Reflection 9 – Epilogue

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Epilogue – the chapter readers fear,

because it reads – ‘the end is here’.

But with the coming of an epilogue

comes the prologue of another.

This story is just one travelogue

for travels of four travellers

who learn to learn; and think to think

and end the end of an ended chapter.

It might not have been a Gulliver’s travel

but it’s a travel worth a traveller’s travel.

The epilogue marks the end of our pilgrims’ reflections for Dr. Rozina’s class but not the reflections for their life journey. Because the most important lesson they learnt from the class is to be reflective. And they shall do so as they continue their pilgrimage towards getting closer to God. Each day, their epitaphs will become clearer as they walk, as they travel, as they march towards the end of their pilgrimage – to be back where they belong.

“Surely, we belong to Allah; and to Him we shall return.” (Al Baqarah – 156)

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Reflection 8 – Futility of Literature

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Literature – some of our pilgrims have embarked on this path for their pilgrimage. And they are sure the path of literature is not futile. They say they are sure; but how sure are they? How sure are they that this path is not futile? How sure are they that literature is still relevant in this contemporary era? How sure are they that this field of study is not obsolete in our post-modernistic world? In an era where technological development is deemed as the sole key to human progression, why bother taking the path of literature?

“How is literature actually beneficial?” our pilgrims stood still in silence as Dr. Rozina’s words echo through their figurative Pilgrim Road. And because of this question – they look for answers:

1) Literary development displays the human development of a civilization at a particular time. It records the intellectual progress of a civilization as well as the moral development of one.

2) On a micro level, literature teaches one to be analytical and critical – a trait which is significant to be better Muslims, better beings; better servants of the Almighty.

3) In an Islamic sense, literature helps Muslims to be more reflective in performing their rites and rituals. Because literature is about invoking emotional and intellectual responses, it is highly relevant in religiosity.

4) Because literature is a highly theoretical field, it provides openness to how it should be applied.

5) Ultimately, literature should invoke spirituality – and hence, it can enjoin intellect and spirituality.



While there are more answers to how is literature beneficial, our pilgrims can already let out a sigh of relief as they reassure themselves that the path of literature is not futile.

(http://socsc.smu.edu.sg/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/socsc/literature.jpg?itok=K8BHlfG5)

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Reflection 7 – The Lonely Street

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

“ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK” reads a sign at one lonely street. Our pilgrims stumbled at the sight of the sign. They have heard about the street before but never have they thought it would be this empty. Never have they thought that it would be this lonely.

“Forensic Linguistics Avenue” – reads the name of the street from Hatim’s map. Why would anyone be afraid to walk that street? Why would not anyone walk this street? Why would anyone be putting the sign to keep people out of this street?

People are so afraid to take risks to enter the street that it became deserted and desolated. From what our pilgrims have learnt before, the street should be an interesting one, a challenging one, a risky one; and many appeared to be interested with it. But because there are no signs of previous footprints, no one dares to stamp theirs.


“ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK” reads a sign at one lonely street. Would you?

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Reflection 6 - Software

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

For the first time, our pilgrims heard the term – “concordancer”. For the very first time, they were exposed to a software as such. They were puzzled; they were dumbfounded; they were intrigued. Intrigued by the complexity of a man-made software. Intrigued by the practicality of Webcorp. Intrigued by the sophistication of WordSmith. Indeed, they were intrigued. And they started searching for other softwares to compete the complexity, practicality and sophistication of these man-made concordancers.

They started searching in the physical realm but to no avail. They started searching in the virtual realm but to no avail as well. Lastly, they searched in the spiritual realm and found the most sophisticated, the most complex, the most practical software they could ever find – the human mind. The human mind was designed by the Most Genious Entity – providing functions more than indexing, more than computing keywords; more than wordlisting. The human mind one of the greatest softwares which reflect the greatness of its Divine Programmer.

However, this great software called the human mind has been continually downgraded by its user – the human being. The human beings always fail to update the human mind - intellectually, morally; spiritually. Until the software finally becomes obsolete; until the software finally becomes outdated; until the software finally becomes nothing more than just a component for an empty vessel, an empty hardware called the human brain.

(http://shirtoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/mind-machine-detail.jpg)

Reflection 5 – Racing Time

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

As the pilgrims lay their pens rest, they let out a heavy sigh of dissatisfaction. For their Computer-Mediated-Communicated (CMC) assignment, they were dissatisfied, discontent, disappointed – because they were not able to give their all for the assignment. Each of the pilgrims was constrained by other assignments; and hence, time pulled them down – till they fell onto a gravelly pavement. They were worn out and beaten down. They mustered their residual strength to stand up; and tried to continue their race against the ticks of the clock but to them; they have lost against their new-found enemy – time.

Time – another creature of God. It knows no mercy, it knows no pity – it only knows its duty to God to keep progressing. Many see it as an enemy but it never sees anything or anyone as one. And this realization made our pilgrims see that they are the ones who villanize time when it fact, they shouldn’t. They should have worked with time and made it their ally; like what happened to CMC. CMC progressed as time progressed. CMC moved forward as time move forward. CMC developed itself in a short period of time – proving that time is never an enemy. Time is just fulfilling its duty – so why aren’t we?

So let’s race – not against time; but along with it.

(http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/154/0/e/The_Time_Traveler_by_xetobyte.jpg)