Cultural Practices Around the World

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### **Asia**

1. **India:**  

   - *Diwali - Festival of Lights:* Celebrated with lamps, fireworks, and sweets to signify the victory of light over darkness.  

2. **Japan:**  

   - *Tea Ceremony (Chanoyu):* A traditional ritual of serving and drinking matcha tea, emphasizing harmony and respect.  

3. **China:**  

   - *Lunar New Year:* A celebration with dragon dances, red envelopes, and family feasts to welcome the new year.  

4. **South Korea:**  

   - *Hanbok and Chuseok:* Wearing traditional Hanbok attire and celebrating Chuseok, a harvest festival with family meals and ancestral rituals.  

5. **Thailand:**  

   - *Songkran Festival:* A water festival celebrating the Thai New Year, where people splash water on each other for good fortune.  

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### **Europe**

6. **Germany:**  

   - *Oktoberfest:* A famous beer festival with traditional Bavarian costumes, music, and hearty food.  

7. **Spain:**  

   - *La Tomatina:* A unique festival where participants throw tomatoes at each other for fun.  

8. **Italy:**  

   - *Carnival of Venice:* A festival of elaborate masks, costumes, and parades before Lent.  

9. **Scotland:**  

   - *Hogmanay:* A New Year’s celebration with street parties, fireworks, and the singing of "Auld Lang Syne."  

10. **Ireland:**  

   - *St. Patrick’s Day:* A day celebrating Irish culture with parades, green attire, and shamrocks.  

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### **Africa**

11. **Nigeria:**  

   - *Yam Festival:* A harvest celebration involving yam feasts, traditional dances, and music.  

12. **South Africa:**  

   - *Ubuntu Philosophy:* The cultural practice of promoting human kindness and community values.  

13. **Ethiopia:**  

   - *Coffee Ceremony:* A ritual of roasting, brewing, and serving coffee as a symbol of hospitality.  

14. **Morocco:**  

   - *Henna Art:* The practice of applying intricate henna designs for celebrations like weddings.  

15. **Egypt:**  

   - *Sham El-Nessim:* An ancient spring festival celebrated with picnics and traditional food.  

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### **Americas**

16. **Mexico:**  

   - *Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead):* Honoring deceased loved ones with altars, marigolds, and sugar skulls.  

17. **United States:**  

   - *Thanksgiving:* A holiday for expressing gratitude with a feast of turkey, pie, and family gatherings.  

18. **Brazil:**  

   - *Carnival:* A colorful festival featuring samba parades, costumes, and lively street parties.  

19. **Canada:**  

   - *Maple Syrup Festival:* Celebrating the harvest of maple syrup with tastings and traditional activities.  

20. **Peru:**  

   - *Inti Raymi:* A traditional Incan festival celebrating the Sun God with ceremonies and dances.  

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### **Oceania**

21. **Australia:**  

   - *Anzac Day:* A day to honor soldiers with dawn services and parades.  

22. **New Zealand:**  

   - *Haka Dance:* A Maori war dance performed to express pride, strength, and unity.  

23. **Fiji:**  

   - *Kava Ceremony:* A ritual involving the preparation and sharing of Kava drink as a symbol of respect and community.  

---

### **Middle East**

24. **Saudi Arabia:**  

   - *Eid al-Fitr:* A festival marking the end of Ramadan with prayers, feasts, and charitable acts.  

25. **Turkey:**  

   - *Whirling Dervishes:* A Sufi spiritual practice involving spinning dances as a form of meditation.  

26. **Iran:**  

   - *Nowruz (Persian New Year):* Celebrated with feasts, family gatherings, and symbolic decorations like Haft-Sin.  

Mahallul Qiyam Dalam Sholawat

Mahallul qiyam adalah tradisi berdiri saat melantunkan shalawat pada bagian tertentu, terutama dalam peringatan Maulid Nabi Muhammad ﷺ. Tradisi ini dilakukan sebagai ekspresi cinta, penghormatan, dan kebahagiaan atas kelahiran Rasulullah ﷺ. Praktik ini telah menjadi kebiasaan di banyak wilayah, termasuk Indonesia, dalam acara-acara keagamaan.

Namun, praktik ini memunculkan perbedaan pendapat di kalangan ulama, baik klasik maupun kontemporer. Sebagian ulama mendukung mahallul qiyam sebagai sesuatu yang dibolehkan karena merupakan bentuk penghormatan kepada Rasulullah ﷺ. Sementara itu, ulama lain menolaknya dengan alasan tidak ada dalil syar'i yang secara eksplisit mendukung praktik ini dan khawatir akan mengarah pada bid'ah (hal yang diada-adakan dalam agama).

