Thursday, August 12, 2010
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Asteroid Crash May Have Demagnified Mars
Irene Klotz, Discovery News
July 24, 2008 -- Scientists don't know what happened on Mars that caused its magnetic field to collapse. They suspect the planet's liquid metallic core cooled, ending convective currents that spread magnetic field lines through the planet's rock and soil and out into space.
But that may just be part of the story.
A team of researchers led by Jafar Arkani-Hamed of the University of Toronto in Canada believe a large asteroid circling the planet set up a gravitational tug-of-war that got Mars' core churning. Eventually, the asteroid lost its grip and crashed into its parent planet. Mars paid a dear price as well. Without the tidal forces, the planet's core lost its momentum, killing off the magnetic field.
What remain are patches of strong magnetic imprints in the oldest parts of Mars' crust. Because the fresher surface features are magnetic-free, scientists believe Mars lost its shield about four billion years ago.
Laboratory tests and computer simulations by Arkani-Hamed and colleagues and published in the Journal of Geophysical Research last month show a large asteroid circling about 46,000 miles above Mars could have had a strong enough pull on Mars to coax its liquid core into moving. The dynamic would have lasted about 400 million years before the asteroid crashed, demagnetizing Mars.
Humans to live on Mars 'within 25 years'
Posted Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:23am AEST Updated Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:32am AEST
Great view...we could soon be calling Mars home. (NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems)
A professor of planetary science says humans could be living on Mars within 25 years.
Professor Jeff Taylor from Hawaii's Institute of Geophysics and Planetology is addressing a conference in Perth today.
He says humans could be living on the moon within 15 years, and if basic life supports like oxygen and water can be secured, humans could colonise Mars within 25 years.
Professor Taylor says it is human nature to want to explore and colonise new areas and humans may go to Mars for economic reasons, or to secure additional energy supplies.
He says once people start living on the moon, new businesses will be established.
"Whether that's going to be servicing and building telescopes or servicing satellites in orbit around the Earth, including communication satellites deep in synchronous orbits, or any other commercial ventures including space tourism," he said.
Professor Taylor says the first step would be to secure basic life supports on the planet.
"There is plenty of water which you not only use for drinking, but you can split it into oxygen and hydrogen and use it for life support," he said.
"You can also make fuel from it. Mars is really quite rich in those sorts of resources."
Tags: science-and-technology , astronomy, planets-and-asteroids, space-exploration, australia, wa, perth-6000, united-states, hawaii
Bill Gates finally graduates
media: 4.79 din 14 voturi
Gates, who dropped out of Harvard in his junior year before co-founding Microsoft Corp. and going on to become the world's richest person, stopped off at his former stomping grounds to collect an honorary law degree.
“We recognize the most illustrious member of the Harvard College class of 1977 never to have graduated from Harvard,” said Harvard University Provost Steven Hyman.
“While his classmates, including his friend Steve Ballmer, were busy cramming for midterms, he was planning for a revolution, the rise of the personal computer,” Hyman said. “It seems high time that his alma mater hand over the diploma.”
Ballmer is now Microsoft's chief executive officer.
During Hyman's comments, Gates, 51, smiled and nodded to the applauding graduates. He was scheduled to address them later on Thursday afternoon.
The lack of a degree didn't slow Gates' rise to the top echelons of business.
In 1980, Gates and his colleagues at Microsoft were canny enough to negotiate an agreement with International Business Machines Corp. that gave the start-up software company the right to license its operating system for a new generation of personal computers to other manufacturers.
That arrangement ultimately turned the computer business on its ear, shifting power from hardware manufacturers to software programmers. Today, hundreds of companies manufacture hundreds of thousands of brand-name personal computers each year, but more than 90 per cent of those machines use Microsoft's Windows operating system.
PHILANTHROPIC WORK
At Harvard, Gates lived down the hall from Ballmer, who stayed on to graduate after Gates dropped out to focus his energies on Microsoft, which he founded in 1975 with childhood friend Paul Allen. Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980.
Microsoft went public in 1986 and by the next year the company's soaring share prices had made then-31-year-old Gates the world's youngest self-made billionaire.
Last year, Gates said he would step down from his day-to-day management role at Microsoft in 2008 to focus on philanthropic work.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, founded in 2000, supports projects to improve health, reduce poverty and increase public access to technology.
Gates' commitment to charity caught the attention of famed investor Warren Buffett, the world's second richest man. Last year, the chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., pledged the bulk of his fortune to the Gates Foundation.
That .7-billion donation, to be paid out in stages on the condition that the money be given away in the year it is donated, roughly doubled the size of the Gates Foundation.
Harvard also awarded honorary degrees to former National Basketball Association great Bill Russell and former treasury secretary Lawrence Summers, a former president of Harvard who was forced out after making controversial comments about women in academia that ignited a firestorm among the faculty.
media: 4.79 din 14 voturi
Gates, who dropped out of Harvard in his junior year before co-founding Microsoft Corp. and going on to become the world's richest person, stopped off at his former stomping grounds to collect an honorary law degree.
