Ketika usia 9 tahun, saya sangat tertarik dengan filem The Sound of Music, kisah seorang bakal rahib bernama Maria yang asalnya ingin mengabdikan cinta kepada Tuhan dan memilih untuk tidak berkahwin namun akhirnya jatuh cinta dengan seorang duda apabila Maria ditugaskan mengasuh anak-anaknya. Entri ini bukan tentang ulasan filem, tetapi filem itu telah mencetuskan rasa minat dan kagum saya terhadap idea membujang seumur hidup kerana Tuhan. Dalam usia yang masih mentah, saya telah membuat anggapan tiada cinta yang lebih tulus dan agung berbanding mengenepikan nafsu ingin berpasangan semata-mata untuk menggapai cintaNya.
Alhamdulillah, didikan agama yang diberikan kepada saya pada tahun-tahun seterusnya menyedarkan saya membujang itu bertentangan dengan fitrah manusia. Tidaklah Allah menjadikan ciptaanNya berpasang-pasangan tanpa sebab, saya yakini itu. Namun saya juga didedahkan dengan kisah wanita bernama Rabiah Al-Adawiyah yang turut memilih untuk tidak bernikah meski dilamar oleh lelaki-lelaki soleh lantaran mabuk cintanya berlimpah ruah hanya untuk Maha Pencipta.
Puisi dan syair nukilan Rabiah dalam meluahkan rasa cintaNya yang tidak bertepi kepada Allah menggetarkan hati saya saat membaca seperti salah satunya yang saya petik di bawah:
Let me hide in You From everything that distracts me from You, From everything that comes in my way When I want to run to You.
Dan juga seperti yang dilagukan begitu indah sekali oleh seorang munsyid dari Kuwait, Othman Arrashidi:
Dalam tahun lepas juga saya tertarik dengan satu entri sahabat saya ini tentang alim-ulama yang tidak bernikah, salah satunya Imam Nawawi yang mana hidup mereka diabadikan dengan mencari dan mencurah ilmu demi keredhaan Ilahi.
Kecintaan mereka yang tidak berbelah bahagi ini tidak mungkin dapat disamakan dengan pembujangan rahib. Pertama, rahib Kristian menanggapi Nabi Isa sebagai anak Tuhan namun turut bersifat manusia. Malah saya pernah menonton temuramah Oprah Winfrey dengan para rahib yang mengatakan pakaian rahib itu umpama pakaian perkahwinan mereka dengan Jesus. Mereka menolak sebarang perkongsian hidup dengan manusia demi ingin ‘bernikah’ dengan Jesus. Ternyata cinta mereka kepada Jesus itu masih ada unsur-unsur percintaan manusia.
Sedangkan cinta Rabiah dan alim-ulama yang membujang itu jauh melangkaui cinta manusia yang masih berlandaskan rasa ingin dibelai dengan kasih sayang bersifat manusiawi. Tidak dapat tidak, hati saya sekali lagi bergetar memikirkan betapa agungnya cinta sedemikian. Cinta yang tidak dapat digambarkan dengan kata-kata, cinta yang membutakan mata pada indahnya roman wajah, manisnya senyuman, ataupun redup pandangan mata. Cinta yang ingin mengenali dan menikmati sifat-sifat Allah, Maha Penyayang, Maha Perkasa, Maha Cantik, Maha Segala-galanya Subhanallah. Perkataan indah serasa amat lemah untuk menggambarkan cinta sebegitu. Maka berkhayallah saya untuk mendapatkan cinta seumpamanya.
Usah salah faham, entri ini bukan bertujuan menggalakkan pembujangan. Saya tidak menolak pernikahan, bukankah ia sunnah rasul S.A.W. junjungan kesayangan kita? Lalu, kenapa saya belum menikah? Kerana saya dan belahan hati saya belum ketemu masing-masing. Saya ingat benar kata-kata seorang sahabat, andai bukan di dunia insya Allah di akhirat. Namun seharusnya saya lebih bimbangkan di manakah tempat saya di akhirat kelak. Di bawah naungan redha Allah atau murkanya, nauzubillah. Beginilah, pokok cerita saya mudah sahaja, jika anda sudah menikah, hargailah pernikahan itu namun bukan untuk diagung dan dibanggakan dan diletakkan pergantungan sepenuh hati kerana suami/isteri dan anak-anak cumalah medium menggapai cintaNya. Jika anda belum ketemu belahan hati, usah berduka. Benar, mungkin kita tidak mampu jadi Imam Nawawi atau Rabiah. Pun, tentunya lebih manis jika berusaha menemukan cinta indah melangkaui batas manusiawi, mendampingi hangatnya kasih Allah yang Maha Lembut dan Maha Agung insya Allah.
