الأحد، 21 ديسمبر 2014

Suatu Hari di Majelis Imam Malik

Kurang lebih lima tahun yang lalu, tepatnya di waktu dhuha tanggal 7 November 2009 M, untuk pertama kali diri ini menginjakkan kaki di kampus impian penuntut ilmu sejagad. Tak terasa semua berjalan begitu cepat.. Dan kini ku telah berada dipenghujung senja. Terlalu banyak kenangan di kota ini.

Sebelum matahari benar-benar tenggelam, saya ingin mengisahkan kembali sebuah cerita yang hingga kini selalu menjadi inspirasi sekaligus pemicu semangat bagi saya selama di kota ini.

Cerita ini tentang pemuda Andalus yang menyimpan kerinduan untuk belajar di kota nabi. Yahya Ibnu Yahya Al Laitsi, begitulah orang-orang memanggilnya. Pemuda itu lahir dan dibesarkan di bumi Andalus yang jauh di dataran timur Eropa. Sejak menapakkan kakinya di jalan ilmu hatinya telah memendam keinginan untuk melakukan Rihlah dalam rangka menuntut ilmu. Rihlah sudah menjadi tradisi penuntut ilmu dimasa itu. Setelah merasa cukup dengan ilmu yang didapat di negeri asalanya, akhirnya ia bertekad untuk mewujudkan keinginannya yang terpendam selama ini. Pilihannya jatuh ke kota Madinah, tempat dimana Imam Malik bin Anas –rahimahullah- tinggal dan mengajar.

Andalus dan Madinah memang bukan jarak yang dekat, seperti halnya Madinah dan Indonesia. Ditambah lagi transportasi dimasa itu sangat sulit. Namun tekadnya sudah bulat. tatapannya hanya tertuju pada satu arah, Madinah Nabawiyah. Semua itu tentunya berbayar. Karena bagi seorang Yahya, rihlah berarti melupakan keindahan Andalus dan bersabar menghadapai kenyataan hidup di dataran Hijaz yang tandus. Namun tekad kuat yang disertai keikhlasan telah membuat jarak yang jauh itu terasa dekat, ruang dan waktu seolah sempit serta keindahan kampung halaman tak lagi berarti.

Ilustrasi: Salah Satu Sudut Komplek Kampus Universitas Islam Madinah

Setibanya di Madinah tanpa basa-basi pemuda andalus itu langsung duduk dimajelis Imam Malik bin Anas, seolah tak ada waktu rehat baginya. Dalam benaknya meninggalkan keluarga, sanak saudara dan kampung halaman bukanlah pengorbanan yang kecil, sehingga terlalu mahal bila harus mengambil rehat sejenak karena letih setelah melakukan perjalanan yang jauh. Hari-hari di Madinah dilaluinya dengan semangat yang tak kenal kendor, semua demi mengurai benang asa yang dirajutnya dulu di tanah air tercinta, bumi Andalus. Hingga suatu hari, saat tengah mendengarkan kajian Imam Malik, tiba-tiba ada serombongan musafir memasuki Madinah.

Imam Ad Dzahabi menuturkan, "ketika itu para musafir datang membawa gajah. Murid-murid Imam Malik berhamburan keluar ingin melihat gajah tersebut dari dekat. Semua beranjak, kecuali Yahya bin Yahya. Ia tetap duduk dan memandang ke satu arah, kemana lagi kalau bukan kearah Imam Malik. Melihat hal itu Imam Malik mendekat dan bertanya, ”mengapa engkau tidak keluar untuk melihat gajah?”. Yahya menjawab,”aku jauh-jauh datang dari Andalusia hanya untuk melihat anda (menuntut ilmu), bukan untuk melihat gajah”. Keteguhan itu membuat Imam Malik berdecak kagum. Sejak peristiwa itu Imam Malik menjulukinya ‘aqilu andalus’ (lelaki berakal dari Andalusia).

Sahabat… Kisah Yahya bin Yahya bukan soal suka atau tidak suka melihat gajah, namun ada pesan lain disana, yaitu tentang sikap yang harus diambil saat seorang penuntut ilmu mulai tergoda oleh hal-hal yang tidak seharusnya membuatnya berpaling sedikitpun dari cita-cita awalnya. Dalam meraih asa, betapa sering langkah kita terhenti oleh hal-hal yang tidak terlalu penting. Kadang semangat untuk menjadi berarti itu kendor hingga titik nadir lantaran keteledoran yang mulanya sebatas iseng-iseng saja. Iseng-iseng main game, iseng ngetravel, atau mungkin terbawa mental taswif ‘nanti dulu’, sebentar dulu, hingga akhirnya semangat awal yang telah dipupuk ditanah air dulu perlahan redup, ibarat pepatah layu sebelum berkembang. Bukan karena terik dan tandusnya Madinah, namun, tapi karena tandusnya jiwa, rapuhnya azam karena gagal menata niat atau motivasi awal sbelum ke kota Madinah ini.

Kawan… Kisah Yahya Al Yahya hanyalah satu dari sekian kisah penuntut ilmu yang pernah singgah di kota ini. Kisah ini mengajak kita untuk selalu terjaga dan sepenuhnya sadar arti kehadiran kita di negeri ini. Yahya bin Yahya tidak hanya mengajari kita soal uluwul himmah, namun dia juga mengajari kita soal kesadaran diri agar terampil mengelola rasa dihadapan cita-cita supaya tidak keluar dari tujuan semula. Padahal Imam Malik menghentikan pelajaran sejenak dan membiarkan murid-muridnya melihat gajah itu. Namun filosofi luhur dibalik pilihannya mencerminkan kecerdasan tentang bagaimana seorang muslim memahami godaan-godaan konsistensi yang membuat raga terhenti mengejar asa. Begitulah seharusnya kita menata jalan cita-cita selama di negeri ini. Ingat kawan kita tidak punya waktu yang lama. Ilmu lebih banyak dari waktu yang kita miliki.

Kata seorang salaf: العلم إذا إعطاك كلك لا يعطيك إلا بعضه Ilmu itu, bila semua potensimu kau curahkan untuk meraihnya dia tidak akan memberimu melainkan setengahnya saja. Nah Bagaimana kalau kita setengah-setengah…?

Sebagai penuntut ilmu syar'ie menata cita-cita adalah sebuah keharusan. Karena di jalan ilmu inilah hidup seorang tholib menjadi berarti. Aku datang untuk menuntut ilmu bukan untuk melihat gajah. Andalus dan Madinah terlampau jauh untuk sekedar melihat gajah, seperti halnya Madinah dan Indonesia.

Riyadh 28 shafar 1436 H
Ustadz Aan Chandra Thalib

Ilustrasi: Salah Satu Sudut Komplek Kampus Universitas Islam Madinah

الخميس، 10 أبريل 2014

Ini Dia 100 Headline Terbaik Kelas Dunia!

