Philosophy about Creation and its Relation with Soul

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

This is only for religious comparative for Muslim brothers and sisters to understand how non-Muslims such as Buddhists and Hindus think. Maybe a little bit high topic. I wrote about this a long time ago in Malay when I was alone and these matters floating again in my head while contemplating. So, I reproduce this again in English and non-Muslim friends may see how a Muslim understood your religion through the view point of "non-Muslim" and not in a preaching method. I encountered many kind of statements come out when I talked or listened to Muslim or Christian preachers talk about "non-celestial" religions or traditions since when I practiced Buddhism while I was a not scoring straight A's school pupil.  I didn't even understand what has been taught in school in subjects such as physics or chemistry but I clearly understood what has been taught by Buddhist and Hindu teachers, haha.

So, I would like to let my brothers and sisters know. These non-Muslims regard their traditions as celestial and for orthodox Brahmins or Orthodox Hindus, they do have canonized scriptures which are known as vedas and upanishads. They were revealed to the maharesis or great sages the progenitor of traditions through the devatas (sparks of light) when the question sparks in the maharesis' mind. The word deva in Sanskrit came from the root word, div which means a ray. When I studied Sirah Islamiah in the madrasah, there is a mention about the Zoroastrians being classified as resembling Jews and Christians. But there is no mention resembling the Jews and Christians to Hindus since their traditions are so broad and multi-layered. We don't talk about faith like changing-clothes. It is not an easy thing. It involves metaphysical views and the worldview of a certain person. 

The philosophies of Hindus and Buddhists are almost the same of the ancient Greeks. The difference between Hindus which also include heterodox Buddhists and the Greeks is that the Hindus have authoritative scriptures. There are also Greeks who embraced Buddhism and spreading its teachings even in Alexandria in ancient Egypt where their tradition was known as dharmmaguptakavinai. The bhagavadgita that we often heard of is some kind of gospel for Hindus. The matter of self-realization, self-awareness, life, death and stuffs are actually counted as some part of the cosmological system.     

Through Hindu philosophy and also well-known by some Buddhists, it is known that universe never came to be at some particular point. However, it always has been and always will be, but eternally flows. The space and time are cyclical in nature. Since the current universe flows, so it constantly changes. This belief is almost the same belief with the Harun Yahya's Big Bang theory. Just kidding, Harun Yahya has also mentioned this theory in his book and some copy-paste ustads used to put this forth to me or boasting about Ibnu Sina's achievements just like Christian missionaries who approached me talking about universe this and that to me when I told them I was a Buddhist since they wanted me to receive salvation in the name of Christ or I will be doomed if I bow down to Buddha idols, lol. I will tell the moral that we can benefit from this post.  

In the Big Bang, the creation of the universe is almost the same in the Hindu philosophy represented by brahma. The life and the universe which follows after the creation is represented by vishnu. The destruction of the universe is symbolized by siva. It is mentioned in few puranas too that there are continual creation and destruction of the universe. Both the creation and the destruction of universe is phrased as the inhalation and exhalation of gigantic cosmic symbolized by mahavishnu.  

Some misunderstanding that happens in the comparative religion studies especially when some Muslim students taking the course simply to fulfill the elementary unit for university paper is that, they thought brahma is equal to Allah, haha. There are many brahmas. How come Allah is equal to Brahma??? Perhaps they had mistaken it with another term which is Brahman? For all Hindus, Brahman is the source and sustains the universe. It is infinity of infinity. There are at least three conceptions of philosophical schools about Brahman whether it is impersonal without qualities, personal with qualities or supreme. In the upanishads, the Brahman is described by the resis (sages) as the ultimate essence of material phenomena. It also includes the original identity of human self which is what I has mentioned as attama or atman in previous post. It cannot be seen or heard by physical eyes and ears. However, its nature could be revealed through the development of self-awareness and knowledge. There are schools of non-duality known as Advaita which believes that Brahman is seen by human through the unattachment to materialism as his or her realize the true-self. I guess this is what has also been discussed in wahdat al-wujud discourses when it comes to "some" Sufi Muslims and Mu'tazila groups of Muslims such as Hamzah Fansuri and his opponent, Nuruddin Raniri of 17th century Acheh. Brahman for Hindus is some kind of universal spirit. It influenced their view about the God and the connection between God and human inner-self. It is not about physical body. Physical body is just a cage for the soul and inner-self.

Now when it comes to us the Muslims who follows the creed of imams such as imam bin Hanbal, we are not allowed to speak exceeding the limit about Allah. We only follow what Allah tells about Himself in the Quran. If Allah does not tell that He is in the form of spirit, so it is not our right to say or even think that He is a spirit. The same thing also if He does not tell that He resembles anything in the universe. We have no right to personify him, to portray that He has limbs like human-being or animals or symbolize Him or associate Him with anything in the universe.

