Philosophy about Creation and its Relation with Soul

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Philosophical Terms about Self and Soul

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

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

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

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

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

Hindu-Buddhism Technical Concepts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Discussion about Barzakh: Soul Returning to Body

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

The question about the condition of carcass or a dead body in the grave whether it could see what happens in the living world has the basis from the report of our mother, Aishah r.a and others.

Regarding the question on whether a deceased soul returning to its body or hovering on its grave while listening or seeing something in the living world or other times? It says that the soul returns to its body while listening or seeing something according to times. This is mentioned in hadiths.

The soul is in contact with its body though already leaving the body at any time or pace where He Wills it to happen. Although it is only for few moments like the angels descend to the world or the light of the sun reaching the earth or like a person who gain his consciousness and rising up from his sleep for few seconds and sleep again.  

Some evidences show that souls and spirits are hovering over their graves. Says Mujahid: "The souls are at their graveyard (close to its material body) for seven days beginning from the day he passed away and buried. It's sometimes close to its physical body and sometimes away. 

Anas bin Malik r.a says: "I was told that those (departed) souls or spirits could move anywhere they wanted to and the God knows more than His creatures." (Majmu' Fatawa chap 23 pg. 362)

Ibnu Taimiyyah mentions in his book: "Whilst the question about what has been told by the God about the life of the martyrs in the Barzakh, they are given the sustenance and it is also mentioned in valid hadiths that the souls of the martyrs will be entered into the paradise."  

Thus, many opinions from scholars stating that this matter or state mentioned by Ibnu Taimiyyah in his kitaab is specific to the martyrs. It is not referring to Ahlus-Siddiqeen or the people of righteousness and others. Other valid opinion such as what stated in the Sunnah and Ibnu Taimiyyah is not only specific to the martyrs but also to others. The martyrs were specifically mentioned in the Quran as there were assumptions that a person would die when defending himself from being bullied and oppressed by others who worship materials and believe not in freedom of others. So, he would back off and letting himself to be sunken under oppressions. So, the God mentions this specifically in Revelation for a believer to protect himself from being bullied by those who were deflected from worshiping Him alone. It is also the same with the prohibition to kill innocent children because of the fear for being poor. It is the fact that many people would also kill their children, adolescence and fetus even when killing them is prohibited! (Majmu' Fatawa chap. 24 pg. 332).

Soul of Martyrs

When we talk about this issue of martyrdom, I am sure many would associate this to violence because it is rampant in Western world as if Western world is so holy, saintly human-being, civilized over others (in term of arrogance) and never waging war to others. But in history, these kind of things had already happened. It is not unique only to people in modern time like today who have to defend themselves but also in the antiquity such as in Bar Kochba Rebellion (132-136 CE) where those Judeans were suppressed by pagan Romans in Judea before the rise of noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w. 

Martyrs also refer to those who were brutally killed because of their faith such as the parents of Amr bin Yasser which is one of the companion of noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w. It happened in Meccan period when the light began to rise up again. Amr's father is Yassir bin Amir and his mother is Sumayya bint Khayyat. We always recite prayers for their souls. 

In narrations that I listened from elders and teachers while I was a little Muslim boy, these figures were among those who were mentioned to my ears. Both of these martyrs were slaves to a rich idolater. But now, I am amazed to Sumayya because she is a woman and she had to bear brutal torments of influential man in the society of the particular period because of her faith to the God through the prophethood of Muhammad s.a.w. She just died without EU intervention regarding human rights nor media coverage nor receiving sympathy from Civilized Western world or other 'human-being'. 

Those who killed Sumayyah and her husband were non-Muslims but idolaters. Their house were burn, they were stricken with hot iron-rod, their eyes were poked out, and other brutal torments to force them to leave their faith toward the God and His messenger, Muhammad s.a.w. Nobody in Orientalism mention and herald this aloud to the world, right. I feel so sick when I read and watching figures such as Hirsi Ayan Ali and others like her. She and these people are so cheap in term of materialism comfort. They will get what they want but it will never satisfy them forever because they have no soul and spirit. What is so amazing with Western Civilization???! I see emptiness and no-spiritualism. I am more amazed to those in Himalayan range of mountains compared to those in Europe or the United States. They are not rich but they don't have to fear the death because there is nothing to be left behind (houses, nice food, properties and estate, children, position as leaders, praises from fellow creatures and etc).

