Memories of My Dad

Assalamu'alaykum wa rahmatullah!

I'm not sure for how long I had left this side, lol.... I was quite busy with life here. I have a paralyzed stroke father and I'm not going to work because I wanted my mother to have the chance to be happy with her activities which also includes her religious and spiritual needs. We would understand the significance of sacrifice if we look deep into the philosophy of the pilgrimage. 

On my experience... Let me tell everyone how embarrassed I am to tell the truth to people who ask me where am I working while I am still jobless. I resigned from a United Nations agency on the spot after my mother quarreled with my younger sister on the matter of looking after my father and everyone has to deal with their life i.e their job. It was 11 months ago. Technically, I have to forget my dream and my carrier planning just to let everyone in my household happy and I am a male, xoxo. 

Getting a job is not easy but losing one is as easy as a blink of eyes. Being silent sure does giving us the sense of serenity and peaceful (Ali r.a). I am not staying silent for nothing but my senses are working. I live with women my whole life but I am not easily influenced because I love to stay alone. I did not even mix with my schoolmates or classmates. They even called me names for being a weird silent guy but I speak only when I think that it is necessary. What makes me feel sad is that my sisters do not understand me more than I try hard to understand them. It is not easy to be the only son among sisters. You would have no friend to discuss your feeling but you will listen to their feelings whether negative or positive. In the end, it makes you a forever alone introvert. I do not make any friend with people anymore especially I cannot trust others unless if I had screened them for a very long period.

Well, that is not important at all. I found three boxes of my dad's writings including his written documents. He loves to write and expressing his thought through writing. I read all of his published books enthusiastically but I never tell anyone about that. I love to pray for everyone who helped me since I was a little child. It includes my parents who had raised me and I have a shelter because of their hard work. I am not sure on what should I do with them. Some of them are not published and there is also an unfinished book. It looks like a novel written in Malay. I had just made a new blog site for him. The previous one was made by my second sister but she had lost the password. I thought that I just wanted to dispose his stuffs while tidying up the backyard since I don't want to be a hoarder but I always have to stop when I look at his face... I would keep his poems or literature works in this site whenever I am free and recycle the paper.

By the way, the painting up there is my own stuff. I used "Paint" application to make that picture. I just try to use those application which I have yet trying to use. It is difficult but fun, haha...

Thank you for viewers support and prayers. Have a blessed Ramadan everyone, wishing it would help us to strengthen our inner self and enrich it with experience before seeing Him in the hereafter, insha-Allah.

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

21 Rabi' al-awwal 1435

Assalāmu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

My father was admitted twice to the hospital since the last two weeks. I cannot sleep day and night because I took care of him in the hospital. These recent, he was infected with pneumonia because of the feeding system turns out to be inappropriate to his condition... I contemplated that if I feel so much tortured, then I wonder how much tortured my father feels? He has a crippled, paralyzed body and he cannot speak because his articulation tool has been taken by the Lord of Powers. I am sure that it must be unbearable for him but this is already fated within the Guarded Tablet in the highest region. How could we relate our past and integrate it with the current situation in the process of "self" identification? Whether we cling to the phenomena and identify it as our "ego" or we just remain unattached but going through it with perseverance and right consciousness? These are my personal insight based from the Sutra of Right Conducts: Discourse between Brahmin Kottaṣtha and Brahmin Śariputra. It is not Islamic nor Arabic in its cultural essence because these figures were the foremost disciples of Siddartha Gautama. The philosopher of Śakya tribe from Lumbini.... They discussed psychology and sub-conscious mind...

That is the reason on why I could still go on with the situation and do not try to run away. In Buddhist phenomenology as per my previous lessons learned, the term saṃsāra refers to the cycle of birth and death. When the time passes then a creature would move on to other phases of the life in the universe. This is the meaning of the word. The life and death is flowing within the temporal universe. We gain our life experience and getting the enlightenment in term of our mental faculties while wandering throughout these cycles of life and death. I am not sure whether this is also being discussed by the ancient Greek philosophers but I guess the same thing was also echoed by Aflaṭūn (Plato). We are going throughout these phases with few types of devotion such as services, knowledge, wisdom, consciousness and trying to get a focused mind.

I had got a phone call on Tuesday while my father is in the hospital. It was a call from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a job interview. I did not have much time for preparation because the interview was scheduled yesterday. Anyhow, I am not confident that I could secure the job on my part but I have no regret. I had at least tried my best by sending the applications and attending the interview despite of my condition.

I am so sad. Two of my Rohingya brothers had moved to other areas. The other Bangladeshi brother, Muhammad Habib is the only one left working part-time in the nearby restaurant owned by my father's office mate from BH. I could not make friends with my neighbors. They are "rich" people. I only can sit with migrant workers even in the mosque or the musalla... I am afraid to taint them with my ugly presence...

Prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

Job Application 2014

Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I think since now I am typing here, I had applied few jobs only for this year. The last year applications are all not counted but I am just telling you out there especially those takabbur guys who already got their position secured in companies or agencies around but bitching around like there is no God watching or listening to you that you boast on everything is due to your own hard work! I am not giving up simply to see you laughing at unfortunate ones!!! You are worse than those who killed little kids and elderly people in the battlefield! 

I used the word takabbur last time to describe 'Amr Diab (Egyptian pop singer) when I talked about Arabic entertainment with 'Emad who was my classmate. He told me the word is so appropriate, haha... Anyway, sorry friend. I do not really care about geopolitical issue in the Middle East. Our ancestral land (Yemen) too faced many problems yet nobody gives us a shit. People are killed and treated like animals around the world. It is not only the issue of Muslims but a global issue which also related to other inhabitants of the world known as, the human race!  The angels had already talked before the God about us as recorded in the Glorious Quran (Surah al-Baqarah 2:30) but many of us still forgot this.

Firstly, in the beginning of this year... I applied for a government servant position. I was not so much knowledgeable about how to apply into government agencies but one of my Yemenite acquaintance known as 'Abdullah told me to apply for government position and not to waste our position as the sons of the soil although we are not Malays but because we are here since 300 years ago. Well, many of my cousins from my father side work as police, soldiers, guard or watchmen. They are the sons of my Hassan and Hussain uncles. Some of them do business especially the ladies and they do not really care about "jurisprudence" regarding halal business. Their mother is different to my father's mother. My father's mother is a Malay woman. Their mother is North-Indian Arab just like my grandfather. Many of those acquaintance from Mokalla in Yemen also asked me to join our government service. Well, I am interested to serve our government but it is not easy to apply even when we hold the passport and citizenship. I applied a post in the Foreign Affairs Ministry. I am not sure whether I would pass because they have tests before I could go for the interview.

