Salam Masdusi: Activism

Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Mr. Salam al-Masdusi pays attention toward the betterment of the society. He associated himself with the activities of Anjuman Islah-e-Muashira which was established by the elders of Old Palmoor locality in the year 1925. The society conducted survey of the entire locality and collected data regarding socio-economical position of the people.

He established free reading room and library for students and other educated people in his locality. He taught uneducated people in his Adult Education Center and collected valuable Islamic literature including books and magazines. For the convenience of researchers, he established the Sunni Academy at his home in 1945. Scholars and intellectuals discuss socio-religious and political matters at his house almost everyday. The gatherings were attended by elders and youngsters of the localities of various caste and religious creed. 

Mr. al-Masdusi was a simple person by nature. He does not have any pride nor seeking for fame. He just sit on the mat with other people. His residence was known as "khanegah". He sat with other Muslims in Mahboobnagar Mosque between Maghrib and 'Isha prayers to discuss various matters in the circle of discussion. He believes that everything about their locality should be discussed in the circle and the decisions from the circle should be informed to public Muslims so they could take heed and getting the information too.  

He becomes an active member of the Jami'at Ulama-e-Hind and attended all annual and important sessions held at various places in India together with his friends. He set up its branch in Mahboobnagar and actively participated in the movement. He was influenced by "Khaksar Tahreek" established by Inayatullah Khan Mashraqi and was nominated as a Deputy Leader of Idara Alia.

The establishment of Jama'at-e-Islami Hind was initiated by Abu al-A'ala Maududi and its main objectives were to establish the kingdom of the God in the Earth. For this particular purpose, Abu al-A'ala Maududi picked up Pathankot in Punjab as the center. He wanted to set up an Islamic state by the name, "Dar al-Islam" just like the Vatican City which is monitored by the Pope for the Catholics. Mr. al-Masdusi was one of the 11 members who wanted to migrate to Pathankot for this purpose. This incident happened in 1937. However, due to uncertain political situations in India and the conflicts of opinion between al-Masdudi and Maududi, he gave up the idea to migrate there and Maududi had also stopped his proposal.

Al-Masdudi devoted his life to spread Islamic literature and trying to create brotherhood spirit among the people of India. He actively joined freedom movement to expel British from Indian administration who had ruled the continent since 200 years ago. He believed that British created hatred among Muslims and Hindus through the Policy of Divide and Rule which resulted the partition of Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan in 1947. Thousands of Muslims regardless background who believes in two nations theory including his brother, Ahmed Abdullah al-Masdusi migrated to Pakistan. Salam al-Masdusi however, refused to migrate to Pakistan but remain in India and serving India as a loyal citizen.

Before leaving India, British government gave the option to the rulers of Indian princely states either to merge in the Indian Union, joining Pakistan or to be independent. The ruler of Hyderabad state decided to be independent. Indian Union definitely was against this idea and Hyderabad was forcibly merged with India through military engagement in 1948. Muslim-Hindu riots began throughout Hyderabad. Thousands of Muslim were slaughtered. Salam al-Masdusi together with Hindu friends such as O. Hanmanth Rao, K. Siddilingappa, K. Achuta Reddy Satoor Rangaya and other Muslim friends, M. A. Qayyume, Hasan Mohammed Pahalwan, Mohammed Ahmed, M. A. Ghani and Babu Abd al-Rahman toured around the entire district in order to advise both Muslims and Hindus to stay in peace and treating each others as brothers and sisters. Because of their sincere efforts, Mahboobnagar district was peaceful without any riot. During the freedom struggle, al-Masdusi was much influenced by the sacrificed made by Abul Kalan Azad and he followed him in his efforts.    

Social Work

He was active in the organization to uplift the society to the better known as Anjuman Islah-e-Mu'ashira. He drafted the constitution for the Anjuman Khuddam-e-Millat and wanted to execute the program on the land endowed by his elder brother in Mahboobnagar. Unfortunately he had no chance to execute them due to that the land was temporarily handed over to the Anjuman-e-Islamia during political unrest in Hyderabad state just before the military action.

He had discussions with prominent ulamas of India regarding Islamic matters. He concluded that Indian Muslim faced the lack of Qazat and Wilayat and religious problems and matters related to Personal Law of the Muslims can be solved amicably at each Nahia (Mandal level) by a body of at least 11 members and he succeeded in doing so in his home town by setting up such body, Majlis-e-Qidayat presided by the Imam and the preacher of the District Mosque. The decisions taken in this body were published and expanded to the public Muslims for guidance. It continues for years.

He loves to help people regardless ages, background and personality. He did not do anything for name or for fame. Otherwise, he would already be a member of Parliament, Legislative Assembly man or even a minister.

