By Hamizza Jasman
GOMBAK, 7 March 2015: Have you heard the quotation, œI learn to give not because I have much, but because I know exactly how it feels to have nothing, either in social media or book? For real, it is not only a quotation in cyberspace as beautiful words that can touch our feeling, but it is practised by IIUM students. Now, I can see how beautiful the International Islamic University Malaysia is, being known as the ‘Garden of Knowledge and Virtue’.
IIUM is not only the place to learn and seek for knowledge, the virtue of human beings was proven when the community is strengthened together through bonding among us.
This semester I-FOR was created in IIUM, with I-FOR stands for IIUM Food Relief, a volunteer association that provides food for the students who were facing financial problems because of the delay in receiving their money from their sponsor, PTPTN. Before I-FOR was formed kindness among IIUM students had shown and became viral in Facebook and Instagram when a student left the bread at the bus stop with a note:
œDear brothers and sisters, please take and eat this bread. With this little effort, I hope that you can pray for my success and prosperity fi dunya wal akhirah. Pray for my family too! May Allah grant you the success also! Lets spread kindness in IIUM.- Anonymous.
From by Ibnu Umar r.a, Rasulullah S.A.W said, œThe most efficacious doa’ is invisible doa’ (without the knowledge of those who make the doa’ for it). Narrated by Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi.
Helping each other among Muslims, need to be practised in society at large. We should be aware about our œaccount for hereafter. Giving something doesnt mean losing something but it is Allahs blessing.
Always remind myself, Allah has placed His rewards anywhere along the road of my journey, sometimes they come and ask from me, but sometimes I just pass by them, and either I want to take the reward or just leave it! This means, we can do sedeqah if a beggar comes and ask from us, and sometimes we can make the sedeqah when we see the blind people selling the tissues on the street, even while having our meals, a cat trying to gain sympathy from us to eat, we can give a small portion to the cat and will be rewarded by Him, or continue eating, we choose! Bear in mind, we are trustees.
The concept of giving even though they are not asked is the kindness that should be practised continuously in IIUM. In surah Al-Baqarah, verse 273, Allah mentioned:
œ(Charity is) for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allah, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant (person) would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their (characteristic) sign. They do not ask people persistently (or at all). And whatever you spend of good-indeed, Allah is knowing of it. (Al-Baqarah: 273)
This semester before the kindness spread visibly in IIUM, Dr. Aida Mokhtar, a lecturer in the Department of Communication, had asked the students, what can we define from the ‘Garden of knowledge and virtue’? Now, I know, the ‘Garden of knowledge and virtue’ is one of the ways to get near to Him by doing kindness and charity! ***