“We recognize the most illustrious member of the Harvard College class of 1977 never to have graduated from Harvard,” said Harvard University Provost Steven Hyman.
“While his classmates, including his friend Steve Ballmer, were busy cramming for midterms, he was planning for a revolution, the rise of the personal computer,” Hyman said. “It seems high time that his alma mater hand over the diploma.”
Ballmer is now Microsoft's chief executive officer.
During Hyman's comments, Gates, 51, smiled and nodded to the applauding graduates. He was scheduled to address them later on Thursday afternoon.
The lack of a degree didn't slow Gates' rise to the top echelons of business.
In 1980, Gates and his colleagues at Microsoft were canny enough to negotiate an agreement with International Business Machines Corp. that gave the start-up software company the right to license its operating system for a new generation of personal computers to other manufacturers.
That arrangement ultimately turned the computer business on its ear, shifting power from hardware manufacturers to software programmers. Today, hundreds of companies manufacture hundreds of thousands of brand-name personal computers each year, but more than 90 per cent of those machines use Microsoft's Windows operating system.
PHILANTHROPIC WORK
At Harvard, Gates lived down the hall from Ballmer, who stayed on to graduate after Gates dropped out to focus his energies on Microsoft, which he founded in 1975 with childhood friend Paul Allen. Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980.
Microsoft went public in 1986 and by the next year the company's soaring share prices had made then-31-year-old Gates the world's youngest self-made billionaire.
Last year, Gates said he would step down from his day-to-day management role at Microsoft in 2008 to focus on philanthropic work.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, founded in 2000, supports projects to improve health, reduce poverty and increase public access to technology.
Gates' commitment to charity caught the attention of famed investor Warren Buffett, the world's second richest man. Last year, the chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., pledged the bulk of his fortune to the Gates Foundation.
That .7-billion donation, to be paid out in stages on the condition that the money be given away in the year it is donated, roughly doubled the size of the Gates Foundation.
Harvard also awarded honorary degrees to former National Basketball Association great Bill Russell and former treasury secretary Lawrence Summers, a former president of Harvard who was forced out after making controversial comments about women in academia that ignited a firestorm among the faculty.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Saidatina Aisyah binti Abu Bakar
Kisah hidup Saidatina Aisyah r.a. telah membuktikan bahawa wanita mampu menguasai bidang keilmuan mengatasi kaum lelaki serta mampu menjadi pendidik kepada para ilmuan dan pakar-pakar pelbagai bidang. Kehidupan beliau juga menjadi bukti kemampuan wanita dalam mempengaruhi pandangan masyarakat, baik lelaki mahupun perempuan, serta membekalkan sumber inspirasi and kepimpinan yang mantap. Wanita yang kaya dengan pekerti tinggi,lemah lembut serta sopan santun ini juga telah membawa kebahagiaan dan ketenangan hati yang tidak putus kepada suaminya.Saidatina Aisyah r.a. bukan seorang graduan dari mana-mana universiti memandangkan belum wujud lagi institusi sedemikian pada ketika hayat beliau seperti yang ada sekarang. Namun begitu, lafaz ucapan beliau menjadi bahan kajian dalam bidang sastera, fatwa- fatwa syariah yang beliau keluarkan dikaji di institusi-instusi perundangan, hidup dan hasil pengkajian beliau diteliti oleh para mahasiswa dan pendidik dalam pengkajian sejarah Islam sejak seribu tahun yang lalu.Khazanah pengetahuan yang dimiliki Saidatina Aisyah r.a. diperoleh sejak beliau masih seorang kanak-kanak. Pada usia mudanya, Aisyah r.a. dibesarkan oleh bapanya, seorang Muslim yang dihormati dan disegani ramai lantaran ketinggian ilmunya, kelembutan budi pekertinya serta peribadinya yang disegangi ramai. Tambahan pula, beliau sahabat yang paling rapat dengan Rasulullah