Wait a Minute, Are You A Student?
Moderator: Farid Abd Ghani
Speaker: Dr AbduRezak Abdullahi Hashi
Time: Thursday, 1-2 pm, 5/3
First son of Madam Mahani, also I can’t see any S3 members here, but I can see brother Firdaus, we have brother Firdaus, sciencess exco back there, Zainab from IAB, and fellow brothers and sisters. Welcome, welcome to sembang santai for today, my heart felt gratitude for you to be with us today. Most of us felt granted to ustaz rezak today, and we will discuss a lot later on. Before that, I'll introduce myself, I'm Farid, today's moderator insyaAllah.
Without futher a do, I would let ustaz to introduce himself before we go into questions. Ok ustaz.
Ok, thank you very much for inviting me to this lunch hour discussion. We always have classes a formal, a subject is already there, but a sometimes in a classes, when you're in classes you feel very formalized and then the content is already selected, the course content is already specify for you to talk about, and what not to talk about, and therefore sometimes you need go to some informal discussion..
So, I think that you want to have lunch and discussion at the same time haa.. Two in one, dua dalam satu. So which is good actually, how we talk about informal discussion while we don't have depression of taking no ye know, of whatever so.. I think I agree with that spirit, so sometimes you need more wider discussion in a topic.
So I think in my discussion, my introduction, I think we all know each other, either you nor me. Department of Biotechnology, lecturer of UNGS, and philosophy of Islam and Science as well as other subjects, while I think we generally we know each other. When you asked me to introduce myself, I generally don't know where to start unless you want to know whether I'm married or not married, as a very prefer..
So, I think we straightforward we go to the discussion. We're better, I think better.
I think we don't need to go to introduction, as we know already Ustaz Rezak. and InsyaAllah for today's discussion I try to put this in a very interesting way exactly like Ustaz Rezak used to say it. So, Wait A Minute. Are You A Student, InsyaAllah, it's our topic today. Wait a minute 2.0, considering that we couldn't manage to have our Sembang Santai last week so we try to manage it this week insyaAllah, and Ustaz Rezak manage to be here this week, Alhamdulillah, so my first question.
Q1: We would like to ask ustaz to share on his extensive study experience, insyaAllah
Bismillah, first of all I would like to apologize about my absence last week, because I totally forgot, and I think if I was correct, Al-Insan is Insan. ye know, we sometimes forgot. I still enjoy somewhere in Kuliyyah of Medicine. When I came here, there are teacher reminding me, ye know..
I choose to dancing somewhere there ye know,
And don't you remember, actually you have a..
Wait a minute, [sigh] it's that true,
then, I remember, but that time I was already late. So , I apologized, for not coming or being absent last week, so this week i'm around.
Number two, talking about what's student's life is actually meant. and how I experience it in my life. In my experience, I studied in IRK, I did my Bachelor, Master and PhD in Faculty of Islam, Revealed Knowledge, and Human Sciences in Gombak IIUM. Therefore sometimes I introduce myself as I am, as normally we say saya anak UIA. I am child of IIUM, just to say even I started my English languange, I started in here. and came to here, my English languange is very.. poor. You cannot imagine, it's like almost flat ye know. Can say it's know. My teacher said, "why you didn't pass my classes?" ye know.
And I came remember, in 1996 I think most you at that time are either two years or three years old or some of you are not yet born. [sigh]
In 1996 so, I attended. I sit for English Placement Test, so how we called it, EPT and APT, Arabic Placement Test. APT I didn't have problem with it, I passed. I came from Arabic background, so I was ok with it, Tilawah I was also ok with it, just to show off. [sigh]
but English, I remember I was looking for EPT. And then I wrote my name, and matric number. Nothing else, I left it blank and I meant it. The reason is because I wanted to start from scratch. from zero, because sometimes I tried. I could have try, because from my previous of secondary study, English, which is very poor and general. Very poor. So if try, at least I could get two or three or forth level of English, so when I consulted and chit chat with my friends.
