pride and joy when I bought it almost 2 years ago, is now reduced to being a PDA without the phone facility. I cannot get a signal of any kind, no matter where I am. I did some research yesterday on cheapie mobiles: the cheapest one is a plasticky Motorola at Dhs 117. Next up is a blue plastic Nokia at dhs 130. I’ll have to get one of them, because nobody will touch a Palm in this country and to get one fixed you have to send it to Slovakia or Slovenia. Dammit.

And, and, and...I have the world's worst cold! Ah well, mustn't grumble.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Keutamaan Bismillah

Jika Anda mengetok pintu rumah seorang mentri, pintu dibukakan. Lalu Anda katakan "Saya datang atas nama Presiden Republik Indonesia". Tentulah Anda akan diterima dengan baik oleh sang mentri. Demikianlah adanya kalau Anda memulai sesuatu dengan "Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim".

Bismillahhirrahmanirrahim: Dengan nama Allah Yang Maha Pengasih Lagi Maha Penyayang (With the name of Allâh,the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful), dia adalah ayat pertama dalam surat Al-Fatihah: Pembuka (The Opening), dalam Al-Quran.

Allah mengajari kita memulai sesuatu dengan menyebut nama Dia. Bukankah dengan menyebut dan membawa-bawa nama Presiden saja di depan seorang mentri, pekerjaan kita menjadi lancar. Apatah lagi jika kita membawa nama Allah, didalam memulai segala urusan dengan semua makhluk yang Dia ciptakan.

Ada pelajaran menarik dari Surat Al Fatihah ini yang perlu kita renungi. Perhatikan penggunaan bentuk persona yang digunakan yaitu bentuk orang ketiga (He). Dengan nama Allah (with the name of Allah), atau kita bisa sebut Dengan nama Dia (with the name of He). Ayat ini dilanjutkan dengan sifat-sifat Dia (He), Yang Maha Pengasih, Maha Penyayang, Tuhan Semesta Alam, Maha Menguasai Hari Kemudian.

Tetapi pada ayat setelah itu: Kepada Mu lah kami menyembah dan kepada Mu lah kami minta tolong (You alone do we worship and You alone do we implore for help). Bentuk persona yang digukanan adalah bentuk orang kedua (You).

Kalau Anda perhatikan bahwa bentuk persona ketiga (He) digunakan dalam pemujian kita kepada Allah. Sedangkan bentuk persona kedua (You) digunakan dalam permintaan (tolong) kita kepada Dia.

Kalau tetangga Anda datang, lalu memuji Anda : "Pak, Bapak orang Baik, saya sangat senang dengan Bapak (Sir, You are kind, You are generous)". Anda mungkin senang. Tetapi kalau tetangga Anda datang ke tetangga lainnya (dan secara diam-diam terdengar oleh Anda) : "Bapak yang tinggal di ujung jalan itu orang baik lho (Do you know He is kind, He is generous)". Anda (yang tahunya secara diam-diam) pasti akan senang. Hati Anda berbunga-bunga, karena Anda menjadi perbincangan tetangga akan kebaikan Anda.

Demikianlah Allah tampaknya mengajari kita, kalau mau memuji orang, pujilah lewat orang lain. Atau pujilah didepan orang-orang lain. Kalau kita memuji seseorang didepan orang-orang lain bukankan orang yang kita puji kita sebut nama dia atau kita pakai kata ganti orang ketiga?

Kalau Anda memuji Pak Amir di depan teman-temannya Anda akan katakan "Pak Amir itu baik" atau "He is kind".

Lihatlah dalam ayat 1 - 4:

1. Dengan menyebut nama Allah yang Maha Pengasih lagi Maha Penyayang

2. Segala puji bagi Allah Tuhan Semesta Alam

3. Yang Maha Pengasih Lagi Maha Penyayang

4. Yang Menguasai Hari Kemudian

Semuanya menggunakan bentuk persona ketiga.

Sangat berbeda pada waktu masuk ayat ke 5.

5. Kepada Mu lah kami menyembah dan kepada Mu lah kami minta tolong (You alone do we worship and You alone do we implore for help).

Sewaktu kita membaca ayat ke 5 itu serasa Allah ada di depan kita. Sehingga kita berkata kepada Engkau saja aku menyembah (You Alone do we worship).

Seakan-akan Allah mengajari kita, kalau mau minta tolong ke seseorang, datanglah secara private (one-to-one). Kalau kita minta tolong ke seseorang kita mengatakan: "Maukah Anda menolong saya (would You like to help me)".

Di-ayat ini terkandung hikmah lainnya, bahwa Allah tidak membutuhkan perantara, bagi umatnya yang mau berdoa kepada dia, meminta pertolongan. Dia tepat berada di depan kita. Bukankan kita berucap dengan kata-kata "Engkau". Semestinyalah "Engkau" itu ada dihadapan kita bukan? Kalau kita pakai perantara berarti kita menampatkan Allah sebagai orang ke tiga. Kita akan meminta kepada perantara kita "Aku minta tolong kepada Dia (Allah)". Dengan harapan perantara kita itu yang nanti akan menyampaikan kepada Allah.

Ternyata tidak demikian yang diajari oleh Allah. "I stand before you (Aku berdiri di hadapan mu), why don't you ask Me anything". Demikian rasa hati kita, ketika membaca ayat ini.

Meminta pertolongan pada manusia

Alkisah, di suatu Universitas, seorang dosen pergi melanjutkan study S3-nya ke kota lain. Dia pergi begitu saja, tanpa meminta ijin kepada ketua jurusannya. Sang ketua jurusan mengetahui hal tersebut sangatlah marah. Lewat seorang saudara dan teman, sang dosen akhirnya mengetahui bahwa sang ketua Jurusan marah besar. Kakak perempuan Sang Dosen akhirnya menasehati Sang Dosen. "Pergilah menghadap Pak Ketua Jurusan itu, kemukakan alasan-alasan kenapa kamu mesti terbang buru-buru. Mintalah tolong dengan rendah hati, dan bawakanlah buah tangan buat dia".

Berbekal nasehat itu, sang Dosen terbang, dan menuju rumah Sang Ketua Jurusan. Dengan membawa istri dan 5 orang anaknya yang masih kecil-kecil, di ketok pintu rumah Sang Ketua Jurusan. Disampaikanlah alasan, kenapa dia mesti buru-buru terbang ke Bandung, semua untuk perbaikan karir demi keluarga dan anak-anak dia yang masih kecil. Tidak lupa sang dosen memohon maaf secara tulus, dan minta tolong kepada sang Ketua Jurusan agar diberi ijin. Tidak lupa dia menyerahkan buah tangan berupa biskuit kaleng ke sang Ketua Jurusan.

Tersentuhlah hati sang ketua jurusan, dan dengan ikhlas memaafkan dan memberi surat ijinnya.

Sang Ketua Jurusan, pastilah melihat perjalanan yang jauh mau ditempuh oleh sang Dosen bertamu ke rumah dia, sembari membawa sesuatu (buah tangan) secara ikhlas, dan dilihat betapa sederhananya dan jujurnya sang dosen menyampaikan bahwa semua yang dia lakukan itu demi menolong keluarga dan anak-anak dia, sedemikian membuat tergerak hatinya, untuk memaafkan dan menolong.

Demikianlah tampaknya hikmah ayat ke 5 surat Al-Fathihah ini. Kepada Mu sajalah aku menyembah, dan Kepada Mu sajalah aku Minta tolong (You alone do we worship and You alone do we implore for help). Kalaulah minta tolong kepada manusia saja kita harus berusaha dulu, apa lagi kepada Allah. Kita harus menyembah Dia dulu (dalam arti kita harus patuh pada aturan-aturan dia dulu), baru Dia akan menolong kita.

Kepada manusia saja yang kita mintakan tolong, kita sebaiknya membawa buah tangan, apatah lagi minta tolong kepada Allah. Buah tangan yang diinginkan Allah, tentulah semua amalan baik kita, semua sedekah kita, dst.

Demikianlah Allah mengajari kita, kalau mau sesuatu berusahalan dulu. Bukankah kalau anak kita minta uang untuk beli komputer, kita akan lihat-lihat dulu, usahanya maksimal tidak, untuk mendapatkan komputer tersebut. Apakah dia sudah patuh pada ibunya, PR dikerjakan, rumah di bersihkan, menyenangkan hati orang tua, berbuat baik pada adik. Setelah upaya-upaya baik itu dia lakukan, kalau dia minta uang untuk beli komputer, dan kita punya uangnya, dengan senang hati pastilah kita ajak dia ke toko komputer?