Saya masih diliputi penasaran yang mendalam dan penuh tanda tanya. Apa sih yang membuat sebuah tulisan dilirik oleh pembaca? konten yang great ya jelas! namun ada satu hal lagi yang tak kalah pentingnya, yaitu headline. Saya coba menjelajah website-website berbahasa Indonesia dan berbahasa Inggris. Dapet deh feel nya! Headline seperti "Inilah 10 Mobil yang Memiliki Jenis Kelamin" tidak hanya mampu mengusik pecinta otomatif, bahkan bagi Anda yang awam otomotif pun bisa ikut-ikutan terusik. Headline seperti "Ini Dia 10 Kendaraan yang Asooy Buat Pacaran" cocok banget buat menghasut remaja alay yang sedang dimabuk cinta.

Victor O Schwab, seorang ahli periklanan kelas dunia menulis sebuah buku yang berjudul "How to Write a Good Advertisement". Ada penggalan berharga di dalam buku tersebut yang memuat 100 koleksi headline terbaik. Silakan cari di Google dengan kata kunci "The 100 Greatest Headlines Ever Written" maka Anda akan dapatkan bertumpuk-tumpuk hasil pencarian dengan konten yang sama.

Jika Anda seorang copy writer, advertiser, atau marketer, Anda wajib membaca dan mempelajarinya!


Ini dia 100 headline terbaik tersebut:



1. THE SECRET OF MAKING PEOPLE LIKE YOU

Almost $500,000 was spent profitably to run keyed ads displaying this headline. It drew many hundreds of thousands of readers into the body matter of a "people-mover" advertisement --- one which, by itself, built a big business. Pretty irresistible, isn't it?

2. A LITTLE MISTAKE THAT COST A FARMER $3,000 A YEAR

A sizable appropriation was spent successfully in farm magazines on this ad. Sometimes the negative idea of offsetting, reducing, or eliminating the "risk of loss" is even more attractive to the reader than the "prospect of gain."

As the great business executive Chauncey Depew once said, "I would not stay up all of one night to make $100; but I would stay up all of seven nights to keep from losing it." As Walter Norvath says in Six Successful Selling Techniques, "People will fight much harder to avoid losing something they already own than to gain something of greater value that they do not own." It is also true that they have the feeling that losses and waste can often be more easily retrieved than new profits can be gained.

What farmer could pass up reading the copy under such a headline --- to find out: "What was the mistake? Why was it 'little'? Am I making it? If it cost a farmer a loss of $3,000 a year, maybe it's costing me a lot more? Perhaps the copy will also tell me about other mistakes I might be making."

3. ADVICE TO WIVES WHOSE HUSBANDS DON'T SAVE MONEY --- BY A WIFE

The headline strength of the word "advice" has often been proven. Most people want it, regardless of whether or not they follow it. And the particular "ailment" referred to is common enough to interest a lot of readers. The "it happened to me" tag line, "by a wife," increases the desire to read the copy. (This ad far outpulled the advertiser's previous best ad, Get Rid of Money Worries.)

4. THE CHILD WHO WON THE HEARTS OF ALL

This was a key-result ad which proved spectacularly profitable. It appeared in women's magazines. The emotional-type copy described (and the photograph portrayed) the kind of little girl any parent would want their daughter to be. Laughing, rollicking, running forward with arms outstretched, right out of the ad and into the arms and heart of the reader.

5. ARE YOU EVER TONGUE-TIED AT A PARTY?

Pinpoints the myriads of self-conscious, inferiority-complexed wallflowers. "That's me! I want to read this ad; maybe it tells me exactly what to do about it."

As you go along, you will notice how many of these headlines are interrogative ones. They ask a question to which people want to read the answer. They excite curiosity and interest in the body matter which follows. They hit home --- cut through verbose indirectness. The best ones are challenges, which are difficult to ignore, cannot be dismissed with a quick no or yes and without further reading, are pertinent and relevant to the reader. Note how many of the ones included here measure up to these specifications.

6. HOW A NEW DISCOVERY MADE A PLAIN GIRL BEAUTIFUL

Wide appeal; there are more plain girls than beautiful ones --- and just about all of them want to be better looking.

7. HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE

This helped to sell millions of copies of the book of the same title. Strong basic appeal; we will all want to do it. But without the words "how to" the headline would become simply a trite wall motto.

8. THE LAST 2 HOURS ARE THE LONGEST --- AND THOSE ARE THE 2 HOURS YOU SAVE

An airline ad featured a faster jet-powered flight. Headline is a bull's-eye for air-experienced travelers who know what those last two interminable hours can do to their nerves and patience. Like many fine headlines, it doubtless came right out of the personal experience of its writer. This headline (and all the others discussed here) would have been good even if it had not been supported by any picture at all. But its effect was heightened by a photo of a wristwatch with the hour marks indicating 1 to 10 bunched together --- and 10, 11, and 12 stretched wide apart.

9. WHO ELSE WANTS A SCREEN STAR FIGURE?

Who doesn't? Except men --- and this successful and much-fun ad is not addressed to them. "Who else" also has a "get on the bandwagon" connotation: not "Can it be done?" but "Who else wants to have it?"

10. DO YOU MAKE THESE MISTAKES IN ENGLISH?

A direct challenge. Now read the headline back, eliminating the vital word "these." This word is the "hook" that almost forces you into the copy. "What are these particular mistakes? Do I make them?" Also notice (as with many of the other headline reviewed) that this one promised to provide helpful personal information in its own context, not merely "advertising talk."

The attraction of the Specific: In this first breather let us stop to impress upon your mind how significant a part the "specific" plays in so many good headlines. It appears in many of our first ten. And it will appear in a surprising number of the next ninety. You will see how magnetically it helps to draw the reader into the body matter of an advertisement. So notice, as you continue reading, how many of these headlines contain specific words or phrases that make the ad promise to tell you: How, Here's, These, Which of these, Who Else, Where, When, What, Why. Also, note frequently exact amounts are used: number of days, evenings, hours, minutes, dollars, ways, types of. This "attraction of the specific" is worth your special attention --- not only as relating to words and phrases, but also concerning headline ideas themselves. For example, compare the appeal of "We'll Help You Make More Money" with "We'll Help You Pay the Rent."

11. WHY SOME FOODS "EXPLODE" IN YOUR STOMACH

A provocative "why" headline. Based upon the completely understandable fact that some food combinations virtually "explode" in the stomach. Broad appeal. (Relevant picture of chemical retort shaped like a stomach, starting to explode.)

12. HANDS THAT LOOK LOVELIER IN 24 HOURS --- OR YOUR MONEY BACK

Universal appeal to women. Result guaranteed: "Or Your Money Back."

13. YOU CAN LAUGH AT MONEY WORRIES --- IF YOU FOLLOW THIS SIMPLE PLAN

Something everybody wants to be able to do. A successful keyed ad upon which many thousands have been spent.

