MESSAGE FROM THE PAST

1. “sorry, is this alif from madani?”

2. “yes, who’s this?”
3. “alif the member of Fellowship of Manara?”
4. “that’s right, who is this?!”
5. “manara four, do you remember or not”
6. “masya Allah, is it you, atang from bandung? director of Batutah?”
7. “Alhamdulilah, finally i’ve found my long lost brother…. ”
8. “atang where are you now?”
9. “cairo.”
10. “i saw your name as a panelist in london next week. i am also coming to represent al azhar
to talk about the role of indonesian muslim in middle eastern countries.
11. we can have a reunion. raja is also in london.
12. we can make him our guide to trafalgar square like the one in our reading book from our
pesantren. our boarding school.”

A HALF-HEARTED DECISION

13. “Um, thank you very much sir… that’s all,”

14. “about your schooling, son…”

15. Yes, Amak, tomorrow I will sign up for the public high school entrance exam. Insya Allah, God
willing, with amak and father’s prayers, I can pass.”

16. That isn’t what amak means.

17. Let your amak say something first. Try to listen.

18. Some parents educate their children at madrasah because of a lack of money. The entrance
fee is cheaper…

19. But even more send their children to religious schools because their grades aren’t good
enough to get into state junior high or high schools

20. Consequently, the madrasah becomes a place for second class students, the leftovers. Try,
son, to imagine the quality of religious leaders and preachers graduating from our madrasah
later. How will they be able to lead the increasingly intelligent and critical people? What
about the fate of Muslims later?”

21. Son, since you were still in your amak’s womb, I have always had dreams,
22. Amak wanted her son to become a great religious leader with vast knowledge. Like Buya
Hamka from our village. Inviting people to goodness and to leave wrongdoing behind,”

23. So, amak is imploring you not to go to public high school. Not because of money, but so that
it is a seed of quality that enters the madrasah high school.”

24. But amak, I am not gifted with religious knowledge. I want to be an engineer or economist.”

25. Becoming a religious leader is far more honourable than becoming an engineer, son

26. But I don’t want

27. Son, you are intelligent and talented boy. You will be a great leader of people. Not to
mention the fact that you, son, have the blood of two religious scholars from your two
grandfathers.

28. But I don’t want to be

29. Amak wants to offer her best child for the sake of religion. This is a noble task for the
hereafter.

30. But, it is not my fault that the other parents send less than smart children to madrasah…

31. The point is, Amak is not willing to let you enroll in public high school!

32. But …

33. But …

34. Enough, do what Amak says, that’s what’s best.”

35. “Sleeping.””

36. “Son, there’s a letter from Uncle Gindo,”

37. “…Your Uncle has a lot of friends in Egypt who have graduated from Madani Pesantren 4 in
East Java. They are very smart, fluent in English and Arabic. At Madani, they lived in dorms
and were taught the discipline to speak foreign languages every day. If you’re interested,
maybe school there could be considered…”

38. “Amak, if it must be a religious school, I just want to go to Java. Not in Bukittinggi and
Padang,”

39. “Have you thought this through, son?”

40. “Yes, Father,”

41. “Think it over again really well,”

42. “I have, Amak,”

43. “If that’s really what you want, we will let you go with heavy hearts.”

MICE MEETING

44. “We’ll just take the bus to Java tomorrow morning,”

45. “Be good in your travel to a far land, son. Your Amak believes that this is a journey to support
religion. Studying religion is the same as upholding Islam on path of Allah,”

46. “Muncak.”

47. A gateway saying “Farewell, You Are Leaving West Sumatra,”

48. “Uthlubul ilma walau bisshin,” meaning, “Seek knowledge, even if it’s as far as China.”

49. “An Arabic proverb even tells us to go to China, and I’m only going to East Java,”

50. “fight”

51. “This is a tribute from Balerong Group led by Yus Datuak Parpatiah: Mice Meeting…”

52. “Where are you headed?”

53. “I want to escort my son. He wants to go to school at Madani Pesantren in East Java.”

54. “You mean the pesantren where people study the religion, right?”

55. “Yes, that’s right.”

56. “Wow, that’s wonderful,”

57. “Hopefully he succeeds. I hear the pesantren in Java offers a very high-quality education.
After just a year at the pesantren, my friend’s son turned into a good kid. Before, he was very
mantiko. Bad. Not accepted in any school because he took drugs, drank, and liked to fight.
Even that kind of child can be made good.