Demikianlah sekelumit hikmah surat Al-Fatihah. Wallahu,alam
Kagum kepada Allah SWT

Bismillahirrahmaanirrahim.
Kalau Anda kagum kepada sesuatu, sudahkah Anda kagum kepada Allah?
Sering kita (secara tidak sadar) kagum kepada sesuatu. Kita bertemu dengan perempuan cantik (atau laki-laki tampan), kita kagum sekali akan kecantikan dia. Kita sering memperbincangkan teknologi terbaru dari Handphone Nokia. Betapa canggihnya handphone tersebut? Kita terkesima sewaktu melihat pameran mobil. "Betapa canggihnya orang Jerman membuat mobil Mercedez seri terbaru itu?". Tanpa sadar, kita bisa jadi sangat kagum akan kemajuan teknologi yang mempermudah hidup kita.
Di lain kesempatan, jika Anda berkunjung ke negara-negara maju, bisa jadi Anda terkesima melihat gedung-gedung pencakar langit di New York, sarana transportasi kereta api di Jepang yang rumit dan canggih, dst. Sampai-sampai begitu kembali ke tanah air, tidaklah sepi Anda bercerita akan kehebatan sesuatu hal yang Anda lihat tersebut kepada famili dan kerabat.
Padahal kalau kita berhenti sejenak, semua yang kita kagumi itu adalah ciptaan Allah.
Bukankah manusia yang mencipta semua yang kita kagumi itu, yang menciptakan adalah Allah?
Perhatikanlah Surat 32 (As Sajdah) ayat 7.
Who made perfectly well all that He created. And He originated the creation of a human being from clay.
"(Dia) yang membuat segala sesuatu yang Dia ciptakan (secara) sebaik-baiknya, dan (Dia) yang memulai menciptakan manusia dari tanah"
Atau perhatikanlah surat 4 An-Nisa (The Women) ayat 1:
O you people! take as a shield your Lord Who created you from a single being. The same stock from which He created the man He created his spouse, and through them both He caused to spread a large number of men and women. O people! regard Allâh with reverence in Whose name you appeal to one another, and (be regardful to) the ties of relationship. Verily, Allâh ever keeps watch over you.
Hai sekalian manusia, bertakwalah kepada Tuhan-mu yang telah menciptakan kamu dari seorang diri, dan dari padanya Allah menciptakan isterinya; dan dari pada keduanya Allah memperkembang biakkan laki-laki dan perempuan yang banyak. Dan bertakwalah kepada Allah yang dengan (mempergunakan) nama-Nya kamu saling meminta satu sama lain, dan (peliharalah) hubungan silaturrahim. Sesungguhnya Allah selalu menjaga dan mengawasi kamu.
Hakekat "Mencipta"
Akio Morita pertama kali membangun pabrik Sony di Jepang, yang kemudian produknya merambah sampai ke Indonesia (bahkan pabriknya pun dibangun di Indonesia). Setelah Anda tahu bahwa Akio Morita lah yang membuat dan mendirikan Sony, maka ketika Anak Anda bertanya "Pa, siapa yang membuat TV Sony ini?". Anda akan jawab "Orang jepang, namanya Akio Morita".
Secara kebetulan, anak Anda tahu, bahwa Tante di sebelah rumah Anda kerja di Pabrik Sony Indonesia, dan dia pernah bercerita ke anak Anda, akan pekerjaannya (dan bisa jadi pernah diajak oleh si Tante berkunjung ke tempat kerjanya).
Anak Anda kemudia membantah (arguing). "Pa, bukan Akio Morita, tapi Tante sebelah rumah kita yang kerja di Sony itu yang bikin Pah...".
Begitulah cara pandang anak yang masih kecil masih terbatas kepada apa yang dia lihat (dia melihat Tante itulah yang memasang board elektronik kedalam casing TV, sehingga dia menganggap Tante itulah yang membikin TV). Tetapi cara pandang Anda yang lebih mengetahui mengatakan bahwa Akio Morita lah yang menciptakan TV Anda itu. Dan kalau cara pandang itu Anda kembangkan Anda akan bertemu dengan hakikat penciptaan ini bermuara kepada Allah.
Kalau Anda kagum dengan software Windows, Anda bisa jadi dalam hati berkata "Alangkah jeniusnya Bill Gate ini?". Seharusnyalah Anda lebih kagum lagi kepada Allah, karena Dia lah yang menciptakan Microsoft Windows itu (sedangkan Bill Gate hanya menjadi jalan atau hanya menjadi pesuruh untuk kelahiran produk itu).
Kalau Anda kagum kepada orang-orang Norwegia maupun Swedia, akan kecanggihan Handphone Nokia yang mereka buat, seharusnya Anda lebih kagum kepada Allah yang membuat orang Norwegia dan Swedia dan memberikan potensi akal kepada mereka untuk meramu produk Handphone tersebut. Kalau Anda renungi, pada hakikatnya Allah-lah pencipta Handphone Nokia tersebut bukan?
Kalau seseorang (sebutlah Tuan X) membuat sebuah robot, lalu robot itu bisa membuat pizza, dan pizza itu dihidangkan ke hadapan Anda. Lalu Anda santap sambil berkata "wow... sedap sekali pizza ini!". Menurut Anda siapa yang menciptakan pizza itu? Kepada siapa Anda lebih kagum kepada Robot itu yang telah meramu dan menghidangkannya ke hadapan Anda atau kepada Tuan X yang membuat robot itu?
Manusia hanyalah Peramu
Kalau kita renungi, manusia ini hanyalah peramu dari bahan-bahan yang ada di bumi. Bahan-bahan itu telah disediakan Allah untuk manusia. Bahan-bahan dasar itu Allah-lah yang punya, dan Allah-lah yang menciptakan. Perhatikanlah ayat 40 surat Fathir (35) berikut:
Say, `Have you considered regarding your associate-gods whom you call upon apart from Allâh? Show Me then what they have created of the earth. Or have they any partnership in (the creation of) the heavens? Or have We given these (worshippers of false deities) a Book so that they are supported by some clear proofs (mentioned) therein? Nay, not so at all, but (the truth is that) the wrongdoers hold out vain promises one to another only to deceive.
Katakanlah: "Terangkanlah kepada-Ku tentang sekutu-sekutumu yang kamu seru selain Allah. Perlihatkanlah kepada-Ku (bahagian) manakah dari bumi ini yang telah mereka ciptakan ataukah mereka mempunyai saham dalam (penciptaan) langit atau adakah Kami memberi kepada mereka sebuah Kitab sehingga mereka mendapat keterangan-keterangan yang jelas daripadanya? Sebenarnya orang-orang yang zalim itu sebahagian dari mereka tidak menjanjikan kepada sebahagian yang lain, melainkan tipuan belaka."
Dalam ayat ini Allah, seakan "menantang" manusia, "Tunjukkan kepadaKu bagian mana di bumi ini yang kamu telah ciptakan! (Show Me then what they have created of the earth!)".
Sebutkanlah semua hal yang menurut Anda canggih, handphone misalkan.
Perhatikanlah, layarnya terbuat dari kaca. Darimana kaca didapat? Bukankah kaca dibuat dari pasir silica, yang bisa didapat di tanah-tanah di pantai? Siapa yang menciptakan pasir dan pantai itu kalau bukan Allah?
Perhatikan, chasingnya terbuat dari plastik atau karet. Plastik atau karet dibuat dari bahan-bahan sampingan hasil penyaringan minyak bumi yang ada dalam tanah. Siapa yang menciptakan minyak bumi yang dalam tanah itu? Allah.
Satu alat elektronik untuk membangkitkan gelombang radio didalam Handphone itu disebut dengan osilator. Dari mana osilator ini dibuat? Dari kristal yang ada di perut bumi. Siapa yang membuat kristal yang ada di perut bumi itu? Allah.
Alat elektronik lain yang sangat penting dalam Handphone adalah Mikroprosesor. Darimana mikroprosesor dibuat? Dari Silikon (rumus kimianya Si). Dia didapat dari pasir-pasir yang ada di perut bumi. Semua komputer yang otaknya ada di CPU (Central Processing Unit) terbuat dari Silicon ini. Siapa yang meletakkan bahan Silicon itu di perut bumi? Allah.
Demikianlah, semuanya yang ada di alam ini, baik itu mobil, gedung tinggi, pesawat terbang, kertas, komputer, dst, terbuat dari bahan-bahan yang sudah disediakan Allah di dalam perut bumi. Manusia hanya mengumpulkan dan merakitnya saja bukan?
Allah Ada Dimana-Mana
Bagi sebagian orang yang meragukan keberadaan Allah, bisa jadi belum bertemu dengan jalannya.
Allah itu wujud dan nyata. Sangking keberadaannya ada dimana-mana dia tidak terlihat. Mata kita memang tidak dapat melihatnya. Tapi apakah sesuatu yang harus mesti terlihat dulu, baru kita percaya dia ada?
Listrik, tidak terlihat. Tapi dia bisa kita rasakan, dia ada. Buktinya lampu bisa nyala oleh dia.
Para Insinyur Elektro, yakin bahwa di udara ini banyak sekali gelombang, yang kalaulah Allah memberikan mata kita kemampuan melihatnya, pastilah hidup jadi tidak nyaman. Kedepan, terlihat gelombang TV A, dibawah ada gelombang radio Stasion B, di sekitar ada gelombang Handphone. Gelombang tidak terlihat bukan? Tapi kita bisa merasakan dia Ada, buktinya handphone kita bisa nyala.
Para Saintis Biology, mempelajari sifat mata manusia dan di bandingkan dengan mata kelelawar. Mata manusia tidak dapat melihat dalam gelap. Berbeda dengan kelelawar. Mata kelelawar **hanya** bisa melihat dalam gelap, begitu ada terang, kelelawar menjadi buta. Kita tidak bisa melihat dalam gelap bukan? Siapa di depan kita kita tidak tahu waktu hari sangat gelap. Tetapi kelelawar tahu. Apakah Allah harus mengganti mata kita dengan mata kelelawar (agar kita percaya?). [sorry that's only a joke].
Sekali lagi Allah ada dimana-mana. Manakala kita takut, kita berzikir minta pertolongan Dia. Hati kita menjadi tenang. Bukankah itu bukti Dia ada. Kalau hati kita itu lampu maka lampu menjadi terang karena ada listrik yang tidak terlihat. Dan Allah pun tidak terlihat. Tapi Anda yakin bahwa dia Ada bukan?
Penutup
Demikianlah hikmah yang dapat disampaikan kali ini. Sebagai penutup, dalam kehidupan ini mungkin Anda bertemu dengan hal-hal yang indah. Bisa itu berupa alam yang indah yang Anda kagumi, mahakarya seni, dls. Renungkanlah keberadaan Allah SWT, dibalik keindahan itu. (note: jika diberi kesempatan, Insya Allah akan disampaikan hakekat dari hal-hal buruk disekitar kita).
Dahulu (bisa jadi terjadi pada Anda juga), sewaktu Anda masih muda, Anda memuji manusia (sebutlah seorang penyanyi, akan kemerduan suara dia, keelokan rupa dia). Saat ini jika Anda lihat kembali artis idola Anda tersebut, pandangan Anda menjadi lain. Anda akan berucap "Ya Allah, cantik sekali engkau ciptakan manusia ini! Jika demikian cantik makhluk yang Engkau ciptakan, alangkah jauuuh lebih cantiknya Engkau sendiri ya Allah!". Ucapan Anda itu akan membangkitkan kerinduan Anda untuk ingin bertemu dengan DIA, mencari lebih tahu siapa DIA, dst.
Pikiran Anda kemudian lebih tertuju memikirkan kehebatan, kecantikan, kasih sayang Sang Khalik, daripada memikirkan kecantikan dan kehebatan semua ciptaan-ciptaan Dia.
Wallahu'alam.
Perlunya Sifat Lemah Lembut dalam Bernasehat
satu perenungan terhadap sifat Allah, Yang Maha Lemah Lembut


السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ
"Ada tempat-tempat terbaik, waktu-waktu terbaik, bagi kata-kata terbaik”
-AA Gym

“Foto yang indah jika dibingkai dengan bingkai yang buruk, buruklah tampak foto itu”
-Al-Hikmah

Pesan-pesan terbaik haruslah dibingkai dengan kata-kata terbaik

Alkisah, seorang cendikiawan berdiskusi dengan seorang ulama. Si cendikiawan terkenal orang pemikir tapi lemah lembut dalam bertutur. Sementara si ulama, seorang yang tinggi ilmunya, banyak ibadahnya, tetapi tutur katanya kurang teratur, dan kata-kata tidak kata-kata yang terpilih, yang sering diucapkannya.

Mereka berdiskusi hebat. Sampailah mereka kepada satu point yang sangat seru. Beberapa pendapat si cendikiawan tidak masuk dalam pandangan si ulama, lalu telontarlah tutur kata yang kurang baik dengan setengah menghardik kepada si cendikiawan. Si cendikiawan, merasa semestinyalah nasehat-nasehat sang ulama disampaikan dengan cara yang lebih santun dan lemah lembut, walaupun nasehat yang disampaikan si ulama nasehat yang sangat baik (yang berasal dari Quran dan Hadis shoheh).

Cendikiawan: “Menurut Bapak siapa manusia yang paling kufur di dunia ini?”
Ulama: “Fir’aun!”

Cendikiawan: “Apakah Fira’un masuk neraka?”
Ulama: “Pasti. Karena kekufurannya!”

Cendikiawan: “Menurut Bapak, apakah Nabi Musa AS, masuk syurga?”
Ulama: “Ya. Semua nabi Allah SWT pasti masuk syurga!”

Cendikiawan: “Menurut Bapak, apakah semua manusia selain nabi-nabi Allah, pasti masuk neraka?”

Ulama: “Belum tentu, bisa masuk neraka, bisa juga syurga, tergantung amalannya!”
Cendikiawan: “Menurut Bapak mana yang lebih buruk kelakuannya, Firaun atau saya?”

Ulama: “Tentu Firaun!”
Cendikiawan: “Menurut Bapak mana yang lebih baik perilakunya, Nabi Musa AS, atau Bapak?”

Ulama: “Kenapa Anda bertanya begitu? Sudah pasti Nabi Musa AS, yang sudah pasti masuk syurga!”
Cendikiawan: “Pak! Apakah pantas, saya yang belum tentu masuk neraka tapi lebih bagus dari Firaun, Bapak hardik! Padahal Bapak juga belum tentu masuk syurga seperti Nabi Musa?”. “Nabi Musa saja yang pasti masuk syurga menyampaikan pesan-pesan Allah dengan lemah lembut kepada Firaun yang pasti masuk neraka!”

Demikianlah sekelumit percakapan yang banyak sekali (dalam beberapa versi) percakapan ini dikutip dalam buku-buku hikmah. Buku-buku hikmah banyak menyoroti metoda penyampaian pesan (message conveying method) oleh Nabi Musa AS.

Dalam kesempatan ini bolehlah kita renungi dari sudut (angle) yang lain yaitu sudut bagaimana lemah lembutnya Allah menyampaikan pesan-pesan terbaiknya kepada Nabi Musa AS.

Perlunya bersifat lemah lembut

Lihatlah kembali kisah Musa AS, sewaktu diperintah Allah SWT agar menyampaikan nasehat-nasehat kebaikan kepada Fir’aun. Betapa buruknya amalah Fira’un seperti tergambar dalam Surat Al-Qashas (Cerita) [28]:

Thaa Shiim Miim.

Ini adalah ayat-ayat Kitab (Al Quran) yang nyata (dari Allah).

Kami membacakan kepadamu sebagian dari kisah Musa dan Fir'aun dengan benar untuk orang-orang yang beriman.

Sesungguhnya Fir'aun telah berbuat sewenang-wenang di muka bumi dan menjadikan penduduknya berpecah belah, dengan menindas segolongan dari mereka, menyembelih anak laki-laki mereka dan membiarkan hidup anak-anak perempuan mereka. Sesungguhnya Fir'aun termasuk orang-orang yang berbuat kerusakan. [QS 28:1-4]

Sedemikian buruk kelakuan Fir’aun, menyembelih semua anak laki-laki yang baru lahir, karena ketakutannya kepada kedatangan seorang laki-laki yang nanti akan menggeser kekuasaannya. Dan, lebih jauh lagi dia berani memproklamirkan dirinya “Akulah Tuhan, yang pantas disembah!”

Dan berkata Fir'aun: "Hai pembesar kaumku, aku tidak mengetahui tuhan bagimu selain aku. Maka bakarlah hai Haman untukku tanah liat kemudian buatkanlah untukku bangunan yang tinggi supaya aku dapat naik melihat Tuhan Musa, dan sesungguhnya aku benar-benar yakin bahwa dia termasuk orang-orang pendusta” [QS 28:38]

Bagaimanakah Allah menanggapi sikap kufur Fir’aun tersebut. Allah kemudian menyuruh Musa mendatangi Fir’aun.

Pergilah kamu beserta saudaramu dengan membawa ayat-ayat-Ku, dan janganlah kamu berdua lalai dalam mengingat-Ku; [QS 20:42]

Betapa lemah lembutnya Allah memerintahkan Musa AS?