In this month, I applied some jobs in the United Nations Development Programs. I saw that there are lots of vacancies in the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Kuala Lumpur but I have to stay away from the agency because I only served for less than a week. I had to quit because of responsibility to my family. I afraid that they would blacklisted my name since my name was also sent to Bangkok at the headquarters for Asia Pacific region. However, I cannot find any suitable job as according to my qualifications that made me have to fight tooth and nail to survive. I sent two applications for Policy and National Institutional Expert which is based in Quezon city, the Philippines. The other one in this agency is the Communication and Advocacy Officer based in New York. I do not know on how I would be engaged with the interviews or even reaching those places. Well, for the Philippines perhaps I can manage to reach there. 

The second one was the European Communications Associate. It is in the Open Society Foundation. The place is far too which is in the United Kingdom. I do not know how I would reach there say if it is for the interview. Maybe they have Skype interview or maybe phone interview? Do they accept non-national who live abroad applications? I do not know and I do not know. I am just dependent to Him as the Provider of the Sustenance.    

I lament my stubbornness last time when I wanted to stay true to myself that I cannot be a robot to fulfill the labor needs in the country by refusing to go for pharmacist training, refusing to study culinary art which was proposed by my mother or going for technical training. Because I am not a machine kind of person. I am more to humanity. Those people like the late Salam el-Masdusi which I posted in few posts below are humanity kind of person. I am identified as that kind of person. 

I do not think that I am going to succeed with my applications because of several factors such as the lack of experience, the due date which is so much close since there are so many online job openings and we might lose the pace when we feel tired looking at the monitor but at least I tried. 

For those who are studying, make sure you really sure on what you are doing. Do not simply do things because you see that others are doing so. Follow your own necessities. Sometimes we already planned things but obstacles come such as unfortunate incidents. It happens because this world is a test for faithful servants of the God. Some people live so smoothly that they know no hardships at all. Some who realize that the world is temporal such as lord Siddartha Gautama went out and being a "silly fool" leaving behind his luxurious palace to live like beggars bearing humiliation. I am not trying to compare myself to this great teacher or other great teachers but their life portray what most of us are experiencing around down here.... 

I think I get some idea on doing some part-time jobs. Maybe working in the cinema which is a good start for a jobless loser like me. I could get some money as tool for me to move say if I get another secured job. I get to know few Bangladeshi or perhaps Myanmar migrant workers from the musalla where we prayed together. They are so kind to me that they offered to help me to find part-time jobs as cleaner and road sweeper. I would never forget their kindness. They are at least better than my own selfish relatives or country men. They deserve to be treated like angels. I believe that they are the unknown living saints for me... May He bless them always and may they live a blessed life forever and ever :'(      

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

Part-Time Job Guide

Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I have still got no idea about what kind of "part-time" job that I should do. Now, I think I should also think about myself next-time instead of others especially when I am not yet established. I bet that everybody hates to go again and again for interviews and having to change the resume all the time looking for new job. The employers do not like to see over-qualified employees because they are afraid of the commitment of the job-seeker. And the job-seeker needs quick money to move on.

I get to know that there is an advertisement for part-time jobs everywhere but I am thinking on how should I apply the job? Should I give out my resume? It is frustrating to change over and over and I did the resume for serious job and I end up having to give up the job to be a companion for my depressed mother. I quit to give way for her to join her old citizen activities either at the mosque or in the neighborhood society while I have a paralyzed "stroke" father to be taken care. My sisters refuse to give up their life and I have to be the "Jesus" for them... "Crucified" in trade for their life. This is real life facts. I tried to do researches before getting any job to avoid losses in term of time and doing things in vanity.  I have no one to refer to so I have to do the research and trial an error.

My mother had introduced me to a Quranic society which is an NGO but I cannot go on with the society because I do not take tithe as my sustenance and I need financial support to keep the maintenance of our house, to pay for the national loan because my parents did not help me to pay for my undergraduate fees like my younger sister's, to move on to the next level of my life while I am reaching 30 years old and for my parents. I had explained many times to my mother that our paternal clan could not receive anything related to tithe as not to commit the sins of the "priests" but my mother do not understand it. She introduced me to the job because she think that I would be close to her while my sisters are off with their life. I have to live in disguise as a public as according to our vows and not to appear in public as "religious" figure in order to be equal with the laymen. It is not easy to live in a women-dominated space and most of the times people do not understand the "functions" of different genders! Male and female function differently... Many of our people fail to frame the explanations of the technical terms such as the "fitrah" and the "sunnatullah" that makes the world go haywire. These involves mystical explanations as well as the technical ones.  

Questions for Part-Time Job

Examples roughly look like these....

Q: What days/hours are you available to work?

• I am available during school hours while my children are at school, maybe at 9:00-15:00, Monday through Friday and I can work some weekends.
• If you are a student, you will need to share the class schedule, any labs, to avoid confusion for supervisor, "I have classes Tuesday and Thursday until 16:00 and a lab that meets every other Wednesday from 17:00-19:00, but I am flexible about working any other hours you have available".
• I am flexible and available just about any time you need me to work.
• I have another commitment each Monday, but I am available the rest of the week.
• I am available after school and evenings and weekends.

Q: Do you have any activities that would prevent you from working your schedule?

Employers want to know, especially with part time employees who have other commitments, whether you will be able to work your scheduled hours. The interview question "Do you have any activities that would prevent you from working your schedule?" A way to verify that you have the time to commit.

It's important to be be honest about what your availability is. If you have activities what come up suddenly - a commitment as a substitute teacher or bus driver for example, you should be honest about that. Otherwise, this is an opportunity to show that you plan things well in advance.

• I participate every year in a 10K run to raise money for my favorite charity, but I will know the date well in advance, and would let you know I need that day off.
• I am on the crew team at school, but our practices are typically early in the morning or later in the day, so they should not impact my schedule.
• I spend a week during the winter vacationing with my family in Florida every year, but I can schedule that based on the busy times at work.
• I volunteer at the hospital every Saturday morning from 9:00 - noon, other than that my schedule is flexible.

Q: Would you prefer full-time employment to part-time if a job were available?

Would you prefer full-time employment to part-time if a job were available? Can be a tricky interview question. 

On the one hand, if you are hoping that the job will turn into a full-time position, you want your prospective employer to consider you first should the opportunity arise.

On the other hand, you do not want to raise the doubt that should a full-time position present itself, you would walk out of your part-time commitment.

Be cautious when you respond and keep your answer general, so you are not committing to one type of employment or the other.

• Right now, my education/family/children prevent me from considering full-time employment, but I would not rule it out at some point in the future.
• What is important to me is that I enjoy the work and the people I am working with. I have many interests, and having a part-time job allows me the time to pursue them.

