Teaching Islamic Values Through The Selection of Al Imam As Syafie Poems

International Conference on Islamic Education (icied2010)-Organized by PIMM, KUIS and ILMUAN 29 Nov- 1 Dec 2010, Selangor ,Malaysia 2010

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TEACHING ISLAMIC VALUES

THROUGH THE SELECTION OF AL IMAM AS SYAFIE’S POEMS

Wazzainab Binti Ismail

Siti Zuhrah Binti Che Ab Razab

Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor

ABSTRACT

Teaching can be defined as the presentation of knowledge. It has gone through tremendous evolution in

terms of its philosophy, methodology and materials. In the new millennia the teaching of knowledge

needs to be creative and interesting in order to promote the understanding of knowledge. However, in

teaching Islamic values at the tertiary level, the methodology and materials seem to be limited to

particular Islamic texts especially the verses from the Qur’an and hadith . Thus, the paper aims to study

the diversity of materials and methodology in teaching Islamic values, in particular using Al Imam As

Syafie’s Poetry (Syair). Al Imam As Syafie was born in Gaza City, Palestine in 150 Hijrah and was a

descendent of The Prophet of Muhammad (pbuh). He was a prominent Islamic scholars, the founder of

As-Syafie School of Thought and the author of the renowned Ar-Risalah, a reference of Usl Fiqh. Besides

as an expert of Usl Fiqh, Imam As-Syafie was also an expert Arabic linguist of his time. The selection of

Imam As Syafie’s poetry in this study is due to 1) Imam As Syafie religious sect is the largest religious

sect in Malaysia, 2) He offers a different worldview in dealing with the teaching of Islamic values and 3)

his unique approach in using translucent examples through his poetry. The paper will address some of his

poems and highlight the Islamic values within. There are abundant of Islamic values embedded in his

poems such as good deeds. It is hoped that the findings of this study will contribute to the enhancement of

the teaching approach of Islamic values at tertiary level.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The teaching of Islamic values should be interesting and effective. It is a call for the teaching techniques

and materials to be upgraded and further researched so that the educational process is sharpen in order to

produce students who have a firm grasp over the theoretical and practical aspects of Islamic values. Imam

As Syafie’s poems are selected due to the outstanding literary works and knowledge values. As as-Syafie

school of thought is the most commonly practiced in Malaysia thus it is the time that the poems are used

widely in the Islamic educational setting. The usage of Imam As Syafie’s poems can be an interesting


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way to teach Islamic values where students will not only learn Islamic values through the poems but

simultaneously encouraging them to further discover about Imam As Syafie’s life and contributions.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

In Malaysia, the common practice in teaching Islamic values is by using verses from the holy Qur’an and

the sayings of the prophet Muhammad S.A.W (hadith). These are the main sources of Islamic teachings

which complement each other. The focus of the study is not on the sources but on the methodology of

teaching Islamic values. The common methodology is straightforward recitation of the verses and the

sayings of the Prophet. In some way it becomes a stereotypical approach of most religious educators.

Thus, an alternative teaching approach should be introduced as a variation to the existing methods. Most

importantly, the sources of the poems were still derived from the holy texts but the delivery method is of

literary masterpiece.

1.3 Research Objectives

The study has three main objectives, which are:

1.3.1 To demonstrate the benefits of Imam As Syafie’s poems in instilling Islamic values amongst

students.

1.3.2 To introduce Imam As Syafie’s poems as one of the methods in teaching Islamic values.

1.3.3 To determine the method on how to use Imam As Syafie’ poems to teach Islamic values.

1.4 Research Questions

This study posed three main research questions, which are:

1.4.1 What are the benefits of Imam As Syafie’s poems in instilling Islamic values amongst

students?

1.4.2 What is the level of appropriateness for Imam As Syafie’s poems to be used as one of the

methods in teaching Islamic values?

