IT assignment PLAGIARISM

What is Plagiarism?

Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense:

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means

• to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
• to use (another's production) without crediting the source
• to commit literary theft
• to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.

In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.

But can words and ideas really be stolen?

According to U.S. law, the answer is yes. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property, and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some way (such as a book or a computer file).

All of the following are considered plagiarism:

• turning in someone else's work as your own
• copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
• failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
• giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
• changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit
• copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not (see our section on "fair use" rules)

Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent plagiarism. See our section on citation for more information on how to cite sources properly.  

Why is Referencing Important?

Citations are not used simply to avoid plagiarism; they have other important roles too.

By citing the work of a particular scholar you acknowledge and respect the intellectual property rights of that researcher. As a student, or an academic, you are free to use any of the millions of ideas, insights and arguments published by other writers, many of whom have spent years of hard work researching and writing. All they ask is that you acknowledge their contribution to your assignment. This doesn’t seem like too much, does it?

Citing work also allows you to show your marker that you are aware of the field in which you are operating. Your citations map the space of your discipline, and allow you to navigate your way through your chosen field of study, in the same way that sailors steer by the stars.

Citations also make your writing more persuasive.

Exercise: Look at the two paragraphs below: which one seems more authoritative?

Paragraph One The importance, or otherwise, of lyrics in popular music, and academic approaches to song lyrics, is subject to much debate. The supposed ‘poor’ standard or presumed meaninglessness of popular music lyrics, become a means to critique popular music. Conversely, it could be argued that too much attention is given to a song’s lyrics, to the point where the music itself is overlooked; it is also possible to overestimate the degree to which the music listener actually listens to the words, or perceives them to be the site of meaning in a song. Nonetheless, Simon Frith suggests that lyrics do allow songs to be ‘used in particular ways’: lyrics facilitate certain ‘creative articulations’. In the case of protest music, the lyrics allow a song to be made to speak to political issues.

Paragraph Two The importance, or otherwise, of lyrics in popular music, and academic approaches to song lyrics, is subject to much debate (Frith, 1998; Shepherd, 1999; Fornas, 2003). The supposed ‘poor’ standard or presumed meaninglessness of popular music lyrics, become a means to critique popular music. Conversely, it could be argued that too much attention is given to a song’s lyrics, to the point where the music itself is overlooked; it is also possible to overestimate the degree to which the music listener actually listens to the words, or perceives them to be the site of meaning in a song (Shepherd, 1999:172). Nonetheless, Simon Frith suggests that lyrics do allow songs to be ‘used in particular ways’ (cited in Martin, 1995:273): lyrics facilitate certain ‘creative articulations’ (Johnson, 2000). In the case of protest music, the lyrics allow a song to be made to speak to political issues.

The paragraphs are identical, except for the absence of citations from paragraph

1. The first paragraph may be just as interesting as the second, but within an academic context, a context that requires you to show from where you have taken ideas, the second has far more authority, it is more persuasive. It shows that the ideas you are discussing are matters that are important to your particular academic community.

Types of Plagiarism

Anyone who has written or graded a paper knows that plagiarism is not always a black and white issue. The boundary between plagiarism and research is often unclear. Learning to recognize the various forms of plagiarism, especially the more ambiguous ones, is an important step towards effective prevention. Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense:

Sources Not Cited

1.   "The Ghost Writer"
The writer turns in another's work, word-for-word, as his or her own.

2.   "The Photocopy"
The writer copies significant portions of text straight from a single source, without alteration.

3.   "The Potluck Paper"
The writer tries to disguise plagiarism by copying from several different sources, tweaking the sentences to make them fit together while retaining most of the original phrasing.

4.   "The Poor Disguise"
Although the writer has retained the essential content of the source, he or she has altered the paper's appearance slightly by changing key words and phrases.

5.   "The Labor of Laziness"
The writer takes the time to paraphrase most of the paper from other sources and make it all fit together, instead of spending the same effort on original work.

6.   "The Self-Stealer"
The writer "borrows" generously from his or her previous work, violating policies concerning the expectation of originality adopted by most academic institutions.