Continued....

Sorrow

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I was in the musalla at Tekun hostel of Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2010 when I received a text from my mother saying that my father was attacked with strokes. At that time, he was not paralyzed like today. I am so sorry bapak... I should be by your side at that time but I was stuck there because of conscience toward whatever that I had started...

I tried to make friends with those Tabligh congregation brothers but I end up feeling stupid myself. They finished their studies without informing me that they had gone home. I did not give any agreement or commitment on the "outing" because I do not like to make promises since I afraid that I would break it. Promise and the action related to contract is a big thing for me. I would even risk my life for that if I say it out loud. I thought that they were trying to befriend me but it turns out that they had got more better things to do in their life. I was quite disappointed too at that time. I had twice experience being dumped by acquaintances whom I thought were friends. Traumatized because of this, I avoid people and stop making friends no more. Life is so much filled with selfishness and egoism. 

I even ignore the Tabligh congregation of our neighborhood who tried to persuade me to join their congregation. I am done with it I do not want to be manipulated by any "movement". I have a huge respect to the teachers who established the congregation but I do not want to have any contact with the members. I had seen something which is not so pleasant in their center which is an "abstinence" for me pantang datuk nenek... Double standard... The high ranking people there only entertain those with "money", nice looking ones, and those who study in "good" courses in which the future of the recruited member makes him useful for those who is close to him. I am not trying to say anything bad about the movement. Never. I just wanted to say that we could see human "colors" when we are among them. I would better make friend with the God the Highest. I do not care if people wanted to call me names anymore. Eventually we will have to be alone in the grave-hole so why not I proceed a little quicker before it happens? I refuse to talk with people or making friend any more. I admire the friendship of Amir Khusro with his mentor, Muhammad Nizamuddin. I do not have any fortune to have great mentors but I am grateful that the God the Highest has given me the Glorious Quran as a loyal companion and a mentor itself.

I just cried alone in musalla this morning while reciting the Yaasin for the souls of ancestors and noble prophets. I have to make sure that there was nobody there except me and Him just in case if my eyes suddenly raining tears. Or else it would be an embarrassing thing for people to see a guy crying like a little baby, haha. I do not know why men have to pretend to be strong in front of others? However, I am also accustomed to that norm. I just feel embarrassed if people look at me crying.

I just talked to Him because I do not know how to help my father. I understand that he must be very depressed being locked in that paralyzed body. He cannot do anything on his own except screaming. I feel like crying when looking at my father's face. Now, it is like 18 months he is in that condition. I tried all sort of things including reciting Quran for him but we are nobody to Him. How can we tie His "hands"? He could do anything if He wills. From these experiences, I learned that He is incomprehensible by lowly creatures like us. This is a meditation and contemplation itself. When we see something in this temporal world, we could also imagine that it is not going to last long in that condition. Only He is immutable.

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

13th Muharram 1435 H

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I am not sure whether the title is suitable or not but I seriously do not know what to put at the title, haha. Well, tomorrow morning maybe after morning prayer service I would take the bus to Shangrila Hotel up there. I just wanted to apply for a steward (dishwasher) job. In the beginning I planned to beg for my mother to help me to study the "religion" but after all I think that I had also burdened her before. I feel so ashamed too. Now on I just wanted to settle my debt with the national loan center because I owed them to study in my undergraduate level. Anyway, I am thankful to the government and I do not want to owe anyone no more. I wanted to pay my mother's jewelry too. I do not want anyone to suffer because of me! 

I wanted to find a job again just after I quit the one which was a Protection Clerk in the UNHCR, Kuala Lumpur. There were too many things to deal at once including with my mother who wanted to see me graduated which means that I have to apply for one week leaves although I am still in probation and that annoying Human Resource lady in the office as I was still under her supervision. You know, sometimes people love to look at others as inferior than them without trying to be their friends. They would rather love to make enemy with others by giving that pompous attitude. I had also quarreled with my younger sister where she accused me as not taking care of my father though I was always with my father in his sad times since I was young until now when he is bedridden. I never leave him behind or neglect my responsibility. When you are in unfortunate situation, you will see the true "colors" of everyone. It will spontaneously come out of everyone...    

I am still "aware" about my "self" and I know the God's commandment for a child to be devoted to his parents. Besides I had to give the chance for my little sister to use my mother car since she has got a job in the Prime Minister's Department. I quit at that time and opted for another job far in Kuala Lumpur because I was the one who offered her my position though my old employer actually trying to stop me by giving me a promotion together with an increase in salary pay. Now, everyone could see a Muslim guy is being bullied by women and how I have to sacrifice for their chance to live in term of my future. I have to give up my job under the midst of pressures. Yet, most of the time, we Muslim guys being tainted with the so-called "feminism" cry that most men are irresponsible, going out for religious propagation like the Tableeghi Jama'at members by just ignoring their responsibility as men and others. I respect the teachers of Deoband school of India and I give due respect to all Muslim scholars but some people still taking some of the "public" members of the movements as the benchmark for all! I strictly adhere to the principle of Ahl Bayt and that makes me have to struggle on my own with only the God as my only Protector and Companion. I have to do anything by accepting my situation, accepting the facts and according to situation. So my final decision because all of those troubles is just to quite without having the chance to establish myself like others.

What I had done yesterday was I had already cleaned my clothes and mattress sheet. Some had already been packed in plastic because I do not want them to be dirty again before being given to people. I had given up like half of them right now. I do not want too many possession because it will burden me in the future. I need to clean the fan in my room as it is quite dusty right now. Around midnight I will start to clean my room since I do not want to be seen even by my family members anymore.   

Owh yeah, I wanted to give up my religious kitabs to mosques and some friends. I do not need them anymore because I had memorized some of them. I just need to practice them and just need a copy of Quran with me in order to get it preserved in myself. Maybe I will make some "letter of will" and inheritance letter. I wanted to quietly move away without being known by anyone if anything happen to my beloved father. I love him so much, grateful to him for raising me and I am here because of him. I do not care a bit about being in comfort zone... Unfortunate events will happen without we even notice or expect it. So better be very very careful...  Maybe today you see that people in those war zones are crying but it could also happen to us. Doomsday is not only the great doomsday but also doomsdays which follow our transitory phases of life...   

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

Pickled Green Tomatoes

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Some people perhaps do not take tomatoes because it is a kind of foreign vegetable. But who cares about foreign or not. It is still from the same mother earth. Green tomatoes is actually perfect for pickling since it has sugar content which is less that the ripe ones. These are lacto-fermented tomatoes. Some people do not recommend vinegar fermented ones because good bacteria is not as much as in the lacto-fermented ones.

Ingredients 

All you need are:

7-8 small fresh green tomatoes, or 4 large green ones.

