Green Product Pricing

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GREEN MARKETING

Prisoner's Dilema

Game Theory- Prisoner's Dilema

How to Calculate Price Elasticity Demand

The Impact Price Ceiling and Floor on Consumers and Suppliers

Price Ceiling and Shortage

Price Floor and surplus

MULTIPLE REGRESSION

DEMAND AND SUPPLY ESTIMATION

Demand and Supply Estimation


Imagine that you work for the maker of a leading brand of low-calorie, frozen microwavable food that estimates the following demand equation for their product using data from 26 supermarkets around the country for the month of April.

Option 1:


Note: The following is a regression equation. Standard errors are in parenthesis for the demand of widgets.

QD= - 5200 - 42P + 20Px + 5.2I + 0.20A + 0.25M

(2.002) (17.5) (6.2) (2.5) (0.09) (0.21)

R2= 0.55, N = 26 F= 4.88

Your supervisor has asked you to compute the elasticity for each independent variable. Assume the following values for the independent variables:



Q D = Quantity demanded

P (in cents) per case = Price of the product = 500 cents

PX (in cents) = Price of leading competitor’s product = 600 cents

I (in dollars) = Per capita income of the standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) where the supermarkets are located = 5500

A (in dollars) = Monthly advertising expenditures = $10,000



1. Compute the elasticity for each independent variable. Note: Write down all of your calculations.

When P= 500, C=600, I=5,500, A=10,000, and M=5000, using the regression equation,

QD= - 5200 – 42(500) + 20(600) + 5.2(5500) + 0.20(10000) + 0.25(5000)= 17,650

Price Elasticity = (P/Q) (∆Q/∆P)

From the regression equation, ∆Q/∆P = -42.

So, Price Elasticity (Ep) = (P/Q) (-42) (500/17650) = -1.19, Likewise,

Ec = 20(600/17560) = 0.68



EA= (P/Q) (0.20) (10000/17650) = 0.11

EI = (P/Q) (5.2) (5500/17650) = 1.62

EM = (P/Q) (0.25) (5000/17650) = 0.07



2. Determine the implications for each of the computed elasticity for the business in terms of short-term and long-term pricing strategies. Provide a rationale in which you cite your results.



Price Elasticity is – 1.19. That is a 1% increase in price of the product will make quantity demanded to drop by 1.19%. Thus, the demand for this product is somewhat elastic. Consequently, increase in income may drive consumers away.



Cross- price elasticity is 0.68 that is if the price of the competitor’s product goes up by 1%, then quantity demanded of this product with increase by 0.68%. This product is fairly inelastic to a competitor’s price and there exists no need to be concerned about the competitor since their pricing won’t affect sales.



Income-elasticity is 1.62. This indicates that a 1% rise in the average area income will boost the quantity demanded by 1.62%. In this aspect, the product is elastic and the company can make the decision to raise the price if the average income rises.



Advertisement-elasticity is 0.11, which means that A 1% increase in advertising expense will raise the quantity demanded by 0.11%. Therefore, demand is rather inelastic to advertising. For that reason, more advertisement doesn’t automatically means a company can raise the price because that still could drive consumers away.



With respect to microwave ovens in the area, elasticity is 0.07, which shows an elevation of 1% in the number of ovens in the area increasing the quantity demanded by a mere 0.07%. Therefore, in this aspect, demand is inelastic and the pricing strategy can simply skip this element.



3. Recommend whether you believe that this firm should or should not cut its price to increase its market share. Provide support for your recommendation.



Since the price elasticity is greater than one in absolute value, a decrease in price will lead to an even greater increase in quantity demanded (in % terms), leading to an increase in market shares. Yes, cutting the price will lead to an increase in the company share as the PED is bigger than (1.19).



4. Assume that all the factors affecting demand in this model remain the same, but that the price has changed. Further assume that the price changes are 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 cents.

i) Plot the demand curve for the firm.

ii) Plot the corresponding supply curve on the same graph using the supply function Q = 5200 + 45P (Q= -7909.89+79.0989P) with the same prices.

iii) Determine the equilibrium price and quantity

iv) Outline the significant factors that could cause changes in supply and demand for the product. Determine the primary manner in which both the short-term and the long-term changes in market conditions could impact the demand for, and the supply, of the product.