Perbedaan ini tidak lepas dari pendekatan yang digunakan dalam memahami hukum syariat, antara mereka yang lebih fleksibel dengan tradisi budaya selama tidak bertentangan dengan prinsip Islam, dan mereka yang lebih ketat dalam membatasi praktik agama pada apa yang secara eksplisit diajarkan oleh Rasulullah ﷺ dan para sahabat.

Sebelum kita memahami lebih jauh argumen kedua pihak, penting untuk mendudukkan masalah ini dalam kerangka yang objektif, yaitu dengan mempertimbangkan:

1. Asal-usul dan maksud dari tradisi mahallul qiyam.

2. Konteks budaya dan adat setempat yang memengaruhi penerimaan tradisi ini.

3. Niat dan keyakinan para pelakunya.

Dengan pendekatan ini, kita dapat memahami persoalan mahallul qiyam secara lebih luas dan menghormati perbedaan pandangan yang ada.

Berikut adalah dalil-dalil yang sering dikaitkan dengan pembahasan mahallul qiyam dalam shalawat:

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Dalil Pendukung Mahallul Qiyam

1. Ekspresi Cinta kepada Nabi Muhammad ﷺ  

Para ulama yang mendukung mahallul qiyam sering merujuk pada kecintaan kepada Nabi Muhammad ﷺ sebagai dasar utamanya. Mereka menggunakan dalil berikut:  

   قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ.  

Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda: "Tidak sempurna iman salah seorang di antara kalian hingga aku lebih ia cintai daripada orang tuanya, anaknya, dan seluruh manusia."   (HR. Bukhari, no. 15; Muslim, no. 44)  

2. Penghormatan kepada Rasulullah ﷺ

Para ulama juga menggunakan kaidah bahwa menghormati Rasulullah ﷺ adalah bagian dari adab terhadap beliau. Dalam Al-Qur'an disebutkan:  

   لِتُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُعَزِّرُوهُ وَتُوَقِّرُوهُ.  

"Agar kamu beriman kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya, menguatkan (agama)-Nya, dan memuliakan-Nya."  (QS. Al-Fath: 9)

3. Berdiri untuk Menghormati Tokoh Agama atau Pemimpin

Para sahabat juga pernah berdiri untuk menghormati Rasulullah ﷺ. Dalil yang sering dirujuk:  

   قَامَ طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ لِكَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ قَالَ: هَذَا يَوْمٌ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ.  

   "Thalhah bin Ubaidillah berdiri untuk menyambut Ka'ab bin Malik. Ketika Nabi ﷺ melihatnya, beliau bersabda: 'Ini adalah hari di mana Allah memberikan nikmat kepadamu.'"  (HR. Bukhari, no. 4156; Muslim, no. 2769)

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Dalil yang Menolak Mahallul Qiyam 

1. Larangan Berlebihan (Ghuluw) dalam Agama

Mereka yang tidak mendukung mahallul qiyam sering mengacu pada larangan ghuluw (berlebihan) dalam penghormatan. Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda:  

   قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: لَا تُطْرُونِي كَمَا أَطْرَتِ النَّصَارَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ، فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا عَبْدٌ، فَقُولُوا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ.  

Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda: "Janganlah kalian berlebihan dalam mengagungkanku seperti orang-orang Nasrani mengagungkan Isa putra Maryam. Aku hanyalah seorang hamba, maka katakanlah, 'Hamba Allah dan Rasul-Nya.'"  (HR. Bukhari, no. 3445)

2. Mengikuti Tuntunan Rasulullah ﷺ dan Sahabat

Tidak ditemukan riwayat yang menyebutkan bahwa Rasulullah ﷺ atau para sahabat melakukan tradisi berdiri khusus untuk melantunkan shalawat. Dalam hadits lain:  

   قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ.  

Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda: "Barang siapa yang mengada-adakan sesuatu dalam urusan (agama) kami ini yang tidak berasal darinya, maka hal itu tertolak."  (HR. Bukhari, no. 2697; Muslim, no. 1718)

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Kesimpulan:

Dalil-dalil di atas menunjukkan perbedaan pendekatan ulama terhadap mahallul qiyam. Para ulama sepakat bahwa ekspresi cinta kepada Rasulullah ﷺ adalah hal yang sangat dianjurkan. Namun, terkait dengan praktik mahallul qiyam, itu dikembalikan pada keyakinan dan niat masing-masing individu, selama tidak disertai keyakinan bahwa praktik tersebut wajib atau bagian dari syariat agama.

Direct - indirect Speech Exercise

Choose the best answer!

**Question 1:**

Convert the following direct speech into indirect speech.