Kalau kita mau melepas anak kita merantau (mungkin untuk bersekolah ke tanah seberang), kita mengatakan “Pergilah Nak, bawa ini bekal, kalau hatimu sedih jangan lupa kirim surat ke Mamah ya...”, “Pergilah Nak,,, Pergilah,,,” sambil melepas anak sholeh kesayangan kita dengan tetesan air mata. Rasakanlah bagaimana Allah membingkai perintahNya dengan kata-kata yang lemah lembut “Pergilah, wahai Musa”

Pergilah kamu berdua kepada Fir'aun, sesungguhnya dia telah melampaui batas; [QS 20:43]

Tidaklah kalah lemah lembutnya bingkaian kata-kata Allah terhadap Fir’aun, si penghuni kerak neraka. “Pergilah, temuilah dia. Dia sungguh telah melampaui batas”. Allah tidak membingkai kata-kataNya dengan kata-kata penuh emosi (seberapun Fira’un ingkar terhadap Dia”). Lihatlah kata-kataNya sangat tenang dan menyejukkan. Alih-alih mengatakan “pergilah ke Fir’aun si tukang kafir itu”, tetapi Allah mengatakan “pergilah menghadap ke si tukang yang telah melampaui batas itu”.

Bagaimana reaksi nabi Musa AS?

Tidaklah kalah lemah-lembutnya Musa menjawab, layaknya seorang kekasih yang berkasih sayang dengan kekasihnya:

Berkata Musa: "Ya Tuhanku, lapangkanlah untukku dadaku, [QS 20: 25]

Musa AS, berkata “Ya Tuhanku”, tergambarlah disini kasih sayang Musa kepada Allah “Ya kekasihku”, “aku ini orangnya tidak baik dalam bertutur kata, aku cepat emosi, dadaku cepat sempit, aku mohon kepadaMu, lapangkanlah dadaku”. Inilah doa setiap muslim dianjurkan membacanya “Rabbisy rahlii soddrii” (Ya Rob, Ya Tuhanku, Ya Kekasihku, lapangkanlah dadaku”)dan mudahkanlah untukku urusanku,dan lepaskanlah kekakuan dari lidahku, supaya mereka mengerti perkataanku, [QS 20: 26-28]

Nabi Musa berkata “Ya, Tuhanku sungguh berat tugas ini bagiku, Aku takuuuuut ya Rob.... aku khawatiiiir bertemu Fir’aun”. Maka mudahkanlah urusan ini bagiku. Terlihatlah disini permohonan Musa AS. Inilah doa setiap muslim dianjurkan membacanya “wa yassirli amri wahlul uqdatam millisani yafqahu qauli” (Ya Rob, Ya Tuhanku, Ya Kekasihku, mudahkanlah urusan ini bagiku, dan lepaskanlah kekakuan dari lidahku (lancarkanlah bicaraku), agar mereka (Fir’aun dan sekutunya) mengerti ucapanku”).

Perlu juga kita renungi bagaimana rasa takut Nabi Musa, menghadapi Fir’aun yang terkenal galak dan suka membunuh.

Berkatalah mereka berdua (Musa dan Harun): "Ya Tuhan kami, sesungguhnya kami khawatir bahwa ia segera menyiksa kami atau akan bertambah melampaui batas." [QS 20: 45]

Nabi Musa AS, adalah manusia biasa juga yang punya rasa takut akan disiksa Fir’aun. Dan inilah yang dikadukan kepada Allah. “Ya Allah, Aku khawatir, dia akan menyiksaku”.

Inti sari metode penyampaian pesan

Setelah mengeluhkan kekuatirannya kepada Allah, dan bermohon agar dimudahkan dalam urusan ini. Allah kemudian mengajarkan kepada Musa cara (metode) penyampaian pesan-pesan kebaikan dari Allah. Perhatikanlah ayat sebelumnya. maka berbicaralah kamu berdua kepadanya dengan kata-kata yang lemah lembut, mudah-mudahan ia ingat atau takut." [QS 20:44]

Disinilah pengajaran Allah kita temukan. Dalam menyampaikan pesan kebaikan apapun itu, kepada siapapun itu, haruslah dengan kata-kata yang lemah lembut. Dan tujuan pesan itu dibingkai dengan kata-kata yang lemah lembut hanyalah agar (lihatlah pesan Allah), “mudah-mudahan” si penerima pesan itu ingat (dan kembali ke jalan Allah).

Lihatlah kata-kata “mudah-mudahan” diatas dan rangkaian kata-kata indah yang diajarkan Allah. Disini Allah mengajari kita bahwa:

Menyampaikan pesan-pesan kebaikan haruslah dengan kata-kata yang lemah lembut.
Kamu hanya menjadi pembawa pesan (messenger)
Kamu tidak punya hak untuk memastikan bahwa si penerima pesan akan mengikuti kamu atau tidak. Lihatlah kata “mudah-mudahan” diatas, yang kurang lebih berarti “Wahai Musa, kerjakan saja tugas mu dengan baik, perkara hasilnya, Akulah yang menentukan, kamu cukup katakan “mudah-mudahan berhasil”.
Tujuan kita dalam menyampaikan pesan-pesan kebaikan, hanyalah agar orang tersebut (yang kita sampaikan pesan kebaikan kepada dia) kembali ingat, dan takut kepada Allah.

Allah bersifat Maha Lemah Lembut (Al-latief)

Dalam bukunya Ibnu Qayyim Al-Jauziyah mengatakan bahwa, sifat Allah Al-Latief mengandung makna bahwa “Allah Maha Mengetahui segala sesuatu yang sangat kecil, dan Dia menurunkan Rahmat-Nya dengan cara yang sangat lembut.

Sebagaimana yang dapat dibaca dalam firman Allah yang berbunyi ath-thalattuf (yang lemah lembut) sebagaimana ucapan Ashab Al-Kahfi (penghuni gua)”:

Dan demikianlah Kami bangunkan mereka (dari tidurnya) agar mereka saling bertanya di antara mereka sendiri. Berkatalah salah seorang di antara mereka: Sudah berapa lamakah kamu berada (disini?)." Mereka menjawab: "Kita berada (disini) sehari atau setengah hari." Berkata (yang lain lagi): "Tuhan kamu lebih mengetahui berapa lamanya kamu berada (di sini). Maka suruhlah salah seorang di antara kamu untuk pergi ke kota dengan membawa uang perakmu ini, dan hendaklah dia lihat manakah makanan yang lebih baik, maka hendaklah ia membawa makanan itu untukmu, dan hendaklah ia berlaku lemah-lembut dan janganlah sekali-kali menceritakan halmu kepada seorangpun. [QS 18:19]

Panjanglah cerita Al-Kahfi ini untuk diuraikan, tetapi yang perlu digaris bawahi disini, Allah ingin mengajari kita “penghuni Kahfi yang tertidur sangat lama menyuruh temannya keluar gua untuk ke kota, membeli makanan. Dan diingatkan untuk selalu bersikap dan berlaku lemah lembut selama dalam perjalanan, sampai ke kota, sampai membeli makanan (berjual beli dengan pedagangnya), dst”. Disinilah hikmah yang disampaikan Allah akan sifatnya Al-Latief tersebut. Bahwa dalam urusan kita dengan manusia lain, bahwalah sifat dia ini (sifat Maha Lemah Lembut).

Demikianlah sedikit kutipan dari buku tersebut.

Untuk kita renungi, lebih lanjut kisah Musa AS ini, jika kita baca Al-Quran:

Setelah dapat perintah, Musa meminta kepada Allah, agar bolehlah kiranya dia membawa serta saudaranya Nabi Harun AS. Dia merasa punya kelemahan dalam bertutur kata, sedangkan Harun AS, terkenallah seorang nabi yang sangat lemah lembut penuh dengan sifat Al-Latief pancaran dari Illahi. dan jadikanlah untukku seorang pembantu dari keluargaku,(yaitu) Harun, saudaraku, [QS 20: 29-30]

Allah mengabulkan permohonan tersebut.

Allah berfirman: "Sesungguhnya telah diperkenankan permintaanmu, hai Musa." [QS 20: 36]

Demikianlah “percakapan” Musa AS dengan Allah SWT. Terasalah di bathin kita alangkah nikmatnya Musa AS, bermohon, meminta, dan permintaannya dikabulkan oleh kekasihnya Allah SWT.

Hikmah yang bisa kita petik dari percakapan Musa AS ini adalah:

1. “Manusia pastilah punya kelemahan, dan wajib bagi manusia menyadari kelemahannya itu”. Orang yang tidak sadar akan kelemahannya dan kekurangannya tidak akan mungkin bisa berubah, layaknya Fir’aun yang merasa tidak pernah punya kelemahan. Nabi Musa menyadari kelemahannya. Dalam ilmu management ini menjadi dasar untuk semua pekerjaan (know where and what you are now).

2. Setelah menyadari dan mengakui kelemahan itu, datanglah kepada Allah untuk memohon, sembari merencanakan sebuah solusinya (planning for a solution). Nabi Musa, mendapatkan solusi itu, yaitu “saya harus pergi dengan saudara saya Harun”.

