Usrah... Best Therapy

Alhamdulillah, penglibatanku dalam usrah bermula sewaktu masih bergelar 'minah kilang'. Back in 1998, waktu itu aku masih bekerja di sebuah kilang di kawasan perindustrian Senai, Johor..aku telah dipertemukan dengan sekumpulan brothers and sisters yang telah mengenalkan kami kepada Islam as way of life.

Kini setelah berhijrah ke Bangi, aku masih berjuang melawan nafsu dalam diri untuk terus istiqamah bersama usrah. Sebagai manusia iman memang ada pasang surutnya, apatah lagi sejak dunia semakin menuju ke akhir zaman di mana fitnah berlaku bagaikan potongan malam. Mutakhir ini menonton TV atau membaca akhbar amat memualkan. Manusia seperti sudah lupa akhlak muslim.

Bagiku dalam saat saat krisis akidah dan akhlak muslim semakin parah dan memarahkan, time spent in usrah merupakan therapy yang paling baik untuk ruh dan iman. Selepas penat dgn rutin harian, maka saat saat bertemu sahabat-sahabat dalam usrah adalah masa yang amat ditunggu-tunggu. Walaupun ada masanya pergi usrah dalam keadaan tubuh lesu, perlu memandu jauh pula di waktu orang lain mungkin sedang berehat-rehat bersama keluarga, namun melihat wajah-wajah sahabat yang saling membantu di jalan Allah, keletihan itu hilang. insya-Allah. Dalam doaku aku sering meminta semuga Allah tetapkan hatiku di jalan ini. Ameen.

Found this very useful information about usrah from google search. Hope it helps those who wants to understand more about Usrah.

More about the Usrah

An usrah is a type of halaqah in that a group of brothers or sisters sit together to encourage and help each other on their path to Allah. Beyond that, there are several distinguishing factors.

• Once an usrah is formed, its membership stays constant. People do not arbitrarily join that usrah at a later point (analogous to a college class - people cannot join it after a few weeks). People join an usrah with an intention to commit for the duration of the curriculum.
• Usrah members give it very high priority, such that they put in a lot of emotional, spiritual and physical effort (measured not by quantity of time but quality of effort) and attend every session as possible.
• The reason for the above two is so that a deep brotherhood develops, such that people can meaningfully touch each other’s lives, and also so that clear progress is made in the curriculum with everyone on the same page rather than a diluted effect with people coming and leaving.
• The usrah is led by a murabbi: a trusted, loving mentor who seeks to guide and help the usrah attendees from stage to stage of development – basically aiding the process of tarbiyah.
• The material the usrah covers ranges widely – from very spiritual topics, to seerah, Quran, Islamic history, da’wah, modes of da’wah, etc. Additionally, there is a lot of independent reading and learning required (the material being of the attendees own choice based on needs the murabbi and the individual identify together). Presentations are then given to the rest of the usrah on the reading so that all can benefit.
• There is great emphasis and follow-up on issues of character and personal worship.
• There is emphasis on being involved in Islamic work because (1) it is a responsibility we have before Allah, and (2) It is the only way to really understand what we learn and gain wisdom from it {Those who strive in [our way], we guide them to Our paths – surat al-Ankabut}.
• The usrah meets once a week for 2 to 3 hours and weekly assignments take from 1 to 2 hours.