1 tablespoon fennel seeds or mustard seeds or cumin seeds.

1/2 tablespoon chilly flakes or any fresh chillies or mint leaves.

2 tablespoons celtic sea salt.

4 tablespoons whey (if not around, use additional 1 tablespoon salt).

2-3 cloves garlic (peeled not crushed)

Water

Steps

How to do...

Wash tomatoes well, maybe half or quarter of them if you want to fit them in the jar. Place them into a mason jar or anything. Add all the ingredients and at the end add water to fill the jar, but leaving at least one inch below the top of the jar.

Cover tightly. Shake to stir ingredients. Give at least two inches of head space and make sure all ingredients are submerged in brine. Keep at room temperature for about 3-10 days before placing it into cold storage. Be sure to "burp" the jar every 1-2 days just to let the gases out. It is difficult to give correct duration as it depends on several factors like ambient temperature, ripeness of tomatoes, type of salt and so on.

Other than that, you maybe can add some peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, or peppers in the jar. Vegan food is easier to prepare as compared to meat ones since we do not have to waste time washing and washing the meat to get rid of that "blughhh" smell.... I avoided meat for so long. I could even tell the smell of those who take the meat which makes me feel nauseated. I am so sorry but that is the fact : S 

Anyway I tried some other simple recipes too such as Pumpkin Soup. Maybe I would keep the recipe here so I could make it again. Not so much complicated and suitable for those who feel lazy to cook, haha.

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

Starting Over

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I had made few researches on jobless situation in our country. It is not so much a full finding but is still reliable for fellow jobless friends and also those who are still deciding to further their studies in the university or college especially when they are so excited looking at their friends preparing for their further studies in the university.

Young friends, let me give you an advice. I had already gone through whatever you are now going through. Do not be easily deceived by situations around. Make considerations and get proper guidance on your future. Do not follow your friends or anyone around you but decide yourself with the prayer to the God the Highest on what you are going to do. I am still waiting responses on the unofficial research and collecting responses. If I had almost complete it then I would publish it up here as a warning, haha. Just do not be so sad if you are not doing well in your SPM or examinations in school level or any level it is.

Do not try to take your own life because I had also experienced it few times! I almost took my life when I was 17 years old just after I took my SPM result. I thought that I wanted to be transferred into the highest world after I died. Different to my family members who were not so much spiritual in tendency... I was also a self-educated in Buddhism and I wandered to Buddhist monastery, listening to Buddha Dharma speeches and tying the white thread at my right hand at Buddhist monastery when I was a young 13 years old boy. It happened for almost four years as I could remember when I was in that stage of life. I thought that when I killed myself by performing deep meditation without any food or drinks could bring my "soul" into the angels' world. Luckily my mother broke my room's door and forced me to eat. Nobody was paying attention at me at that time and I ceased performing Islamic teachings but more influenced by Buddhist thoughts. We were in distress with family conflicts as my father and us were not favored by my mother relatives and my father was struggling with his career so I believed that nobody would realize that I am going to commit suicide. I did not know at that time, I was in between the two evils. This is related to a teaching by a Buddhist teacher. I am not going to talk long about this because this is not my purpose posting things here, haha.

I had photocopied my resume with my own salary, haha. I feel so relieved that I could still save some money though I worked for not a long period. I had to print out new resume because I have new experience added in it. This is for my next year preparation. I plan that this Monday would be the day I submit one resume to Shangrila hotel. I am still sticking to my early plan but before this I was persuaded by my eldest sister to try joining the KL Airport Services Sdn. Bhd. around May 2013. I have to quit after a week Customer Services training because of my previous security pass issue in the airport. I did not submit my pass to the "real" security office when I was 19 years old working as a Chinese Interpreter and the Immigration office had lost my pass but my record is still in security office database. I made a report at the airport police station but after that I decided to quit because there was a long-winding process to clean my record and it would also burden the company. I was not there to burden anyone but just trying to get some living! Other than that, the place is so far from my house. I have no transportation on my own and it is not easy to rent room with no one that you know. I have to stand on my own "feet" without anyone to support me either morally or in term of connections that would enable me to get other helps from friends.

In the beginning, I just wanted to apply for either a cleaner job or a steward job which is related to cleaning the dishes in the kitchen for a part time job. In the same time, I could progress for self-development and repent to the God the Highest by performing penance and memorizing Quran in the gap time. Then I plan to teach the immigrants here either Myanmarese, Indians or Bangladeshis with the Quran as a mean of knowledge sharing. I had screened some and I found there are few suitable "target" and I just need their consent to help me accepting the sharing. If they wanted it then I would transfer them through two ways training. I could say that am quite racist toward rich people, hhaha...

I do not feel like wanted to be an executive or living like a rich people and I know where is my position society. I do not study anything for myself but I studied as a mean for da'awa tools and penance so that people would not look at us da'ies as people who only talk about hereafter here and there which is unseen things! So, please those who always say bad things to us graduates of the university! Do not be so arrogant and the God the Highest is listening and watching you in every corner of the universe! He could take anything that you are enjoying right now in no time! Just be grateful to the God the Highest and have some empathy to other creatures if you cannot help others. 

My colleague, Amir had talked about quitting his job. I tried to convince him to stay but he said that he feel tortured. Then I just suggest that he would better quit if he cannot go on because what for staying in the place if he is not happy? Then, we just decided to cooperate in doing translation and interpreting job which was our undergraduate major. It is not so much fruitful but I guess that is what we have in our selves. We have no other talents to sell like voice or even look, haha. If so then perhaps I would become an actor or a singer. Interpreters and translators could also serve as da'ies and civilization bridges. 

I had successfully memorized a surah and I am so happy. Thank you dear the God the Highest. I love you so much!!!!! I wrote my experiences in Buddhism and few concepts about Buddhism especially about Theravada school of thought concepts, the Sarvastisvadin and the Brahminical thought. I wrote few in Malay while others are in English. It is not for public circulation but simply as an experience of a "Muslim guy" from an overseas Arab family disguised as Malays. I am not sure whether I should publish it but I would perhaps just keeping it in my diary.

I need to clean my room and clean the ashes on my rack, it is filled with the chandan (sandalwood) ash... It is a pigsty, goshhhh!! Anyway, brothers and sisters out there. Please do not be so much influenced by your examination in the school. Just try to live a happy life and face the fact of life. Life is not so much filled with happiness but it is a myriad of scenes. If we accept the real life then we will also be content with whatever that we receive and moving on to other phase of life. Nothing to be sad of, nothing to regret, nothing to be afraid of... 