1.4.3 How to use Imam As Syafie’s poems to teach Islamic values?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The significance of the study are:

1.5.1 It will promote the usage of Imam As Syafie’ poems as the mean to teach Islamic values.

1.5.2 It will promote further understanding on the life and works of Imam As Syafie whom his school

of thought is largely practiced in Malaysia.


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1.5.3 It will encourage appreciation of knowledge either is Islamic values and Arabic language since

the poems are in Arabic.

1.5.4 It will promote translated works of Imam As Syafie’s poems in other languages which further

spread the Islamic teachings in general.

1.6 Limitations of the Study

This is a conceptual study and therefore findings are limited to the selected Imam as Syafie poems only

and are not to be generalized until further study.

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

During the time of Caliphate of Ar Rasyidin, the rulers reigned steadfastly based on the teachings of the

Qur’an and As Sunnah. As the reign of Caliphate of Ar Rasyidin ended, for hundreds of years the

historical events during the reign of the following caliphates affected the Muslim world significantly

especially the Muslim education, its values and philosophy (Alavi, 1988). The Muslim education took a

rollercoaster ride through several caliphate dynasties namely Ummayyads and Abbasids. Each dynasty

imposed its own educational blueprint (Alavi, 1988). Whatever was implemented back then suggests how

Islamic teachings were taught. This may have indirectly affected the Muslims in many ways especially in

terms of understanding of Islamic values. This chapter covers brief background of Imam as-Syafie, who

was a great scholar who lived during the reign of Abbasids, the educational approaches during

Ummayyads and early Abbasids, Islamic Values from the philosophical perspective of Al Ghazali and

teaching strategy based on the principle of Tarbiyyah Khulukiyyah.

2.2 Brief Bibliography of Imam As Syafie

Imam As Syafie was born in Gaza Palestine in the year 150 Hijrah. His real name is Muhammad bin

Idriss bin al-Abbas bin Usman bin Shafi’ ibn al-Sa’ib bin Ubaid bin ‘Abd Yazid bin Haashim bin al-

Muttalib bin ‘Abd Manaaf bin Qusayy bin Kilaab bin Murrah. Imam As Syafie is well known for his

intelligent where by the tender age of nine he had memorized the whole chapters in the Quran and by the

age of nineteen he had understood and memorized the whole content of a very famous book written by

Imam Malik – Al Muwattha (Khairul Ghazali, 2006). Imam As Syafie’s passion for knowledge had made

him travelled extensively where he went to Madinah to learn with the Great Imam Malik and then his

journey of seeking and spreading knowledge continued to Iraq, Persia and Yemen. Imam As Syafie made

many utmost contributions in the world of Islam. He is an eminent Islamic scholar where he is the


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founder of As-Syafie School of Thought and the author of the renowned Ar-Risalah, a reference of Usl

Fiqh. His great book reflects his firm belief in evidence and decline blind imitation regarding the

authenticity of a hadith. Besides being known as an expert in Usl Fiqh, Imam As Syafie was also a

prominent scholar in other fields of knowledge such as linguistics, poetry and genealogy

(www.bysiness.com).

2.3 Education during the Ummayyads and Early Abbasids

The Ummayyad dynasty was described by the Orientalists as more Arab than Muslim in character (Alavi,

1988). This may suggest that poetry could be one of the ways in educating people as it is one of the most

famous aspects of the Arab culture (McGovern, 2002). Alavi (1988) further describes that the education

of princes of Ummayyad rulers were based on poetry and history. Meanwhile the teachings of the Qur’an

became a part of their studies. During the dynasty, there were two renowned streams of courses which are

the one purely religious consisting of the Qur’an, Hadith and Arabic Language and another one which

emphasized on Arabic Language and poetry per say. The Ummayyads’ education orientation was also

heavily influenced by the Greek philosophy. This can be seen through the flourish of translation works of

the Greek masterpieces on Alchemy, Medicine and Astronomy into Arabic. The great knowledge

advancement continued during the reign of Abbasid dynasty. It was also greatly influenced by scientific

and philosophical works of the Greek, Persian and Indian, which were translated into Arabic. The

translation works were patronized by two prominent Abbasid caliphates – Harun Ar Rasyid and Al