Solutions:

With all others factors remaining constants, the demand equation is as follows:

Q = -5200 - 42(P) + 20(600) +5.2(5500) +0.2(10,000) +0.25(5000)

Q = 38,650 – 42P

P = 38,650/42-Q/42

Q = 5200 =45P

P = - 5200/45 + Q/45

Thus, solving the demand and supply curves concurrently,

38,650 - 42P = 5200 + 45P

87P = 33,450

P = 384.48 AND

Q = 5200 + 45(384.48)

Q = 22,501.6



Therefore, the equilibrium price is 384 cents and the equilibrium quantity is 22,501 units. Additionally, the equilibrium price and the quantity can be seen on the graph indicated at the point where the supply and demand meet or intercept.

As is pointed out in the demand equation, demand of the low-calorie food can change if there is a change in consumer income, the pricing of a competitor product, and the price of correlating goods (microwave ovens). This change can also happen as the result of change in consumer preference (e.g. consciousness towards low-calorie food). Supply of the product can change if there is a change in the number of product suppliers, production technological advances in additional to the other elements like labor and raw materials availability change, which directly affect production costs.



5. Indicate the crucial factors that could cause rightward shifts and leftward shifts of the demand and supply curves.



An increase in consumer income, a price cut in the price of complementary product (e.g. microwave ovens) could cause a right ward shift of demand curve for the product; as well

as a population increase or increased preference for the product (e.g. awareness towards low-calorie food). A decrease in consumer income or a recession (like the U.S have been experiencing) can cause a left ward shift of the demand curve; additionally, an increase in a price of a complementary product (microwave ovens etc) could cause a leftward shift of the demand curve.



Technology advances in food processing, increased availability of cheap labor and raw materials, increased tax-cuts and government subsidies (among other things) can cause a right-ward shift of supply curve. A leftward shift can be caused by a decrease in availability or an increase in price of labor and raw materials, increased taxes, etc.

FACTORS AFFECTING DEMAND

Factors Affecting Demand



Even though the focus in economics is on the relationship between the price of a product and how much consumers are willing and able to buy, it is important to examine all of the factors that affect the demand for a good or service.

These factors include:

Price of the Product

There is an inverse (negative) relationship between the price of a product and the amount of that product consumers are willing and able to buy. Consumers want to buy more of a product at a low price and less of a product at a high price. This inverse relationship between price and the amount consumers are willing and able to buy is often referred to as The Law of Demand.


The Consumer's Income

The effect that income has on the amount of a product that consumers are willing and able to buy depends on the type of good we're talking about. For most goods, there is a positive (direct) relationship between a consumer's income and the amount of the good that one is willing and able to buy. In other words, for these goods when income rises the demand for the product will increase; when income falls, the demand for the product will decrease. We call these types of goods normal goods.

However, for some goods the effect of a change in income is the reverse. For example, think about a low-quality (high fat-content) ground beef. You might buy this while you are a student, because it is inexpensive relative to other types of meat. But if your income increases enough, you might decide to stop buying this type of meat and instead buy leaner cuts of ground beef, or even give up ground beef entirely in favor of beef tenderloin. If this were the case (that as your income went up, you were willing to buy less high-fat ground beef), there would be an inverse relationship between your income and your demand for this type of meat. We call this type of good an inferior good. There are two important things to keep in mind about inferior goods. They are not necessarily low-quality goods. The term inferior (as we use it in economics) just means that there is an inverse relationship between one's income and the demand for that good. Also, whether a good is normal or inferior may be different from person to person. A product may be a normal good for you, but an inferior good for another person.

The Price of Related Goods

As with income, the effect that this has on the amount that one is willing and able to buy depends on the type of good we're talking about. Think about two goods that are typically consumed together. For example, bagels and cream cheese. We call these types of goods compliments. If the price of a bagel goes up, the Law of Demand tells us that we will be willing/able to buy fewer bagels. But if we want fewer bagels, we will also want to use less cream cheese (since we typically use them together). Therefore, an increase in the price of bagels means we want to purchase less cream cheese. We can summarize this by saying that when two goods are complements, there is an inverse relationship between the price of one good and the demand for the other good.

On the other hand, some goods are considered to be substitutes for one another: you don't consume both of them together, but instead choose to consume one or the other. For example, for some people Coke and Pepsi are substitutes (as with inferior goods, what is a substitute good for one person may not be a substitute for another person). If the price of Coke increases, this may make Pepsi relatively more attractive. The Law of Demand tells us that fewer people will buy Coke; some of these people may decide to switch to Pepsi instead, therefore increasing the amount of Pepsi that people are willing and able to buy. We summarize this by saying that when two goods are substitutes, there is a positive relationship between the price of one good and the demand for the other good.

