Assalamualaikum... Manakah Surau kat office?

Few years ago I was work at private company as general clerk. There’s no muslim worker except few malay practical student and one malay receptionist. It’s common to see muslim working at chinese company, but this company does give me some negative impact.

“Korang jangan sembahyang fardu Asar tahu? Boss tak suka orang bersembahyang semasa waktu kerja. Solat Zohor pun hanya sembahyang waktu rehat je tahu?” Receptionist told those new malay practical in very slow voice. I accidentally heard it while I was punch card at counter.

I was not realise what’s Islam about at that time, but I still feel shocked with my boss’s attitude upon Muslim. However what I heard from my colleague, boss assume they are using Sembahyang as an excuse to run away from their daily job. So, sembahyang is forbidden unofficially in the office.

Few days later, I notice there’s a paper sign at company’s store room. It’s written : “ Store Room / Surau ”. At down there another two sided paper sign which can be flipped over based on situation : “Sedang Bersembahyang, Sila jangan ganggu”

I entered the store room, lots of documents are kept inside it. And there’s lots of boxes on floor. I also looking at the sejadah are well folded on floor. I was confused with Islam at that time, why store room that’s full of old documents can be Muslim prayer’s place? However every muslim practical were stick to their Fardu Solat Zohor, they were not complain anything at all and pray at 1.40pm in store room. Sometime they did swipe the store room for cleanness.

Untill one day the company have moved to another new office lot, Surau is still at store room... but this time the new store room is beside toilet. Every practical was seems uncomfortable with my boss’s decision, later on they still have to pray at there because no surau or mosque nearby office.

“Wah... boss you put their praying place at back there, no problem meh??” A senior colleague ask my boss.
“No problem what, they love to pray so much.. Just put them at any place they also keep praying what.”My boss spoken in Cantonese in front every workers.

This is what happened few years ago, while I was still finding the way of truth.
However, what I have written is just declare the attitude of non-muslim company upon Muslim.

Lots of story I heard about Muallaf lost their job just because they are reverted. They can’t get treatment and benefit like any other worker, and the most terrible thing is they are forced to be murtad due to difficulty in find jobs with their muslim identity.

This tragedy remind me about what happened in history of Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. : Sekatan Ekonomi telah dijalankan oleh pemerintah jahililah untuk memperhentikan rakyat mendekati ajaran Islam. Muslim terpaksa membayar harga yang lebih tinggi untuk membeli barang dengan peniaga jahiliah.

History of Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. have been written out how non-muslim trying hard to make muslim stay away from Islam. They have no mercy on muslim especially those who are reverted.

However, Please do not give up if you are facing the difficulty like what I wrote in this article. Allah swt sentiasa menguji keimanan kita dengan memberikan Ujian Kehidupan yang setanding dengan kemampuan kita.

Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqash radhiyallahu ‘anhu bertanya: Wahai Rasulullah, Siapakah manusia yang paling keras ujiannya? Maka beliau shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda:

الأنبياء ثم الأمثل فالأمثل فيبتلى الرجل على حسب دينه فإن كان دينه صلبا اشتد بلاؤه وإن كان في دينه رقة ابتلى على حسب دينه فما يبرح البلاء بالعبد حتى يتركه يمشى على الأرض ما عليه خطيئة

“(Orang yang paling keras ujiannya adalah) para nabi, kemudian yang semisalnya dan yang semisalnya, diuji seseorang sesuai dengan kadar agamanya, kalau kuat agamanya maka semakin keras ujiannya, kalau lemah agamanya maka diuji sesuai dengan kadar agamanya. Maka senantiasa seorang hamba diuji oleh Allah sehingga dia dibiarkan berjalan di atas permukaan bumi tanpa memiliki dosa.” (HR. At-Tirmidzy, Ibnu Majah, berkata Syeikh Al-Albany: Hasan Shahih)


Patutkah manusia menyangka bahawa mereka akan dibiarkan dengan hanya berkata: Kami beriman, sedang mereka tidak diuji (dengan sesuatu cubaan)? Dan demi sesungguhnya! Kami telah menguji orang yang terdahulu daripada mereka, maka nyata apa yang diketahui Allah tentang orang yang sebenar-benarnya beriman, dan nyata pula apa yang diketahui-Nya tentang orang yang berdusta.

(Surah Al 'Ankabuut 2-3)

Wahai sahabatku, anggaplah semua dugaan dan kesusahan kalian dalam kehidupan sebagai muallaf atau mukmin sebagai ujian Ilahi. Apakah ada ujian yang lebih mulia daripada Ujian Allah swt? Apakah maknanya kita sanggup merendah diri kepada duniawi yang akan binasa jua? Tetapkanlah pendirian kita sebagai Muslim yang taat kepada Allah s.w.t., Tegaskanlah sikapmu semasa menghadapi penghinaan dan ejekan daripada non-muslim...

Bersama-sama kita menghadapi setiap cabaran kehidupan dengan takwa dan kesabaran, Insya Allah kita akan mendapat balasan akhirat yang jauh lebih bernilai daripada duniawi.