Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera – 2 2 The Intellect A Gift
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Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa
salatu salam ala so you didn't watch Celine. While early he also
he or Baraka was seldom at the Sleeman Kathira on Ilario, Medina
and Marbury.
So alhamdulillah last time, we were reading Imam Al Maha Seabees
advice. And he was discussing the importance of the intelligence of
the intellect. And then he was speaking about the importance of
action. So he said, Why, and who matters, he and I had been busy, I
think illogical,
but know that nobody has adorned themselves with an adornment like
intellect. So if a person has intellect, it's the best adornment
that they can have. We're not talking about just raw intellect
that doesn't have an ulterior purpose, which is just to show off
the intellect, that basically what he's speaking about is not that
you can just solve very complicated matters very easily,
and make certain connections very easily. But the idea is that
intellect to understand the prudent intellect, intellect, of
based on prudence of what is beneficial for a person, at the
end of the day, the human being is just not a,
a vehicle for intellect, the human being is full of various different
types of
goals and ambitions, they have interaction with others, there's
an ulterior, there's a, there's ulterior purpose of life. So the
fact that the intellect is just one aspect of that
has to be, it has to then be realized within all of those
things. So if there's somebody who's just a Wizkid, who's just
really good at something, as we get some people that they have no
idea about anything else about themselves, how to speak to
somebody, how to interact with somebody, what is beneficial for
them, what is harmful for them, then what's the point of that
intellect, you can't just separate intellect out of a human being,
and just revel at it, and complement it. If the intellect
isn't doing anything for the human being in a more wholesome way,
because every aspect that we have, right is interlinked with other
aspects. That's what makes us who human beings are, then we have a
purpose, then there is obviously a time in this world, and then we
have an idea of the hereafter. So the intellect has to play a part
in every one of these aspects, it can't be seen as just in a vacuum
of its own. So some of us may be thinking that if he's talking
about praising the intellect so much, then that means the one who
seems to be the fastest is solving a puzzle is the one who seems to
have the greatest IQ must be the must be the most adorned
individual. Do you see what I'm saying? But IQ was a big deal.
2030 years ago. Now they're talking about more about EQ, and
emotional aspect of it. So it looks like for some reason, we
went right, right down to the beginning of IQ, and then now
we're realizing that IQ is not everything. It plays a part in
life, but it has to be seen within everything else. That's very
important to understand. So that's why he says that when looking at
it in a wholesome way that intellect is extremely important
and that is because intellect is going to make you help us make
certain decisions, which are useful for us. Then he says, what
I love is a thorough when he Mala Minella Hilmi however,
he then says clothing, so he's saying adornment is intellect. So
adornment is in general, anything that you use and adore. And then
he says in specific, you seems to bring clothing, specifically. And
he says the clothing, the most beautiful and attractive clothing
that anybody can wear smart clothing that anybody can wear is
knowledge.
And again, it's the same thing you can't see knowledge is just
somebody who can reel off a lot of facts.
Somebody who just has everything up then is very good. In a general
quiz, they just have a lot of detail a lot of data. Right?
That's not the point.
So it is more about having wholesome knowledge that is to
your benefit and to avoid knowledge that is not to our
benefit. Otherwise, there's a lot of detail out there that we can
waste ourselves our time with.
Can IQ ever in? Sorry, can artificial intelligence AI ever
catch up? Can it really be the same thing? So the simple way to
understand that is that if you get a guy who only knows who doesn't
know any order, right let's just take the word although Arabic
doesn't know any order any Arabic.
And but he's taught he doesn't know how to speak he doesn't know
how to understand it, but he knows the alphabet only. Right He knows
how to mix it up. So now you put him in a room with all of these
books that are all in Arabic or do whatever whichever. Just say
Arabic. He doesn't know any Arabic himself.
and through the through the hole in the door you're you're giving
him you're you're, you're sending him little pieces of paper with a
with
what do you call it with some details on it. So what he has to
do basically is gone decipher that and find out where that's found.