I found that it is easy to understand some phenomena of physics such as oscillations or sound vibrations through the Hindu philosophy. I also was exposed to Hindu medicine studies through Sanskrit language studies though it is not taught in school curriculum. It is not separated from the surrounding life as compared to sciences from the West which was actually the reproduction of Greeks sciences. And there were also Greeks who were of ancient Hindu and Buddhist religions since the time Alexander of Macedonia conquered some parts close to Indus civilization, lol. I hate schools and I don't think it is a place for me to study. The real place to study is the wilderness of nature and in the real society.

The moral of this post is a person that we look like ignorant is not actually stupid. The same thing that I found about Muslims and Christians especially of the Western rites are that we tend to view others as stupid and talking about science, theories and others just to refute others, boasting around or simply raising a debate to decide who wins or who loses. I think that this is a pathetic attitude...  This is what makes me having difficulties mixing around with other brothers and sisters especially from Mahasiswa Islam or even the Tabligh Jama'at brothers though I love them and giving a huge respect to them behind them for da'awa works.

Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad wa 'alaa aali Muhammad wa sahbihi ajma'iin...

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!     

Philosophical Terms about Self and Soul

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I always spend my time around this musalla sometimes reciting Quran alone behind the musalla. My family house is just few blocks from here and I can just walk to reach here. Beloved brothers and sisters may visit me kalau sudi boleh saya belanja minum teh : )

While growing up into a 26 years old guy, I had came to experience many conflicts and bitter experiences. I counted every event that happened in my life and most of those being counted are bitter ones while only few are pleasant ones and that does not last longer since it is taken away in a blink of eyes. I heard many debates about being grateful and thankful and the notion of redha (pleased) with divine pre-destiny in the Tablet of the Holy Lord. I also found connections of the human traits and quality with the desire or self-passion with the events that happened in life such as the psychological problems attacking a person when he or she could not achieve something or simply facing loophole in their life. The true meaning of happiness in life, they could not decipher.

I sometimes use to talk about this issue with my family member when we encounter conflicts within our sphere. I don't know whether this a high issue that could not be grabbed by others though they are highly educated and excel well in academics as compared to me or maybe because people have different ways to view the world around them. I admit that I was influenced by Buddhist or maybe Hindu's worldview and metaphysics but when I return to ancestor's path, it does not differ much especially after I opened up Muslim elders' discussions in tasawwuf kitabs. This is not about 'aqidah or the fixed Islamic creed about the nature of Allah nor about the wahdat al-wujud or taniyat al-wujud stuffs. This is about creature's self-awareness.

This is a little bit philosophical not of Islamic scriptural studies. I am not playing smart here. I would also use daily occasions in explanations and if this is Hindu or Buddhist teachings, then I will mention it as it is as not to mix them up or confusing anybody who stepped in the humble site. It's not about berhala or idolatry as I didn't learn Buddhism to worship stones, lord Buddha, devas nor to worship any creature as Divinity. This is about the desire of human-being who is never satisfied with whatever that it has. In Arabic, we call the self as nafs and the same thing is also absorbed into Malay language when our ancestors bringing the path to South East Asia realm. When I was exposed to Buddhism teaching, the nafs is known as attama. Attama means the ego or the soul in Bali-Sanskrit.

Hindu-Buddhism Technical Concepts

First of all I think maybe I need to put up the comparison between technical terms between Sanskrit and Arabic. When our ancestors who were involved in philosophical studies as they entered the regions, they just translated everything into Arabic or Persian what they had understood from the lessons that they studied from non-Muslim philosophies since before the formation of the fixed creed of "Sunnah" teachings to counter some movements who dwell with confusing philosophies regarding spirituality, self-concept, perception and identity closely related to psychology. The terms such as wahdat al-wujud and stuffs came from the philosophies of non-Muslims from the Indus civilization. Some of the terms are also absorbed into Malay language right away from Sanskrit since Malay countries were previously of Hindu traditions. This is an effort from a plain Arab descent guy in South East Asia in the part of clearing the lapses faced between civilizations. Sanskrit culture, philosophies and traditions in Asia and South East Asia is like of Greek and Latin's in Europe.

The terms that I would like to share for comparison between Sanskrit and Arabic are jiwa and attama. Jiwa could be an equivalent for nyawa in Malay. In Arabic, it is a concept almost close to ruh and in English we translate it generally as soul though soul is only a part of jiwa. Attama on the other hand could be classified from lower to higher. It means the self or ego. In Arabic, we also have the term which is known as nafs and it is also subbed into few kinds of self. For those of Hindu traditions and Buddhists, attama is eternal as well as jiwa. They never die and could not be killed though being tortured, stabbed, slain, burned, shot or crucifixed. 