Scholarship

He tried to follow the teachings of the Quran with the help of the prophetic traditions and the prophetic history. He also tried to spread these teachings to fellow Muslims through simple charts, pictures and posters. He could just write books, but he avoided to do so for few reasons...

• Common people in India are not well educated and most of them are illiterate.
• Even those who are literate do not read books due to their engagement with busy life.
• He believes that the teachings could easily be remembered through posters just like the expression says, "A picture speaks a thousand words".   
• Publishing books need hard labor and financial means while posters and pamphlets can easily be printed, distributed and pasted around.

Sunni Academy centered at his house became a center of learning for youngsters and elders in the town. The could read magazines, books and newspapers there. He used to explain tough subjects in simple manner to public. On his death, Dr. Hasanuddin Ahmed, I. A. S. who was a famous intellectual, scholar and author in Hyderabad paid him a tribute through his article under the heading, "Unknown Muslim Scholar", published in the leading local newspaper. The scholar actually respect al-Masdusi so much and calling him as a Muslim scholar of his time.   

Freedom Struggle

Al-Masdusi though an Arab by birth and only a migrant to Hyderabad state but actually a nationalist. He get the ideas from Mohaddis Dehelwi and his followers such as Mahmud Hasan, Hussain Ahmad Madani and Abul Kalam Azad. Mahmud Hassan and Madani were sentenced to jail by British ruler due to their active involvement in nationalism activities. They were sent to jail in Andaman and Nicobar Island at a place known as Kala Pani.  

He loves to read the books, articles and weekly newspapers such as al-Hilal and al-Balagh published by Abul Kalam Azad. He thinks that this man is an ideal personality during their freedom struggle. Salam al-Masdusi was also imprisoned for a short while. The Indian Government sanctioned all freedom fighters for government pensioned after the independence. His close friend and the native of Hyderabad state, P. Hanumanth Rao was the deputy minister of Hyderabad State at that time. He later became the member of parliament. He had to force Salam al-Masdusi to accept the government pension after he refused it for many times. He is so stubborn that he said, "I have done my duty for my country, I do not want any reward nor pension!".

Philanthropist

He believes that his "Service for humanity is the service for the God". All of the resources around him was directed to help the society. Al-Masdusi avoids being close to wealthy people and he only helped the poor and those who need help with his money or time. He provided things to guests who came to his house. His house was known as Zinda Pir ki Dargah which means the Mausoleum of the Living Saint. 

He and his colleagues managed to establish a commercial complex on the endowed lands in Mahboobnagar. The foundational stone was laid by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the then President of India in September 1967. On the occasion, a large gathering was arranged in which the governor of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister, Ibrahim Ali Ansari, Minister and the president of the complex committee were there. Salam al-Masdusi was also invited to sit along with them. However, he chose to sit on the ground among the crowd to see the ceremony.  

Poetry

He started to write poems in Urdu in his early schooling days. He also had a pen-name but later he gave up poetry. He dedicated his life for selfless social services. He destroyed all of his poems and writings. The only poems and ghazals written by him that could be seen today perhaps those published in the magazines.

My father has a lot of writings too. All of them are in Malay language. They are in the form of unpublished short stories, novels and poetry. Now he is bedridden and he could only cry when he feels sick or hungry. I write many things too and I could imitate sounds (which made me a multilingual little kid). In fact I also love to draw things and used to have a vast imagination. But nowadays I think that I could only think about logical matters. I destroyed many of my notes too just like this person destroyed his poetry. What I could interpret from his action is that, maybe he came to the fact that everything which blossoms would wither and fade away in the dust. People would forget us but the God remembers us always. 

Conclusion

Many people might think that this man is an idiot when he refuse the government pension. But for me, he is a great saint of his age. He believes that the hereafter is the factual one and not the "worldly" matters. I used to feel so sad, low-self esteem and humiliated when I heard non-Arab friends talking about how barbaric we are as the Arabs that made the God sent to Arab nations a prophet known as Muhammad s.a.w and some of our people are opportunistic. Other than that, I was confused on how those people who said such a thing know how the God "thinks"? What is with over-generalization and the notion of God-sent prophet to a certain nation when those non-Arab Muslims also claiming that Islam is a universal teaching? Their over-generalization seems to imply that they do not need Islam because they already were civilized thus the notion, "mercy to the worlds" which refers to the noble prophet Muhammad s..a.w is also obsolete....    

This figure is an Arab. He is loyal to his country. His name is not even known to people but he helped many people around him without being known through selfless services... I did not know him before. I just came to know him just before I posted his simple story while browsing Indian-Arab figures in the Wikipedia, the encyclopedia which could be edited by almost anyone, haha... 