The Tastes and Preferences of Consumers

This is a less tangible item that still can have a big impact on demand. There are all kinds of things that can change one's tastes or preferences that cause people to want to buy more or less of a product. For example, if a celebrity endorses a new product, this may increase the demand for a product. On the other hand, if a new health study comes out saying something is bad for your health, this may decrease the demand for the product. Another example is that a person may have a higher demand for an umbrella on a rainy day than on a sunny day.

The Consumer's Expectations

It doesn't just matter what is currently going on - one's expectations for the future can also affect how much of a product one is willing and able to buy. For example, if you hear that Apple will soon introduce a new iPod that has more memory and longer battery life, you (and other consumers) may decide to wait to buy an iPod until the new product comes out. When people decide to wait, they are decreasing the current demand for iPods because of what they expect to happen in the future. Similarly, if you expect the price of gasoline to go up tomorrow, you may fill up your car with gas now. So your demand for gas today increased because of what you expect to happen tomorrow. This is similar to what happened after Huricane Katrina hit in the fall of 2005. Rumors started that gas stations would run out of gas. As a result, many consumers decided to fill up their cars (and gas cans), leading to long lines and a big increase in the demand for gas. This was all based on the expectation of what would happen.

The Number of Consumers in the Market

As more or fewer consumers enter the market this has a direct effect on the amount of a product that consumers (in general) are willing and able to buy. For example, a pizza shop located near a University will have more demand and thus higher sales during the fall and spring semesters. In the summers, when less students are taking classes, the demand for their product will decrease because the number of consumers in the area has significantly decreased.

Factors Affecting Demand

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Factors affecting supply

•Prices of other factors of production.
An increase in the price of, say, hops, will increase the costs of a brewing firm and so for any given price the firm will not be able to brew as much beer. Hence, the firm's supply curve will shift to the left. The same would be true for changes in wage costs or fuel costs.
•Technology.
The supply curve drawn above assumes a 'constant' state of technology. But as we know, there can be improvements in technology that tend to reduce firms' unit costs. These reduced costs mean that more can be produced at a given price, so the supply curve would shift to the right.
•Indirect taxes and subsidies.
When the chancellor announces an increase in petrol tax (again!), it is the firm who actually pays the tax. Granted, we end up paying the tax indirectly when the price of petrol goes up, but the actual tax bill goes to the firm. This again, therefore, represents an increase in the cost to the firm and the supply curve will shift to the left. The opposite is true for subsidies as they are handouts by the government to firms. Now the firm can make more units of output at any given price, so the supply curve shifts to the right.
•Labour productivity.
This is defined as the output per worker (or per man-hour). If labour productivity rises, then output per worker rises. If you assume that the workers have not been given a pay rise then the firm's unit costs must have fallen. Again, this will lead to a shift to the right of the supply curve.
•Price expectations.
Just as consumers delay purchases if they think the price will fall in the future, firms will delay supply in they think prices will rise in the future. It's the same point but the other way round.
•Entry and exit of firms to and from an industry.
If new entrants are attracted into an industry, perhaps because of high profit levels (much more on this in the topic 'Market structure'), then the supply in that industry will rise at all price levels and the supply curve will shift to the right. If firms leave the industry then the supply curve will shift to the left.

Completing the Square

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Factors Affecting Economics

The economy is a central domestic policy for all governments, regardless of political views. Ensuring the economy is growing, keeping unemployment down and inflation at a manageable level can easily make the difference between political rejection and re-election. There are numerous factors that affect economics and are closely monitored by governments, banks and businesses to guide them.

Inflation
Inflation is the average amount by which products go up in price. It is measured by the retail price index (RPI) and the consumer price index (CPI). Both consider the average basket of goods, which includes food, clothing and utility bills, but the RPI also factors in mortgage repayments. A certain level of inflation is to be expected and is, in fact, desirable, but long-term, high inflation is a major economic worry as wages will not rise at the same level, meaning average income in real terms goes down.

Growth
Economic growth is the most closely followed economic measurement as it is a clear indication of how well an economy is performing overall. This is measured by the gross domestic product (GDP) and is a calculation of how much money there is in the economy overall. Prolonged negative growth leads to recession, unemployment and other problems; however, it is also important that economic growth rises gradually. This is because, if an economy expands too fast, the country's infrastructure will not be able to cope.

