Mid Term Break: Night Walking in Sungai Dua

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

My cousin brother had already passed his contract of marriage, praise be to the God. I thought of calling him to congratulate him but somehow I felt shy, huhuuu. I didn't see his marriage ceremony nor paying respect to the ceremony. Moreover, next week I actually have a test for mid-semester and I felt that it's not safe to go out from my campus. It was postponed until the opening of the half semester break.

It's not actually easy to manage the time even if we are not working. I tried hard not to waste time and filling it with remembrance to Him. Sometimes we would also be deflected by "satan" and in this matter I do not want to blame anyone including satan. Satan could come to us in many forms. I still remember some discourses that I had about lord Buddha Gautham had to also encounter marn (satan) that tempted him in many ways when he meditated. Although he's not mentioned in glorious Quran as anything related to revelation but I still respect his teachings even when I return to the path of ancestors. I also acknowledge that prophet Jesus a.s was also tempted when satan who came to him to deflect him in many ways. 

So, we must be really careful with environment around. Take heed in the changes in ourselves. I am actually reminding myself because every time I feel that the God is leaving me. I am so afraid because I only have Him as my Protector and Friend. Even if I am surrounded by people like parents, siblings, and friends, my real Friend and Protector is actually Him. They will eventually leave me. If He leaves me too, then I will be dead in this life and the hereafter : (

Wednesday, 13 Zulhijjah 1432 (9th Nov 2011)

I supposedly to see dentist last Wednesday to remove plaques at my teeth. However, I had fallen asleep after sunrise prayer service. I hate myself for being a person who's not punctual. That's not a good morality. When we make deals and agreement with people, we must be honest and punctual because He is recording our attitude, acts and words. This is not British culture. This is a culture of a servant of the God who submit themselves to Him. Then I called the medical center at dentistry department and setting the appointment again. So, I have to see the dentist on Thursday which is the next day. 

 

At night I just went to find some food. I just went to Pelita Muslim Indian restaurant at Sungai Dua gate which is close to the mosque after night prayer service. I prayed in the mosque because I always went there when I was a first degree student. I miss the mosque and if I could live inside the mosque I would be so glad. But I just can live far away from Him : ( I had some mutton soup with two slice of bread and it tastes nice. I can't really eat rice here because I am not used to Southern Indian way of cooking. The curries are fierce because they use fierce spices. It's actually harming for spiritual growth. I think I must stick to my dates stock. I could survive with only few dates per day but I am afraid that sometimes people around would feel weird if they see me looking skinny or thinking that I am trying to avoid them. I love everyone who loves the God (Allah) no matter how they look like or what they are. I have weaknesses as a human-being which makes me worried would affect others around me. I don't really care about myself.

Then, I spent my time walking around the area of Sungai Dua. I took some pictures at places where I always walked so anyone passing here could also walk together, hahaha. Not only Malaysian students in overseas facing sadness in foreign countries when breaks come. We local students also feel the same especially when we have no one to talked with. Being a master student is not the same like being a degree student where we have groups of friends around even if not from the same course but we still share other classes or row. Being master students no matter with classes or only conducting research, we have to work on our own. We also have to live alone and isolated from others. My row has less people. It's like I am living alone in this world and perfect for meditation and being tempted by "satan" : )   

Bali Bali Food Court

Bali Bali food court is actually a Chinese food court. Last time I was so fed up with mamak restaurant for their service that made me having some drinks here. I didn't take any food there but just drinks. I saw a Hui girl here but I am not sure whether she had her meal there. Her name if I am not mistaken is Mo Di and she was my German language classmate. There is also Indian hawker there, but I am also not sure whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. My Spaniard ex-classmate, Celia also had her meals here and she complained that curry in mamak restaurant has strong smells which could not simply being removed by washing hands with soaps and it also sticks to shirts. I just have my meals in mamak's if I have no choice because if we look at the way some of them serve the food, it would fall into haram (illegal and spiritually harmful) category in term of cleanliness. I am actually very particular with food and would rather fast as I hate eating, it tooks away my time in doing other things. Yet, many people who doesn't really know me still look at me as a person who has no religion because I don't like to show off my faith to people and I walk in and out non-Muslim places of worship. Faith should be kept firmly in the heart and we pray for faith to be granted to us by the God. We avoid hurting people with our words or attitude and it would be useless if we only show that we physically keeping cleanliness but inside of our heart is rotten. We emphasize both cleanliness physically and spiritually and His Mercy will reach everyone, inshaallah : )