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

About Barzakh and the Deceased Soul

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

This is from the source of a kitab known as ar-Ruh compiled by Ibnu Qayyim the disciple of Ibnu Taimiyyah. The guidelines about are also mentioned in the Fatawa and the Kubra.

Ibnu Taimiyyah when being asked about people who are alive visiting the deceased whether the deceased knows about their visit? Whether they still recognize their family members or those at their funeral?

Ibnu Taimiyyah then answered: "All praises are only to the God. Indeed the deceased do know and realize about this matter. There are many evidences about the meeting of those who are alive with the deceased (souls of the deaths), their discourses, and the practices of those who are alive being shown to those who had passed away."

Ibnu Mubarak from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari mentions that Ibnu Taimiyyah says that: "When the soul of a faithful believer being uprooted from their physical body, those who are blessed by the God (who had earlier passed away) would see him just like those who are alive in the physical world bringing good news to others. They will come to him and greet him. Some of them would say to the others, wait for your brother to rest since he just struggled with the pain of death (leaving the physical body)." 

Ibnu Ayyub further narrated: "After the soul resting, other deceased soul would come and talking to him. They would ask about what has been done by this man... what has been done by this woman...?"

The deceased knows that those who are alive visiting him and greeting him with salaam peace prayers. As what has been mentioned by Ibnu Abbas r.a who reported the sayings of prophet Muhammad s.a.w: "A faithful believer who walks at his brothers cemetery and prays with the peaceful greeting to his deceased brothers will be answered by their souls at the cemetery." 

Ibnu Mubarak mentioned that, this hadith is valid from the sayings of prophet Muhammad s.a.w through the inspection of Abdul Haqq who compiled the kitaab al-Ahkam (Majmu' Fatawa chap 24 pg. 331).

In other parts, Ibnu Taimiyyah was asked whether the deceased could hear the voice of those who are visiting him and whether he could actually see them? Whether his spirit and soul returns to his body or hovering over his grave? Whether his spirit and soul gathering together with other family members' spirits and souls who had earlier passed away?

He answered: "Praises be to the God, the Lord of the universe. Yes, indeed! The deceased could listen to the voice of people around him as what has been mentioned in the two valids which are the Bukhari and Muslim. The hadith says that the deceased are listening to the clopping sound of shoes made by those who are walking on his grave."

Ibnu Taimiyyah also mentions other evidences from the Sunnah in which showing that the deceased are listening to the sounds around but the physical body could not respond to them. It is not all the time they could hear the sounds. Sometimes they would listen and sometimes not. It is just the same to those who are alive. Those who are alive could also listen to sounds, but sometimes their hearing would be obstructed by obstructions. The hearing sense of the deceased means that they know what happened around them but they could not give any reaction or respond. 

It is not referring to the hearing which is denied by the God in Surah an-Naml verse 80. The God says: "Indeed, you (Muhammad and others) could not make those who are dead (their heart is dead) to accept the teachings and lessons." In this verse, the word dead refers to the rejection of the heart and soul of a person (physically and spiritually) to accept the order and decree from the God. Those who are dead refers to those who refused the calling of those who call them toward the God because a dead man could not respond to voices around though he listens to them or simply animals who could listen voices but understand not the meaning of languages (voices). A dead body could listen to the sound and understood what had been said around. But they could not answer or executing whatever had been said.

This verse says that it is of no use to talk to those who are hardened at their heart. It gives no benefit to him or others if we keep talking to him or calling him toward the God. This verse is also in retaliation to verse 23 surah al-Aanfal. The God says: "Had the God knows (because He knows) that there are benefits for them,  indeed He would have made them listen. And if He had made them listen, they would have turned away from the Truth." It means that Mercy and Guidance is within His Wisdom and Will. Human-being may pray to Him for guidance and faith.

