Writing Ideas

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

These few months, I am actually trying to figure out on how to do some creative writings and developing them into novels. I cannot really judge the novels written in our country especially those written in Malay as I am not really reading them. Some that I had read was borrowed from my little sister who loves to live in fantasy and dream. Immature girl... What can we expect... Even sometimes I have to be her mother and cooking for her though I'm not a mother since she cannot do those chores herself.

I have got some idea on writing the story but I find that it is hard to bring everything in detail. Other than that, I do everything based on life experience and not about day-dreaming since I had forgotten how to dream or having a nice pretty fantasy. Most of the Malay novels that I had seen in my little sisters basket (which some of them are actually borrowed from her close friend) talks about love and most of them are for females written by females. Maybe like one or two out of dozens of the novels are with thriller theme like the one that I read titled Tandaruo something in Dusun or perhaps Kadazan language, which is the language of a state in our Borneo side. I read the book until I finished it, khatammm... 

I also have few immigrant friends from India. Some of them are from Himachal Pradesh and some from Punjab but I never befriend Pakistani anymore since I had an incident with an anonymous Pakistani guy near the musalla of my third point last year. I never make any visitation to the musalla anymore. I always have this weird encounter where people from Northern India would suddenly talk to me in their language but I can only reply to them in English, hahaha... I am not fluent in Hindustani language but I can still understand the language.

Another concern is that, I do not know whether to publish them or just writing as a charity. I made many translations as well as rewriting lectures for religious studies be they of Islamic or non-Islamic sources. I read many kinds of books from religious books, history, anthropology, politics, sociology, law, and others. I still remember I had read many Old Malay novels or perhaps books like Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijk and Di Bawah Lindungan Kaabah written by Abdul Karim Amrullah from Sumatera, Indonesia. I read almost everything written by this figure... 

Other than that I read Putera Gunung Tahan by Pak Sako from Pahang state, Salina written by A. Samad Said most that still can remember some glimpse of the stories. Other than that, the book that I read or lessons in form of stories that I'd heard have religious connotations for e.g the Hikayat Seri Rama which is a 15th century Malay translation of the Javanese Hindu poem or Kawiyam adapted from the Vaalmiki Ramayana from ancient India. Some Serat Bharatayuddha which is a part of Mahabharata translated into Indonesian language from ancient Indo-Javanese language. From Hindu Javanese sources, I read their Serat Jaya Ing Bhaya which means the Gospel of Countering Dangers written by Ranggawarsatita. I suspect that this figure was a Vaishnava Javanese Hindu or at least influenced by his Hindu teacher in Bali Island rather than a "Muslim" though his grandfather had also sent him to study under a Muslim religious teacher. 

Of course I am familiar with Jataka tales and the previous life of lord Buddha before he receives his final blast. I also had read few versions of Ramayana from the Bengal version, Hindi version by Tulasidas and the Tamil's Kamban Ramayana. I bought myself a pocket Bhagavadgita in Sanskrit with English translation while I worked in the airport as a Chinese interpreter for a government agency. When I stay alone, I would read them and checking what lord Krishna had said to Arjuna. I had lost the pocket Bhagavadgita but I still remember some details about it. 

Owh, yeah!!!! I had read two translations of Tamil classics written during their Golden Age of Poetry or the Sangam era. Two books which I had read with great enthusiastic were the Silappadikaram by Ilango Adigal translated by Alain Danielou and Manimegalai written by Sithalai Sathanar who was a Buddhist. I borrowed books from the Hamza Sendut I Library and read the translation of Manusmriti which is the source of Hindu customary law while I was in the first and second year undergraduate while I did not mix with people but secluding myself from the crowd and only reciting litanies while not talking or thinking. The Manimegalai book was written by the writer who conducts interview with people before he wrote his masterpiece.... I enjoyed reading his book the most though the second book, Manimegalai which is a sequel shows some magical things like magic pots and stuffs in order to highlight the conversion of the latter character and the title of the latter book into Buddhism.  

Islamic books that I had read of course about our noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w. From his birth, his childhood time upward to his struggles in the spiritually ignorant society in his lifetime. Then I read about his companions life namely Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman and Ali r.a. I read few Christian gospels whether the Canonical ones or Apocalyptic ones when I was sixteen years old. I just read them to find some traces about our noble prophet Jesus a.s which is not really a little figure but among important figures in our Path. I was not even interested nor excited to be a Christian anyway, lol. I could say now after "some" turbulence in my life and faith that I personally love Islam without actually being "indoctrinated" as one, I would never let myself losing this blessing and I would love prophet Muhammad s.a.w to be my attorney in the hereafter. Yeah, I read the Qisas al-Anbiyaa or the Life of Prophets and other Arabian Chronicles that I had stated in some posts here.

Urmmm, I can't recall... there were so many books that I had read in different languages too for e.g in Chinese or even their translations for the classics into modern languages like English, modern Chinese or Malay. There were many themes that I had read from the formally tedious ones like law and textbooks to academic writings... I am interested in fiction books too for e.g the City of the Beast by Isabel Allende, the Last Vampire written by Christopher Pikes where I finished all of the series and missed the recent series, the Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan and the Eaters of the Dead written by Michael Crichton which I think a bit done with strict researches... I read that a historical fiction could be twisted a little to entertain readers but maybe it would raise polemics among the boring traditionalists... haha...   

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

Role of Mind

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Mind plays its role to analyze everything through the humanity source angle. It covers material realm and those with material characteristics. In other conditions, the role of mind is perceived from the divinity source angle. This refers to the revelation, which transcends the metaphysical realm where this realm is beyond the boundary of human mind. Therefore, the source and the role played by human mind is something which is limited and bounded by certain limitation!

Other than that, mind does not hold its sanctity and purity forever. For that, it needs to be guided with the divine revelation. For us who are the Muslims, we view the role of mind with the Quran, the Sunnah and through the studies of our philosophers.

A. Quran and Sunnah

From the Quran which is our scripture, I found that it stresses the mind is something which plays the role to assist human-being in their quest to study something in depth. The God the Highest mentioned through the Quran that we have to use our mind with an optimum usage. We are encouraged to grab the opportunity to acquire every knowledge that we found in our way to reach Him. 

