Sunday Sightseeing 12th June Part IV

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

continuation...

Nagore Darga Syarif. I heard Tabligh kids said that this building is erected by the Barelvis to their teacher. These people are the opponents of the Deobandis and Tablighi Jama'at are an off-shoot of the Deobandi. The Barelvis are said to be those who prayed on the grave or venerating saints. I don't know how true is that, so many slanders around. But the practice of venerating saints is common in Indian sub-continent. It's also common in China.

When I heard some Middle Easterner Syeikhs talked in the videos about Tabligh Jama'at, they also said Tabligh Jama'at are the worshipers of their saint's tomb. Some who claimed themselves as salafis too commenting on people who chant dzikrs in majlis (ceremonies) as bida'ah (new invention). I read about tasawwuf or sufism, chanting dzikr after prayer services and everywhere I am but I never did those khurafat (superstitious) things like sitting on grave seeking inspiration or etc moreover after my repentance to Allah and now I'm seeking penance. I just hope to see Allah, I don't want anything anymore. Sometimes these people who condemn others are scary. They scare people away from Allah and His holy messengers.

We just chant dzikrs to please Allah, we also pray to Allah and never to His creatures. What is wrong and why those accusations always generalizing others? Is chanting dzikr remembering Allah after salaat and while we sit alone, stand alone, and everywhere we are, considered as bida'ah too? I read in Parah 16th of Quran that we must remember Allah morning and evening. Some of us are making the religion jumud (narrow) and leading to disunity. They are so ta'assub (extreme) toward their syeikhs' opinions. If something is wrong, then check the root. After that we could slowly and politely turn it down with Allah's help. Avoid condemning others but enlight the ignorance with manner. No need to be hostile unless if it is needed or when we are threatened. Spread His mercy and love to every creatures!  

The Ba-Junid store. We may get perfumes, 'oud, and other fragrances for majlis from the store. It is a Ba'alawi store. I would just get my myrhh and frankincense supplies from here next time. I suggest those who are interested in natural scents to get them here.

Already inside the bus at the main station. I took the bus from the jetty because I walked to find train ticket at the KTMB counter. I bought a train ticket to KL in the evening at three on 19th of June. 

It costs me about RM34. It is expensive but takes me longer time in the transport and I regret that. Next time I would just take express bus besides making sure to bring important stuffs like certificates and notes for research home. I hope my supervisor do not contact me but I would just make the review for research until next month.

This is how we finished half of our day today. I arrived at USM masjid near Sungai Dua around 14:00 and just performed Dzuhr prayer service in the mosque. Thank You Allah for the safe journey and I wish that it is not a waste of time. I just don't get the spirit if I stayed in the room, dear Lord. I pray that Allah make this walk and sightseeing as a jihad for myself, brothers, and sisters. Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy and love for brothers and sisters.

Sunday Sightseeing 12th June Part III

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

continuation...

  
This is a Memorial Chinese Temple in opposite to Nagore Darga Syarif. I have no time to properly snap the picture and I can't properly read the characters up there. I just could read it means "River Home Temple..." Perhaps, being read as Han Jiang Jia Miao which means Han River Family Temple. The last character is hidden behind the pillar. We read it from right to left just like in Arabic.

Let us see, what is inside? Just a square and at the door we can see door post gods. I thought that no one in the temple because I looked around for a guide. But then I saw an ah sook (uncle) sitting at the entrance of the memorial hall. 

He thought that I'm a Chinese because a Malay would not normally entering the temple. He just asked me in teochew slang: "naa dee laiii?" (where are you coming from?). I just answered him simple and avoid talking further because my Chinese would sound foreign. Some people would think that I tried to lie when I answered that I am a local and not even a Chinese national. Even to the extend they wanted to check my ID.

I would try to avoid standard mandarin accent next time. Now, I'm learning to speak like normal Malaysian Chinese. I don't think that I speak with Northern Chinese tongue twister accent. I myself hate that sound and it sounds ugly. I thought that only Chinese speaking person could tell the difference. However, last time brother Firdaus the Tabligh kid also noticed that. I don't know how did he hear me speaking when I talked with brother Yunus or brother Idris in the Tabligh center or in musalla at our hostel. 

Since those brothers are fellow Muslims, I might also use Arabic and Persian terms while speaking in the common speech. That's normal, just like when we speak in Malay or English. I don't speak any foreign chinese dialect, the closest dialect that I speak is the standard Taiwanese Mandarin one or might be the same with those in Ha'erbin because I can understand them well and they do understand me. 

