Metanoia

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

السلام عليكم

Some of frequent visitors of this blog might have wondered where all these posts are gone. Well, I did turn all the published posts to be saved as drafts. Here, on this 'come back' post, I'd like to explain the reasons that background the idea:

1. Metanoia—is a noun that represents the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self, or way of life (source). Another source also said that it is: a fundamental change of thinking; a transformative change of heart (source). I recognize that the beginning of this phase was started on mid-2011 when I was just entered my first university year as a freshman. The process I've gone through wasn't a piece of cake. Undeniably, I'm still struggling to hold on to the path I'm about to take. I was like this and I am trying to be like "that". This blog has stored the days where I was still becoming this person. To write is something that I've always do since I was in elementary school. This blog is the media where I use to speak up the ideas inside of me, the media where I need to channel things I want to share, and the media where I can widen the silaturrahim. That's why I started off by emptying this blog. I want to make a fresh restart while staying true to myself with a "cutting-edge" kind of way. Well, I think that the phase of metanoia itself would likely to approach us at any (unexpected) time as long as we live. This life is so dynamic even each second has its own unique moment. Hopefully, those metanoia moments would take us to be a better person, in syā Allāh.
2. I'd like to formulate, and rethink the whole concept of this blog. At first, I was focusing on fashion—with an abundance of personal touch (haha!). For now and later, probably I'd like to generalize this blog simply as a personal blog. (p.s.: the new introduction might be posted separately)
3. Another thing is my consideration related to the law of creating animated pictures in Islam. There's a hadith by Bukhari, Tirmidhi, and Imam Nasa’i that relates the prophetic hadith form Ibn Abbas which says; "Whoever makes a picture (that animate), Allah shall torture him with it on the Day of Judgment until he can breathe life into it, and he will never be able to.” The reason for the unlawfulness of pictorial representation is that it imitates the creative act of Allah Most High, as is indicated by the hadith related by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim that A’isha A.S. said, “The Prophet S.A.W returned from a trip, and I had draped a cloth with picture on it over a small closet. When he saw it, he ripped it down, his face colored, and he said, “A’isha, the people most severely tortured by Allah on the Day of Judgment will be those who try to imitate what Allah has created,” (source). I've been wondering and making some research about this issue while *sadly* not having anyone highly knowledgeable to be asked for disjointing this law and its relation to the phenomenon of the modern era. I mean, photography is inevitable nowadays (especially for me). To take photographs of the animated creatures has been considered as something normal. I also read in one reference which said that there are two versions of the interpretation from the theologians which related to the hadith of creating pictures. One side highly bans, and the other side permits the existence of the animated photography with the argument: photography does not imitate nor create something new that would be reckoned as an effort to compete with Allāh S.W.T's creations. It's rather a form of capturing the creation itself on another media. Wallahu a'lam bishawab. Another thing is, the inventor of the optic law is a Muslim man! His name is Ibn Al-Haytham, a man from 1000AD who invented the first pinhole camera which is also known as camera obscura. I believe that his invention which contribute to the photography world until today has brought many advantages although it depends on the user itself: human. Even there's another option which I think is making sense—to create animated beings via photographs—I would try my best to decrease the intensity to post un-useful animate pictures. But, I also can't deny that I will post some animated pictures in the future as long as the intention is pure for something good. As we wonder, we can get some benefits from photography, can't we? those benefits can be various for each person. The thing we need always to remember is on how we react towards those pictures. Don't let the pictures "bewitched" us. The one and only who is appropriate to be praised is Allāh S.W.T. So, just keep our focus towards Him ♥ 
4. Messy Writer—what a classic reason. I believe that I must improve my writing skill for the better. On the previous posts, I barely do recheck to edit the writings. And when I re-read those posts again, I found countless grammar mistakes, and some not-understandable writings. 

In the future, I also would like to make some reconstructed throwback posts which I found might be useful to be posted again here. Hopefully, my intention to blog is purely for goodness, to search for His ridha, and anyone who enjoys reading this blog would find some benefits in syā Allāh. ☺

Bandung, 24th August 2013 | 18 Shawwal 1434H