And when he finds it, he basically goes and provides that reference
to them. Does he understand what's going on? Or is he just literally
combining details together that he has no idea of? Do you see what
I'm saying is he knows that I can find this, these kinds of symbols
are found here. And these are found in here. So he brings that
information, writes it down, because he knows how to write,
write or type. And then he sends it back. Right? Now you can
clearly see that there's going to be mistakes made in that. That is
where artificial, you can get really good at it in terms of
getting the right information. Right. Okay, this means this will
get that information, but you can't process that information. So
you can use your own intellect, in that case, to actually understand
what what is being said. Right? You're just literally making
connections. So that's pretty much what artificial intelligence does,
right? It just does it very well. But it doesn't understand the
can't correct errors, for example, in that sense, unless he's been
trained to do that in particular.
So nobody will any garments that were more beautiful than
knowledge. And then he gives his reasons he says because they under
who learn the humor and the humor or if Allahu Allah will actually
wala OT or illa biLlah Elmy. Now remember, for Muslims, the
ulterior purpose is Allah subhanaw taala What is life without Allah?
That's why he's saying that. The reason for this is that Allah
subhanaw taala has never been recognized except through the
intellect. You need the intellect to understand Allah subhanho wa
Taala to gain an awareness of him. So that's why it makes it so
important. It's the tool to understand Allah with that's why
it's so important. But then also in that he's indicating of why
intellect is so important, why you need it in the first place. Then
he says, then the Houma wonder OT or illa biLlah L and without
knowledge, he cannot be.
He cannot be. He cannot be worshipped. Sorry. Yes, he can't
be you can't show obedience to Allah subhanaw taala except
through knowledge.
Because let's let's just say somebody who's caught somebody who
doesn't know much. they've not had a very good life in terms of the
deen. Suddenly they get really inspired because somebody died in
their family and they saw a death or something. And now they want to
start doing something for the sake of Allah, but they don't know
where to start. They don't know how to pray properly, or whatever
the case is. Can you see that even though they want to obey Allah,
they don't know how to obey Allah so you need knowledge for that.
And the more we gain out of that knowledge, the more ways we'll
have to inshallah obey Allah subhanaw taala
Hassan Busey Rahim Allah he says that lo kondalilla Elmy Surah that
you know, if you were to give a form to knowledge, if knowledge
was to take on a form a representative form, look kinda
sorta to us and I mean, sort of the Shamcey will comedy when new
Jr. was summer.
That literally the form of knowledge. I mean, if it took a
depiction of something, if you could be visualized, it would be
more beautiful than the sun, the moon, the stars and the sky all
put together.
It would be the most beautiful thing because of what he can
provide. While there are the Allahu unmodded. Mujibur, the
Allahu Anhu says that enmu. And again, these are perspectives of
how they found knowledge and what they're saying about knowledge,
which gives us an understanding how it benefited them. So he's
saying that Allah Elmo higher to Kolbe mineral Journal, the only
way to basically give some life to the heart, and remedy the
ignorance to basically remove the ignorance and give it health is
basically through knowledge. When we spa Hill upside him in a full
moon of Wilma. And likewise, with knowledge, it's basically the
Lenten of the eyes from darkness otherwise, essentially, what evil
is being represented or ignorance is being represented by darkness
here. So when you have knowledge, you'll be able to see No, that's
wrong, that looks attractive, but it's wrong.
We're cool what we'll have labradar anemia dwarf, and
likewise, if you have knowledge, then it will be the strength of
the bodies away from weakness. How does knowledge provide strength in
the body when you're feeling so tired?
How do you think that's going to do that I can understand
illuminating the eyes in terms of what you see in terms of removing
ignorance, but he's taking it to another level. He's saying that
you're gonna get strength out of this, like he's talking about
fear. You know, you learn stuff and you get physically strong.
What is he talking about them?
Of course, because Subhanallah there's people who are tired but
they've got motivation and motivation comes from the
knowledge of something, some kind of
resolution, you need to make some kind of goal some kind of that
comes through knowledge. And we know with human beings, that's
what it is people who are very tight, but then they need to stand
up and do something, they will do it, you get the energy helps.
Otherwise shaytaan will try to make us feel tired anyway, you
have no who believed the minoxidil here, you will Abrar the more you
study and the more you inshallah focus on it, it will basically
take a servant up to the level of the most elected the most
righteous ones. That's what knowledge does to us.
That's why any small course you can take, you can become a
scholar. That's understandable. That's fine.
We got a question recently from somebody who said that, I think
they taken a vow that If so and so happens, or something happens,
then I'm going to become a scholar, right of the deed. Right.