Hey wait a minute! They told me you that if you want to study English properly, well this is your chance. So they adviced me to start form zero, take your time, study properly and see how it goes. I took that advice, I felt that advice was useful not to delay my study but at that time, I was allowed to study about one to two years in English, depending on the level. So, what I did like it's better to start and to start it properly. Give time, relevant time, normal time. So, I wrote my name, I wrote my matric number. I tried to read the paragraphs and questions. Some of them are familiar to me, and then I thought I have to study English. This is my chance!
Because my Arabic background, my Arabic life ye know was almost dominating everything in my mind. If I started back, I studied two things in Saudi Arabia before I came to Malaysia, I studied cerficate in Maahad Imam Syatibi and there they called it as certificate in Islamic Studies, and Arabic Language. Maahad Imam Syatibi and before that I studied in Jamaah At-Tahafuzul Qur'an Al-Karim which I don't want to mentioned which you guys insisted to mentioned. That is a group of halaqat. It's like a halaqat class, they're dedicated for memorization of Quran.
So, back home. When I was in my hometown, I studied Quran, but it was not through tajweed and ye know, so when I came to Saudi Arabia I felt this is my chance to improve the Quran studies, and I spent almost one year to review naad update my memorization of Quran and I did. Not to mentioned, I was awarded, in Quranic memorization, but which grade not to mentioned there. there came to my show off! So when i finished and we were offered to join studies in ye know they called, Egypt Training Certificate. Because we were trained because we won the Quranic memorization there, the tahfiz. They selected almost 30 of us. from that, ye know contest, that the first 30 students, they selected them to become teachers, but before we become teachers of Quran and Arabic language, they say, they offer us the Egypt Training Programme, like a certificate. And there also I performing well and then I go well. And then from there, I say hey wait a minute! Now, I need to go for, to studying for my.. There I comformed two things:
Number one, I updated my Arab languange, number two I have updated also my memorization of the Quran. So it was a chance for me, and that time I applied a few universities, because when you did your secondary school back home, when you finish your secondary school, sometimes you straightforward go to university is good. But sometimes, it's good to have some kind of like, we called reaching some places, some places they called surfaces they called, I advised at least one or two years to have some updates there. That was a very good experience to me already. Why? Because a part from updating Quran studies and Arabic studies there, I also updating myself at least try to teach and share ye know the Quranic studies there.
From there, I met a good friend of mine who came from Saudi Arabia, he came with me and we pray in the mosque together. I was a student of IIUM so he did mentioned to me that, "Oh well, there is a university called IIUM ye know. International Islamic, Al-Jamiah Al-Islamiyah Bi Maliziya (Malaysia)."
I was like, and then I said, "Oh well, ok can I send my certificate with you and then you applied for me, well then we connected and then he say.."
"Well done, and give your documents and then I will see. And just present there"
That is how I came to know IIUM.
Then sometime, after sometime I got the admission offer letter, then I started my English here, they called it CELPAD. I remember, I almost confused to wrote 'P' and 'B'. When it comes to Quran recitation, we will struggle with A and 'A. Then I will enjoyed there. [sigh]
And then last night, I saw my son, he need to struggle with ha and ha'. Alhamdu.. Alhamdu... Alha'mdu.. ye know this latinized pronounciation they always have ye know, this latin, they always have challenge with ha and ha'. Those who grow in primary school, in a halaqat, they always have these pronounciation corrections. They studied with tajweed, then it is easier for you to distinguished between ha and ha', a and a'.
Anyway, we still struggling in Arabic. And in Arabic we have 'ba' and we still struggling with 'pi' and 'p', 'p' and 'b'. Anyway. I came to say that, and then I studied my English, our imam is already having fun, [sigh] so that I where I started my bachelor. Well, to say with you that I got some challenges, with the English languange I have to share with you but alhamdulillah it managed well, I finished within one year, and then after that I started my bachelor while I still have some skills, reading skills. So I started my bachelor together with ye know, well challenge might experience I can share with you. It was numerous, but one of the challenge
in the student's life in how to manage my time. That was a big challenge! Big challenge!