I feel uncomfortable when people listening to me speaking in Chinese especially Malay kids because I had bad experience being treated badly by some racist officers in the airport while working after my STPM. I don't even look like a Chinese anyway and they are just envious because of contract workers get more pay than them who had secured the job and received allowances and other benefits from the government. Such an ugly behavior. They might also need glasses with high concentration power like myself just in case if they were blind or dim at young age.

This is the interior of the memorial hall. If you watch HK movies, you would also see almost the same feature where there are hundreds of ancestors' name plaques in the hall. I just read some of the names and later I remembered a "prohibition" that we should not read deceased people name while memorizing Quran so I went out of the hall. Although it is not carved at the grave stone but the principle might be the same. Just signed the guest-book and say thanks to the friendly ah sook for entertaining me.

to be continued...

Sunday Sightseeing 12th June Part II

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

continuation...

This is the Pulau Pinang Museum that I talked about in previous post. Not so many things to be seen but just enough to understand Pulau Pinang or Penang Island in the past. A section at the first floor is in renovation. I made few notes for things that I had seen in the museum. The entrance fee is just RM1 for an adult. I saw two Japanese tourists with a local Japanese translator which is a Chinese explaining things to the tourists. 

What I could recall is that there are Chinese and Indian section at the ground floor. The Chinese floor displayed things like cultural traits of Strait Chinese who had been born overseas in Malayan Peninsula and Penang since 15th C. Besides they speak in local Malay dialect called loghat Tanjung and in the same time maintaining their Daoism folk beliefs. 

Later in late 19th C, there are new immigrants from China who thought that they would only be here temporarily but later have to settle down and now being apart of Malaysia. I had jot down some of their burial customs but I can not snap pictures. Anyway, I was kind of lazy too. 

I would just put the notes in another site for Chinese learning regarding cultural traits for those who are interested to know about Chinese community in Malaysia but still yet establishing close contact with them. Local Chinese have their own cultural remarks too. May Allah permits it.

Indian community in Penang is quite diverse too since British colonial administration had brought them from various states in India. There are Malayalis from Kerala, Telugus from Andhra Pradesh, Gujaratis from Gujarat, and Tamilians from Tamil Nadu. They represent various religious groups mainly Muslims and Hindus.

This is the stairs to the first floor of the museum. The first floor displays native Malays cultural traits and how they live during British administration and Japanese occupation. I had also seen postcards showing the pictures of Penang Island during British administration. They also had tram in Ayer Hitam.

This is an Anglican Church called St. George Church just beside Penang State Museum. I can't go inside the church to take a look because they would close the door if there is no occasion or specific prayers.

Anglican Church is different from Catholic Church displayed in the previous post because it is independent from Papal supervision in Vatican and it is English but their sacraments are almost the same to Old Catholics. I don't know how to explain it because I just observe it from the occasions while doing some readings about their sectarian and religious division. European and Eastern Churches have their own development too. 

Just additional sharing anyway since I saw some kids here were eager to perform da'awa to others. As to say, we must also know about others, tak banyak pun sedikit-sedikit lah. I have bunch of notes in both Arabic and English regarding Christianity and their churches beside some notes about their gospels and testaments. Some had already gone since I moved around a lot. I also tried to make notes in Chinese for Islamic studies materials, in case if I need them.

The bus stand beside St. George Church. We can have a ride in a shuttle bus for sight-seeing but I choose to walk. It would be easier to see around while walking compared to be in a transport and Georgetown isn't so big.

to be continued...

Sunday Sightseeing 12th June Part I

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Just after Dhuha optional salaat, I went down to Khaleel restaurant to have some breakfast around nine in the morning. Tomorrow would be optional fasting service for Allah. I felt that I couldn't just stay in the room, nobody could stand that unless if the person has something wrong in his mind. Because of this, I could sense that I am still normal.

I intended to apply for a visa to Thailand as I planned to take train for Central part. Just wanted to visit few historical mosques there but I also need to take some safety precautions because Thais could be quite crazy, well not all but still we have to be careful. We are going to be outside of the boundaries that protect our rights as a citizen. Disappointed I was but I still go for Georgetown. Ain't got no money, but we have feet to walk. 