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

Mid Term Break: Sightseeing in Acheen and Armenian Streets

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Colonial style houses at the row of Yap Temple

Thursday, 14 Zulhijjah 1432 H (10 Nov 2011) 10:00 am

We came to some heritage trail because Georgetown of Penang Island is recognized as a heritage site by UNESCO and this institution I am studying in is in Penang Island, hehehe. I went back to Bukit Gambir but I didn't return to my hostel. I just wait for the bus to Georgetown. Feel bored and empty but I bring some books with me so I read them while waiting for bus. I went off from the bus at Little India. I had visited the area and I feel not interested to be there anymore. I just walked my way to the side of Yap Temple which is a Chinese clan temple.   

Yap Temple

Yap Temple 

 Another angle of Yap Temple

I walked into the temple... The environment around is heavy with jossticks smokes and they had arranged some offerings for ancestors with fruits and some candles in the shape of lotus. I didn't take pictures to respect the temple because it seems that they are having an occasion though they didn't prevent me from snapping pictures as long as it is not in flash mode. Few Chinese nationals or perhaps Taiwanese are also looking around the temple. Penang Chinese community is still maintaining pre-Cultural Revolution cultural traits of Chinese community because they were not involved in Cultural Revolution event in China. To describe the internal part of the temple, it's just an ancestral temple with ancestral name plaques and some idols of god at the altar. They also provide jossticks and offering stuffs like papers to be burn with some charge or donation. Just walking around in the temple for about 10 minutes because nothing much to see except in the other building at the side they sell porcelains and pictures.

Islamic Museum

Penang Islamic Museum 

Penang Islamic Museum was actually the residence of Syed Ahmad al-Attas. He is an Arab merchant from Acheh of Indonesia today. He became a leader for the community in Acheen street mosque during the Penang Riot of 1867. I read the Chinese character at the street sign, it is written as 打石街 Tashi Jie. It was restored around 1993-1994 in a pilot restoration spearheaded by state government through municipal council implementation. Federal government also helped with technical assistance by French government.

 90 years old handwritten Quran

Naqshabandi credential letter to Sheikh Omar Basheer the mufti of Pulau Pinang by Arabian government before the order was banned by Pulau Pinang government

Hajji Fatheel Basheer collection of artifacts, he's a "Malay" figure who had been given the task to develop Malay village in Ayer Itam, Pulau Pinang since 1931. These artifacts was exhibited in Penang State Museum in 1964. The long one is walking stick of 1922 belongs to Zechariah Basheer, Palestine Spoon a Saucer brought home from Palestine by Sheikh Omar Basheer in 1310 H, and incense container of 1908.

Sheikh Omar Basheer diary written in Arabic which is a surviving document about Penang Riot of 1867
 

Traditional circumcision set. Muslim boys are usually circumcized when they reach 13 years old which is the tradition of patriarchs Abraham and Ishmael a.s

Wooden boxes with Quranic verses carved on them and wooden door

 

Terengganu inscription replica in Malay written with Arabic script about the introduction of Islam in the state

Stuffs involved in traditional medication production used by Syed Ahmad al-Attas family such as pots, grinders and trays

Ceramics where some of them were produced in Iran around the late of 17th C

Crafts made from leaves and metal

Incense pots which is apart of Arabian culture and the lowest part of the rack is betel leaves' set which represents Malay culture

The above part of the rack are Jambiah which is Arabian tribal weapon and it is a kind of knife. Lowest part are Malay daggers or keris and parangs for self defence

Wood carvings with Quranic verses usually being decorations in masjids and holy places

 Musical instruments like arbab, gambus, and flute. Arbab is also used as Thai and Lao musical instruments while gambus is Arabian style musical instrument. The flute is used in Northern Malaysian Peninsula as well. This is some differences between Northern and Southern Malaysian states in term of cultural traits.

Penang Prominent Peranakan Arab Figures

From this museum walk, I get to know few prominent figures of Arab descent. Not all of them are with the title syed (lord) but some are with the title sheikh or have no title at all.

Sheikh Omar Basheer

This guy is a Muslim scholar with his clan name Basheer. An Arab descent, I guess his mother or grandmother is a native. He is from Khalidy Naqshabandi order and this order is classified as illegal by religious authority. I am not really sure about the reasons because sometimes religious authority could also be influenced by politics. There are politics in every place. Khalid was a teacher of the Naqshabandi tariqa in Mecca. Sheikh Omar Basheer had propagate the tariqa and suluk form of retreat in Penang. This order is also popular in Indonesia, Johore, and Kedah. This figure had issued a legal ruling to stop Muslims from joining secret societies in Penang. British administration also referred to him in matters of Islam and Malays affair. He was an imam in Acheen street masjid and a teacher in Ayer Itam masjid. Before that he was a Qadhi (Jurist) in Demak, Java Island and he returned to Penang because of his wife and two children death. He passed away in 1881 and was buried in Ayer Itam, Penang.  