58. “Sir… my son is well behaved and his GPA is among the highest in Agam regency. We are
sending him to the pesantren to learn religion more deeply.”

59. “Wow, even better yet,”

60. “It’s happened again!”

61. “Hopefully it doesn’t take long to change the tire,”

62. “Hold on tight,”

63. “Ndak ba’a do, it’s OK. We’re almost there!”

64. “Welcome to East Java.”

 65. “Assalamu’alaikum, sir. I’m Ismail, a student in year six at MP, or Madani Pesantren. Are you
escorting your son to go to school at Madani?”

66. “OK sir, please follow me.”

VILLAGE ABOVE THE FOG

67. “Of course I’ve come alone,”

68. “Raja Lubis,”

69. “I’m memorizing excerpts from Sukarno’s speeches.”

70. “Ladies, gentlemen, and future students. Soon we will arrive at Madani Pesantren. We will
take you all to directly apply at reception. For those of you who are registering new students,
the enrollment deadline is by five sharp this evening. Don’t forget your bags and
belongings.”

71. “A little further, at the end of the road there’s a gate, that’s Madani Pesantren,”

72. “To Madani, What Are You Looking For?”

73. “Shabahal khair, good morning Burhan. This is today’s first group of guests. There are eight
total,”

74. “Syukran ya akhi. Thank you brother. We will give the best service.”

75. “Good ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Madani Pesantren. Today I will escort you to look
around the various corners of the 15 hectares of this pesantren. Don’t worry, we won’t walk
all of it, just the important parts. It will take approximately one hour. Anyone interested in
the tour, please meet here in a half hour. Your sleep quarters have been arranged in
accordance with your arrival numbers. Hopefully you will enjoy your visit and we wil serve
you as best we can.”

76. “Madani Pesantren has a 24-hour educational system. The goal of the education is to
produce strong, independent men. The leader of the pesantren, our Kiai says, armed with
general and religious knowledge, we will be blessing for the world. Currently, there are three
thousamd students living in eight dormitories.”

77. “Although the dormitories are important, the rooms here function more for sleep and rest,
while most of the learning activities are held in class, the field, mosque, and other places as
you’ll see later,”

78. “There are two main buildings at the pesantren. The first is the main mosque with two floors
and a capacity to hold four thousand people. Here, all of the students perform the Friday
congregational prayer together and study the Al-Quran. Here too, every Thursday, about 400
teachers meet to discuss the teaching-learning process,”
79. “The second is the multi-purpose hall. Here is where all the important events take place.
Theatre performances, music, scholarly discussion, welcoming ceremonies for a new
students, and receptions for important guests,”

80. “This is one of the student dormitories and is known well by all of the alumni because every
first-year student stays in the dormitory called Al-Barq, which means ‘lightning.’ We want
each new student to boom as strong as thunder and shine as bright as lightning,”

81. “As a place that emphasizes knowledge, we have a complete library. The collection of
thousands of books in English and Arabic are kept in what we call maktabah or library,”

82. “Please mind your voice,”

83. “We have a tight football competition held throughout the year. All of the matches are even
played with live commentators using Arabic and English,”

84. “This is the standings boards for the competitions between dormitories. Soccer is the
favorite around here,”

85. “I happen to be one of the key players,”

86. “I want to show you what we study in and outside of class. All of this is part of our 24-hour
educational system here. And every student is free to develop his talents,”

87. “In the Art Department, those students who are interested in developing their artful souls
can gather. There’s music, paintings, graphic design, theatre, and the like,”

88. “That’s the face of Sir Muhammad Iqbal, a modern Islamic thinker from Pakistan,”

89. “For us here, art is important to harmonize the soul and express creativity and beauty. The
Prophet Muhammad said: Innallaha jamiil wahuwa yuhibbul jamal. Verily God is beautiful
and loves beauty. So, don’t worry, prospective students, almost every art form is offered
here, from music to photography,”

90. “They’ve just come back from a jamboree in Japan. MP is active in sending our scouts to
various jamborees. Scouts is a mandatory activity for all students,”

91. “All right, this is the end of our tour. Hopefully, you ladies and gentlemen have enjoyed this
short tour. As you have seen, Madani Pesantren here has a variety of activities, maybe like a
department store. Almost everything is here, but it depends on what interest the students.
They are free to choose.”

92. “Son, I see that this pesantren is full of all kinds of activities, from art, to boy scouts, to sport.
So when do they study religion?”