I took Rapid Penang from Gelugor to the Jetty and it costs me RM2. I can see Tun Sardon area where I had some breakfast with Tabligh kids at the market early this passing semester while I was in the bus. I felt sad when the memory comes out of my mind. Nevermind... I would just follow my feet where it brought me to walk today since nobody could imagine how boring it is here. I believe some stranded USM students also feel the same. They wanted to go somewhere to relax their mind but stranded because of commitment toward their certificates. 

I had been to Georgetown alone during Chinese New Year festival but because I don't know where to go so I just go there again for sight-seeing. Whatever that we have right now, we just be thankful to Allah and we say, alhamdulillah!!! May Allah helps us with bountiful of His givings in the future...

    
This is the first place I decided to begin my walk before roaming to other areas, old style buildings are everywhere in Georgetown. This street is called as Chinese Ghaut Street.  Walk straight, and you will see British Council and Quay Street. Off the road is the pier.

Back street of the Quay Street. We walk forward and we would see the next picture. The building is quite nice. It looks like we are somewhere in the Europe. British influence could we say.

This is when we come out from Church Ghaut street. From the plaque sign at the building, I get to know that the street was named after a Catholic Church which was first build in Penang Island by the Portuguese around 17th C. I could see the remnant of the church at the left side of the street.

Cantonese Association when we walk straight from Church Ghaut Street. I always thought that Penang Island only has Hokkien community and might be some Teochew, but now I am sure there is also Cantonese inhabitants in the town. No wonder I could hear some Cantonese spoken in a settlement near Batu Feringghi when I walked around during CNY.

We are already in Little India. I can hear Bhajans. For fellow brothers and sisters in faith information if you by accident come across this section. Bhajan is Hindu religious hymns sung at their religious ceremonies. I could listen to Soolamangalam sisters, they are famous amongst Tamil Hindus and I know few of their bhajans for Hindu god pantheon's figure like Skandha (Murugan) for Shaiva cult. I could also listen to Krishna Bhajannam sung at Indians videos store by the Vaishnava cult religious singer. 

I went through the lane and walked in front of the Satya Sai Baba center. He currently passed away. Just greet an Indian auntie with a nod and smile in front of the center. She doesn't join the ceremony, I guess she must be from other cult. I recall my memory while I was in Metro Bus early in the morning to private classes for STPM in KL. I learned all of these from the time I was stranded as a STPM student who didn't go to formal school. Even my classmate, Prema said that I know about them better than them when I asked her about shivanavarathri and mahapurnnami festival (nine nights of god siva) before she went to their temple, lol. 

Didn't get to check calender on what occasion is today because I saw many people. Indians and Chinese roaming around with their religious activities in temples and those bhajan stuffs signify something for them. Some Chinese also lighting joss-sticks at the idol of ganesha. Some Thai Buddhist also revering ganesha but they call that god as viganet before performing art and performance like wayang kulit (traditional shadow play) to avoid obstacles or being victims to others' jealousy while performing. Maybe those Chinese hawkers are asking for good business flow from the Hindu deity.

This street looks familiar. Oh, yeah!!! I remember I used to follow Tabligh kids to Bengal Mosque for their Thursday evening activity and bayans.

At the left of this Muntri Street, we could see Bengal Mosque. It is the center for Tabligh Jama'at in Penang. Along the street are budget hotels and they also offer helps to deal with Thai visas and accommodation in Thai Southern provinces tourism spots.

Ok, this is the street where we walk straight and we could see the Bengal Mosque. I didn't perform any salaat to respect the mosque because I feel like I am crying in my heart. I learned a lot from there but in the same time, hati banyak sakit juga lah... Ada parut sikit-sikit kawan-kawan kita tinggalkan kita terkapai-kapai at the center while they tried to recruit me to be one of them :'(

This is Bengal Mosque where we could take a look at it clearly in day light. Last time I was there in the night. So, this is the day scene of the mosque. Any brother interested to learn about Tabligh system of da'awa and sunnah may come to the mosque and perform salaat respecting the Lord of the House and listen to their bayaan.

This is Leith Street. In front of shop lots there is a catholic church called St. Francis Xavier. Francis Xavier is a Franciscan figure and he is ethnically a Basque from Spain. They also made efforts evangelizing people in Asia into Latin rites including the Eastern Christians in India. 

I read few books about Dominican and Franciscan orders' mission not to forget their reports. They also made few books for missionaries like learning the languages of natives and few researches about natives or cultural traits in South East Asia. 