Then there is another thing about human and other creatures who breath in the earth and universe as to understand these words that we use and listen everyday. Human and creatures posses body and not only soul. Body in Arabic is known as jasad. Urm, I can't think any word used by Hindus for this. But when a person dies, the Sanskrit word for dead body used by Buddhists is kalevarah and in Malay it is known as bakai or bangkai. In Arabic, the body without soul is known as janazat or mayyit. For Buddhists and Hindus, body is the cage of the soul. It contains the soul. When the body has no nadi (blood flow in the vein) because the heart stops beating, the lungs stop functioning and stop producing breath that could be sensed flowing from the nose, or when the brain stops functioning, then the body is officially dead. The jiwa or the ruh is separate with the body and it becomes a mayyit.

The Buddhists and Hindus believe in the reincarnation of jiwa as it is not a subject to death like what I had mentioned above. The subject to sufferings and death is only the body. However, jiwa is not free from attachment to worldly desires. It needs to be liberated from desires. So, here comes the attama. Attama is more related to thoughts and desire. It leads human from the lowest to the realization of highest self. 

What actually makes human happy? Is it a disastrous life, simple and plain life or a luxurious life? When we wanted to achieve something say, the degree for an example... How long would we take to achieve it? Is it a comfortable or an enduring difficult process? For what is the degree? It is for career improvement or simply for a topic of discussion when we meet people as not to lose our face. Why we need a career? We need to survive in this modern world with it. It is to get a suitable job. What if we can't get suitable job after that? Won't we feel that it is a pointless thing? What if we get a suitable and desirable job? We can further continue to other stage of life. But how long would we feel happy with it? It's not long isn't it? We would face other things which will follow. The jiwa is learning through the pain and pleasure of temporary worlds. Both hell and paradise is temporal in their belief. This is related to the creation of universe (brahma) and cosmology in Buddhism as well as Hinduism about the cosmic system exploding stuff giving way for new cosmic system which consists of time and space. A very long-winding story and I had once learned about the planets cyclical calculations for predictions though I wasn't good at maths in school. I think it is almost close to astrologers' science and illegal in Islam. But I still remember some of the the lessons just never practice it anymore, hehehe. 

I'm just sharing about philosophical view of life and spirituality in this post which makes up some part of me today. Not about Islamic matters yet and not about tasawwuf angle related to Islam since we don't want to mix them up. In Hindu-Buddhism, there is also a term known as brahmalikhittam. It is almost close to the meaning of taqdir ilahi or qada' and qadar for Muslim and I am aware about these concepts too. It is mentioned in hadith qudsi of imam Nawawi compilation narrated by Umar r.a and summarized again in the Islamic pillars of faith. 

So, as per Hindus, the mind of a person who's not attached to external sense objects enjoys happiness of the inner-self. They will realize the ultimate truth. It is through the knowledge of uniting the consciousness of oneself with the ultimate consciousness that he enjoys the unlimited bliss. This is the word of Krishna to Arjuna during the Kurukshettram war in a part of Mahabharata which was separated into Bhagavadgita (chapter 5 verse 21). Buddhists always discuss about developing one self to achieve nibbhana (free from psychological and physical suffering). From where the atman comes is not important. 

Whoa, such a long post I need to stopppp!!!!

I thought that it is just a mere writing about terms but it also includes worldview and few topics which could be developed more. Today I just feel quite sad and I text Amir which is my undergrad friend who's still in contact with me. I just talk about appearing "dead" to all of my contacts. I also think to shut-down my recently opened facebook account but nevermind... Let it be there... I won't log in nor checking the news of the brothers that I came to know in Tekun hostel anymore. I also received the text from Azren which was also my undergrad classmate and a senior of European studies postgraduate class. He talked about his loathe with accountants who love to yell at people and know no respect to people also saying that he hates corporate culture. Then when he asked me about my job interview. I just answer him that I won't go far from my father. It is ok if people treat me like a person with no feeling because they hardly see me crying in front of people or losing my temper. I am a very patient person. I'm not bragging but this is a fact. I know who is my self.

I made a hard decision which is to take care of my bed-ridden father rather than going out to find job because my sisters are busy with their life and my mother could not handle it alone. She also has other ceremonial responsibility. I went out for a moment taking opportunity from the visits of my two aunties tonight. I just went out to musalla chanting dzikr and Asmaa' al-Husna after I can't hold my tears during maghrib service to calm down myself and shave bald my head, hehe. It symbolically shows that I am willing and ready to be a sacrifice and I will sacrifice everything in myself whether external or internal for my father well-being after I talked with Allah. May Allah helps my father and cure him, inshaAllah. I believe Allah is my Protector and Friend. He never leaves me and He knows what is the best for my soul so He educates me with His Mercy and Love.       

