Berpuasa di Malaysia

Assalamualaikum wrm wbt readers!

Semoga kalian di dalam kemanisan iman, amal dan keasyikkan berpuasa!

Bercakap tentang puasa, hari ini hari kedua saya dan suami berpuasa di Malaysia setelah 3-4 tahun berpuasa di rantauan. Sememangnya suasana berpuasa di Malaysia sangat meriah cumanya kebiasaan di Malaysia ini, belum mula berpuasa lagi, saya sudah mendapat kad hari raya. Hmm...kelakar jugak.

Kalau diingatkan kembali, saat-saat berpuasa di UK dan di Malaysia adalah dua suasana yang agak berbeza. Di perantauan, penghayatan puasa agak berlainan kerana di sana kami berpuasa bersama kawan-kawan yang saling mengingatkan tentang kelebihan ibadah di bulan mulia ini. Yelah..siapa lagi yang nak mengingatkan kita kalau bukan kawan sendiri..di sana kawan kita adalah keluarga kita. Kakak-kakak dan abang-abang pioneer di sana ibarat ibu bapa kita yang mengajak kita iftar (berbuka) di rumah dan sering bertanya khabar iman dan amal kita.

Dari sudut penghayatan, suasana dan semangat fastabiqul khairat (berlumba-lumba membuat kebaikan)agak berbeza berbanding pengalaman berpuasa di Malaysia sebelum ini. Di sana saya tidak berapa hirau tentang nak beli baju raya ke, nak pergi bazar Ramadhan ke atau nak shopping raya kerana di ketika itu saya hanyalah seorang pelajar, selalunya recycle je baju raya tahun lepas, atau parent hantar yang baru. Bazar Ramadhan memanglah tiada, tambahan pula setiap hari ada sahaja jemputan iftar atau program-program iftar bersama-sama masyarakat melayu atau muslim di sana. Plus, masakan kawan-kawan sangatlah sedap sebab ada secret ingredient...apa tu...masak dengan penuh kasih sayang! Shopping raya memanglah tak langsung. Yang paling seronok saya tak pernah rasa selama berpuasa di Malaysia dahulu adalah bertakbir dari rumah ke rumah. Itu pengalaman yang paling tidak boleh dilupakan! Subhanallah! Memang best! Satu lagi kenangan manis berpuasa di UK adalah saat-saat kami berlumba-lumba bangun Qiam dan tidak lupa mengejutkan kawan-kawan lain. Keseronokkan bertadarrus dan kegamitan suasana bersahur bersama kawan-kawan dengan muka mamai semasa bersahur. Huhuhuhu....rindunya saat-saat itu. Yang tak best puasa di UK adalah ketiadaan ibu bapa dan sanak sauadara untuk mengharungi kemanisan saat-saat berpuasa di sana..Satu lagi tak ada kedai-kedai makan yang buka untuk minum teh tarik..tapi tak de masalah untuk saya sebab saya lebih prefer buat sendiri.

Tahun ini, pengalaman yang baru lagi..saya berpuasa di rumah mertua bersama-sama ibubapa mertua, kakak-kakak ipar, adik-adik ipar dan suami terchenta.. Satu pengalaman yang baru tapi seronok! Pernah saya bertanya pada umi sehari sebelum Ramadhan bermula. Saya bertanya,"Umi, selalunya sahur di rumah ni, masak lain ke atau panaskan makanan semalam?" Umi jawab,"Selalunya mesti ada lauk baru masak untuk sahur dimakan bersama lauk semalam" Woah..! Sangat mantap! Semoga Allah melipat gandakan pahala umi sebab bangun pagi-pagi untuk masak lauk sahur. Masak lauk sedap-sedap pulak tu. Alhamdulillah. Harap-harap esok Allah bagi saya 'completely recover' supaya boleh tolong umi masak untuk sahur. Semalam dan hari ini memang tak boleh bangun, semalam fever agak teruk, tambah pulak dengan selsema yang baru nak malu-malu menyapa, batuk-batuk kecil dan hidung sumbat. Tapi alhamdulillah saya masih dikurniakan tenaga untuk berpuasa. Alhamdulillah hari ni semakin pulih rasanya.