93. “Thank you for your question, sir. According to our Kiai, MP education doesn’t distinguish
between religious and non-religious. They are all one and are all related. Religion is practiced
directly in daily activities. At Madani, religion is oxygen, it’s everywhere,”

94. “Oh yeah, one more thing, I want to say good luck on the exam to all of the prospective
 students. Because in order to enjoy all of these activities, your children must pass a rigorous
entrance examination. God luck, Assalamualaikum…,”

95. “What? There’s a test to get in?”

96. “Yeah, a selection test. Around 2,000 people take the test, but only 400 are accepted,”

97. “But I didn’t know and haven’t done any preparation yet.”

98. “Even I’m not ready yet, though I’ve been studying since last week,”

99. “No one feels ready. This exam is famous for being hard. Last year I didn’t get in because I
registered late,”

100. “So when’s the exam?”

101. “The day after tomorrow. We still have two more days to study.”

102. “So, what are the questions like?”

103. “Not questions, but what subjects. Here, read for yourself the exam list,”

104. “Alif, your name is here,”

MAN JADDA WAJADA

105. “MAN JADDA WAJADA!!!”

106. “Man jadda wajada!”

107. “He who gives his all will surely succeed.”

108. “man jadda wajada”

109. “Shabahul khair. Good morning. Please come in!”

110. “Ijlisuu, have a seat. Please sit wherever you’re most comfortable.”

111. “Uh, hi, my name is Atang,”

112. “I’m from Bandung, West Java. Urang sunda, Sundanese,”

113. “I’m Alif Fikri from Maninjau, Bukittinggi, West Sumatra,”

114. “Why did you want to take the MP entrance test twice?”

115. “I want to be a Muslim scolar, Ustad. Of ten siblings, I alone was given then mandate by
Mother and Father to study religion.”

116. “What’s this book?”

117. “Look at this, it’s the Advanced Learner’s Oxford Dictionary, a great English dictionary. Perfect
 for us studying English. If you want to be clever, you have to read books like this,”

118. “Starting today, I’m going to read this dictionary page by page,”

119. “When I was in high school, I was bad. Now I am aware abd want to study religion,”

120. “Let’s embrace the pains and strive for knowledge, so we may be stronger, emotionally and
physically,”

121. “I’m from Sulawesi,”

122. “My reason…what’s my reason to come here? Oh yeah, I want to deepen my understanding
of Islam and become a hafiz-one who has memorized Al-Quran.”

123. “Teuku, present, Ustad.”

124. “I’m from Jakarta. You know Monas, the national monument, right? Nah, my house isn’t far
from there, in Karbela,”

THE RENAISSANCE MAN

125. “Who is he?”

126. “Man, what kind of student are you? He’s our kiai. Kiai Rais, the role model for all of us
during our time here at MP. He is an educator with full knowledge and experiences. He went to
school at Al-Azhar, Medina, and in the Netherlands.”

127. “His short biography is in this book. According to the writer, Kiai Rais is fit to be called a
renaissance man, an enlightened individual because of his variety of knowledge and activities.”

128. Marhaban, welcome, my seekers of knowledge. I, as the leader of the pesantren, along with
the teachers here, happily welcome our new children to join seeking knowledge here. Thank
you for your trust, and hopefully you feel at home. From this moment, you are all a part of the
big MP family,”

129. “Assalamu’alaikum,”

130. “So short! Where’s the religious advice of a kiai?”

131. “Relax, man. This book says Kiai Rais is like ‘a fountain of knowledge,’ continuously flowing.
During this week we’ll definitely hear him give advice many times.”

132. “My children, starting today, put an intention in your hearts. Intend to study because of
Allah, lillahi taala. Do you want to make this your intention?”

133. “YESSS!”

134. “Seeking knowledge at MP is not for show and not just so you can speak foreign languages,
but for God alone. Because of that, we will not grant diplomas, we will not give fish, but will
give you knowledge and a hook. We, the ustads, are sincere in educating you all and you all are
 sincere in your intention to be educated.”

135. “There’s no diploma? What does he mean?”

136. “He means, MD doesn’t give out diplomas like other schools. What there is, a supply of
knowledge. MP’s diploma is the knowledge itself.”

137. “How lucky are you as seekers of knowledge because God will ease your way into heaven,
angels will spread their wings for you, even the inhabitants of the earth and sky, down to the
whales beneath the sea, will ask mercy for those who have knowledge. Drink in knowledge
here with open minds, eyes and hearts.”