Lepak, we hang out around here, hehehe

So, I just hang around here alone for a moment watching at the moon and cars. I don't have financial support yet for videos right now. I would also love to produce videos about Muslims life if there are opportunities but for now it's enough with this site. We also have many brothers and sisters with sites about Muslims life and I am happy to see all of them. This idea actually came across when I talked with Dr. Diana Huang who is a lecturer in Women Development Center. Last time Azren had introduced me to her and her assistant, I guess her name is also Wenpei or Peiwen something just like my classmate name but I am not sure about their Chinese character name would be the same. We talked about Chinese culture in Penang and Malaysia. Some parts, we also discussed about why should politicians played the issues like Chinese National school or National school because it is a unique traits of Malaysia. I also had seen a travelogue magazine during we discussed with Dr. Huang. The magazine was published by Wang Changsong, a Chinese national student. He did the publication alone while he was a first degree student. I think that it could be something that could be taken as an example for everyone.

I am actually doing the same thesis about Multiculturalism or Assimilation in Europe particularly Britain who was also a master of vast empire (Great Britain). If we demand people to assimilate, then what degree of assimilation? Britain is a multicultural nation. I didn't tell her that I am of Arab-Gujarat ancestry where our forefathers had came here since before independence of Malayan Peninsula as a Federal component of Malaysia and we were also forced to have dual identity where another identity had been abolished in documents so many of us actually are not aware about ourselves. Some of us thought that we are Indians and some thought that we are Malays. At certain degree some of us would take "Malay" as their identity while in other places they would claim themselves as Hadrami-Yemeni Arabs though they speak Arabic no more nor looking like an Arab because of few generations had passed. 

I had also visited Islamic Museum in Georgetown in the next day. I would put it here for other brothers or sisters of Arab ancestral lineage who are curious about themselves and their culture since we in Malaysia, Myanmar and Southern Thailand are not so significant like those in Singapore and Indonesia for diaspora of South East Asia region. This is not to encourage racism as it is haram! But at least we should be aware about ourselves and brethren of other nations could also learn together. We share everything that we learn and we should be happy that the God has created us with Love and Mercy though we are from different backgrounds and regions. I had also expressed my sadness that some of Muslim Chinese brothers had also being Arabized after returning from Yemen while I am a Muslim of Arabian ancestry encouraging them to flourish within their culture in Islamic framework. Many elders of Peranakan Arab (those Arabs with Malay mothers or other nationality mothers) had also translated religious books into native languages from Arabic. Now, we have vast books in Malay for aqeedah, tasawwuf, shafi'ie madzhab fiqh, and many others. If those elders using only Arabic, would we see Malay books for Islamic teachings today? 

The God created people of every nations to know each other, not to fight over nationalism, being lazy to learn languages and to dwell in negativity. That is baatil (evil) and we should also imagine how boring is this world with only a uniform kind of people. That is why Islam is across the boundary of races and nations. It is the path of the God since the creation of human-being and not the path of human-being like Western ideologies. There is also issue about Malaysian Chinese cuisine which had been published in newspaper. It is called as Bak Kut Teh but had been mistaken as pork based cuisine though the meat in the cuisine could be substituted with something halal (legal) when we do it on our own. It shows that the comprehension of public about usool fiqh and shariah islamiah is still poor. I am so sad because His Wide Mercy had been hidden by people who call themselves as Muslim due to their own ignorance. We would make this an article if we have some time only if He grants it to us the chance. 

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

Lectures at Mosque in the End of September

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah!

I. Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin

In this note, I would like to keep this reminder about the lecture on the Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin. It is the summary of the Ihyaa' Ulumuddin by honorable Imam al-Ghazali may Allah be Merciful to him. Basically I can get this kitaab without going to the mosque but just keeping this as a record if I wanted to get information about books regarding particular topic. It is damn boring staying without properly spending our time. We could either go crazy or fallen into evil. So, if I have nothing to do, I better go to mosque and get some benefit from the lectures or at least memorize Quran and checking my horrible Tajweed.