Says the God the Highest

Indeed in the creation of heavens and the earth and the changing of the night and the day as the signs for those who possess the system of mind.

Surat Aali-Imran 3 v. 190

A such, our scripture itself opening up the space for human-being to find the knowledge and to study anything that they are curious to know. Whether it is in the form of those related to the daily life or the other knowledge related to our religious life and the hereafter.

Other than that, our mind is used to study, to analyze and to comprehend the revelation of the God. This is what that makes a human noble in his position and in the view of the God the Highest.

Says the God the Highest

O you who believe! When being said to you, "Give space in ceremonies", thus give the space may the God grants you more spaces. And when being said to you, "Stand up!", so stand you up may the God grants those who are faithful among you and those who are given the knowledge few levels above. And the God is the Most Proficient in what you are doing!

Surat al-Mujadilah 58 v. 11  

Mind is among the reasons that human being convicted for their crimes or being trusted for the execution of the tasks or commandments. The mind which is not correctly directed and used without the Divine Path framework in the execution of responsibilities commanded by the God the Highest will be the factor for one to be tormented in the bitterness.    

Says the God the Highest

And indeed We fill the abyss many of those among the genies and human-being who possess the heart but they do not comprehend with it and possessing the eyes but do not observe with it and for them ears but they do not listen with it. They are just like the cattle, even more strayed. They are among those who are negligent. 

Surat al-A'araf 7 v. 179  

As a point for the mind is a condition for conviction on crime or burden of responsibility, there was a saying from our noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w recorded by imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and imam al-Tirmidzie...

The pen is lifted on these three people, "On he who is sleeping until he is awake and on the child until he achieve his puberty and a crazy person until he is sane".

This is how we decide on our judgement as Muslim jurists when we judge in our court, we have our reference from the Quran, the interpretations from our traditions, checking the way of life of people around, making researches or inquiries and also we use our mind and considerations. This actually could go side by side with the civil court but I do not know... Those who talk about Shari'a Islamiyya or simply the Divine Path of the God in negative sense perhaps do not even know about Legal Studies or maybe they know "a little" about it but their heart is not clean so they distort things or refuse to check further to discuss instead they love to argue, to debate and to prove their ego. They feel satisfied when they win. I always laugh at this kind of people because I found that they are pathetic. They argue like attorneys in the court but they are not even an attorney to begin with nor they study about crimes or law of acts and effects. Egoism, selfishness or self-center are the same trait that leads one into ignorance and spiritual darkness.

The mind is the source which plays the role for one to know his "True Lord", whether through His characteristics or through His creations. 

Says prophet Muhammad s.a.w...

Think with the creations of the God but never with His Essence since you will never reach its proportion!

For the people of Ancient India, those who knows the Supreme Authority are known as the Brahmanas. English translation always distort the sound of Brahmanas into Brahmins. A Brahmana is one who is free from illusions, free from the ordinary nature of births, free from material values and free from the effects of jealousy, boasting, arrogance, treachery and behave with 12 behaviors beginning with self-control or tranquility apart of it is a caste by family classification as everyone commonly gets the idea about. This one is from our philosophical studies were we open up the texts from the original sources and checking commentaries or interpretations. In Arabic, we have several terms too like 'Aleem, 'Ulama' and 'Areef. The third term is a a little to the portal of metaphysical world which I think is somehow closer to Brahmana in some parts of their connotation and yet I do not like to elaborate much about this as I think it is important to be clear with our basis. Just an idea which sparks out while checking the points...

Later on, the mind has a positive role where it helps a person to evaluate between good and evil. If one does not know on how to evaluate between the good and evil, then he needs to direct his own mind so he will have the effort to ask to those who are knowledgeable.

Says the God the Highest

And We never send any messenger before you, except that they are among the men whom We revealed to them. So, ask those who are knowledgeable if you do not know!

Surat al-Nahl 16:43

So, when we do not know, we go and see teachers. The same thing too, if we do not know about anything say about Islam and we wanted to talk like we know. First of all, we go and see teachers and get their feedback on what we are curious about. By relying on secondary resources only is not sufficient. It is like we are doing our inquiry for our academic research where we go and do some field-work, having some methodology in our research and curiosity and we never say that our findings are the most correct when we could only produce some writings out of things which we could not simply explain by words. How are we going to describe our feeling correctly in words? How about the touch or emotion? How about psychological condition of one? Even if we do some interviews, could we get sharp answers like we do simple mathematics?

B. Muslim Philosophers

We have both philosophers of different Islamic schools of thought. Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali who is a Sunnah Muslim and Ibnu Sina who is an Ismai'li Shi'a Muslim on the role of mind. Both of them agree that mind plays important role for those who are studying something or those who are curious about something. That is why mind plays a role as a source of knowledge. They both agree that mind has the role to elevate a human-being to a better and appraised position. This matter is in accordance with the fact and reality, where those who possess knowledge will be respected in a community or society.

Mind has the role to make human-being think and conducting research. Later, they could get ideas or differentiate on the positive and negative ones. The ability of the mind and its role should actually make the men administrating the Earth and to prosper with it. Not to kill each other. So, what happens in the Middle East? In Africa? In other regions in the world? Why is people killing among each other while they call themselves as Muslim? Is it because of egoism? Is it because of the lack of knowledge? Is it because of selfishness? Is it because people do not get even knowledge that there are many kind of interpretations? What happen with their "religion"?

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

Mengejar Pelangi

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Just a memory about my father while he was not bed-ridden... The title of the post is actually a title of my father literary work and it is in Malay. It means Chasing the Rainbow. Its significance for my father perhaps he is hoping for happiness. Though we're Arabs by descent but we love Malay language and are much binding to the language cultural sphere. 

This book is basically about a search done by two youngsters in a place known as Hutan Kepelu which actually refers to the area in Kodiang. It is my father's hometown. The youngsters are researching about a legendary figure known as Panglima Nayan who is prominent among the Northern Malays. They wish to prove his existence through historical findings but in the same time they faced difficulties in the jungle. Those two guys did not found anything about the Panglima Nayan instead they bumped to something else.... This book was published by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department, Prime Minister's Office. 