Sources Cited (But Still Plagiarized)

1. "The Forgotten Footnote"
   The writer mentions an author's name for a source, but neglects to include specific information on the location of the material referenced. This often masks other forms of plagiarism by obscuring source locations.
2. "The Misinformer"
   The writer provides inaccurate information regarding the sources, making it impossible to find them.
3. "The Too-Perfect Paraphrase"
   The writer properly cites a source, but neglects to put in quotation marks text that has been copied word-for-word, or close to it. Although attributing the basic ideas to the source, the writer is falsely claiming original presentation and interpretation of the information.
4. "The Resourceful Citer"
   The writer properly cites all sources, paraphrasing and using quotations appropriately. The catch? The paper contains almost no original work! It is sometimes difficult to spot this form of plagiarism because it looks like any other well-researched document.
5. "The Perfect Crime"
   Well, we all know it doesn't exist. In this case, the writer properly quotes and cites sources in some places, but goes on to paraphrase other arguments from those sources without citation. This way, the writer tries to pass off the paraphrased material as his or her own analysis of the cited material.

Advantages to Citing Sources

1. You allow your readers to locate the sources of your information in case they want to pursue it in their own research. After all, in the academic and professional worlds, your research becomes part of the ongoing intellectual conversation about ideas. We all stand on the shoulders of earlier researchers, and we all hope that others will stand upon our shoulders in the future.
1. An obvious illustration of this standing-on-the-shoulders-of-others is found in technical and scientific writing. Procedures and methods sections of technical and scientific articles and laboratory reports provide readers with information sufficient to replicate both the method and data described in the document. That information is provided not only so that our results can be verified but also so that others might refine our methods or build upon them to make even more discoveries.
2. For documents in any field, quotations provide evidence for our assertions and ideas for us to argue against. Citations show our willingness to have our interpretations of those other works verified.
3. For longer papers in other fields, literature reviews provide the intellectual context for understanding our contribution to that ongoing conversation about ideas.
2. Your ethos (your credibility) is profoundly enhanced when you cite your sources. Doing so proves that you are well informed about the topic and that your work can be trusted to be accurate. Doing so also proves that you are honest.
3. As pointed out by scholar Ed White,

“Every writer has his or her own intellectual identity, though most ideas inevitably come from outside sources. A responsible use of sources recognizes that identity and distinguishes clearly between what you think and what the sources think. It is no sin to accept another person’s idea…. But you must interpose yourself between the sources and your writing, thus making other peoples’ ideas your own through a process of critical scrutiny.”—Ed White and Lynn Bloom (qtd. in an email from Ed White, citing the book he and Bloom edited, Inquiry, Prentice Hall, 1993, p. 445).

Others types of plagiarism:-

Accidental Plagiarism

 Accidental plagiarism usually occurs because we do not understand the cultural conventions of academic writing and citation. In most western countries, and certainly in the United States, there is a very real sense that writers own their ideas and the words they use to express those ideas. As John R. Edlund explains in “What Is ‘Plagiarism’ and Why Do People Do It?”:
There are two important factors that must be understood in order to understand American concepts of plagiarism. First, in the English-speaking world, people believe that ideas and written expressions of ideas can be owned. When an author writes down a particular set of words and phrases expressing a specific idea, this author in effect owns those words and that idea. Therefore to use these words without giving the author credit is to steal them. This is very different, for example, from the Chinese idea that words and ideas belong to the culture and the society and should be shared by all individuals (Myers 11). Second, Americans believe that writing is a visible, concrete demonstration of a writer's knowledge, insight, and academic skill. Thus, to represent another person's writing as your own is to misrepresent your own accomplishments. This is a type of fraud or deception.  [Italics and boldface added] http://www.calstatela.edu/centers/write_cn/plagiarism.htm (14 Jan. 2004).

Cultural Confusion: In other words, there are many cultural differences in the way people use the ideas and language of others. In the United States, plagiarism is a

serious offense. So, in spite of what your own home culture says and feels about the use of others’ ideas, the old advice—“when in Rome, do as the Romans do”—applies to the use of sources—“when in the United States (and several other western countries), cite sources.”

And if you are in doubt, always ask your professor, your TAS, or the lecturers in the Writing and Communication Center for guidance.

Difficult Concepts: In addition to cultural confusion, at times we slide into plagiarism when we are dealing with concepts that we simply do not understand, and it seems that the best way to convey those ideas to our readers is simply to use the words of the original author. If we quote those words and cite the source, we have taken a significant step in avoiding plagiarism. But, unless we actively engage with the ideas themselves (e.g., paraphrasing them in our own words after the quotation, summarizing them, or, better still, arguing or supporting them with our own ideas and evidence), we have not successfully mastered those ideas (but at least we have not committed plagiarism).

Botched Paraphrasing:  Paraphrasing is the process of turning a source passage into our own words. It is another way that we can unintentionally slip into plagiarism because we end up using large chunks of phrasing from the original or using the ideas without proper citation.

In any event, even if the plagiarism is unintentional, the consequences can still be very painful.

