Are you a Postgraduate Student ??

I put a question that should be asked to those who claimed themselves as a postgraduate student. If you say YES for that question, do you know your role as PG Student? Do you know that PG students are future Muslim leaders? Do you realize the heavy responsibilities as PG Muslim students? Answer these questions inside your heart okay..

Attending lecture given by Prof. Dr. Abdul Rashid Moten is very interesting and worth~! He waited for a long time to deliver his speech for this important topic "The role of Postgraduate Students as Future Muslim Leaders." It is an obligation for us, especially PG students to know own own roles and responsibilities, so I will not leave this opportunity to listen to him (in addition I miss his lecture so much) and share with all my friends.

Prof. Dr. Abdul Rashid Moten

To become a PG student is not easy. It is not a coincidence, and it is not suppose to be the last choice to further education. Prof. had said that becoming a PG student is a step to become a scholar (Ulama'), and being a scholar, it does not mean that they are the most perfect and knowledgeable person. Although we are not perfect and was created as a weak creation, but Allah asked His servants to do the best in any matter. A scholar is the one who has knowledge and does not stop in acquiring knowledge. The more you acquire knowledge, the more you know that you don't know. When you realize that you don't know, you should know that there are many things that you should know. Do you get it?? The wise man is the one who know what he don't know.. So, the first role of PG student is acquire knowledge~!

There are 4 types of people in acquiring knowledge:

1. Those who don't have any knowledge, and they know that they have no knowledge. A way to response them is sympathy and encourage them to seek knowledge.
2. Those who have knowledge little bit, and they know but they think that they don't know. A way to response them is by giving them confidence.
3. Those who know that they have limited knowledge, and they know that they have knowledge. A way to response them is benefit and learn from them.
4. Those who don't have knowledge, but they think that they have knowledge. Most of these people occupying the position among society and keep up bluffing others. A way to response them is DON'T be like them and keep away yourselves from them.
   

When you have knowledge, you can differentiate between good and bad, true and wrong. This would be the second role, doing good and avoiding bad. Imam Al-Ghazali said that observing good people and associating with them will benefit mankind. It is because humans by nature are imitative and they learn by imitation. If we associate with bad people, indirectly we are following them, and if we associate with good people, indirectly we are imitating them. Thus, be careful in choosing friends..

Muslims unable to know what is good and bad without referring back to the Islamic Guidance. Being PG student is the one who should conscious about religion (Islam). Although you are not specializing in Islamic studies, but other people especially outsiders will expect that PG students know everything. The most important knowledge about Islam is to understand the primary sources of Islam; Quran and Sunnah.

Then, being a knowledgeable person, you should seek knowledge for the sake of Allah, then it will be Ibadah. The intention of being PG students is not because of status, name, recognition, or anything else, because all knowledge come from Allah and we only know small part of that knowledge.

Besides that, how knowledgeable person you are, it is useless if you keep it for yourself. Then, you should have skills to distribute the knowledge. Knowledge is something that should be shared to everyone, because the more you give, the more you get, and it will not be reduced.

Another important role of PG student is respect yourselves, and respect others. You cannot respect others without respecting yourselves, and it is incomplete if you don't respect the knowledge. From respect, you will get things back~!

May Allah bless Prof for his sharing..

May Allah bless all of us..

Allahua'lam..

**Postgraduate students are the one who further M.A, PhD and higher grade of education.