Though I never show anything to him, I actually had read everything that he writes... He wrote two other books I guess and one of them is a biography while the other is about the Ulamas in Malay speaking areas. Another one which is known as the "Bingkisan Sutera Biru" I have forgotten whether in a whole book form of a short story form which he wrote for his mother in-law (my maternal grandmother).

Other achievement he had made for himself is that he handled a column known as Di Sepanjang Jalan. I guess those who read the column in the 90's up to early 2000 might know him or even know me if they personally know my father. I can't do anything to help him or to release him from his pain so I just hope to reproduce everything that he had made in another medium and begging prayers from around for him so he may receive bountiful of happiness in this life and in the hereafter. I still think that I am not a filial son. Please help me to pray for my father, reciting the salawat and I will be very grateful to brothers and sisters.

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

Fasting

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

This is also a topic that I love to read about and love to practice. Some people might think that they are entertained with hobbies, meeting friends, watching television or stuffs. Others are also entertained by performing this kind of deed. I began to fast as early as four or five years old while I was following my parents religion, which is also Islam. Now, I am a Muslim but not a Muslim as a Muslim who is forced to be ones. I am a Muslim by my will and by His mercy.

In the topic, I simply put it as fast. But in our language which is Arabic, it is known as Sawm. This term is also used by Hebrew speaking people to indicate the same thing as us. It is also a term in Aramaic which is used by some Eastern Christians in their liturgy. The meaning of this word is to hold. By technical jurisprudence term, it means holding one self from anything which could annuls the fast with certain conditions.  

The fasting time begins after the calling for Subh prayer service or after the sun rise a little bit up to the sun sink down or the Maghrib time. 

Conditions

Conditions to begin our fast is actually very easy....

1. It involves the intention as always.

For e.g if it is in Ramadan month, everyone who fits the requirements must perform the fast. We say our intention mentally or maybe together with family members which means, "I am performing the fast tomorrow for the month of Ramadan which is a commandment for me in this year only for Him". Intention is not so precise because one knows what he will do for the next move. But it is safer to declare the intention as to stay in awareness.

2. For optional fasting, the intention for one is before the sun rises which is before twelve o'clock in the afternoon. 

Say if one eats nothing, drinks nothing nor smoking and we wanted to fast while that is before 12 p.m, it is not a sin. The ruling is that it is a must but not an obligation. Usually I am also doing like this. In the time before 12 p.m and if some friends asking me to have some food with them then I will break my fast as not to let them know that I am fasting. But after 12 p.m and if someone ask me to join them in meals then I would have to reject the invitation with various reasons. An optional deeds if performed without others knowing it will receive 25 meritorious deeds as compared to only one when people know about that. This is a sunnah...

3. There are many kinds of optional fasting for e.g...

a. the Syawwal six days fasting just after the 'Aid al-Fitr.

b. the weekly fasting in Monday and Thursday.

A particular person would make his intention with a particular intention...

4. Those who are fasting should hold himself or herself from several things which could annul his or her fasting in the period after the Subh prayer calling up to the Maghrib prayer calling.

Prohibition to Fast

There are several people who are prohibited from fasting....

1, Menstrual woman
2. Woman who delivers baby

Detestable to Fast

People who are not performing janaba ghusl after sexual conduct before the sun rises...

Neutral to Fast

Those who are religiously neutral to fast are...

1. Little children but they are encouraged to perform it only as a training.
2. Sick people.
3. Worn-out old folk
4. Pregnant woman
5. Woman who breast-feed her baby
6. Traveler
7. People who work as hard labors

Days Prohibited to Fast

Maybe we do certain deeds without knowing our own calender... Try to use our own calender when talking about our daily routine because we need to count everything by using our lunar calender.

1. The 'Aid al-Fitr which occurs in the first of Syawwal.
2. The 'Aid al-Ad'ha which falls in the 10th of Dzulhijja.
3. The Feast Days which follow the 'Aid al-Ad'ha on the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dzulhijja.
4. Suspicion Day where the astronomers are checking the first crescent of Ramadan.

Annulation of Fast

1. Eat and drink in the fasting time which is after the Subh prayer service calling up to Maghrib prayer service.

2. Intentionally poking something in holes of body for e.g in the nose, ears, mouth, bottom hole and others. This is not effective to those who have to do that because of medical means. The Divine Path is for human to live and not to kill!

3. Intentionally vomiting which means one makes himself to vomit.

4. Nifas, haidh and wilada for female and this is the responsibility of sisters to explain to each other.

5. Sexual intercourse or intimate relation while fasting in the prescribed hours.

6. Losing mind or turning crazy.

7. Drunk or passed out for the whole hours.

8. Turning to be a non-Muslim at the fasting hours.

There are several things not to do which are considered as part of our traditions and others which are detestable....

Respectable friends and fellow brothers and sisters may check them in few articles that I had already wrote by just clicking on the specific topic below....

1. Optional Fasting
2. Inner Secret of Fasting      
3. First Friday in Ramadan 2011
4. Optional Weekly Fasting
5. Fasting in the Rajab Holy Month

Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad...

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

Funeral Salat Service

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

This salat service is called as the salat al-mayyit or the salat for the janaza which is performed to ritually send a person who passed away into another realm. Basically this is our funeral rites and a responsibility for family members, friends and the parish members of the dead person's in the neighborhood or vicinity. This topic is very important though some people never experience death in their house. I experienced this at home twice and I visited other Muslims who passed away as well.

Conditions for a Valid Salat

1. The congregation members should be clean from any impurity and occurrences.

2. Facing quibla direction.

3. Covering 'awrat for both males and females. In our country females may perform prayer service at home or behind the curtain in the mosque or musalla as we have a special closed area for ladies to perform prayer service together with men.

4. The dead is ready with ritual cleaning and shrouding.

5. The dead will be placed in front of congregational members who are facing the quibla.

6. The salat for the dead who passed away in other places can also be performed where there is no dead body in the prayer service.