Generally that was a challenge, especially at that time, internet was becoming popular, and handphone were coming at 1996, 1997. So, now of course it's more challenge I think. That was a challenge, courses, and then you have spent some time with your friends, spent some time with your internet friends. That time, there was no Facebook, 14:20 but now I think that things are getting complicated. So, alhamdulillah I managed. I finished my bachelor, I finished my master, and then I finished my PhD. And then everything has gone well, and then I am will you. I still a student, I'm not proud. [sigh]
I'm still a student, I'm still learning (14:39) , I'm still reading.
Q: So, thank you to ustaz for sharing his experience. I think it is very interesting that ustaz left his EPT blank, I think most of us does the same thing right. Almost! Almost! Ok, so on to the next question, we see now that ustaz is very familiar with IIUM. He has been as a student and lecturer in IIUM. 19 years, I mean, I could remember ustaz mentioned about that. So, could ustaz share us the challenges that student generally face and how to overcome them. How we basically as a student, based on your experience.
A: Well, actually that is a very good question, it effects student's behavior and performance. But, in my experience as I said, ye know. It all depends on how you manage yourself. One of the thing that you learn in study life, or student life or university is ... Well a part of is that you attend a part of your assignments that you prepare, is how you manage yourself independently. Because before this, when you're doing your secondary, primary, basically you're dependent on your parents or your guardians. When now you come to this level of study, this is the level of study whereby you're no longer spoon fed, ye know. No more spoon feeding.
But here, in this level you are now assumed to be mature and independent, and here is our change to perform in a time management, forming good relationship, normally ye know when you're with friends, and especially trainings. So you'll be disciplined. Because when you're young, when you're still young in secondary school, `ye know people always tell you what to do, and you just follow the instructions, but at this age, this is the age that you'll start feeling like you're the one basically make decisions. What to do? Everything belongs to you, and if you notice we are in classes, unlike secondary school and primary school, where you're in university level, mainly we're associate duties to you. We asked you to write assignment, to do this, to do that, have you done this. We require more from your side, because we assumed that you are mature and independent in decision making, So, as long that you're in secondary school, we prefer for you, do this one, memorize and write it! Primary school we help you a lot.
Yes, in primary school and secondary school there are homeworks, but here we have assignments. You're assigned to a task to do. So, one of the thing that a part from your subject from your specialization. One of the thing that learn is how to do responsible, independent and ye know thing, making your own 18:00 decision. There is one thing that I've noticed ye know sometimes when I was a student, and I experienced a student life which I think it needs to be corrected. That is sometimes you feel like, you are not the decision maker, sometimes you feel like you're having less responsibility. In other words, you're a student. Even when it comes to social affairs or public affairs or public duties. You feel that some sort of techniques and the head of department, the dean, and director, and rector, those leading the institutions that you're studying are responsible for the institutions. Other institutions, they're also responsible, and the criteria they're supposed to be responsible and the ummah has responsible again to responsible people. But if you noticed that you're one of the ummah, as a student and you have the responsibility. It is true that you're the decision maker from now in a given institution, but you have friendly spoke, yes you have other duty or actual duty or whatever19:04. Before this you have duty, you have the responsibility which indeed to learn. I've noticed that today, and I always mentioned in the classes.
