summary from this meaningful session :

Adab in seeking knowledge can be divided into many branch :

• ​Adab with teachers

as we know in Islam it is crucial to have respect for our teachers regardless the rank and status, age, and what subject that we learn because we are seeking knowledge from him/her.

• ​Adab with friends

We must have adab with our friends, we must respect them in terms of respecting their times so that they will not face any difficulty due to our negligence. Next, appreciate their personality and dignity, dont back stab or two-faced them with other people.

• ​Adab with ilmu

The ways that we can show respect to the ilmu is when we use books, we cant use it as a mat to put the bowl and we cant throw books or papers around. Instead, we need to put the books at the high place or special place that only for books.

• ​Al-Quran as a guidance

Its not just a history book. As a Muslim, we need to include Al-Quran in our life as a guidance.

• ​Tips to stay consistent with reading Al-Quran

-put a Quran reminder om the phone

-set a certain surah for each day

-use our free time to read Quran (before sleep, before going to class and between maghrib and isya')

-find a good circle that can make us closer to Allah

• ​Things that failing us to maintain consistency in reading the Al-Quran

-we felt hard to understand due to the language

-social media and our favourite drama

-no one ask us to read Quran and we think there is no necessary reason to read Quran

-our busy life

"hoping that we do not lose hope to be a better person"

• application of surah al-Baqarah verses 284-286 in daily life : this verses is familiar which is its also in ma'athurat so this verse will be read every morning and evening. Other than that we also can read this verses before sleep after reading surah al-Mulk because this verses very impactful in our lives. Whereas in verse 284 mentioned about the nature of Allah's All-Embracing Knowledge, verse 285 emphasizes about the pillars of iman and verse 286 mentioned about "do not lose hope with the test that Allah gives" because the test given is sure because we are capable to face it, also this verse contains some of the best prayers.

• hadith Jibril : This hadith is about Jibril asking about the pillars of Islam, iman, the day of judgement and ihsan from the most reliable educator about Islam, Prophet Muhammad SAW.

• Pillars of Islam

  -Shahadah: belief that "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"

  -Salah: performing five times prayers

  -Zakat: The payment charity tax

  -Sawm: Fasting during Ramadan

  -Hajj: pilgrimage to Makkah, if able

• Pillars of Iman

  -belief in Allah

  -belief in angels

  -belief in the books of Allah

  -belief in Prophets

  -belief in the day of judgement

  -belief in the Qada and Qadar

• Ihsan

  -the most intimate relationship between a servant and Allah

  -Its comprises the meaning of excellent, perfection, highest level of faith and devotion

  -have a natural feeling or sense that Allah is watching everything that we do even though we try to conceal it.

  -the perfection of a Muslim is when he fulfills all the pillars of iman and Islam and succeed to acquire the ihsan.

• Lesson from the hadith

  -about adab, we can see the adab that Jibril represent, Jibril take care of the behavior and etiquette when asking a question to Propet Muhammad SAW

  -We also can look to the ways of Prophet Muhammad SAW and Umar al-Khattab answer to the question that they doesn't know the answer. Situation where Jibril ask about the day of judgement, Prophet Muhammad answered that "no one who is asked knows more than the person asking" and when Prophet Muhammad ask to Umar about who is the person that came to Prophet Muhammad SAW and he answered "Allah and His Messenger know better".

  -From this we can learn that "don't hastily mention things we're unsure about".

  -In Islam, we also encouraged to say وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ when it comes to things that we unsure about.

  "strive for excellent in everything that you do not because of others but because Allah is always with you"

• Dalil for this week :

  • Surah at-Tahrim verse 6

    • mentioned about the responsibility of Muslim to protect themselves as well as their family (others) from the Hell trough encouraging them towards righteousness

    • Role of the head of family :

      -implementing and practicing the Islamic teachings in the family

      -strengthen the faith and the ettique of the members

  • Surah al-Baqarah verses 1-5 and ayatul kursi

    • this verses emphasize that theres no doubtful perception in the Quran and the characteristic of pious people who believe in al-Ghaibiyyat, the Books and the day of Judgement, perform salah, spend their wealth in a good way

    • ayatul kursi comprises the supermacy of Allah, the perfect attributes of Him, His knowledge and power that covers everything and His protection upon His creation.