Ma’mun. The fruitful effort produced Muslim scholars who were very brilliant in Greek sciences and

philosophy (Alavi, 1988). Nevertheless, the era of Abbasids shared a similarity with the earlier period

where the Qur’an was set as the foundation of education. The Male students were taught the basics such

as reading, writing, grammar, philology, morals and offerings of prayers. The lesson of the Qur’an and

the rituals were made compulsory and the others were voluntary Alavi (1988). In terms of the education

of the princes of the Abbasid rulers, a strong emphasis was given on the mastery of the Qur’an, Hadith,

Arabic Language and Literature, and philosophy (Alavi, 1988). All in all, the Abbasid dynasty was very

committed in providing the best of both worlds of education. Promoting foreign knowledge through

numerous translation projects and encouraging the growth of Islamic knowledge.

2.4 Islamic Values from the Philosophical Perspective of Al Ghazali

In understanding Islamic values through the view of Al Ghazali’s moral and ethical philosophy is that it is

purely based on the fundamentals of human nature namely reason, self-assertion and appetition that

function harmoniously submitting to the Almighty Creator – Allah S.W.T (Alavi, 1988). The

submissiveness of these elements to God is converted into an energy that enables one’s mind and heart to


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govern his or her moral and ethic. According to Al Ghazali this later produces virtues which are

characterized by the supremacy of the rational self and complete surrender to the will of God. He added

that every act of virtuous man is motivated by the desire to please God and to be near him (Alavi, 1988).

In addition, Al Ghazali carved up the virtues into two broad categories which are 1. Those which are

means to higher ends such as repentance, patience, fear of God and piety etc. 2. Those which are means as

well as ends such as absolute reliance on God (Tawakkul) and thankfulness to God (syukur). Thus, Al

Ghazali’s philosophy regarding moral and ethic serves as the guiding principle in the Muslim education.

The key of education and knowledge is teaching man to obey and act because of Allah. The holy mission

will not only produce Muslims who successful intellectually but also spiritually balanced which later able

to contribute greatly to the ummah in general.

2.5 Tarbiyyah Khulukiyyah Learning Strategy

Tarbiyyah Khulukiyyah refers to the teachings of Islam that cover the fundamental development of aqidah

(belief), akhlak (disposition), adab (manner) and behavior (Hassan Ali Al Hijazy, 2001). These aspects

reflect the nature of Islam itself as the religion of perfected faith which requires its believers “to adopt the

Qur'an as an essential guide for themselves at every moment of their lives” (Harun Yahya, 2003). In fact,

the Prophet Muhammad S.A.W himself is a walking example of disposition (Aisyah R.A). Tarbiyyah

Khulukiyyah aims to nurture children of good disposition and to perform good common practices until

the disposition and the common practices develop into characters and values which are internalized within

the him or herself (Hassan Ali Al Hijazy, 2001). Therefore the children will be able to achieve true

meaning of happiness in life and in hereafter. The teachings of these values (disposition and good

common practices) are made possible by the exemplary disposition by the teachers or murabbi. The

implication is teachers or murabbis hold a great deal of responsibility to portray the essence of Islamic

teachings in their everyday-life character which is not only confined in classroom setting.

2.6 Conclusions

The Islamic teachings and practices are almost becoming long lost forgotten treasures that were buried

underneath the western soils of thoughts and philosophy. Nevertheless it proves that it stands unwavering

against the test of time and climate changes that have affected the Muslim world. Thanks to great efforts

made by eminent Muslim scholars such as Iman As Syafie and Imam Al Ghazali, the teachings of Islam

are gaining more and more attention nowadays. Time also tells that the Arab tradition of poetry and the

effectiveness of translation works which was widely used in the past to promote and spread knowledge

have helped broaden the Islamic teachings in the same manners. Meanwhile the principle of Tarbiyyah


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Khulukiyyah emphasizes that teachers must play an active role in teaching Islamic values. These aspects

(values, methodology and approach) must blend well in order to make the teaching of Islamic values

more effective.