Demikianlah hikmah yang bisa disampaikan pada hari terbaik ini. Mudah-mudahan bermanfaat khususnya buat penulis tulisan ini.

Untuk direnungi:

Nasi goreng yang sangat enak, jika disajikan diatas piring yang kurang bagus dan menarik, kuranglah sedap untuk disantap

Wallahu’alam. Mohon maaf atas segala kesalahan.
Khusyu' berdua dengan Allah SWT

Bismillahirrahmaanirrahim. Allah mengajari kita untuk memulai sesuatu dengan menyebut namaNya.

Kalau pada kesempatan lalu telah digambarkan, bagaimana rasa hati kita membaca surat Al-Fathihah ayat ke 5, yaitu bahwa Allah SWT tidak memerlukan perantara (tidak memerlukan broker) dalam doa-doa yang kita panjatkan dan permohonan-permohonan yang kita panjatkan. Disampaikan juga hikmah bahwa dalam urusan memuji sebaiknya kita pakai perantara (broker), tetapi dalam urusan minta tolong dan penyembahan sebaiknya langsung secara private (one-to-one).

One-to-one disini dimaksudkan bahwa, kita bertemu langsung dengan Allah SWT (one yang satu), sedangkan one yang satunya lagi adalah kita (sendiri) atau kita secara bersama-sama.

Ada yang menarik untuk kita renungi ayat 5 ini. Perhatikanlah kembali ayat ini:

5. Hanya Engkaulah yang kami sembah, dan hanya kepada Engkaulah kami meminta pertolongan. (You alone do we worship and You alone do we implore for help)

Jika kita perhatikan ayat ini menyatakan: ada sesuatu yang disembah (Engkau atau Allah), dan ada sesuatu yang menyembah (kami). Perhatikanlah bahwa yang digunakan adalah persona jamak "kami" (we).

Demikianlah, tampaknya Allah ingin mengajari kita bahwa kalau Anda ingin menyembah Aku dan meminta tolong kepadaKu, datanglah kepadaKu dengan berjamaah.

Kisah Pak Rahmat

Alkisah, Pak Rahmat adalah seorang bapak yang cukup kaya di satu kota kecil di Sumatra. Dia punya 12 orang anak. Salah satu anaknya sangat badung. Maklumlah anak itu anak paling bungsu, dan baru beranjak remaja. Anak yang lainnya, sholeh dan sholehah.

Suatu kali pada libur semesteran, anak yang paling badung ingin sekali melihat kota Jakarta. Dia berpikir "kalau saya datang ke Papah, minta uang mau ke Jakarta, pastilah Papah tidak mau kasih". Si badung berpikir keras. Tiba-tiba dia dapat ide cemerlang.

Si badung, mendekati 3 orang kakaknya yang paling sholeh, paling di cintai si Papah. Sembari membujuk kakaknya "ayo doong kita ke Jakarta, kan asyik lihat-lihat Ancol, Taman Mini...".

Sang kakak ber-tiga karena belum pernah lihat-lihat Jakarta, timbul pula keinginan untuk kesana. Mereka bertiga (berempat dengan si badung) ber-rapat. Diputuskanlah mereka ber-4 menghadap Papah nya.

"Pah kami kan sekarang liburan. Kami belum pernah keluar kota ini. Kami tahu di Jakarta itu kota besar, banyak taman dan hiburan"

"Pah kami ingiin sekali diijinkan, boleh pergi liburan ke Jakarta".

Karena yang meminta adalah anak-anak kepercayaan, anak-anak yang berbakti ke si Papah, tergeraklah hati si Papah untuk mengijinkannya, walau disitu ada si badung. Sambil memberi ongkos, Pak Rahmatpun berpesan "Tapi, hati-hati. Jaga adikmu ini ya".

"YESSSS !!!!", kata si badung dalam hati kecilnya.

Demikianlah, sedikit kisah keluarga Pak Rahmat.

Kembali ke ayat 5 surat Al-fathihah diatas, kita dapat resapi (dari kisah Pak Rahmat tadi), bahwa kalaulah kita amalannya masih sedikit, sedekah masih jarang-jarang, ada dosa-dosanya, tidaklah mengapa itu kita bawa dalam diri-kita sewaktu menyembah dan minta tolong kepada Allah,

asal,

seperti yang diajarkan Allah, datanglah kepada dia dengan berjamaah.

Tentulah terkandung makna disini, jamaah bagaimana yang kita harus pilih. Yaitu jamaah yang kita yakini, banyak kekasih-kekasih Allah didalamnya. Kita berharap doa yang kita panjatkan bersama jamaah kekasih-kekasih Allah itu dapatlah diterima oleh Allah SWT.

Kalau Anda, punya uang Rp. 15.000 dan Anda ingin membeli 1 buah durian, bukankah Anda spend some time untuk pilih pilih duriannya? Anda bolak-balik. Ketok-ketok. Ciumi durian-durian itu. Tanya-tanya pendapat si penjual. Sampai Anda pada satu pilihan "Ya saya beli yang ini".

Beda halnya, dengan uang Rp. 15,000 itu anda beli 2 kg Dukuh Palembang. Tentulah Anda tidak terlalu pilih-pilih satu demi satu dukuh itu, apa busuk, atau bagaimana. Kalaulah di rumah ada satu dua dukuh yang busuk, tapi sebagian besar manis-manis, tentulah itu tidak mengurangi rasa syukur anda menikmani dukuh yang sebagian besar manis-manis itu bukan?

Penutup

Demikianlah tampaknya hikmah yang terkandung dalam ayat 5 ini. Jikalah yang digunakan bentuk persona tunggal "saya" (I): "Kepada Engkau sajalah Aku menyembah, dan kepada Engkau sajalah Aku minta tolong", tentulah disini Allah akan lihat-lihat ke kita. Kita akan disigi (scrutinize) secara mendalam oleh Allah. Sama seperti waktu anda mau beli Satu buah durian bukan?

Tetapi tidak begitu yang Allah ajarkan kita. "Kepada Engkau sajalah Kami menyembah, dan kepada Engkau sajalah Kami minta tolong". Disini terkandung maksud, "kalaupun kamu merasa amalmu masih buruk, datanglah bersama-sama orang yang kamu anggap baik amalannya kepadaku". Semakin banyak jamaahnya, tentulah tidak begitu kentara diri kita ini yang kurang amalnya. Sama seperti sebuah duku busuk ditengah 2 kg duku manis, bukan?

Sebagai penutup, Rasulullah SAW pernah berpesan dalam beberapa pesan, yang kurang lebih bunyinya:

"pandai-pandailah mencari teman. berteman dengan tukang besi / tukang las, Anda akan bau bakaran, berteman dengan tukang penjual parfum, Anda akan ikut tercium wangi"

"seseorang berada di akhirat bersama orang yang dicintainya (tentu disini termasuk dengan teman-teman yang dicintai). jika dia mencintai Rasul, dia bersama rasul di syurga (tentu termasuk disini, jika dia bersama thagut, dia bersama thagut itu di neraka)"

"Allah melipat-gandakan palaha orang yang sholat berjamaah 27x lipat".

Di Quran banyak sekali ayat-ayat yang menganjurkan berbuat baik salah satunya perintah menganjurkan memberi makan orang miskin.

1. Tahukah kamu orang yang mendustakan agama? (Have you considered the case of one who belies the Requital and Faith?)

2. Itulah orang yang menghardik anak yatim, (as a result of it this (despicable) fellow (instead of taking care of him with affection) repulses the orphan,)

3. dan tidak menganjurkan memberi makan orang miskin (and does not urge in feeding of the needy)

Perhatikanlah kata-kata menganjurkan. Secara pasti kata "menganjurkan (to urge)" ini mengandung makna ada orang yang menganjurkan, ada orang yang diberi anjuran itu. Perhatikan bahwa dengan orang miskin saja kita disuruh Allah agar menganjurkan orang lain untuk memberi makan (tentu saja contoh yang baik kita dulu yang memberi makan). Disini sekali lagi tergambar bahwa untuk berbuat baik, Allah mengajari kita agar melakukannya secara berjamaah.

Wallahu'alam.

Back from CamLing

I'm just back from a linguistics conference in Cambridge, CamLing 2007, where I presented a talk on number borrowing in Berber. If you missed it, you can view the slides at my homepage.