Tapi kan yang mencuit hati saya adalah keluarga suami. Walaupun bangun pagi-pagi bersahur, suasana sahur tu sangatlah meriah dengan gelak ketawa dan lawak jenaka. Semalam sewaktu berbuka, Mawaddah tolong serve...baik betul! Mawaddah...semoga Allah bagi pahala banyak-banyak pada wadah ye! Hari ni, seronok sahur sebab ada Kak Anim dan 'Umar. Semalam kak Anim on call, tapi hari ni kak Anim cuti. Chaiyok kak Anim! Gambate 'Umar! Semoga dikurniakan pahala dan kekuatan kepada kak Anim menghadapi dugaan di tempat kerja. Kami doakan kak Anim berjaya menamatkan housemanship dan 'Umar berjaya dalam Medic dengan cemerlang. InshaAllah. Erm..semalam dan hari ni, kak Ila, abang long dan nabihah pulak tak ada. Hmm..bila pulak dapat merasa sahur dan puasa dengan semua family members. Bihah puasa penuh tau! Nanti dapat hadiah. Tahun ini, saya berazam nak mencari Laylatul-Qadr sebab tahun-tahun sebelum ni kecundang..tunggu2 lepas tu tertido..warghh..tak apa, Allah Lebih Mengetahui! InshaAllah tahun ini berusaha lagi. Jom kita cari malam Lailatul Qadr!

Keseluruhannya, puasa tahun ini, terasa sangat best sebab setelah sekian lama baru dapat puasa di Malaysia (chewah! padahal baru 3 tahun)...InshaAllah nanti nak berpuasa dan iftar di Shah Alam pulak. Tak tahu bila, akan diberitahu dari semasa ke semasa biiznillah.

Wallahua'lam.

Semoga Bermanfaat!

Ramadhan Mubarak

Assalamualaikum wrm wbt Dearest Readers,

May this post reaches you in your best iman and amal inshaAllah.

Since Ramadhan wave us a warm welcome, why not use the opportunity to use every single second of the month to do good deeds hence adding to the list of deeds that we have done throughout our lives. Therefore, let's make sure we doubled or even tripled our ibaadah in the month of Ramadhan. Let's get our iman-o-meter ramping and our engine screaming for more ibadah and amal.

Take the chance to perform to our level best throughout this month because we will never know if there will be any Ramadhan for us to cherish in the years to come. Wallahua'lam. While it is here use it to the fullest inshaAllah. Let's learn to refrain ourselves from everyday evils and try to purify ourselves with various amal and ibadah.

What are the mutabaah amal and ibadah that can be done during the holy month of Ramadhan?

PLENTY!

01. Hafazan

02. Tadarrus

03. Qiyamulail

04. Infaq

05. Helping one another

06. Solat Sunat Rawatib

07. Infaq Palestine

08. Treat others to iftari

09. Zikrullah

10. Increase Islamic Awareness

11. Tarawikh (Jom berjemaah di masjid!)

Come join me to fulfill the mutabaah amal set out for Ramadhan and feel the difference yourselves!

Here's a quote from the Quran and one of the hadith on Ramadhan. Enjoy!

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious). (Fasting) for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (i.e. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a poor person (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know." (2:183-84)

Daripada Abi Soleh Az-zayyat bahawa dia telah mendengar Abu Hurairah berkata: Rassullah S.A.W telah bersabda yang bermaksud : Setiap amalan anak Adam baginya melainklan puasa maka ia untukKu dan Aku akan membalasnya. Dan puasa adalah perisai, maka apabila seseorang berada pada hari puasa maka dia dilarang menghampiri(bercumbu) pada hari itu dan tidak meninggikan suara.Sekiranya dia dihina atau diserang maka dia berkata : Sesungguhnya aku berpuasa demi Tuhan yang mana diri nabi Muhammad ditanganNya maka perubahan bau mulut orang berpuasa lebih harum di sisi Allah pada hari qiamat daripada bau kasturi, dan bagi orang berpuasa dua kegembiraan yang mana dia bergembira dengan keduanya apabila berbuka dia bergembira dengan waktu berbukanya dan apabila bertemu Tuhannya dia gembira dengan puasanya.

-Hadis riwayat imam Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai'e, Ahmad, Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Habban & Baihaqi-

wallahua'lam

May this post benefit all of us biiznillah.