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

An Arab Peranakan Schooling Memories

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

  

Alhamdulillah all praises due only to Allah. I just had my supper with some drinks. Just had a walk outside for fresh night air and drink some tea that I bought from Indian department store. I just had some splash of memories when sitting alone under the tree at the soccer field behind the department store. So, I am just writing it again as it also has connection to previous posts about our education system.

When I was a little child, I was put in the mosque supervised by the federal territory religious authority maybe when I was around five to six years old. Before that, I was also educated back at home and in our villages at times when we spend holiday by the elders during religious occasion which is also treated as family meeting. Basically we are familiar with the way of salat performance according to Shafi'ie school of jurisprudence and we were also taught with few orthodox practices in salat which could actually be omitted or practiced if we know the evidence according to sunnah chains or hadiths. We were taught with the life of prophet Muhammad s.a.w through occasions known as qaseedah. I don't know if qaseedah is haram according to people of other movements but they are not mentioned by elders as mandatory but being presented to people around as a way to teach everyone about the life of the noble prophet s.a.w. There are many ways to teach religion to people without being so puritan and stiff but still in accordance to the Quran and Sunnah such as nasheed, lectures, poetry, kitab recitations with everyone, explanations of tafseer and others.  

Pre-School Education

I had problem then with Islamic nursery teachers because of difference in cultural traits. I am a peranakan Jawi and we're not purely thinking or behaving like Malays especially we're of northern Malaysian states and around early 1990s the situation is quite different as nowadays when media in our country widely exposing people around with northern Malayan cultural traits in movies and dramas. By the way Jawi here in northern Malayan Peninsula refers to people of Arabia especially Yemen and Northern Indian with Arab origin of the past from Gujarat which also includes those from Persian empire but speaking in fluent classical Malay language with lots of Arabic and Persian words. Now this term is also extended to include Indian Muslim from Southern India because they began to marry our women after independence from British. So, I refuse to identify myself as Jawi Peranakan anymore but using Peranakan Arab as a precise ethnicity identification. Jawi also refers to Arabic script used to write religious books in Malay language in South East Asia. It is almost the same thing as Hui is used to refer to Chinese speaking Muslims in China because they paternally were of Persian, Turkish or Arab origin of the past. I skipped the pre-school education for a year and I enjoyed watching TV at home, haha. 

Primary School

I was enrolled in national primary school when I was seven I guess around 1993. I didn't know how to read and write roman script but I can write and read Arabic script since my mother and grandma taught me at home using the script. My grandma till her deathbed could never read roman script. I began to be influenced by Chinese culture when I was around this age and it continues because the area I lived at that time was the area populated with Chinese community. The school that I went was known as Sekolah Kebangsaan Batu 3 1/2, Cheras in Kuala Lumpur. I can't even remember when I began to speak in Chinese language though I was not educated in Chinese national type primary school like three of my elder sisters, haha. I mingled with non-Muslim Chinese at the neighborhood and my mother also has Chinese relatives in Perlis. In the evening, we were sent to state religious authority supervised primary religious school. 

So basically we learned Islamic education twice a day. In secular school we learned Islamic Education and simple Fardh 'Ain lessons while in religious evening school we learned subjects such as: 

1. Tawheed which refers to Islamic monotheism

2. Akhlaq or noble morality and ihsan 

3. Fiqh which deals with Islamic jurisprudence for daily life disciplines from the school of Imam Shafi'ie

4. Tajweed and Qira'at for Quranic recitation in Arabic

5. Arabic language 

I had problem with lessons as the way they taught in the evening religious school is so different to what we're taught at home. We recognized the dots at the as nuqta and the baris atas, baris mati, depan bawah were confusing for me. I was taught by elders at the village and home with fatha, kasra and damma. The way they pronounce Arabic words seem so complicated while we don't have to pronounce them with difficulties because we integrate Arabic words in spoken Malay and we only alter the pronunciations when talking with Malays to make them feel comfortable. To tell brothers and sisters, I hate both religious school and secular schools equally. I had no problem in literacy as I am quite fast in term of recognizing letters and symbols. I studied in Kuala Lumpur for two and half years before shifting to Kedah Darul Aman. My parents always thinking to return to Kedah state as that is the only home for them and our grandparents live there our ancestors tomb and graves are there. We as children also viewed the state as our only home. My father was offered a position in Wisma Darul Aman to serve the state under the chief minister, Mr. Usman 'Arof.

In Kedah, I was registered in the school known as Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Ahmad Tajuddin in Jitra, the Kubang Pasu district town around the end of 1995. My first ancestors' mausoleum is in this town. I didn't have time to spend with friends or making good friends with school mates and in Kedah state I didn't have evening religious school like in Kuala Lumpur. We lived like refugees. I only made one good friend known as Saiful when I was in standard four. My father also tried to open up a business which is a photo shop in Jitra town just in front of Taman Indera. But we end up having problem to roll the capital. Our relatives who worked there had stolen the money for their own usage without being recorded in the account, the tax imposed on us by state tax office came in no time and we had no modern machine to print out pictures. We were the only "Muslim" photo shop at that time in the midst of non-Muslim photo shop dominated by Chinese community. In school I was viewed by my classmates as outsider though I spoke in fluent Kedah Malay. It was not easy back then to fit our selves. 

In the mid of 1996, my father packed up his things when the chief minister position was held by Mr. Sanusi Junaid and not Mr. Usman anymore. I am not sure there was election or not at that time or just the end of term and why my father was so honest for not offering his self to the new chief minister. So, my father has to return to his old company in Jalan Riong as he was jobless being a reporter. We lived in Hulu Langat and I was schooled in Sekolah Kebangsaan Batu. 9. I was also forced by especially my mother to be registered in evening religious school and at that time I was in standard five. Again I had to face problem to fit in and schools were so tormenting for a half and one year. Early at that time, I hardly could mingle with other pupils around. Even in the evening religious school, I was insinuated by few Javanese kids (they're children of newly arrived immigrants from Indonesia in Selangor state) and I was like confused with the syllabus related to Arabic and Quranic recitation. Some of my classmates during standard six that I could still remember were Naim, Aladin, Felix, Shanmukam and Mastura. Perhaps they're married with children now, lol. In the evening religious school I could still remember Azli because this boy was quite nice to talk with and he sits beside me. There were also three boys in my class who were like a cocky trio and I hate them. Perhaps they thought that they were popular or girls were attracted to them as they were achievers in school, rich and looked nice. I was not good in school because I was interrupted with the shifting periods and I didn't know how to fit myself as a traveler beside no one guide me. I learned basically through experience and environment.   

Lower Secondary School

My mother was worried because once I finished the national primary school, my name was sent together with other students in the school to secondary school known as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Perimbon near Kajang. I didn't even get the chance to be a student there as my mother quickly urged my father to ask his elders where they could put me as she afraid I would also be a punk. She heard that the students in the school were notorious with bad students and there were teachers who told her about this. 