Today, yes you're a student. In a student life, you're doing a job for your family, for your tribe, for your nation or whatever.. Today, we need several people who supposed to learn and study. That is what we were gifted. Studying and learning is a duty itself. 19:38 Before it becomes a right, it is a right and it is your right to study. But it is a duty also. Why? Because nation needs future leaders. So, in order to have good future leaders, we need to have good student today. So, you're a student of today, children of today if you wish. If you're from mind, where you're children of today and you're the decision makers of tomorrow. I've remember of my teacher in Saudi Arabia. He came from Al-Azhar who taught me in that. He was used to say:
"Ya Aulad!” We were not aulad. We were not children actually, we're self-matured like you guys. 19.. 20.. 21 years old, but he used to say,
"Ya Aulad (Arabic Quote)"20:29 which sounds very meaningful ye know.. It's like you're the children of today, but you're the decision maker of tomorrow. When you don't prepare yourself today, you don't feel responsibility of tomorrow today, of course you cannot perform well tomorrow. And that is what we want students to realize. So if you're realize that you're going to be generation of tomorrow, decision makers of tomorrow, you'll prepare yourself now! Studying, doing your field well. Realizing your surroundings. 21:07 What are when missing. So, this are the things we need our student to do be mindful of. You need to be mindful of our responsibility.
Why?
Because, yes now your decision based on your university, your department, for your kulliyah you are in. There are some people who make decisions, but tomorrow you're going to be the decision maker so we need student student to think and see what you're doing whether it is ummatic duty or family duty, self duty. So, let us be mindful of our responsibility. Let us study back, that's the point I wanted to make.
Q3: Thanks ustaz for the advice. So, Alhamdulillah when ustaz answers the first question, it brings to the next question. We see throughly in our previous discussion, ustaz has been studied in IIUM. So, he have choices to choose universities, other universities according to his friends. So, why why IIUM ustaz? How IIUM Kuantan can reflect on your experience on how to contribute to the ummah. I believe you've mentioned last time. 22:42
A3: How IIUM Kuantan can contribute to the ummah huh.. I think you have many ways. You can contribute to the ummah in many ways. Number one, we need to start from your study first. If you improve your study, and help yourself, you're already have contributed to the ummah. Do you noticed that?
Hightlight>> "If you improve your study, and yourself already have contributed to the ummah. Do you noticed that?"
You're one member of the ummah. I think you feel that well you see, the Muslim ummah is one billion and half ye know. And I am one of them, so who am I? ye know. Nothing! My view kind of 'dot' (so tiny) ye know of the Moslem. If you think you're so little and you make no difference. You see sometimes they joke about this, and I wanted you to think about this. If you think you're so little and you cannot make difference. Think about the mosquito.
Mosquitoes are very small right, but it prevent you to sleep well at night, right. They make differences. Mosquitoes are very weak actually, by one touch, it dies. But ye know the noises they make at night. Very biteful and painful also. Very hard. When it bites, ya salam.[sigh].
At night you cannot sleep, it bites. Even it doesn't bite but it makes a loud noise. And you cannot sleep when it make noises. It just one 'makhluq'. Have you seen it? So you cannot see it even without microscope. Right?
But, it make difference. You see, no one is worthless. Everyone is worth. And it is worthy in its own way. So, based on that I think an individual, you can contribute to the society in a positive way.
Number one, you do yourself well in study.
That is already contribute to the ummah. Why? Because we don't want anybody to fail in the ummah. If you fail in the study, one of the ummah will be failed. So if you do well in your study, almost 1.5 billion Moslems, one half billion Moslems already successful.
Number two, your friends.
You share ideas. You talk to them. Some of them might facing difficulties, family difficulties. Some friends already having some physiological trauma because of some pasts that they recall or hear or maybe some of them are not feeling well, to be duty to help reasons. Or maybe some of them are not there to help because some conflicts. You can start from yourself and then you go to your neighbour or your hostel.26:03your friend, your clerk. And what assumption that you feel better within your small community. Your friends. Then, you can think about the society as a student.
In terms of helping, so especially when there are floods [sigh]. So when there is flood, and of course people become weak and they need help. So, when you're still young. I'm no longer valid, I'm old you know it. I don't have muscles. It seems when you're still young and your healthy is fresh, insyaAllah you can always be healthy. You can contribute to the ummah by helping those in natural disaster ye know. Whenever they were bleeding, ye know. Or maybe you can go to community service in natural environment, especially student in 'Plant Science' you can check whether our rivers are being handled in a healthy way, ye know water contaminating. Why people still use the dustbin. You know that are so many ways you can help the ummah apart from your study. But for me, I always say like from beginning you need to think on how to be successful in your study. To be a student communicator to the environment.