  • Surah al-Fatihah (ummul kitab) :

    • shows praise and gratitude to Allah as the Lord of all worlds and ar-rahman ar-rahim

    • shows acknowledgement of Sovereignty of Allah

    • as a guidance for Muslim to seek the right path and prevent from the misguidance

    • mentioned about the unity in worshipping Allah and seek help just from Him alone.

  • Pillars of Iman

    • Belief in Allah : its the obligation for us as a Muslim to declare the Oneness of Allah.

      • 3 types of Tauhid :

        • tauhid rububiyyah - Belief in Allah as the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe ( Rabb)

        • tauhid uluhiyyah - Belief that only Allah is worth to worship and seeking reliance only from Allah

        • tauhid Asma & Sifat - the names and attributes of Allah are solely worthy to Allah alone. Examples, Al-Mutakabbir

      • Allah is the centre of our life -our life reliant to Allah in every aspect and everything is the matter of Allah as He is the best planner

    • belief in Angels

      • we are confirm of their existance even we do not see them, they are the creation of Allah that always obeying to Allah and never transgressed Allah's commands.

      • with the realization in the presence of the Angels it will help us to be a better Muslim and do our best in performing ibadah.

    • belief in Kitab (the Books)

      • Sent by Allah to Prophet Muhammad for his Ummah as the guidance and for them to reflect the ibrah from the Quran

      • why is the Quran sent in the form of Book ? - because book is relevant until nowadays (still preserved and timeless

"as the days pass, we are getting closer to death, so do better today than yesterday"

• Dalil for this week : Surah Nuh 1-28

  • mentioned about the sacrifice of Prophet Nuh A.S in spreading Islamic teachings through many ways

  • reaction from the community to deny the authentic teaching, they close their ears with fingers and cover their face with clothes

  • highlighting the absolute power and blessing of Allah

  • showing the creation of the universe including stages of human development

  • the Day of Judgement and many du'a' and noble deeds of Prophet Nuh

Pillars of Iman

• belief in Rasul & Anbiya'

  -Allah has sent His Messengers to guide us into the right path

  -we need to practice the authentic hadith from the Messenger

  -also from the hadith, we can learn the Adab of the companions to Prophet Muhammad SAW

  -from the past story of Prophet and Messengers we can reflect the ibrah and lesson

  -Allah has stated the position of His Messengers so we need to have an etiquette not to questioning that issue

  
  

• belief in the Hereafter

  -as a Muslim we need to do a good deeds as many as we can because the good deeds will become shares of the Hereafter

  -such as, don't wait to be rich to give charity and we need to have a sincerity in doing an Ibadah following the Sunnah

  -how ? always pray to Allah to gain such a ihsan in worshipping Him because Allah is the owner of our heart and nothing outside His control

  -if our intention of doing something is because of Allah, the things that we do will become and Ibadah and reward for us

  -to gain a strong faith : built sense of gratitude, patience & acceptance

  -due to the reflection and remembrance of the Hereafter will increase our Iman and become a reminder about death

  
  

• belief in Qada' & Qadar

  -Qadar is fate and Qada' is its implementation

  -in reflecting the Qada' & Qadar we will became a someone with gratitude in our life

  -great patience will bring us an acceptance because we totally sure anything happen is due to Allah's wills and literally can make us stronger in facing a challenges in life

  -fate is something that Allah has state for us so don't be arrogant, everything has come from Allah either its good or bad but the bad one attributed to us (human)

  - not to forget in mentioning the implementation of adab in our life because adab is a fruit in the tree of Islam as our inner reflection

  - classification of adab : adab towards Allah, adab towards Prophet Muhammad SAW, adab towards our parents and adab towards friends

  
  

• signs of Qiyamah

  -Qiyamah is "Day of Judgment," when Allah will bring all creation to account.

  -the day was mentioned in the Quran : Surah al-Zalzalah and al-Qari'ah

  -the signs divided into 2 : small (happen in our era) and big

  -how to prepare ourselves ? : 1) strengthen our Iman 2) performing obligatory acts of worship (pillars of Islam) 3) increase our good deeds

"during challenging times, relief is always coming"

• Dalil for this week : Surah al-Isra' verses 22-39

  -This dalil emphasize about Ihsan in all aspects.