Another, types of Plagiarism:-

1. Turning in someone else’s work as your own—e.g., a friend’s paper, a paper from a fraternity collection, a paper copied from the Web, or a paper purchased from one of those online paper mills.
1. It’s crucial to remember that having permission to use something or having purchased something does not make it your creation.
2. For instance, I own my car. I bought it and it is now fully paid for. But I would be lying if I said I made my car. The same is true for a paper purchased or borrowed from someone.
2. Creating the patch-quilt or “pastiche” paper—cobbling together paragraphs and ideas taken from different sources.

1. Although “research” was required to find the paragraphs and ideas, our active engagement with those ideas is missing
2. If sources are cited, then what we have is “research notes” rather than our own paper.
3. If the sources are not cited, then plagiarism and fraud are in the writer’s claim that the words, phrasings, and ideas are his/her own.
4. Ed White’s quotation above explains the difference between a research paper and a patch-quilt paper (although he does not use those terms).

Consequences of Plagiarizing

Plagiarism in the academic world can lead to everything from failure for the course to expulsion from the college or university.

Plagiarism in the professional world can lead to, at the very least, profound embarrassment and loss of reputation and, often, to loss of employment. Famous cases of plagiarism include the historian Stephen Ambrose (accusations about six of his books have been made, most famously about The Wild Blue) and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin (who ended up asking the publisher to destroy all unsold copies of The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys). Such plagiarism is often accidental, but its consequences are the same as for intentional plagiarism.

Avoid Plagiarizing by Citing Sources

There are five basic rules regarding the use of information in professional and in academic writing:

1. If you use the language of your source, you must quote it exactly, enclose it in quotation marks, and cite the source.
2. If you use ideas or information that are not common knowledge, you must cite the source.
3. If you didn’t invent it, cite the source.
4. Unless your professor explicitly tells you to paraphrase, don’t paraphrase.
5. When in doubt, cite the source. Doing so can only enhance your readers sense of your honesty.

Avoiding Plagiarism

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to understand what it is. Then take steps to avoid committing either accidental or intentional plagiarism. Before we define plagiarism, however, there are three other terms that we need to define—quotation, paraphrase, and summary.

Quotation: A quotation must use the exact words of the source. If the quotation is relatively short (usually fewer than 3 lines or 40 words), those words must be enclosed in quotation marks. For instance,

• As Steven Strang points out, “Contrary to some popular notions, most writers do not have full-blown ideas popping out of their heads like Athena” (48).
• Notice that the quotation is introduced (“As Steven Strang points out”), that the exact words are enclosed in quotation marks, and that the page number is given (using, in this case, the MLA style).
• At the end of the paper, there would be a bibliographical entry that would give the author, the title of the source, the publisher, date of publication, etc.)

Longer quotations are given in block quotations (see the quotations from Ed White and john Edlund later on in this entry).

Paraphrase: To paraphrase is to put the ideas in a passage into our own words, usually following the order in which the ideas were presented in the original. All major ideas are included. Usually a paraphrase is a bit shorter than the original, but when terms or concepts have to be defined, a paraphrase might actually be longer. Any paraphrase requires the same kind of citation as an exact quotation.

There are only three good reasons for paraphrasing:

1. Translating technical material into simpler language for a lay audience
2. Paraphrasing because a professor has explicitly requested that you do so
3. “Translating” a poem into simpler language so that we can understand where the ambiguities lie (and this type of paraphrase rarely makes it into our papers)

 Reasons to Avoid Intentional Plagiarism

 There are numerous reasons why people plagiarize (e.g., not having enough time to think about and write the paper, wanting to get a better grade, feeling that the course is irrelevant to their career plans and hence not worth their time or effort, insecurity about their own writing ability, struggles with a second language).

But there are better reasons for not plagiarizing.

1. If you do have writing problems, identifying them early will give you plenty of opportunity to improve your skills (e.g., working closely with the lecturers in the Writing and Communication Center).
2. You will engage with the ideas and thus deepen your own critical thinking and writing skills.
3. You will add authority to what you write by citing sources.
4. You will learn to question all ideas. Simply using the ideas of others prevents us from questioning or judging ideas, and this approach can lead to a willingness to accept ideas without question (a profoundly dangerous thing to do in any profession or society).
5. Without struggling to understand, interpret, and argue with ideas, your own ideas never develop fully, and you will tend to see issues superficially (again, a profoundly dangerous thing in any profession and in any society).
6. You will learn to voice your own ideas.
7. You will avoid the penalties of plagiarism if you get caught.