Pillars of the Salat Service

1. Intention which means... 

I am performing the salat service for the specific dead person with four takbirs as a follower of the imam which is a responsibility as a sacrifice for the God. 

2. Standing straight for those who are capable.

3. Four takbirs including the takbiraat al-ihraam.

4. Recite the mother of the scripture, al-Fateha for the first takbir.

5. Recite the salawat for prophet Muhammad s.a.w with the full salawat where it also includes our patriarch, father Abraham a.s.

6. Recite supplication dedicated for the dead person at the third takbir. 

For the follower behind of the imam we can recite the supplication by mental in whatever language that we speak but not by oral as it will invalidate the service...  The imam would recite it in Arabic maybe loudly as for congregation member to hear and to pray together...

A suggestion might be.... Dear the Lord please forgive this person and have mercy upon him or her and grants him or her with safety and salvation. And honorable be his or her place of burial and make it as wide as possible. And please shower him or her with the water from snow and dew. Sanctify him or her from sins like a white cloth being washed clean from dirt. And replace for him or her with a better residence, so does his family members, wife, husband and everything better and blessed than he or she has before. Please enter him or her into the paradise. Protect him from the torments of the underworld and from the bitterness of the hell.  

A suggestion for a dead child to be prayed upon with the prayers.... 

Dear the Lord make this child a preparation for his or her parents, a lesson, an investment and savior for the parents. Help the parents of this particular child to get their scale of deeds heavier at the charity and chastity one. Fill their heart with patience and please do not test them after this child's death. Please do not close for them the effects of the meritorious deeds done by this child, amin!    

7. The fourth takbir is optional but recommended... After the takbir say the prayer for e.g....

Dear the Lord please do not prohibit us from sharing the meritorious deeds of this person and please do not test us after his death. Forgive us and forgive him and please forgive and have mercy to our brothers and sisters who had long gone before us too. Please do not make our heart filled with envy and jealousy toward those who have faith to You. Dear the Lord, You are indeed the most Merciful the most Compassionate.

8. Peace greeting as a conclusion.

For peace greeting, perhaps those who follow the Hanbali jurisprudence would say that those who do this twice as wrong. There are actually few ways to perform this service as according to those teachers of jurisprudence. By simply saying that it is wrong to others' we are showing the lack of knowledge or showing that we are some "Salafi" wannabes who wanted to be seen as different from others or trying to show off.

Those who conclude their salat service with two salams or peace greetings like in other salat services among the Shafi'ie and Hanafi jurisprudence are not wrong either! They performed another angle of sunnah as they have got the report from Abdullah bin Awfaa r.a. The reference is in the Sunan al-Kubra by Imam al-Baihaqi and the Litanies of Imam al-Nawawi. 

Abdullah bin 'Awfa r.a reported that the salam in this prayer service is similar to other salat services. Some scholars mentioned that the second salam is uttered not as loud as the first one and this is why some companions of prophet Muhammad s.a.w conclude it with only one salaam whether in other prayer services or in this prayer service. 

This simply means that the first salam is the main salam and it is uttered loudly in the conclusion of the salat service while the second one is the follow-up salam. It is uttered not as loud as the first one. For Hanbali school which is also followed by some "wannabes" without they realize it, the preferred way is only one salam on the right side. However, those who conclude the prayer service with two salams are not wrong either. 

For Maliki school of jurisprudence, they are also the same like us in term of concluding the prayer service with only one salam on the right side during funeral service. For this small matters, one may check the Jurisprudence of the Four Schools by Imam Abd al-Rahman al-Jaziri.

9. After the peace greeting, maybe recite the supplication for e.g....

Dear the Lord, You are his Lord and You are his Creator and You are the One who Guides him toward Islam. You are the One who took away his soul and You know every secret that he has. And we come to You to ask for Your salvation for this person. Thus please forgive us and for him with Your mercy. O, You are the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate. And please be in contact with our prophet Muhammad s.a.w and also with his family members and peace to all. And praises only due for the God the Lord of the universe, amin!    

Location while Performing  Service

For this particular service, there are differences as to indicate the gender of the deceased person so the congregation members will know what prayers they should say for the deceased person.

For male deceased person, the location of imam is that he stands a step in the opposite of the body's head. For the female deceased person, the imam stands a step in the opposite of the deceased person's lower back. For the congregation members, they stand closer to each other as there is no prostration or bowing. At least forming three lines. 

This service may be performed in musalla, in the house of the deceased person or in the mosque. Usually in our country, member of the parish who always perform daily prayer services at the mosque or musalla are well-known by other members though they never talk with each other. People may notice his or her face and will notice his absence if he is not there. This will make them trying to trace other member as to check whether the person is well or not. This is just a normal reaction of members in the parish. I am also feeling like that if I notice that a brother is not there and will feel sad if I cannot see him praying together.

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

Salat Services

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Basically, people would translate salaat as prayer services as what we could see in English. While in our national language, we use the native word which sounds like semahiyang where I could loosely translate it as honoring or hailing the Heaven. I have both etymology of the word and also the definition by the standard of our Divine Path whether by linguistic definition or technical definition. Please let me know either by mail or just by the comment box if the explanation here is difficult to be understood. I would amend everything until it becomes simple. 

Through Arabic phonology, the sound of the same root word could actually changes and it also changes the meaning. The meaning would never go far from the root word. They will still be related to each other. The word salaat came from the word which could also means to connect, to communicate, to contact and others. Why it is important to know this matter although it is quite fussy and just related to linguistic studies? Because it will bring us understanding and we could feel that we are not doing those acts in salat services for nothing. There lies significance for everything. It also tells us that salaat is not only a form of worship, but also a way for us to get divine inspiration or motivation when we connect ourselves with our Creator at certain prescribed times. 

By linguistic definition, salaat means praying to the Supreme Authority which refers to the God the Most Highest who puts the universe into its order. By technical definition as according to the law which develops from our Divine Path, salaat refers to certain words and certain acts with the beginning of the magnification of the Lord the Most Highest and finalized by the peace greetings and according to certain conditions and terms. The Lord the Most Highest says as recorded in the Glorious Quran which means, "And perform your salaat services, as it prevents you from disobedience and disgusting characteristics" - Surat al-'Ankabut vs. 45. 

