Birru Walidayn

~An apple tree and a boy~

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

Time went by. The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree everyday. One day, the boy came back to the tree and looked sad. "Come and play with me," the tree asked the boy. "I'm no longer a kid. I don't play around trees anymore," the boy replied.
"I want toys. I need money to buy them."
"Sorry, I have no money, but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money."
The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples in the tree and left happily. The boy never come back after he plucked all the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me," the tree said. "I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?"
"Sorry but I don't have a house. But you can chop all my branches to build your house."
So, the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy. But the boy never come back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me," the tree said. "I'm sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?"
"Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy."
So, the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry my boy, but I don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you," the tree said. "I don't have teeth to bite," the boy replied.
"No more trunk for you to climb on."
"I'm too old for that now."
"I really can't give you anything. The only thing I left is my dying roots," the tree said with tears.
"I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I'm tired after all these years," the boy replied.
"Good! Old tree trunk is the best place to lean and rest. Come, come sit down with me and rest."
The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.

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This is a story for everyone. The tree is like our parents. When we were young, we like to play with mom and dad. When we've grown up, we left them. Only come to them when we need anything or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give anything they could to make you happy. You may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but that's how plenty of us are treating our parents. I hope after reading this story, all of us will love our parents more.

Kepulangan saya ke tanah air sememangnya dinantikan kedua ibubapa. Pelbagai pelan diatur agar percutian musim panas kali ini tidak sia-sia. Itulah hakikat belajar di negara orang. Sesekali jenguklah keluarga di kampung. Tidak terbayang bagaimanakah saya akan melalui alam pekerjaan selepas berjaya meraih segulung ijazah. Cita-cita bergantungan tinggi - Pakar Perbidanan dan Sakit Puan. Fuh, dengar sahaja sudah terbayang liku2 dan cabaran getir yg bakal di hadapi. Hampir 7 tahun bergelut dgn Sarjana Muda Perubatan dan Surgeri, 2 tahun menyandang gelaran doktor pelatih, dan kemudian 4 tahun pula untuk mendapatkan pakar.

Dapatkah saya menjenguk kedua ibubapa secara berkala apabila bergelar doktor nanti? 24 jam sehari cukupkah untuk membahagikan masa secara adil? Itu belum dikira jika sudah berkahwin dan mempunyai anak.

Teringat ulah seorang pengetua yg dijemput utk memberikan motivasi dalam kalangan guru2 sekolah menengah. "Kadang-kadang murid kita yg nakal2 itulah yg mengusung kita ke liang lahad, yg mengaji tinggi2 tu datang sat ja jenguk. Lepas tu balik la. Sibuk." Otak saya kembali mencerna. Salahkah belajar tinggi2 dan menjawat jawatan penting? Islam, keluarga, sahabat handai dapat tumpang bangga dan bergembira. Tetapi, mampukah saya? Mampukah saya membahagikan 24 jam sehari, 7 hari seminggu, 4 minggu sebulan dan 12 bulan setahun untuk mereka? Wang ringgit bukan segala-galanya. Benar, wang ringgit mampu membeli tilam yang empuk tetapi bukan tidur yang lena.

Disinilah peranan kita sebagai anak, sebagai saudara, sebagai rakan, doktor dan daie. Banyak lagi yg perlu dibekalkan selain bekalan taqwa yg utamanya. Kiat2 dan teori perlu dijalankan secara praktikal. Role model dan tokoh2 terdahulu ramai, gali dan contohi langkah mereka. Pengetahuan tentang amal islami dan amal qawi perlu dicerna selumatnya. Letakkan 'mission statement', bak kata Sean Covey dalam buku motivasi terlarisnya, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Faham dan gunapakai fiqh awlawiyat, agar kita tidak mudah terbabas dari landasan amal islami yg dituntut.

Namun, apalah ertinya ilmu tanpa amal, apalah maknanya amal tanpa ikhlas?Bagaimana mahu ikhlas? Ada tanda2nya:

1. Sentiasa takut kemahsyuran dan sanjungan yg boleh membawa kepada fitnah kepada dirinya dan deennya.

2. Sentiasa menganggap dirinya cuai terhadap Allah s.w.t dan segera memohon keampunanNya. Cuai dalam amal ibadat, cuai dalam mengawal hati supaya tidak bermegah diri. Bimbang dalam hati ada 2; beramal kerana allah dan kerana selainNya. Atau pun, dalam hati hanya ada 1; beramal kerana selainNya.

3. Suka melakukan amal kebaikan secara sembunyi. Bila bersedeqah dgn tangan kanan, pastikan tangan kiri tidak mengetahuinya.

4. Redha manusia tiada nilai disisinya. Hanya redha Allah menjadi kayu ukur setiap amal perbuatannya.

5. Baginya sama sahaja sama ada menjadi pemimpin atau orang yg dipimpin. Amalnya tetap bersungguh2 dan hanya mengharap redha Allah semata.

6. Beremosi, emosi juga.Tetapi semuanya hanya kerana Allah. Sayang, suka, benci, redha, marah, menerima atau memberi, semuanya dihadapkan, berkiblatkan Allah swt.

7. Bergembira dengan munculnya org yg ada kelayakan dalam barisan 3amilin.

Oleh itu, bagaimana menggapai ikhlas kalau diri masih kabur ttg hakikat ikhlas? Ayuh, mulakan langkah dgn membaca, kerana membaca teras mentaliti kelas pertama! Bukankah wahyu pertama juga mengajak kita supaya membaca?