So there was some technicalities there. But the main thing is that
while the vowel was an invalid valve, we discovered because of
the way they said it, we said even if it's not valid or whatever,
you've got your whole life to become an Islamic scholar. So an
Islamic scholar doesn't mean that I need to do the next six years
full time. You've got your whole life to keep studying and studying
and studying taking courses and Hamdulillah. There are more and
more courses that are being available. You take two courses
this year, you take another one course next year, the third year
is a bit busy. So you take half a course, right? The year after that
you've got some time off, you take another course just keep yourself
occupied and keep learning something. That's that I think
that's the best thing.
And this is not just for none or even for the alumni, they they may
have spent 567 years having studied, but it doesn't end there.
They have to also continue. I mean, that's the whole purpose of
this institute anyway. So it's for all of us. Knowledge never ends,
there is always more and more and more to learn. When are you going
to call yourself an acronym. Right? When are you going to say
I'm a scholar? Now? You see what I'm saying? Nowadays, the
thresholds of that is quite, quite low. I mean, you can just say I've
studied here and I've sat in his gatherings for a few days and his
some of the top scholars of the world have spent three days here
and two days there might even Maka McConnell Madina Munawwara and he
is a scholar now
is an alum is an RD mana right you know, subhanAllah it's quite easy.
So at the end of the day, let's not trick ourselves whether we've
studied for seven years, six years or no years, let us continue to do
something every year. Dedicate yourself to one course whether
that be a weekend course an evening course a one off course
whatever the whatever the case is, it'll just make us better people
and better inshallah more knowledgeable people.
And he says truly your blue who beloved, the blue who beloved? The
Monastrell. Here you will Abrar Allahumma Jana Minam. What Dada
Tiller Hola, duniya wala Hera, and it will be that knowledge that
will take you to the highest levels, both in this world and in
the hereafter.
He's saying Subhanallah this is again from himself, right? He's
saying what the fuck roofie? Yeah, de Lucia, I'm
just thinking over something to do with knowledge. This is obviously
sacred knowledge, we're talking about something, whatever it may
be, that takes you to Allah subhanaw taala that makes you
closer to Allah and gives you an understanding of the purpose of
this world. Just thinking over an issue like that is better than
fasting, or actually equal to fasting doesn't mean you don't
have to fast anymore.
One was karate, who will clear and to sit in this have these
important discussions on aspects related to knowledge, it's equal
to standing up and praying at night, in terms of reward you can
get that doesn't mean that excludes you from praying at
night, because the prophets also means to do both,
will be to salute or harm.
Now, these are tangible benefits, the more you learn, the less
problems you'll have with others, especially your own kin. So the
more you know,
then, by that kinship will be tied. Your relationships will
increase, especially with your family, how do you think that's
gonna happen?
I'll tell you that sometimes the closest people you interact with
are supposed to be your relatives. And not every relative of ours, or
every close person to us is a reasonable individual. Sometimes
they do weird things, sometimes they say strange things, sometimes
they act in a certain way. Sometimes they may do something
wrong to us. The more knowledge you have, the more knowledge we
have, and the more piety we have, then we able to tolerate that.
Right, we can basically make, we can interpret what they're doing
in a positive way, rather than in a negative way. I'm assuming that
this is saying that your luck will improve.
Your your character will improve and so on and so forth. And
subhanAllah you know, I'm telling you this, that there are so many
times when something like that has happened, and you get angry, and
then you just suddenly
Think you try to give an excuse. Because, you know, you've learned
and you've studied things. So you're trying to give somebody an
excuse that maybe they said it because of this. Sometimes To be
honest, you're angry with people because things haven't gone the
way you wanted it to go. But if you really think deeply, you will
find out that it's not really the fault of the other person either.
Sometimes we get angry because something hasn't gone rights. And
we blame the person in front, the other person, because there's
nobody else was a target right there. They it seems to be coming
from the because they were also involved. But then if you actually
sit down in a cool headed way, you realize that it wasn't their
fault, either.