The conference was interesting, and I won't go into too much detail on it, but one thing I was surprised and saddened to learn (from Mary Ochoa) was that Yucatec Maya, one of the largest Maya languages, is extremely threatened. It has nearly a million speakers, but, except in the remotest villages, practically all Yucatec children are being spoken to exclusively in Spanish by their parents. Some parents even tell their children not to speak Yucatec or they'll punish them. Like Navajo, another Native American language that was flourishing until lately, it seems to be headed for a massive, rapid decline over the next fifty years.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Iraqiya

I am writing this blog to explain what a typical Iraqi woman goes through in her daily life , and to comment on both social and political circumstances the country is going through .
So starts Iraqiya76, an Iraqi woman who works for a government ministry. Already at 3 posts and this blog is becoming something for essential reading...
....I want to be able to come to work and think of something other than " oh no it might explode here or maybe there ....who is gonna take care of my daughter if I die? " ever since an explosion took place near where we were driving ...and when I say close I mean really close maybe like 40 meters away its a miracle we made it if the driver had gone a few meters closer I wouldnt be here now ! please I want to be able to think of something else other than this something like work like a vacation like what im gonna make for lunch ....the constant feeling that I have is will I MAKE IT HOME ALIVE !!! I just wish that the day where I dont have to worry about these things will come soon !
keep on blogging Iraqiya!

Monday, March 19, 2007

Return of the Thousand Verses

I decided to inflict upon my readers my attempt to translate the first 15 lines of Alfiyyat Ibn Mālik, a medieval poem summarising Arabic grammar which I described some time ago. The original may have been written more for mnemonic than artistic purposes, but at least it takes fewer liberties with the metre... For best results, I recommend using an alliterative residulator.
Muḥammad, who is the son of Mālik, says:
My Lord God, the best master, I praise,
Praying for the Prophet, the Chosen One,
And his noble relatives every one.
And I seek God's help in a thousand-line
Poem in which grammar's basics are outlined,
Simplifying the hardest, concisely distilled,
And offering gifts, with a promise fulfilled,
Bringing contentment without any misery
Surpassing the thousand-liner of Ibn Mu`ṭī
Which previously took first position,
Deserving my praise and recognition;
And abundant gifts may God decree
In the Afterlife's stages for him and me!
A meaningful utterance is a sentence, like “Stand up, [birds]!”,
And nouns, and verbs, and particles are words
(The singular is word), and speech has general sense -
And “word” may also be used to mean “sentence”.
By genitive, indefinite, vocative, and “the”
And predication the noun is seen clearly;
By the t of fa`al-ta1 and 'ata-t2, and the y of if`al-ī3,
And the n of 'aqbil-anna4, known the verb will be;
Apart from them is the particle, like hal5 and 6 and lam7.
A verb in the imperfect follows lam, like yašam.
Distinguish verbs' perfect by t, and recognise
By n the imperative verb, if imperatives arise.
And if in the imperative n has no place to dwell,
It's a noun, such as for instance ṣah9 and ḥayyahal10.
1. you did
2. she came
3. do! (f.)
4. approach!
5. question marker
6. in
7. not (past)
9. ssh!
10. over here!

Original text:

قال محمد هو ابن مالك * أحمد ربي الله خير مالك
مصليا على الرسول المصطفى * وآله المستكملين الشرفا
وأستعين الله في ألفيه * مقاصد النحو بها محويه
تقرّب الأقصى بلفظ موجز * وتبسط البذل بوعد منجز
وتقتضي رضا بغير سخط * فائقة ألفية ابن معطي
وهو بسبق حائز تفضيلا * مستوجب ثنائي الجميلا
والله يقضي بهبات وافره * لي وله في درجات الآخره
كلامنا لفظ مفيد كاستقم * واسم وفعل ثم حرف الكلم
واحده كلمة والقول عم * وكلمة بها كلام قد يؤم
بالجر والتنوين والندا وأل * ومسند للاسم تمييز حصل
بتا فعلت وأنت ويا افعلي * ونون أقبلنّ فعل ينجلي
سواهما الحرف كهل وفي ولم * فعل مضارع يلي لم كيشم
وماضي الأفعال بالتا مز، وسم * بالنون فعل أمر إن أمر فُهم
والأمر إن لم يك للنون محل * فيه هو اسم نحو صه وحيّهل

Thursday, March 15, 2007

True Strength

We are like teabags whose true strength comes out when we're put in hot water. So when problems beset you, just think you must be ALLAH's favorite cup of tea!source: a member of Leicester Muslims msn group

Slovak diglossia and Papuan Austronesian

If you're interested in diglossia, or sociolinguistics, or prescriptivism - and who isn't? :) - check out Bulbul's latest post on Standard Slovak. Also, a rare linguistics post on Far Outliers discusses the development of the Austronesian languages of the Huon Gulf.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Zenaga and Mauritania

Mauritania deserves some attention this week. On the rare occasions when it makes Western headlines, it's generally for slavery or famine, but this week it's distinguishing itself in a rather nobler fashion: holding its first free presidential elections. This is all the more remarkable because it comes some months after a military coup deposing the dictator who ruled Mauritania for 21 years, Maaouya Ould Taya; is it possible that a coup leader actually wants to step down in favour of an elected government? One can but hope that the appearance corresponds to the reality...

Anyway, in commemmoration of this event, I will talk a little about Zenaga this week. Zenaga is the nearly-extinct Berber language of Mauritania. Until about five hundred years ago it was spoken throughout most of the country; its ancestor would have been the language of the Almoravids. However, after the main Berber tribe, the Lamtuna, was defeated by the Arab Beni Ma`qil, most tribes gradually shifted to Hassaniya Arabic, which itself came to contain numerous Zenaga loanwords. The "marabout" tribes, those specialising in Islamic religious learning, retained Zenaga longest, and to this day it continues to be used, at least by the elderly, in a few areas near the southern Atlantic coast. It is remarkably divergent from other Berber varieties, due partly to a number of sound shifts (x > k, l > dj) and partly to a rather different vocabulary, incorporating words rare elsewhere in Berber along with Wolof and Pulaar loanwords. In addition to influencing Hassaniya Arabic, it has also contributed a number of loanwords to the Azer dialect of Soninke, and several words - notably the words for three of the five prayer times, and some religious holidays - to Wolof. Catherine Taine-Cheikh has been doing some documentation of it.

At least one of the few books on this language is available online: Le Zénaga des tribus sénégalaises, by General Faidherbe - although, chillingly, the author dedicates it to the genocidal mass murderer King Leopold II.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Shah Wali-u Allah

Shah Wali-u Allah was born on 4th Shawwaal, 1114 / 21 February 1703 1703 at Phulat in Delhi. His ancestors had migrated from Arabia to Iran for reasons not known. Later on when the invasion of the Tatars caused widely spread terror and destruction in Iraq and Iran, the forefathers of the Shah are said to have migrated to India and found their settlement here at Rohtak village. His grandfather was

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Cultural Overload

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm feeling swamped by culture, right here in Dubai. After a decade and a bit of believing the place to be a cultural wasteland*, suddenly it's not any more. There is so much stuff going on right now that it is impossible to decide what to go to. Or you could just be sensible, stay home, and save your money for the Departure Fund. And now that the stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road between Jebel Ali and Mall of the Emirates has assumed some kind of normality, at least early on a Friday evening, we can actually get to Media City or DUCTAC without too many problems.

Two weeks ago: Roger Waters.

One week ago: DDG Romeo and Juliet at DUCTAC.

Yesterday: Desert Rock at the Country Club, International Jazz Festival at Media City and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana at DUCTAC.

Ongoing: Art Fair at DIFC.

We opted for Carmina Burana last night, and it was wonderful. It was a joint effort by the Dubai Chamber Orchestra and the long-established Dubai Singers. Both are amateur groups but their standards are very high. The first half comprised Mozart's 'Abduction of the Seraglio', followed by the world premiere of 'At Last They Rest' by Barnaby Priest. It was a wonderful piece, and I really hope there's a CD or DVD of the gig that we can get our hands on. The second half was all Carmina Burana, performed by about 68 Singers, 24 Dubai American Academy students, and the orchestra of about 26. Without any amplification, the wall of sound they produced was breathtaking.

And today DUCTAC is hosting a Palestinian Children's Orchestra. BetterArf has gone to that this afternoon: I have to get some work done!

*For certain ethnic groups: the BBC actually made a documentary on this topic about 8 years ago - it was heavily biased and ignored efforts by groups like The Singers, Dubai Drama Group, The Harmony Chorus and embryonic Orchestras. I cannot speak for Asian cultural groups, but they are plentiful and productive. And now both Abu Dhabi and Dubai have realised that people need more than just work to sustain them, and that there is money in art, they are both hurling funds at projects to build theatres, galleries, entire Cultural Districts.

It's a good thing.

UPDATE: BetterArf just got back from the gig. It was performed by students of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, which has branches in Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Guess what? Three of the students were not allowed into the UAE because they had Israeli passports. No real surprise there, but can somebody please explain to me what is the point? Everybody knows you can go to Israel if you want to, and they'll stamp a visa on a separate piece of paper rather than in your actual passport. Some governments will even give you a second passport if you need to move between Israel and Arab countries frequently.

But how does stopping three students from entering our country help further the cause of peace?