Unemployment
Keeping people employed is vital for governments for several reasons. The unemployed can claim benefits that cost the government money and also have less cash to put into the economy. Rising unemployment also leads to a fall in consumer confidence as people start to worry about job security. This can lead to an unexpected increase in saving which can lead to rising inflation as businesses try to compensate for loss of earnings.

Business Confidence
Governments do not create jobs; businesses do. The most important job for any government in this area is to create the most attractive conditions possible for businesses to invest. This will reduce the unemployment rate, pump money into the economy and increase tax revenue through income and corporate taxes.

Consumer Confidence
Making sure people are willing to spend money is also very important as this is the life line for the majority of businesses. Consumer confidence is an issue that is unquantifiable and, as such, unpredictable. It can be affected by job security, faith in the government and even the weather. There is no tool that can be used to improve consumer confidence on its own, but it must be monitored closely to try and predict future trends.

Interest Rates
Interest rates are the only tool available to try and move an economy. This is set by a central bank in most developed countries and is the rate by which money is paid back on a loan or gained through savings. To encourage people and businesses to spend, interest rates are kept down in an attempt to grow the economy. High interest rates are designed to encourage people to spend to stop the economy from getting out of hand.

Case Study 19: Austin’s Energy’s Billing System Can’t Light Up

Case Study 18: - Honam Petrochemical’s Quest for better Management Reports

Case Study 17: - What does IT take to go mobile?

Case Study 16: - Knowledge Management and Collaboration at Tata Consulting Services

Case Study 15: - Albassmi’s Job is Not Feasible Without IT

Case Study 14: - Designing Drug Virtually

Two distinct approaches are possible in the area of computer-aided drug design. If the molecular structure of the target macro-molecule is known the methods are obvious and direct and have achieved a high level of sophistication. That area may be extended by using computational techniques to predict protein structure as illustrated here by the interleukin receptor.When the only lead is a set of known active compounds or knowledge of a biochemical transformation which is to be interrupted, then the path is less direct. Currently favoured tactics include the use of molecular similarity methods and the
employment of neural networks. Recent advances include the prediction of the relative potency of different chiral forms of drugs.

Case Study 13: - Groupon’s Business Model: Social and Local

Case Study 11: Customer Relationship Management Heads to The Cloud

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ASTRONOMY FACTS

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Case Study 12: Submit Electric Light Up with a New ERP system

HEVEA COLLECTION

The flowers are made from hevea leaves. It is being arranged by RISDA smallholders for their livings. Hevea leaf is one of sources of income especially for
rural people. The craft is suitable for wedding collections.

Case Study 10: Apple, Google, and Microsoft Battle for your Internet Experience

Prezi Reference

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Advantages & Disadvantages of Holding Companies

A holding company is a firm that owns bonds or stocks in other companies. A holding company usually has controlling shares, which is a minimum of 51 percent of that company's stock. This gives the firm control of the management and direction of the company. This is usually decided by an elected board of directors. Holding companies have significant advantages and disadvantages depending on the goals and structure of your company.
• Advantage:
a. Reduced Risk
• A holding company's main purpose is to own shares in a company, not to make business decisions. This is an advantage because you can have control of a business with only a fraction of the company shares. This can be as low as 10 percent of the stock. This provides an opportunity to earn money from a large business with less risk than sole ownership because the risk is spread among the shareholders in the holding company.

b.Isolated Risk
• There are usually several companies in a holding firm and they are separated legally from one being liable to another. For example, in the event that one of the companies in a holding firm has significant losses in revenue or has a lawsuit brought against it, another firm in the holding company and its assets are protected because it is a separate entity within the holding firm. However, holding companies have controlling shares and can make an executive decision to save the company if it's in the best interest of the firm. This is often decided by the board of directors.

Disadvantage:
a. Partial Multiple Taxation
• If a holding company owns less than 80 percent of the stock in a company, it will have to pay partial multiple taxations on dividends. A company and its holding firm are not recognized as a single entity by the tax agencies. Therefore, taxes must be paid before dividends are made to the stockholders. This is due to all the cost and revenue not being aggregated as a single company and is therefore taxed as separate entities.

b. Forced Divestment
• If an antitrust case is brought against your company; the holding company can easily separate itself by selling its controlling shares in your company therefore giving up ownership. In this case, a divestment is usually requested by the government to make businesses compete fairly. However, if a company doesn't fit in the firm's core business or the holding firm wants to liquidate its assets, your company can still be forced into divestment even if it is performing well.