So knowledge is supposed to teach us all of these things, all of
this kind of control, understanding various ways of
looking at something, the more you know, the more you understand,
then we can say there's various ways of looking at things, it
basically removes
this narrow vision. And of course, where you're awful Hallelu, middle
Harami the halal will be recognized, and distinct from the
haram. And that's a that's a major plus. But then he see he's
understanding knowledge in a very particular context. He's saying,
Well, who Imerman knowledge is your Imam meaning knowledge is the
Imam. And if you consider knowledge as the Imam, while I'm a
luta Biru
the Imam is a leader. So
the follower, the follower to an imam is basically the action. So
that means that you can't just keep studying, studying studying
and not have
basically, you can't have the you can't just go around around town
around the country with the head of the truck, you know, the the
horse part, and that you don't pull anything with it. You're
like, what are you doing now? Why don't you just get a car then if
you're gonna go around in, in a in a horse of a truck without the
carriage at the back? Right. So at the end of the day, it has to back
into actions and action has to follow suit, which is
where you will hammer home a so either way you horombo LSPR, these
are his last two points. Martina Jabba the OMA he says that
this type of knowledge, this sacred knowledge is only inspired
to the fortunate ones.
Unfortunately, here refers to those whom Allah subhanaw taala
has written for them to be fortunate in the hereafter.
You know, it says in that hadith of sahih, Muslim, that and the
third trimester, the angel comes and writes if the person who's
going to be a fortunate individual, or is going to be a
wretched individual in terms of the ending, right. So he's saying
that the point with this is that this kind of knowledge we're
speaking about, is only going to be inspired to the ones who are
fortunate in terms of the Hereafter. And the ashlea the
shocky the wretched one that none unfortunate one is going to be
deprived of it.
So let us see I mean, how much our
how do we feel towards knowledge?
How do we feel like in terms of trying to gain knowledge,
Imam Feroz Abadi, Allah Murphy, Rosa about is one of the great
scholars. He says in his bizarre era with Amis Villatoro Phil Kitab
al Aziz basically insights into the people of distinction with
regards to the subtleties of the mighty Gita, the mighty book of
Allah subhanaw taala quite an awesome sounding name of a book,
he says wylam and who the ENFP Emile allottee until further
insomnia allottee Hill, Omaha or bourbon,
he says is very, very clear from the science of character and good
conduct. Like if you look at good conduct as a as a science, it says
you one thing that you do one thing that becomes very, very
clear, is that human virtue in Sani virtue, human virtue of the
human being, right. It's basically all boils down to four points. You
know, when you look at a human being, and you consider whether to
have good character or bad character, it boils down to four
essential elements. What are those four essential elements is that
one is ill, right? If somebody has knowledge, you're generally going
to respect that person, somebody who's ignorant, you respect him
for something else, but then there's going to be a major thing
missing, which is that they don't have knowledge. So LM is the first
thing. The second one he says is a shujaa bravery. Nobody wants to be
with a coward
right? You've got somebody who's mashallah got a lot of resolution
got a lot of him has a lot of bravery. You want to be with not
Not, not Unharness bravery that they go and do crazy things.
Right. That's why you need the knowledge with it to harness the
bravery to use the bravery in the right way.
Right
Families would be sick of a person like that, who doesn't have
bravery. Imagine if the father was supposed to be the head of the
household is a coward who is not willing to take, take a gamble,
you know, like a positive gamble on something, not not a gamble of
gambling, but you know, to basically go and do something
really scared about everything.
So that's the second point. The third one, he says is refer.
If a means chastity,
more of a tolerance and forbearance. So not indulging in
one's desire, you don't see the person who's just somebody who's
always going after the stomach or going after the, you know,
fulfilling the desires of the private parts. Somebody who fully
fulfills, I mean, the natural desires, but it's not going
overboard with that. And somebody who has those desires. So it comes
down to the moderation of these things. And the fifth one is idle,
and which essentially, he'll explain anyway, idle is justice, a
sense of justice in everything. At the end of the day, if you look at
anybody's character, think of somebody you think has good
character.
It's going to boil down to knowledge, bravery, chastity, and
moderation and justice. Think of somebody with bad character and
see why you dislike it. You notice it's got something to do with one
of these things, guys, just too greedy.
It's just too tight, too stingy.
Just too ignorant.
Whatever, you know, whatever the case is,
well, ma vie for here for an idea. Now, of course, there are going to
be other issues that you will look at. But if you look at it, you can
actually trace them to one of these four.