There are also discussions about this but it is already 'Asr prayer service time. If He wills we would also try to see what are the discussions about this may the God increase our knowledge and faith towards Him, amin!

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

Getting to Know Barzakh

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Diary

I envy my nephew, Shafiq. Through his younger brother, Saffwan, I get to know that he has departed for Medinah al-Munawwara for Quran and Sunnah studies. I don't know his account number but I wanted to give him some secret support without being known by any of our relatives. If I wasn't deceived by environment around and reciting Three Gems to be a young Buddhist (because I was disappointed with people treatment to me as a humble young kid), perhaps I would also studying Quran and Sunnah and later performing obedience according to what has been prescribed in scriptures in this short life for His sake.

Now, it is not important from where I get the knowledge. I don't even care anymore. I would just anonymously asking the help of religious figures around to be my teachers after I finish everything and I am still not completing my Quranic memorization. I feel so sad and disappointed with myself as I thought I could finish memorization in this period of studies because post-graduate is actually a mask for me to study Quran but I paid everything for that by borrowing others'. I guess I am a fool myself because it is just not-necessary to be burdened like this to memorize Quran. I'm crying like a fool while writing this diary for my foolishness, hahahahahahahahahahahaahahaha... Ya Allah :'( :'(

Introduction

Remembering death is always a quality of a faithful believer because faithful believer believes that everything in his hand or material world will not last long. So, I bring this post forward firstly for myself and then to others who choose this Path of paupers and the meek brought into light again through the prophethood of Muhammad s.a.w. I just read an article about Ibnu Taimiyyah who is a Hanbali scholar in which I decided to be attached to this school of jurisprudence because baba Abdul Qadir Jailani was also a Hanbali and it makes me easier to understand the tasawwuf teachings according to the school of jurisprudence. Besides I am an ordinary fan of baba Abdul Qadir but I don't like anything associated to exorcism discussions or mysticism stuffs. Some of those Tabligh kids who came to me and asking me about why I am sitting alone and chanting a long chain of "words" then trying to associate it with "magical" stuffs would just make me feel nauseated because I can't suddenly scold people for such assumption and thinking but I feel like I wanted to slap their face. I don't like these kind of questions nor do I like to speak about it. We emphasize on the basis of faith and practices and everything should start from the beginning. Not from above. 

Definition of Barzakh

What is برزخ Barzakh dear brothers and sisters in faith? It means a state where the soul of the deceased transferring across the boundaries of mortal realm into the rest before the Resurrection. Reference to this is in Surah al-Mu'minun or the Divine Letter of the Faithful Believers in verse 100:

Lord says through prophet Muhammad s.a.w tongue: "So that may I work righteousness in the things I neglected. By no means! It is a word, but a word he says. Before them is a partition till the Day they are raised up."

This verse in the surah actually refers to the prophecy about those who do not believe at the time death is touching them. Their soul will talk and the God is telling us the discourse of the souls with Him. The souls are asking and weeping to the Lord asking Him to return them to the life so may they perform obedience and righteousness but the chance is only once in this lifetime but never afterlife. Urmm, I don't know how to simplify this in other words. But this could also be known as afterlife. In Roman Catholicism Christianity (RC), perhaps they employ the word purgatorium to explain about this state. I'll try to check RC texts again and asking pastors if I have the time.

Steps into the Barzakh

1. Soul will be separated from physical body. 

Soul will be separated and hovers over the body. I had seen many deaths around and I actually will quickly respond to people when they call me to visit a dead person as compared to matrimonial or any other occasions. I went to a relative funeral and saw fishes in the aquarium beside the deceased are staring at a side. It's not only a fish but I counted, there are about six goldfishes in the aquarium with other countless smaller fishes staring only at an angle of the aquarium facing the deceased. I don't know if they saw something, but usually fishes would just swimming here and there without anything happen except if we knock at the tank. I observed it with two of my sisters while others did not notice it perhaps they are too busy to manage the deceased. I saw people at their deathbeds too either in their house or at hospitals.If we do not see these, perhaps we would feel comfortable with life and thinking that we are going to live forever.

