Mengejar Pelangi

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Just a memory about my father while he was not bed-ridden... The title of the post is actually a title of my father literary work and it is in Malay. It means Chasing the Rainbow. Its significance for my father perhaps he is hoping for happiness. Though we're Arabs by descent but we love Malay language and are much binding to the language cultural sphere. 

This book is basically about a search done by two youngsters in a place known as Hutan Kepelu which actually refers to the area in Kodiang. It is my father's hometown. The youngsters are researching about a legendary figure known as Panglima Nayan who is prominent among the Northern Malays. They wish to prove his existence through historical findings but in the same time they faced difficulties in the jungle. Those two guys did not found anything about the Panglima Nayan instead they bumped to something else.... This book was published by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department, Prime Minister's Office. 

Though I never show anything to him, I actually had read everything that he writes... He wrote two other books I guess and one of them is a biography while the other is about the Ulamas in Malay speaking areas. Another one which is known as the "Bingkisan Sutera Biru" I have forgotten whether in a whole book form of a short story form which he wrote for his mother in-law (my maternal grandmother).

Other achievement he had made for himself is that he handled a column known as Di Sepanjang Jalan. I guess those who read the column in the 90's up to early 2000 might know him or even know me if they personally know my father. I can't do anything to help him or to release him from his pain so I just hope to reproduce everything that he had made in another medium and begging prayers from around for him so he may receive bountiful of happiness in this life and in the hereafter. I still think that I am not a filial son. Please help me to pray for my father, reciting the salawat and I will be very grateful to brothers and sisters.

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

Tribute to Kedah: State's Office Secretary 1900

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

The exact date of the term "State Secretary" being first used in Kedah is not so clear. Some administrator figure of Kedah such as Che Muhammad 'Ariffin bin Muhammad Arshad had already being given this title and assuming this position since the 3rd of Shawwal 1323 (3rd October 1905). It is also used in official letters for state office for example in State Secretary's official letter in 17 Dzulhijjah 1323 (12 February 1906) (Malay is still written in Classical Arabic writing and our state was using Hijrah calender, not like today):

"The letter to Che Muhammad 'Ariffin Secretary to Che Awang 'Othman in Penang regarding the matter of marble purchasing which will be used at the Sultan's residence". 

In the same time, Che Muhammad 'Ariffin also used to write his position as "Sultan's Secretary". This could be seen in the notes of State's Meeting Council which enlisted the attendance of the Council's members each time the meeting was conducted. He wrote his position such as: "Secretary of His Highness Sultan." In this matter, it could be seen that Mr. Muhammad 'Ariffin was the secretary of the state and the secretary of the Sultan.

In the Kedah administration hierarchy since before the World War II, the highest of the structure was our Sultan. The State's Secretary was the highest administration officer in this Malay country. Before 1921, the Kedah Civil Service was not yet in existence and the administration officers were known as Malay Civil Service. The head of the administrators were known as Kepala Pekerjaan or Ketuha Pekerjaan. Both of these terms mean Chief of the Job. Notice that they still used Proto-Malay word, which is ketuha (chief).

Referring to the Annual Report of 1937, there were about 61 servants in the Kedah Civil Service with 21 cadets. The office of the State's Secretary began in the Balai Besar or Grand Hall just like the office of State's Office Council. In 1911, it was shifted to one level building which was build with woods located in the Middle Fort Palace Complex beside today's State's Building.       

Besides Secretariat, other name for the State's Secretary Office usually known by the public as Opis Dalam. It means internal office in English, hahaha. It does not mean that the office is inside the palace complex or in the palace but it refers to the function and the role of the office in handling our state's internal affairs. 

In 1348 (1929), the office was again shifted to the two levels house made with bricks. It exists until now. This building is located close to the earlier office which was later being demolished. When Japanese Imperial Army invading our state/country around December 1941, the army regime administration was then introduced by Mayor General Sukigawa Seiji who assumed the position of Governor and K. Shiba as his adviser. They made the State's Secretary Office as their head quarter. So, Arabs in Kedah had also experienced being invaded by Japanese. I wonder what will happen if Japanese managed to invade Middle East jah? Maybe Middle Easterners could also learn some Bushido or Shindo or bowing to the East to Tenno Heika, LOL.       

In 18th October 1943, the official ceremony to return the power on Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu by Japanese to Thai empire happened in Alor Setar which is our capital until now. Thai General Governor who was responsible in the affairs of these four Malay states/countries was Khun Rongchart while the Governor of Kedah was Khun Pramod Chongchareum. Both of them used the same office used by the Japanese as their head quarter until the end of the Thai empire administration in September 1945. Haji Muhammad Shariff 'Othman was maintained as the Kedah State's Secretary while the Thai Governor for Kedah acted as the adviser for him.