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!    

Hari Raya in Kampung 2012

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Fajar time in Muzaffar Shah Masjid of Sungai Petani town, Kedah state

Every year we must be heading toward the north for the Hari Raya or 'Aidulfitri celebration. It is like some kind of a must or a tradition. Actually this northern heading trend had began since I was a little boy in the 90's. I was born in Sungai Petani in Central Kedah state of northern Malaysia. I don't really like returning there with family but I used to travel alone by myself without my family know where I went to in few stages of my life, haha. I just feel comfortable traveling alone and I love to walk and not traveling in a car. I don't have to burden others nor do I have to hear brawls along the journey. I can also observe people around me. My second elder sister who is a fan of Ustad Zahazan might judge me as a selfish person as I tend to be more individualistic. I don't know that being individualistic to avoid burdening or annoying others is considered as a selfish trait, hahaha. I am not a talkative person but sometimes if I have to voice up, I would do so.  

As far as I could remember, when our maternal grandparents were still around we would return to their house in Kampung Ulu Pauh in the nearby Perlis state. My grandma would wait for us at the door or maybe when they fell asleep late at night as the journey in 90's is far longer than nowadays, we would knock the door. But after they passed away, we just return to our stations in Penang island or in Sungai Petani which is our last fort in the state. My third elder sister who married in Thailand had also conducted a proper nikah again at our home after I threatened her and her husband! So she also took the opportunity to conduct her wedding reception at the hotel nearby our old house in Sungai Petani town. I don't normally like to meet people around but at that event I took the opportunity to know the old friends of my father and also to get closer with my paternal relatives. Many of my paternal relatives, I don't really know and I feel not close to them as compared to my maternal relatives. We always return to maternal grandparents house without fail when they're alive so those siblings of my mother or her cousins are also known to us though not so close. 

I get to know a paternal nephew more closely. His name is Amir just like my colleague and close friend's name during my undergraduate. He is the son of my cousin sister known as Zaynab and of the same age with my eldest sister. Zaynab's mother is the eldest sister of my father known as Hawa (Eva). She passed away due to stroke and hypertension. This auntie had once lives in Singapore with her husband and children (my cousins) but they went back to Kedah state after few problems there. Hawa's husband and the maternal grandpa of Amir known as Yusuf passed away because of stressful life in the village as he's not familiar with village style of life. Amir looks like a Northern Indian. I recall that I visited him before his father passed away because of drug addiction, he still has hair on his head and quite fair. But when I saw him few years back then after his father passed away, he is already bald, darker and converted into a member of Tabligh Jama'at. He ran a char koey tieow business in Alor Setar despite of his straight A's result in O-Level. I just took his contact number and invited him to be received as a guest and a brother in faith since now he's still checking the prospect of business after his business in the town is not so well-off. For the contact, first of all, he's my nephew. Secondly, he's also a poor guy just like me and thirdly we are single, hahaha. He also know my mother's Tabligh elder brother. Who does not know him. He's a chief there in Beseri and travels a lot with the banner of Tabligh Jama'at though he looks Chinese. Even those Tabligh karkuns in Tekun hostel of USM where I recently stayed there also know him though never personally meet him. What a surprise, lol.

Other than that, I also get to know brother Zabidi, Zahari and Zain who are the sons of my father step brother from the first wife, Hassan. They live in Sik which is a bit rural so I don't get the chance to closely know them nor being close to their children who are my nephews and nieces. The other whose name is Zakaria is quite well-known to me. He was a police man in Sungai Petani town with his late wife, Khadijah. I think I need to polish again the compilation of our lineage and family tree from my father's compilation. Just to make sure that we won't lost contact or losing our identity. Many youngsters had already forgotten who they are. We are dissolved into the majority realm day by day and elders passed away so they could not tell us anything no more. Other than that is the friends of my father like our old neighbor and family. This family is also a peranakan Arab family of the past but because we're poor we are not easily being distinguished with other locals. Before my father was experienced strokes, he had also proposed me to marry the daughter of this family but I refused as I am not stable, having no possession nor having enough knowledge to teach others as a protection for them. I don't want to end up burdening others just because I wanted to follow the "trend" or not being labeled as a "gay" or no personality strength to attract girls. I found that, it is so "gay" to follow the trend for the sake of not being labeled with this and that, hehehe. Other than that, I don't like match-making! I love everything to work according to spontaneous and natural way. Before I repented I had also once thought that I would seek refuge in monastic community (being a monk) as I had already memorized few section of Buddhism monastic codes and just need to underwent initiation in proper Buddhist temple and Allah does not permit me to do so, hahaha. It makes marriage as not a big concern for me. Ow yeah, in Chinese we call the act of being a monk as 出家 chujia which means cutting ties with anything that hold us from seeking liberation or simply get the hell out of the house, hehe.              