Celoteh Si Kecil

Assalamualaikum wrm wbt,

Dear Readers...
Just thought of posting a short one about my niece..my sister in law's daughter. I was talking to her a minute ago about me not knowing the road in Ipoh yet. I am in the process of knowing and familiarising myself with the roads and streets around here. However, I am the type of person who will only get familiar with a certain route if I use it frequently...

Back to our story, I am following my sister in law to a place and I will be taking back the car after. 'Ala kulli hal, I do not the the route back home. Hence, I asked my sister in law if I could take Nabihah along, kak Ila's 6 years old daughter. Kak Ila said OK! No Problem. Guess what? Nabihah knows the road...I am so amazed..

Hence I said,

" Waaaahhhh, hebatnya Nabihah!"

Do you want to know what Nabihah said?

"Memanglah che emi! Bihah dah lama hidup dekat sini!"

Then she giggled...for a small girl, she is very intelligent. In my heart I said to myself, Bihah sounds like an adult...

See..children will always put adults around them as a role model. They pick up things very fast, hence they will react or say things based on the examples set upon them. If the surroundings and examples portrayed are positive and proper, then the child will turn out to be a rather pleasant one. Otherwise, you know what output can you get from them.

There's an old malay saying, "Melentur Buluh Biar Dari Rebungnya".This is very true my dear readers. If you want to mould your children do it from when they are still young where we will be the one in responsibility to decide on the path that we want them to follow. One of the book that might come in handy to help us muslims to raise our children the right way is, "Tarbiyatul Aulad by Abdullah Nasih Ulwan". I have read part of it and as of now, in my opinion it is a very good guidance to learn how to raise a child and create the environment we want them to grow in.

Wallahua'lam.

May we gain some benefit from this post biiznillah.

Bencana Demi Bencana Melanda...

Assalamualaikum wrm wbt my dear readers,

Semoga antum berada di dalam kemanisan iman dan amal...InshaAllah this week I would like to enlighten you with a series of question...

Cuba jeling sikit ke tajuk post hari ni.. Bencana Demi Bencana Melanda...

Swine flu, sars, chikungunya, landslide, flood, typhoon and etc. What do you think? Another disease? Just a normal landslide? Another natural disaster? Coincidence?

I don’t think so!!!

As I was watching the news, tiba2 berita memaparkan beberapa kes bencana alam dan wabak yang sedang melanda..imagine all the above are happening all around the world...sekali lagi saya bertanya...adakah ini kebetulan? Atau bencana alam yang tunggu masa, giliran dan arahan dari Allah untuk melanda dunia?

Sesungguhnya ini semua adalah peringatan yang Allah turunkan buat kita yang tidak sedar-sedar ini. Lihatlah! Fikirkanlah! Betapa Allah sayangi kita semua...Allah swt bagi kita Al Quran to help us lead our life the Islamic way, Allah tidak bosan menurunkan peringatan kepada kita agar bertaubat...kembali ke pangkal jalan...menjalankan tanggungjawab kita sebagai seorang muslim...natijahnya supaya kita sedar dan bersedia menghadapi segala kemungkinan yang ada..

Ribut taufan di Taiwan, tanah runtuh di China, gempa bumi di Jepun dan swine flu di seluruh dunia. Innalillah hi wa inna ilaihi rojiuun! Astaghfirullah hal ‘azim! Subhanallah! Allah Maha Besar lagi Maha Mengetahui.

Sesungguhnya manusia ini golongan yang tidak pernah bersyukur. Tidak pernah menghargai masa dan kehidupan yang Allah berikan dengan sebaik mungkin...sesungguhnya nikmat yang Allah berikan kepada kita ni sementara sahaja...ingatlah 5 perkara sebelum 5 perkara. Apa 5 perkara sebelum 5 perkara tu?

· Muda sebelum Tua
· Sihat sebelum Sakit
· Lapang sebelum Sempit
· Kaya sebelum Miskin
· Hidup sebelum Mati

Ada hadis and even song created after this hadith as a daily reminder...hmmm..masalahnya kita ni, sangat lah ignorant...tidak kisah atau tidak mahu mengambil tahu...lagu-lagu nasyid atau hadis dijadikan sekadar irama untuk menyedapkan telinga dan menggoyangkan tubuh...bukannya digunakan untuk mengambil iktibar atau sebagai peringatan!