2. Self-review of one's actions in deeds in one's life

Last few weeks earlier I went to Golden Screen Cinema (GSC) and watching a movie about wolves something with little sister. It's title is the Grey about a group of wolf-hunters who were involved in a plane-crash due to blizzards somewhere in Alaska. There are also scenes about people before their death where they would reflect everything in their life whether they love it or hate it. In the movie it only shows those people reflecting whatever that they love coming to invite them. My second sister had also experienced this when she fallen down due to slippery floor in the UIA masjid during Ramadan after breaking her fast. She told me that, she suddenly feeling like she was going to collapsed and can't open up her eyes. Then a chain of memory like flashes comes like a screen and she could clearly see the moments when she was born until she slipped down. Few minutes later she comes into her consciousness while there was nobody there. However, she is still alive until today and she is a fan of the late Mr. Hassan al-Banna and Dr. Tariq Ramadan. This topic of death always come to our mind and we talk about this when we reflect about our evil deeds everyday whether we realize them or not.

3. The soul rests in an inter-space where one will experience a manifestation of one's soul resulting in a cold and deep sleep state waiting for the Resurrection and Judgement. 

I am still alive and I never experience this so I can't tell anything about the situation while only being in the state of soul except I had few dreams like I met the soul of my "late maternal grandfather". I don't know if that was a demon in disguise who suddenly appears in my dream to deflect me because I was already a non-believer but I could still clearly remember until now.

It is like in Charlie Chaplin movie as to describe how it looks like for the vision in the dream. Everything is black and white as what we could see in old films. His attire is a white robe with a white turban tied like the Iranian Shi'a Imams but the difference is only in color. He didn't say any word to me but trying to embrace me while his eyes are full of tears but he failed to embrace me each time he came close to me like there was a transparent glass blocking him from coming close to me but I saw no such thing as a glass in between us.

I had an issue with him before his death. That is the time when I was in the reflection process where I decided to learn about Islam again and performing the basis of religion which I mentioned in previous posts in hadith of archangel Gabriel a.s reported by Omar bin al-Khattab r.a but I didn't entirely repenting because I still have doubt. When I went to pilgrimage, I still didn't talk with him but only remained silent because I feel tired to deal with people including I was also angry with my mum for registering my name without asking me (since I wasn't a believer). I do not only behaved like that to him but also to most of my maternal relatives since most of them in the village were slandering us as neglecting grandparents but the fact was that, they were those who never really care about grandparents. I wish Allah forgives my grandparents and be Merciful to their souls either in maternal or paternal sides. I didn't mean to hurt them. I wanted to apologize to them if I was wrong but they are now already gone. I always saying prayers for them and apologize to them after prayer services :'(

It happens during Ramadan when I was a third year undergraduate student in the university at my hostel known as Desa Aman (year 2008/2009). My roommate at that time was abe Mijie from Kuala Qirai of Kelantan. I had fallen asleep after Taraweekh optional prayer services because I was too tired walking to masjid besides the pressures due to the end-term project so I had fallen asleep just after I arrived to the room. When I came into consciousness the time shows that it was around 22:00-23:00. Then Mijie entering the room and shouting to me: "Hoh, N**** dok gi maye terawehhhh!!!!" - (You didn't perform Taraweekh service!!!!). I felt like to answer him, its optional to be performed in masjid with the congregation though I went to the masjid and returned to the room earlier before others. I just performed it eight units of prayer services with masjid's congregation but I just think, never mind. I need to quickly perform prayers for grandpa and grandma though only "grandpa" appears in my dream.

Most of times, I also cried at the stairs of masjid, under trees behind the masjid, and at the bench in front of the School of Computer Science just beside the masjid two or three hours before Fajr prayer services since I was an undergraduate student because I was alone. Nobody from Pusat Islam nor Tabligh member including my Tablighi cousins care to approach me because I just wear normal attire and sometimes I look like a messy poor kid, religiously dumb and non-religious mingling with ungodly people. I just didn't know where should I talk to so I decided to befriend with the God and leaving human-being behind.