There is no normal kueh raya (cookies) tasting at others' house and of course no duet raya for me as I am already an old kid, hehe. We can't really visit others because my father is still bed-ridden. We bring him back to Kedah right away from KL 300+ km something in my elder sister mini-van with few folded purposes where his friends in Kedah could also have the opportunity to see him. We just stayed at our old house in Sungai Petani until yesterday and we return home today just after we finish tidying everything up after my sister's wedding reception. I managed to read few books related to tasawwuf, shi'ism and shariah. I also found an interesting book about Sayyid Muhammad Naquib al-Attas thought related to educational philosophy. All of these are from hundreds of my father's book collection. I didn't get to read all of the book when I was a school kid, but now I have the time to check them all. My father also didn't read all of religious-related books. He is interested in sentimental type of literature related to his surrounding life as he was not properly educated by religious teachers after his father passed away but he respects knowledge. As for me, I was exposed to non-Muslim philosophical thinking and I am sure Imam Bin Hanbal forbids people to be involved in these matters but I can't help it. I was involved in it since I was a young kid and some of them were molded by bitter experience. I'm going to read those piles of book that I bring back.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!   

Worship: The Qasar of Salat

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Banna Masjid, Yunnan China

Introduction

I found that it is frustrating when discussing this thing with people who don't understand because they never practice this and don't try to understand this. This is an angle of sunnah or prophetic traditions. I don't do anything without any basis from sunnah! Even some things that I perform before I didn't even realize were apart of prophetic traditions but it is not looking so puritanical because the practices were ingrained in ourselves so we may practice it according to our own consideration and creatively being suited according to necessities. 

Now let us study this. If this note is not so comprehensive than try to find a real-living teacher in front of us. Get advices from sharia teachers of your schools of jurisprudence. It is to make sure we do not leave our salat without any valid reason. I don't look like a decent person in the real life out here with sharban or jubah either, but I always make sure that I consult sharia teachers when it is related to daily life routines. I went to masjid and doing everything with the sincerity ingrained in heart and never try to show off my faith to others because it is my "precious treasure". I will try to separate the parts for this topic so we could understand this matter in detail.

So, as to begin I would like to talk about the Qasar Salat first. Firstly for myself. Secondly for brothers and sisters. Maybe there are many sites talking about this. But on my behalf, I would like to tell brothers and sisters. This is our heritage and traditions. We must be aware about ourselves. I learned about "self-awareness" through previous experiences and most of them are bitter periods. Knowledge is very important to save our selves from sufferings as ignorance is a root of sufferings. I don't have any intention to defame Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. I respect this figure may Allah bless him and I read his written books but I somehow found that those "mere followers" who talked in masjids including those who had some chat with me in my university are not fully aware about themselves. That is why they create sufferings on themselves and extend them to everyone around them through their acts which are rooted from their ignorance. Their adab and akhlak is not to the standard of sunnah which they always mention when they condemn others and confident on "their" stance. It will also bear out evil characteristics and personalities such as riyaa', takabbur and 'ujub. I found the same things also in groups and movements around us which makes me staying away from them without saying any word. Naudzubillahu min dzaalik we seek protection of Allah from those things may they never reach us, amin!

What is Qasar Salat?

Allah says as recorded in Surat an-Nisaa' verse 101 which means: "And when you walk on the earth thus there is no prevention for you to simplify your salats".

So, in Arabic qasar simply means short or simple. When it refers to salat, it means a simplified salat or a shortened salat. From four unit or prayer to two units of prayer.  

What prayer service consists of four units of bows and prostrations? They are:

1. Dzuhr or the mid day prayer service

2. 'Asr or the after noon prayer service     

3. 'Ishaa' or the night prayer service

When we simplify these prayer services, the number of units will be shortened to two units of bows and prostrations. This is what we call as the qasar of salat.

What about other two daily prayer services? They are:

1. Fajr or dawn prayer service

2. Maghrib or dusk prayer service

Both of these services have nothing changing in the number of units. For Fajr, we still have to perform it full which is two units and for Maghrib we must perform it three units. No simplification nor shortening of the units for these prayers! 

How Do We Perform Qasar Salats?

The manner to perform a simplified or shortened salat is the same with the manner we perform it in the normal way. The differences are the intention and number of units.