Effects of Plagiarism on Education

Plagiarism is an act of academic dishonesty in which a person takes the work or ideas of others and presents them as his own without proper credit or attribution. Most schools, especially universities and colleges, communicate their policies to students, warning of consequences. Plagiarism has many effects on education---not only on students and scholars who commit the offense but on the educational environment as a whole.

1.      Academic Discipline

o    Educational institutions, especially colleges and universities, regard plagiarism as a serious breach of academic honesty and integrity. They warn their students of serious consequences for plagiarizing the work of others. Students who are guilty of plagiarism face at the least a failing grade in the course for which they committed the offense. Other possible consequences include suspension or even expulsion from the school they attend.

2. Loss of Degree or Job

o    College students who commit plagiarism face the loss of their degrees upon discovery of the offense. College faculty members who plagiarize the work of other scholars face serious consequences as well. Professors who commit plagiarism may lose tenure and face the loss of their jobs and reputations. An academic found guilty of plagiarism faces the permanent loss of her credibility as a scholar. Plagiarism also may damage the reputation of schools as places of learning and intellectual inquiry.

3. Damaged Relationships

o    Plagiarism poisons the relationship between students and teachers by undermining the mutual trust that is an important element of the learning process. Widespread incidents of plagiarism, such as students taking work from the Internet and presenting it as their own, force teachers to act as police investigators, constantly searching for wrongdoing. All students become suspect in such an environment, and learning becomes impossible. Suspicion and mistrust replace intellectual curiosity and trust. Plagiarism also damages relationships between students who plagiarize and those who earn their grades honestly.

4. Lack of Critical Thinking

o    When students or instructors present others' work as their own, they fail to develop and use critical thinking skills, which are necessary for learning and success in life.

(Conclusion)

: At the end of this assignment, a summary puts the major idea(s) of a passage into our own words and significantly shortens it. Once again, you must attribute the ideas to the original source.

Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s ideas or language without acknowledging that they were not created by you. This definition applies to ideas, words and unusual structures regardless of where you find them—in a book, on a webpage, in an email. Whenever you include another person's information or wording in a document, you must acknowledge the source and include a citation that will tell your readers where you obtained it—otherwise you are guilty of plagiarism.

Plagiarism is intellectual theft--plagiarism.

Beyond that, under copyright law, a writer legally owns

• Ideas (unless they are general, common knowledge)
• Words used to express those ideas
• Syntax (sentence formation) –the word order  (style, effect, and clarity)

…REFERENCES…

1.    plag_article_what_is_plagiarism.html

2.    Plag_article_types_of_plagiarism.html

3.    list_6075742_effects-plagiarism-education.html

4.    writing.mit.edu/wcc/avoidingplagiarism

5.    http://www.ehow.com/info_7874574_disadvantages-plagiarism.html#ixzz2DHbqYlvU

During WORKSHOP PRACTICE class

M.I.B-Individual Assignment

Tajuk 5: Di negara Brunei Darussalam, agama Islam dikatakan sebagai cara hidup yang lengkap.Bincangkan.

BRUNEI adalah sebuah negara tertua di antara kerajaan di kepulauan Tanah Melayu. Dalam catatan sejarah China, Brunei dikenali dengan nama Po-li, Po-lo, Poni atau Puni dan Bunlai manakala catatan Arab pula, Brunei terkenal dengan nama Dzabaj atau Randj.

Catatan tradisi lisan yang diperoleh dari Syair Awang Semaun yang menyatakan Brunei berasal dari perkataan baru ‘nah’ iaitu setelah rombongan klan atau suku Sakai yang dipimpin Pateh Berbai pergi ke Sungai Brunei mencari tempat untuk mendirikan negeri baru.

Replika stupa yang ditempatkan di Pusat Sejarah Brunei menjelaskan bahawa agama Hindu-Buddha pada suatu masa dahulu pernah menjadi anutan penduduk Brunei. Beberapa penemuan replika batu nisan P’u Kung Chih Mu, batu nisan Rokayah binti Sultan Abdul Majid ibni Hasan ibni Muhammad Shah Al-Sultan dan batu nisan Sayid Alwi Ba-Faqih (Mufaqih) pula menggambarkan tentang kedatangan agama Islam di Brunei.

Ia dipercayai dibawa oleh musafir, pedagang dan mubaligh-mubaligh Islam sehingga agama Islam itu berpengaruh dan mendapat tempat di kalangan penduduk tempatan dan keluarga kerajaan Brunei. Dakwah Islam dikatakan tersebar ke negara itu sekitar kurun ketujuh menerusi pedagang dan pendakwah Arab. Kedatangan Islam membolehkan rakyat Brunei menikmati sistem kehidupan lebih tersusun dan terhindar daripada adat bertentangan dengan akidah tauhid.