s.a.w. serta merupakan pengunjung setia ke rumah Rasulullah s.a.w. sejak zaman awal kerasulan baginda.Semenjak beliau muda, Aisyah r.a. yang terkenal dengan paras rupanya yang menawan serta daya ingatan yang kuat, diletakkan di bawah jagaan Rasulullah s.a.w. sendiri. Sebagai isteri serta pendamping baginda Rasulullah, Aisyah r.a. berpeluang menimba ilmu pengetahuan dari baginda sehingga ke tahap yang tidak mungkin ditandingi oleh wanita-wanita lain.Aisyah r.a. menjadi isteri Rasulullah s.a.w. di Mekah di sekitar usia beliau mencecah sepuluh tahun, namun hanya mula menjalankan tanggungjawab sebagai seorang isteri setelah tahun kedua Hijrah, iaitu ketika usia beliau sekitar empatbelas hingga limabelas tahun. Pada waktu sebelum dan selepas pernikahan beliau, Aisyah r.a. tetap mempamerkan kegirangan serta sifat semulajadi seorang kanak-kanak. Beliau seidkit pun tidak teruja dengan statusnya sebagai isteri kepada seorang Nabi Allah yang begitu disanjungi dan dikasihi oleh para sahabat. Ini termasuklah kedua ibubapa Aisyah sendiri yang menumpukan sepenuh kasih saying serta hormat mereka kepada Rasulullah s.a.w. berbanding orang lain.Berkenaan pernikahan beliau kepada Rasulullah s.a.w., Aisyah r.a. menceritakan, sejurus sebelum beliau ditetapkan meninggalkan rumahnya, beliau telah keluar ke halaman rumah untuk bermain-main dengan rakannya yang sedang berlalu di situ:“Aku sendang bermain di atas jungkang-jungkit dan rambutku yang panjang telah menjadi kusut” kata beliau. “Mereka datang mendapatkan ku dari permainan ku lalu menyiapkan ku.”Saidatina Aisyah r.a. dipakaikan pakaian pengantinnya yang diperbuat dari sutera halus berjalur merah dari Bahrain. Seterusnya beliau dibawa oleh ibunya ke rumahnya yang baru siap dibina serta disambut oleh wanita-wanita Ansar di muka pintu. Mereka manyambutnya dengan ucapan “Demi kebaikan dan kebahagiaan dan semoga diiringi kesenangan.” Dalam kehadiran baginda Rasulullah yang sedang tersenyum lembut, semangkuk susu dibawa kepada mereka. Rasulullah s.a.w. minum darinya lalu memberikan susu itu kepada Aisyah. Aisyah dengan segan silu menolak pelawaan Rasulullah itu. Namun apabila Rasulullah sekali lagi menyuruh Aisyah minum dari semangkuk susu itu, Aisyah pun berbuat demikian. Seterusnya mangkuk itu diberikan kepada kakak beliau, Asma, yang berada di sisinya serta diedarkan kepada mereka yang hadir di situ. Itulah keraian yang menandai pernikahan baginda Rasulullah dengan saidatina Aisyah yang dijalankan dalam penuh kesederhanaan.Status beliau sebagai isteri Rasulullah s.a.w. tidak merubah sifat riang Aisyah sebagai seorang kanak-kanak. Rakan-rakan beliau sering berkunjung ke rumah untuk bermain-main dengannya.‘Sedang aku bermain dengan permainanku,’cerita Saidatina Aisyah r.a.,’bersamaku ada kawan-kawanku, dan datang baginda Rasulullah kepadaku, lalu mereka akan keluar meninggalkanku, akan tetapi Rasulullah keluar mendapatkan rakan-rakanku itu dan membawa mereka kembali kerana baginda senang denganku bermain dengan mereka.’ ‘Kadangkala baginda berkata, “Tinggal di situ, wahai Aisyah,” dan sebelum sempat rakan-rakanku meninggalkanku, baginda akan turut serta dalam permainan kami’. Kata Aisyah r.a. ‘Suatu hari, baginda Rasulullah datang ketika aku sedang bermain-main dengan anak patungku, dan baginda berkata, “Wahai Aisyah, permainan apakah ini?” “Inilah kuda-kuda Sulaiman,” kata ku dan baginda pun tertawa.’ Ada ketika apabila baginda pulang ketika Aisyah sedang bermain dengan rakan-rakannya, baginda Rasulullah akan berselindung di sebalik jubahnya agar tidak mengganggu Aisyah dan rakan-rakan beliau yang sedang bermain.Detik-detik awal kehidupan Aisyah r.a. di Madinah turut melalui saat-saat yang mencabar. Pada suatu ketika, bapa beliau bersama dua orang sahabat yang tinggal bersamanya ketika itu telah diserang demam panas yang sering melanda Madinah pada musim-musim tertentu. Ketika Aisyah menziarahi bapanya, beliau terkejut melihat ketia-tiga orang lelaki itu sedang terlantar dalam keadaan tenat dan lemah. Aisyah bertanyakan khabar bapanya itu namun jawapan yang diberi bapa beliau tidak dapat difahami. Dua orang sahabat yang sedang tenat itu juga mengeluarkan baris-baris puisi yang difikirkan Aisyah hanyalah ratapan