We learned a subject known as Pengajian Am (General Knowledge) when we were in Form Six which was the highest academic level for high school and it took us two years for any subject that we choose. The subject deals with our country's judicial system, administration and decision-making. Basically, we think differently from people who consider a political party is the same as government because it is different, lol. For history, I think students before my time could choose to study history such as South East Asia, Islamic Civilization and etc. I found few books of my elder sisters and I saw that they also learned about Thailand and other South East Asian countries like the Philippines and Vietnam. Quite interesting. Not many people today understand regional history in Malaysia. We were not simply a country but previously nation-states. The model of political and in Malaysia is exactly the model of colonial British. We said British this and that. But I think we actually love them, hahaha. Thank you Great Britain : )    

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love amin!

Tribute to Kedah : Some History on Administration in Late 19th Century

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Introduction

I am a bumiputera (native) of the state of Kedah but I am not a Malay. Our people during British period were registered as Malayan Arabs and divided between immigrants Arabs who came after British double administration and Malayan Arabs who were invited by the Sultans to serve the court and nobility in term of religion and others during the period of 15th to 17th centuries. Immigrant Arabs in our olden days state mostly were from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Malayan Arabs originally were Yemenis who came from Yemen and India/Pakistan. Today the word Arab is omitted from our identification as to make it easier for them so people are calling us Malays and grouping us as Malays. It is not correct.  In other Malay states, we were not considered as natives. That is why we lived like 19th century immigrants and having to live like poor people in our federal territories. When some Malays are talking about this rights and that rights, we understood how immigrants feel. We tell some Malay brothers that we are also non-Malays and why must you talk like that? But they called us as Melayu tak sedar diri or Malays who deny themselves as Malays.

We are not Malays. My throat sore each time I talk with people from other states including with non-Malay compatriots who keep asking me.... wo kan ni bushi huaren, ni yinggai shi malay ren (It seems like you're non-Chinese, you must be a Malay) : S It is so frustrating. Only people from our state and from our state's palace know about us and our ethnicity. I do not prefer to be grouped as Malays because we are already the natives of our states. I don't hate Malays and many of my relatives are married to Malays but why we are forced to be something which we are not? We speak in the language because it is our state's national language. It is in the form of Kedah Malay with smattering of Arabic and Persian words as compared to other natives like Malays of Kedah because they speak in another form of Malay. We do not speak in the southern Riau Malay (Indonesian island next to Singapore) which was chosen to be the slang and the national language of Malaysia. Actually when I speak in Malaysian Malay, my Malaysian Malay sounds more like Thai slang which is mistaken by some people who never mingle with Thais as Chinese Malay slang and I am only fluent in my state's Malay.  

We still call Kedah state as the Sultanate of Kedah. Last time I talked with a Phd student from China at our level. I did not get the chance to ask his name because he was so eager to know about Malaysia. He asked me whether I am a Chinese or a Malay? I just answered him I am not a Chinese nor a Malay. I am not an Indian also. I am an Arab descent and only a Muslim. Our state traced its history since first century. The sultan today traced his ancestry from previous Hindu rajas. We have gone through a very long history in Malayan Peninsula and we were not yet apart of Malayan Federation until 1948 and later forming a state in Malaysia until 1957. Not all people could have access to museums right? So this site is also serving the people as a museum. It is more interesting than European studies, hahaha.  

Brief History

In the end of 19th century, while we were suppressed as Siamese vassal state in the south, we already have our own developed administration system. The system was quite modern. Beginning in the era of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin (1853-1879), Kedah sultanate become a modern state and increasingly developing.

This situation goes on until the exchange of vassal authority from Siam Empire to British Empire in 15th of July 1909. Our 25th sultan, which was Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah (1882-1943) in the beginning of his rule had managed to visit few countries such as Thailand, India, Burma and Europe in order to get some ideas on how to manage the country. Yes, we were a country, not a state like today. These efforts was initialized by his father before it becomes more stimulating when Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah assume his throne.  

In this efforts of developing our sultanate, the sultan was assisted by few able leaders who among them are the member of royalties themselves such as : 

1. Tunku Abdul Aziz (Young King)

2. Tunku Ibrahim

3. Wan Muhammad Saman

People with the title wan were aristocrats of Arabian ancestry but absorbed into the court. I found that the same thing also happened in Brunei and Sarawak in Borneo Island. In 1870, during the era of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah, Wan Muhammad Saman was appointed as the Prime Minister of our country (Kedah). Malaysian historian such as Khoo Kay Kim emphasized that Kedah had developed its political system in a more systematic way as compared to other Malay nation-states in Western coast of the Malayan peninsula. Before British interfering in our country affairs, Kedah already posses few experienced government officials who played significant role in the administration and management system of the state. Because of that too, Kedah Sultanate did not have to depend on many British officials in the more southern countries such as Perak and Selangor.     

