TUESDAYS WEEKLY TEACHINGS

The turnout at C05 for this Tuesdays Weekly Teachings

17 March - Envying one's success, wealth and pleasures of others to the detriment of one's self and others is prohibited in Islam. This was the simple conclusion that one can draw from the Tazkirah delivered by Wan Norhaniza Wan Hasan at the ISDEV Tuesdays Weekly Teachings held on 12 March 2013. According to her, there are two categories of 'jealousy', namely 'positive jealousy' and 'negative jealousy'.

Prof. Muhammad Syukri Salleh (holding the microphone) posing a question

'Positive jealousy' helps motivate one to be better or at least equivalent to the envied person without affecting anyone negatively. For example, when one is jealous of a friend who obtained excellent results in the examinations, the proper channel to let our green-eyed feeling flow is for us to learn effectively and get useful tips from that friend of ours on how the excellent results could be attained.

'Negative jealousy' as the name implies is prohibited in Islam. As an example when one tries to betray one's friends or persuade that friend to embark in useless and fruitless endeavors in the hope of distracting that 'excellent-result exam oriented' friend of ours because one is jealous of the success. There is intent to cause detriment to our friend's success.

(Left to Right) Ustaz Shahir, Ustaz Dr Shukri and Prof. Muhammad Syukri

The Tuesdays Teachings then continued with the lesson on Surah Al-Fatihah and the position of Basmallah in Surah Al-Fatihah according to the four imminent Sunni scholars. Since this region mostly subscribes to the Shafi'i school of thought, the recitation of Basmallah in Surah Al-Fatihah is thus obligatory. However one should not be in shock or in disapproval should the imam to one's congregational prayer do not recite the Basmallah upon reciting Al-Fatihah as the imam could be an adherent to the Maliki or Hanafi schools of thought who are of the opinion that Basmallah is not a verse of Surah Al-Fatihah.
 

ISDEV newest member, Masaud from Iran

 ISDEV also welcomed and introduced its new RISDEV (PhD) student from Iran, Brother Masaud to the others. This week's lesson was well attended by the lecturers as well as students and staff of ISDEV. Among those present were ISDEV Director, Prof. Muhammad Syukri Salleh and ISDEV Deputy Director, Dr.Zakaria Bahari. Dr. Mohd Shukri Hanapi served as the Chairperson during the session.