Guangzhou- Shenzhen

Alhamdulillah.. akhirnya berkesempatan juga nak bukak blog... percutian kali ni sangat best + bagus.. Thanx a lot to IslamiChina for the best services.. InsyaAllah next time kami ambik lagi dengan anda semua... ketika di airport sebelum terbang, kami ada masalah di mana seorang daripada makcik kami tak dapat pergi kerana masalah-masalah tertentu.. sangat sedih.. =(.. it's ok, next time boleh join kami... Alhamdulillah kali ni saya berpeluang untuk menunaikan solat hormat waktu di dalam kapal terbang pada waktu subuh.. selama ni belajar je tapi x buat secara practical nya tapi kali ni dapat juga lakukan..

Setiba nya di airport Guangzhou, tak sangka la pulak "angkasawan-angkasawan" yang baru tiba d di bumi nak buat pemeriksaan influenza H1N1.. haiyaa.. satu jam berpanas dalam kapal terbang.. ada pulak seorang Chinese ni demam... sebaik kami semua tak dikuarantin.. kalau tak sia-sia je percutian di hospital Guangzhou...

Keadaan Guangzhou agak panas + kering, itu menyebabkan tekak kami sakit.. uhuk uhukk... tp itu tak menghalang kami untuk menghabiskan duit "berguni-guni" untuk bershopping... activity pertama kami, tak lain tak bukan.. MAKAN... makanan yang dihidangkan superb! 1st class! delicious! marvelous!antaranya ehh.. kambing.. bebek.. apakah itu bebek?? cari sendiri...12 jenis lauk sekali makan.. wah.. puas hati betul.. dari segi makanan, memang tip top! tak rugi ambik islamichina.. wah.. jadi promoter sekali..

tempat kami pergi pun semua besssttt.. paling best di window of the world.. tmpt nye cantik n best bergambar especially kepada mereka yang "gila kamera"... siapakah itu?? wakakkaa... kepada sesiapa yang ke splendid china, rugi kalau tak tengok show kat sana.. memang superrrrbb!! tak kan ada di malaysia... tapi berlainan pendapat dengan mak n mak uda.. mak n mak uda kata " show gendeng!".. mak n mak uda cuma suka show berkuda.. wah.. sakan tengok.. kalau boleh nak join skali.. hihihihi... bagi kami orang "muda" semua show sangat bagus... dan satu kerugian bile pergi ke splendid china tapi tak tengok show.. worth it la duduk dalam splendid china 6 hours.. hihihi...

kami juga merasai naik CRH Train dari guangzhou ke shenzhen..kire hebat la abah.. walaupun stroke tak menjadi masalah untuk berlari sampai ke train.. hahahaha.. Ah Kwang kelam kabut.. nak berlepas 15 minit lagi tapi kecoh macam 1 minit lagi.. tak pasal-pasal knapsack saya "makan" muka cikyah.. hahaha.. i'm so sorry cikYah.. tak sengaja.. hahahha.. cik Yah kata seumur hidup inilah kali pertama dia naik train tapi tak sangka nak naik 1st class punye, sengsara nye hanya Tuhan yang tahu.. kelajuan CRH Train tu 200km/h.. Cik Zaini menghayati habis pemandangan luar ketika di dalam train.. sebarang pertanyaan mengenai perjalan dari guangzhou ke shenzhen boleh kemukakan kepada cik Zaini.. jangan pada saya ya, saya cume duk gelak ketawa dengan Ain yang...hahaha...

Sambung cerita pulak, masa bershopping.. ini betul-betul hebat.. sesi tawar menawar.. calculator adalah sahabat saya.. adeeiihh.. mak n mak uda cuma bagi arahan, saya menjalankan tanggungjawab untuk mendapatkan harga yang diminta.. kalau Chinese sana geram dengan saya, mahu tak balik msia dikerjakan Chinese sana.. melampau-lampau suh saya menawar.. huhuhu.. tapi betul, kalau u all nak beli barang, tawar sehingga 75%... diaorg akan kasi.. tips nye, letak harga berapa nak, and then jangan baik hati untuk menaik kan harga.. diaorg akan suh naik kan sikit.. kalau betul-betul tak dapat naik kan 10 yuan sahaja.. diaorg akan letak balik barang tu kat tempat asal kalau memang barang tu bukan nilai yang kite mintak.. satu lagi, setiap duit sila letak tanda @ nama di duit.. dan bagitau diaorg bile buat pembayaran, tunjuk kan simbol untuk mengelak kan mereka menukar duit kepada duit palsu...penipuan berlaku pada 100 yuan... my cousin terkena kat sana..so u all yang nak beli sila berhati-hati... bila kite dah buat pembayaran menggunakan 100 yuan, n then perasan ada duit kecil, jangan sesekali mintak semula duit tu.. sebab mereka boleh menukar dalam sekelip mata... beli barangan leather pastikan bukan dari kulit "influenza" ya... ada 3 titik.. bahaya tu.. kat sana, semua dia kata cow leather... jangan sesekali menawar kalau tak nak beli.. mahu dikejarnya.. huhuhu.. memang bahaya... saya juga adalah antara mangsa-mangsa penipuan di China... huwaaahh!! habis rugi banyak.. rugi-rugi pun beli barang tak habis-habis... saya juga menjadi "money changer" di sana.. kunun nye penyelamat la.. kalau tak ada orang merana tak dapat handbag kulit.. huhuhuhu... saya rasa kalau sesiapa yang nak ke sana, tukar duit kepada USD di Msia, sesampai di China tukar kepada yuan.. itu lebih kaya.. jika dibandingkan tukar MYR ke Yuan.. tak sebanyak USD... percutian kami penuh dengan shopping.. itu pun tak cukup-cukup masa.. kalau kasi Netty 10 jam belum tentu dia habis shopping untuk akak-akak n abang-abang dia.. tak padan kecik, tp boleh sakit jiwa tengok dia beli barang.. kesian kepada kak Long... hahahaha... kami lari tak nak berjalan dengan kak Long.. kalau shopping dengan kak Long, rasa nya tak merasa la bawak 2 beg barangan shopping... hahahha... sorry kak Long.. Ni saya listkan tempat-tempat shopping menarik..