First, community service come as fardh kifayah. Fardh ain now, focus on your study. When we say about study here, it's not meaning that you need to go to the class and do assignment. You can study in many ways, especially nowadays we are lacking the culture of reading. The culture of reading is missing. Why I say this? I say this because have you noticed in our library here, unless there is a midterm exam, our librarian are jobless do you know that. Nobody comes to borrow a book, very calm (the environment), only a few guys one there and another there. You can count the guys in the library ye know. Then you feel like where are the students, are they alright? Well, you can find them somewhere outside the library.
I see library because the library is the house of knowledge, whereby books, articles and journals are there. What I want to say here is, having an empty library whereby students are there only in midterm exam, reflect for sure is that our culture of reading is falling down or decreasing.
Why?
Because you see, because why only during midterm and final exam only then the library in crowded. Because we are becoming the student of exam, we're in need of pressure. Something that you need to study by itself. Itself is an object, kind of aiming things that we need for.
"Ustaz Razak, need for us to do assignment,
Dr wants me to do assignment,
midterm exam are tomorrow..
and I have to make sure that I get a good grade"
So we are more consider about grades, rather than knowledge as a measure, as an aim or as a major objective.
How many of you remembered about the story that I tell you in the class about when one man is passing away, I think you know the culture. He said one known statement say that "I die while I can't place the word 'hatta'. How many of you don't bother about the gramatition, 30:08 dissimilation and discoverage of knowledge as today. How many of you are worried to unsettle the given issue in your field. All fields has issues that was certain, whether in marine, in biotech, in cts, in plant science. Wherever you go, there is certain issue that need to be settled down. So how many of you are worried about what we have contributed here. How many of you are worried about whether we've chit-chatted about it with our friends in Facebook and Whatsapp. That is how I want to advice you, that I expect the contribution from you, only ONE contribution that is let us read together. study. reading [sigh].
MOD: Alhamdulillah, thank you to ustaz on how they share on how to contribute to the ummah with knowledge. So, we're near to our end of discussion. So, I would like ustaz to give on how he propose a minor in Islamic studies.
Ustaz: Actually there is because in IIUM, we aim to integrate knowledge especially in reason and revelation. So I think most of you are aware that one of main aim of university is integration of knowledge.
Integration, Internationalization, Islamization, Triple ICE.
For example, integration of knowledge derived from reason and derived from Islamic revealed studies. That is the concern. Some kuliyyahs in IIUM, they've done something about it. For example, Kuliyyah of Arabic, Kuliyyah of Law, Kuliyyah of Ahmad Ibrahim Law, I suppose I've corrected. Kuliyyah of IRKHS, Kuliyyah of Revealed Knowledge and Human Science. They combined the integrated Islamic revealed knowledge and human sciences subject. In a way that when you admitted to the kuliyyah, you've been given a choice to study in human science or Islamic science. Islamic studies. When you choice Islamic studies, you have three major choices in Islamic studies, meaning you have Usuluddin and Comparative Religion, major, or you major in Quran wa Sunnah, or you major in Sunnah and Fiqh ala Sunnah Fiqh.
So let us say you choose three of these majors. Then you have by right to take minor from human science. Either you take education or journalism. or you take sociology or psychology as a minor. Or you take a history or language. You have choice to choose field as a minor. Or you choose to take major in human science, as major in psychology for example, or sociology or communication and journalism, or other field in human science. Then by right, you may take minor from IRK, either Quran and Sunnah, Usuluddin and Comparative Religion or Fiqh and Usul Fiqh.