So, my father was advised by his elders to put me in the al-Alawiya madrasah in Arau, Perlis state. The school located close to Perlis Royal Palace, the Perlis Royal Family Tomb Complex, the Arau Masjid, the Arau Police station and behind was the rail way. Then off I was sent to further north of Malaysia. I began to hate my own family because we understood that those who were sent to madrasah were usually bad kids. I didn't understand what exactly was my fault? 

In Perlis also I began to be exposed to Buddhism of Theravada teachings when I did not return to my grandparents house but I went to the Thai Buddhist monasteries. I met a monk one day in a bus to Sungai Petani and he invited me to visit the monastery in Yan after I told him I didn't know where to go. I tried to go down to Sungai Petani because I didn't like to hear other maternal relatives who came by and cynically talking shits to me while they weren't even close to me or know how I feel to live like a refugee. From that incident I began to be exposed to Buddhism and its monastic teachings. When I told some Tabligh kids about this experience they asked me whether I was hypnotized by black magic? I just laugh to them. I was aware about environment around and I did not being a Buddhist in a blink of eyes. It happened stage by stage and I made notes for Buddhism studies. I had disposed those mantras and kathas before I went to pilgrimage in holy Mecca in 2005. 

In the madrasah, I made friend with a Chinese-Thai guy too in the madrasah known as Sufian. His mother was a Thai citizen but lived in Ipoh. Then he began to be cocky so I left him and changing dorm. I was there only for about a year and totally a loner in the school. I didn't join group of students. The madrasah was part of Insaniah corporation and was operated with students monthly fees. At that time, the madrasah was all-boys school. The religious subject teachers were educated from Umm al-Qura in Mecca, al-Azhar in Egypt and Jordan. The level when I was there is known as the I'dadi level. Religious science subjects were taught in Arabic and the level there was actually higher than the level of the second year in other states' religious schools. Before me, senior students studied even secular academic subjects in Arabic. At my time they just imposed Arabic as an obligatory language during certain selected days and only during school time. They frequently organizing night prayers known as Qiyaam al-Layl and I always skip them by hiding under the roof in the toilet, haha. 

Then my mother began to feel something wrong happened to me and came by to the madrasah after she heard that I was not at school waiting for my older cousin brother who worked in the canteen in the Arau UITM. She immediately shifted me to Selangor state religious secondary school known as Sekolah Menengah Agama Hulu Langat in Batu 10 and it was a painful application because I was from a private madrasah. I painfully trying to coup up with academic and religious science studies until 2000 and being divided with other students into streams. I had no close friends in school and I also had many kind of classmates in the school such as transvestite she-male students, demon worshiper students who were just a group of attention-seekers or wannabes acting like die-hard fans of black metal music band, pornographic videos seller students, politicians like students and others.

In 2001, I was divided into Shari'a stream. At that time I knew that I was not good in secular academics but more inclined to religious sciences. It has no place in society and my class was the last class placed on the top of the roof and located beside stinky not well-managed toilet. Around 1960's or 1970's perhaps religious studies are not a big deal. They existed separately but in parallel with secular studies in Malayan Peninsula. The schools for religious studies were separate from secular schools where those who went to religious school were dropped from "national monitoring authority". They were operated under sufi order frameworks and initiated by religious teachers skilled in Islamic sciences. But in 1990s up to 2000, where the Vision 2020 being a hit topic popularized by our leader who was talking about the quest in order to build up a developed country and look East policy which emphasized on the Japanese technology and their culture. It means that we had to deny our inclinations and capacity to suit the pattern of society. Secular studies and science being greatly highlighted until it overshadow us in our own place.

Now those in Europe please give attention to this and you can see what happened to us. We are talking about our history track just like those in the European Middle Ages going through Renaissance age. Around this time I began to be greatly influenced by Buddhism teachings and I even contacted Chinese Buddhist monks of Mahayana traditions while being a Muslim teenage. I tied Buddhist strings at my wrist again around 2000. Those in Europe perhaps had little contact with civilizations but here we are in contact with various oriental civilizations, philosophies and religions.

Higher Secondary School

I was humiliated by other school mates along with our unfortunate classmates and I fought discipline teacher when I was in form four around the early of 2001 because he said harsh things to us. Shari'a stream class ranked the last ranking in all streams hierarchy. There were four classes for form four students at the school in that time. The first ranking is the science stream, the second is economy, the third was geography and the last was the shari'a stream. When we walked passed the first ranking class, the teacher inside the class would insinuate us and looking to us like bunch of dogs in the "religious" school. I studied Shari'a, Usuluddin, National Language, English, Higher Classical Arabic, Arabic for communicative purpose, History, Maths and Account in our class. There was the lack of teachers because nobody care about us while we had to face Fourth Thanawi exam and the next year O-Level (SPM). So, I made up my mind and applying to technical school in Kajang because my mother said that she did not want to see me in normal secular school. I actually suffered more in the technical school but I can't return to the old school. I just went on until 2003 and I got the result equal to third grade in the previous generation's O-Level (SPM). 

The exam means a lot for young students at that time because we think that the only way to survive in the future. To survive was only by confining our selves to the leader's notion of vision 2020 and studying something which has to be related to the vision. And I was also a stupid kid who still play honest in the midst of bad students because they also cheated in the O-Level exam while there were also monitors around. I thought of many ways to die after taking the result at school and I just kept my silence without talking to anyone at home or around. I almost killed myself by starving it for days in deep Buddhist-Hindu meditation just to clear up my mind. I thought and believed that if I died in meditation I would be incarnated in brahmalogam (higher soul world) and would never endure sufferings anymore. I made a note and wrote to my family for my empty body to be cremated if I died. If they are ashamed then they could just send it away to any monastery without witnessing anything. But while meditating my mother had broken the room door with an axe. She forced me to eat and put beside me a Muslim prayer book. After that I just lay idle without any emotion or feeling anymore. 

In the middle of 2004, there was a call for national service program. So I was sent to Terengganu and being viewed by people around as a problematic teenager because people understood kids being sent to places through the program were bad kids. In this time period I began to read again religious sciences book. I just read and practiced again from the very beginning, step by step. I also went to High School. Perhaps I had talked about my experience there.               

Close the Treatise

So, this was the story of a Muslim Arab Peranakan youngster in Malayan Peninsula. Facing identity crisis and problem in order to fit well in society around. I did not have any close friends around to tell my problem or feelings when I was young not even to my parents or sisters because men and women function differently though still the same human-being. Until now it is still the same and I am used to it by time. Nobody is sympathetic to us but Allah is the only One who gives His full attention to us. Just the environment and the world hinder us to "see" how caring He is to us. 