Baba Ali and Ummahfilms first caught my attention around year 2006 through a mention in this blog. I have no idea what vlog is all about at that time, but I found myself being captivated by Baba Ali’s creative videos on YouTube which he named The Reminders (Tazkirah). As the name suggests, the videos have covered everyday Muslim issues in a funny and creative manner yet managed in knocking our hearts to ponder and reflect. Among my favourite ones are: That’s Not Hijab, Distraction During Solat, Muslims While Flying and Seasonal Muslims. It took me a year or so to realize that what Baba Ali’s been doing is actually called vlogging. Wikipedia defines: video blogging sometimes shortened to vlogging (pronounced 'vlogging', as opposed to 'v-logging' or viddingor vidblogging is a form of blogging for which the medium is video and is a form of Internet television. Entries often combine embedded video or a video link with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in one take or cut into multiple parts. It is also a very popular category on YouTube.
Baba Ali’s reminder videos have been a huge success. The videos were aired for three seasons until sometime in 2009/2010 when Baba Ali started directing his attention towards establishing a muslim marriage website HalfOurDeen. The reminder videos were on hiatus and Baba Ali came out with vlogs which focused on marriage from Islamic perspective. So that’s a brief recollection on my first encounter with vlogging. Indeed, vlogging is a better medium for spreading the words of Allah and His Messenger for those who prefer watching videos to reading written blogs.
At one point, I thought I could never find someone else who does da’wah via vlogging until I found this guy via Facebook link sharing early this year. And he’s Malaysian! Though Anwar Hadi did not specifically quote Quranic and ahadeeth verses as Baba Ali did, but most of his videos speak about respecting others. He has his own styles too which makes him stands out and starts garnering rising attention as well as loyal followers. Since he is so young, I am so impressed with his open mindedness and his way of thinking. And he is such a good sport too, promoting other vloggers. So that’s how MatLuthfi and Aiman Azlan came into my radar.
Matluthfi covered various issues like Anwar Hadi but he did it hilariously. To be honest, I couldn’t help laughing out loud while watching his videos. There’s no doubt that this young man got pure talent in attracting crowds’ attention. Interestingly, each of his video is ended with a conclusion so that viewers will keep on track and get awakened after all that laughter. I must say, I fell in love with Mat Luthfi’s videos more than Anwar Hadi’s. But still, I support them both.
Now, Aiman Azlan really really reminds me of Baba Ali. His videos depict Quranic verses and ahadeeths just like Baba Ali. Nevertheless, he touched issues closer to his current environment, university students. His latest video about cheating in exam seems really promising. It won’t take long for him to develop his own vlogging style without being compared to others. I’m really looking forward to his upcoming vlogs. On a happier note, Anwar Hadi has also shifted his vlog topics by inclining towards Islamic teachings. Love it!
Just when I thought I had enough, I came across this really young guy. Looking at his appearance I presume that he’s still in high school. He’s not as famous as the above vloggers yet, but his subscribers keep increasing and I can’t wait to see what he has in store.
Seeing these new generations doing something beneficial for the ummah certainly puts some comfort in my heart that there’s still hope lies in the future. A portion of Sami Yusuf’ song Give The Young A Chance slipped into my mind:
Give the young a chance
To change their circumstance And so… It’s written: As the moon shall turn the tides And as the stars shall light your ride Don’t listen to the words of fools The young I know they are jewels.
The rapid advance in technology is horrifying yet as Muslims we need to utilize them for spreading da’wah. Who else excels better in technology other than our youths? Yes, the youth are jewels :).
Alhamdulillah, finally I have managed to set up another blog specifically for reviewing stuffs. Feel free to check it out: http//randomeaningful.blogspot.com
