ISDEV FOUNDER TARBIYYAH: THE IMPORTANCE OF RASA BERTUHAN

The poster circulated through social media announcing the schedule for ISDEV Founder Tarbiyyah session 

The Centre for Islamic Development Management Studies (ISDEV), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) believes in providing an all round and all encompassing intellectual and academic development for all ISDEV postgraduate students. Among the regular and scheduled activities, all aim at enhancing the lives of all ISDEV members - intellectually, physically and spiritually - there is the monthly ISDEV Tarbiyyah series that has been meticulously arranged for the benefit of all. The ISDEV Tarbiyyah series consist of the ISDEV Director Tarbiyyah and the ISDEV Founder Tarbiyyah. In facing to terms with the new normal brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, these activities continue to take place online through ISDEV USM facebook medium at https://www.facebook.com/official.isdev/ .

The opening slide to ISDEV Founder Tarbiyyah.

The recent ISDEV Founder Tarbiyyah took up the challenge by providing the session online. With the title on "Contoh Rasa Bertuhan" (Examples to Feeling Godliness), Professor Dr Muhammad Syukri Salleh, addressed and provided a fatherly reminder to ISDEV fraternity on why this Rasa Bertuhan is important in ISDEV.

The introduction to the topic - Rasa Bertuhan.

In this session Prof Syukri started by asking a simple yet pertinent question as to who in ISDEV can be regarded as the icon for Rasa Bertuhan? Prof then proceeded to give examples of three personalities whom he believed personified Rasa Bertuhan well. They had at least these three common features:-

1. Allah SWT is very close to them;
2. Whatever is experienced in their lives, be it blessings and tribulations, all are related back to     Allah SWT; and
3.  Allah SWT is the place for all their complaints, solitude, and solace, a place to beseech and implore, the place for all things.

The first seven of the eleven characteristics.

Prof Syukri then went to detail these three common features by sharing 11 characteristics as to how these three personalities went about their daily lives exhibiting the embedded Rasa Bertuhan within them. He also advised ISDEV members that the way to Rasa Bertuhan is to carry out all the obligatory acts of worships as well as to strive to increase the listed suggested nawafil deeds. The ways to feel Godliness within is, among other things, by way of solat jemaah, observing the nawafil fast on Mondays and Thursdays, keeping the beard, being cautious of food intake, heart-to-heart teaching and learning methods, among others.

Continuation of the eleven characteristics of the three personalities highlighted by Prof Syukri.

There are at least five effects that can be felt when one strives and is successful in embedding Rasa Bertuhan within the fabric of one's being. Not in terms of priority, firstly ideas can come on its own. Secondly, the ease of moving those ideas to reality. Thirdly, the ease of rizq (in term of finances and space or time). Fourthly, the ability to face problems and challenges with a cool disposition and finally, elevation from one level to the next level within a short period of time. It is Allah SWT who chooses who will get the rizq to feel such a blessing.

Rasa Bertuhan = one of the traits of Taqwa.

In a nutshell, Prof Syukri closed his Tarbiyyah session that day by stating that the equivalence of Rasa Bertuhan is one of the traits of taqwa (consciousness of Allah SWT).