Awang Alak Betatar ialah Raja Brunei yang pertama memeluk Islam pada 1368 dengan gelaran Paduka Seri Sultan Muhammad Shah. Beliau terkenal sebagai pengasas kerajaan Islam di Brunei dan Borneo. Pedagang dari China yang pernah ke Brunei menggelar beliau sebagai Ma-HaMo-Sha. Beliau meninggal dunia pada 1402.

Dakwah
Beliau dipercayai mendalami Islam daripada Syarif Ali iaitu pendakwah yang berasal dari Taif yang dikatakan berasal dari keturunan Ahlul Bait yang bersambung dengan keluarga Rasulullah melalui cucu Baginda, Saidina Hassan.

Pendekatan dakwah Syarif Ali tidak sekadar menarik hati Awang Alak, malah dakwahnya menambat hati rakyat Brunei. Dengan kebaikan dan sumbangan besarnya dalam dakwah Islam di Brunei, beliau dikahwinkan dengan puteri Sultan Muhammad Shah. Selepas itu, beliau dilantik menjadi Sultan Brunei atas persetujuan pembesar dan rakyat tempatan.

Sebagai pemimpin dan ulama, Syarif Ali gigih mendaulatkan agama Islam antaranya membina masjid dan melaksanakan hukum Islam dalam pentadbiran negara. Selepas tujuh tahun memerintah Brunei, pada 1432, Syarif Ali meninggal dunia dan disemadikan di Makam Diraja Brunei.

Satu lagi catatan bersejarah yang membuktikan penyebaran Islam di Brunei adalah Batu Tarsilah. Catatan pada batu ini menggunakan bahasa Melayu dan huruf Arab. Dengan penemuan itu, ia mengukuhkan bukti kedatangan pedagang Arab ke Brunei dan sekitar Borneo untuk menyebarkan dakwah Islam.

Kegiatan membina masjid untuk dijadikan pusat kegiatan keagamaan dan penyebaran Islam sentiasa dititikberatkan oleh pemerintah Brunei. Terbaru adalah pembinaan Masjid Jamek Asri Hassanil Bolkiah yang kini menjadi mercu tanda dan keagungan dakwah Islam di Brunei.

Ianya telah dirasmikan pada 14 Julai 1994 dan mampu menampung lebih 3,000 jemaah pada satu masa. Masjid Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin yang terletak berhampiran Perkampungan Ayer di Sungai Kedayan, Brunei mula dibina pada 4 Februari 1954 atas hasrat dan cita-cita Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien.

Empat tahun kemudian iaitu pada tahun 1958, pembinaannya siap sepenuhnya. Dakwah Islam yang bertapak kukuh di Brunei turut mempengaruhi wilayah lain termasuk ke Sabah, Sarawak dan Kalimantan. Brunei Darussalam, negara yang mengamalkan sistem pemerintahan beraja banyak menyumbang kepada penyebaran dan pengukuhan Islam di wilayah Borneo, Indonesia.

Islam bererti penyerahan diri. Penyerahan diri di sini bukan bermakna pasrah atau putus asa, tetapi penyerahan ini bererti mengembalikan fitrah diri ini kepada pengaturan penciptanya. Sebagaimana kita pasrah dalam masalah ajal dan tuah begitu jugalah kita perlu berserah dalam pengaturan cara hidup yang sebenar.

Allah mengaturkan seluruh kehidupan kita secara fizikal merupakan kepercayaan semua manusia. Semua manusia tahu bahawa mati itu ketetapan Tuhan. Sama ada mereka itu muslim atau bukan. Mereka juga akur bahawa pembinaan sel dalam rahim adalah aturan Tuhan secara fitrah. Manusia sekali lagi akur dengan fitrah bayi yang belajar menjadi manusia sedikit demi sedikit. Tetapi apabila sudah sampai tahap manusia memilih di sini ada yang memilih selain fitrah. Ada yang memilih selain penyusunan Tuhan.

Inilah yang dikatakan semua manusia itu diberi hak memilih. Kemudian mereka akan dibicarakan atas pilihan mereka. Islam merupakan satu system hidup yang paling sempurna. Allah menurunkan kitab Al Quran dalam tempoh 23 tahun kepada seorang nabi yang hidup dalam segenap lapangan masyarakat, bergerak dalam banyak suasana, bekerja dalam pelbagai bidang dan menjadi pemimpin kepada bermacam macam bangsa. Al Quran menceritakan semua kisah kisah penting umat dahulu sebagai panduan hidup. Al Quran kalau dirumuskan dapat kita fahami kesemua perbahasan Al Quran ada dalam satu Bab yang digelar Surah. Surah Al Fatihah mengandungi 7 ayat yang menyingkap isi Al Quran iaitu kita mesti melalui hidup dengan mengenali Tuhan. Islam adalah agama yang menukar peribadi manusia dengan hanya perakuan lisan tanpa sebarang upacara. Sekadar menyatakan “Tiada Tuhan selain Allah dan Muhammad itu pesuruh Allah.”