14. WHY SOME PEOPLE ALMOST ALWAYS MAKE MONEY IN THE STOCK MARKET

A profitable check-results ad selling a book written by a partner in a well-known and highly regarded brokerage house. Important key words: "some" and "almost" --- which make the headline credible.

15. WHEN DOCTORS "FEEL ROTTEN" THIS IS WHAT THEY DO

What's the secret of the success of this well-known ad? First: the suggestion of a paradox. We seldom think of doctors as being in poor health themselves. And when they are, what they do about it is information "right from the horse's mouth"; carries a note of authority and greater assurance of "reward for reading the ad." Note the positive promise of reward in "This Is What They Do."

Also, the use of the unabashed colloquialism "feel rotten" gets attention, sounds human, natural. Besides, it has surprise value --- since the vocabulary of the advertising pages has a certain sameness and stilted quality. Many a headline fails to stop readers because its vocabulary is so hackneyed. No word or phrase in it has any attention-arresting element of surprise, no words, expressions, or ideas not commonly used or expected in the headline of an advertisement. This ad pulled only half the number of responses when a test was made changing "When Doctors Feel Rotten" to "When Doctors Don't Feel Up To Par." (Other examples of the use of common colloquialisms and words are given, and commented upon, in many of these good headlines.)

Since the idea of using headline words not commonly utilized in the lexicon of advertising is worth such serious consideration, let us cite a few more examples. For a book on scientific weight control: the one word "Pot-Belly"! (Not very elegant, but it proved an effective stopper.) For a dictionary: a single word (onion, hog, shad, pelican, skunk, kangaroo, etc.) as the boldface headline of each in a series of small-space advertisements. You couldn't miss it on the page and you wanted to know what it was all about. The copy followed through by illustrating how simple and clear the definitions were in that particular dictionary. For a book of golf instruction: "Don't Belly-Ache About Your Golf This Year!"

16. IT SEEMS INCREDIBLE THAT YOU CAN OFFER THESE SIGNED ORIGINAL ETCHINGS --- FOR ONLY $5 EACH

Anticipates the reader's natural incredulity concerning such an exceptional bargain. Thus helping to overcome his doubt in advance, by acknowledging the likelihood of it.

17. FIVE FAMILIAR SKIN TROUBLES --- WHICH DO YOU WANT TO OVERCOME?

"Let me keep reading --- to see if I have one of the five." The old "which of these" selling technique; not "do you want?" but "which do you want?" (Interrogative headline helps entice readers into the copy. Note how many of these hundred are interrogative headlines.)

18. WHICH OF THESE $2.50 TO $5 BEST SELLERS DO YOU WANT --- FOR ONLY $1 EACH?

This keyed ad sold hundreds of thousands of books. Strong comparative-price bargain appeal.

19. WHO EVER HEARD OF A WOMAN LOSING WEIGHT --- AND ENJOYING 3 DELICIOUS MEALS AT THE SAME TIME?

Another example of a headline which anticipates incredulity in order to help overcome it.

20. HOW I IMPROVED MY MEMORY IN ONE EVENING

This is the famous "Addsion Sims of Seattle" ad which coined that household phrase. Could you escape wanting to read it?

21. DISCOVER THE FORTUNE THAT LIES HIDDEN IN YOUR SALARY

One of those good "discover what lies hidden" headlines. (Note others here.) A proven puller for an advertiser offering sound securities on a "pay out of income" basis.

22. DOCTORS PROVE 2 OUT OF 3 WOMEN CAN HAVE MORE BEAUTIFUL SKIN IN 14 DAYS

Women want it. "Why two out of three? Am I one of the two? How have doctors proven it? Quick results are what I want....Only fourteen days!"

How Many Words Should a Headline Contain? ...You have probably often read about the desirability of having no more than a certain number of words in your headline. Yet, in this second breather, we want to point out that many of the headlines already quoted (and others to follow) are, by ordinary standards, quite long. Yet, despite their length, they were successful. Obviously, it is not wise to make a headline any lengthier than its primary function actually requires. However, greater-than-usual length need not worry you...provided the headline's high spots of interest are physically well broken up and clearly displayed --- and provided the personal advantages promised to the reader are presented so oppositely that it is almost as though his own name appeared in the headline. Worth recounting is the story of Max Hart (of Hart, Schaffner and Marx) and his advertising manager, the late and great George L. Dyer. They were arguing about long copy. To clinch the argument Mr. Dyer said, "I'll bet you $10 I can write a newspaper page of solid types and you'd read every word of it." Mr. Hart scoffed at the idea. "I don't have to write a line of it to prove my point," Mr. Dyer responded. "I'll only tell you the headline: "This page is all about Max Hart!"

23. HOW I MADE A FORTUNE WITH A "FOOL IDEA"

Paradoxes excite interest. Broad appeal: almost everyone has once had a pet moneymaking idea that others have thought foolish and impractical. Sympathy for the underdog: "What's the story of this man who 'turned the tables' on the people who ridiculed him?"

24. HOW OFTEN DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF SAYING: "NO, I HAVEN'T READ IT: I'VE BEEN MEANING TO!"

A well-known book club has spent a great deal of money on this ad. Headline aimed accurately at large market --- people who "mean to" keep up with the new books but somehow "never get around to it."

25. THOUSANDS HAVE THIS PRICELESS GIFT --- BUT NEVER DISCOVER IT!

"What 'priceless gift'? Why is it 'priceless'? If 'thousands' have it, perhaps I should have it too." The "undiscovered" angle has great attraction. Legions of people are convinced that they possess talents and abilities which others have never discovered. Consequently, their world is unfortunately inclined to underrate or misjudge them.

26. WHOSE FAULT WHEN CHILDREN DISOBEY?

What parent wouldn't be stopped cold by this headline? "I'm the one who's probably to blame. It's a distressing condition --- and, most important, a reflection upon me. Maybe this ad tells me what to do about it."

27. HOW A "FOOL STUNT" MADE ME A STAR SALESMAN

What is the 'fool stunt'? Why did people call it that? How did it transform this fellow? I'd like to be able to 'sell' myself and my ideas --- even though selling may not be my vocation.") A large expenditure was made profitably on this ad after its resentfulness had been proven.)

28. HAVE YOU THESE SYMPTOMS OF NERVE EXHAUSTION?

Everyone likes to read about his "symptoms." The appeal is broad; the condition of "nerve exhaustion" is common.

29. GUARANTEED TO GO THROUGH ICE, MUD OR SNOW --- OR WE PAY THE TOW!

If you offer a powerful guarantee with your product, play it up strongly and quickly in the headline. Don't relegate it to minor display. Many products are actually backed up by dramatic guarantees - but their advertising does not make the most of them.