Obtaining a Student Visa



Students from outside Europe (that is, students from countries other than the 18 countries of the European Economic Zone, plus Andorra, Monaco, Switzerland, San Marino, and the Vatican) must obtain a long-term visa marked étudiant if they intend to study in France for more than 6 months.
After the first year of study, visas are automatically renewed, provided the student holding the visa is able to produce the required documentation.



Three Pieces of Advice

1 - A tourist visa cannot be converted into a student visa in France or in any other country of the European Union.

2- If you plan to complete two programs in succession (such as a program in French as a foreign language, followed by an academic program), obtain admission to both programs before applying for your visa so that your visa will be valid for the duration of your period of study. French visas can not be extended in France.

3- A special visa exists for prospective students. The so-called étudiant-concours visa is granted for stays of no more than 90 days for the purpose of taking an entrance examination or visiting institutions of higher education. Prospective students who pass their examination receive a full student visa without returning to their country of origin. The prospective student visa also may be granted to students whose admission to a higher education institution is contingent upon their completion of a short course of remedial or refresher work.
To obtain a visa, visit the French consulate in your place of residence or the visa office of the French embassy.

Two Points to Remember

•Under no circumstances may a tourist visa be converted into a student visa. This is true throughout the European Union.

•International students of all nationalities intending to stay in France for more than 3 months must obtain a student identification card.

What documentation do I need to get a visa?

- A Passport
The passport must be valid for the entire period of validity of the visa.

- Proof of enrollment
The following documents will be accepted as proof:
• An offer of preliminary admission
• A statement of preregistration in a public or private institution of higher education. The document must specify the level of study and the student's subject. If the institution is private, the statement must indicate the number of course hours and state that registration fees have been been paid in full.

- Proof of financial resources
Each French embassy sets the level of financial resources to be demonstrated by prospective students from that country. The amount is on the order of 3,000 francs
( about 450 euros) for each month to be spent in France.

•Students receiving scholarship grants must produce a statement indicating the amount and duration of their grant on the letterhead of the granting organization.

•If the required resources are guaranteed by an individual residing in France the student must produce a signed statement of financial responsibility, a photocopy of the national identity card of the guarantor, and proof of the guarantor's own financial resources (such as the guarantor's three most recent pay stubs and most recent tax return).

•If the resources come from abroad, the student must demonstrate that a bank account has been opened into which the necessary funds will be deposited and produce a promise of payment, translated into French and bearing the authenticated signature of the individual responsible for making the payments, or a statement of payment of funds from the authorities of the student's country of origin.

- Proof of insurance coverage
Proof of insurance must be provided by students over 28 who are nationals of a country that does not have a reciprocity agreement with France or who are enrolled in an institution that is not recognized by the French government to participate in the student health insurance plan.

- Parental authorization
Minors (individuals under 18 years of age) must furnish proof of consent by the person or persons having parental authority.

- Required vaccinations
In some cases, the consulate may require proof of vaccination (e.g., against yellow fever, cholera…) before a visa will be issued.


International students of all nationalities residing in France for more than 3 months must obtain a student residency permit (which is distinct from a visa), within two months of their arrival in France

Complying with legal requirements once in France

As soon as you arrive in France, you'll want to take two important steps to comply with French immigration regulations. The sooner you get these formalities out of the way, the smoother and more pleasant your stay will be.

1 - Report to your new university or school and register for classes.

2 - Apply for a student residency permit (if you will be staying for longer than 3 months.
Pay close attention to the documents that you will have to present. Originals are often required. All students must report and register each year. The procedure is the same in all universities. In nonuniversity institutions of higher education it differs from institution to institution.

Your Residency Permit

The second thing you'll have to do once you arrive is apply for your residency permit. All international students must obtain such a permit, even those who are entitled to reside in France without a visa.
International students who intend to study in France for more than 3 months must visit the préfecture (or government center) for their area to obtain a temporary residency permit showing their student status. The temporary residency permit is valid until the expiration date of the applicant's passport or until the date of completion of the applicant's academic program, whichever comes first. The permit must be renewed annually.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Saudi Dialect Map

An item of passing interest that caught my eye, and seems quite hard to find online: a Saudi Dialect Map. Unfortunately, there is little information on what (if any?) data this is based on, but there are other interesting materials on the author's website. Of the dialects pictured, the Najdi dialect is rather remarkable for its conservatism; it retains both the classical passive and tanwin.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

The Louvre in Abu Dhabi

A few months ago it was announced that The Louvre, Paris, France, was going to open a branch at Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. The Guggenheim chain of Art supermarkets will also be opening a branch on Saadiyat. Yesterday Sheikh Khalifa, President of the UAE, had a meeting with Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, French Minister of Culture to talk about the Louvre project.

Picture the scene, a few years hence: the Museum is finished (and it looks like a very interesting building, by the way). The first consignment of paintings and sculptures has arrived at Mina Zayed. Crates are being opened and examined by Customs Officers (CO) in the presence of a Museum Official (MO).

CO: What's this? Looks like a constipated weasel...

MO: Eet ees La Gioconda, ze most purrfect painting everr made!

CO (on phone to imam): Imam? Look, having a problem here, some geezer from the Louvre wants to bring in a painting of a lady...

IMAM: Has she got her kit on?

CO: Yes, but, she's uglee.

IMAM: Hmm. Figurative art. Not allowed mate. Chuck it in the sea.

Splash. Next.

CO: By crikey, that's a big crate, what's in it?

MO: (gulp) Le Venus de Milo. Ees a two-zousand-year-old statue.

CO: Statue? Of a person?

The crate is opened

CO: Hell's teeth, looks at those Charlies! Ermmm, where's her arms?

MO: Eet was discovered in 1820, dug up from under ze ground. Zey could not find zee arms or zee plinth.

CO: (on the phone again) Imam? Me again. Look, this geezer's got a statue of a neckid woman.

IMAM: I'm coming...

CO: But listen, she ain't got no arms!

IMAM: Yeww. Chuck it in the sea.

Splash. Next.

CO: What a small box! What's in it?

MO: Ze Regent Diamond. Eez 140 carrots.

CO: I'll take care of that, shukran.

MO: !

CO: Next!

MO: Ah! Ze Frieze of Archers, from Persia, 522 AD

CO: Figurative! Sea! Next! (pause) Ah, this is a huge box, what's in it?

MO: A wardrobe

CO: Oh, right, that should be ok! (crate is opened, CO observes human figures portrayed on doors). Bugger.

Splash.

MO: Right, you cannot object to ziss. Eet ees a metal basin from 1320, made by an Arab called Mohammed ibn Al-Zain! Surely ziss iss fine?

CO: Lemme see...looks like a procession of Emirs decorating the sides there.

Splash.

And so on. The Louvre is packed solid with figurative art, it's what they do. How does Abu Dhabi plan to square the circle? Islam prohibits figurative art because it might encourage idolatry (yeah, right, I'm gonna worship a wardrobe). It is also robustly opposed to the idea of depicting people in their natural state. If this move by the Abu Dhabi Gubment is meant to presage some kind of shift in policy then that is seriously good news. Otherwise the Louvre in Abu Dhabi is a non-starter.

Curators at the Louvre are none too pleased about this either.

Tamazight near Blida (Algeria)

A friend of mine alerted me to an interesting article in Ech Chorouk (3/3/2007): Beni Mesra - the forgotten people of the Blida Atlas. It describes a rural area near Blida where a Berber language was spoken within living memory, and is still spoken by the older generation. Dispersed first by the French counterinsurgency policy of forcing the inhabitants of many rural areas off their land during the War of Independence, and again by the violence of the civil war of the 1990s - to say nothing of the economic incentives to leave the area - their problems are tragically typical of much of rural Algeria. However, it is their nearly-vanished language which is of particular interest here; they represent a last survival of Tamazight in the otherwise entirely Arabic-speaking region south of Algiers. The author, Mohamed Arezki Ferad (who has written a book on the Tamazight of Tipasa), states:
‬ ومما لا شك فيه، أن مأساة بني مصرا لم تنحصر في الجانب الاجتماعي فقط بل امتدت إلى موروثهم الثقافي الأمازيغي الذي ضاع منهم لهجرتهم وتشتتهم في شتى التجمعات السكانية في سهل متيجة بفعل جرائم الاستعمار الفرنسي خاصة خلال ثورة نوفمبر، ثم جاءت أحداث الإرهاب الأعمى لتفرغ‮ ‬عرش‮ ‬بني‮ ‬مصرا‮ ‬نهائيا‮ ‬من‮ ‬سكانه‮ ‬بنزوح‮ ‬سكان‮ ‬قرية‮ »‬يما‮ ‬حليمة‮« ‬المقدر‮ ‬عددهم‮ ‬حوالي‮ ‬200‮ ‬عائلة‮ ‬سنة‮ ‬1996م‮.