  -Ihsan towards Allah, which we can't practice Shirk (associating partners with Allah)

  -Ihsan towards people (human), including parents (shows our love for them), family (manage your family greatly) and orphans (do not take granted upon them)

  -Ihsan towards oneself, taking of our Akhlak and dignity

  -not to forget about wealth and muamalat, do not waste, give the rights to those who deserve them, and be honest in business

  
  

• Hadith 17 (40 Hadith Nawawi)

  -This hadith prescribe that you also need an Ihsan even if you're killing your enemy (war)

  -Ihsan in slaughtering animal, there is several etiquettes or manners that Muslims are encouraged to follow in various aspects

  -Examples : sharpen your blade and hasten the death of the enemy / animal

  
  

• The Judgement Day

  -Allah is the only One who knows when that day will come

• Eschatolgy : knowledge of the end times (present, age, human history)

  -relating the eschatology with the Judgement day : signs of the end times (minor, major/final)

• Minor signs (happened)

  -women will outnumber men

  -earthquakes will increasing

  -good deeds descreasing

  -entertainment industry became popular

  -people start to believe in zodiac (astrology)

  -time will pass rapidly and no blessings

• Minor signs (not yet happened)

  -Arabia becomes green

  -earth spill its hidden treasure

  -imam mahdi fill the earth will justice (7years)

  -siege of Madinah

  -euphrates (sungai fhurat) uncovering mountain of gold

• Major signs

  -ad-dukhan

  -the appearance of dajjal: always read the du'a to prevent from fitnah

  -the return of Isa : prophet Isa will return to defeat the Dajjal

  -the emergence of the Mahdi: a righteous leader

  -the emergence of Yakjuj and Makjuj: causes destructive forces on the earth

  -the appearance of Dabbat al-ard: a mysterious creature will appear and speak to people

  -the sun rising from the west: signaling that the time for repentance has passed.

  -the blowing of the trumpet: Israfil will blow the trumpet to signal the end of the world

  
  

"chase the world as if you will live forever, and chase the hereafter as if you will die tomorrow."

Adab can be divided into 3 branches :

• Adab with parents

• Adab with neighbour

• Adab with friends

Differences between adab and akhlak :

• ADAB - manners, etiquette, behaviour, process and more to questioning why is it good / bad?

• AKHLAK - morality and more to questioning what is good / bad?

Adab with parents :

• dalil surah Maryam verses 41-45 (story of Prophet Ibrahim A.S with his father)

  -asbab nuzul : this verses was sent down for persuading Prophet Muhammad

  - this verses comprising the way Prophet Ibrahim treat and persuade his father at that time to believe in Islam which reflecting the adab with parents

  -Prophet Ibrahim used the best words to talk to his father also reminding the relationship between son and father

  -He did not attack his father, but he advised his father to think about his action (worshipping other than Allah)

  -in verse 46 showed the responses of his father that very serious and harsh to him but Prophet Ibrahim A.S said that he is gonna pray for his father and not hating him

  -in verse 49 Allah showed his blessing towards Prophet Ibrahim A.S by granting him grandchildren and his son with rank of a prophet

Adab with neighbour

• dalil Surah An-Nisa verse 36 (obligation for Muslim to treat their neighbour right)

• among the etiquettes with neighbors are :

  -safeguarding their dignity

  -visiting them when they are sick

  -helping neighbors in times of hardship.

Adab with friends

• Friend as one of important people in our life and we should respect them as well as we respect others such as :

  -give them support and encouragement

  - avoid arguments

  -respect their secrets

  -sharing and caring

Adab with lecturer

• not forget to mentioned adab with lecturer as a student, example :

  -say hello and greetings when meeting the teacher

  -speak politely and use good language

  -always be kind to the teacher and accept what the teacher says

  -ask for permission if you want to ask and always sabr in pursuing knowledge

Importance of applying etiquette and good manners :

• Parents

  -can bring blessing and strengthen family bonds

• lecturer

  -can build strong mentorship and reflect student’s character

• friends

  -can maintain healthy relationship and create positive circle

• neighbours

  -creating a harmonious and peaceful environment in the neighborhood

"etiquette is a valuable adornment of oneself"

What did I gain from usrah session?