Maka dia sudah menjadi Muslim. Dalam ayat kedua Al Fatihah Allah menceritakan tanggungjawab hambaNya adalah memuji Allah dan menyatakan Allah lah yang mencipta dan mentadbir alam ini dan bersifat pemurah lagi pengasih bahkan merupakan Raja di hari pembalasan merupakan alasan Allah mesti dipuja. Selepas perintah memuja Allah, Allah menyatakan tugas lanjut iaitu menyembah hanyasanya Allah serta meminta bantuan hanya dari Allah. Kita diberitahu supaya memohon pedoman untuk mengikuti jalan yang benar. Dan Al quran menceritakan kisah kisah silam bagi manusia menilai mana jalan yang benar dari kisah kisah orang yang baik. Kisah sempadan juga disertakan bagi manusia menghindarinya.

Jadi Al Quran merupakan perlembagaan hidup. Kalau dalam persatuan kita akan disembahkan 2 buku panduan. Satu undang2 tubuh satu lagi panduan kerja. Jadi Al Quran inilah undang-undang tubuh kemanusiaan kemudian panduan kerja itu adalah Rasul atau Nabi utusan Tuhan yang mempamerkan bagaimana kehidupan seorang Muslim.

Menjadi Muslim cukup dengan ungkapan 2 kalimah syahadah. Tetapi untuk menghindar seksaan neraka perlu kepada perlaksanaan perintah Allah dan meninggal laranganNya. Oleh yang demikian Nabi menceritakan beberapa perkara mesti dibuat bagi menghindar neraka iaitu solat, puasa, zakat dan juga haji jika mampu. Seandainya perkara ini dilaksana manusia itu akan terpelihara dari azab selepas mati. Namun manusia ditimbang kanan dan kiri, Islam sebagai cara hidup yang lengkap menyediakan panduan terperinci mengikut kesesuaian manusia lantas Islam juga menjaga manusia dari menzalimi dan menindas manusia lain. Oleh yang demikianlah Islam menyenaraikan kepatuhan kepatuhan ini untuk kebaikan manusia pada dirinya dan pada orang lain. Sebagai cara hidup yang sempurna Islam juga menegah manusia dari beberapa perkara buruk supaya dijauhi, seperti zina, bunuh, curi, umpat, arak, judi dan perkara perkara yang merupakan gejala kepada masyarakat.

Islam bukan sekadar mengatur perkara perkara besar tetapi juga perkara yang disebut hal remeh. Seperti buang air, kebersihan diri, adab-adab amalan harian seperti makan, minum, bercakap dan sebagainya. Semuanya ada panduan yang lengkap menurut pandangan Islam dan bagaimana yang sebenarnya.

Islam itu lebih modern dari masa kini. Islam telah lama menceritakan hal – hal diet dan penjagaan pemakanan. Islam telah lama membicarakan tentang hak manusia seperti masalah hamba, masalah perkauman, masalah buruh, hubungan manusia dengan makhluk lain seperti binatang dan tumbuhan. Semua masalah yang dipandang sebagai perbincangan baru oleh masyarakat barat telah lama Islam bincangkan.

Islam lebih ekonomis dari sistem perbankan. Islam menagajar jimat cermat tetapi menganjur kepada sedekah dan bermurah hati. Islam mewajibkan rasa puas hati dalam soal berjual beli dan sebarang urusniaga tunai atau hutang. Islam mengharamkan riba atau penindasan ekonomi. Islam tidak menyokong sikap suka berhutang. Konsep ekonomi Islam adalah lebih tulin.

Islam lebih adil dari saksama. Ketika mahkamah menghala kepada banyak kesalahan dalam menyabitkan kesalahan, Islam sebenarnya sudah lama menegaskan mensabitkan kesalahan itu perlu kepada tahap yakin iaitu 100peratus bersalah. Kerana pada pandangan Islam hukuman itu bukan untuk menzalimi tetapi untuk menyekat kezaliman. Jadi daripada kemungkinan tersalah menghukum lebih baik tersalah memafkan. Manakala hukuman dalam Islam adalah paling saintifik tetapi saintis enggan mendedahkannya. Islam menghukum pancung sebagai cara hukum bunuh, ini supaya saraf Tunjang putus dahulu sebelum saraf jantung. Ini mengelak dari pancutan darah. Walaupun ianya lebih ngeri dari melihat hukuman pancong.