Lecture of Kitab Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin

(Summary of Ihyaa' 'Ulumuddin)

Series 7th

By

Sheikh Rosli Othman

(Committee Member of State Fatawa)

29th September 2011, Thursday

15:00

USM Mosque

The book called Mukhtasar is edited by honorable Imam al-Maqdisi for the Minhaj al-Qasidin which was edited by al-Hafiz Ibnu Jawzi. It is a summary of the Ihyaa' Ulumuddin, a magnum opus by honorable Imam al-Ghazali may Allah be Merciful to him. Imam al-Ghazali was a scholar who adheres to Syafi'ie jurisprudence of Ash'ari school of theology.  

During Ramadan, I talked to a Jordanian while we walked to the mosque. I just call him racist Jordanian when he spit out curse to the Jews when I said to him that we don't have any synagogue here. We talked about Chinese people as that is the first time the guy living in different environment, and he just arrived to Penang for few days. I can't remember his name and I don't really pay attention to people unless a particular person has significance, important to me, or involved in my everyday life. I think most people are like me so I guess it is normal. As for my personal opinion, I am sorry if this is harsh but we have nothing to do with political or boundary problem between Jordan and Israel so don't bring hatred to us if you people in middle east are butt-hurted among each other. I see most of people in Middle East, South Asia and Europe as the same, no difference in term of barbarity and narrow-mindedness though not in general. These people chop each other heads for difference as it is their right to kill each other. Those Arab speakers easily curse people with mal'unah (cursing) word, I know this because I mingle with them. Spirit and soul (morality) is not important that make people become insolent. 

That guy said that people here in Malaysia, most of them are following something which is invented like the chant during the Taraweekh salaat service although they are very polite. I don't know what is his school of jurisprudence, but he seems more inclined to Hanbaliah as he praised the Medinah Imam which I posted some of his reminders here. I am a Hanbaliah myself in which he didn't expect me to be one and most of all I don't do what Syafi'iah Malay compatriots are doing. But, as to say, I would never talk like that to people before I check anything to the root. 

I personally think that these kind of people don't have to talk like they know everything although they speak Arabic because I know not all people are well-versed in their own religion though they speak Arabic in their daily life. They don't even memorize the Nahwu and Sarf of Arabic Grammar, the hadiths and even Quran except for few parts maybe more than native Muslims here. They are just the same like people they curse, ta'assub (fanatic) without any knowledge. 

Last time when I was a degree student, I was molested by a Jordanian guy who pretend to teach me religion while he don't realize that we are not converted 'muallaf' here. He has bad intention and I can sense that, he thought that I was a Kelantanese Malay or perhaps he thought that I was a Chinese. He has preference for Chinese boy face. What a crazy Old Jordanian Arab. Am I looking like a Chinese? Urr, sorry sikit I think I look more Indian-Nepalese than a Chinese though some of my sisters do look Chinese as what I use to call my sisters as Mongol face when we make jokes of each other, haha... But as to say, we Eastern people are quite polite and we avoid from humiliating people in front of others. I heard from my Thai counterparts and Malay friends too about that old Jordanian molesting them before they threatened him to kick his ass with their Muaythai and Taekwando. I hate people who use religion for their worldly desire and that always make me cautious with people around. I am not a total ignorant though I don't really look Arab. Our paternal ancestors from Yemen had previously came here to transmit the path of Allah to natives by royal decree. We just didn't know that since we do not live in comfort without any proper identity because of mixed background and nomadic family circumstances. Our elders never emphasize nor telling anything about lineages after few generations and some had lose out their title as it is not important. Is it so difficult to humble down ourselves before Allah?   

Ibnu Jawzi says regarding his book: "I wrote a book clean from errors which happened in the Ihyaa' by retaining its special sense. I depend on the proves from the most valid and famous hadiths of all with their concrete and accurate meanings."

 II. Kitab al-Hikam Ibn 'Athaillah

Lecture on Kitab al-Hikam Ibn 'Athaillah 

(Series 1)

Ustad Wan Hizam 'Abdullah

(Lecturer in Penang Radio)

30th September 2011, Friday

20:00

USM Mosque

Al-Hikam is the plural of hikmah. It means "every word in which beneficial knowledge lies in it" or "beneficial knowledge materials" such as the science of Fiqh, Tawheed or Tasawwuf. Al-Hikam consists the compact essence of Tawheed and Tasawwuf sciences. I would translate it into English as wisdom but that is what scholars mean by the word wisdom. 