30. HAVE YOU A "WORRY" STOCK?

"Perhaps this ad will tell me why I need not lose any sleep over it --- or how I can replace it with one that will zoom."

31. HOW A NEW KIND OF CLAY IMPROVED MY COMPLEXION IN 30 MINUTES

Promises a desirable reward for reading. And the true experience of another person (with something relevant to our own desires) is always interesting.

32. 161 NEW WAYS TO A MAN'S HEART --- IN THIS FASCINATING BOOK FOR COOKS

Again, the attraction of the specific --- tied up with a strong basic appeal.

33. PROFITS THAT LIE HIDDEN IN YOUR FARM

Widely run in farm papers, with exceptional results. The hidden-profit ideas and the suggestion of retrieving a loss.

34. IS THE LIFE OF A CHILD WORTH $1 TO YOU?

Trenchant headline for a brake-relining service. Strong emotional appeal: how the life of a little child may be snuffed out by an accident due to your ineffective brakes.

35. EVERYWHERE WOMEN ARE RAVING ABOUT THIS AMAZING NEW SHAMPOO!

The colloquial: "raving about." The "success" word: "everywhere." (The increasing popularity and sale of a product are adduced as evidence of its merit. "Nothing succeeds like success"; and people love to climb on a bandwagon.) And the overworked "amazing" still seems to have some power left.

36. DO YOU DO ANY OF THESE TEN EMBARRASSING THINGS?

Bull's-eye question. All of us are afraid of embarrassing ourselves before others: being criticized, looked down upon, talked about. "Which 'ten' are they? Do I do any of them?"

37. SIX TYPES OF INVESTOR --- WHICH GROUP ARE YOU IN?

This ad produced inquiries in large quantities. Investors reviewed the characteristics of each of the six groups, as described in the ad, then inquired about a program designed to meet the investment purposes of their particular group.

The Primary Viewpoint --- The "Point of You" ... Breather No. 3 is a short one because you already know the "lesson" very well. But to stress its importance, let us point this out to you: 43 of these 100 headlines contain one of these actual words --- "you", "your", or "yourself." Even when the pronoun is first person singular (for example, "How I Improved My Memory in One Evening"), the reward promised is so universally desired that it is, in effect, really saying, "You can do it, too!" Thousands of words have already been written about the "point of you" --- but let me remind you that, given a fountain pen, 96 percent of 500 college women wrote their own names; shown a map of the USA, 447 men out of 500 looked first for the location of their home towns! Howard Barnes, of the American Newspaper Publishers' Association, really was on target when he said: "To call up an image of the reader, all you need to do is pin up a target. Then, starting at the outside, you can label his interests in this order: the world, the United States, his home state, his home town, and we'll lump together in the black center his family and himself....me. Myself. I come first. I am the bull's-eye.

38. HOW TO TAKE OUT STAINS...USE (PRODUCT NAME) AND FOLLOW THESE EASY DIRECTIONS

An example of a good "service" ad --- one which, besides being relevantly tied up with the product, also contains helpful information usable in itself. (Such ads often have considerable longevity because they are cut out and used for future reference.)

39. TODAY...ADD $10,000 TO YOUR ESTATE --- FOR THE PRICE OF A NEW HAT

Who wouldn't want to do that? Doubt as to the promise if offset by the fact that the advertiser is a large and reputable insurance company.

40. DOES YOUR CHILD EVER EMBARRASS YOU?

Direct, challenging, a common circumstance. Brings up a flood or recollections. How can such unpleasant experiences be avoided in the future? Based upon a strong selfish appeal. Parents, are first, individuals; second, parents. The kind of reflection that children cast upon the prestige and self-esteem of their parents is a useful copy angle to remember. (This headline is the negative opposite of No. 4, The Child Who Won the Hearts of All.)

41. IS YOUR HOME PICTURE-POOR?

A rifle-shot question hitting thousands of readers. Illustrated by a photo of an otherwise attractive living room with blank areas on its walls; with X's indicating where pictures would improve the room's appearance.

42. HOW TO GIVE YOUR CHILDREN EXTRA IRON --- THESE 3 DELICIOUS WAYS

It obeys the wise maxim of newspaper reporters: "Start where the reader is." In other words, the public already accepts the fact that children's blood should contain plenty of iron. So the headline goes on from there --- promising "extra" iron and "3 delicious ways" to get it ("delicious" ways; so not the common parent vs. child battle).

43. TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WRITE --- BUT CAN'T GET STARTED

Unerringly selects its audience, which is large --- and stymied.

44. THIS ALMOST-MAGICAL LAMP LIGHTS HIGHWAY TURNS BEFORE YOU MAKE THEM

The word "almost" lends believability. Headline promises an automatic no-effort method of relieving an annoying condition or avoiding a dangerous emergency.

45. THE CRIMES WE COMMIT AGAINST OUR STOMACHS

Another "start where the reader is" headline --- because most people already believe they often give their digestive process some pretty rough treatment. This rapport, between the theme of the ad and the common belief of its readers, makes the "we" and "our" practically equal in effectiveness to "you" and "your."

46. THE MAN WITH THE "GRASSHOPPER MIND"

An immediate association with himself leaps to the mind of the reader. He wants to check at once on the personal parallel. What are the symptoms? Starting things one never finishes? Jumping from one thing to another.

"How much am I like him? It's not a good trait. What did he do about it?" This is an example of a negative headline that strikes home more accurately and dramatically than would a positive one.

47. THEY LAUGHED WHEN I SAT DOWN AT THE PIANO --- BUT WHEN I STARTED TO PLAY!

Another one that has entered our language. Sympathy with the underdog. Particularly interesting, structurally, as an example of a headline which "turns the corner" by using a final tag line to make itself positive instead of negative.

Also worth remembering: the before-and-after angle can be effective in many headlines.

48. THROW AWAY YOUR OARS!

Short and positive commands often make good stopper headlines. When Ole Evinrude, the outboard-motor king, ran a small ad with this headline, he took the first step toward building his one-room machine ship into a big business. (A similar headline, Throw Away Your Aerial! was also once responsible for building a business in the radio field.) This type of headline is worth thinking about when the product you are advertising eliminates the need for some, heretofore, necessary piece of equipment, some onerous job, or some sizable item of expense.

49. HOW TO DO WONDERS WITH A LITTLE LAND!

A successful headline which pulled 75 percent better than "Two Acres and Security" and 40 percent better than A Little Land --- a Lot of Living. The reason: "how to" and "do wonders with."

50. WHO ELSE WANTS LIGHTER CAKE --- IN HALF THE MIXING TIME?

Strong appeal. Another good "who else" headline. (No 9, Who Else Wants A Screen Star Figure?)

51. LITTLE LEAKS THAT KEEP MEN POOR

A keyed "retrieving a loss" ad whose checked resultfulness justified frequent repetition.