They all subsidiary issues that come from these 402 dauphinee. Oh,
they related to them somehow.
For Elmo, so now if you take knowledge itself, why is knowledge
such an important aspect of these four for Elmo for Lila to know if
synaptic knowledge is important because that is what makes your
intelligent being that is what an intelligent being needs. The
knowledge is related to the intelligent aspect of a person.
This is a very philosophical definition right for the little
Neff. Synoptical is a very Aristotelian idea where he defined
the human being as
a Haiwan analytic, right? And now think he refers to intelligent not
just the one who speaks because not not just means to speak, but
he's talking about speaking with sense, animal speak as well, but
we're talking about speaking in a way that makes sense. So anyway,
that's a very philosophical discussion, but what shall I do
for Lila to nerf Silverado, BIA, and
shujaa bravery, that's to do with our faculty of anger,
that the heat, like get up and do something, and his they say his
water doesn't even move. Right. He's got no fire in him at all. He
just sits back gets trodden over his family gets abused doesn't do
anything. So shujaa is the positive aspect of them.
Number three, the third one, he says is
Mesa, which is chastity for the little Nisha Hua Ania. That is
basically the virtuous aspect of our desire. Right? Because
chastity is where the balances in exercising our desires, if it's to
the level of chastity, where you're basically allowing yourself
to indulge in the halal and away from the Haram and not in the
Haram that that is the moderation that is what you call chastity. So
then the last one, the Justice aspect, he says, Well, I do for
Lila tonight, I'm the truffle Jimmy that governs all of them.
That's a general virtue, which encompasses all of them. Because
in all of these things, you need moderation. So it's almost like
there are three really. And the fourth one is a completion of all
of the completion of those three, they're not really on equal
footing because the other spans all of them. And you need that
justice, on moderation, to be able to moderate the what it means by
chastity, what it means by knowledge and what it means by
bravery, because you don't want to overdo it too much bravery, the
guy's gonna do something crazy, to less brave, he is not going to
even do what's necessary. Right? That's that's basically what he's
talking about.
And then he says that, you know, among all of these now, among all
of these faculties, the intelligence faculty enough the
what he calls enough sonalika, the intelligence faculty, he says
clearly that has to be the most superior faculty of all of them.
If you think about it, if you've got the faculty of desire, Faculty
of anger and bravery and faculty of knowledge, which one do you
think is most important? I mean, the all necessary Well, which one
is most important? The knowledge on right because
that governs that others as well, in a sense. So that's why he says
that there's no doubt that the intelligence aspect of it is the
most noble of these faculties. And that's why the virtue that comes
with that which was knowledge, right?
Because that comes with the intelligence that has to be the
most virtuous of these virtues among the among the Four Virtues.
Right, and this virtue cannot be found completely without having
knowledge. And then he's telling us the whole trail here he says
that your knowledge cannot be completed and cannot be found
without it. So you need intelligence in the knowledge you
need them together. Allah Allah Manasi rodina. To see, he
mentioned that the beginning here he has a treatise called avoidable
mortality mean the etiquette of those who study. He says shut off
Allah and Milla for Allah I had.
The honor of knowledge should not be hidden on anybody. I mean, it's
something quite clear, quite straightforward is ill mahal
motorists will insomnia because knowledge, the ability to gain
more knowledge, do you see any other animal doing that? Any other
animal being doing that you don't? It's something that is
distinctively for human beings. Only humans go and study in
schools
and go to university and study books. No other animal does that.
They speak. They procreate, they have desire, they eat, they do all
of that, but they don't study. It's the thing which distinctively
only human beings do. The animals also kill and murder and pillage
and everything else. But humans the one thing which is distinctive
is that and that obviously he says that that's why everybody should
understand that if that's what makes us so special as human
beings, then it must be the most noble characteristic
in the Jimmy AlHassan you see, Well, yesterday Kofi HiLine son
was started Juana Kashia. I will call our chef aka because if you
have bravery, you know, among the among the four issues within the
bravery, the desire, the strength, the compassion, you find that in
all animals, but knowledge, you don't find any other animal,
owning the human being.
We all have Allahu Taala for the other Molly's animal melodica and
that is it was knowledge that Allah subhanaw taala used to show
the virtue of Ademar Islam over all the angels as well.