Ketenangan Hati

Ketenangan itu dicapai melalui zikrullah. Namun zikrullah yang bagaimana dapat memberi kesan dan impak kepada hati? Ramai yang berzikir tetapi tidak tenang.Ada orang berkata, "ketika saya dihimpit hutang, jatuh sakit, dicerca dan difitnah, saya pun berzikir. Saya ucapkan subhanallah, alhamdulillah, Allah hu Akbar beratus-ratus malah beribu-ribu kali tetapi mengapa hati tidak tenang juga?"Zikrullah hakikatnya bukan sekadar menyebut atau menuturkan kalimah. Ada bezanya antara berzikir dengan "membaca" kalimah zikir. Zikir yang berkesan melibatkan tiga dimensi – dimensi lidah (qauli), hati (qalbi) dan perlakuan (fikli).

Mari kita lihat lebih dekat bagaimana ketiga-tiga dimensi zikir ini diaplikasikan. Katalah lidah kita mengucapkan subhanallah – ertinya Maha Suci Allah. Itu zikir qauli.Namun, pada masa yang sama hati hendaklah merasakan Allah itu Maha Suci pada zat, sifat dan af'al (perbuatannya). Segala ilmu yang kita miliki tentang kesucian Allah hendaklah dirasai bukan hanya diketahui. Allah itu misalnya, suci daripada sifat-sifat kotor seperti dendam, khianat, prasangka dan sebagainya.Dimensi Kata, Rasa Dan Tindakan.Jika seorang hamba yang berdosa bertaubat kepada-Nya, Allah bukan sahaja mengampunkannya, malah menghapuskan catatan dosa itu, bahkan menyayangi dan memberi "hadiah" kepadanya. Firman Allah:
"Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Bertaubatlah kepada Allah dengan taubat yang semurni-murninya, mudah-mudahan Allah akan menghapuskan kesalahan-kesalahan kamu dan memasukkan kamu ke dalam syurga-syurga yang mengalir di bawahnya sungai-sungai..." (Surah At Tahrim: 8)
Firman Allah lagi:
"... Sungguh, Allah menyukai orang yang taubat dan menyukai orang yang menyucikan diri." (Surah Al-Baqarah: 222)

Sifat ini berbeza sekali dengan kita manusia yang kekadang begitu sukar memaafkan kesalahan orang lain. Dan segelintir yang mampu memaafkan pula begitu sukar melupakan – forgive yes, forget not! Hendak memberi hadiah kepada orang yang bersalah mencaci, memfitnah dan menghina kita? Ah, jauh panggang daripada api! Begitulah kotornya hati kita yang sentiasa diselubungi dendam, prasangka dan sukar memaafkan. Tidak seperti Allah yang begitu suci, lunak dan pemaaf. Jadi, apabila kita bertasbih, rasa-rasa inilah yang harus diresapkan ke dalam hati. Ini zikir qalbi namanya.Tidak cukup di tahap itu,zikrullah perlu dipertingkatkan lagi ke dimensi ketiga. Hendaklah orang yang bertasbih itu memastikan perlakuannya benar-benar menyucikan Allah. Ertinya, dia melakukan perkara yang selaras dengan suruhan Allah yang Maha Suci dan meninggalkan apa yang dilarang-Nya. Yang halal, wajib, harus dan sunat dibuat. Manakala yang haram dan makruh ditinggalkannya. Zina, mengumpat, mencuri, memfitnah dan lain-lain dosa yang keji dan kotor dijauhi. Bila ini dapat dilakukan kita telah tiba di dimensi ketiga zikrullah – zikir fikli!

Sekiranya ketiga-tiga dimensi zikrullah itu dapat dilakukan, maka kesannya sangat mendalam kepada hati. Sekurang-kurang hati akan dapat merasakan empat perkara:
Rasa kehambaan. Rasa bertuhan. Memahami maksud takdir. Mendapat hikmah di sebalik ujian.
Hati adalah sumber dari segala-galanya dalam hidup kita, agar kehidupan kita baik dan benar, maka kita perlu menjaga kebersihan hati kita. Jangan sampai hati kita kotori dengan hal-hal yang dapat merosak kehidupan kita apalagi sampai merosak kebahagiaan hidup kita di dunia ini dan di akhirat nanti.
Untuk menjaga kebersihan hati maka kita juga perlu untuk menjaga penglihatan, pendengaran, fikiran, ucapan kita dari hal-hal yang dilarang oleh Allah SWT. Dengan menjaga hal-hal tersebut kita dapat menjaga kebersihan hati kita. Dengan hati yang bersih kita gapai kebahagiaan dunia dan akhirat.