Islam lebih politis dalam masalah kepimpinan. Islam mencegah sebarang rasa ingin berkuasa tetapi meletakkan beban yang sangat berat di atas bahu pemimpin bukan sebagai kebanggaan. Islam menjelaskan ciri-ciri yang pelbagai untuk seorang pemimpin. Islam tidak menyamakan suara orang yang cerdik pandai dengan suara orang yang dungu. Islam mencegah keras amalan rasuah. Islam system pertama yang membezakan antara hadiah dan rasuah.

Sekiranya ada agama lain seperinci Islam maka yakinlah Islam bukan sahaja perinci tetapi tepat dalam setiap perinciannya. Tiada agama dalam dunia ini yang hanya bertuhankan Allah selain Islam. Ini menunjukkan pembebasan manusia dari penyembahan sesama ciptaan. Islam membebaskan manusia dari belenggu menghambakan diri pada bukan selayaknya kepada perhambaan yang sebenar. Islam adalah yang sebenar dan Islam sahaja yang benar.

RUKUN ISLAM

 
 Rasululloh Shallallahu'alaihi wasallam bersabda : “Islam itu didirikan di atas lima sendi iaitu :
1.Bersaksi bahwa tiada Tuhan yang hak selain Allah dan Muhammad adalah utusan Allah.

2. Mendirikan sembahyang lima waktu (mengerjakannya dengan memenuhi rukun dan kewajibannya serta dengan tenang dan khusyu’).

3.Membayar zakat : (wajib membayar zakat bila seorang muslim memiliki 85 gram emas atau uang yang senilai dengannya, yaitu membayar 2,5 % bila sudah sampai satu tahun. Adapun harta kekayaan selain wang, masing-masing mempunyai ketentuan sendiri).

4. Melakukan haji ke Mekkah (bagi yang mampu pergi ke sana).

5. Puasa pada bulan Ramadhan (mencegah makan, minum dan bercampur suami isteri mulai fajar sampai terbenam matahari, dengan niat).

 RUKUN IMAN

 1.Beriman kepada Allah. Iaitu dengan mempercayai bahwa Allah itu ada dan Maha Esa baik dalam kekuasaaNya maupun dalam hal ibadah kepadaNya, dalam sifat dan hukumNya.

2. Beriman kepada para Malaikat sebagai makhluk yang diciptakan dari nur (cahaya) untuk malaksanakan perintah Allah.

3. Beriman kepada kitab-kitab Allah. Iaitu Taurat, Injil, Zabur, dan Al-Qur’an. Dan yang paling utama adalah Al-Qur’an.

4. Beriman kepada para Rasul Allah. Yang pertama nabi sampai yang terahir nabi Muhammad.

5. Beriman kepada hari akhir, Iaitu hari kiamat sebagai hari pemeriksaan terhadap amal-amal manusia.

6. Beriman kepada takdir Allah. Takdir yang baik maupun yang buruk dengan keharusan melakukan uasaha dan ridha terhadap hasil yang diperolehnya.

Pengertian Sunnah ialah Sunnah Rasulullah s.a.w.,

pengertian Jemaah ialah kumpulan Sahabat dan Tabien yang bersepakat di atas kebenaran yang nyata dari Kitab Allah dan Sunnah Rasulullah s.a.w. Pengertian Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah ialah kumpulan orang Islam yang berpegang kepada al-Quran, al-Sunnah dan pendapat para Sahabat yang bersepakat di atas kebenaran yang nyata dari Kitab Allah dan Sunnah Rasulullah s.a.w.

Mazhab-mazhab Fekah ialah aliran hukum Syarak yang sah didasarkan di atas tafsiran tertentu terhadap nas-nas Syarak oleh ulama Mujtahidin mengikut kaedah Istinbat yang muktabar. Majlis tidak terikat kepada mana-mana satu mazhab tertentu. Di dalam Mazhab mana pun yang jelas dan nyata pendapat mereka itu dari kitab Allah atau Sunnah Rasulnya atau Jemaah Sahabat Rasulullah s.a.w. maka Majlis sedia menerima dan beramal dengannya. Adapun Mazhab-mazhab ssperti Hanafi, Maliki, Syafie dan Hanbali pada pandangan rasmi Majlis adalah terhitung di dalam Mazhab-mazhab yang muktabar yang tergolong di dalam istilah Ahli Sunnah Wal Jemaah. Majlis Agama Islam Perlis memang berpandukan kepada Mazhab itu dan mengambil pendapat-pendapat mereka yang ada alasan daripada Al-Quran, As-Sunnah dan Jemaah Sahabat Rasulullah s.a.w. Pengertian ini berdasarkan kepada Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah

keterangan: DALIL-DALIL DARIPADA AL-QURAN:-

1. Firman Allah S.W.T. dalam Surah at-Taubah ayat 100:

Maksudnya: Dan orang-orang yang terdahulu – yang mula-mula (berhijrah memberi bantuan) dari orang-orang “Muhajirin” dan “Ansar”, dan orang-orang yang menurut (jejak langkah) mereka dengan kebaikan (iman dan taat), Allah redha akan mereka dan mereka pula redha akan Dia, serta ia menyediakan untuk mereka Syurga-syurga yang mengalir di bawahnya beberapa sungai, mereka kekal di dalamnya selama-lamanya; itulah kemenangan yang besar.

2. Firman Allah S.W.T. di dalam Surah al-An’am ayat 153:

Maksudnya: Dan bahawa sesungguhnya inilah jalanku (Agama Islam) yang betul lurus, maka hendaklah kamu menurutnya dan janganlah kamu menurut jalan-jalan (yang lain dari Islam), kerana jalan-jalan (yang lain itu) mencerai beraikah kamu dari jalan Allah. Dengan yang demikian itulah Allah perintahkan kamu, supaya kamu bertakwa.

DALIL-DALIL DARIPADA AL-HADIS

1. Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w:

Ertinya: Dari Sariah ( ) r.a. berkata: Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w.: Aku berwasiat kepada kamu dengan takutkan Allah Taala dan mendengar ajaran dan bertaat akan pemerintah walaupun hamba Habsyi, maka sesungguhnya mereka yang panjang umurnya hidup ia hingga kemudian daripada aku, tentu lihat ia akan bersalah-salahan yang banyak, ketika itu lazimlah kamu berpegang sunah aku dan sunah segala Khalifah-khalifah yang menunjuk mereka itu akan jalan yang sebenar, perpeganglah kamu dengannya dan gigitlah kamu akan dia dengan geraham kamu, maknanya berpegang teguh dan jauhkan kamu dari perkara-perkara yang dibaharukan (yang bukan daripada sunah nabi), maka bahawasanya tiap-tiap yang bukan sunah nabi itu bid’ah dan tiap-tiap bid’ah itu sesat dan tiap-tiap sesaat itu di dalam neraka. (Riwayat Abu Daud dan At-Tirmizi)

2. Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w:
Ertinya: Dari Ibnu Mas’ud r.a. Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w.: Sebaik-baik manusia ialah kurunku (Zaman Nabi) kemudian zaman mereka yang datang sesudahnya (zaman Sahabat) kemudian zaman mereka yang sesudahnya (zaman Tabien) dan sesudah itu datanglah zaman orang yang suka memperlambangkan kebohongan dan janganlah kamu bergantung kepada perkataan dan perbuatan mereka. (Hadis Riwayat at-Tabrani)

 Amalan berugama di Brunei dilangsungkan dalam bentuk “kesederhanaan”menurut aliran yang telah ditentukan iaitu berpegang kepada “Aqidah Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jema’ah” dari segi Tauhid dan menurut “Mazhab Syafi’e” dari segi Fiqh, dengan cara itu ugama Islam telah memberi sumbangan yang besar dan membawa keamanan dankesejahteraan kepada Brunei Darussalam di bawah pimpinan Raja-Raja Brunei yang ditaati oleh rakyatnya. Berpegang kepada aliran aqidah dan mazhab tersebut, serta kesederhanaan dalam amalan berugama telah memperkukuhkan Islam di Brunei dan menguatkan lagi iman kaum muslimin di Brunei serta syiar Islam semakin bersinar di Brunei. Dengan cara itu ummat Islam di Brunei, tidak terbawa-bawa dan tidak diracuni oleh cara dan corak pemikiran, amalan, dan tindakan yang boleh memecah-belahkan dan menjejaskan kehidupan berugama dan kestabilan serta kemantapan masyarakat yang sentiasa hidup dalam keadaan harmoni dan cemerlang, kerana amalan berugama di Brunei telah dipimpin dan diwarisi sejak turun temurun berlandaskan aliran Aqidah Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jema’ah dan Mazhab Syafi’e.

Semua ini adalah berkat pimpinan yang bijaksana dari Sultan-Sultan Brunei sejak

zaman-berzaman, hinggalah ke hari ini di bawah pimpinan Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan, Negara Brunei Darusalam yang ke 29.