For example dear beloved brothers and sisters, the obligatory prayer service of 'Ishaa' when we perform it in normal manner, we may mentally state the intention: "I perform the Ishaa' prayer service four units only for Allah the Most Highest". For the qasar or the simplification of this salat, we may mentally state: "I perform the Ishaa' prayer service two units only dedicated to Allah the Most Highest".

What is the Ruling for Qasar Salat?

How Many Days a Person May Perform Salats in Qasar Form?

According to Hanbali madzhab, if a person who travels to an area and in his intention he wanted to simplify in the particular area or place for more than four days or up to 20 days, so he cannot simplify the daily obligatory salats. The Hanbali madzhab counts the arrival day and the departure day into the days for a person being considered as residing in a place or not. If a person does not have any intention to reside in the particular place he is traveling, then he may perform the obligatory in qasar form until he finish up with his matters or business there. There are many hadiths which shows that it is permissible. So, this has to do with terms as the act of worship is apart of the law of nature. When we talk about law, the involvement of linguistics could not be avoided. 

Ibnu Qayyim mentions that there is no explanation that mentions about whether Muhammad s.a.w performs the four units prayer services while he was traveling. Ibnu Qayyim mentions that Muhammad s.a.w always simplify his salats (while traveling). He also mentions that Umar, Ali, Ibnu Mas'ud, Ibnu Umar, Jabir and Imam Abu Hanifah decided that Qasar Salat is obligatory while traveling and with the intention not to reside in a certain place.       

Their decision perhaps based from a hadith which was collectively being narrated by a group of narrators from Ya'la bin Umaiyya who says that Umar al-Khattab had once asked Muhammad s.a.w about the simplification of salat and Muhammad s.a.w mentions: "It is the donation of Allah given to all of you, thus accept His gift!".

And one thing to mention, Qasar and Jama' of the salats are two different things but may be combined. Many people including previous me was confused about this. Why we were confused? Because we never bother to study this issue. Other thing I would like to mention, our paternal community were once the da'is representing Fatimid empire but they're from various branches and were equipped with the knowledge of at least two schools of jurisprudence. Due to their condition, they have to travel so when people don't see them really praying since it is because they have to perform jama' and qasar prayer services. Insha'Allah we will try to talk about this issue in more detail when we are free. I'm just posting this as a reminder so everyone will keep talking about this when seeing each other. Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad wa 'alaa aali Muhammad.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

Before Interview

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I am sure that everyone must at least facing this throughout their life. Actually it sucks that we have to go through interviews especially in the environment that we could not tell how does it look like. I had gone through like two or three interviews after my A-Level certification for jobs like court translator with two interviewers and one of them is a snob, attending an interview immigration department interpreter for Chinese passengers during the rumors about China lady being bullied in this country's police station that made the Foreign Affairs Minister being sent to China to apologize and to prostrate to China but it turns out that the lady squatting was a Malay lady with fair skin like a Chinese and the move is unnecessary anyway, haha. I had also tried to answer the exam for pharmacist training conducted by the Ministry of Health and I passed the paper but I refused the admittance letter than made my mother outraged at me. I also had refused the invitation of my colleague to join him to be a government officer in the federal office because I think I need to further the study a little bit more which turns out to be a regret, hahaha. Now I am applying for a position related to humanitarian work in a cross-boundary organization. I think I am suitable to help others and I love to help others, then making friends with people around.

Interview Questions

I don't like to predict anything but somehow we need to do this especially when we have to. Their questions would be:

1. What makes you interested or what makes you a suitable candidate for this position? Why should we take you for this position? What is your strength? Tell us about yourself? Maybe we could use the same pattern of answers????

Then to answer them perhaps, I would say I am in deep passion for humanitarian job. Then tell them how I serve the previous organization. I would answer, although I worked as an interpreter for Chinese speaking passengers in the immigration office in international airport, but I also practiced the principles of humanitarian where I served flight passengers who do not speak in Chinese for example the migrant workers who just arrived from Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia. It is totally out of my job scope but I was willing to do that since I am passionate to help others and putting my self in their shoes.

While in the university doing my undergraduate, I learned the basic language of law and I use to apply what I had studied into real life. I traveled to Bangkok in Thailand around the end of July 2011 to see how social work being conducted in Bangkok as I heard that they put great emphasize on social work. I saw how social workers walking along the streets and also some others cooperating with Buddhist monks to promote charity in society every morning. I made friends and contact with some of social workers in Bangkok and get to listen to their experience. Some of them also conducted researches in my university and they advised me to step out of comfort zone and seeing the real life. I am thankful for their advise.     