Urmm, now I feel ashamed that perhaps others might read or see this site because I had given the link to some of them as I just don't want to slander or backbiting them because sometimes I used their real names in this side when referring to them but I would never include any pictures of people whom I talking about unless if I talk good things about them. Who cares, if I did wrong in this side please inform me I will right away and sincerely apologize. Nobody would ever see me anymore after once they meet me. I wish it so since I don't want to see anyone who knows me anymore. If I could disappear like a wind it would be very nice.           

Stages of Life and Soul  

I think I also heard about this when I listened to lectures about the afterlife. Teachers mentioned to us about the stages of life and soul. Soul will be blown to the fetus in the womb according to the decree of the God and it is known as the stage of the womb. It will open up the stage of the life of human-being. 

Before that the souls who are candidates to be born as human had already promised to their Lord that they would be in the Path of Righteousness and Nature: the Path of the God (Islam). But when they were blown into the womb and born into the stage of mortal, their environment, parents, desires and physical craving would be influencing them. The God also sends His Mercy and Guidance to human-being in physical world. He also protects babies and teaches babies how to walk to eat, to speak and to drink which are basics of human-life.

The stage of mortal world is since a person is born and to his deathbed. Then it would be the stage of grave and the soul will be in the Barzakh. The physical body will lay numb after the soul leaves the physical body. That is when we see deaths. The Resurrection will mark the stage of eternity. The Judgement will happen and the Compensation will be done through His Will. I think I had also discussed about spirits and soul with some Christian friends of mine but now I had lost my contact with them after I repent. Now, I don't really closely make friends with people. I am trying to find the reference for this stages of life too.       

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

Relieved: I don't have to pull off my wisdom tooth, fyuhhhhhhh!

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Wisdom teeth above and below, I thought that I am already old but I had been told that this problem always happen to teenagers from the age of 18-25 years old. I don't think 25 years old is a teenage anymore but more to late teenage. I hate being a man my sins is increasing : (

I am quite relieved after returning from the dentist. I went for oral check at the campus' dentistry and the doctor said that I need not to pluck it out. The problem which caused me pain is the ulcer caused by the upper wisdom tooth. It is too long and stretching to the cheek flesh besides scratching it. So, here it is, the ulcer.  It's not because of the lower wisdom tooth that just newly emerged.

Sometimes when we face pain and sickness we would remember the God more intensely right. Even, Vladimir Lenin who was a Marxist that believed that "religion" is opium for people called for churches to call for prayers with bell and urging masjids to call for prayers with adzan when his country in danger. As for myself, I also tried to call family members or friends just to talk. But for friends I always feel that I am a selfish if I just talk with them when I am in pain. I don't like to be a burden for friends because they are not related to me by blood though I consider everyone brothers by soul. So, I called my little sister to talk about the solution of the problem regarding the wisdom tooth and she said that I would just have to bear with it. Mum also said the same. Perhaps it is also the pain which eliminates my little sins. I wish so. Then I just tell mum and sister to pray for me if I die though this pain is actually just a small pain. Everything that came to me just reminds me to death. It's not like I badly wanted to die. It's just an unavoidable fact no matter if we want it or not. We have no choice : ) I wonder if we also remember Him in all of the time whether in happiness, sadness, while we are scared, while we are courageous, and etc? 

The pain actually began since last four days but I just realized it last night. Last night I can't really sleep so I sent messages to few friends. I have some Malay acquaintances here but I don't feel close to them. Just telling friends that wisdom tooth sometimes could cause pain and reminding them to quickly see dentist if they have the same problem. I don't want people to experience same problem especially those I know. Before I went to the dentist, I was actually so afraid, hahahahaa. I went for the mosque and asking the God to forgive my sins if I have to pull out my wisdom tooth and if it bleeds me till death. I had been late to prayer services because of the world and I feel that I am so evil and shameless to the God. 