Syed Ahmad al-Attas

The mansion which is now the museum is his residence. He was an Arab spice trader from Acheh and Acheh is an Indonesian province in Sumatera Island. The mansion was build around 1860s. Mr. al-Attas has two wives. His first wife is a Malay noble woman of royal court. His second wife is a Chinese woman, the daughter of a Strait Chinese black pepper merchant whose name is Khoo Teang Poh (Qiu Tianpao). So, some Arab descents had also been classified as Chinese or associated with Chinese face, lol. I don't know what happened to this guy's children but I know many prominent leaders with this clan name such as the founding member of Malaysian People's Movement party (GERAKAN), Mr. Syed Hussein al-Attas. He formed the party around 1968 as an offshoot of Labor party and nowadays the party is the party with majority Chinese members working with the National Front parties while the founder of this party is a Hadrami Arab.

In 1870s, this Syed Ahmad guy became a staunch supporter of Achehnese movements to expel Dutch imperial power from Northern Sumatera. He sponsored weapons and guns to those people, perhaps his mother is Achehnese so those people are technically his maternal brothers. The residence was not only a mansion but also a place of secret meeting among Achehnese leaders.

In 1930s until 1960s, the mansion had became a place of recycle by Chettiars (Indian). In 1995, the mansion became a place to enhance the love toward art and history through its architecture. It was used as a heritage center. Now, this guy's house became Islamic museum and I walked inside the house.

Place Name: Muzium Islam Pulau Pinang

Address: No. 128 Lebuh Armenian 10200, Penang

Contact: (phone) 604-2620172/2503021 (fax) 604-2644692

Web: www.penangislamicmuseum.net

Visiting Hours: Everyday 9:00-17:30

Closed: Tuesdays

Ticket: Adult, RM3, Kids, RM1, the uncle gave me discount as I am a student, RM2 yaye! 

Closing The Post

Finished the visit... The upper part of this museum is still in renovation so I have no chance to visit it. Anyone having some free time come to visit this museum and show us what's new up there, haha

Through His will I wish to have some trips to Alor Setar to get some more information. After I've finished this degree I would also like to plan a travel to Gujarat in India as well as Yemen. For now, I have no political and economic interests like others because I live like other non-Bumis. So, I don't care about Malay rights or identification in my documents because I didn't get any benefit from that. I have to work hard to survive like others and only believe the God as my Protector and Friend.

My experience, when I was in Sekolah Agama Rakyat (State Religious School) after mum brought me home from Perlis (I had already been tied with Buddhist sacred thread but I didn't consider the proclamation of refuge to Buddhism teachings yet until I reached 15 years old), those Selangor Javanese officers in religious department also had treated us like foreigners. It was because we are not natives in Selangor state although if we checked back the Javanese officers background, perhaps they're also of immigrants from Indonesia of 1970s. We didn't get textbooks assistance too and we have to buy everything. We weren't rich people with many siblings but nobody believes us or perhaps playing do not understand. Nowadays, we don't believe any free thing. We have to pay and work for everything and thank You dear the God because You made me return to our path because it is not the fault of the path but fault of human-being with negative thoughts : )

Last time I didn't even put "Malay" in my documents though my late grandpa had registered my dad as a "Malay." If he is still alive today perhaps I would ask him why we have to be registered with our mothers identity like Jews? We are not Jews and I don't want to be one because we indeed are not Jews though some of them in the East are our cousins. I just ticked "others" and I hate the question for racial background in documents and forms. I don't know what is the benefit of checking people's racial background when we are the citizen of the same country???! Those of non-Malay background could not get any help or assistance? Any difference in treatments?

There are many kind of non-Malay natives who had been here since few hundred of years before independence like the Siamese, the half native Portuguese speaking Luso Christians of Malacca whom are Catholics, the Baba and Nyonya of Chinese descent, the Ibanese, the Dusun-Kadazan of Borneo, Orang Asli Semenanjung and many others. They were all recognized according to their ethnicity but Peranakan Arab were not recognized while being forced to have hidden identity (including lying on their obvious background to get business tender). 

I had also snapped some pictures of Acheen Street Masjid but I don't know what's wrong with the system. It doesn't want to accept the picture. I had long tried to access the masjid and recording it into documents. It is known as Malay Masjid but the founder of the masjid is Mr. al-Attas. Never mind, nations are all brothers and sisters. But we should not lie to others. That's what I am trying to say. Just tell the truth, it is difficult but at least it makes us feel better.

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