I also went to few seminars related to gender equality in Pulau Pinang, feminism issue seminars in women development research center, world conflict seminars in the center for policy research and international studies and also to sustainability seminars conducted by the school of social science in the university as Science University of Malaysia is promoting sustainability growth and development. It taught me many things related to peaceful co-existence and about being open-minded. 

2. Maybe they would ask me, basically how does my previous job look like? Describe more to us?

I would answer... My previous job scope is to interpret and to translate the documents which were brought by Chinese passengers if they have programmes in Malaysia or interpreting for detainees in the office and in the prison. I would help the officers in the office to tell detainees about the procedures that will follow after they are detained and they should also respect the law as it is for everyone's good. I would continue the job and being absorbed into the department as an officer but after that I received the offer letter to further study so I think that knowledge is also crucial for me to understand the life better. Sometimes I would have to help immigration officers to make call to detainees' embassy and consulate to deal with the issue as to ensure that their rights being protected and not being neglected since immigration department has to deal with many issues at the country's main gate. I might also help stranded passengers especially those from rural areas in China and India with food with my own expenditure as a charity. I worked five hours a day with two shifts day and night. In a week I would roll the schedule with my colleagues. Sometimes I would work up to 8 hours if my colleagues have to take leaves to cover the flight peak hours and helping to cover the officers at the counters when they face problem with communication.    

3. It seems like you had two years gap after the graduation. What did you do in this gap terms?

Damn, this is a killer question! Well, maybe I would stay true to myself though it might jeopardize me, huhu. I attend the postgraduate studies in Science University of Malaysia majoring in European studies from 2010-2012 and I am still working on my thesis after finishing all the classes. While in the gap time, I also did some translations and editing job for other students for some pocket money. For the lack of organizational work experience, I think this is the substitute for it as I am not staying idle even when I study. I travels around and joining voluntary jobs around Penang island for example of Tzu Chi Foundation distributing food during festivals.

4. What is your expected salary?

Well, when the times come I think I would agree with reasonable amount. But I would expect the salary that reflect my experience, the given position role and qualifications. What range that you have in mind? 

5. So, do you have any questions before we end?

I would like to know what career growth opportunity or training offered to the staffs? 

Then before we end, I might have to say thank you for the session. I am looking forward to hear from you soon. 

Ending

Whoa, it's like five questions and answers and first two is quite long. Maybe it combines few answers for few combined questions.Ya Allah, help me tomorrow I'm so nervous lar!!! I need the job for further life experience! I think I need to print this page out to read them as to get the points. Tomorrow ya AbdAllah please take note, think slowly speak slowly. They will listen to you. Don't speak like a bullet train. That's my problem as I wanted to end everything fast.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!  

Going for an Interview

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Ramadan Events

Long time I've neglected the blog, hehe. I'm still trying to find some space to jot down religious studies materials and enhancing our understanding about our path but somehow the "time" is quite limited. Today perhaps is the 23rd day of Ramadan. In our calendar, it is a little bit different because we have few events which happens in Ramadan related to our imams. On 19th of Ramadan 40 H, imam Ali r.a was hit at his head by the poisonous sword by Ibnu Muljam (may Allah forgives him) during pre-dawn prayer service in the masjid in Kufah, Iraq. On the 21st of Ramadan he passed away and on the 23rd we have various activities related to ancestral traditions such as reciting Quranic verses followed by others in conjunction to Laylat al-Qadar or the Nights of Divine Predestination.

Interview

Urmm, I have an interview this Wednesday on the 15th of August 2012. Quite occupied with it because it has been so long I had isolated myself from the multitudes. It is an interview in Damansara Heights for a cross boundary delegation. I don't really put any stressing hope in it but if I get the job then it would be very good for me to repair my communication skill which was halted by several phases of life such as studying. Salary is not my primary motivation though it might help me to perform worship for Him. I found that each time when we're going to turn to other phase of life, it would be an anxious process since we are not sure with what will happen in the future yet we're stuck in the past. My house is quite far from the interview place and I don't really have any transport. My brother in law has offered to send me for the interview. I think it would be a burden for him and I feel shy to bring difficulties to him or anyone. Ok the truth also, I hate to drive in the city and I love public transportation but this country is not like Japan where their train and bus system is quite sophisticated. Driving for me maybe if we want to reach areas which are very far or couldn't be reached in rural region.

How to Access the Damansara Heights Commercial Buildings?

I checked that we have to take the RapidKL bus with the code T634 via Jalan Maarof. Firstly, I would have to reach the Bangsar LRT station at the Kelana Jaya Line. I think that LRT system in Kuala Lumpur is quite confusing for me as compared to the train system in Bangkok. Kuala Lumpur train system has three lines altogether. Maybe I went to Bangkok just to hang around and not for any specific job that made me understood the system when I stayed there for few days. There is also a Maybank ATM in this station. 