**Direct Speech:**  

*She said, "I am studying for the test."*

a) She said she is studying for the test.  

b) She said that she was studying for the test.  

c) She said that I was studying for the test.  

d) She says that she is studying for the test.

**Question 2:**

Choose the correct indirect speech for the following sentence.

**Direct Speech:**  

*He said, "I will go to the market tomorrow."*

a) He said that he will go to the market tomorrow.  

b) He said that he would go to the market tomorrow.  

c) He said that he would go to the market the next day.  

d) He said that he goes to the market tomorrow.

**Question 3:**

Convert the following into indirect speech.

**Direct Speech:**  

*She asked, "Can you help me with this project?"*

a) She asked if I could help her with that project.  

b) She asked can I help her with this project.  

c) She asked that I helped her with this project.  

d) She asks if I could help her with that project.

**Question 4:**

Which of the following is the correct indirect speech for the sentence below?

**Direct Speech:**  

*"I have finished my homework," John said.*

a) John said that I have finished my homework.  

b) John said that he had finished his homework.  

c) John said that he has finished his homework.  

d) John says he had finished his homework.

**Question 5:**

Select the correct option to convert this sentence to indirect speech.

**Direct Speech:**  

*"We are going to the park," they said.*

a) They said that we are going to the park.  

b) They said that they are going to the park.  

c) They said that they were going to the park.  

d) They say they were going to the park.

**Question 6:**

Choose the correct indirect speech form.

**Direct Speech:**  

*Tom said, "I am going to the movies now."*

a) Tom said that he is going to the movies now.  

b) Tom said that he was going to the movies then.  

c) Tom said that he was going to the movies now.  

d) Tom says that he is going to the movies then.

**Question 7:**

Convert the following into indirect speech.

**Direct Speech:**  

*"Where is the library?" she asked.*

a) She asked where is the library.  

b) She asks where the library was.  

c) She asked where the library was.  

d) She asked where the library is.

**Question 8:**

Which of the following is the correct indirect speech?

**Direct Speech:**  

*She said, "I have lived here for five years."*

a) She said that she has lived there for five years.  

b) She said that she had lived there for five years.  

c) She said she lived here for five years.  

d) She said she had lived here for five years.

**Question 9:**

Choose the correct option to change the sentence into indirect speech.

**Direct Speech:**  

*He said, "I bought a new car."*

a) He said that he has bought a new car.  

b) He said that he bought a new car.  

c) He said that he had bought a new car.  

d) He says he had bought a new car.

**Question 10:**

Convert the following sentence into indirect speech.

**Direct Speech:**  

*"Don't touch the hot stove," she said.*

a) She said do not touch the hot stove.  

b) She told me not t

o touch the hot stove.  

c) She said not to touch the hot stove.  

d) She said that I shouldn't touch the hot stove.

Comparison Degree Reading Text

The Best Vacation Ever

Last summer, Emily and her family went on three different vacations, each one more exciting than the last. First, they visited the mountains. The mountains were cooler than the city where they lived. Emily loved the fresh air and beautiful scenery. She thought the mountain trails were easier to hike than the trails near her home. However, the mountains were not as exciting as the beach, which they visited next.

At the beach, the weather was warmer than in the mountains. The ocean waves were bigger than the lake waves back home. Emily had a lot of fun swimming and building sandcastles. She thought the beach was the most relaxing place she had ever been. But the beach had its downsides too; it was more crowded than the mountains.

Finally, Emily and her family visited a big city. The city was by far the most exciting of all the places they visited. The buildings were taller than anything Emily had ever seen, and there were more things to do. They visited museums, parks, and even a zoo. However, Emily found the city to be the noisiest place of all. She thought it was less peaceful than the beach and much busier than the mountains.

In the end, when Emily compared all three places, she decided that the beach was her favorite. It was more enjoyable than the mountains and less hectic than the city. Emily told her parents that next year, she wanted to spend even more time at the beach, where she felt the happiest.

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Questions:

1. How many sentences using Comparison Degree structure?

2. Rewrite all the sentences containing Comparison Degree? and translate them into Indônèsian.

Auxiliary Verb Exercise 02

Fill in the gap using "am, is, are, was, were" and "do, does, did" in the following paragraphs:

Paragraph 1:

Yesterday, I went to the park with my friends. It ___ a sunny day, and we ___ excited to play outside. We ___ running around when we saw a dog that ___ lost. The dog ___ wearing a red collar, and we wondered who its owner ___ . We ___ not sure what to do, so we decided to look for the owner. ___ you think we found the owner?

Paragraph 2:

My family and I ___ planning a trip to the beach next weekend. Everyone ___ excited because it ___ our first time going there. My brother ___ already packed his suitcase, but I ___ still trying to decide what to bring. My mom ___ making a list of things we need, and my dad ___ checking the car to make sure it ___ ready for the trip. ___ you think we ___ going to have a good time?