Dongmen Street - pakaian, kasut-kasut, crocs n so on..
Beijing Road - Handbag, purse, wallet.. (tempat paling best la bagi saya!!)
Luohu Mall - handphone, handbag, langsir, baju-baju.. (tempat yang menyedihkan.. habis dress koyak dekat escalator.. oh NO!!!)
Xieu Xian Xieu Lu- (tak tahu ejaan nye la) kat sini, semua ada... handbag, jam, souvenir, baju, handphone, ipod nano, semua jenis mp ada.. dari cucu ke datuk semua ada... (mp3,mp4,mp5)
Tee Mall- saya tak suggest u all ke sini sebab macam dekat KLCC... huhuhu..

Kami pulang ke Guangzhou hari ke-5.. masa tu duit tinggal setengah guni..hahahha.. ada jugak "makhluk Allah" yang baik hati ni duk mengipas saya untuk membeli satu barang ni..dia yang nak beli tapi dia paksa saya skali...haiyaa.. saya pun agak terpengaruh dengan nya sehingga saya menghabiskan duit membeli barang itu.. tapi saya puas hati... hahahhaha..dan paling best bile membuatkan pakcik saya berasa berang kerana tidak dapat memiliki barang itu.. hahahaha.. sangat menyedihkan kepada dia, dan sangat menggembirakan kepada saya.. mintak maaf kepada pakcik n kakak sepupu saya kerana tidak dapat membeli nya ya.. jangan marah ya...

Hari terakhir kami sempat ke Xiue Xian Xiue Lu bagi melepaskan hajat mereka yang masih tak ketemu barang diingini... hihihihi.. dah seronok sangat memilih sehingga kan siap tulis nama tu, ialangkah sedih nye apabile credit card tak boleh digunakan.. hahahhahaha... rupenye hajat tak kesampaian jugak ya.. huhuhuu... jangan risau.. kami nak ke beijing, nanti kami lepaskan hajat anda semua ya...hihihihi...

kami tiba di airport pukul 3 ptg.. kami terbang pukul 8.30 malam.. memang sangat lama di airport.. terpaksa berkampung di baiyun airport... kapal terbang pulak delay 2 jam akibat si influenza tu.. tak pasal-pasal flight kami pukul 10. 35.. Alhamdulillah.. kami selamat sampai di LCCT pukul 2.10 pagi.. terima kasih jugak kepada airasia kerana penerbangan balik kapal terbang kosong.. so dapat lah saya beradu dengan enak skali... hahahha...

InsyaAllah kami akan ke tempat lain pulak tahun depan....Amin... Salam..

Come to Work HAPPY!

THE "ISLAMIC" ECONOMIC SYSTEM : COMMON CONFUSIONS

Along the lines that what is called interest in modern economics is synonymous to what is called riba in the Qur'an. And that the Islamic system of economics is an interest-free system that avoids riba in financial dealings on all levels, and thus guarantees prosperity and growth because it avoids sin and injustice, and so on.

The very fact of "comprehensive" picture of "the Islamic theory of economy" reveals, with all due respect, a common confusion between what is divine and what is human, between what should be according to the scripture and what should be left to our human free thinking, and between what is constant and what is variable in the Islamic way of life.

Although Islam is a comprehensive way of life, it is NOT meant to define and precisely prescribe each and every detail of this life. Thus, Islam has rulings and guidelines that are concerned with politics, courts, family, health, the economy, and so on.