Rasa Kehambaan
Rasa kehambaan ialah rasa yang perlu ada di dalam hati seorang hamba Allah terhadap Tuhan-Nya. Antara rasa itu ialah rasa miskin, jahil, lemah, bersalah, hina dan lain-lain lagi. Bila diuji dengan kesakitan, kemiskinan, cercaan misalnya, seorang yang memiliki rasa kehambaan nampak segala-galanya itu datang daripada Allah. Firman Allah:
"Katakanlah (Muhammad), tidak akan menimpa kami melainkan apa yang telah ditetapkan Allah bagi kami. Dialah pelindung kami, dan hanya kepada Allah bertawakal orang-orang yang beriman." (Surah At Taubah: 51)

Seorang hamba akan pasrah dan merasakan bahawa dia wajar diuji. Bukankah dia seorang hamba? Dia akur dengan apa yang berlaku dan tidak mempersoalkan mengapa aku yang diuji? Kenapa aku, bukan orang lain? Ini samalah dengan mempersoalkan Allah yang mendatangkan ujian itu. Menerima hakikat bahawa kita layak diuji akan menyebabkan hati menjadi tenang. Jika kita "memberontak" hati akan bertambah kacau.
Imam Ghazali pernah menyatakan bahawa cukuplah seseorang hamba dikatakan sudah "memberontak" kepada Tuhannya apabila dia menukar kebiasaan-kebiasaan dalam hidupnya apabila diuji Allah dengan sesuatu yang tidak disukainya.Misalnya, dia tidak lalu mahu makan-minum secara teratur, tidak mandi, tidak menyisir rambut, tidak berpakaian kemas, tidak mengemaskan misai dan janggut dan lain-lain yang menjadi selalunya menjadi rutin hidupnya.Ungkapan mandi tak basah, tidur tak lena, makan tak kenyang adalah satu "demonstrasi" seorang yang sudah tercabut rasa kehambaannya apabila diuji.Bila ditimpa ujian kita diajar untuk mengucapkan kalimah istirja' – innalillah wa inna ilaihi rajiun. Firman Allah:
"...Iaitu orang-orang yang apabila ditimpa musibah, mereka berkata sesungguhnya kami milik Allah dan kepada-nyalah kami kembali." (Surah Al-Baqarah: 156)
Mengapa kita diperintahkan mengucapkan istirja'?

Kalimah ini sebenarnya mengingatkan kita agar kembali merasakan rasa kehambaan. Bahawa kita adalah hamba milik Allah dan kepada-Nya kita akan dikembalikan. Kita layak, patut dan mesti diuji kerana kita hamba, bukan tuan apalagi Tuhan dalam hidup ini.

Rasa Bertuhan
Rasa kehambaan yang serba lemah, miskin, kurang dan jahil itu mesti diimbangi oleh rasa bertuhan. Bila kita rasa lemah timbul pergantungan kepada yang Maha kuat. Bila kita rasa kurang timbul pengharapan kepada yang Maha sempurna. Bila miskin, timbul rasa hendak meminta kepada yang Maha kaya. Rasa pengharapan, pengaduan dan permintaan hasil menghayati sifat-sifat Allah yang Maha sempurna itulah yang dikatakan rasa bertuhan.Jika rasa kehambaan menyebabkan kita takut, hina, lemah sebaliknya rasa bertuhan akan menimbulkan rasa berani, mulia dan kuat. Seorang hamba yang paling kuat di kalangan manusia ialah dia yang merasa lemah di sisi Allah.Ketika itu ujian walau bagaimana berat sekalipun akan mampu dihadapi kerana merasakan Allah akan membantunya. Inilah rasa yang dialami oleh Rasulullah SAW yang menenteramkan kebimbangan Sayidina Abu Bakar ketika bersembunyi di gua Thaur dengan katanya, "la tahzan innallaha maana – jangan takut, sesungguhnya Allah bersama kita!"