3.0 METHODOLOGY

The nature of this study is inductive where it begins with specific observation and moves towards broader

generalization (Zaini, 2010). Initial observation was done by selecting few Imam as Syafie’s poems and

translating them into Malay and English language. The poems were selected based on two main criteria

which are simplicity and straightforwardness in meaning. The poems then discussed and described in

order to derive the Islamic values embedded.

4.0 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the findings based on the discussion and description of the translated poems of

Imam as Syafie. This chapter explains what are the Islamic values derived and its relation to educating

Muslims in becoming better Muslims.

4.2 Poem One: Be Pleased with the Will of Allah

الرضى بقضاء اهللRedha dengan ketentuan Allah

Be pleased with the will of Allah

وطب ن فسا إذا حكم القضاء Baikkan diri jika berlaku apa yang ditentukan

(siapkan diri untuk menghadapi apa yang

ditetapkan).

Make yourself good (prepare yourself) to face what

has been predetermined for you.

دع األيام ت فعل ما تشاء

Biarkan hari –hari melakukan apa yang ia

kehendaki.

Let the days perform whatever they want.

ن يا ب قاء فما لوادث الدTidaklah apa yang berlaku di dunia itu kekal.

Nothing happen in this world is eternal.

ادثة الليال ال تزع ل و

Jangan bimbang dengan apa yang berlaku

semalam.

Need not to be worry with what happened

yesterday.

وشيمت ك السماحة والوفاء

Dan menjadi sifat kamu iaitu seorang yang mulia

dan setia.

And it is your character of someone who is noble

and obedient.

وك ن رج ال على األهوال جلدا

Jadilah seperti lelaki(tetap pendirian dan berani)

iaitu menjadi seorang yang sabar dalam

menghadapi musibah.

Be like a man (who has strong conviction and

courage) that is one who is patience when facing


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difficulties. فما ف النار للظمآن ماء

Kerana tidaklah di dalam neraka itu, peluang untuk

orang yang dahaga memperoleh air.

There is no chance for a thirsty person to drink in

hell.

ة من بيل وال ت رج السماح Jangan mengharapkan belas kasihan dari seorang

yang bakhil.

Do not expect anything from a parsimonious

person. وليس يزيد ف الرزق العناء

Dan tidak pula bertambah rezeki itu kerana

bersusah payah dan penat yang melampau (Islam

menggalakkan kesederhanaan). And shall not increase your earnings due to

extreme hardship.

ورزق ك ليس ي نقص ه التأن Dan rezeki kamu tidak berkurangan kerana lambat.

And your earnings shall not belittle due to delay.

عليك وال رخاء وال ب ؤس

Dan tidaklah kesengsaraan dan kesenangan itu

kekal.

And agony and wealth shall not last.

وال ح زن يد وم وال س ر ور Dan tidak lah kesedihan itu kekal dan tidak juga

kegembiraan.

Sadness and happiness shall not last. فأنت ومالك الد نيا سواء

Maka kamu dan raja di dunia ini adalah sama

sahaja.

Thus, you and a king are the same.

إذا ما ك نت ذا قلب ق ن وع

Jika kamu seorang yang mempunyai hati yang

qanaa’h (cukup dengan apa yang ada).

if you have qana’ah in your heart.

The Islamic values derived: Courage, Perseverance and Patience

Based on stanza one to six, Imam as Syafie described that the future is unpredictable and it

useless to regret about the past. Man should not surrender but to be prepared to face uncertainty

and understand that nothing (except Allah) is eternal. In doing so, man must develop certain

qualities such as firm conviction, courage and patience. These qualities will help man endures

the difficulties in life and later develop true Muslim qualities such as nobleness and obedient (to

Allah S.W.T). In stanza seven to eight, he described that a parsimonious people is someone who

does nothing good for others, so we should not hope much from them. Then in stanza nine to

fourteen, Imam as Syafie described that our earnings will not be belittle due to delay and it will

not double even if we put huge effort in getting it. He reminded that sadness, happiness, agony

and wealth are mortal as they come and go. Imam as Syafie ended the poem by saying that if a

man has “qana’ah” (being pleased with whatever that he has) in his heart, then there will no

difference between a man and a king.