seorang yang sedang sakit tenat. Saidatina Aisyah berasa gusar lalu pulang menceritakan peristiwa itu kepada baginda Rasulullah s.a.w.:‘Mereka maracau-racau, tidak keruan, disebabkan demam panas itu,’ Kemudian Rasulullah bertanya kepada Aisyah apa yang diperkatakan oleh bapanya serta dua orang sahabat yang sedang sakit tadi. Baginda berasa lega setelah Aisyah mengulangi setiap apa yang dikatakan oleh mereka walaupun kata-kata itu belum mampu difahami oleh Aisyah sendiri. Peristiwa ini menggambarkan daya ingatan Aisyah yang begitu kuat yang bakal memainkan peranan penting dalam meriwayatkan hadith-hadith baginda Rasulullah s.a.w.Di kalangan isteri-isteri baginda di Madinah, Aisyah nyata sekali merupakan kesayangan Rasulullah s.a.w. Dari masa ke semasa, salah seorang sahabat baginda akan bertanya,:‘Wahai Rasulullah, siapakah yang paling kau sayangi di dunia ini?’ Jawab baginda sering berbeza-beza kerana baginda begitu mengasihi anak-anak serta cucu-cucunya, sahabat baginda Abu Bakar, Ali, Zaid serta anak beliau Usamah. Namun di kalangan isteri baginda yand sering disebut hanyalah Aisyah. Aisyah sendiri begitu mengasihi baginda Rasulullah serta sering meminta kepastian tentang kasih baginda terhadapnya. Pernah suatu ketika Aisyah r.a. bertanya kepada Rasulullah, ‘Bagaimanakah kasihmu terhadapku?’‘Seperti ikatan simpulan tali,’ jawab baginda yang bermaksud kasihnya itu kuat dan kukuh. Lalu pada waktu-waktu seterusnya Saidatina Aisyah r.a. akan bertanya kepada Rasulullah, ‘Bagaimana keadaan simpulan itu?’ dan jawab baginda ‘Demi Allah, masih sama (kukuh)’.Begitu kasihnya Aisyah kepada baginda Rasulullah sehinggakan lahir rasa cemburu dan tidak berpuas hati sekiranya perhatian Rasulullah dicurahkan kepada orang lain melebihi dirinya sendiri. Aisyah bertanya kepada baginda,:‘Wahai Rasul Allah, katakan sendiri padaku. Sekiranya engkau berada di antara dua lembah, yang satunya tidak pernah diragut rumputnya sedangkan yang satu lagi sudah pernah diragut rumputnya, dimanakah akan engkau lepaskan ternakkanmu?’‘Di lembah yang rumputnya belum pernah diragut,’ jawab Rasulullah. ‘Namun begitu,’kata beliau ‘aku tidaklah seperti isteri-isterimu yang lain. Setiap orang dari mereka pernah mempunyai suami yang lain sebelum mu kecuali diriku.’ Rasulullah hanya tersenyum tanpa berkata apa-apa. Cerita Aisyah lagi tentang sikap cemburunya itu:‘Aku tidak mencemburui isteri-isteri Rasulullah yang lain sebagaimana aku mencemburui Khadijah, disebabkan baginda sering menyebut-nyebut nama Khadijah serta telah diperintahkan Allah untuk menyampaikan berita gembira kepada Khadijah tentang mahligainya di syurga yang bertatahkan permata. Setiap kali baginda Rasulullah membuat sembelihan, pasti akan diberikan sebahagian daripada daging sembelihan itu kepada teman-teman rapat Khadijah. Berkali-kali pernah ku katakan kepada baginda, “Seolah-olah tidak pernah ada wanita lain di dunia in selain Khadijah,”Pernah suatu ketika Aisyah mengadu tentang sikap Rasulullah yang begitu memandang tinggi terhadap ‘seorang wanita tua Quraisy’, baginda berasa tersinggung lalu berkata: ‘Dialah isteri yang mempercayai diriku sedangkan orang lain menafikan diriku. Sedangkan orang lain mendustai ku, dia meyakinkan kebenaranku. Sedang aku dipulaukan, dia membelanjakan segala harta kekayaannya untuk meringankan beban sengsara ku.’Walaupun Aisyah memiliki sifat cemburu yang sebenarnya tidak membawa kepada keburukan, beliau sesungguhnya seorang yang amat pemurah dan penyabar. Beliau mengharungi kehidupan yang serba kekurangan bersama isteri-isteri Rasulullah yang lain. Beliau tidak betah hidup tanpa sesuap makanan pun dalam jangka waktu yang panjang. Berhari-hari lamanya dapur rumah beliau tidak berasap dan beliau hidup bersama Rasulullah di atas buah tamar dan air semata-mata. Hidupnya yang miskin tidak membawa sebarang tekanan atau memalukan Aisyah r.a.; hidup berdikari tidak mengganggu cara hidup beliau walau sedikit pun.Pernah suatu ketika, Rasulullah telah memutuskan perhubungan dengan isteri-isteri baginda sehingga sebulan lamanya. Ini disebabkan mereka meminta sesuatu yang Rasulullah tidak mampu berikan. Peristiwa ini berlaku selepas peperangan di Khaibar dimana kemenangan umat Islam membawa