This particular hadith can conclude the whole topic. Kita disuruh hargai dan ambil kesempatan menggunakan nikmat yang Allah berikan kepada kita sementara masih ada...tetapi mengapa kita tidak menghargainya? Bila segala nikmat ditarik...di saat dan ketika itulah kita baru terkial-kial menangisi kehilangan nikmat yang diberi. Di saat-saat swine flu berleluasa barulah kita mengingati Allah..solat hajat merata-rata, pencegahan di sana sini. Mengapa sebelum ini tidak begitu? Sampai bila kita hendak begini? Sampai bila baru kita hendak sedar akan jumlah kemungkaran dan maksiat yang berlaku di dunia ini? Kita tidak berlaku adil kepada Allah swt. Bila Allah timpakan musibah..’auzubillah hi min zalik...kita pulak yang persoalkan keadilan dan takdir Ilahi! Where’s the justice in that? Sementara Allah pula sangat menyayangi kita..buat tawaran lagi di dalam Al-Quran. Apa tawarannya?

Jom kita buka Quran dan semak bersama-sama firman Allah di dalam surah
As-Saf:10-12

10. O You who believe! Shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you from a painful torment.

11. That you believe in Allâh and His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), and that you strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allâh with your wealth and your lives, that will be better for you, if you but know!

12. (If you do so) He will forgive you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant dwelling in Gardens of 'Adn ­ Eternity ['Adn (Edn) Paradise], that is indeed the great success.


Why are we ignoring these testaments? Why are we not taking advantage to earn Al-Jannah? Why? Why? Why?

Saya menulis ini sebagai peringatan buat para pembaca dan diri yang kerdil ini. Semoga kita dapat mengambil kesempatan yang ada untuk fikir-fikirkan dan bermuhasabah kembali tentang apa yang telah kita lakukan sepanjang kehidupan kita...

Wallahua’lam

Secangkir Starbuck Senilai Secangkir Darah Palestina dan Lebanon

Kasihanilah Saudara Kita Di Bumi Palestine!

Saturday, 17 November 2007 02:20 COME, Riyadl - Ini bunyi sebuah aksi BOIKOT produk Amerika dan Israel oleh warga Saudi di sebuah kafe terkenal dan tersebar di kota-kota negara kerajaan ini. Kafe Starbuck memang memberikan dananya langsung kepada Israel yang sampai kini meneruskan aksi brutalnya membunuhi rakyat Palestina dan Libanon.

Para aktifis boikot ini meletakkan kafe ini di urutan pertama dari perusahaan, produk, dan restoran yang diboikot. Islamonline menegaskan, aksi anti perusahaan kafe kelas internasional Strarbuck ini mulai marak sejak dipublikasikan sebuah artikel pemimpin pelaksana perusahaan, Howard Schultz di situs Zayubidia yang sangat peduli dengan kepentingan Israel dan dirinya menegaskan, perusahaanya memberikan sumbangan setengah keuntungannya untuk negara Israel sejak negara zionis melakukan invasinya ke Libanon.

Dalam artikelnya, Schultz berterimakasih kepada “pelanggan yang rela” memberikan satu cangkir kopi yang mereka beli dari perusahaannya untuk mendukung dan menjaga keselamatan Israel dari serangan ‘teroris’. Ia juga mengingatkan kepada semua warga Yahudi untuk melindungi Israel.

Sejak dipublikasikan artikel inilah warga Saudi mulai menyebarkan informasi ini melalui pesan singkat di telepon genggam yang menyerukan untuk melakukan boikot kafe Strabuck. Salah satu bunyi SMS ini adalah “hati-hati… anda mendukung Yahudi dengan secangkir kopi… boikot Starbuck.” Dalam internet juga tersebar poster yang berunyi “pemimpin perusahaan Starbuck menyumbang setengah keuntungannya untuk pemerintah Israel sejak perangnya atas Libanon… saya bersaksi kepada Allah dan malaikatnya bahwa saya memboikot Starbuck”.

Schultz Yahudi

Aksi boikot semakin mendapatkan angin segar dan dukungan luas ketika Dr. Abdul Wahhab bin Said Al Qahthani, asisten dosen fakultas Manajemen Strategis dan Pemasaran Universitas Malik Fahd bahwa Schultz, pemimpin perusahaan Starbuck adalah zionis di urutan pertama dan pendukung kental politik Israel.