138. “Other than that, remember too that rules here have consequences that apply
indiscriminately. If you cannot follow the rules, perhaps you do not fit in here. Tonight you will
be read the qanun, the command rules at MP. Listen carefully, they are not written, so you
must commit them to memory. After listening the qanun, no one has the excuse that they
didn’t know these rules.

139. And no less important, for the new children, you only have four months left in which you may
speak Indonesian. After four months, everyone must speak English and Arabic, 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. Believe that you can if you try. Foreign languages are the true keys to
unlocking the doors of the world.”

140. “How can I possibly speak a foreign language in four months?”

141. “Man, listen to and trust Kiai Rais. He has done this for decades and is always proven right, as
long as we follow the rules,”

142. “Everyone will be on our side, even the whales in the sea will pray for us,”

143. “Learning here is not a leisurely. So, intend to go the limit ans sail to the island. Try to give a
full trial. Does anyone know what a full trial is?”

144. “A parent once gave advice to his child at MP. My son, if you do not feel comfortable at MP
after a month, try three months, and try one year. If you don’t feel at home after one year, try
three or four years. If you reach six years and still don’t feel at home and had graduated, you
may come to home to contribute to society. This is what’s called a full trial.”

145. “Before we close this this evening’s events, let us pray for the main mission of our lives,
rahmatan lil alamin, bringing blessing for the world and the hereafter,”

146. “And before resting in your rooms and starting your big mission tomorrow morning-seeking
knowledge-let us strengthen our intention by reciting Al-Fatihah and continuing by singing our
school anthem together.”

SHOPPING DAY

147. “Although you all were placed at Al-Barq dormitory, you weren’t yet officially accepted as
 members of the dorm. Singing the pesantren anthem led by Kiai Rais is a sign that you are all
now officially part of Al-Barq dormitory. Congratulations!”

148. “Before bed, we will read the qanun, the unwritten rules that may not be broken. Violations
will be punished in accordance with the wrongdoing. And the gravest punishment is being
permanently sent home from MP,”

149. “MP students, with these I read the qanun before you all to be paid attention to, understood,
and observed:

1. Wake up time is 4:30 in the morning and you may sleep at 9:30 at night. Between those
two times, the schedule is strictly regulated by a bell. Time discipline is strictly enforced.

2. Everyone must adhere to the rules of modest dress and place. There are exercise clothes,
school clothes, and mosque clothes.

3. Nametags must be worn all the times.

4. It is forbidden to use local languages or Indonesian.

5. Three times a week there is practice for speeches in Arabic, English and Indonesian.

6. Thursday evenings are scout meetings.

7. Serious violations are stealing, fighting, and having close relations with a woman,
Punishment is expulsion.

8. All students must take care of their own property. Locked cabinets, sandals, books and
other items should be labelled with your name.

9. Order shall be regulated by the security section and language patrol section; both sections
are comprised of students.

10. All permission to miss class and not join activities must be through recommendation and a
note of permission from the homeroom teacher.

11. Rules must be followed and there are punishments for violations. All of these rules must
be followed without exception.

12. School is in session Saturday until Thursday, Friday is off.

13. Every violator of rules will be called and tried in discipline court.”

150. “From this moment, you are officially under the rules and discipline of MP. Rules will be
strictly enforced. Law is our principle. Are there any questions?”

151. “Akhi. Listen well. We don’t want to make lots of written rules, then forget about and not
implement them. The qanun is meant to unify what is said and what is carried out. Indeed
there is no repetition because it is hoped that everyone has written it in their hearts and is
ready to implement it, together.”
152. “Tomorrow, please buy a small folding mattress and cabinet to keep your things in. The
folding mattress must be stacked in the corner of each room every morning , and may only be
taken out again at bedtime. The center of the room must remain vacant for us to use for daily
communal prayers in every room,”

153. “Kak, why don’t we just do communal prayer in the mosque?”

154. “Of course we pray at the mosque but only for Maghrib. The rest we do in the room,
because this is also part of education. Everyone will get a turn to become the imam, prayer
leader. Every one of you must feel how it is to be a great imam. Everyone may also give
feedback if anything is wrong,”

155. “Oh yeah, something important for you to always remember is: always keep your ears open
for the bell. The big bell in front of the hall is a guide for all to change activities,”

156. “Remember, this is now your room together. This room is your place to sleep, pray, and study.
So take care of your own home. Tomorrow we will choose the head of the room and make a
cleaning schedule,”

157. “Kak, where can I buy these things?”