It reminds me of Abdullah Munsyi or Abdullah Paderi when I am in churches. He is a figure in Malacca old days who translated St. Matthew Gospel into Classical Malay. I had visited the center during CNY but didn't get to pay a visit inside due to time constraint. I intend to only visiting the building when there are occasions but no occasion so far. They had a mass on Sunday morning and few other daily mass according to time. 

I'm so sorry not to offend anyone. I don't know how to erase the sleeba (cross) at the building to respect respective Muslim brothers and sisters eyes. I would try to find photoshop software and install it after this. I'm sorry for being a bit slow, I really am ignorant in computer thingies. This is just how the church looks like because it is hidden inside and for my personal record. 

I also watched Imam Muda program in Astro Oasis and they visited a Buddhist temple in Kelantan. If I am not mistaken it is called as wat Bodhiviharn. They said in the beginning they were also afraid and shivering but that was an exposure for them as da'is (people who call others to Allah), hehe. I had been to wat Macchammaram and wat Phikunthong, and few other wats (buddhist monasteries) in Tumpat when I was a bachelor student. 

Nothing would happen if Allah wants our faith to be in its place, insyaalah! We pray for His guidance every time and do not stop for that because His guidance and the ability to perform the guidance are the greatest grace amongst all. Each time I began my journey no matter into pasar (market), in shopping complex, to work and other places I would recite ma'athurat to remind me on who I am and my responsibility as His servant and humble slave. The basic things that we should understand is our iman (faith). Then comes 'ilmu (knowledge), ikhlas (sincerity), and 'amal (practices).

This is the interior side. I couldn't put all of the pics because there are also other pics to be recorded for today's sight-seeing. It is just a typical Roman Catholic Church with pews, sleeba (cross), statues of their saintly figures. Some colorful mosaics at the window and the corpus christi (body of christ) at the table representing the church where they perform rituals for khubz hu lahmi, damm wa khamr (bread is my body, blood and wine) according to their rites for mass.  Sorry for the mix with Arabic, I learn about Christianity through Middle East sources.

I was there only for about 20 minutes just observing around and sitting on the pew before an uncle came in to lock the door as the personal prayer time had finished. I just went out and nod my head to the uncle respecting him. He seems like surprised to see a young man in the church sitting alone on the pew and he seems like wanted to ask that maybe I need something. I just walked out to give him way to lock the door. 

Then I walked along the street from the church to a mamak stall and had some teh ais (iced milk tea). Standard price, RM1.20 for a glass of iced milk tea even at a stall in an alley but the uncles there are nice and greet me with salam. Now, I love those who greet me with the prayer although my mouth feels hard to greet others. I would try to make it as a habit. That's why I begin every post with salam prayers.  

Komtar, the landmark of Penang. In Penangites telefilm such as Anak Mamak Menantu Mami, they would show this as apart of their pride. I can't stand Azad Jazmin's voice when he made that suara kepit. Anyhow, I love the movie. Immigration department is there and my cousin sister also works in Komtar. Just feel shy to contact my maternal aunt here which is her mum. She and her husband are generous enough offering me to help buying tickets to return home if I am in shortage or stuck in Penang. But just feel bad to burden them, I would try to rely on Allah and work it myself if I have the ability.

The street is known as Lim Chui Long street. Last time during the first semester, I went out with brother Kurnia of Indonesia and brother Idris of China to Penang Botanical Garden and we stopped by at a mosque at the street just beside the road in our way home for dzuhr prayer service. Brother Kurnia will be home and I would never see him anymore in the next semester because he had done with his thesis : (

This is a banglo of Qiu Tianbao, the father in-law of Syed Ahmad al-Attas who married his daughter. The architecture is according to colonial style. This place became a school which was founded by followers of Sun Yat Sen, a nationalist figure of China. He is not a communist but a member of Guomindang party.  

Lebuh Farquhar, I walked here too but my previous pictures were lost swiped by the person who repaired my computer. I had also took pictures at Chayamanggalaram and Dharmmikaram temples but it is OK. I have my mind as a record too.

Around Lebuh Farquhar. There is a Catholic Cathedral there called the Assumption and also a museum. I didn't visit the cathedral because I had once been there. I wanted to see something like museum more. Besides there just about two buildings gap, I could see Pulau Pinang Museum. In front of the museum is a school. I can't remember its name but the school buildings look nice.

to be continued....