harta rampasan serta membuahkan keinginan terhadap harta kekayaan. Setelah kembali dari beruzlah, baginda Rasulullah pertama sekali menuju ke rumah Aisyah. Beliau begitu gembira melihat baginda telah kembali, namun Rasulullah mengkhabarkan kepadanya tentang penerimaan wahyu yang menyuruh baginda memberikan Aisyah dua pilihan. Baginda seterusnya membacakan ayat :“Hai Nabi, katakanlah kepada isteri-isterimu: “Jika kamu sekalian mengingini kehidupan dunia dan perhiasannya, maka marilah supaya kuberikan kepadamu mut’ah dan aku ceraikan kamu dengan cara yang baik. Dan jika kamu sekalian menghendaki (keredhaan) Allah dan Rasulnya-Nya serta (kesenangan) di negeri akhirat, maka sesungguhnya Allah menyediakan bagi siapa yang berbuat baik diantaramu pahala yang besar.” (al-Ahzab 28-29)Jawab Aisyah:‘Sesungguhnya aku memilih Allah dan RasulNya dan kehidupan di akhirat,’ dan jawabnya itu disetujui isteri-isteri baginda yang lain.Beliau setia terhadap pilihannya itu sepanjang hidupnya bersama Rasulullah dan begitu juga setelah kewafatan baginda. Apabila umat Islam dilimpahi harta kekayaan yang banyak, beliau pernah dihadiahkan seratus ribu dirham. Walaupun ketika itu beliau sedang berpuasa dan hidup dalam kekurangan, seluruh pemberian itu disedekahkan kepada fakir miskin. Sejurus selepas itu, seorang pembantu rumahnya bertanya, ‘Bolehkan engkau menggunakan satu dirham untuk membeli daging buat berbuka puasa?’‘Jika aku terfikirkan hal ini tadi, pasti aku sudah melakukannya,’ jawab Aisyah r.a. Kasih sayang Rasulullah terhadap Aisyah berkekalan sehingga akhir hayat baginda. Ketika baginda sedang nazak, baginda telah pulang ke rumah Aisyah atas izinisteri-isteri baginda yang lain. Kebanyakan masa baginda hanya terlantar di katil dengan kepala baginda di atas pangkuan Aisyah. Saiditina Aisyah telah meminta kayu siwak dari abangnya (or adik lelaki?) serta mengunyah kayu siwak itu untuk melembutkannya lalu diberikan kepada Rasulullah. Walaupun sudah berkeadaan tenat, baginda menggosok gigi baginda dengan bersungguh-sungguh. Tidak lama kemudian, baginda jatuh pengsan dan tidak sedarkan diri dan Aisyah melihat itu adalah tanda-tanda ajal baginda telah sampai. Namun sejam kemudian, baginda kembali membuka mata.Aisyahlah yang menyaksikan dan menyampaikan kisah saat-saat akhir sebelum kewafatan insan mulia ini, kekasih Allah moga dilimpahi rahmatNya.Setelah baginda sedar kembali, Aisyah mengingati Izrail telah berkata kepadanya: ‘Tidak seorang Nabi itu diambil nyawanya melainkan dia telah ditunjukkan tempatnya di syurga serta diberikan pilihan samada untuk hidup atau mati,’‘Baginda tidak akan memilih untuk bersama kita,’ kata Aisyah pada dirinya. Kemudian Aisyah terdengar baginda berkata, ‘Demi pertemuan agung di syurga, demi hamba-hambanya yang dilimpahi rahmatNya, para Nabi, para syuhada’ dan orang-orang yang beriman….’ Dan sekali lagi beliau terdengar baginda berkata ‘ya Tuhanku, demi pertemuan agung di syurga…’ Inilah kata-kata terakhir baginda yang didengar oleh Saidatina Aisyah r.a. Sedikit demi sedikit, kepala Rasulullah semakin berat di pangkuan Aisyah, sehinggalah sahabat-sahabat yang lain mula menitiskan air mata. Lalu Aisyah meletakkan kepala Rasulullah di atas bantal dan turut serta menangisi permergian baginda.Di lantai rumah Aisyah, berhampiran tempat pembaringan Rasulullah ketika baginda sedang nazak, sebuah kubur digali dan di situlah bersemadi jasad penutup segala Nabi, di kala umatnya sedang dalam kegelisahan dan kesedihan yang mendalam.Aisyah hidup selama hampir lima puluh tahun setelah kewafatan Rasulullah s.a.w. Sepuluh tahun hidup beliau sebagai isteri Rasululluah. Sebahagian besar waktu itu diluangkan dengan mempelajari dua sumber penting petunjuk Allah, iaitu al-Quran dan sunnah Rasulullah. Tiga orang daripada isteri-isteri Rasulullah yang menghafaz al-Quran, dan salah seorang daripadanya adalah Aisyah r.a.