So, I checked the map maybe I could first take the ERL from Putrajaya to KL Central. Then from KL Central, I would have to take the LRT at the Kelana Jaya Line to Bangsar. From Bangsar LRT station, I would have to take the T634 RapidKL bus and stop by in front of Wisma UOA. And when I wanted to return home I would have to repeat this process in reverse. 

Just in case if I don't have car to reach the area because my sisters also have to use cars at home. Just pray to Allah I get the job and being optimistic but not depending on it either. First things that I should do is to return the loan that I made from National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) once I get the job in any place that I get hired from. I hate debts and it is among those things that strangle us and making us breathless while we're alive. Maybe I need a motorbike too but I've got no driving license for motorbike. I just did driving license when I was an undergraduate student.

About Classes and Thesis

I'd finish all of the classes. Thankful to Allah that I've passed all of the papers and just repeating only one paper last semester. I just have to amend my thesis and submit it by December to be published before I could get my postgrad. degree certificate. Wishing that all the knowledge and experience that I've sought from classes and the period of two years (plus previous three years with nine months idle at home) meditating in the university would be beneficial to perform worship and life. I learned a lot about stress management, anxiety problem and depression when I was alone meditating in my room. I had no roommate last time so only Allah knows how I feel at that time. No other human-being could understand it except if they face the same situation that I faced. I practiced few meditation process which I learned when I was a Buddhist boy and recalled things that I had learned from both Islamic and Buddhism sources by experience. I learned about spiritual and physical bodies of material beings and spiritual dimension is actually what is known through psychological studies. 

Experience with Tabligh Kid Again!

Other experience, there was a Tabligh guy who tried to also approach me. I knew him since I was in my third year undergrad since he stayed in the same hostel with mine at that time but he didn't know me nor did I know his name. I only came to know him through my time spent in the musalla in my hostel when I was in postgraduate time and he's still there extending for his degree and right now he's still there as a research assistant. I don't even give a damn to him nor anyone around when I perform worship because our heart must be "focused" only for Him. I found that it is quite annoying when people trying to get "certification" for spiritual lineage from me or trying to get people's admittance on their sainthood or anything to do with hagiographical stuffs. They love to talk about this yea??! I don't know who's a saint or who is not! It is not my business as an ordinary lowly human-being but only Allah knows! Why don't he ask Allah himself instead of asking a human-being???! Who he think he is? I hate to talk with kids (younger than me) nor with those who just superficially looking or talking religious because we faced these kind of situations earlier in our life.

I don't know why it is important for these people to be known as mawlana, sayyiduna, waliyullah etc stuffs? What is in their "heart"? If we're doing religious work in addition da'awa, the primary and sole intention must be because of sincerity for Him not being tainted by other things like trying to impress anyone be he a Muslim or non-Muslim or having a special badge for a distinct group of people. The job to Guide everyone is His job. We only tell people the good news but we have no power to "pull" others toward the good news except with His permission! 

Most of all, I use English when I talk and read religious materials because I am a Peranakan Arab and we use Classical Kedah Malay which sometimes sounds a little bit rural as compared to those who are not mixing around with Malay society. I also read materials in Classical Malay but it is only when I read but still when discussing matters I'm not fluent in standard Malay yet I still try to speak in the language that people understand. When I talk with people, I would try to turn my level to the same level of speech with the listener as to respect them. Use the language that people commonly use. If we are with English or Malay speaking people, then use English or Malay! English is just common and widely understood among people of different nationalities. Never use any hierarchical or any terms like in Urdu for example jaminder (quorum leader), hidayat (guidance), bayan (lecture), ghasht (knocking at people's door to invite them to persuasion bayan), takazah (reminder) and etc. just to show off that we're a member of certain group or movement unless if we're teaching Urdu language to others or a Pakistani or North Indian who in real life speaking or writing in the particular language. There are many groups within Muslim society who perform the da'awa of amar ma'aruf nahi munkar and not solely our congregation or circle within a nation. There are also many nations in the earth. It sounds like pompous when I listened to these kind of speech because we know what they're talking about but they are not originated from the region that they're trying to imitate.

Even for me I refuse to force the acceptance of certain "cultural traits" from any group into the people that we're performing da'awa. If we're performing mission to the Japanese people, then we should use Japanese language and finding the parallel with their culture to explain stuffs related to Quranic teachings and Sunnas. We could see most Malay people still practicing their local customs and not dancing like tribal Arabs during their wedding ceremony because our missionaries did not enforce the Arab code of customs into Malay society. Instead we, the locally born descents were forced to speak in Malay language and dialects. Not speaking in our ancestral language and we help locals to preserve their culture too.    

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!