Other word which is derived from the root word of salaat is salawat. Salawat basically refers to a prayer or supplications by people for the God to be in contact with the soul of a deceased person, family members and others. Basically, people would translate the salawat as invoking blessings from the God for a certain figure for e.g for our noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family and his companions. But we also have another term which sounds like birkah or baraka and it specifically refer to invoking blessings from the God the Most Highest.  

The rishis of ancient India have got their inspiration on yoga tapa or meditation in various forms to tranquil themselves and to be connected to the God. While Muslims and the followers of patriarch Abraham who lives longer than established Hindu traditions like we see today have this form of meditation in order to be in connection with the God. We perform salaat which consists of various acts, speeches and focusing our mind to the Lord the Highest whose image is not in our imagination. 

The Conditions for Salaat

The conditions which obligate us to perform salaat are...

1. A Muslim

2. Reaching puberty

3. Mindful and Sane

A non-Muslim are not obliged to perform the salaat as he is not a believer of the Divine Path. This makes sense as they believe in their own paths. Sometimes, I found some stupid arguments from people who think that they are generating some kind of intelligent ideas from their debates. They perhaps would say, why non-Muslims are not allowed to be in mosques? 

First that I would answer and it is only once...! Non-Muslims may visit the mosque but they are not allowed to enter the main prayer hall where the people congregate to perform prayer inside. They are not prohibited to enter the general areas of the mosque. The comparison for our prayer hall is like the vimana and mandapam for Hindu or Buddhist temples. Vimana means the closed hall where sacred relics are placed while mandapam means the general pavilion area which consists of stambhas or pillars. For Buddhist monasteries, there are some areas which is not opened for general public in which non-Buddhists or even public Buddhists are not allowed to be there. 

I think I had made a lexicography studies for our final undergraduate studies for lexicon subject where I made a list of terms with pictures about Buddhist monasteries' architectural terms. Some I had made without any references because I know them by experience. Secondly, a non-Muslim has nothing to do with Muslims' salaat services and they may perform the worship of their own belief in their premises, their temples, their churches and in their holy lands. 

Most of all, I found that people who love to debate are bunch of show off, narrow minded, maybe some Western Orientalist wannabes and are not practicing any discipline of life be they the revealed ones or in the form of philosophies. To talk about Islam, is also to talk about the history of Noah a.s and the history of his sons down to Abraham a.s and Isma'el a.s. The Divine Path comes in a chain of teaching transmitted by prophets of the same family tree.

A Muslim who reaches his puberty either males or females are obliged to perform the salaat service. It is for their own benefit and not for others as it has to do with psychological terms and self connection with the Creator of the universe. And of course a person must be sane to perform the salaat as an insane person are not facing any burden of consequences for his or her speeches or acts. Please refer to logic treatise that I had provided for more information.   

Conditions for a Valid Salaat

There are few conditions for one to meet when performing a valid salaat service...

1. Knows the time when the salaat service will be performed.

2. Covering the 'awrat or the parts which should be covered for both males and females.

3. Facing the quibla or the direction of our holy city.

4. Clean from any filth such as feces or urine whether at the body, the cloth or the place to perform it.

5. Free from major or minor occurrences that we call as hadat.

Pillars of Salaat

What we have in our salaat services? There are about 13 acts in form of speeches, thought, verbal acts and others:

1. Intention

2. Takbeerat al-Ihram or honoring and magnifying the God the Highest.

3. Standing straight for those who are able.

4. Reciting the mother of the scripture known as the al-Fateha.

5. Ruku' and tama'neena which refers to the act of bowing and tranquility.

6. I'tidal or returning to the straight posture after bowing.

7. Prostration.

8. Sitting between two prostrations.

9. Reciting the salutation words and greetings for fellow creatures for e.g our selves and other slaves and servants of the God who lived in charity and chastity.

10. Tahiyyat al-Aakhir or the final salutation posture in a certain sitting posture.

11. Salawat for prophet Muhammad s.a.w as the transmitter of the Divine Path chain.

12. First peace greeting.

13. Step by step.

Annulation of Salaat

There are things which could annul our salaat services such as...

1. Intentionally talking or speeches which is not prescribed in our liturgy for the salaat services.

2. Moving which is not prescribed in the liturgy where we move more than three times.

3. Occurrences whether minor or the major one such as pooping or pissing while performing salaat.

4. Tainted with non-pardonable filth such as of pig or dog.

5. 'Awrat exposed.

6. Changing the intention such as having the intention to leave the salaat service while it is still on.

7. Chest moving from the quibla direction whether to the left or right.

8. Intentionally eating while performing salaat.

9. Intentionally drinking while performing salaat.

10. Laughing.

11. Becoming a non-Muslim by mental or heart, speeches or acts.

Types of Salaat Services

We have obligatory and optional salat services. The obligatory ones are those five times daily salaat service prescribed in the revelation as highlighted through the sacred hadith. The optional ones, one may perform them as many as they please. 

There are four types of salat services with different units....

1. Two units with one final peace greeting.

2. Three units with two salutations and two peace greetings.

3. Four units with two salutations and two peace greetings.

4. One unit with one salutations and two peace greetings usually performed as witr or closing of salaat services.

For salaat practical, try to find a practicing brother or sister closer to your location. They might be your close friends or best friends. For those who are already Muslims, we are still learning and we never stop from trying to get a near perfect salat service and trying to increase our understanding in our Divine Path. Those who claim themselves as ex-Muslims perhaps were non-practicing or non-committal Muslims or perhaps are just lying to impress people to praise them as professors. That is not impressive but lame as I view these kind of people as trendy asshole. This style of people are people with backward mentality while others are ministering their path to the future - check the lyrics of Offspring song titled Smash.... LOL

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

Sanskrit Paragraph Writing

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I am trying to write some Sanskrit short paragraph where I developed some lists from previously learned lessons and getting the help from simple book published in India these recent. Once that I get access to the corpus from our university library, I took whatever that I could get. So, how does this applied to whatever ISTAC or civilization centers' proposal? I'm doing what they just talked now but not related to Greek's or Roman's science. Only with Indus valley sciences, hahaha.... The script I use is ancient Pallava script which is also used to write down chantings to be tattooed on some people's upper back skin especially those involved in martial art known as Muay. It is popular in South East Asian mainland in those countries who patronize Buddhism as their source of living code for e.g Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar...