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4.3 Poem Two: Do Not Belittle the Role of Du’a

عاء ال ت هزأ بالد Jangan perkecilkan peranan doa

Do not belittle the role of du’a

عاء وت زدريه أت هزأ بالدAdakah kamu perkecilkan peranan doa dan

menghinanya(tak yakin)

Are you demoting the role of du’a and degrade

(hesitant) it?

وما تدري با صنع الدعاء Sedangkan kamu tidak pun tahu apa yang dilakukan

oleh doa

In actual fact, you do not even know what du’a does

for you. سهام الليل ال ت طي ولكن

Anak panah pada waktu malam yang tidak pernah

tersasar tetapi

An arrow in a dark night that never misses its

target.

لا أمد ولألمد انقضاء Ia ada destinasinya . Dan setiap destinasi itu ada

ketentuannya

It has its destination and the destination has its

destiny. ف ي مسك ها إذا ما شاء رب

Maka memegangnya jika berkehendak Tuhanku (

Tuhanku akan memegangnya jika Dia mahu)

It is held by the hands of God if He wishes on it.

وي رسل ها إذا ن فذ القضاء

Akan dihantar doa itu jika sampai ketentuannya

(akan dimakbulkan jika sampai waktunya)

The du’a will be sent when it is destined to.

The Islamic value derived: Putting Faith in Du’a

This poem teaches man appreciation. Du’a is being used as the subject since it is the regular

practice in Muslims’ life. It is a metaphor to signify smallest things taken for granted due to the

commonness in usage. Imam as Syafie deduced that du’a is very powerful as he metaphorically

compared it to an arrow that travelled in a dark night which eventually landed on its target. He

reminded man that every du’a has its destination and the destination is determined by Allah

S.W.T.

4.4 Poem Three: My Silence is My Answer

س ك وت عن اللئيم جواب

Diamku pada orang (yang tidak tahu menghargai kebaikan orang lain) adalah jawapan

My silence towards people(who is ungrateful towards the kindness of others) is my answer

ق ل با شئت ف مسبة عرضي

Cakaplah apa yang kamu hendak untuk menghina

harga diriku (kedudukanku)

Say whatever you wish to degrade me (my position)

فسك وت عن اللئيم جواب Maka diamku pada orang (yang tidak tahu

menghargai kebaikan orang lain) adalah jawapan.

Thus my silence towards people(who is ungrateful

towards the kindness of others) is my answer.

ما أنا عادم اجلواب

Bukanlah aku dari kalangan orang yang tidak

pandai menjawab(memberi respon)

It is not of my kind of not knowing how to answer

يب الكالب ما من األ سد أن ت Kerana tidaklah singa akan menjawab pertanyaan

anjing(menjawab pada orang yang tak berilmu --


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(to response). sebab tiada faedah memberi respons pada orang

begini.

A lion shall not answer a dog’s question (someone

who is ignorant) as it is futile.

The Islamic value derived: Silence is better

This five stanzas poem teaches man about silence as the best way to deal with thoughtless

people. In the last stanza, Imam as Syafie emphasized that silence shall not make you

knowledge-deprived but it can be the best solution to offer in heated debate circumstances.

4.5 Poem Four: Fortune

ال ظ وظ

Tuah

Fortune

ت وت األ سد ف الغابات ج وعا

Mati singa di hutan kelaparan

A lion in a jungle is dead due to hunger.