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

Why racial background is always according to spoken language or attire?

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Last Week's Experience

Last week while waiting for Friday sermon, I had greeted a Muslim Chinese brother, an undergraduate or just English language student at the language center but I had forgotten to speak in English. His name is something like Yeong Yeong but I don't normally ask people's personal name in the beginning except their surname but he told me his name so be it, haha. I just cynically tell him I am a Chinese, why I can't speak my own language? Hehehehe... Then he seems like at lost to see a non-Chinese face speaking in Chinese. He said that he thought I was a Malay. It was not weird in China or even in Thailand where non-Han ethnics speaking in Mandarin Chinese but why making that face here? Well, this is not my first time being looked like some kind of alien from Mars because our compatriots whether of Chinese descent or Malays also looked at me like that.

The Issue

I just feel weird because our spoken language does not really reflect our identity. I hate people calling me a Malay simply because I speak in Malay, pelet Kedah piao lagi. We are not Malays although many of us refused to be known differently from Malays. That's their problem but for me why should I lie????! I am aware about my origin since I began to check them with paternal elders. We speak in Malay because it is our state's national language. Our state had earlier exist in the form of kingdom and sultanate before our country (Malaysia) exist because it only exist after British gathered all of the states in the peninsula into a federal entity and giving them independence. 

It's just the same like Hui Chinese in China who does not like to be known as Han but we are different in term that both Malays and us are Muslim, the same religion. Sometimes error happens in identification during British occupation because the concept of nation-state of British was also exercised in the state's administration. I think people should acknowledge us as Arabs of North Indian sub-continent descent or Malayan Arabs in contrast to Arabs from Middle East and we are also non-Indian. I feel offended when the term Jawi Peranakan is used to also include us as Indians. We use Arabic script in all of our writings while Muslim Indians in Malaysia have their own vernacular religious studies classes. We preserve many of Arabic pronunciation though we are not fluent in Arabic anymore. Most of all, those Arabic speaking people in Middle East were not pure Arabs in majority but some of them are Kurdish, Roman descent, Assyrians, Levants (only if they admit that they are wild Arabs) and etc.

There are many Arabs associated to prophet Muhammad s.a.w family who were expelled to Iran, Turkey and India due to the war before the establishment of Umayyad caliphate. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and Baba Abdul Qadir were among them whose family moved to Persian empire provinces. Our people or community never really mingle with natives though our ancestors spreading the message of prophethood because of some differences but it is different today because many youngsters began to abandon their identity. This does not mean that we are bunch of boastful idiots who wanted to show off if we talk about this but it is just the matter of identity. We could see what happen if we do not take care about our identity or trying to abandon it. Example is myself where I feel so low and began to turn away to others' tradition (Buddhism) but I am lucky enough that He brought me back to the path. 

I don't know how many people like us who turned to others' path. I checked about converts to Christianity from Islam for example just to be away from comfort zone for a moment and the result I found one for example John Avaterranean/Muhammad Shukri Effandi who was baptized as a Christian because he was not aware about his family background which also includes his family religious background. He wrote a book titled a Muslim who became a Christian. The translation of this book is online so everybody could access it and check it our selves, click here to read.   

Urm, about the persatuan Syed hazzab something which comes out in the news paper I don't know from which state and I am not interested to join any organization. I am not apart of them because we are from Kedah state and we are of Gujarat Arab ancestry. Our custom apart of it is to hide our title and we never put any title in front of our names so people could not differentiate us from others. We do not associate ourselves to religion in front of people but our elders were actually very conservative and orthodox. We behave just like natives and we are very proud of our state. We love our sultan and other compatriots regardless whether they are Malay, Siamese, Chinese or etc. It's to the extend that we never really acknowledge Perlis as a different state because we only recognize it as our sultan's land. The same thing to Penang Island.

We love Kedah Malay language and we write in the language but nowadays I feel more comfortable with English and Chinese if I am not speaking in Kedah Malay (differently from Malaysian Malay based from Johor-Riau Malay). We always feel angry when people who are not from Kedah trying to speak in the language without first learning it and showing it in the national medias because it ruins our national language and mocking our state's cultural traits as to portray how patriotic we are to our beloved state. We are the descents of 17th century Arab travelers and our paternal line were from Gujarat: Ahmedabad and Surat of India. These places were the posts of Arab soldiers and some Muslim Arabs from Sindh province of Multan kingdom in today's Pakistan were also expelled there to Gujarat after Muslim civil war before they dispersed more to southern part which is Malayan Peninsula, Lower Myanmar, South Thai and Sumatera in further India. Gujarat was also the center of da'awat for Ismai'ili Shi'a Muslims of Musta'ali branch after Yemen and Fatimid Egypt. This tradition of da'awat was already exercised by our people regardless madzhab or side since before the existence of Tablighi Jama'at movement from Deoband.