(di samping Ummu Salamah dan Hafsah). Seperti Hafsah, Aisyah juga mempunyai salinan al-Quran yang ditulis setelah kewafatan Rasulullah.Berkenaan dengan hadith baginda Rasulullah, Aisyah merupakan salah seorang daripada empat orang sahabat (termasuk Abu Hurairah, Abdullah ibn Umar dan Anas Ibn Malik) yang meriwayatkan lebih dua ribu hadith. Kebanyakan hadith-hadith ini berkaitan amalan-amalan peribadi Rasulullah yang hanya mampu diketahui oleh Aisyah r.a. Satu aspek penting berkenaan hadith yang diriwayatkan Aisyah ialah hadith-hadith tersebut disampaikan dalam bentuk tulisan oleh, antara lainnya, anak saudara beliau, Urwah ibn az-Zubair yang merupakan salah seorang ulama’ terkenal di kalangan tabi’in.Ramai di kalangan sahabat Rasulullah dan pengikut-pengikut mereka yang menimba dari ilmu pengetahuan Aisyah r.a. Abu Musa al’Ashari pernah berkata: ‘Sekiranya kami di kalangan sahabat Rasulullah menghadapi kemusykilan, maka akan kami bawa kepada Saidatina Aisyah r.a.’Urwah ibn az-Zubair menegaskan bahawa Aisyah bukan sahaja arif dalam bidang fiqh, bahkan juga dalam bidang tibb(perubatan) dan syair. Ramai di kalangan sahabat baginda Rasulullah turut merujuk kepada Aisyah berkenaan masalah pewarisan harta yang memerlukan kemahiran tinggi dalam bidang matematik. Para ulama menganggap Saidatina Aisyah sebagai salah seorang ahli fuqaha Islam terawal di samping Umar Ibn al-Khattab, Ali dan Abdullah ibn Abbas. Kata baginda Rasulullah tentang dalamnya pengetahuan Aisyah dalam Islam; ‘Pelajarilah sebahagian daripada agamamu dari al-Humaira’,’Al-Humaira, atau ‘si merah’ adalah nama panggilan Rasulullah kepada Saidatina Aisyah r.a.Saidatina Aisyah r.a. bukan sahaja memiliki ketinggian ilmu pengetahuan, bahkan turut memainkan peranan penting dalam proses pendidikan dan pembentukan masyarakat ketika itu. Sebagai seorang guru, beliau memiliki lisan yang jelas dan menarik hati serta kelancaran bertutur kata beliau digambarkan dengan begitu tinggi oleh al-Ahnaf: ‘Aku pernah mendengar ucapan dari Abu Bakar dan Umar, dari Uthman dan Ali serta para khulafa’ hingga ke hari ini, tetapi belum pernah aku mendengar ucapan yang lebih indah dan lebih menarik hati dari mulut seorang pun melainkan Aisyah r.a.’Manusia dari segenap pelusuk tanah Arab telah pergi menemui Aisyah untuk mempelajari ilmu yang dimilikinya. Dikatakan lebih ramai bilangan wanita daripada lelaki yang datang untuk menimba ilmu daripada beliau. Di samping menjelaskan kemusykilan orang ramai, beliau turut mengambil anak-anak kecil, ada di kalangan mereka yatim piatu, untuk dibesarkan dan dilatih di bawah bimbingannya sendiri. Di samping itu juga terdapat saudara-saudara beliau yang mendapat bimbingan yang sama. Dengan demikian, rumah Saidatina Aisyah r.a. dijadikan sekolah dan sebuah institusi pengajian.Ada di kalangan anak-anak didikan Aisyah yang cemerlang di bawah pimpinan beliau. Sudah disebut sebelum ini tentang anak saudara lelaki beliau iaitu Urwah ibn az-Zubair sebagai salah seorang perawi hadith terkemuka. Di antara pelajar wanita didikan Aisyah ialah Umrah binti Abdur Rahman. Umrah dianggap oleh para ulama’ sebagai seorang perawi hadith yang thiqah dan dikatakan bertindak sebagai setiausaha Aisyah r.a dalam menerima dan menjawab surat-surat yang diterima Aisyah. Peranan Aisyah dalam menggerakkan proses pendidikan terutamanya bagi kaum wanita seharusnya dijadikan contoh ikutan.Selepas Khadijah al-Kubra (yang hebat) dan Fatimah az-Zahra (yang menawan), Aisyah as-Siddiqah (yang membenarkan) dianggap sebagai wanita terbaik dalam Islam. Dari keteguhan peribadinya, beliau menjadi seorang pakar dalam setiap bidang pengetahuan, dalam masyarakat, politik bahkan peperangan. Beliau sering menyesali penglibatannya dalam peperangan namun dibarkahi dengan umur yang panjang berpeluang membetulkan kedudukannya sebagai wanita paling dihormati sewaktu hayatnya.
Rasulullah Sholallahu ‘alaihi wasallam dimakamkan di kamar 'Aisyah. tepat di tempat beliau meninggal. Sepeninggal Rasulullah, 'Aisyah banyak menghabiskan waktunya untuk memberikan ta'lim. baik kepada kaum laki-laki maupun wanita (di rumahnya) dan banyak berperang serta dalam mengukir sejarah Islam sampai wafatnya. 'Aisyah wafat pada malam Selasa bulan Ramadhan tahun 57 Hijriyah pada usia 66 tahun.6Para generasi sepeninggal 'Aisyah selalu mengkaji dan meneliti detail kehidupannya sejak usia 6 tahun, dengan harapan dapat mengambil hikmah dan ibrah dari model tarbiyyah (pendidikan) yang telah membentuk pribadi beliau menjadi figur tunggal yang belum ada duanya sejak empat belas abad silam.