About how I feel when being sent to madrasah or pondok melele, I am sure many who experienced this in 1990s would feel the same and understood what I am talking here, hehe. One thing that made me feel weird was when I saw kids of bombastic courses in university for example petro-chemical, geophysics, and etc who joined Tabligh Jama'at or Wahhabi-Salafi movements regardless what is their political inclinations whether to the coalition or to the opposition sides in our country. Even if they were from "religious school" but their streams were totally different to the unpopular "Shari'a stream" where I was kicked into with other "academically" incapable students in "religious secondary schooling time". Shari'a students were seen as retards by teachers, political leaders because they could just play around with religious authority for their influence on public and those of the "higher caste" streams students also looked down on us because we only learned about "the hereafter" thus making us imbalanced in everything in this world. So, when they face sad or bad incidents in their life or growing older, they would return to religion or Islam? Then talking like they're with the authority to issue "rulings" while the Shari'a was not their line since their early time and being looked down upon. People actually spit on the face of Shari'a students even in countries where Muslims are predominantly living and the notion about balanced life of dunia and akhirat is not truly displayed by people because we were only functioning for influential people to get reference to implant their influence or maybe useful in certain occasions related to wedding or death. We feel that we had no self-esteem and shy when talking to people. So, we keep our silence when there are people boasting about but that does not mean that we don't know anything. This is how we feel and I am telling it to the world. Our elders feel the same too when they saw the same thing happening in 1960s and 1970s which developed to today's situation. 

When reflecting about what happened in the past, in the society, in the global world, I just think that this world is nothing but just a test. Those notions of a "developed" country or being recognized by other "modern" countries are just stupid things being repeated throughout the history of man-kind. The world is closer to resurrection day by day for people who believe in Allah's promises.

What is the use to chase all of those things? To chase gold and money? For pride? To boast around to other human? To be rich? To be comfortable? How long are we going to live in this Earth? When the Earth dissolves as the the Day of Religion come, they are all of no use. Truly what ancient sages had taught man-kind about simple life and being moderate in everything. Allahu A'alam and Allah knows everything better than us who are just His servants.  

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

What is Shariah Islamiah???!

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 

I think I had posted about this many times especially in the maqasid shar'iyyah posts but I guess in certain places medias especially in the West always making it a negative issue. You know what media people? You are tyrannizing us and violating human rights. I am not trying to play victim here but I am already one of a victim of you people! You people are merciless, nonsensical, mean and cruel!

Now, what I am going to do here as a plain Muslim is to explain to people about what is our religion from my own understanding. What is our path. What is our way of life? What is our life itself as Muslims? Shariah means the Way. It simply means the Way if it is a literal translation. It is synonymous to the Path. When we talk about Shariah, we are not only talking about judicial system but also about the system of life and the nature. Just to compare it with European Union. You people have few institutions and among them is the Court of Justice. Other is related to economy such as the Central Bank of Europe and few sub-institutions to regulate policy for member countries to adopt or choosing to adopt them. The same thing with Shariah we have all of this and the whole world is known as equal nations.

We have fatawas. Fatwa means guidelines. They could be adopted by public and are issued by scholars of Islam after meetings and commission were held. The fatawas were issued according to our schools of jurisprudence. For Sunnah or Orthodox Sunni Muslims, we have four main schools of jurisprudence:

1. Hanafi where the main teacher is Abu Hanifah

2. Maliki as the main teacher is Anas bin Maalik

3. Shafi'ie and the main teacher is Abu Abdullah bin Idris bin Abbas bin Uthman bin Idris bin Shafi'ie

4. Hanbali after the father of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal

For our Twelver Shi'a brothers, their school of jurisprudence is known as:

1. Ja'afari after the sixth Imam of Shi'a Muslims which is Imam Ja'afar as-Saadiq  

So every Muslim brother and sister must know which school of jurisprudence you belong to as it is important when you wanted to get council and advice for your daily life activities. It was surprising when I was in Saudi Arabia and I asked several people there what is your school of jurisprudence? And some of them just saying to me they are not so sure because they just follow people around. I was like... What????! You have a religion simply because you follow people around and not because of your sincerity? That was like me when I was a little kid because I just follow and imitate what people around doing without understand what are the significance of those things.

So, in Shariah Islamiah what does it consist of dear beloved brothers and sisters? It consists of:

1. Tawheed

What does tawheed means? It means monotheism ideology. We believe and trust only in the One True Lord the Creator of the Universe beyond our imagination. The first and important thing that a Muslim missionary will talk is about tawheed and Allah Azza wa Jall. This is the root of our Path and Shariah. In European Union, your root is the World War I and World War II. The competition to get sources for weaponry such as the coal and steel. When you people talking about others try to mirror yourselves. What does weaponry means? It means war and people who worship weapon are the real terrorists and idolaters. This is just an example, though I hate to study about Europe but I benefited from this course that I am studying so first I would like to give my gratitude to the Lord. I feel tormented but at least I know how to answer to people unlike other typical madrasah students as I had been diverted to secular education system. Hope I could pass my economy paper. I am interested to learn more about it but I am quite slow to understand that kind of matter in just few months.

2. 'Ibadah

What does this Arabic word means? It literally means enslaving ourselves to the Lord. In a more polite word, it means serving the Lord before we get the chance to see Him. When we translate this into English, it becomes worship. In Orthodox Sunnah Muslim daily life, we are bound to the five pillars of Islam. What do we have in pillars of Islam? Let me state it again here so everyone could clearly see the connections:

i. Witnessing that there is no gods except that the only God unique of His own and Muhammad is His messenger to nations of the period of near Resurrection

ii. Five times daily prayer services known as salat

iii. Fasting obligatory fast or sawm for the whole month of Ramadan for those who are capable and healthy

iv. Paying the tithe or zakah for the needed and there are eight categories of people who may receive it

v. Pilgrimage or hajj to the holy land in Mecca for those who are capable and could afford it once in a life time during the month of Zulhijjah and performing acts in memory of prophet Ibrahim a.s and his family in the barren land. First thing first, we go to Mecca then only to Medinah to Jerusalem whatsoever sites in other places around the world.  

All of these especially the first four points are important disciplines prescribed for every sane Muslim which could be described in long-winding philosophy. People in European Union has to think and amend everything for their basic foundations. It took them so long but the basis of their organization is not as firm as the law of nature aren't they, hahaha.   