However, talking about "Islamic" politics, for example, does not mean that Islam has a cut-and-dry (let alone "divine") detailed system of governance (such as a monarchy with a consultation council, a democratic republic in a multi-party style, a federal government with a constitution, a simple direct democracy, or any other specific system of governance). Nor does "Islamic politics" mean that you must or must not have a constitution, you must or must not have a supreme court, or you must wage war or call for peace with certain countries or groups.
The Islamic system of politics is a system of values, and the exact details are simply left to us humans to decide. Examples of these Islamic political values, as mentioned in the Qur'an, are justice, consultation, and unity.

Consultation (Arabic shura) could take a public and direct form (as the Prophet [peace be upon him] did in various occasions), or could take a form in which only a specific group of people are consulted (as the Prophet also did on various occasions).

This specific group could be chosen according to a leader's personal choice in a certain environment, according to elections in a parliamentary system or a council-based system, or even according to the tribal structure in a certain society.

None of the above ways is morally wrong and all of the above ways are valid as long as the values of justice, unity, consultation, etc., are observed and aimed at. Any system, from the above list or otherwise, that violates these values is not an Islamic system, whether you call it democracy, caliphate, kingdom, or sultanate.

Similarly, Islam is a way of life that is concerned with health. The values that form the "Islamic" guidance in this area, according to the Qur'an and Sunnah, are cleanliness, seeking medication, moderation in consumption, high morale, and so on.

However, it is not part of the Islamic teaching to prescribe a certain technical method of cleaning one's home or environment, for example.

Likewise, it is not part of the mission of Muhammad to teach us certain medication or medical procedures (even though it was indeed part of his mission to teach us certain related prayers, or ruqiyah, and to teach us how moral behavior is good for health, etc.).

I find the hadith of pollinating the palm trees to be of specific significance in this regard.
Talha narrates: I was walking with the Prophet when he passed by some people at the tops of their palm trees. He asked: "What are they doing?" They answered: "Pollinating the male into the female." He replied: "I do not think that this will be of benefit."When they were told about what the Prophet said, they stopped what they were doing. Later, when the trees shed down their fruits prematurely, the Prophet was told about that. He said: "If it is good for them they should do it. I was just speculating. So pardon me. But if I tell you something about God, then take it because I would never lie about God." Another narrator said that the Prophet added, "You know your worldly affairs better than I." (Muslim)

This hadith shows a matter that the Prophet is instructing us to deal with according to human experience rather than revelation. Thus, human empirical experience is meant to be the final judging factor for these kinds of tools and means.

Similarly, Islam is a way of life that is concerned with the economy (in its micro- and macro-levels, as we say in today's language). However, Islam is not meant to devise specific systems for economy in the sense of a certain system for fiscal policies, risk, banking, and so on.
I am not an expert in economics, even though I do have a general knowledge of the subject. I know, however, that there are many economic theories and proposed systems. The best theory, which you could also call "Islamic," is the theory that achieves the most in terms of Islamic economic values and principles.

For example, according to the Qur'an and Sunnah, the value of justice is a principle and basic value. To achieve justice, a group of other values have to be guaranteed. For example, the Qur'an mentions that God requires that *{the wealthy amongst you do not dominate wealth}* as mentioned in Surat Al-Hashr (59:6).

Now, the question of how we can design a certain system of the distribution of wealth in a certain economy is a matter of human legislation rather than divinely revealed legislation.
Thus, enforcing certain taxes that aim to diminish the gap between the rich and the poor, giving the needy certain subsidies or benefits, passing laws against monopoly, and so on, are all valid means to achieve these goals. None of them, however, could claim divine origin because they could all be changeable and subject to evolution, enhancement, and development.

The prohibition of usury (Arabic riba) is also an Islamic value that is clearly mentioned in the Qur'an. Usury is clear: someone borrows money from an individual or a bank and returns the money in addition to a fixed percentage or amount after a certain period of time.

However, 'interest rate' as we know it in today's modern economies cannot be accurately equated with usury or riba. Sometimes interest is related to borrowing and sometimes related to mere investment. This investment is sometimes done in lawful goods (land, gold, etc) and sometimes done in prohibited goods (liquor, etc).

Interest rates may be fixed or unfixed, but in the case of riba, it is supposed to be fixed. Yet, an interest that you get on your credit is not defined only based on the profit that this credit brings, but it is rather tied to a large number of economic and even political factors.

Thus, I think that the area of Islam and economy is an area that requires a lot of research that addresses current economic theories and realities, rather than addressing the economic theories and realities of past eras!

Having said that, I would also point to a growing number of literature in the area of Islam and economy, in which various writers and researchers present their own views of how an economic system could meet the moral requirements of Islam.

All these writings are useful and much needed. However, none of them should claim the status of "the" Islamic theory of economy. Nevertheless, each of these attempts is "an" Islamic theory of economy that could change — in fact should change — with the change of time and the development of human life on earth.