Atas arahan beliau sendiri, jasadnya disemadikan di Jannat al-Baqi di Madinah al-Munawwarah, di kalangan sahabat baginda Rasulullah s.a.w.
Monday, July 21, 2008
(Princess of Ledang Mountain).
Most people in Malaysia knows the legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang, however,not many realised this legend happened in the district of Muar, north of Melaka.
According to Malay belief in the old days, there was a beautiful jin princess who lived on top of Ledang Hill and was called Puteri Gunung Ledang. The princess had seven sisters originated from Java. Her other relatives in Malay peninsular were Puteri Gunung Banang in Batu Pahat, Puteri Gunung Panti in Kota Tinggi and Puteri Gunung Beremban in border of Johor and Pahang.
These jin princesses cannot be seen by human beings. However, some people like Malay traditional medicine man and people who lost their way in the forest, sometimes meet and talk to them.
According to the Malay story told verbally, Puteri Gunung Ledang stayed at the top of Gunung Mahligai (Mahligai Mountain). She had a lover who lived on top of Gunung Rundok (Rundok Mountain). Every night the mountain top of Gunung Rundok will approach near Gunung Mahligai, and the two lovers met and spend the time until early morning. After a few years, one night, while spending the time together, they did not realised the time had passed early morning. The act was against the curse of jins causing the mountain top of Gunung Rundok slanted until today.
If we were to climb Gunung Ledang from Kampung Asahan (Asahan Village) in Melaka, we will encounter a deep crater before reaching the mountain top. This large crater was belief to saperate the mountain top of Gunung Rundok and Gunung Mahligai along Mount Ledang.
The mountain top of Gunung Rundok cannot straightened itself. So the jin prince have to stay at the top of Gunung Mahligaitogether with Puteri Gunung Ledang and were married.
After the wedding, they went for honeymoon to Pulau Besar (Besar Island) at the Straits of Melaka. One day, while Puteri Gunung Ledang was sewing under a coconut tree at the seaside, her husband came from behind to surprise her jokingly. She was shocked and accidently stabbed her husband's hand with her sewing pin. Immediately, her husband fell to the ground and died, as it was a curse on him to die if stabbed by a pin. She was very sad and hug her husband's body and said:
"Oh my love, Putera Mambang,I swear I will never marry again until I die."
She went back to Gunung Ledang soon after.
MARRIAGE PROPOSAL TO PUTERI GUNUNG LEDANG.
As the story goes, wife of Sultan Mahmud of Melaka died and he mourned for her death for quite a while. This caused some concern among the heads and ministers of Melaka.
They asked the sultan to get married again. Quite a number of beautiful princesses and daughters of ministers and nobles were presented to His Majesty. he refused them all with all kind of reasons. His Majesty still loves his late wife.
One day, while His Majesty was missing her late wife, his Bendahara (Prime Minister) came and presented the story of Puteri Gunung Ledang to him. The Bendahara suggested to His Majesty to marry Puteri Gunung Ledang and becomes his queen. His Majesty agreed.
A few days later, His Majesty send a team of messenger to propose marriage to Puteri Gunung Ledang. The team consist of his famous general Hang Tuah and Sang Setia. Tun Mamat was the sherpa. During their journey, they reached the foot of the mountain. There was heavy storm and they could not climb up and Hang Tuah have aged.
Tun Mamat went alone through rough terrain and through deep forest, until he managed to reached the mountain top of Gunung Ledang. He was surprised to discovered a beautiful garden full of flowers with birds chirping and flying around it. The garden gives a very extraordinarily beautiful and happy feeling. While Tun Mamat were impressed with the beauty he encountered, an old lady came an called him. "Who are you, and where are you going?" asked the old lady.
"I am Tun Mamat from Melaka, instructed by His Majesty Sultan Mahmud to propose marriage to Puteri Gunung Ledang, and may I know who are you?" asked Tun Mamat curiously.
"I am Dang Raya Rani, servant ot Puteri Gunung Ledang. If that is what you wish, please wait a moment, while I refer this to Her Majesty." answered the old lady.
She disappeared for a moment and came reappeared after a while and said, "Tun Mamat, please send Puteri Gunung Ledang's regards to His Majesty . Her Majesty said, if His Majesty want to make her his queen, His Majesty must grant her these special presents that is 7 trays of mosquito's heart, 7 trays of germ's heart, one barrel of tears, one barrel of young pinang juice, one bowl of His Majesty's blood and one bowl of blood of His Majesty's son, Raja Ahmad. She also requested His Majesty to build a silver bridge connecting Melaka and Gunung Ledang.
Tun Mamat went down to Hang Tuan and Sang Setia and they return to Melaka. The wishes of Puteri Gunung Ledang were presented to His Majesty and he agreed to grant it all except to give one bowl of his son Raja Ahmad's blood.