Rasa bertuhan inilah yang menyebabkan para nabi dan Rasul, mujaddid dan mujtahid, para mujahid dan murabbi sanggup berdepan kekuatan majoriti masyarakat yang menentang mereka mahupun kezaliman pemerintah yang mempunyai kuasa.Tidak ada istilah kecewa dan putus asa dalam kamus hidup mereka. Doa adalah senjata mereka manakala solat dan sabar menjadi wasilah mendapat pertolongan Allah.Firman Allah:
"Dan pohonlah pertolongan dengan sabar dan solat." (Surah Al-Baqarah)

Dalam apa jua keadaan, positif mahupun negatif, miskin ataupun kaya, berkuasa ataupun rakyat biasa, tidak dikenali ataupun popular, hati mereka tetap tenang. Firman Allah:
"Dialah Tuhan yang menurunkan ketenangan ke dalam hati orang yang beriman, supaya keimanan mereka makin bertambah daripada keimanan yang telah ada. Kepunyaan Allah tentang langit dan bumi, dan Allah itu Maha Tahu dan Bijaksana." (Surah Al-Fath: 4)
Bila hati tenang berlakulah keadaan yang dijelaskan oleh Rasulullah SAW melalui sabdanya:
Maksudnya: "Amat menarik hati keadaan orang beriman, semua pekerjaannya baik belaka, dan itu ada hanya pada orang beriman: Jika memperoleh kesenangan, dia bersyukur. Dan itu memberikannya kebaikan (pahala). Jika ditimpa bahaya (kesusahan), dia sabar dan itu juga memberikannya kebaikan." – Al Hadis
Memahami Maksud Takdir Allah. Mana mungkin kita mengelakkan daripada diuji kerana itu adalah takdir Allah SWT. Yang mampu kita buat hanyalah meningkatkan tahap kebergantungan kita kepada Allah di samping berusaha sedaya upaya menyelesaikan masalah itu. Ungkapan yang terkenal: We can't direct the wind but we can adjust our sail – kita tidak mampu mengawal arah tiupan angin, kita hanya mampu mengawal kemudi pelayaran kita.Kemudi dalam pelayaran kehidupan kita adalah hati. Hati yang bersifat bolak-balik (terutamanya bila diuji) hanya akan tenang bila kita beriman kepada Allah – yakin kepada kasih-sayang, keampunan dan sifat pemurah-Nya. Dalam apa jua takdir yang ditimpakan-Nya ke atas kita adalah bermaksud baik sekalipun kelihatan negatif. Baik dan buruk hanya pada pandangan kita yang terbatas, namun pada pandangan-Nya yang Maha luas, semua yang ditakdirkan ke atas hamba-Nya pasti bermaksud baik.Tidak salah untuk kita menyelesaikan masalah yang menimpa (bahkan kita dituntut untuk berbuat demikian), namun jika masalah itu tidak juga dapat diselesaikan, bersangka baik kepada Allah berdasarkan firman-Nya:
"Ada perkara yang kamu tidak suka tetapi ia baik bagi kamu dan ada perkara yang kamu suka tetapi ia buruk bagi kamu, Dan sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui dan kamu tidak mengetahuinya." (Surah Al-Baqarah : 216)

Seorang ahli hikmah, Ibn Atoillah menjelaskan hakikat ini menerusi katanya, "barang siapa yang menyangka sifat kasih sayang Allah terpisah dalam takdir-Nya, maka itu adalah kerana pendeknya penglihatan akal dan mata hati seseorang". Siapa tidak inginkan kekayaan, malah kita dituntut mencari harta. Namun jika setelah berusaha sedaya upaya, masih miskin juga, bersangka baiklah dengan Tuhan... mungkin itu caranya untuk kita mendapat pahala sabar. Begitu juga kalau kita ditakdirkan kita tidak berilmu, maka berusahalah untuk belajar, kerana itulah maksud Allah mentakdirkan begitu.Kalau kita berkuasa, Allah inginkan kita melaksanakan keadilan. Sebaliknya, kalau kita diperintah (oleh pemimpin yang baik), itulah jalan untuk kita memberi ketaatan. Rupanya antik kita gunakan ke arah kebaikan. Hodoh? kita terselamat daripada fitnah dan godaan. Ya, dalam apa jua takdir Allah, hati kita dipimpin untuk memahami apa maksud Allah di sebalik takdir itu.Jadi, kita tidak akan merungut, stres dan tertekan dengan ujian hidup. Hayatilah kata-apa yang ditulis oleh Ibnu Atoillah ini: "Untuk meringankan kepedihan bala yang menimpa, hendak dikenal bahawa Allah-lah yang menurunkan bala itu. Dan yakinlah bahawa keputusan (takdir) Allah itu akan memberikan yang terbaik."