• I learn how to improve myself from reflecting all the Dalil given every week

• I've gained much new knowledge about Islam and story from past nation

• many new sunnah and du'a' that I start practicing after usrah

• honestly, it increases my Iman and my spirit to comeback istiqomah when it's on the lowest by keep remembering to do good deeds such as read al-Kahfi on Friday

Suggestion for improvement :

• collaborating with other usrah groups or communities this can also strengthen silaturrahim between others and broadening our perspective by hearing other's point of view

"small steps lead to big changes"

• what is hikmah (wisdom)?

  - in Islamic, refers to positive value that we required from Ibadah

  - because Ibadah contains internal and external qualities, start from the intention (niyyah) until the performance

• intention (niyyah)

  - the intention behind the act

  - as a Muslim, our intention is to seek Allah's pleasure

• how to attain right intention?

  - sincerely do the ibadah only for Allah

  - purify our hearts so that we have no other intention except for that

  - be clear with ourselves regarding the purposes and objective of the Ibadah

  - stay focused and consistent in worship so that our intentions remain pure and unchanged (tajdid niat)

• amal

  - in Islam it refers to the performance of an Ibadah

  - amal is important due to the positive impact it would give to ourselves or others

  - like strengthen our faith make us closer to Allah

  - we also can strengthen our ukhwah by helping other people too (kindness)

  - to strive a great output of amal we need to set a good intention first as a Muslim

  - e.g. of amal: kindness, salah, zakat

• Ihsan (excellent)

  - when we do amal with a good niyyah we will strive an Ihsan (excellent)

  - positive virtues that lead us to be excellent in life

  - e.g.: patience, humility, honesty

"the only way to do great work is to love what you do"

• Ibadah

  - Allah has mentioned in Surah Adz-Dzaariyaat - 56 that He create us (jinn and human) just to worship him

  - e.g.: salah, sawm, zakat, hajj

  
  

• Reason & Sources

• Salah

  - Muslim are obligated to perform Salah because prayer can make us closer to Allah and build us as an obedience servant

  - how? salah has its own internal qualities such as sincerity of doing it only for Allah, fear to commit sin due to the remembrance of Allah

  - sources: Surah Al-Ankabut - 45

• Sawm

  - One of the Pillars of Islam that are crucial and special for us

  - fasting can train our soul and heart to require taqwa and discipline as we control our desires during Ramadan

  - this clearly can weakening shaytan's influence and make us closer to Allah by consistently performing Ibadah

  - sources: Surah al-Baqarah - 183

• Zakat

  - zakat is one of the Ibadah that clearly has the internal and external qualities

  - why? because while we are purifying our wealth (spent in the path approved and blessed by Allah) and self (cleanses sins) we also help the needy where it can enhance a relationship in one community

  - sources: Surah at-Tawbah - 103

• Hajj

  - Hajj is where we come to the Baitullah and we followed the command of Allah in His place and avoid His prohibition

  - we practice disciplining ourselves by following the rules and etiquette of doing Hajj

  - sources: Surah al-Baqarah - 197

"true peace begins when the heart bows to Allah. Through ibadah, we don't just perform rituals, we transform our lives"

• Taharah

  - we should purify our body, making sure that there is no najasah. From Hadith Sahih also mentioned that someone need to protect oneself from their urine

  - the clothes that we wear also need to be sure that their clean in terms of color and smell

  - lastly, place in which prayer is offered. e.g. prayer mat and floor

• Khusyu'

  - act of the heart (afraid and fearful) to Allah SWT

  - a position in prayer where someone was so calm and do not move too much while praying

  - defined as tawadhu' and humble

• Importance of Khusyu'

  - we are completely connected with Allah and sumbit to Him in our prayer

  - we can train ourselves to stay focus in praying and protect the niyyah (sincerity)

  - we will achieve an inner peace where we make our solat meaningful & spiritually fulfilled

• Ways to achieve Khusyu'

  - prepare (mentally & physically) for salah. e.g.: perform wudhu' and perform Ibadah on time

  - clean oneself and brush the teeth (with siwak or toothbrush) also including wear clean attire

  - avoid distraction:

  *No gadgets

  *Do not pray when food is served, as it will distract you

  *Do not pray while holding in the urge to relieve yourself, as you may rush your prayer due to discomfort

  *Choose a quiet place

  
  

• Techniques to maintain Khusyu'

  - focus on every movement in salah

  - try to understand the meaning of our recitation

  - calm and slow down

  - ihsan: the sense that Allah are always watching

  - ask Allah for Khusyu'

• Effects of Khusyu'

  - make us more discipline

  - make us closer to Allah

  - get the internal and external peace

  - rewards from Allah

• What hinder Khusyu'?

