The students were assigned 3 reflective writings. I will be sharing more written work by the students.
How Maqasid Al-Shariah and Sustainable Goals Creates A Mirror Towards A Better Life
By: Ikram Abd Rahim (2017605)
Maqasid Al- Shariah (MAS) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are two different contexts which can be pounded into a theoretical and complex comprehension of how life can be better. As I delved further into the comprehension of both contexts, it underlines the genuine and honest significance of “Whatever we do in life has results”. Thus, it reminds me about the epitome of life.
The biggest hurdle during my research and urge to relate MAS and SDG’s were to intersect on MAS which is a religious context with something realistic like the SDG’s. Knowing I am a person who thinks too much about stuff, this is something that i had to prevent. Critical thinking does not need to be thinking too much, it ought to be thinking clearly and intelligently. This motivates me to keep sustaining the way of thinking. In that way. I did succeed in intersecting both contexts and learned a few bits.
I learned that MAS and SDG do complement each other, like how I discovered that everything I do complements what I did. Therefore, during the process of learning, i discovered that my daily life as muslim, actually gives a crystal clear picture of the relations of MAS and SDG’s. As an analogy, as a friend, I like to treat my friends, it doesn't make a difference whether it's getting them food, outfits or at times something straightforward like a token for laundry. I didn't do that on purpose, i didn't do that because it is something that i need to do, but i do that because I consider them my kin, my closest friends and it is an honor for me as a friend to do that. Despite the fact that this sort of act doesn't consider any near to sadaqah to individuals out of luck, yet the intentions are there and surely equivalent. This way, with Allah’s will, it’ll strengthen the bond between me and my friends, hence creating a very mutual, healthy environment between us.
In light of this analogy of my daily lives and in the learning of MAS and SDG, it shows that my actions and the consequences speak to the MAS and SDG in a profound and striking grid of comprehension. The times that i like to treat my friends and the way I of think of it speaks to the principles of ‘Aql in the Maqasid Al-Shariah towards the community and the consequences of my actions which creates a mutual and healthy environment leads to a healthy life speaks to the third SDG which is Good Health and Well Being. This actually creates a mirror for me to always and istiqamah in applying the spiritual comprehension of MAS as well as relating it to the realistic concept of SDG’s to ensure a sustainable life .
After all is said and done, this shows that there are various acts in our daily lives that we do that actually relate with everything in this universe and the hereafter. Even small acts such as forestalling the use of plastic straws saves the lives below water and of land, to huge acts such as charities for a noble cause helps to prevent poverty, shows how easily it effects on how sustainable our lives and the universe can be and this matters because each and one of it represents the virtues and values of a well-balanced life and the universe as a whole.
Luqman Danial
It is impossible to say that the pandemic has not affected me at all as a student nor as a person. When the Covid-19 swept across the world earlier this year I hadn't even finished my foundation level yet. Fast forward 9 months later, here I am sitting alone in my room struggling with my degree assignments without even knowing any of my coursemates except for the 3 people that are supposed to be in the same room as me. The fact that I have to adapt to a new method of education in the span of a few weeks after learning with real life interactions all my 19 years of life have put me under a lot of stress physically and mentally. That is when it really hits me with the sudden realisation that this may be the new norm for me for the rest of my education life. At the same time, it did show me the glimpse of how education is going to be like in the future and how this frontal assault by the pandemic may change the way education is going to be for the better.
As i was doing my research for this assignment which is basically just me watching 2 videos of what the lecturer gave me. What grabbed my attention was the thing said in the ‘student vs teachers’ video where the student speaks about how education nowadays is about who gets to memorise the most facts out of some books that have been processed to give out the same exact result. This is where it all went wrong in my opinion. Instead of teaching humans to be human, to be free, creative, curious, and adventurous, the education system only taught us on how to be like a well oiled machine to keep this capitalistic world moving. Humanity is not what it used to be like during the great Greek civilisation where people test and push past their own boundaries to discover new things and improve themselves. The education system is not putting human capabilities to the test instead, they are feeding the newer generations with the already obtained information from the past. This is why we will never improve, this is why I will never improve. Because instead of improving myself by going out of my comfort zone, I also am stuck in the past where everything is working perfectly fine for me. We tend to stick with what is good for us and eave what is bad behind.