52. PIERCED BY 301 NAILS....RETAINS FULL AIR PRESSURE

Who wouldn't be interested in reading more about a tire like this?

53. NO MORE BACKBREAKING GARDEN CHORES FOR ME --- YET OURS IS NOW THE SHOW-PLACE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

A good example of a before-and-after headline which makes the turn from negative to positive. Also worth noting: it has an effective element of excitement in it --- a feature of many good headlines, communicating the copywriter's enthusiasm to the printed page.

Don't Worry about a "Negative" Approach...This breather No. 4 is about negative headlines. "Accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative," said a song of some years ago. For years that has also been the popular refrain on the advice often given to copywriters. Discussion about negative headlines has sometimes sparked more fire than enlightenment. Yet our 100 headlines then become positive. So the negative approach must have some good reason for existence. It has. What is it? One of the principal objectives of a headline is to strike as directly as possible right at a situation confronting the reader. Sometimes you can do this with greater accuracy if you use a negative headline which pinpoints the ailment rather than the alleviation of it. (For example, Is YOUR Home Picture-Poor? Have YOU a "Worry Stock" --- Little Leaks That Keep Men Poor.) So when you face that kind of situation don't be afraid to "accentuate the negative." Let's proceed to another great headline which captured a place in our everyday language.

54. OFTEN A BRIDESMAID, NEVER A BRIDE

So poignantly true, so pointed --- and so common.

55. HOW MUCH IS "WORKER TENSION" COSTING YOUR COMPANY?

An ad which was successful in business magazines reaching executives. "I want to know which are the kinds of 'worker tension' specifically. What is 'worker tension' costing other companies in net profits? How much is it costing us? If it is, what can we do about it?"

56. TO MEN WHO WANT TO QUIT WORK SOMEDAY

Selects its readers without wasting a word. (And who can say that the Audience isn't kind of large?)

57. HOW TO PLAN YOUR HOUSE TO SUIT YOURSELF

This pulled almost 20% better than How to Avoid These Mistakes in Planning Your Home. Apparently, people expect the architect to avoid the mistakes --- but feel that they themselves know better than anyone else what will best suit their particular needs and preferences.

58. BUY NO DESK --- UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN THIS SENSATION OF THE BUSINESS SHOW

Strong "stopper" type of "command" headline, adaptable for many uses. Copy quickly follows with "until you have checked as to whether it has this feature, and this one, and this..."

59. CALL BACK THESE GREAT MOMENTS AT THE OPERA

Sometimes it's a good idea to "start where the reader was." This nostalgic headline was used to sell phonograph records of great operas. The ideas can be used in a positive way: typing up with a desirable remembrance. Or it can be used negatively: contrasting a certain new product advantage with an undesirable remembrance.

60. "I LOST MY BULGES...AND SAVED MONEY, TOO"

World "bulges" is a stopper, not commonly used in advertising lexicon. Double-edged appeal: the promise to end an unwanted condition and to save you money, also.

61. WHY (BRAND NAME) BULBS GIVE MORE LIGHT THIS YEAR

This one illustrates an important point, one which many advertisers hate to swallow. It is usually not a good idea to tell the name of the company (or the brand name) in the headline --- or to make it tell too much of the story. When this is done right in the headline itself, it often gives the whole thing away and does not tempt the reader into the copy. However, as is this case, when the advertiser is a nationally famous company (particularly when it is noted for its enterprise, innovations, improvements, and research), the use of the company, brand name can add news value to the headline --- and help to substantiate the truth of the claim made in it.

62. RIGHT AND WRONG FARMING METHODS --- AND LITTLE POINTERS THAT WILL INCREASE YOUR PROFITS

Exceedingly profitable in farm papers. A combination of negative and positive appeals, worth a lot of "come hither" for farmers.

63. NEW CAKE-IMPROVER GETS YOU COMPLIMENTS GALORE!

There are three things which advertising can tell its readers: (1) what the product is; (2) what it does; and...this headline utilizes the third (and often overlooked) one: (3) In terms of the advertisers, it is this: What other people will say of you, think of you, do for you --- how they will admire you, envy you, imitate you --- because of what my product can accomplish for you. In terms of the prospective customer it is this: Because of what your product can do for me, people may think more of me! This third factor (which is an extension of the No. 2 factor mentioned above) can be made so effective, and is so often neglected that it rates special attention here as Breather No. 5. The proper use of it can make advertising copy make more sales.

Therefore, it is worth a prominent niche in your memory. To keep it there, visualize a somewhat ridiculous picture. (Tying up an absurd pictorial association with a concept you want to remember is, of course, a well-known aid to memory.) The sketch is of a boy sitting on the prow of a PT boat. His mother is sitting in the stern. Between the two the initials "PT" are printed in big letters on the side of this type of small, but very fast, patrol boat used so extensively in World War II in the South Pacific. This mental picture will help you remember the initials "BOY PT MOM." And these are the initials of the phrase, "Because Of You, People Think More Of Me." Headline No. 63 utilizes that factor. It promises the reader that this new cake improver will win her compliments from others; that because of you (the advertiser) other people will think more of her (the reader). You are offering to show her how to make what she might later call her "reputation cake." Sometimes this element in copy is called the "prestige factor," and is considered only as an extension of the "what the product does" type of copy. (In discussing the advertising of ladies' perfumes Hal Stebbins calls it persuasive, so compelling, that it rates at least a subcategory of its own.

64. IMAGINE ME...HOLDING AN AUDIENCE SPELLBOUND FOR 30 MINUTES

A profitable narrative-ad headline. Broad interest in this kind of ability. Narrator's surprise and apparent humility lend credence and humanness to the statement.

65. THIS IS MARIE ANTOINETTE --- RIDING TO HER DEATH

An often-repeated ad for a set of books. It pulled eight times as many responses in 1/4-page size as were ever received from a double-spread. This is the only straight "curiosity" headline included here. Its headline was relevant --- not, as so commonly used, one of those trick devices to force attention when advertising a product not closely related to the headline.

66. DID YOU EVER SEE A "TELEGRAM" FROM YOUR HEART?

A real stopper of a headline, with a great deal of lure in the copy. Top picture shows a cardiogram report printed upon a Western Union telegram form.

67. NOW ANY AUTO REPAIR JOB CAN BE "DUCK SOUP" FOR YOU

What do you know --- the words "duck soup" in an ad? But doesn't it tell the story in a more unusual way than would "easy," "simple," or some such word --- particularly to the type of market to which this ad is aimed?

68. NEW SHAMPOO LEAVES YOUR HAIR SMOOTHER --- EASIER TO MANAGE

A result that all women want is clearly and persuasively stated. Word "leaves" makes it sound effortless.

69. IT'S A SHAME FOR YOU NOT TO MAKE GOOD MONEY --- WHEN THESE MEN DO IT SO EASILY

The colloquial "it's a shame." Sympathetic understanding of the reader: "You are as capable as these other men." (Headline, of course, is supported by photos and good testimonials.)