Tasawwuf is a science which exposes on how to purify one self from hideous characteristics which is called as mazmumah characteristics and how to guard worship and acts from diseases in the heart such as arrogance, showing off, and feeling wondrous about one self when performing worship.  

It is just a branch of science and human need combinations of sciences. Science or knowledge is boundless. It is not narrow like what we understood here in Malaysia when we talk about science. Because in Malaysia, when I was in form three, I understood science as biology, physics, and chemistry and those things were important in my view to determine us good life in the future. I think many people also think like that, and still I can see people who talk like that at me but I just smile and lazy to elaborate further, hehe... This country education system, what can I say, ahahaha.... Further more, we are no intelligent compared to those above and religious knowledge wouldn't bring us no where though we claim ourselves as a person with a religion... A person can be a lorry driver but science of life (religious knowledge) must be acquired by everyone, it is a common thing for everyone because we are going to need it in the life after this life : )

While Tawheed is closely related to the Islamic Creed. I would translate it as monotheism as to make it easier but don't look at it as equivalent in sense and meaning. Words have their own context and other sub-branches of knowledge in it to get the definition as they are also terminological according to the path. Other word for it is Oneness of the God in term of concept. I had read something from Nilam Puri material regarding the concept of divinity.

Tawheed is a branch of knowledge which introduce a servant to his or her Creator and making the servant closer to Him. There are 99 wisdom which cover the content of the book. Those wisdom talk about roots and the fact of science of Tawheed in which it leads people to the God the Most Highest.  

As far as I know this book is popular amongst people in some pondok or madrasah. It was translated into classical Malay in Arabic script too and the writer was an Egyptian. Pondok or madrasah is traditional kind of school for people in South East Asia getting education. In northern part of Malayan Peninsula, we call it as melele or menadsoh. Melele means temple school. It's not a Thai influenced word but northern Malay native word while menadsoh is Arabic corruption for madrasah. 

However, I would like to advise myself and respective brethren that before we learn all of these, the basic thing we must have is the knowledge about Allah and His messenger, Muhammad s.a.w, Quran and later valid sunnah or prophetic traditions. Avoid from accusing each other, advise with manner. We are no holier than others, it is not-favorable to break the unity of the nation. We must try to bring everyone closer and bridge the gap through knowledge, not to divide everyone according to organizations and sects.

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

Farewell Feast for European External Policy Class 2011

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah!

From left that is me, didn't get to comb well my hair after running out of German class, hehe. On my left is Ong, Siva, Has, Celia from Spain, Mr. Benny and the guy with maroon shirt is Emad, our Palestinian classmate that I mentioned, hahaha.

At last, I could retrieve this picture and gratitude to Ong's camera. It was last semester event where we had our meeting after our class in Pizza Hut Sungai Dua. Special thanks to our external policy lecturer for the first part which was Dr. Benny for joining us. Frankly say, all of us enjoyed your class and we learned many things which we didn't even know before. 

I could say that your class is among the best class that we had ever been and all of the classes in European Studies are beneficial for us though they were quite tormenting since I can't really understand some of the lessons in the beginning because I had zero knowledge about regional Europe and political studies. Didn't get to capture some memory with Mr. Zainal and Puan Salfarina. Both of their classes are quite fun too. Wish Dr. Zainal enjoy his new post in Putrajaya. Hope to see you someday by accident maybe in Putrajaya, haha.

Just checked my result and I guess my eyes becoming worse. I thought that I do not have to repeat the paper of European Politics and Decision Making, adusssss!!!! I also have another semester to join another class on European Economic Integration as I had postponed it last semester because the burden of those heavy subjects had made me having a nervous crack down. Now I regret that coz I could just return home and simply find proper job for myself if I finish everything by last semester. It's tiresome to stuck in a place but we take everything that happen as Allah test. Must be wisdom lies behind everything.

Many thanks to fellow classmates who never forget me and always helping each other in term of revision for final examination regardless we are of different gender, age, racial, nationality and religious background. I wish Celia could pursue her ambition to be a lecturer and wish Emad could be Palestinian leader. Don't forget to invite me to visit you in Gaza with red carpet when you become a leader ya, hehehee.

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