Machiavelli

Patung Machiavelli di Florence - Sekali pandang, nmpk cam pervert lak mamat nih :)

Aku baru sahaja selesai menunaikan solat Isyak. Kira-kira 50 meter dari habitatku, rakan-rakan sekelasku (pelajar perubatan) sedang menunaikan khidmat masyarakat mereka - mereka sedang menari bogel untuk mengumpul dana bagi tabung kanser kanak-kanak.

Aku kenal sebahagian dari mereka, andainya halal (i.e. isteri) memang sangat-sangat 'berbaloi'. Malah 2 rakan se'rumah'ku di placement yang lepas turut serta mengetuai persembahan. Jika aku mahu meletakkan skala nakalku pada mereka, barangkali 7.5/10 dan 9.5/10 - bukan exaggeration, serius. Entah mengapa aku sangat 'bernasib baik' kali ini :)

Itu rutin tahunan mereka. Saban tahun projek yang terbukti berjaya itu mengutip ribuan pound untuk kanak-kanak yang menghidap kanser. Ramai juga yang sanggup menayangkan tubuh kepada khalayak mencecah 1000 orang, yang padaku agak jengkel. Namun itu masalah takwilan atau ta'diyah cuma - 'kitab' kami berbeza.

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The Oxford Dictionary defines Machiavellian principle as "the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct" or in simple terms - do whatever you need to achieve your goal. Various other people has described similar principles in the past, but roughly 100 years after Machiavelli put forward the idea, the infamous Oxford Dictionary credited the 'finding' to Machiavelli. Ironically Il Principe (The Prince) was not originally meant to be an academical 'masterpiece' at all.

Since then the world has adopted his teachings, consciously or not, as the method to gain item of interest - be it economy, power or even charity. When Cikgu Nor Hayati taught this to us in Form 4 or 5, I never really put any attention to the impact such principle could have on the running of the world. 'Matlamat tidak menghalalkan cara' is another principle taught to us in secondary school (more informally), but I suppose I wasn't quick enough to draw the paradox between the 2 principles then. Only after secondary school I realized that, but only after it being pointed out by my nuqaba' (i.e. again and again).

Given the corrupted system that we live in today, it is quite evident which one is being preferred by the powerful (I use 'the powerful' rather than 'most'). When the most powerful imposed himself on the less powerful, the less powerful (by rule of logic/survival) had to impose himself on even lesser individuals, et al - a vicious one way stream, almost like an upside down pyramid, putting most pressure on the bottom tiers.

To get a better visualization of this principle in action, take India as a niche. It is not very often I quote a film as a proof, but take a look at Slumdog Millionaire. How people of various tiers lived together rather in disharmony - in the sense that gross imbalance exists - how the mighty prevails, often too much, causing minions to live in gutters and sh!tholes (almost literally - remember that kid jumping into the 'poo-pool' just to greet that Batchan guy).

And don't get me wrong, it happens (happens with an 's' - i.e. present tense, rather than happened with an 'ed') elsewhere as well, be it the USA, the UK or even Malaysia. Globally, and locally (glocally hehe).

All the more reasons for the underlying theological teaching behind the 'matlamat tidak menghalalkan cara' principle that I was taught in secondary school to impose itself to the world. A theological principle that has been proven beyond theoretical assessment.

Huh, I think I am becoming a Brit - taking forever to explain a relatively unindurated 'thingy'. I miss home...

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Jika aku betul-betul diam dan menumpukan perhatian, terdengar sorak sorai manusia-manusia riang - kebanyakannya rakan sekelasku juga. Hmm...

Intentions

In an echo to my last connotation in this self e-reflection site, I remembered something else that happened at Uhud.

The following is an excerpt from The Sealed Nectar

"Qazman, who was found among the wounded, fought heroically,and killed seven or eight idolaters. He was weakened by the wounds he sustained, they carried him to the locality of Bani Zufr. The Muslims gave him glad tidings of the Paradise. But he said: "By Allah I have fought out of passion my people. Had it not been for that I would have never fought." When his wounds worsened he committed suicide.

Allah's Messenger S.A.W had already said whenever he was mentioned to him: "He is an inhabitant of Fire." This is the end of those who fight for a national cause or in a way other than that of raising up the Word of Allah, though they fought under the banner of Islam or even in the army of Allah's Messenger S.A.W or of his Companions."

Having finished directly copying that piece from my beloved book, I remembered the people marching yesterday. Careful mateys... always check your niyyahs - be it whilst parading, whilst studying, whilst working or whilst blogging :)

P/S - not accusing anyone of anything; as most times, just a gentle self-reminder :)

Tapisan 2

Reflection, fragility, beauty

Nabi Muhammad S.A.W sedang menghadapi saat paling getir dalam hidup baginda. Terperangkap di medan Uhud, kesilapan para pemanah nyata telah mengubah nasib tentera Islam. Di ambang kemenangan selesa, tentera Islam kini sedang tertekan.

Ujian yang menimpa mereka tidak mudah. Di saat huru-hara yang maha dahsyat, terdengar seruan tentang 'nasib' baginda S.A.W., "Muhammad telah terbunuh!"

Tiada perkara dalam dunia ini yang berlaku tanpa hikmah. Saat-saat getir ini menyerlahkan 3 kategori manusia dalam tentera Uhud.

Golongan pertama tergesa-gesa meninggalkan medan perang; sama ada bersembunyi di sebalik gunung, atau terus melarikan diri ke Madinah. Melihat para pemuda yang tunduk tewas dan lari, Ummu Aiman yang berada di Madinah menegur dengan sinis, "Ini pengitar benang, ambillah! Kalian tidak layak menyandang pedang!" Malah ada yang goyah imannya, terfikir sama ada patut mereka mengangkat sumpah janji setia kepada Abdullah ibnu Ubai atau Abu Sufyan.

Golongan kedua menyusup ke medan, menyamar menjadi musuh untuk mengelak dibunuh. Akibatnya ada berlaku pembunuhan pejuang Islam di tangan tentera Islam sendiri. Seperti kisah yang digarap tentang Al-Yaman, bapa kepada Huzaifah ibnu Yaman.

Golongan ketiga berjuang bukan kerana baginda S.A.W semata-mata. Mereka berjuang kerana Allah, kerana deen yang dibawa oleh baginda Nabi. Golongan ini yang menjadi tunjang kekuatan para pejuang Islam, baik di medan Uhud, di medan Yarmuk atau di medan-medan dasawarsa ini.

Thabit bin Ad-Dahdah, melihat tentera Islam yang bertempiaran, melaung dengan berkata, "Wahai pemuda-pemuda Ansar, biarpun (andai) Muhammad (S.A.W) telah terbunuh, Allah itu maha kekal dan Dia takkan lenyap! Ayuh demi mempertahankan imanmu! Allah akan membantu kamu, dan kamu pasti akan berjaya."


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A test, regardless of whether it is in the form of hardship or ease, is a tool that reveals character - in the broadest of sense. I've found myself rather busy in the past week and as a sequelae, have found myself rather slacking in other important things. Futur is a little bit more dangerous when it creeps in rather indolently...