Well, Amara Hornby sujood and then told them to prostrate.
And of course, one of the biggest things is that it is the only
means to gain
basically, it is only the means for eternal fortune and bliss. As
long as action comes along with it according to its demands elmen
action, that's all it is. So may this May Allah make this a an
inspiration for us to continue if we're studying knowledge, and to
never give it up.
To never give it up.
If you're already teaching, then obviously the way to learn more
knowledge if you can't go and formally take a class is to take
on a new subject and study for yourself and just ask where
guidance is needed. Otherwise, if you can't do that, then for those
who are not orlimar then they just study with others. And again, you
don't you've got your whole life to become an island.
Right? So we just want to see before we die, what level we've
gotten to that's the most important thing. Let us not
abandon it completely if we can't get it all at once. Right? So may
Allah subhanaw taala grant us beneficial knowledge and may Allah
subhanaw taala make it a Xena for us and adornment for us. lawman to
Silla. monka sit down the bottle jewelry where the Quran Allahumma
salli wa salam ala as a you know Mohammed while they say you know
Mohammed the more Burdick or Salam
Allahu Maya how you yaka HUMIRA medical mysteries, Allahu Maya
Medina, Judy will occur on a field on our Amna Allahumma field in our
home now if you know what you know what Allahumma field they already
say you didn't know Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Allah
homophily Muslim in our Muslim it will mean in almost minutes here
in human words.
Yeah Allah we ask you for your special forgiveness of Allah
forgive us our wrongdoings our excesses.
Here Allah we ask you for forgiveness from all the sins we
have committed from all of our weaknesses from all of our
deficiencies.
Allah we ask that you make us among those who are close to you.
Those who live can live a life of piety and Taqwa
of Allah we are surrounded by difficulties we are surrounded by
temptations. We are surrounded by distractions of Allah we are
indulgent and involved with so many things that are useless for
us. That is of no benefit.
fit to us. In many cases that is of no benefit to us both in this
world or the hereafter
of Allah We ask that you give us true knowledge and discernment,
true bravery, our true aspiration of Allah bless us in what you have
given us, of Allah, you've given us so many opportunities. We ask
that you make our circumstance conducive to taking benefit from
these opportunities. of Allah we have a life ahead of us only you
know, how long we will stay how long we will live and how long we
will be in this world of Allah We ask that you make it a full and a
wholesome life a higher than tayyiba of Allah that you protect
yourself from all forms of evil which are out there all forms of
depression, all forms of dissatisfaction with you
especially. Oh Allah make us satisfied with you. And Oh Allah,
you be satisfied with us. Oh, Allah make us satisfied with you
and you be satisfied with us. Oh Allah do not
allow us to become so tempted by other things that it makes us
forget you. Oh Allah remedy our heedlessness. Oh Allah we have.
So many opportunities give us the ability to take benefit from these
opportunities of Allah make us of those who are Imams of goodness,
who are leaders of goodness, who bring about and who produce good
in this world who contribute to good and virtue in this world of
Allah, we ask that you balance our characteristics, our conduct, you
grant us moderation and understanding. You protect us from
the pitfalls that life brings in front of us. You protect us from
the shaytaan you preserve us, our families and our children, you
embellish us with beneficial knowledge and beneficial
character. You give us a life full of action and fulfilling
good deeds. And Oh Allah, those good deeds which are required by
our knowledge of Allah, we ask that when in in our final year
before we pass away that we're better off than we've ever been
before in our life, make the last part of our life the best part of
our life and make the best parts of our existence when we stand in
front of you on the day of judgment of Allah we know we're
asking you for a huge amounts, and we have no actions to show for
this. But oh Allah we know that your generosity knows no bounds.
So we ask you Yeah, Allah based on your mercy, that you turn the
situation for us, and make us of the fortunate ones in this world
and especially in the Hereafter, except these gatherings from us,
except our coming here are like except our sitting here and our
Allah make it a source of baraka for just not us but for everything
around us and for our work and our family and everybody else. Oh
Allah, we ask that you accept this place and allow great guidance to
spread from here. Our law you remove any troubles and any
difficulties and you grant us Afia and everything that we do somehow
not be corrupt biller is that yamnaya See funa was salam and
Marcelino Al Hamdulillah