Menurut Qahthani membeli produk Starbuck sama bahayanya dengan penghinaan harian di Denmark terhadap Rasulullah. Sebab mereka mengambil harta kita dari negara-negara Arab dan Islam untuk mendanani perang terhadap Palestina, membunuh anak-anak, kakek nenek, wanita dan pejuang kemerdekaan. Menyumbang harta untuk mereka sama saja dengan mengina Islam dan umat Islam, tegas Qahthani.

Schultz sendiri, tegas Qahthani, pada tahun 1998 dalam perayaan ulang tahunnya ke 50 mendapatkan pernghargaan dari Israel kerena telah menyumbangkan dananya kepada Israel dan memperbaiki citra Israel serta menjelekkan citra anak-anak Intifadlah Palestina yang disebut Schultz sebagai teroris dan anti Semit.

Perang ekonomi

Karenanya, pekar Saudi ini mengajak untuk menggalakkan boikot terhadap kafe-kafe Amerika. Ia mengatakan, budaya perang ekonomi harus diterapkan oleh umat Islam dengan memboikot perusahaan pendukung Israel. Sebab umat Islam tidak memiliki kekuatan militer untuk membela hak-hak mereka.

Menari di atas mayat saudara sendiri

Qahthani mengecam sikap umat Islam yang tidak mau melakukan aksi boikot “bagaimana kita menikmati minum kopi Starbuck dan kita sadar kalau harta kita disumbangkan untuk mendukung Israel agar semakin ganas membunuhi umat Islam”.

Jihad dengan harta

Para pendukung aksi boikot ini baik di ruang internet atau lewat telepon genggam banyak memandang bahwa langkah ini merupakan jihad dengan harta.
Perusahaan kafe Starbuck belakangan mengumumkan laba pada kwartal kedua tahun 2006 ini mencapai 1,9 milyar USD. Dan kini ia sedang merencanakan membuka kafe 1800 baru di seluruh dunia hingga akhir tahun ini.
Di Arab Saudi saja Caffe Shoop milik Starbuck beromset 15 milyar Reyal setiap tahun.

Rakyat Saudi dukung boikot

Meski secara resmi Saudi mengkritik langkah Hizbullah, namun kampanye anti produk Israel dan Amerika ditanggapi rakyat dengan antusias. Hal itu bisa dilihat melalui telepon genggam atau internet.

Hingga hari ke 29 invasi ke Libanon, Israel sudah membunuh 1090 orang mayoritas kaum sipil, 30% anak, dan 3570 orang luka-luka serta lebih 1 juta orang mengungsi. Kerugiaan fisik diperkirakan bernilai milyaran USD menurut laporan resmi pemerintah Libanon. (atb)

Sumber: Infopalestina

Komik Of The Day

SEMOGA BERMANFAAT UNTUK KITA SEMUA...

The Mountain

-A Song by Hamza Robertson (Feat Sami Yusuf)-

I gave my Salam to the mountain
And I drank from the mountain stream
And I walked upon its surface
And it all felt like a dream
And this mountain it is a Muslim
And I feel like he's my friend
And as I climbed on to his peak
I wished it would never end

Allahu Allahu Allahu (throughout)
La Ilaha Ella Allah (throughout)
We should be like the mountain
It never complains
We should be like the mountain
It praises God and never complains
We should be like the mountain
Like the mountain


I gave my Salam to the mountain
And I strive through the wind and the snow
And something caught my eye up in the sky
And I wished it would never let go
Cause this mountain it is a Muslim
And I feel like he's my friend
And as I climbed on to his peak
I wished it would never end

Subhanaka Ya Allah
Glory be to You oh Allah

On this mountain I feel complete
And while I'm here to this mountain I will speak

Subhanaka Ya Allah

Seek Knowledge or Walk Ignorance?

Assalamualaikum Wrm Wbt

May this post reach my dearest readers in your best iman and amal biiznillah.