Anyway, I think it is a good experience for me though it's just a plain experience, hahaha. I always took everything even the lamest one as nice for me just to make it more fun for myself. I also love to listen to friend's story about plain things like some friends and acquaintances used to tell me. I think their experience though just plain ones but it has some significance in our life : )

The receptionist in the clinic was nice to me. A girl I don't know younger or older than me. Because she called me "adik" or little brother so I assume her as older than me. But later she just call me with my title in Malay which is enchik or mister after she handled my matrix card. I hate people calling me abang or older brother here in the musalla. Maybe those Malay kids are younger but I don't like to be called as abang. I just prefer to be called as saudara or equal brother. Usually only girls at home are calling me abang so I feel a little weird, hehehe. 

Not so many people there in dentistry so it's moving quite fast. I just wait there around 15 minutes and get to my turn. The dentist told me that there is an ulcer and infected area in my mouth. I just need to properly rinse my mouth with mild salt water and carefully clean my mouth after each meal. I don't have to pull out my lower wisdom tooth that just newly come out. She just repaired the sharp edges at my upper wisdom tooth and setting another appointment for next Wednesday at 9:00 where I have to come again to dentistry and repair more my tooth. Then she prescribed me two kinds of medications which are the pain-killer and antibiotics. 

The above one is Mefenamic Acid 250 mg which I have to take a tablet twice per day. Lower one is Bacampicillin HCI 400 mg, I have to finish the packet all in four or five days. Take it at the same time gap and a tablet twice per day. I just took tablets from each packet at 23:22. These drugs are controlled medications.

Last night I used mouthwasher and perhaps it irritates the ulcer. So, I avoid it today and just using salt water. I am actually very particular with cleanliness and hygiene even I would also make people around me to be particular with it. I used to wash my nephews and nieces stuffs like plates, toys and etc many times to prevent them from diseases. Their mum or dad never did that to them, hahaha. Parents should be careful with children health, it is important for them especially they will enter educational institutions. I learned about this from third sister's assignment too and it makes me more particular and strict especially when it is also related to religious rituals.  

Everyday when we still breath, the God is actually giving us some more opportunity to thank Him and to be grateful to Him. He is also Generous in term that He gave us the chance to repent and asking forgiveness. When we wake up from the bed, we must remember to say His Name in supplications:

With the Name of the God Who makes us alive and also makes us dead.

It implies that our faith is only with Him. He is our Guardian and also the Guardian for life and death. He protects us while we are sleeping either our soul or our mass. We offer thanks to Him for the chance to repent and bless us with the blessings for the future in the hereafter.

Already few days I just drink water and had some porridge. I can't find any place here selling porridge except at the fast food restaurant like McDonald or the Peranakan Chinese restaurant called Roti Bakar. I saw local Muslim Chinese having their lunch there so I just went into the restaurant because I believe they don't simply went in but they know about the restaurant. I already know few Myanmar workers in the restaurant. I love to make friend with migrant workers either from Myanmar, Vietnam, or Nepal. Most of them are nice though some of Malaysians said Nepalese or Vietnamese slaughtered dogs as their source of protein. As long as I don't see it myself, I don't want to believe it : ) I had took bus to Kuala Lumpur for my A-Level classes with these migrant workers. Most Malaysian possess cars or motorcycles so they don't really use public transport. Maybe we can see more expats and Malaysians in Light Rail Transit system or other rail systems in Kuala Lumpur.

Might be these migrant workers' country are third world countries unlike countries in Europe, Australia, the US or New Zealand so most of Malaysian who are working in the office and having good positions such as executives, engineers, doctors, lecturers looking down to them. I don't mind to sit with them. Even if people wanted to call me a Nepalese or a Myanmar or Vietnamese when I sit with them. I don't care. We are the same human-being, what differentiate us only sincerity to the God and only He and ourselves could determine it  : ) 

Hairan orang semua apabila bersembang akan berkata yang mereka hendak berhijrah ke negara di Eropah, Amerika Serikat, Australia, atau New Zealand tetapi tiada siapa pun teringin berhijrah ke Myanmar, Bhutan, atau Tibet. Saya suka Bhutan, Mongolia dan Tibet walaupun orang tak kenal dan berasa bahawa kawasan-kawasan tersebut tidak maju, hahaha.         

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