Life: The Culture of Us and Them

Salam...

Apa yang kekurangan dalam adat orang Malaysia, as a whole, ialah sifat ukhuwah. When we were kids, we were taught to always be kind to others, as well as expressing gratitude to people who help us.

In this modern day, people only think about themselves. There is no sense of caring, loving, not even respect to other people. To think this is norm, I would say the so-called-civilized western people at least still hold tightly to this essence while we're still blaming them for whatever nonsense reason.

True, there are pro and cons if we take example from them. But look at ourselves. When we are in great trouble, we run here and there asking for help. And when we are free from those calamities we are facing, we just 'poof'. Disappear. And we only utter the word 'thank you' to those we ask for help.

From Ali Hadad ( Indiana University, USA ). Telah di rephrase kan untuk pemahaman yang lebih mendalam.

Diorang walaupun pentingkan diri tapi diorang punya ukhuwah sangat mantap. Eh? Diorang ada ukhuwah? Ya. Diorang ada ukhuwah kemanusiaan yang sangat mantap tapi bukan ukhuwah islamiyyah. Kenapa ana cakap macam tu? Sebab setiap kali diorang lepas lalu pintu, diorang akan check dekat belakang diorang. Kalau ada orang berdekatan, diorang akan tahan pintu tu sehingga orang dekat belakang diorang tu sampai. Bila diorang buat macam tu kat ana, ana rasa segan sangat sebab ana tak penah buat macam tu dekat diorang.

Dengan rasa serba salah dan terhutang budi, ana buat la dekat diorang balik. Tolong tahan pintu sehinggalah mana-mana orang dekat belakang tu sampai. Kebetulan orang tu orang Amerika (of course la kan, takkan orang Melayu pulak kot), dia balas balik dengan cakap “thank you”. Bila ana dengar tu, rasa dihargai. Ana sekali lagi terasa terhutang budi lagi sebab sebelum ni diorang buat kat ana and ana tak cakap thank you pun. Lepas tu, bila sekali lagi diorang tolong tahan pintu, ana cakap terima kasih. Diorang balas balik dengan “no problem”. Ana sekali lagi rasa geram sebab ana tak balas diorang punya terima kasih dulu. Aduhai..

So, Apa ibrahnya? Ibrah tu maksudnya pengajaran. Ada satu pengajaran yang sangat besar yang ana dapat kat sini. Kita selalu dapat dapat nikmat dari Allah. Setiap nafas, kita dapat oxigen. Setiap hari kita dapat bangun dari tidur. Setiap waktu, kita dapat menunaikan solat dan dapat rasa nikmat Iman dan Islam. Setiap detik kita dapat melihat wajah-wajah yang kita sayang, dapat tengok keindahan alam, dapat tengok musim luruh. Pointnya ialah, kita dapat nikmat banyak-banyak ni, berapa kali kita ucap tahmid (Alhamdulillah) kepada Allah? Korang tahu tak yang Allah setiap saat tunggu kita (puji / ucap terima kasih) kat Dia?

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Actually there are more to that. But just saying, practise this in our daily lives to express positive attitude to others. Whether they are actually helping you or just doing their jobs.

Say thanks to the bus driver, say thanks to makcik jual makanan, say thanks to people that hold the door for you, say thanks for your group mates for their hard work and smile back to others that smile to you. Even better, smile to everyone.

Semua itu mungkin dapat menyelamatkan satu jiwa

sudutkiri: Lama gila kepam entri ni. Tak sempat nak ulas panjang-panjang. And from Ali Hadad's story, I've experienced that eventually. From that moment, I live my life by my new principles. I hope Malaysians can be like them too. Someday.

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