Diary about Relatives

We post this not to boast na'udzubillah but just a matter of fact so that people around don't simply judge people because of their spoken language or just because they wear Baju Melayu or Chongsum. To my maternal relatives if you happen to stumble by here but you feel like recognize who is this Abdullah, stop judging my mum and dad because you know no sh*t about our life or our paternal ancestry as we were not religious in appearance but you still slander us just because maternal grandma loves us and close to us. She was close to us because we always return to the village visiting and staying with her while they rarely see her though they lived close to her. We lived in the capital and taking the pain to see relatives in the midst of pressuring life.

We don't want any money from late grandparents or anyone. As for me I even never use my dad's position to get government job when he was a contract government servant. My dad was a lowly reporter whom my cousin brother used to hurt my feeling when he said to me don't be a reporter like my dad. I was a 13 years old boy and that makes me feel alone in Perlis while studying in the madrasah. Among the reason I slowly became bitter toward Islam and its adherents is because of relatives. I began to find friends in Thai Buddhist temples due to that cousin brother was a supporter of a political party associated with Muslim brotherhood and I was just a little child. At least dad works and getting his salary with dignity for 20 years before being a government contract worker for government only to be sacked with humiliation. He does not smuggle rice from Thailand. He was our bread-winner and our hero though not religious. We are not cheap people and we have dignity! Now I am proving it by rejecting any scholarship or assistance from government. I don't take any zakat (tithe) for Ibnu Sabeel and only depending on the Lord because I know that it will be rejected without any reply and Allah made my heart feel heavy to apply any help from human anymore. I don't take sadaqah (donation) from people unless if they mention it as present or I'll dump them all or giving them to others.

Insha Allah I will return to the path and my responsibility but I will never associate myself to government or any political movement just like Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal. There is a significance why I choose his school of jurisprudence and not adhering to our Yemenite order school of jurisprudence, which is Shafi'ie school. I respect Imam Shafi'ie but I know more about Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and how he has to face torments from leaders who were not fearful to Allah.

Concluding

This is also about the history of minority ethnics in Malaysian state. Anything in the post about what I feel is just my opinion and what I personally feel... Everybody including Malays, Malaysian Chinese, Malaysian Tamils have the right to have some pride in themselves but why we can't and were demanded to stay with dual identity? If we talk about these, people would assume that we are trying to boast about ourselves. Our ancestors had also involved in defending the Kedah state for the sultan and people and preventing northern region from being absorbed by Siamese empire before the arrival of British. Mentions about this is also in researchers notes like the late Wan Saghir's researches but its just that we don't feel it is important to tell people. I just feel weird...

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

CNY: Sungai Petani 2012

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Village Mall

Mangrove Forest and River 

Masjid Sultan Muzaffar Shah

Fajar prayer service with mum in the congregation.... I noticed a fellow Muslim Chinese brother there but I didn't get the chance to talk with him because he quickly disappear after the service. Usually I would choose to pray beside Muslim Chinese brother because of the sense that we are the same people, haha.

Old SP Town

Having some breakfast, nasik lemak tungkup tunjung with mum after prayer service. Nice view huh...This one is beside the old bus station. I used to take bus from Penang to Sungai Petani while being an undergraduate student and I stopped by here during holidays. I stayed at our old house alone with an axe in my hand while sleeping. This place sometimes make me feel not safe but it is my hometown. I was born here and three years of my early life was spent here.

Char Koey Teaow Stall in Old Town

Foods

These cuisines and things could be easily founded in the natt in Sungai Petani Old Town...

Khao Nieow Gai Thoat

It simply means chicken with glutinous rice or pulot ayam goreng. We bought this together with the following snack from a Muslim Thai auntie who talks vulgar words, hahaha. 

 Miang Kham

A kind of Thai snack known as Miang Kham which consists of Cha Plu or Daun Kadok as the wrapper. Ingredients inside the leaf would be shallots, fresh bird eyes chili, ginger, garlic, lime, onion, roasted peanuts, small dried shrimps with sweetened nam pla sauce. Nam Pla is fish sauce and it is wrapped separately in the plastic like we can see in the picture.

Mentarang

Urmmm, I don't know what is this called in English. It's called as Mentarang in Malay. Perhaps a kind of Moluska. I'm not good in Biology anyway, haha. I think this could cause us impurity too if eaten but mum said that it is not mentioned in their school of jurisprudence which is Shafi'ie school. They sold this along side the beaches at Perlis such as in Kuala Sanglang and Pantai Sabak in Selangor. This one was bought in Sungai Petani in Central Kedah. A kilo in Sungai Petani, RM8 and RM9 along Pantai Sabak.