وإذا كانت الأمازيغية قد ضمرت إلى درجة أنها لم تعد لغة التواصل لدى جيل الاستقلال، فإنها مازالت حية ترزق على صعيد أسماء الأماكن المتداولة حتى في أوساط الشباب يحمل معظمها معاني الحقل (إقر) العين (ثلا) والثنية (تيزي) والسهل (الوضا) أو (أقني) نذكر منها: ثالة أقنتور/ ثيزي علي/ ثامده أوقني/ ذفير لوضا/ لعزيب/ أحلوق/ ثاحامولت/ آيث غرورة/ يما حليمة/ ثلايلف/ إسبغان/ ثاقاديرث/ آيت أعمرولحاج/ أبريذ إخوان/ ثيزي وزال/ إقر أوزار/ إخف إقر/ إكر تازارت/ إغزر أوشاش/ إغيل أحروش/ ثيقرت وذغاغ/ ثلا أو مكراز/ إغيل أشكير/ ثاوريرث/ ثامرزوقث/ ثيزي أتسيثان. وحسب الحوار الذي جرى بيني وبين أهل بني مصرا، فإن لهجتهم الأمازيغية قريبة جدا من لسان القبائل الكبرى ولا تختلف عنها إلا في بعض الكلمات القليلة أذكر منها: أذر (البلوط) أحزاو (الطفل).

There is no doubt that the Beni Mesra's plight was not limited to the social side alone, but extended to their Amazigh cultural heritage, which was lost to them due to their migration and dispersal in various settlement centres on the Mitidja plain through the crimes of the French colonisation, particularly during the November Revolution; then blind terrorism came to finally empty the Beni Misra's land of its inhabitants, with the emigration of the inhabitants of Yemma Halima, who numbered 200 families in 1996.

And even if Tamazight has declined to the point that it has not remained the language of communication for the Independence generation, it is still alive and well on the level of placenames used even among the youth, most meaning field (iger), spring (tala), pass (tizi), plain (luḍa, ag°ni), of which we name: Tala Ugentur, Tizi Ɛli, Tamda Ugni, Deffir Luḍa, Laɛzib, Aḥluq, Taḥamult, Ayt Гrura, Yemma Ḥlima, Tala Ilef, Isebγan, Tagadirt, Ayt A`mer Elḥaj, Abrid Ixwan, Tizi Uzzal, Iger Uzar, Ixf Iger, Iger Tazart, Iγzer Ucac, Iγil Aḥruc, Tigert Udγaγ, Tala Umekraz, Iγil Ackir, Tawrirt, Tamerzugt, Tizi Atsitan. And according to discussion between me and the people of Beni Mesra, their Tamazight dialect is very close to the language of Grande Kabylie, and differs from it only in a few words, including: ader (acorn), aḥzaw (child).
Earlier he gives an example of the dialect:

وقد علق أحد المواطنين الذي بدت عليه مسحة الحزن والمرارة على وضع المصراويين المأساوي، باللسان الأمازيغي ما معناه: إن الكثير من الجزائريين الذين تبوّأوا مراتب عليا في دواليب الدولة قد أنستهم تخمة المناصب ما للشهداء من فضل وما لأفراد الشعب المنسي من دور في وصولهم إلى مراتب المسؤولية، لذلك أداروا ظهورهم لمن صنع ملحمة النصر (يتشور أوعبوظيس، يتسو ذفيريس).

One of the locals, upon whom the signs of sadness and bitterness over the terrible plight of the Mesraouis were apparent, commented in the Tamazight language that many Algerians who have reached high state positions, satisfied with rank, forget the preference due to the martyrs (of the revolution) and the role of the forgotten members of the people in their reaching positions of responsibility, so they turned their backs on those who made the battlefield of victory (yeččur uɛebbuḍ-is, yettsu deffir-is.)

Monday, March 5, 2007

Middle East Madness

Two things struck me in today's Gulf News

1) The Grand Mufti of Egypt (and I'm sorry I cannot find the link in the online GN) says that women cannot be Judges. Oh yeah, why's that? Apparently it's because the source of law in Egypt is Shari'a (I thought Egypt was more or less secular). And Shari'a says that a woman cannot be alone in a room with unrelated men. Since Judges frequently work on a panel of three, and need to consult each other in private, it is not possible for women to be Judges. Well, listen Mr Mufti. A Judge can sit alone, yes? So no problem. Or there may be two lady Judges and one bloke. Who's wrong now? I find this whole thing incredibly demeaning, and I know I will get into trouble for this, but...why does Islam presume that a civilized man and a civilized woman cannot be alone together for whatever reason without instantly leaping on one another to have hot sex? It's even more insulting for this Mufti guy to suggest that highly-educated Judges of whatever sex cannot control themselves.

He then goes on to say that the propensity of women to get pregnant and have children is also a problem, although he does not specify why. Can somebody please tell me why Islam always places the blame (or at least the punishment) on women?

Those damned Jezebels, temptresses, I'm only a bloke, my willy does the thinking, how can anything be my fault!???!@!

2) The UAE Ministry of Education has announced that from the beginning of the next academic year, public and private schools will all follow the same holiday and examination schedule. With the greatest respect to the honourable Ministry, this is complete and utter bollocks. How can a private school following Indian board courses hold their exams on the dates/times specified by MinEd? Or British, European or American schools? The exams are set by external bodies, and are run worldwide at the specified times.

Sadly, this is yet another case of MinEd announcing first, consulting later, rescinding thereafter.

You would think they would learn, given the business they are in, but no. Every two or three years, they have a go at enforcing segregated schooling. Schools are given something like two or three weeks' notice, when really they need two years. But in any case, parents of kids in private schools pay a shitload of money in fees so that their kids get the education they need, not what MinEd thinks they should have. And if I wanted my child to grow up as some kind of dysfunctional weirdo in a single-sex school, I'd have sent him to Eton!

If it was up to me, the Ministry of Education would have no role whatsoever in private education: they don't understand the concept, hell they don't even seem to know that international exam boards cannot change their exam dates to suit the whims of a local in the UAE MinEd. Why they are involved in trying to regulate private education at all is a complete mystery to me.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Dhikr

The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has said that one who has been obeying Allah - that is, following the injunctions with regards to the Halal and Haram - has truly been remembering Allah, in spite of being deficient in (nafl: supererogatory) prayers and fasting, while one who has been disobeying divine commandments has, in fact, forgotten Allah, in spite of devoting long hours to nafl prayers

Friday, March 2, 2007

Destroying Harsusi

I just came across some incredibly unenlightened reporting from Al Watan on one of the more endangered South Arabian languages (not, pace the article, a dialect of Arabic - in fact, it's less closely related to Arabic than Syriac or Hebrew are):

وتحدثنا المعلمة شيخة بنت راشد الهنائي إحدى المشرفات على الفصل التمهيدي ومعلمة مادة التربية الإسلامية بالمدرسة قائلة : الفصول التمهيدية التي سعت إدارة التربية والتعليم بالمنطقة بتنفيذه في مدارسها وللعام الثاني على التوالي يأتي بالعديد من الأهداف والتي تتمحور في الأساس لتشمل فئة من الأطفال الذين يتوقع التحاقهم بالصف الأول الأساسي في العام الدراسي القادم حيث تأتي في مقدمة هذه الأهداف تعويد الطالب على الجو المدرسي من خلال طابور الصباح والانخراط مع الطلبة في المدرسة والفصل الدراسي وتأقلمهم مع المعلمة داخل القاعة الدراسية وغرس التعاون والجو الاجتماعي في نفس الطالب قبل دخوله المدرسة وإكساب الطلبة العديد من المهارات في القراءة والكتابة والعمليات الحسابية وكذلك العمل على القضاء على اللهجة السائدة والطاغية على أهالي هيماء وهي اللهجة الحرسوسية من خلال الحروف والكلمات العربية الصحيحة لأنه في الحقيقة تواجه إدارة المدرسة عند التحاق الطلبة في الصف الأول مشكلة فتجد المعلمة الصعوبة في تفهم هؤلاء الطلبة من خلال هذه اللهجة الحرسوسية
"The teacher of Islamic Upbringing at the school, Sheikha bint Rashid al-Hana'i [s]aid: "The preschools that the Ministry of Education in the area has undertaken to implement in its schools for the second year running will bring about a variety of goals [...] the children will gain many skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and we will work on destroying the dialect which is prevalent and rife among the inhabitants of Hayma, the Harsusi dialect, through correct Arabic letters and words, because it truly presents the school administration with a problem when the students enter first grade, because the teacher finds it difficult to understand these students in this Harsusi dialect." (Al Watan, 15 Apr 2005)
I wonder if her echo of the language policies that half-destroyed Welsh or Native American languages is conscious. Somebody get over there and make some recordings of Harsusi before people like this manage to implement these goals!