Going for an Interview

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Ramadan Events

Long time I've neglected the blog, hehe. I'm still trying to find some space to jot down religious studies materials and enhancing our understanding about our path but somehow the "time" is quite limited. Today perhaps is the 23rd day of Ramadan. In our calendar, it is a little bit different because we have few events which happens in Ramadan related to our imams. On 19th of Ramadan 40 H, imam Ali r.a was hit at his head by the poisonous sword by Ibnu Muljam (may Allah forgives him) during pre-dawn prayer service in the masjid in Kufah, Iraq. On the 21st of Ramadan he passed away and on the 23rd we have various activities related to ancestral traditions such as reciting Quranic verses followed by others in conjunction to Laylat al-Qadar or the Nights of Divine Predestination.

Interview

Urmm, I have an interview this Wednesday on the 15th of August 2012. Quite occupied with it because it has been so long I had isolated myself from the multitudes. It is an interview in Damansara Heights for a cross boundary delegation. I don't really put any stressing hope in it but if I get the job then it would be very good for me to repair my communication skill which was halted by several phases of life such as studying. Salary is not my primary motivation though it might help me to perform worship for Him. I found that each time when we're going to turn to other phase of life, it would be an anxious process since we are not sure with what will happen in the future yet we're stuck in the past. My house is quite far from the interview place and I don't really have any transport. My brother in law has offered to send me for the interview. I think it would be a burden for him and I feel shy to bring difficulties to him or anyone. Ok the truth also, I hate to drive in the city and I love public transportation but this country is not like Japan where their train and bus system is quite sophisticated. Driving for me maybe if we want to reach areas which are very far or couldn't be reached in rural region.

How to Access the Damansara Heights Commercial Buildings?

I checked that we have to take the RapidKL bus with the code T634 via Jalan Maarof. Firstly, I would have to reach the Bangsar LRT station at the Kelana Jaya Line. I think that LRT system in Kuala Lumpur is quite confusing for me as compared to the train system in Bangkok. Kuala Lumpur train system has three lines altogether. Maybe I went to Bangkok just to hang around and not for any specific job that made me understood the system when I stayed there for few days. There is also a Maybank ATM in this station. 

So, I checked the map maybe I could first take the ERL from Putrajaya to KL Central. Then from KL Central, I would have to take the LRT at the Kelana Jaya Line to Bangsar. From Bangsar LRT station, I would have to take the T634 RapidKL bus and stop by in front of Wisma UOA. And when I wanted to return home I would have to repeat this process in reverse. 

Just in case if I don't have car to reach the area because my sisters also have to use cars at home. Just pray to Allah I get the job and being optimistic but not depending on it either. First things that I should do is to return the loan that I made from National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) once I get the job in any place that I get hired from. I hate debts and it is among those things that strangle us and making us breathless while we're alive. Maybe I need a motorbike too but I've got no driving license for motorbike. I just did driving license when I was an undergraduate student.

About Classes and Thesis

I'd finish all of the classes. Thankful to Allah that I've passed all of the papers and just repeating only one paper last semester. I just have to amend my thesis and submit it by December to be published before I could get my postgrad. degree certificate. Wishing that all the knowledge and experience that I've sought from classes and the period of two years (plus previous three years with nine months idle at home) meditating in the university would be beneficial to perform worship and life. I learned a lot about stress management, anxiety problem and depression when I was alone meditating in my room. I had no roommate last time so only Allah knows how I feel at that time. No other human-being could understand it except if they face the same situation that I faced. I practiced few meditation process which I learned when I was a Buddhist boy and recalled things that I had learned from both Islamic and Buddhism sources by experience. I learned about spiritual and physical bodies of material beings and spiritual dimension is actually what is known through psychological studies. 

Experience with Tabligh Kid Again!

Other experience, there was a Tabligh guy who tried to also approach me. I knew him since I was in my third year undergrad since he stayed in the same hostel with mine at that time but he didn't know me nor did I know his name. I only came to know him through my time spent in the musalla in my hostel when I was in postgraduate time and he's still there extending for his degree and right now he's still there as a research assistant. I don't even give a damn to him nor anyone around when I perform worship because our heart must be "focused" only for Him. I found that it is quite annoying when people trying to get "certification" for spiritual lineage from me or trying to get people's admittance on their sainthood or anything to do with hagiographical stuffs. They love to talk about this yea??! I don't know who's a saint or who is not! It is not my business as an ordinary lowly human-being but only Allah knows! Why don't he ask Allah himself instead of asking a human-being???! Who he think he is? I hate to talk with kids (younger than me) nor with those who just superficially looking or talking religious because we faced these kind of situations earlier in our life.

I don't know why it is important for these people to be known as mawlana, sayyiduna, waliyullah etc stuffs? What is in their "heart"? If we're doing religious work in addition da'awa, the primary and sole intention must be because of sincerity for Him not being tainted by other things like trying to impress anyone be he a Muslim or non-Muslim or having a special badge for a distinct group of people. The job to Guide everyone is His job. We only tell people the good news but we have no power to "pull" others toward the good news except with His permission! 

Most of all, I use English when I talk and read religious materials because I am a Peranakan Arab and we use Classical Kedah Malay which sometimes sounds a little bit rural as compared to those who are not mixing around with Malay society. I also read materials in Classical Malay but it is only when I read but still when discussing matters I'm not fluent in standard Malay yet I still try to speak in the language that people understand. When I talk with people, I would try to turn my level to the same level of speech with the listener as to respect them. Use the language that people commonly use. If we are with English or Malay speaking people, then use English or Malay! English is just common and widely understood among people of different nationalities. Never use any hierarchical or any terms like in Urdu for example jaminder (quorum leader), hidayat (guidance), bayan (lecture), ghasht (knocking at people's door to invite them to persuasion bayan), takazah (reminder) and etc. just to show off that we're a member of certain group or movement unless if we're teaching Urdu language to others or a Pakistani or North Indian who in real life speaking or writing in the particular language. There are many groups within Muslim society who perform the da'awa of amar ma'aruf nahi munkar and not solely our congregation or circle within a nation. There are also many nations in the earth. It sounds like pompous when I listened to these kind of speech because we know what they're talking about but they are not originated from the region that they're trying to imitate.

Even for me I refuse to force the acceptance of certain "cultural traits" from any group into the people that we're performing da'awa. If we're performing mission to the Japanese people, then we should use Japanese language and finding the parallel with their culture to explain stuffs related to Quranic teachings and Sunnas. We could see most Malay people still practicing their local customs and not dancing like tribal Arabs during their wedding ceremony because our missionaries did not enforce the Arab code of customs into Malay society. Instead we, the locally born descents were forced to speak in Malay language and dialects. Not speaking in our ancestral language and we help locals to preserve their culture too.    

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