Urm, when people like Atheists or non-religious call us as stupid for enslaving ourselves for an unknown or invisible entity, I would say that I don't mind to be a stupid for that rather than being enslaved by spaces, materials, women, men, politicians, desires, and etc like you smart people! Even if there is no God or no gods like they say, I guess that it is not wrong to protect the universe, the earth, our own body and society from being harmed by violating the nature and law of the universe. Plus, I never feel stressful when I recite prayers to Him rather than I chase something like a postgraduate certificate while my future is still in cloud. What could it cause us? Depression! If we are enslaved to money, can we buy happiness with it? This is the teaching of smart people, where human only consist of physical body. The inner body which is the spiritual body is out of the scene. Education based only on physical is not holistic in its approach. It is not balanced. 

3. Akhlak and Aadab

Akhlak means morality and ethics while aadab means civilized. In contrast to civilized is barbaric. This is mentioned as ihsan in the hadith Jibril a.s in the conversation in a masjid with prophet Muhammad s.a.w witnessed by his companions, among them was Umar bin al-Khattab r.a. People from mission orders and tasawwuf circle usually practicing few things related to remembrance to Allah Azza wa Jall to protect themselves from evil environment and spreading His light to the universe through prayers. In this matter, there is nothing peculiar about the practices as long as it is not violating the basic Shari'ah Islamiah. Not all people are the member of mission orders. So please don't judge people just because they belong to certain mission circle or looking like one. There are also neo-sufis who chanting simple daily ma'athurat morning and evening after Fajr and Maghrib prayer services. We must remember Allah always not only by praying in the masjid or mehrab non-stop but we may remember Him while waiting for the bus, while chatting with friends (chanting dzikr by mental), walking and recite His Glorious and Respected Names, and etc. When talking about this we are actually very flexible, being creative and not shallow. 

Ethics and the way we mingle with people basically consists of few things such as:

1. Respect to the Lord

2. Respect to prophets and messengers of the Lord

3. Respect to parents and elders

4. Respect to brothers and sisters visible or invisible

5. Respect to our own selves

6. Respect to environment and nature

To behave according to ethics, we follow the sunnah and advices of our beloved prophet Muhammad s.a.w and the wisdom of his companions. We also follow the wisdom of Ahlul Bayt imams such as Hassan and Hussein. These two are the grandsons of prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Do Europeans and American constitutions talk about manner and morality too? I am sure you people have it. If not why Europe is trying to be a "soft" power by using carrot and stick to force country for example like China to abolish capital punishment and as the result they may conduct business with European Union. This is my topic in my second semester presentation. I did it with my classmate, respectable sister Hasmahani and I've got A for that because I printed out and read a bulk of paper works, hehehe. I don't find anything about Europe interesting anymore after I learn it as I am more amazed with Allah 'Azza wa Jall. I think He is the Most Coolest figure in the whole universe and worlds. But I still reading things about Europe just to keep myself up to date or maybe I could help other brothers and sisters to provide information if they need it for their advancement. I love to serve my brothers and sisters. I don't want anything I just want brothers and sisters happiness and smile : )

4. Munakahat

Urmm, I think many people around 20-25 years old love to talk about this. For me this is very typical but it is fun to look at their faces expression, hahahahahahaha. Munakahat means matrimonial or marriage. It consists of the building of society process and the conduct of marriage. Many of my Muslim course mates either male or female competing among each other to get munakahat certificate from the masjid to prepare themselves for their future marriage and I guess some of them are already married now, lol. I didn't attend any seminars for munakahat and I don't think I need the certificate yet. I am not ready and I need to memorize the glorious Quran and Sunnah and transmitting them when I finished and understood everything. That is among my responsibility and sacrifice to Allah Azza wa Jalla. When we talk about munakahat, it's not simply about marriage and the agreement to be husband and wife or for legal relation as what my ex-colleague unfiltered mouth said, bermukah secara halal (having sexual intercourse in a legal way). It is about the responsibility to educate the coming souls (children), to teach them about the Lord, providing them with education and love so they may be devoted and fear Allah and to protect them from the hell-fire. Marriage is a sacred thing. It is not something to be played with and cut off the crap about building masjid stuffs if it is actually based on what we hear from people and just because we wanted to follow the trend. I am not into trend. I am into the significance of the worship and serving Him. There is no real pleasure in the world till we see Him.

5. Mu'amalah

This the relation of human with regards to daily activities. It is also related to contracts and transactions. Something to do with business. I just heard a lecture in masjid about contracts, loan, economic system, interest, usury and banking in our way of life. We have kitabs about this and we refer to them when we are going to conduct businesses with people around. Anything to do with bank, buying and selling, trade, import and export everything is in mu'amalat section of Shariah. There are formulas to calculate everything so, people in Shariah stream are not really useless and stupid. It's just our image was tainted by politicians and being tied to backward civilization while the truth is we are actually the most open-minded people in the world. For contemporary issues, there are researches for it and we don't simply do anything without researches.  

6. Jinayyah and 'Uqubah

Jinayyah means crime and 'Uqubah means punishment. This one is related to justice and the punishments may vary according to cultural interpretation of certain nations. Like the thing which was known as hudud, it actually means limitation for the punishment. I don't know why Malay medias playing the issue like it is something bad and negative? Not all of Muslims having basic knowledge about their own way of life so they just believe whatever is said in the media. I would like to advise everyone including myself, find qualified teachers and ask them about what we don't know. Don't ask the newspaper or simply listening to rumors or hearsays. That is not the nature of a Muslim. The Lord encourages us to seek knowledge and reading in surah Iqraa', the Lord mentions about seeking knowledge and He always mentions about mind and thinking in glorious Quran which means through the guidance of divine revelation we think and solving our daily problems.               

For contemporary issues regarding Shariah, there are researches for them and we don't simply do anything without researches.   

The sources to derive guidelines in Islam for the muftis and the councils are:

1. Glorious Quran

2. Sunnah

3. Ijma' of collective reasoning of scholars

4. Qiyas or analogical deduction

5. Ijtihad or individual reasoning 

6. Wisdom of ahlul bayt

These are all could be checked in our schools of jurisprudence studies or what is known as fiqhi madzhab. That is why it is important for a Muslim to know what is his or her school of jurisprudence to get advises and suggestions on how to conduct daily life activities and worship.   

I guess this is it. I hope it is not too long or not too brief. I could write an essay longer than this and elaborate everything but I guess we need to also accommodate others and making things easier. I wish this is useful. If brothers and sisters have other better readings please don't hesitate to suggest it to me maybe can email me at matianning86@gmail.com. I would be glad to read them and listening to others opinion. If brothers and sisters have free time don't forget write about your understanding on Islam what is Islam what is Shariah and what is our Path all about? It's not for others but your own benefit. Write in your languages or in English and keep it with you to read day by day. I am sure you will enjoy reading them and making them as apart of your memory of life : ) 

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love amin!