IT IS ALL ABOUT GETTING BACK TO FITRAH

Introducing the month's topic in the Tarbiyah Pengarah ISDEV for April 2015.

"Memperkasa ISDEV Melalui Fitrah" (Empowering ISDEV through Fitrah) was the catch title of the day for the Tarbiyyah Pengarah ISDEV in April, 2015. This was the topic of the monthly address to ISDEV fraternity by ISDEV Director, Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh. It was held at the Conference Room of C06, School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia on 24 April 2015.

 

In his address, Prof Syukri talked about how to strengthen ISDEV in our innate natural state (fitrah). According to him, Fitrah referred to something naturally inborn in everyone such as the love for happiness through righteousness. Happiness can be achieved by striving (mujahadah) to have a pure heart, and an accurate instinct and intuition. Mujahadah is to elude from mazmumah (despicable) attributes which is undeniably not an easy endeavour, but it is nonetheless not impossible.

Astute and demurely looking Prof. Syukri reminding ISDEV fraternity the importance of staying true to one's fitrah.

It is very much related to tazkiah al-nafs and the knowledge on tasawwuf. Tasawwuf is the science of the path to Allah SWT. It is the course on how a believer cleanse the heart by the avoidance or shying away from mazmumah properties of the vile and reprehensible while filling the heart with mahmudah properties or attributes of honour.

Unlike previously held Monthly Graduate Supervision that were attended by lecturers and students only, this session was joined by ISDEV administrative staff too. This was to ensure the accomplishment of a mission to develop ISDEV as a research centre of excellence which was full of contentment was sustainable and could be realised. Each and every ISDEV member was reminded to develop within themselves God-consciousness and to help the society at large to develop the same as well. Prof Syukri reiterated that was the only way to shun away pride and ego which could destroy man's fitrah.

Not wanting to miss a point, all eyes were on the screen to mentally capture and understand each and every point stressed by Prof Syukri in his monthly address.

Before ending the Tarbiyyah Pengarah ISDEV with a Question and Answer session, Prof Syukri invited all the administrative staff and ISDEV lecturers to express their feelings as well as experience working at ISDEV. All in all ISDEV students were given a holistic feel of what is to be a member at ISDEV.