70. YOU NEVER SAW SUCH LETTERS AS HARRY AND I GOT ABOUT OUR PEARS

Friendly, human, disarmingly ingenuous, refreshingly non-"advertisy" in language. And, of course, the reference to "such letters."

71. THOUSANDS NOW PLAY WHO NEVER THOUGHT THEY COULD

A headline perennially profitable for a large music school. Again, the copy is crammed with testimonials and references substantiating the claim.

72. GREAT NEW DISCOVERY KILLS KITCHEN ODORS QUICK! --- MAKES INDOOR AIR "COUNTRY-FRESH"

The headline of an ad that launched a big business. Faces a common problem head-on; offers and easy and pleasant solution.

73. MAKE THIS 1-MINUTE TEST --- OF AN AMAZING NEW KIND OF SHAVING CREAM

The "make this test" angle has been used in many good headlines. It is widely usable for others. Its purpose is to induce the reader to participate in a demonstration of the product's merits. However, if credible and dramatic, the test can represent a persuasive demonstration whether or not the reader ever actually makes it.

74. ANNOUNCING...THE NEW EDITION OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA THAT MAKES IT FUN TO LEARN THINGS

The "announcement" type of headline (when bring out a new product) wins attention because people are interested in new things.

Neophobia? --- Americans Don't Suffer From This Ailment! ...Breather No. 6 is here to remind you that in a great many of these headlines you find the word new --- or connotation of it, such as "new kind of," "new discover," "new way to," etc. Americans are partial to the new or novel; they do not suffer from neophobia. To them the mere factor of newness seems to be prima facie evidence of "betterness."

Undeviating affection for the old and tried may be strong in other countries; in ours the desire to try the new is stronger. The great achievements of our inventors and enterprising manufacturers have trained us to believe that if it's new, it's likely to be better. However, the word "new" in a headline should be backed up by copy pointing out the merits of something really new and advantageous, not some transparently trivial difference. And now we come to another familiar headline...

75. AGAIN SHE ORDERS... "A CHICKEN SALAD, PLEASE"

You still hear it quoted. It sold hundreds of thousands of copies of an etiquette book because it capsulated a common and embarrassing situation.

76. FOR THE WOMAN WHO IS OLDER THAN SHE LOOKS

This headline was a stopper to thousands...and more successful than the subtly different "For the Woman Who Looks Younger Than She Is."

77. WHERE YOU CAN GO IN A GOOD USED CAR

The headline of an excellent advertisement which featured what the product does --- rather than what it is. It appeared years ago, before practically everyone owned an automobile. Underneath the headline was a picture of the Indiana Sand Dunes, followed by good copy about the dunes and pointing out that "A good used car brings the whole country to you and yours. Why not buy one? You don't need a lot of money." Finally, after selling the idea, the copy gave some specific details about the cars which were for sale.

78. CHECK THE KIND OF BODY YOU WANT

Check list displayed at top immediately invites reader's participation in specifying "which of these" improvements he would like to make in his physique. Keyed ad repeated frequently by well-known physical culturist.

79. "YOU KILL THAT STORY --- OR I'LL RUN YOU OUT OF THE STATE!"

A true narrative ad run by a nationwide chain of newspapers. Could you flip over the page without wanting to know what happened?

80. HERE'S A QUICK WAY TO BREAK UP A COLD

In simple everyday words, a direct promise to end an undesirable condition --- quickly.

81. THERE'S ANOTHER WOMAN WAITING FOR EVERY MAN --- AND SHE'S TOO SMART TO HAVE "MORNING MOUTH"

Had quite an impact on women readers, this toothpaste ad. Obviously, for there surely is a lot of motivation in its theme: "No woman wants her husband to carry the memory of her morning breath to work with him. The attractive women he meets during the day don't have it."

Stale News to the Advertiser May Be Fresh News to the Reader...And now we come to Breather No. 7. Don't think that because it is our last one it is of least importance. In fact, its value becomes apparent when you realize how many of these headlines employ it. "Get news (or new value) into your headline" is probably the best way to define it. Since you can't pack everything into a headline, stick to your principal appeal --- but give it news value if you can. And remember that what may be stale news to the advertiser may be fresh news to the reader. The advertiser is, of course, thoroughly familiar with his manufacturing methods, the ingredients he uses, the function of his product. They may have no news value for him. They may even be similar to those of his competitors. But that is not true of the readers of his advertisements. Something about the product or the service it renders may be entirely new and sensationally persuasive to the public. And the advertiser who features it first captures its appeal for himself, regardless of the "me too" efforts of competitors who may have, heretofore, failed to capitalize upon it.

82. THIS PEN "BURPS" BEFORE IT DRINKS --- BUT NEVER AFTERWARDS!

Headline expressed in a few words a copy theme credited with pushing one brand of fountain pen up to a leading position.

83. IF YOU WERE GIVEN $200,000 TO SPEND --- ISN'T THIS THE KIND OF (TYPE OF PRODUCT, BUT NOT BRAND NAME) YOU WOULD BUILD?

A "self-incriminating" (and widely applicable) way to have the reader help to specify what he himself would value most in such a product. The copy follows through along these lines: Surely you would put this feature into it. You would be sure that it brought you this advantage, and this, and this...Well, we've done it all for you. As you can see, this product was really created for you!

84. "LAST FRIDAY...WAS I SCARED!---MY BOSS ALMOST FIRED ME!"

A human narrative people wanted to read because it did --- or could --- "happen to me."

85. 76 REASONS WHY IT WOULD HAVE PAID YOU TO ANSWER OUR AD A FEW MONTHS AGO

An interesting example of an ad that backtracks --- pointing out in detail what the reader missed by not buying the product before. A frequently repeated ad used by a well-known news magazine to pull for subscriptions.

86. SUPPOSE THIS HAPPENED ON YOUR WEDDING DAY!

A profitable narrative-ad headline which makes it pretty hard to flip the page. "What was this tragic happening? Could it --- or did it --- happen to me?"

87. DON'T LET ATHLETE'S FOOT "LAY YOU UP"

This pulled three times better than Relieve Foot Itch. It gives the disease a relevant name, points out unwanted effects.

88. ARE THEY BEING PROMOTED RIGHT OVER YOUR HEAD?

Another question aimed at a big target: the legion of frustrated, discouraged people who feel that their ability and conscientiousness are not being amply rewarded by recognition and advancement. (Frequently run by an educational institution which checks the resultfulness of its advertisements.)

89. ARE WE A NATION OF LOWBROWS?

This headline helped to sell inexpensive editions of the classics, by the hundreds of thousands. It starts where the reader is --- because we, as a nation, are not reputed to be greatly addicted to the highbrow type of literature.