158. “It’s all in the cooperative store beside the meeting room. If I were you, I’d leave right now
because the line will be long,”

159. “Student Cooperative,”

160. “Those are the famous Arabic dictionary and encyclopedia, called Munjid. Later, in the third
year, we may study it,”

161. “Hey, you know, this book looks at Islamic law very broadly. Bidayatul Mujtahid written by
the famous scholar Ibnu Rusyd or Averrous from Spain. It contains Islamic fiqh seen from
various schools of thought, without a bias towards any particular schools. I know MP set us
free to choose. Unfortunately, we can’t study it for another two years.”

162. “Now. I already have that one, I brought it to class yesterday. You remember, right? The one I
held in front of your face,”

163. “Faslun awwal? Year 1, right? Where are you from?”

164. “Thayyib. Alright. These are the mandatory books for first year. Anything else?”

165. “All done, except for the small cabinet. What was it called? Suluk?”

166. “Not suluk, but shunduq, use shad,”

167. “It literary means box, not cabinet. A place for clothes, books, and other things we have. A
small wood cabinet that’s more like a box,”

168. “Oh, OK shu-nn-du-uq,”

169. “Ya akhi, blah blah blah,”

170. “Akhi, brother, please choose before you run of time. Any minute the bell will ring to go to
the mosque!”

TYSON’S FIRST ATTACK

171. “Come on, faster,”

172. “How can I go nay faster? It’s so heavy!”

173. “blah, blah, blah,”

174. “Relax, akhi, we’ll safe in just a minute. The dorm is only 100 meters away. Insya Allah we
won’t be punished. Just a little farther…”

175. “STOP ALL OF YOU!”

176. “Maaza khautakum. What did you do wrong?”

177. “What did you do wrong?!”

178. “Don’t be afraid of a human. ANSWER!”

179. “Sorry, sorry, we are late. But, only a little, just five minutes. We had carry these heavy
cabinet from the field…”

180. “For how long have you all been official students at MP?”

181. “T-t-two days, Kak,”

182. “Just two days and you are already in violation? Wasn’t the qanun read to you last night, so
you know that you may not be late?”

183. “You are now at Madani, there is no such things as a little late. One minute or one hour, late
is late. This is a violation.”

184. “Remember, Alif, Said, Atang, Dulmajid, Baso and Raja, I will always remember your names.
Don’t do it again!”

185. “Hey, wait a minute, you’ll still be punished. At MP, there are no wrongdoings that go without
punishment!”

186. “Line up! Put your right hand on your friend’s left shoulder. QUICK!”

187. “Now, hold your friend’s ear to your left. QUICK!”

188. “Tug your friend’s ear as strongly as I’m tugging yours!”

 AGENT 007

189. “sleepy raids”

190. “Qum…ya akhi, qum… Wake up… come on… wake up!”

191. “Ayyuha thalabah. All students. Would this week’s money order recipients please go to the
secretariat. The names are…”

192. “Summons to the Central Security Court.”

193. “The names are expected to soon face the security section.”

194. “From year one, the names are: Alif Fikri, Said Jufri, Dulmajid, Raja Lubis, Baso Salahudin and
Atang Yunus.”

195. “Masya Allah, I only prayed for a money order,”

196. “People say this is the most revered office-or the most feared.”

197. …the sign “Central Security Office.”

198. …a yellow emblem saying “Kismul Amni- Security Department,”

199. …the senior dubbed them “the Magnificent Seven,”

200. “You six, listen. The beginning of lawlessness is when people belittle the rules and the law is
not enforced. It’s different here. All wrongdoings must be paid immediately with punishment.
As new students, you should take this principle to heart. Therefore, upon considering your
wrongdoings, this court will add to your punishment as a deterrent,”

201. “Please accept this punishment with sincerity as part of your education.”

202. “We are assigning you as jasus. Spies,”

203. “Listen to my instructions well. I will only say them only once. The papers you’re holding will
largely determine the future of MP. In your hands lie the enforcement and rule of law at MP,”

204. “Your obligation is to write the names, classes, and violations of qanun committed by anyone
at the pesantren over next 24 hours. Each of you must find two violators. If you do not succeed
in the next 24 hours, you’ll receive additional punishment. Fahimtum? Understand?”

205. “Kak, but what if everyone follows the rules and no one commits any violations?”