Therefore, now is the chance for the world to get back in an experimental mode to try new things on how to improve the education system when there is an inevitable power forces us into a corner. Perhaps online education is the first step forward into doing just that. Maybe it will not, the humans have done amazing things just by using the same traditional methods of education for thousands of years, now it is time to see how far and where this newer method will bring us to
Self Exploration Around Campus
By Amira Batrisyia
A case to be magnified about the university is the social sustainability issue between university members, specifically the subject of work-life balance. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all the staff and students were forced to work and study online. The matter of concern is both students and lecturers facing difficulties balancing professional and off-work life. Some educators find it tough to manage their children alongside their students behind the screen. A number of students also face similar household cases; demanding parents, daily chores, even certain unfortunate individuals face domestic violence. Tasks like cooking and cleaning are indeed essential for the family, but having them done during online classes are another obstacle to be faced. The lack of work-life balance makes it a hassle for both students and lecturers to educate and acquire education. This can be countered with switches between synchronous and asynchronous classes, offering relief and time off for both sides to deal with their lives off screen. Switches are needed to monitor the students’ attendance and understanding of the subject. Students should also contact their lecturers should problems arise and act proactively to combat the issues of studying online. Lecturers can play their part by uploading lecture videos and lessons on Google Classroom or other platforms, catering to both individuals with good and bad Internet connection, also solving problems on WiFi accessibility for all. This kills two birds with one stone.
Another issue to be discussed about on campus is the unsustainable economic practice of excessively using electricity. Cases of students bringing unauthorised electrical appliances have long since manifested in any university generally, but this practice is a result of students not being aware of the consequences of their actions. Problems of sudden electricity disruption often rise with the increasing amount of these appliances as they take up more voltage than the limited capacity of power supply that the hostel buildings can offer. Small acts of leaving the room with everything switched on to go to the loo or canteen also contributes to these unrestrained use of electricity. A solution would be organising campaigns to raise awareness among these individuals on the importance of consuming power. A common practice in universities also includes occasional general inspections to check the students’ belongings. A suggestion would be to implement curfew as to switch off the lights at night, also installing sensors or timers to immediately turn off electricity when not in use.
Lastly, an unhealthy exercise that should be eliminated by the campus community is the practice of not sorting the trash when throwing them away. This makes the trash cans being overfilled to a point where it emits odour that is displeasing to the nose. Pests such as flies, cockroaches and worse, rats, would most probably use these dumpsters as a suitable habitat. This would be a big issue to resolve should it concern the university’s cleanliness and health in the near future. However, the action of putting away rubbish according to their categories would contribute to a more proper disposal management and avoid the aforementioned issue. Recyclable items such as glass, plastic, aluminium and paper should be discarded in their respective brown, orange and blue bins while other waste such as food residue should be dropped into separate bins. As consumers of products, we should also be concerned about their elimination as well. Appropriate disposal of waste would most certainly contribute to the cleanliness preservation of the university., benefitting all of us.
Nur Sofeanis Mohd Shahrizal
Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmenal Design
Self-exploration of in campus unsustainable economic practices, unsustainable social being, environmentally degrading product
For today’s reflection, I am going to talk about unsustainable economic practices, unsustainable social beings and also environmentally degrading products. It has been almost three months since I settled here in International Islamic University Malaysia and all I could say is that there are still some things that do not satisfy me regarding bad habits that are practiced by IIUM students and even the employees here. First, I’ll be talking about unsustainable economic practices that are happening around here. Unsustainable economic practices is a kind of habit that should not be practiced in the same way anymore. To put simply, unsustainable practices are those that we cannot sustain as sustainable development focuses on addressing the desires of the present without diminishing future generations' ability to fulfil their needs. Some examples of unsustainable economic practices that are happening around IIUM are not closing the tap water when one is brushing their teeth and taking a very long time in shower until water wastage occurs. Goal number 12 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is responsible consumption and production thus to preserve them, it is very important for all IIUM students to always turn the tap water off when not using it so that money spent on such waste can be avoided. Other than that, students should bathe without using water excessively. Stop when the body feels fresh, clean and smelling pleasant.
Next is unsustainable social being practices in IIUM. Social sustainability issues in IIUM include human rights, living conditions, community engagement, health, safety and wellness of the students. I could see that some students are using cars and motorcycles to attend their classes. Instead of driving alone to class, it would be great if students could carpool together as we can avoid severe pollution in the university and at the same time provide comfort to all. Regarding health matters, there are a handful of students or employees in IIUM themselves who do not wear face masks. It is very important to make sure that everyone could wear the mask especially during this pandemic so that human survival can continue.
Last but not least, environmentally damaging products are products that consist of harmful substances that in turn will destroy the environment in the long run. Examples of environmentally damaging products are plastic bags, plastic water bottles and disposable cutlery. All of the mentioned items are still being used in IIUM especially in cafes for some mahallahs. Plastic has been present for years in the world, damaging biodiversity and transmitting toxins. Plastic leads to global warming as well. Nearly all plastics are produced from chemicals created by harmful fuels (gas, oil and even coal). Therefore, our reliance on plastic increases our demand for these dirty oils. To solve this problem, I really hope that all of the students could bring their own food containers and water bottles when they wanted to buy food at the cafe. In a nutshell, only we can bring about these changes. If not us who created it, who else will? Thus, everyone must play their part so that a healthy environment can be created.