Yet this successful campaign showed that Americans know very well the difference between the meritorious and meretricious --- and, if challenged, can prove it with orders. The "we" angle avoids the accusatory "you."

90. A WONDERFUL TWO YEARS' TRIP AT FULL PAY --- BUT ONLY MEN WITH IMAGINATION CAN TAKE IT

This ad about a course for businessmen was repeated again and again, for a period of seven years, in a long list of magazines. It offers a worthwhile reward for reading --- with an intriguing challenge in its second line.

91. WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW...ABOUT THIS STOCK AND BOND BUSINESS

The headline of a full-page newspaper ad crammed solid with small-size type --- and nary a single picture! It drew 5,000 replies when first published, has since appeared in more than 150 newspapers. Promised helpful information of interest to a large audience. A big investment house ran the ad.

92. MONEY-SAVING BARGAINS FROM AMERICA'S DIAMOND DISCOUNT HOUSE

Of course the "bargain appeal" is a sure-fire --- and this is a good example of straightforward presentation.

93. FORMER BARBER EARNS $8,000 IN 4 MONTHS AS A REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST

Featuring an actual testimonial can make a good headline. In this case, the reader's first reaction is "if a barber can do it maybe I can, too!"

94. FREE BOOK --- TELLS YOU 12 SECRETS OF BETTER LAWN CARE

If you are offering something entirely free (such as a booklet or sample) --- and want requests for it in quantity --- feature it right in your headline.

95. GREATEST GOLD-MINE OF EASY "THINGS-TO-MAKE" EVER CRAMMED INTO ONE BIG BOOK

Perhaps you have a new product (or even an old one) and still lack sufficient accurate data as to which, specifically, are the strongest selling appeals to feature in your advertising. In that case, it is often good strategy to "merchandise" the multi-purpose "coverage" of your product as thoroughly as you can. By doing so, you avoid the risk of laying too much stress upon any specific appeal which may prove weak or ineffectual. And, by exposing many of your product's uses and advantages you, at least, enable your reader to know what they are --- so that he can judge for himself the ones which appeal most to him.

96. $80,000 IN PRIZES! HELP US FIND THE NAME FOR THESE NEW KITCHENS

No review of good headlines could be considered even fairly representative unless it included an example of one featuring a prize contest. Of course, it first boldly displays how much money can be won; secondly, what you have to do to win some of it.

97. NOW! OWN FLORIDA LAND THIS EASY WAY...$10 DOWN AND $10 A MONTH

This one also represents a commonly used headline offer --- easy terms --- and conveys it forcefully and persuasively.

98. TAKE ANY 3 OF THESE KITCHEN APPLIANCES --- FOR ONLY $8.95 (VALUES UP TO $15.45)

The familiar reduced-price offer which we see in so many different and alluring forms.

99. SAVE 20 CENTS ON TWO CANS OF CRANBERRY SAUCE --- LIMITED OFFER

An example of the ever-popular coupon-redemption offer. "Limited offer" to increase response. (Sometimes an actual expiration date is stated, to spur quicker action.)

100. ONE PLACE SETTING FREE FOR EVERY THREE YOU BUY!

So now we've finished running the hundred --- except for this last type of headline: the ubiquitous free offer. The rules specify (as exemplified here) that when something must also be bought, this requirement must be displayed with sufficient prominence. "Free" is, of course, a hackneyed and moss-covered word, but there doesn't seem to be any equally strong, or less blatant, substitute for it.

Semoga bermanfaat, semoga konten Yufid menjadi lebih menggigit dengan ilmu baru ini. Yufid butuh gebrakan baru. Konten dakwah harus unik dan menarik!

الأربعاء، 9 أبريل 2014

Tariq ibn Ziyad

Ziyad was obsessed with Tariq ibn Ziyad, a mujahid and a hero of Islam, conqueror of Al-Andalus. Look at the wing that hang around his neck! that’s not Batman’s wing! He was imagining that he was Tariq ibn Ziyad who was cleaning the yard with his sword.
Ziyad

The Angry Birds Effect: The Damage to the U.S. Economy Caused by Angry Birds

Amazing facts: People play 200 million minutes of Angry Birds a day, and it could be costing businesses over $1.5 billion in lost wages, according to an estimate from Alexis Madrigal of the Atlantic- Business Insider: Angry Birds Costing Businesses $1.5 Billion In Lost Wages

I.e. Versus E.g.

I.e. and e.g. are both abbreviations for Latin terms. I.e. stands for “id est” and means “that is.” or “in the other words” E.g. stands for “exempli gratia”, which means “for example.”
I.e.
Use it to introduce a further clarification.
Example:
“I like to play cards, i.e., bridge and crazy eights.”
You know that these are the only card games that I enjoy.

Tips Menulis Dahlan Iskan

Saya sering mengajarkan kepada wartawan kami agar jangan mengabaikan deskripsi. Yakni menceritakan hal-hal detil yang dianggap sepele, tapi sebenarnya penting. Sebuah tulisan yang deskripsinya kuat, begitu saya mengajarkan, bisa membawa pembaca seolah-olah menyaksikan sendiri suatu kejadian. Deskripsi yang kuat bisa membuat pembaca seolah-olah merasakan sendiri kejadian itu. Deskripsi yang kuat bahkan bisa menghidupkan imajinasi pembaca. Imajinasi pembaca kadang lebih hidup daripada sebuah foto. Inilah salah satu kunci kalau jurnalistik tulis masih diharapkan bisa bertahan di tengah arus jurnalistik audio visual.

Saya juga selalu mengajarkan agar dalam menulis kalimat-kalimatnya harus pendek. Kalimat pendek, begitu saya mengajar, akan membuat tulisan menjadi lincah. Kalimat-kalimat yang panjang membuat dada pembaca sesak. Semakin pendek sebuah kalimat, semakin membuat tulisan itu seperti kucing yang banal. Apalagi kalau di sana-sini diselipkan kutipan omongan orang. Kutipan itu –direct quotation–juga harus pendek-pendek. Mengutip kata seorang sumber berita dalam sebuah kalimat panjang sama saja dengan mengajak pembaca mendengarkan khotbah. Tapi, dengan selingan kutipan-kutipan pendek, tulisan itu bisa membuat pembaca seolah-olah bercakap-cakap sendiri dengan sumber berita. (Ganti Hati, Dahlan Iskan)

How to Pronounce INC.?

I asked a question to my favorite english teacher, coach Shane, about how to pronounce the word “INC.”

I was curious about the answer.
Coach Shane answered:
“The pronunciation is the same as ‘ink’. So we would say ‘ink dot com’ I really like that magazine!”