206. “Akhi, that is the toughest but noblest challenge. Making sure that our school is disciplined
with a zero tolerance policy,”

207. “If you don’t succeed, come back here at seven o’clock sharp tomorrow night. I will give you
two more jasus tickets,”

208. “eavesdropping”
209. “Akhi, these days more and more people are becoming indifferent to the depravity going
around them. The jasus method is to raise enthusiasm for awareness of disarray in society.
Deviations must be straightened out. That is the essence of qulil haqqa walau kaana murran.
Say the truth even when it’s bitter. This self-correction is to create a deterrent effect. And most
importantly, to make sure that everyone at MP is as aware as possible not to break the rules
that have been made. No matter how small, rules and regulations are to be followed,”

210. “elite jasus central security.”

211. “Oh, here they are, be careful everyone, maybe they’ve become jasus,”

212. “Ah, don’t be confused. Instead of panicking, try to look at this like a game. A game of hide-
and-seek as great as this?”

213. “How can this be a game? This is a punishment, buddy. Make no mistake. This punishment is
to make amends, not for enjoyment. You have a very strange way of thinking.”

214. “Alhamdulilah, thank God, I finally did it. If I hadn’t gotten them, they’d probably have
haunted my dreams tonight,”

215. “Be independent so you can be one who is free and get ahead. I’timad ‘ala nafsi, depend on
yourself, not others. God’s help is enough to be your principle.”

216. “Man jadda wajada,”

SARONG AND SACRIFICE

217. “Akhi, five minutes until the room must be empty, time to go to the mosque!”

218. “Come on, hurry up, there’s only one bus to ateh this morning.”

219. “Marosok culture. Signals behind the sarong. Bargaining with the hands.”

220. “Why do you have to use signals, Pa?”

221. “It is the legacy passed down from our ancestors for selling livestock. Prices and offers are
only known by the buyer and seller.”

222. “Well, may I ask to be taught how to marosok?”

FELLOWSHIP OF THE MANARA

223. “To be safe and relaxed, why don’t we just gather at the mosque?”

224. “How about just on the steps?”

225. “I know where we can gather without being bothered and it’s close to the mosque. Come
 on!”

226. “The other day, when I was sentenced to clean up the mosque, I was assigned to clean al-
manara-the minaret. Apparently, the base of this manara is a nice place to rest,”

TEN EXCLAMATION POINTS

227. Tonight we will spend our time going around the world,”

228. “Tonight no one will read the text books. But I will read you pearls from the stories of these
leader’s lives,”

229. “Man shabara zhafira. He who is patient will be fortunate. Don’t worry about today’s
suffering, just live on and see what will happen next. Because what we aim for is not for now,
but there is something greater and more for principle, to be a man who has found this mission
in life,”

230. “The mission in question is when you do something positive of high quality and at the same
time enjoy the process. If you feel good about doing something with minimal effort, maybe
that is your God-given mission in life. Look for your own mission. Perhaps your mission is to
learn Al-Quran, perhaps to be an orator, perhaps to read poetry, perhaps to write, perhaps
anything at all. Find it and hopefully you all will become happy people,”

231. “Akhi, do you know what makes successful people different than ordinary people? According
to a book I’m reading there are two things more important in preparing yourself for success.
One is going to the extra mile. Never settle for average. If other people study for one hour,
study for five. If others run two kilometres, run three. If people give up in 10 second don’t give
up until 20. Always try to be more than ordinary. Therefore, let us make going the extra mile
part of our culture and give more initiative, time, effort, determination and so on than others.
Then you will be successful,”

232. “Another recipe is to never let yourself be influence by elements outside of yourself. By
anyone, anything, or any atmosphere. Meaning, don’t be sad, angry, or disappointed because
external factors. You are the ones with power over yourselves, so don’t give that power to
others. Someone may hold a gun, but you have a choice, to feel fear or than tall. You have a
choice, most deeply inside, and it has nothing to do with outside influence,”

233. “Have you ever gone to the MP court and gotten a punishment?”

234. “Well, were you angry, scared, upset, resentful, or even stronger?”

235. “Don’t let security destroy your mental state. Don’t let yourselves be upset and angry, that
only wastes energy. Face it gracefully and learn from it. In fact, you can even laugh. It’s just a
temporary disruption.”

236. “So choose your mood, in even the most messed-up situation. Because you are the masters
and rulers of your own hearts. And the heart that can always be controlled by its owner is the
 heart of a successful person,”

237. “Allahu Akbar! God is great!”

MAA HAAZA

238. “Maa Haaza?”

239. “Haaza kitabuun.7”

240. “Maa Haaza? Haaza kitabuun.”

241. “listen, follow, shout, and repeat again.”

242. “History is not nostalgic art, but history is ibrah, lesson, that we can pull to the present, to
prepare for a better future,”