In other words, they are putting these two fields, Human Science subjects and IRK subject together. You have also a choice for example in my case. I took IRK as a major, Islamic Revealed Knowledge and I took Usuluddin and Comparative Religion as a major. My minor was Communication and Journalism. So when I graduated, the university give me a choice to do one more year and have another degree in Communication and Human Science. Which in one year, you top up, and then you have a double degree. One degree from IRK, one degree from Human Science. That choice is available. But for me, I like more in Comparative Religion and Philosophy for the master in my major. Later on when you do major here in Human Science, they give you a choice whether to do master in IRK or in Human Science.
Why?
Because now, we have double degree here. Kuliyyah of Law also have double degree. They have what we called, sharia laws, and conventional laws. So basically you'll find four years mainly you concentrated on conventional law then add one more year, if I not mistaken. Later on you can check from the website, and then it gives you double degree, same like it close to IRK. You can check from the website. Kuliyyah of Economics also same, Islamic Muamalat and Conventional Economics. They jumped twice, they combined together. So here, based on that experience based on that suggestion, I don't remember but there is a suggestion in our campus here (IIUM Kuantan) to have minor in Islamic studies and offer to our students here. Science basic facults. So, in a way let us see the degree in Science 36:24 , so degree in Science, it is based on any other degrees in other universities. But in meantime the university will give you a choice, to do one more year in Islamic studies, let us say you choose Fiqh and Usul Fiqh. Let us say you choose Biotechnology, haram and halal issues are always very much relevant in bioethical studies. So for example, fiqh and usul fiqh minor. So when you graduate, of course you know how to apply in the kuliyyah ye know. So, you'll graduated in five years but with Islamic studies degree. Major in Science degree, then you top up one more year, or maybe there are suggestion that the Islamic studies are offered in short semester. That time we don't have courses right. So, we'll finished within four years. Within short semester, you'll utilize it to have Islamic studies. That was the suggestions. We've preparing the course outline, somehow it stucks somewhere ye know. We also get tired [sigh], even we submitted for several approval, but after that there was no one is pushing hard, it stucks somewhere. And we still have the minor.
To my understanding, in my opinion, being the product of integrating curriculum, because myself as I graduated from IRK as I told you, which has integration of knowledge. It is better for you to have, as I say minor in Islamic studies. Therefore, they are told you to being integrate. And if you ask me, I will support further and I agreed. How do we achieve ye know, it is the matter of balancing the courses sometimes, but I advice you if possible within this campus if we can go with the help of student community, if we could have minor in Islamic studies for Science based students. I think if we achieve that will be a very brilliant and adviced comanded by walk. Thanks you very much.
MOD: Syukran to ustaz. So, we would briefly highlight some of the major points. So, ustaz has been educated from tahfiz school in Saudi, also ustaz manage to get his bachelor and PhD in IIUM Gombak. Also I've another question on how students can manage without having to spoonfeeding? like in school, our number one priority is to study well as we are now today in IIUM Kuantan, the culture of reading is missing. Our library is empty, yes ustaz. And finally regarding the proposal minor, we want to clarify whether it is still in the proposal level.
We already proposed, and if I not mistaken, there is some progress. I want to double check again how far it is approved, after being proposed and finalised. It needs to be pushed an often.
So, we still pushed it in order, with the help of student society.
MOD: So maybe IAB would do something about it insyaAllah. Thank you ustaz for the sharing. So, I want to welcome you for any question, please. If no question, I would like to thank you all to join our sharing discussion, to Madam Mahani, Sciencess EXCOs, SRCs, especially to ustaz. Although it is brief within one hour, we pray for Allah on what is rightful to us for being in this session , InsyaAllah. So , I would end our discussion with tasbih kafarah and surah Al-Asr.
VIDEO URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8bxrLIlepk
*****
Moderator: Bro Farid Abd Ghani
Panelist: Ustaz AbduRezak Abdulahi Hashi
(Islamic Revealed Knowledge, IRKH and Biotechnology Department, IIUMK)
Documentation: Sis Najihah
Camera man: Bro Nu'man
Sesi: Sembang Santai Sciencess, Thursday, 1-2 pm, 5 March 2014
Program: Wackos Lounge, KOS
Special editor by Otranscribe.com