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

Cooking: Beef Stew

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

We do not celebrate Lunar Agricultural New Year this year since my father is not well. So, there is no dinner together. We haven't have dinner for long time because everyone live like separately due to being occupied with our daily routine and life. Just sending some greetings to those brothers and sisters who celebrate New Year tomorrow be they of Chinese, Vietnamese or Japanese descents... Muslims or non-Muslims... 

Just now my little sister complained that she was hungry so I checked the fridge and founded some beef stored there. Previously, I did not really favor beef and would even throw out if having contact with the beef. So, does little sister. For now, I actually taking it just to clear people confusion. I am a Muslim and just not familiar with beef but had trained myself with vegan life style.

I cooked for her since she is lazy to cook. I do not know why girls today are so spoiled. Maybe because they have a brother like me, haha...  Just feel pitiful because she said she can't eat instant noodle anymore and I am telling her that it is a waste of time to eat outside. I agree that instant noodle is not really good for one's health. Human needs real food. Usually I would wash everything that I wear and also myself with turmeric just after I have contact with beef. A little bit like Indians I know, haha...

 

For the beef stew maybe for non-vegetarian brothers or sisters maybe if you are so lazy to find things and you coincidentally have these in your fridge. Maybe you can try yourself. Just simple things. Chop some garlic and I used some galangal because we do not have ginger. Then, cut the beef as you like as long as it is small enough and easy to be cooked. I just use some beef because I am "scared" with it and it is not good for teeth and tummy. Some potato just to make the beef less meaty in it's smell. 

Cut some chillies does not matter whatever chillies would go as long as it is chillies. Sometimes, I saw people used some dried chili as I always checked how people cook their stuffs. Then, some lemongrass where I knock it a little bit with the carver. I also have some pepper corn.

It looks like this when we put some oil and the fry the meat a while with those chopped garlic and galangal. Scary....

Put the potatoes inside the pan because it will help us to indicate whether the beef is well-cooked or not. If the potatoes turning soft and tender, then the beef is also the same. Just stir and fry for a while....

Then put some dark thick soy sauce and the pepper corn. We have many brands of soy sauce here. I guess this came from Chinese influence but since my mother becoming so concerned about halal stamp so we do not really touch any non-Muslim Chinese brands anymore except that we buy Malay produced products. Mostly, Kedah citizen who live outside of the state still calling the soy sauce as toyu just like the old days because we preserve the elders' style of speech as to protect our identity as a patriotic citizen of the Sultanate. As to say, the toyu for us is like prominent sauces in Europe such as Carbonara, Espagnol and stuffs, lol...

 

When we pour some water into the frying pan, it will make everything sink down the base of the pan. Just let it cook well. It will take us around 20-25 minutes and keep pouring water little by little when it seems like drying. About five minutes before we turn off the fire, put some salt in it maybe like a pinch and try to taste it first. If not enough then put some more. I don't like too much salt as well as I hate monosodium glutamate.

The result is like this.... Some people might marinate the beef with turmeric powder, pepper corn, salt, garlic and ginger first. Some would boil the beef in hot water. It depends on the time and a person way of cooking. My little sister said that the salt was not sufficient. I purposely make it less salty because it is already at night. We are not doing any physical movement except that going to sleep so it would be unhealthy plus unhealthy. It smells like beef.... argh.... I'm washing my clothes and showering....

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

Adzan & Iqamat

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

A. Adzan

This means that the voice of someone being send to the ears of the listeners. Basically, this means the calling to prayer through the proclamation words. This is practiced by Muslims during the first period of Hegira in Medina.  

History

The hadith in Imam Bukhari and Muslim compilation came from Ibnu 'Umar r.a which says that in the beginning of Meccan Muslims' migration to Medina, they had assembled and waiting for the time to perform daily prayer services. At that time, there was no adzan yet. However, one day our noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w had called upon all of his companions into a meeting. They were discussing on how to tell the people that our daily prayer service is on the time and for them to come to the mosque. Some suggested for the flag to be shown up so the people who see it will come to the mosque. But, this is not effective as people who stay far in hidden places could not see the flag. Others suggested the horn to be whistled like our Jewish brethren doing to call people to the synagogue. Some suggested bell like the Christian brethren.

The companion, Umar al-Khattab r.a feels that it would be beneficial for everyone, natural and appropriate by just using human voice as the announcement and he suggested that announcer just shouting "it is now the time for salat service." Prophet Muhammad s.a.w agreed with the suggestion but he changed the wordings with "let us perform prayer and charity services".    

One night, a companion who is known as Abdullah Bin Zayd r.a had dreamed about a better way to announce the prayer times with good words which sounds like some of the words that we listen today. The next morning, he went to see prophet Muhammad s.a.w and talked about it in their meeting. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w attested that the dream is the true one. He then ordered another companion, Bilal Bin Rabah to proclaim the herald. The same day, Umar bin al-Khattab r.a also mentioned that he dreamed the same thing.    

Another report by al-Bazzar said that, "The messenger of the God, Muhammad s.a.w during the night of Isra' had been shown and listened to the adzan at the seventh heaven. Then the archangel Gabriel a.s came to him and he became the leader for a service conducted by dwellers of heavens. Among those dwellers of the heaven are sage Adam a.s and sage Noah a.s. The God had completed the noble value of noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w on the inhabitants of heavens and earth".

Condition for Adzan

There are few things to be done by one who is going to call for prayer service. These are just optional but it will increase the meritorious deeds for one who performs them...