Tadbirlah hidup kita sebaik-baiknya, namun ingatlah takdir Tuhan sentiasa mengatasi tadbir insan. Jangan cuba mengambil alih "kerja Tuhan" yakni cuba menentukan arah angin dalam kehidupan ini tetapi buatlah kerja kita, yakni mengawal pelayaran hidup kita dengan meningkatkan iman dari semasa ke semasa. Kata bijak pandai: "It's not what happens to you, but it's what you do about it. It is not how low you fall but how high you bounce back!"

Mendapat Hikmah Bila Diuji
Hikmah adalah sesuatu yang tersirat di sebalik yang tersurat. Hikmah dikurniakan sebagai hadiah paling besar dengan satu ujian. Hikmah hanya dapat ditempa oleh "mehnah" – didikan langsung daripada Allah melalui ujian-ujian-Nya.Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda, "perumpamaan orang yang beriman apabila ditimpa ujian, bagai besi yang dimasukkan ke dalam api, lalu hilanglah karatnya (tahi besi) dan tinggallah yang baik sahaja!"Jika tidak diuji, bagaimana hamba yang taat itu hendak mendapat pahala sabar, syukur, reda, pemaaf, qanaah daripada Tuhan? Maka dengan ujian bentuk inilah ada di kalangan para rasul ditingkatkan kepada darjat Ulul Azmi – yakni mereka yang paling gigih, sabar dan berani menanggung ujian.Ringkasnya, hikmah adalah kurnia termahal di sebalik ujian buat golongan para nabi, siddiqin, syuhada dan solihin ialah mereka yang sentiasa diuji.Firman Allah:

"Apakah kamu mengira akan masuk ke dalam syurga sedangkan kepada kamu belum datang penderitaan sebagai¬mana yang dideritai orang-orang terdahulu daripada kamu, iaitu mereka ditimpa kesengsaraan, kemelaratan dan kegoncangan, sehingga Rasul dan orang-orang yang beriman bersamanya merintih: "Bilakah datangnya pertolongan Allah?" (Surah Al-Baqarah: 214)

Pendek kata, bagi orang beriman, ujian bukanlah sesuatu yang negatif kerana Allah sentiasa mempunyai maksud-maksud yang baik di sebaliknya. Malah dalam keadaan berdosa sekalipun, ujian didatangkan-Nya sebagai satu pengampunan. Manakala dalam keadaan taat, ujian didatangkan untuk meningkatkan darjat.
Justeru, telah sering para muqarrabin (orang yang hampir dengan Allah) tentang hikmah ujian dengan berkata: "Allah melapangkan bagimu supaya engkau tidak selalu dalam kesempitan dan Allah menyempitkan bagi mu supaya engkau tidak hanyut dalam kelapangan, dan Allah melepaskan engkau dari keduanya, supaya engkau tidak bergantung kepada sesuatu selain Allah".Apabila keempat-empat perkara ini dapat kita miliki maka hati akan sentiasa riang, gembira dan tenang dengan setiap pekerjaan yang dilakukan. Sentiasa melakukan kerja amal, tolong menolong, bergotong royong, sentiasa bercakap benar, sopan dan hidup dengan berkasih sayang antara satu dengan lain.Marilah kita bersihkan hati kita dari segala kotorannya dengan memperbanyak zikrullah. Itulah satu-satunya jalan untuk mencari kebahagiaan di dunia dan di akhirat nanti. Manusia perlukan zikir umpama ikan perlukan air. Tanpa zikir, hati akan mati. Tidak salah memburu kekayaan, ilmu, nama yang baik, pangkat yang tinggi tetapi zikrullah mestilah menjadi teras dan asasnya.

Insya-Allah, dengan zikrullah hati kita akan lapang sekalipun duduk di dalam pondok yang sempit apatah lagi kalau tinggal di istana yang luas. Inilah bukti keadilan Allah kerana meletakkan kebahagiaan pada zikrullah – sesuatu yang dapat dicapai oleh semua manusia tidak kira miskin atau kaya, berkuasa atau rakyat jelata, hodoh atau jelita.
Dengan itu semua orang layak untuk bahagia asalkan tahu erti dan melalui jalan yang sebenar dalam mencarinya. Rupa-rupanya yang dicari terlalu dekat... hanya berada di dalam hati sendiri!

Aku Sayang... Lilee

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The Woodpecker

THE WOODPECKER MIGHT HAVE TO GO!

 

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark... One: Don't miss the boat. Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat. Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark. Four: Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. Five: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. Six: Build your future on high ground. Seven: For safety's sake, travel in pairs. Eight: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. Nine: When you're stressed, float a while. Ten: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals. Eleven: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting. NOW, wasn't that nice?