Learning Points

I love my usrah. It's sort of like giving me positive energy and a medium of very interesting conversation (I like to discuss about many things and I love having good talkers discussing with me).

I know that I want to know more the significance of every act in Hajj.
We also talked about being a wholesome Muslim, a task that I am still struggling to do. Islam is syamil = holistic, kamil = perfect, mutakkamil = completing. Islam is a way of life.

There are 5 pillars of Islam 
1. syahadah : it's professing that Allah is the sole God and Muhammad is his messenger. They are not merely words as some may think. The verification comes with fringes and the principle is to practise what you profess. There's reason why the non believers from Muhammad time were against saying this syahadah. They know what it means
2. prayer
3. zakat or alms-giving
4. Fasting
5. Hajj

So Islam is built on 5 pillars, which means doing all those 5 still doesn't make you a wholesome Muslim. Pillars = base. For me Islam is syamil in a way that it gives guidance in every aspect of life, and death and it's relevant in space and time. There are tips on communication, economy, personality and everything that you need. And what you have to do is to follow those. 

Kamil. Some people come to me and said that Muslim women are oppressed. It's true that Arabs women covered every part of their body and still there are rape and sexual harassment going around. First you have to know, being an Arab doesn't make you a Muslim (not all Arabs are Muslims) and being a Muslim doesn't make you an Arab. Second, Islam clearly asks the women to cover up for their own good. One of my lecturer said, it's in every man that they want to spread their seed and another man said that male are made to be attracted to cleavages and curves. So I don't see any irrelevance in covering up. And let's not stop at that. Allah also clearly said that MEN and women alike shall lower their gaze. And it's suggested if there's the need, to get married and if ones is unable to get married, that he should fast to tone down his lust. If all abide to these, rape and sexual harassment will be unlikely. The women cover up but do the men lower their gaze?You have to get through this. It's not a question whether the teaching is right or nor. It's a question whether the teaching is practised or not.

Here's the fact. Excerpt from surah an-Nur. 
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do. (30) 
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed. (31)

Do you see the pattern in the verses?If you see it and understand the whole things, you can see that there's no loop in Islam's teaching of protecting chastisity and that what are asked actually complete each other.
The perfect/kamil part
1. Allah calls men first. We all know men are more attracted to women than women are attracted to men. So it's of utmost importance that the men lower their gaze.
2. and then Allah calls women. First to lower their gaze. I think women metaphorically is like the diamond. Showing it too much will attract too many and risks it being stolen. Only its owner has the full right to it.

Mutakkamil, the completing part.
Verse 30 and verse 31 complete each other. The goal will be rached only when both men and women obey those. In fact all the teachings in Islam are completing each other. For example you must promote good deed AND prevent wrongdoings. It's and, not or.

 I myself is lacking because I know there are some part that I am to do. It's only when you really make Islam your deen, your way of life and when you are a wholesome Muslim that you will see and experience the mutakkamil part.