Puteri Gunung Ledang's nonsensical wishes for those special gifts were just an excuse not to accept the marriage proposal from His Majesty the Sultan of Melaka as she is still loyal to her late husband who died in Pulau Besar.
Most people in Malaysia knows the legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang, however,not many realised this legend happened in the district of Muar, north of Melaka.
According to Malay belief in the old days, there was a beautiful jin princess who lived on top of Ledang Hill and was called Puteri Gunung Ledang. The princess had seven sisters originated from Java. Her other relatives in Malay peninsular were Puteri Gunung Banang in Batu Pahat, Puteri Gunung Panti in Kota Tinggi and Puteri Gunung Beremban in border of Johor and Pahang.
These jin princesses cannot be seen by human beings. However, some people like Malay traditional medicine man and people who lost their way in the forest, sometimes meet and talk to them.
According to the Malay story told verbally, Puteri Gunung Ledang stayed at the top of Gunung Mahligai (Mahligai Mountain). She had a lover who lived on top of Gunung Rundok (Rundok Mountain). Every night the mountain top of Gunung Rundok will approach near Gunung Mahligai, and the two lovers met and spend the time until early morning. After a few years, one night, while spending the time together, they did not realised the time had passed early morning. The act was against the curse of jins causing the mountain top of Gunung Rundok slanted until today.
If we were to climb Gunung Ledang from Kampung Asahan (Asahan Village) in Melaka, we will encounter a deep crater before reaching the mountain top. This large crater was belief to saperate the mountain top of Gunung Rundok and Gunung Mahligai along Mount Ledang.
The mountain top of Gunung Rundok cannot straightened itself. So the jin prince have to stay at the top of Gunung Mahligaitogether with Puteri Gunung Ledang and were married.
After the wedding, they went for honeymoon to Pulau Besar (Besar Island) at the Straits of Melaka. One day, while Puteri Gunung Ledang was sewing under a coconut tree at the seaside, her husband came from behind to surprise her jokingly. She was shocked and accidently stabbed her husband's hand with her sewing pin. Immediately, her husband fell to the ground and died, as it was a curse on him to die if stabbed by a pin. She was very sad and hug her husband's body and said:
"Oh my love, Putera Mambang,I swear I will never marry again until I die."
She went back to Gunung Ledang soon after.
MARRIAGE PROPOSAL TO PUTERI GUNUNG LEDANG.
As the story goes, wife of Sultan Mahmud of Melaka died and he mourned for her death for quite a while. This caused some concern among the heads and ministers of Melaka.
They asked the sultan to get married again. Quite a number of beautiful princesses and daughters of ministers and nobles were presented to His Majesty. he refused them all with all kind of reasons. His Majesty still loves his late wife.
One day, while His Majesty was missing her late wife, his Bendahara (Prime Minister) came and presented the story of Puteri Gunung Ledang to him. The Bendahara suggested to His Majesty to marry Puteri Gunung Ledang and becomes his queen. His Majesty agreed.
A few days later, His Majesty send a team of messenger to propose marriage to Puteri Gunung Ledang. The team consist of his famous general Hang Tuah and Sang Setia. Tun Mamat was the sherpa. During their journey, they reached the foot of the mountain. There was heavy storm and they could not climb up and Hang Tuah have aged.
Tun Mamat went alone through rough terrain and through deep forest, until he managed to reached the mountain top of Gunung Ledang. He was surprised to discovered a beautiful garden full of flowers with birds chirping and flying around it. The garden gives a very extraordinarily beautiful and happy feeling. While Tun Mamat were impressed with the beauty he encountered, an old lady came an called him. "Who are you, and where are you going?" asked the old lady.
"I am Tun Mamat from Melaka, instructed by His Majesty Sultan Mahmud to propose marriage to Puteri Gunung Ledang, and may I know who are you?" asked Tun Mamat curiously.
"I am Dang Raya Rani, servant ot Puteri Gunung Ledang. If that is what you wish, please wait a moment, while I refer this to Her Majesty." answered the old lady.
She disappeared for a moment and came reappeared after a while and said, "Tun Mamat, please send Puteri Gunung Ledang's regards to His Majesty . Her Majesty said, if His Majesty want to make her his queen, His Majesty must grant her these special presents that is 7 trays of mosquito's heart, 7 trays of germ's heart, one barrel of tears, one barrel of young pinang juice, one bowl of His Majesty's blood and one bowl of blood of His Majesty's son, Raja Ahmad. She also requested His Majesty to build a silver bridge connecting Melaka and Gunung Ledang.
Tun Mamat went down to Hang Tuan and Sang Setia and they return to Melaka. The wishes of Puteri Gunung Ledang were presented to His Majesty and he agreed to grant it all except to give one bowl of his son Raja Ahmad's blood.
Puteri Gunung Ledang's nonsensical wishes for those special gifts were just an excuse not to accept the marriage proposal from His Majesty the Sultan of Melaka as she is still loyal to her late husband who died in Pulau Besar.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
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