 

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

Interpretation of Faith

Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah!

source pic: beautifulfoolishness.com

This is the interpretation of faith or iman in the view of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama'ah of Syafi'ie tradition that I listened through Radio Malaysia Kedah at 14:00 today just after Dzuhr prayer service. Although the ustad is a bit proud with his Syafi'ie tradition line of Yemen but it is still a beneficial knowledge for everyone. I am familiar with it anyway. It is our ancestral tradition. As long as we do not condemn each other without sound knowledge and understanding, I will be in agreement with it and I guess it is not a sin.

There are four interpretations of faith which are:

i. faith according to the prophetic tradition which is mentioned in the hadith

ii. faith through keeping practices

iii. faith through morality

iv. the sweetness of faith

First Interpretation

The first one is the faith of the people who keep the prophetic traditions in which we call them as sunni or sunnah. It is the faith which is mentioned in the six pillars of faith.

Second Interpretation

The second which is the faith related to the practices. The practices are prescribed in the scripture and the hadiths regarding the five basic pillars of the law of life. About the characteristics of faith, it is mentioned in the glorious Quran verse 14th of surah al-Hujurat where the Bedouins said: "We have the faith!" and the God cast His words in noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w tongue: "Say (to them), you are not faithfuls but say to them (that they should say), "we already submit ourselves to the path," since the faith is not yet in in your heart. And if you obey the God and His messenger, He will never decrease even a little merit for your deeds. Indeed, the God is All-Forgiver, the Most Merciful. 

I hope that nutty bigots who never tired of stupid enmity and calling themselves as previous Muslims like people care, displaying the distorted verse from surah at-Tawbah about the order to kill everything could also spread this verse to everyone, hahaha... Through this verse, it is expounded that although we had already submitted ourselves to the path, we are not yet faithful since the faith could be somewhere out of the heart. So, this revelation descends into the heart of the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w through the statement of the Bedouins who called themselves as the faithfuls, and the God revealed to the prophet s.a.w to correct their statement.

So, in the second interpretation or opinion about the faith by the people who follow prophetic tradition, it is important for every Muslim to keep their practices in consistency. When we go through the first part which is the faith with heart, proclaim it with tongue, we then will keep practices in our life with our body parts. Said the prophet Muhammad s.a.w recorded in the hadith: "When we see a person who always going to the mosque, be his witness that he is a faithful person. The place to prostrate (masjid) is prospered with the faithful people."

In the surah as-Sajjadah verse 15th, the God said: "Indeed, those who have faith in our verses (proofs) when reminded by the verses will fall down into prostration and exalt (the God) with praises of their Lord and they are not arrogant." 

The verse implies that those who are faithful will be:

1. Falling down into prostration when listening to His verses. It implies the act of awe and worship to Him with body parts

2. Exalting in praises to the God. This implies the exalting is with tongue since our tongue articulating exaltation and praises to Him.

3. A person who is not arrogant. He or she accepts whatever truth coming to his or her, humbling themselves and never looking down to others though a person who told him or her the truth is not of a great position in society, without any possession and others.

The Devil is the first creature of the God who is arrogant. He refused to obey the God to prostrate and humbling himself down in respect to fellow creature who is Adam. Thus, he becomes a subject who lose hope to His Mercy and Guidance and his envious self swear to Him to destroy man's soul into condemnation. Human-being could also be like this, thus we must be so careful. We had seen this around and even in human history.

Third Interpretation

Many law of life scholars also holding this interpretation of faith where a person needs to have his faith according to the six pillars of the faith according to prophetic tradition, keeping the act of worship in daily life as a daily practice, and honoring high morality. Why those in Afghanistan behead others' head? Why those in Somalia and Africa killing each other? Why the people in the Mid East keep chopping each others' head? Everyone should ask themselves why... The answer is within ourselves.

Last night I had a conversation with Mid East congregation after I ask them the book on Three Fundamental Principles by the Reformer Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. I already have copies of that book either in Arabic or in Malay. I just want the explanation book but perhaps they think that I am a beginner since I am a "Malay" and do not speak in Arabic. I don't like people asking me my ethnicity, anyone could just talk in any language they prefer and I would respond if I understand them. It is just offensive for me as I prefer to be known as a Muslim and Malaysian so that I feel close to my compatriots and brethren in faith.