ولم الضأن تأك ل ه الكالب Daging kambing dimakan anjing

A dog munches on mutton. وعبد قد ي نام على حرير

Ada hamba yang tidur di atas kain sutera

A slave sleeps on silk.

وذ و نسب مفارش ه الت راب

Orang yang mempunyai kedudukan (berpangkat)

tilamnya tanah

A master sleeps on dirt.

The Islamic value derived: Avoid being Arrogant with what you have

Metaphorically Imam as Syafie used lion and dog to signify human life. The metaphor teaches

man that fortune is neither fixed nor eternal. Thus, it implies that man should not be swollen with

pride due to their fortune. Fortune is not human absolute ownership as it works on the will of

Allah S.W.T.

4.6 Poem Five: My Love to Muhammad (PBUH)

آل م مد Keluarga Nabi Muhammad

Prophet Muhammad’ Family

لئن كان ذنب ح ب آل م مد

Jika dosaku kerana cinta ku pada Keluarga Nabi

Muhammad

If my sin is due to my love toward Muhammad.

فذلك ذنب لست عنه أت وب

Maka dosa itu takkan aku bertaubat

Then, I shall not repent.

The Islamic value derived: Be obedient to the teachings of Muhammad (PBUH)


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The poem teaches man about love and devotion towards the teachings of prophet Muhammad S.A.W. The

strength of this poem is that it contains irony where Imam as Syafie used the word my sin ذنب) ) in stanza

one as a hyperbole to show his devotion to the messenger of Allah S.W.T. It implies that the love for

prophet Muhammad is never a sin as loving the prophet also means loving Allah S.W.T, thus one does

not have to repent.

5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Conclusions

Imam As Syafie has a great Arabic linguistic and literary skills, and his teaching of Islamic values was

not direct. He used simple words in his poems however those words were transformed into great

meanings which challenge people to reflect and be affected by the messages. Thus we can conclude that:

5.1.1 Religious teachers must be creative in the teaching and learning of Islamic values.

5.1.2 Knowledge integration is deemed crucial to teach Islamic values for example religious teachers

should have knowledge in other fields of study (linguistic and literature) which can help students

comprehend Islamic values better.

5.1.3 The Muslims education in the past relied heavily on literary works and translation which help

Muslims build great civilization.

5.2 Recommendations

Based on the study we would like recommend that:

5.2.1 Religious teachers should consider of using Imam As Syafie’s poems widely in their teaching

style to teach Islamic values.

5.2.2 Muslims nowadays should look back, appreciate and maybe used the old and effective

techniques.

5.3.3 Further in depth research should be carried out regarding the use of Imam As Syafie’s poems in

teaching Islamic values.

0.6 REFERENCES

Brief Life of Imam Shaf'ee retrieved September 27, 2010 from

http://www.bysiness.co.uk/ulemah/bioshafi.htm.


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Harun Yahya (2003) Perfected Faith retrieved on September 27, 2010 from

http://www.harunyahya.com/perfectedfaith02.php.

Hassan Bin Ali Al Hijazy (2001) Manhaj Ibnu Qayyim. Jakarta: Pustaka Al Kautsar.

Imil Nasif (1999) Min Arwaa’ Ma Qala As- Shafie (Among Beautiful Words of Imam As Shafie) (pp.

77,78,79,80,82,84,99 and 117) Beirut: Dar Al-Jael.

Khairul Ghazali (2006) 30 Wasiat Imam Syafie (2nd

ed.) Kuala Lumpur: PTS Millenia Sdn Bhd.

McGovern, A. (2002) Poetry sheds light on Arab culture. Retrieved on September 27, 2010 from

http://www.michigandaily.com/content/poetry-sheds-light-arab-culture

S.M Ziauddin Alavi (1988) Muslim Educational Thought in the Middle Ages. New Delhi: Atlantic

Publishers & Distributors.

Zaini Amir (2010) Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Paper presented at Seminar Penulisan

Akademik. Kajang: Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor.

Documents

Teaching Islamic Values Through The Selection of Al Imam As Syafie Poems