Saturday: 27 Ramadan 1429/27 Sept 2008
On a rare occasion both the Gregorian and Hijah Calendars are on the same footing. I could not recall of any sharing of the same date among the two in the last few decades. I might be wrong though.
Yesterday, Friday was the last day of lectures for UiTM students for this semester before they headed home to be with the loved ones. Malaysian students, primary and secondary schools, polytechnics, community colleges, private and public universities, are given a speacial Aidil Fitri Holidays from 27 Sept to 4th October.
Fortunately I had only one two-hour lecture with the BBAM 1A students and I didn't dread to see empty lecture rooms because quite a big number of students have already bolted from campus due to trasportation schedules. Three of my students, including Md Kahiri, the Class Representative, stayed away from the lecture. The remaining 25 faces in the room looked gloomy and dejected for having to hear to my lecture.
The slot was well spent to encourage and anticipate questions from the floor. Intially the students were slow in forwarding their questions. In order to motivate them to ask any question, I told them that I would be giving them some marks as their students' participations grade. Gradually I received some mind boggling questions from Fatiyyah, Fathur, to name a few.
Malay students, at all educational levels, primary to university, are non-paticipative in class. They are either unwilling or hesistant in voicing their problems openly. On numerous occasions I have already reminded them that There is nothing wrong with not knowing, but it is very wrong for not asking. My noble attempts in all these years of teaching in UiTM came to no avail. Malays students must undergo a shift in their learning paradigms in order to achieve academic excellence. If the students are willing to share their problems, then the teachers would be able to comprehend their inabilities to absorb whatever is being taught. Besides whenever a student is daring to ask question in public, in class to be specific, he or she has let known his handicap to the society. This effort will trigger a brainstorming session to derive with an answer or decision. He or she would become more confident, in his daily life. Malays, like the Third World Country Students, are timid and are non-participative in class. This maybe one of the reasons that Malays are weak in English and other foreign languages beacause they would like to stay numb during language lessons. So buckle up in order to achieve higher academic performances by asking many questions during lectures.
By now, students and parents are busily preparing for the Aidilfitri. Some Muslims have the wrong concept about religious and cultural diversities. They have the wrong priority about Puasa. Instead some prioritise Aidil Fitri rathan than Fasting. This perspective must be put in the right order from now. Muslims must put Fasting ahead of Aidil Fitri. Allah has promised to reward all good deeds in the of Ramadan with handsome bonuses. We must grab this opportunity once a year. In encouraging His servants to achieve maximumum rewards, He has imprisoned all the negatives forces, Satans and devils. Muslims will not be cowed or influenced or distracted in performing their obligatory and supplementary rituals by the opposing forces.
We have 4 days more to grab this offer, so spend the remaining days of Ramadan by doing all chores totally for Allah. Besides studying and doing house chores, the remaining time should be filled with reading the Quran or reciting the wirids and doas. The night should be spent by performing the Trawih, Tahajjud, Taubat and Hajat prayers. Insy'Allah we will get the blessing from Him.
Insy'Allah, Aidil Fitri would be celebrated on Wednesday, Oct. 1. Wake up prior to the Azan of Subuh and perform your Subuh prayer together with the other Jemaahs in suraus and mosques. Join in the Takbir Hari Raya before having your heartious breakfast, which has eluded us for one month, with our beloved ones. Finally, don't you ever fail to perform the Aidil Fitri prayer in the suraus or mosques because if we fail to do so, is jus like having conquered the enemy but we lost the war.
To all my students, Aina (BACC 1A), Kelana (BBAM 1B). Azizah (BBIB3B), Megat (BBAF5D), Jamilah (BBAF5E), and Ben (BAS5A, just to name a few, and the rest of my July - October 2008 students and to all Muslims all over the world I wish Happy Aidil Fitri and please accept my humble apologies.
Assoc. Profesor Hj Sa'aban Hj Salim
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