  - syahwat & syubhat

  - together, they make the heart “heavy” and unfocused (careless & unsure)

"a heart chained by desire cannot bow with sincerity"

• Al-Ta'ah

  - means: submission & loyalty to Allah

  - obedience to Allah's command

  - turning away from worldly affairs

  - benefits: 1) helps overcome ego (reminder of humbleness) 2) Ubudiyyah (trains to be compliant)

• Al-Jihad

  - struggle in the path of Allah

  - include the internal struggle against one's own desires / laziness

  - effort to stay focused

  - benefit: 1) detachment from worldly life (choose Allah first from other things) 2) Discipline (fight the laziness & etc.)

• Muhasabah

  - self accountability & reflection

  - evaluating one's deeds, sincerity, intentions, and direction in life

  - benefit: 1) reminder of purpose (tajdid) 2) lead to Tawbah (reflect one's sin)

• Iffah

  - modesty & self-restraint from sin

  - increases the awareness of Allah

  - benefit: prevent sin (by performing a khusyu' salah) 2) Develops Haya (ashamed to sin)

• Tawaddu'

  - humility & humbleness

  - being submissive to Allah through salah

  - acknowledgment of Allah's superiority

  - benefit: 1) kills arrogance (reminds the dependent of us to Allah) 2) strengthens Tawakkul (rely on Allah & knowing our weaknesses)

"prayer is the closest a servant can be to Allah, be present with a longing heart"

• Sabr

  - control yourself from desire (nafs)

  - patient is a tool in fasting

  - it can endurance hunger & thirst

  - sawm helps control oneself (anger)

  - make us closer to Allah

• Takrim

  - respect for time, people, Allah's blessing and sacredness of worship

  - by controlling oneself from daily routine we can be more gratitude towards Allah's blessing

  - sawm make us respect Allah's command

  - trained us to have a proper adab in acts of worship

• Rahmah

  - sawm build us to be a person with an empathy and friendliness

  - how we observe the perspective of people in needs soften our heart

  - Prophet Muhammad SAW also encouraged us to feed and care for others

  - sawm can help build generosity in action

  - also teaches us to forgive others (maintaining sanctity of fasting)

“fasting is not just about abstaining from food, it’s about feeding the soul, disciplining the body, and cleansing the heart”

Throughout the Usrah sessions:

• I learned a lot about how I can improve my acts of worship through the weekly topics discussed.

• I also gained a better understanding of teamwork and truly enjoyed working with my group members, even though we had just met.

• The sessions gave me deeper knowledge about Islam, especially through the hadith (dalil) shared by the naqibah.

Suggestion for improvement:

• I think future Usrah sessions could include more interactive elements such as quizzes, small group discussions, or personal sharing sessions.

"the best among you are those who bring greatest benefits to many others" 

• Zakah & Sadaqah

  - Zakah is a compulsory act that Allah has specified the requirement

  - Meanwhile, sadaqah is just recommended act which there is no specified requirement such as amount or time

  - Zakah are not just obligation but a spiritual and social act of worship

  
  

• Tawakkul

  - Zakah trained us to rely on Allah not just on wealth

  - Also, it shows us that what we have given to people Allah will give it back to us

• Ukhuwwah

  - Zakah helps fosters love and empathy among muslim

  - Reduce hatred and arrogance in Muslim heart

• Zakah bridging relationship?

  - Zakah builds a relationship between the servant with Allah SWT

  - In addition, zakah also create a relationship between humans (ukhuwwah)

  - This shows that zakah are collaboration between the spiritual and social relationship in Muslim's life

"a man's true wealth is the good he does in this world"