What I can't agree is that they contradict in words. They wanted non-Muslim for example Jews or Christians to embrace the seal of prophethood but they keep repeating offensive words to these people in generalization. I made friend with few priests and shammas (deacons) from Middle East Orthodox Churches and also those from Orthodox Churches in India. Many of them do not offend me so I feel free to contact them and getting information needed and they answer my questions without offending me and my religion. If I have people of the book friends who embrace Islam insulting their family members who do not embrace Islam, I myself would slap his or her face as they are takabbur of themselves. It is a mazmumah (disgusting) characteristics for creatures. We must first understand that Guidance is not in our hand!!! Allah 'Azza wa Jalla is the One with authority in this matter. If we receive Guidance, we must be thankful and grateful to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla and not to look down on others. Our responsibility is only to tell others the good news and not to chop off others' head if they do not accept. Unless if they threaten us with their swords or M-16, then it would be foolishness to let our head being beheaded or kena tembak bocor.

My personal opinion, if we want to spread His Mercy to others, just leave offensive words behind and talk only about Him, sharing whatever we have in our limited knowledge and practices. Let others insult or say anything they want. The angels are behind those people who insult others turning the words back to them. Know first what are their philosophies and creed. It is not as easy as reading books written by few people like Ahmad Deedat, may Allah be Merciful to his soul and others like Zakir Naik. We need to go to the base just like these people did and mingle with the people we wanted to talk with. Human are of different level of knowledge and background just like us as Muslims. We condemn people in distance but we never bother to be among them, talk with them, and never bother to ask what are they doing... So, what do we expect? We expect people to listen to us? People treat us just like we treat them. My second sister now began to read these kind of books too and sometimes she might quarrel with me since she could not understand when I do not agree with the offensive parts for the people of the books or any other non-Muslims. When we do not agree with something, try to find other alternatives which could make everyone understand what we are up to. For now, I don't talk with people if I know their level of understanding though they might 'appear' to be pious. It will just complicate matters because people have different understanding and worldview. Even in the same house.    

Said the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w in a hadith: "The highest faith is the proclamation with tongue and the confidence in heart that there is no gods but only the God. The lowest one is when a person casts away obstacles in the road, helping to repair the road as to avoid others from falling into accidents, being merciful to animals and fellow human, and others." These are the signs of faith in a person. There are about 63 to 73 branches of faith, one of it is feeling shy.

Fourth Interpretation

The person who feels the sweetness of faith is a person who knows his or her God which is called as ma'arifatullah. This faith can be seen in a supplication which we recite three times in morning and evening which is: "I am pleased that Allah (the God) is my Lord, and I am pleased with Islam as the law which leads my life to Him, and I am pleased with Muhammad s.a.w as my prophet and the messenger of the God to me."

This interpretation is equated to a hobby, for example someone who loves to watch movies, he or she can stand sitting on the sofa for 10 hours watching movies without feeling bored. Or someone who loves to fish, he or she could sit on the bridge or spending few hours at the bank of the river trying to get some fish for his or her satisfaction. In our history, there are many scholars and sages who are devoted to the God, they pray hundreds units of prayers just because they love the God and it is their hobby in their free time. Some of them chanting holy verses everywhere without stop like a scholar in Yemen where his mouth could not stop chanting holy verses until he has to put a stone into his mouth to prevent it from reciting holy verses in toilet. 

We are suggested by scholars and people who follow prophetic traditions to recite the supplication to the God الَّلهُمَّ ارْزُقْنا حُبَّكَ وحُبُّ رُسُلِكَ وحب مَنْ اَحَبَّكَ وحب ما اَقْرَبِ إليكَ which means dear our Lord, sustain us with the love to You, and love to Your messenger, and love to those who love You and love on what brings us closer to You. We are suggested to supplicate may the God grants us with love toward all of those mentioned in the supplication. 

In this interpretation, through faith, a person will get to know the God. He or she will only agrees with the God and not others. The prophet Muhammad s.a.w traditions and sayings will be his or her model to perform daily life. And the interpretation is also a kind of level of faith that someone is going through step by step. In order to reach the stages above, a person needs stairs and the stairs are ulamas with efforts, scholars and sages. 

Summary of the Lesson

The first interpretation of faith is related to the six pillars of faith, a person must know it together with the learning of the obligatory characteristics and impossible characteristics of the God, sciences of the Quran, creed according to prophetic traditions, companions of the prophet Muhammad s.a.w, the Asha'ari and Maturidi. As for Asha'ari, the ustad said that he had a dream meeting with the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w and in his dream, he was advised to keep the creed. Imam Syafi'ie also memorized the Quran since he was seven years old. According to the narration of Imam Hanbal, Imam Syafi'ie had narrated about his dream where he met the prophet Muhammad s.a.w in his dream. The prophet s.a.w asked him where he came from (his house)? He said that he came from the house of Quraisy. Thus the prophet s.a.w asked him to come closer to him and he put his saliva into the mouth of the child. This is in his dream and vision. After that, he never wrong in reciting holy verses and narrating hadiths.