1. Performing the ablution, according to Shafi'ie jurisprudence it is not favorable to perform it without ablution.

2. Standing and facing the quibla direction.

3. Chanting the litanies which means, "Glory be to the God, and praises be only to the God and there is no gods except the God and the God is the Greatest and there is no other might effective that He the Most Highest permits it to be effective".

4. Recite the salawat for prophet Muhammad s.a.w which means dear the Lord please be in contact with prophet Muhammad s.a.w and with his family members, his ancestors and his companions may peace be with them".

4. Put the forefingers into the ears.

5. Then chant these words like the audio as these are the adzans...

 

Sorry, I am lazy to type in Arabic, hehehe... Basically they means...

The God is the Greatest.... The God is the Greatest... I testify that there is no gods except the God.... I testify that there is no gods except the God.... I testify that Muhammad s.a.w is the messenger of the God... I testify that Muhammad s.a.w is the messenger of the God... Let us go for the salat service.... Let us go for the salat service... Let us achieve the success... Let us achieve the success... The God is the Greatest... The God is the Greatest... There is no gods except the God...

The way we answer or accept the sentences are just the same except for the sentences beginning from "Let us perform the salat service.... to....  let us achieve the success". We answer them as "there is no other might effective except if He the Most Highest the Most Mighty permits it to be effective". Usually I will do these in Arabic because I am familiar with Arabic.

For Subh prayer service, there is an addition after the "Let us achieve the success..." Where we add, "The salat service is better than continuing sleeping". Because after we perform the salat service, we would commence our day with daily activities like preparing to go for the office. If we sleep again, the result would be a bad mood and temper as it takes us time to be awake again. 

B. Iqamat

 

Iqamat means that everyone will be standing to perform the salat service. It is maybe after 10-15 minutes the adzan being aired by the caller who we call as a muadzin. Usually in between the adzan and iqamat, people would make supplications or praying optional services depending on the time. The sound is just the same like the adzan except that everything is chanted only once. The meaning is also the same.

C. Supplication

After the adzan of iqamat we usually....

1. We recite the salawat first.

2. We recite the suggested supplication which sounds like....

 أللهم ربَّ هاذِهِ الدعوةِ التامةِ والصلاةِ القائمةِ آتِ محمدانِ الوسيلةَ والفضيلةَ وابعثهُ مقامًامحمودًانِ الذى وعدتَه إنكَ لاتخلفُ الميعاد يا أرحمَ الراحمينَ

It means.... 

Dear the God our Lord, this is the perfect calling and the prayer service is valuable. Please grant to prophet Muhammad s.a.w the salvation and goodness. And please raise him up with the appraised position as You have already promised. Indeed You never goes against Your promises. O, the Most Merciful over all.    

Wishing brothers and sisters who celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year with warm greeting. Wishing that everyone enjoy the joyful festivity spirit. For those driving for reunion dinner please be careful and make sure to drive safe. Those who are not returning home for whole year, please return home if you still have parents. They might be waiting for your return to celebrate it together. 

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

Ghusl

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I had already typed this in the pad so basically I am just throwing this away as a post here when I access this site, hehe. This topic is a basic important thing that a Muslim needs to know and to practice in his or her life. Basically I am posting here as a male because I am a male and male functions differently from female. So, for female please ask specific teachers for female and of course they should be female if there comes specific sensitive issues which only females could explain to female.

Ghusl basically means we are washing clean our physical body. It has both physical and spiritual significance though we look like washing our physical parts. Of course it must begin with an intention. We do everything with intention. The ghusl basically has several names for several different purposes. The form of ghusl is also a little bit different depending on the place where we perform it and the ways to perform it could be slightly different as according to orthodox and traditional schools of jurisprudence. Basically these are my experience. I perform this almost everyday even without any occurrences as to preserve the traditions within myself. Sometimes I call this as 'ammudim which means dipping if we are at a pool, a river or the sea.

The Purpose of Ghusl

One performs ghusl in order to free him from great occurrences. Among them for e.g the hadat janaba which is related to sexual intercourse or anything related to genitals that restraints one from the performance of worship or to enter places of worship like the mosque's prayer hall. For this, there are several things which cause one in the great occurrence states depending on the occurrences whether of man or woman.

Occurrences

Occurrences which obligate us to perform the ghusl would be...

1. Ejaculation of sperm.

2. After sexual intercourse for both male and female.

3. After menstruation for female known as haydh.

3. Female who deliver a baby where there is a state known as wiladat.

4. For female where there would be a state known as nifas after giving birth to the child.

4. Gaining sanity after drunk, intoxicated or recovering from insanity.

5. Reverting to Islam.

6. Death where the dead person needs help for this but the martyrs who were killed while protecting his or her faith are not required to be performed ghusl on his or her body.

The blood of the martyrs already performs the ghusl for the body. Related to martyrs, there are several different things too as how they are defined as martyrs which defines the way they are buried.

Recommendation

Ghusl is recommended for certain events....

1. Before Friday prayer service for males who are going to attend the prayer service in congregation.

2. After washing a dead person or after involved in funeral as in general.

3. Before 'Eids prayer service which are performed in the morning.

4. Before the drought prayer service to ask for rain.

5. Before the eclipse prayer service to seek protection.

6. When entering the holy city, Mecca.

7. When entering sacred areas for e.g mosque.

8. When entering the state of vow for e.g pilgrimage.

9. When standing on the 'Arafat hill.  

10. When making the welcoming circumambulation at the cubical building in the grand mosque in Mecca.

11. When making the farewell circumambulation at the cubical building before leaving Mecca.

12. When staying overnight in the Mudzalifa.  

13. While throwing pebble stones at the jamrat points during the pilgrimage season. 

Pillars of the Ghusl

1. Say the intention whether by mental or by speech does not matter as long as there is an intention.

2. Clean the body parts from anything which could hinder the water from reaching the skin for e.g dry paint sticking, make up and others.

3. Perform the ablution first.

4. Pour some water on the head and neck until it turns wet all over.

5. Pour the water from the right side of shoulder down.

6. Pour the water from the left side of shoulder down.

7. Rub every part of body as to make sure that water reaches every exposed part or hidden parts.

8. It is optional while performing ghusl for one to cover the 'awrat which refers to private parts of human body but strongly stressed as important.