Paragraph 3:

Last night, there ___ a big storm in our town. The wind ___ so strong that it knocked down some trees. We ___ all inside the house when it started raining. My little sister ___ scared because of the thunder. ___ you hear the storm too? After the storm passed, we ___ relieved, but the power ___ still out. My dad ___ lighting some candles so we could see. ___ your family ___ okay during the storm?

Paragraph 4:

Every morning, I ___ wake up early to go jogging. ___ you wake up early too? It ___ a good way to start the day, and I feel more energetic afterward. My friend ___ always joining me, but today she ___ not able to come because she ___ feeling sick. I ___ going to check on her later. After jogging, I ___ usually hungry, so I eat a big breakfast. What ___ you usually eat for breakfast?

Paragraph 5:

My school ___ organizing a talent show next month. ___ your school ever have a talent show? Everyone ___ excited to participate. I ___ planning to sing a song, and my friends ___ going to perform a dance. Last year, the show ___ a huge success, and many students ___ involved. Our teacher ___ very supportive and helped us prepare. ___ you think I ___ ready for the show?

Auxiliary verb Exercise 01

 Fill-in-the gap  using the words:

"am, is, are, was, were" and "do, does, did":

1. She ___ very happy today.

2. They ___ going to the park tomorrow.

3. I ___ not sure about the answer.

4. We ___ at the museum last weekend.

5. The dog ___ barking loudly last night.

6. He ___ the best player on the team.

7. The books ___ on the shelf.

8. I ___ excited about the trip next week.

9. The children ___ playing outside right now.

10. This ___ my favorite movie when I was younger.

11. You ___ always so helpful.

12. They ___ not at home yesterday.

13. The cake ___ delicious.

14. I ___ going to the store now.

15. We ___ late for the meeting.

16. My friends ___ coming over later.

17. The weather ___ very cold last winter.

18. The doors ___ locked at night.

19. She ___ a teacher at this school.

20. The students ___ studying for the test.

21. ___ you like ice cream?

22. What ___ she do yesterday?

23. ___ they know the answer?

24. Why ___ he go there?

25. ___ you understand the question?

26. ___ it make sense?

27. What time ___ the movie start?

28. Why ___ we have to leave so early?

29. ___ they finish their homework?

30. How often ___ you exercise?

31. What ___ he say?

32. Where ___ she live?

33. ___ you hear that noise?

34. Why ___ she cry?

35. ___ the teacher explain the lesson?

36. How ___ they solve the problem?

37. ___ you remember his name?

38. ___ she know the way to the station?

39. Why ___ it take so long?

40. ___ the car start this morning?

41. ___ you want to come with us?

42. ___ the bus arrive on time?

43. How ___ he get to work?

44. ___ you need any help?

45. Where ___ they go on vacation?

46. ___ she work here?

47. ___ he finish the project?

48. ___ the kids clean their room?

49. ___ we need to bring anything?

50. ___ you think it will rain today?

Adjective Clause Exercise

Fill in the blank space using the following words:

- "who", "whom", "whose", and "which"

1. The teacher ___ inspired me is retiring next year.

2. The book ___ I borrowed from the library was fascinating.

3. The artist ___ painting was displayed won an award.

4. The person ___ you met yesterday is my cousin.

5. The house ___ we stayed in last summer is for sale.

6. The doctor ___ I consulted was very helpful.

7. The car ___ engine is broken needs to be repaired.

8. The woman ___ you see over there is my aunt.

9. The movie ___ we watched last night was amazing.

10. The boy ___ bike was stolen is very upset.

11. The friend ___ helped me with my homework is very kind.

12. The company ___ products are eco-friendly is very popular.

13. The singer ___ performed at the concert is famous.

14. The dog ___ I found in the park was very friendly.

15. The letter ___ you wrote to me was very touching.

16. The chef ___ restaurant we visited is well-known.

17. The athlete ___ broke the record is very talented.

18. The tree ___ leaves are turning red is an oak.

19. The musician ___ you admire is coming to our town.

20. The book ___ cover is torn belongs to my brother.

21. The girl ___ won the contest is very happy.

22. The cat ___ I adopted last week is very playful.

23. The project ___ we worked on was a great success.

24. The boy ___ mother is a teacher is in my class.

25. The movie ___ we are going to see is a comedy.

26. The writer ___ novel became a bestseller lives nearby.

27. The cake ___ you baked was delicious.

28. The teacher ___ class I am in is very strict.

29. The student ___ you helped is very grateful.

30. The car ___ I saw in the parking lot is yours.