In surah Yunus, it is mentioned that those who are close to the God never feel scared or sad as for them is fear to the God and faith in Him. The God promise them with good news in their worldly life where noble people will love them. The God will call His archangel, Gabriel a.s and telling him that this person is the person which I love. Go and tell everyone that I love this person. The archangel Gabriel will go to heavens and telling everyone to love the particular person. It will also reach the heart of other faithful servants in the earth. How could we detect this kind of person? The ustad said... Look at how the person brings himself or herself in the society. With whom they mingle with? If they mingle with people who do vices, they would pray for them may the God be Merciful for those people. 

The God knows whatever happens. Every deeds and everything we talked in our heart will pass Him first. The noble messenger, prophet Muhammad s.a.w also being notified by the God on what happens in his nation. If his nation is in good condition striving in charity, he will praise the God. If he sees that his nation is in bad condition, he will pray to the God for salvation and forgiveness.  

People who are loved by the God

1. Are promised with good news

2. Having good dreams and visions, such people are the Imam Syafi'ie, the Imam al-Ghazali, and other ulamas and they have also stated in their books about their dream and vision for record. The ustad said, ulama from Syafi'ie school always look at Quranic verses with their heart. I agree, and other ulamas are also the same. They deserve equal respect. Not like us who only look at everything with our physical eyes.

3. People who holds tasawwuf in which the beginning of tasawwuf began sciences of religion and the law of life. Then it will continuously be supported with the practice of the sciences and knowledge. And from that, they will receive the Love of the God where the God will teach them knowledge which they themselves never know. This could not be sought in school or university. Because it is in His authority as what has been mentioned in surah al-Qalam, He teaches human on what he does not know. It begins with collections of basic knowledge and sciences and basic practices. The knowledge where the God teaches people He loves is called as the knowledge which is granted upon or 'ilmul-wahbi. 

Everything that the God grant to us in this world is something which is borrowed. It is not permanent. It includes knowledge and sciences. It also includes sons and daughters. Everything belongs to Him. As for children, as they are not ours but the God, we must teach them sciences of religion, the law of life with love and never neglect them. Teach our children with revelation, prayers, fasting, and everything in the basic pillars of religion. Teach them how to pray when they are seven years old, make it interesting and fun for them to pray obligatory salat service. Don't let them do it alone. Teach them fasting in Ramadan, teach them step by step. Don't ask them to fast like adults until they reach 10 years old. Teach them with creed as what has been prescribed in Quran and Sunnah. Children are not something to take as easy. They are responsibility. And they are not ours as everything is not permanent. Even if we have friends, our friends is only borrowed by the God to us. They are not ours. They will go different directions from us when certain period in our life come. Ibn Hatim had said: "Since friends, lovers, and everything will eventually leave us, I make faith and practice as my lover and my friend." Such a nice words of wisdom, I love this philosophy. 

Said the prophet s.a.w in a hadith: "Indeed Constantinople will be opened to His light again by a good chief amongst human-being, and his soldiers are amongst good soldiers amongst soldiers." It appears to be from the prophecy of the prophet Muhammad s.a.w that sultan Muhammad al-Fateh was the one who opened the city. He is actually a person who performs tasawwuf and always praying salat nawafil apart of other obligatory salaat services. May Allah be Merciful to his soul, amin. 

The faith may increase or decrease. It depends on environment. If we are in good environment, good deeds will arise more while evil will sunken a bit. Even if a person who knows religious sciences would still fall into evil as their environment would influence them to reject whatever being taught to them. Sometimes it might be due to non-halal sustenance (such as from bribery, cheating, and etc). When the food that we get not in proper manner and morally bad, our prayers and supplication will be rejected by the God. It is not only about avoiding pork, hog, monitor lizard, snake, dog, birds like eagle, bear and other animals prescribed in the Quran and Sunnah which should be avoided as food. Or only about alcohol consumption. It is more than that.

This is some essence of the half an hour lecture delivered by ustad Aminuddin Abdul Rahim at the Zakat Tower aired in the Radio Malaysia Kedah. The producer of the program is madame Hasmah Bahari. I wish it is not only beneficial for my self but also to those who passing by this humble site of a faqir, insyaallah.
    

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

The Spread of Islam in Kedah Kingdom

Assalamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

I had just finished reading this book about the Spread of Islam in the Malayan Peninsula which forms a part of Malaysia today. This is about some history of the past in Malaysia. The book is written by Ustad Abdul Manaf b. Hajj Ahmad and its title means "the Islam and Its Interest in the Malays."