My post today is mainly about ‘Knowledge’...subhanallah it is an interesting topic to speak of. Along my journey of life in the UK, I was so thankful to have met friends who put in a lot of effort and interest into gaining knowledge. Reading plenty of journals, books and the news! Subhanallah..that's a lot of time and energy put together...but if you add a bowl of interest and a spoon of effort, it would give you the best recipe of life. A wise sahabah once said, “Without knowledge action is useless and knowledge without action is futile. [Abu Bakr As Siddiq]. A very interesting and significant statement to benefit every single muslim in this world and that's including me, myself and I. This post is not only meant for my fellow readers but it is also a reminder and a motivator for me to appreciate knowledge. This message is to convey the importance of knowledge in our daily muslims’ life in order to contribute towards the resurrection of Islam in this world.

Alhamdulillah..alhamdulillah..alhamdulillah wa astaghfirullah. I am very thankful to Allah to have bestowed upon me with families and friends who love knowledge and had encouraged me to do the same. I used to be a book worm when I was young. Reading adventurous books like Nancy Drew and a few others from several different authors used to give me an active imagination. But that is beside the point...What I am trying to say is..the fact that I read books had made me feel good about myself. However, as I grew up, that habit faded away hence leaving me to be a rather empty person. Hmmm..it hurts to have that particular feeling. You feel empty without knowledge.

Speaking of knowleddge, suddenly it reminds me of Kak Ila..my sister in law..Kak Ila enjoys reading...A LOT!!!! I envy her..hehe in a good way ye kak ila..of course. I want to have that joyous feeling again when it comes to reading...The best part is that when Kak Ila tells us what she read, she relates the subject or the story plot with Islam and our way of life. Once we went into MPH, as Kak Ila wanted to buy a book. While we were queueing up to pay, there was a lady at the cashier whom was waiting for the books that she bought to be wrapped. Kak Ila saw the set of books and smirked at me, "I've read them all. They were very interesting". I was like...WOW!!! That's 5/6 books in a row...mind you...they were not thin, small books. All of them were thick. Kak Ila really inspires me to be more persistant when it comes to reading. Not necessarily you have to read books with hard cold facts...add a gist of variety in your quest of seeking knowledge. It will give you a creative mind plus it makes you a totally different person when dealing with your daily life.

It is true as what had been quoted from Saidina Abu Bakr about not having knowledge...it is true..you do not know what is going on and you loose interest about everything except yourself. You will be living in fantasy rather than reality. Since I stopped reading..I learnt to be easily bored with watching news and anything that has relation to reading or knowledge. I tend to get sleepy. Not even a full 10 minutes! I tried developing the habit again but it was too difficult to start with other distractions like television, internet and other daily commitments.

Hmmmm.....Excuses...Excuses! Sad Face Emi!

Always remember 1 of 10 of the muwasafat tarbiyyah: "Wide range of knowledge"....It is very crucial for us to gain as much knowledge as we could. Alhamdulillah wa Astaghfirullah...since I was blessed with the chance to walk on this path, I began to learn the essentiality of knowledge especially as a muslim. A wise man once quoted, " No Islam Without Knowledge" [Sayyid Abul A'la Al Maududi]. Clearly it is impossible to become a Muslim and remain a Muslim in a state of ignorance. Maududi again mentioned that:

"Being born in Muslim homes, bearing Muslim names, dressing like Muslims and calling yourselves Muslims is not enough to make you Muslims. True Muslims know what Islam stands for and believe in it with full consciousness."

Have we ever ask ourselves...what is the real difference between a Kafir (a non-muslim: who does not accept God's guidance and is ungrateful to Him) and a Muslim? Any idea? You there? Staring at the screen?

The difference is not that of a name, that one is called Samy, Ho Chi Ming or Ahmad. According to Maududi, no one is a Kafir or a Muslim simply because of his name. Nor does the real difference lie in the fact that one wears a necktie and the other wears a turban. The real deal is that of knowledge. A Kafir does not understand God's relationship to him and his relationship to God. As he does not know the will of God he cannot know the right path to follow in his life.

Think about it....! If a Muslim grows up ignorant of God's will, what ground can there be to continue calling him a Muslim rather than a Kafir?

"It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah. But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding. " [Ali Imran:7]

Take home message:

To all Muslims out there...let's seek as much knowledge as we could while we are still breathing and make ourselves a better muslim. Don't let yourselve astray alone in the dark.

Wallahua'lam. May this post benefit all of us.