9. It is optional to repeat everything three times.

Immersion

For the ghusl by jumping into the pool or water immersion, it is recommended to plunge into the water three times. Water immersion could not be performed in the water less than 230 liter or 52 gallons. This specific limited water measurement is only for a person! If one choose to do immersion, make sure that there is a river with water flowing, maybe at the sea or a large pool.

One may use soap. However, for certain conditions like the ghusl related to vow i.e pilgrimage, soap is forbidden. Usually I perform ghusl for daily prayer services from Subh, Dzuhr, 'Asr to Maghrib in the evening depending on the conditions, occurrences and where I am for e.g if I visited non-Muslim places of worship or other places which I consider as secular, I will perform the ghusl again before entering the state of prayer service or before entering the mosque. Usually if I travel or wandering around, I will bring with me a rucksack with prayer books, sunnah treatises, note books, towel, some plastic bag and hygienic stuffs because they are important.

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

Tayammum

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

All praises to the God, we have the opportunity to perform Friday prayer service. I love Friday the most among all the days. This is the time where we are going to be separated from secular daily conducts as the evening marks the changing of the time for us in the Earth.

This post is about Tayammum. This is an alternative method for us to perform ablution if we have no water for e.g if we are in a dry desert or while we cannot touch the water because of injuries. This term refers to the act of wiping the dust basically from clean sand on some exposed body parts. Tayammum only involves the face and hands. I was fortunate to see this while my maternal grandfather was hit with an accident. He went up the hill to take clean soil in the form of stone and filtering it to be dusts to make him able to perform the salat service. Then he keeps the dust in the cloth and wrap it nicely to use it in the next time to come.

We also used clean dust to pray where we prostrate with our forehead on the dust just like the Shi'a Muslims using their namaz-e-turba but we do not use the dust in the form of stone. We constantly changing the dust once we use them. Sometimes, we were also mistaken as the Shi'a Muslims because some similarities in the angle of Sunnas performed while in fact we are the Orthodox Sunnah Muslims. We wrap the dust in a handkerchief and it is just a "sunnah" as some people from Shafi'ie school of jurisprudence always wiping their face with the hand after the salat service session ends. The way that the prophet s.a.w prayed in the mosque for e.g in the Quba' Mosque as according to Medina tradition is that he prayed with his companions on the clean dust as there was no paved floor in the mosque. Once we finished the prayer service, we will wipe our face after it is covered with the dust. And we gain a meritorious deed for practicing an angle of sunnah. We love Medina so much just like we love Holy Mecca...

Pillars of the Tayammum

Only two of them... First say, the intention for this act which means like... "I am performing the act of applying the dust to make me eligible to perform the salat services". 

Second, applying the face with the clean purified sand just like we do in the ablution for the face section no. 5.

Steps

1. I saw my maternal grandfather did it like this. He pour some of the clean sand on a clean tray until it covers the tray surface before leveling it.
2. He made two lines and divided the surface of the sand covered tray with his right hand's forefinger into four parts.
3. Then, face the quibla direction and say the prayer, "In the Name of the God the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate".

Apply the Dust for Face

4. Spread both of the palms and touch them on the sand in the tray. Use the first two parts above the others that we had drawn the line to divide them during the preparation.
5. Make sure to tap the hands a little bit by tapping the right forefinger on the left thumb and so do the left forefinger on the right thumb.
6. Apply the dust from the sand at the face from the top of the forehead to the left and right of the border of the ears and then bring both hands to both of the cheeks and this will end when the forefingers touching each other at the nose. It is like we make a half circle from the forehead to the nose.
7. We just perform the application of the dust once for the face, not like when we perform the water ablution.

Apply the Dust for Hands

8. Spread both of the palms and touch them on the sand in the tray, use the other two parts that we have not touch yet.
9. Put the left hand fingers under the right hand finger but leave behind the thumbs.
10. Rub the left hand until the elbow then turn the arm over and from the elbow continue to rub until it reaches the palm.
11. Then, bend both of the palms but do not let the thumb have any contact with other parts.
12. Rub the left palm of the thumb on the back of the right thumb.
13. Just do the same from 8-12 for the right hand. 

Anullation of Tayammum

1. Among things that annuls the Tayammum is one becoming a disbeliever. Because the reason why perform all of these is based on our Creed and our Path which come from the basis of Quran and the Sunnah. This also applies to other subject matters within our Divine Path.
2. All of those that annul the water ablution.
3. Once a person reaches a place equipped with water or cured from his or her injuries, it is an obligation to perform the water ablution to validate the prayer services and this convenience is annulled. 

Propagating the Sunnah

I think I had mixed the obligatory ones with the optional or sunnah ones. I am not good in explaining this in written form, hahaa. The best way is by looking at the way a person perform this. I learned these by imitating my late maternal grandfather, other teachers among our "people" and by memory while I was a little child. I am not learning these from any Islamic movement be they from Indian sub-continent, Saudi Arabia or from Egypt. I am just opening up my mental files by recalling what I have learned.

Among the Sunnah we call the people toward the God the Highest, the highest sentence and charity or virtues. We also have the approaches and angles when performing the da'awa. I know some people might come closer to me when they see me did not joining their movements' activities. I consider myself as a Muslim and I do not like fractions though I believe in the unity of brotherhood and sisterhood. While we practice, we also put before us the manner and practicing step by step. It is not favorable to make a person change his mind or his lifestyle only in a day. This has to do with psychology and states of mind which a person possess. It also involves the worldview that some ustads or those who speak with smattering Arabic call it as tasawwur. I love the approach of step by step and with manner. Try to approach people with manner and love. You'll receive manner and love as that is how you would love to be treated, right?   

If brothers and sisters find this as interesting, try to learn this with teachers and apply this in your life or try to practice them. If not interesting, it is up to everyone. One is subjected to his or her opinion and interest. I am just propagating the sunnah like others are doing but not forcing anyone to follow or to do so. Have a nice Saturday and make sure to fill it with litanies, remembrance or learning together with family members, friends, or the ones that we love : )

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