People will pay for things they love

Some Nice Quotes From Aki Sano, Founder & CEO Cookpad

“Probably, the most important thing for an entrepreneur is to find a problem you’re passionate about.”
It’s not the size of capital that matter, but whether you’re really solving real customer problem or not.”
Create something! If you succeeded, at least you’ll be successful for 5 years. If you failed, it doesn’t cost too much because you’re young and your lifestyle is not expensive.”
Create your own category!”
“Do you think my vision is to create recipe site only? No, my vision is diversity in your food! Harmony in Japanese families begins in their table at home; by having diversity in your food, you’re not controlled by only one food resource, which means stability of price.”
Having a validated idea is very important.”
I tried to monetize Cookpad from day 1, but it took me 6 years. What did my wife and I eat during those 6 years? My wife’s family are farmers, so they gave us food and our living cost was so damn low.” -  socionotes.com/blog/aki-sano-cookpad

HubSpot “fires” their best employees by training them and encouraging them to advance in their careers.

Part of creating this environment of innovation is making the organization decentralized and flat. We want to empower the edges of the organization, and we want to let the people who really understand our customers make decisions. Now they can. Brian Halligan of HubSpot

Arab Glot

Cizkah told me about this beautiful and useful website: http://www.arabglot.com

Let’s see one page of the website: http://www.arabglot.com/2013/10/special-forms-in-arabic-handwriting.html
I hope it beneficial for you..

Free Apps is More Profitable than Paid Apps [?]

Please read the interesting part of the article entitled “Missing the dazzling profit potential of free apps” that I have read:
The iPad app king of this autumn is Supercell, with “Clash of Clans” at No.1 and “Hay Day” at No.3  in the U.S. chart of highest grossing apps. “Clash of Clans” is also the No.1 iPhone revenue generator. Both games are free to download. 
“Clash of Clans” is estimated to be grossing between 160,000 – 200,000 euros each day right now. Helsinki industry sources peg the game’s initial development cost at below 140,000 euros. Supercell uses teams of five people to develop its games and the production cycle is a couple of months. What makes the creation of mobile apps so cheap is a simple trick: producers can first put out an initial version featuring 30-60 levels or 30 hours of simulation gameplay. If the app sinks, the production can be closed down. If it soars, new levels and expansion packs can be churned out at short intervals.

الاثنين، 7 أبريل 2014

Tiga Kunci Mencetak Anak Didik yang Cerdas

Ketika awal pembentukan Yufid EDU, sahabat kami yang pertama kali diajak bergabung sebagai guru dan spesialis konten adalah saudara Andy Octavian, seorang anak bangsa yang jenius di bidang fisika, peraih medali emas olimpiade Fisika tingkat internasional pada tahun 2006 di Singapore. Dan sekarang Andy sedang bersiap-siap melanjutkan studi S3 di University of Birmingham setelah sebelumnya mencicipi S3 Fisika di University of Maryland, College Park.

Tangan saya tergerak mengetuk-ngetukkan tuts keyboard, ingin bercerita dan berbagi, setelah saya membaca kisah inspiratif seorang Prof. Yohanes Surya, seorang profesor yang punya passion yang tinggi di bidang pendidikan. Ada satu penggal perkataan Prof. Yohanes yang menggelitik saya; "Tidak ada anak yang bodoh, yang ada hanya anak yang tidak mendapat kesempatan belajar dari guru yang baik dan metode yang benar." Dan perkataan ini beliau buktikan sendiri dengan langsung terjun ke pelosok Papua untuk mencari murid yang paling bodoh, yang paling sering tinggal kelas. Hasilnya cukup mengejutkan, di antaranya ada satu orang anak yang 4 tahun tidak naik kelas di kelas 2 SD, beliau didik, dan kemudian menjadi juara olimpiade Matematika tingkat nasional. Tidak itu saja, anak tersebut juga menjadi juara lomba membuat robot tingkat nasional.

Sahabat kami, Andy Octavian, yang saya ceritakan pada awal tulisan ini adalah seorang dari sekian banyak anak didik Profesor Yohanes Surya.

Sepenggal perkataan Prof. Yohanes Surya di atas sangat menginspirasi saya sebagai seorang ayah dan juga pendidik bagi anak-anak saya. Ada 3 poin yang patut saya catat di sini:

Semua anak didik itu cerdas dan pintar. Tidak ada anak yang bodoh. Setiap anak didik memiliki potensinya masing-masing. Seorang pendidik harus menemukan dimana potensi anak didiknya. Asah potensi tersebut. Anak pertama saya, Ziyad (6,5 tahun), sangat sulit memusatkan konsentrasi ketika sedang belajar berhitung. Bagi Ziyad, belajar Matematika itu kurang menyenangkan. Namun lihatlah betapa asyiknya Ziyad ketika belajar bahasa dan menggambar. Betapa mudahnya Ziyad mencerna materi bahasa Inggris dan bahasa Arab yang saya ajarkan (apalagi bahasa Indonesia!). Itulah potensi Ziyad. Namun, saya istri saya (sebagai guru berhitung Ziyad) tetap menggali lebih jauh bagaimana sih agar Ziyad tetap mencintai Matematika dan seluruh ilmu pengetahuan. Tentu ini butuh waktu buat Ziyad, dan butuh kesabaran bagi saya dan istri sebagai pendidik.

Untuk mencetak anak didik yang cerdas dibutuhkan seorang guru yang berjiwa pendidik. Seorang guru yang berjiwa pendidik memiliki kecintaan (passion) dalam mendidik, menghabiskan waktu-waktu berharganya bersama anak-anak didik. Seorang pendidik memiliki kecintaan yang sangat besar kepada anak didiknya. Hubungan antara pendidik dan anak didik adalah hubungan emosional yang mendalam, bukan hanya sekedar hubungan transaksional di ruangan kelas.

Seorang pendidik dengan dedikasi tinggi belumlah sempurna jika belum dilengkapi dengan metode pendidikan yang tepat. Metode mendidik yang baik tentu akan cocok diterapkan pada seluruh anak didik, apapun kondisi anak didik. Metode mendidik yang baik itu lentur dan lembut, tidak kaku dan tidak pula saklek dan kasar. Contohlah teladan kita, Rasululullah shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, beliau adalah pendidik terbaik di muka bumi ini. Lihatlah apa yang dikatakan Rasulullah shallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam kepada anak didiknya (para sahabat):

إِنَّمَا أَنَا لَكُمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْوَالِدِ أُعَلِّمُكُمْ

"Sesungguhnya aku ini bagaikan orangtua bagi kalian, di mana aku mengajari kalian." (HR Abu Dawud no. 8, dihasankan oleh Al-Imam Al-Albani dalam Shahih Sunan Abi Dawud)

Seorang pendidik adalah orangtua kedua bagi anak didiknya. Sungguh indah, bukan?

Semoga di negeri Indonesia tercinta ini lahir anak didik yang shaleh dan cerdas dari tangan-tangan pendidik yang shaleh dan cerdas.

Yogyakarta, 7 April 2014 (2 hari menjelang Pemilu 2014)