It is interesting for me as a local born of Kedah state, and we have special sentiment toward this state because of the first sultan (because he accepted Islam, so he is known as a sultan and not a raja anymore) had accepted the light of Allah without any compulsion but with sincerity when a preacher brought the teachings. I actually love this state with its long historical journey just like my parents love this state although we do not live in this state. There are few other narration in the book but I would just limit it to a focused historical narration.  

The first part of the book talks about the spread of Islam in Malayan Peninsula is through persuasion without any war. Arab merchants and sailors came through the movement of business visit since third centuries. These people from Middle East like Arabia and Iran travelling through maritime route from India to China and stopped by in the Peninsula to get their rest or loading stuffs for trading. 

The people stopped by at the port in Kedah and bartering their stuffs, clearing stocks that they have got from China or India or from their places of origin there. And then Islam arise in 7th C, it begins to shine in the West and spreading to the East. Arab sailors and merchants bringing together the religion with them. 

And then the second part of the book talks about the spread of Islam in the kingdom of Kedah. Kedah is now a non-federated state in Malaysia with a Sultanate that could trace the lineage from the last Hindu-Buddhist king of 10th C. The story of the conversion of this state begins around the year 1136 C according to the Kedah Annals translated from Malay into Arabic.

It says that a religious man from Yemen known as Syeikh Abdullah had arrived in Kedah kingdom and he visited the king of the state. He asked about the religion of the state to the king and the king answered: "my religion and the religion of my people is the religion of our ancestors. All of us worshiping gods' statues and gods." The syeikh said, "So then, your highness must have not listening about Islam yet, and about Quran which was revealed by Allah to Muhammad (saw) had canceled the previous religions before that." 

The king was so astonished when he listened to the syeikh. He said to the syeikh, "if what you had said is the truth, then teach us about this new religion, and guide us with its light." The sheikh was so glad when he heard the king listening to the preaching. Then a big change happened in the state and the whole kingdom.

The king diligently listening to the faith and religious preaching. He encourages his subjects to obey Allah. The syeikh and the king called the attendants in the palace to be taught about religion and the creed of Islam in the palace. The syeikh politely, creatively, and gently teaching the people although with his own language until it attracts the peaceful heart of the attendants and royal family. Not long after that, almost all of the kingdom received Islam and it spreads through the royal court. 

The king name was changed from Hindu-Buddhist name, Phra Ong Mahawangsa to Muslim name, Sultan Muzaffar Syah. The name was chosen himself by the king. The syeikh proclaimed that the name is among the famous names from the West to the East, and the king was so glad. He hope that he and his kingdom would be rewarded with blessings from Allah through the big change. 

He build mosques and ordered each villages to build mosque near subjects residences. Each mosque must have 44 men for the congregational prayers for Friday holy day. Later this story of conversion from Hindu-Buddhism to Islam in the kingdom of Kedah reached Acheh Sultanate in the nearby Sumatera Island which is now apart of Indonesia. The kingdom of Acheh had sent to the kingdom of Kedah a man whose name is Syeikh Nuruddin. This man also asked fellow Arabs from Mecca to bring together religious kitaab to be sent to the Sultanate of Kedah and brought a letter to the Sultanate of Kedah. It says:

"This letter from the Sultanate of Acheh and Nuruddin to our brother the Sultan of Kedah and Syeikh Abdullah the Yemeni who lives now in the Sultanate of Kedah. We send you this letter together with the religious kitaab so may the Islamic Creed deeply rooted in your kingdom, and teach the people and give answer to their questions regarding religion with satisfying answers."

The Sultan of Kedah and Syeikh Abdullah the Yemeni send back the reply letter to Acheh and intensifying the efforts of preaching Islam. Then many musallas being constructed in the villages as the additional places for prayer other than a mosque. It is for the benefit of the subjects and being the place to teach people about the wisdom of religion and the pillars of the religion.

This is some part that I read in the book. I do not know whether this book is also available in Malay or in English. It is a compilation of history of Islam in Malaysian Peninsula and quite simple but detailed compared to text books that we have to read in schools last time. Other things being narrated in the book is about the appearance of Islam in the kingdom of Malacca in 14th C. The contact with European merchants from 15th C with Malacca Sultanate, the contact of Malacca under Portuguese governance of 16th C with Dutch, the contact of Kedah Sultanate in 17th C with English in Penang, the nationalist movement in the kingdoms in Malayan Peninsula, and the independence of Malayan Peninsula which consists of different kingdoms merged into one state or country from the Great Britain administration (it has to do with federated Malayan States and Straits Settlement Administration area like Penang and Malacca because non-federated Malayan States never recognize British occupation).

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad, wa 'ala aali Muhammad, wa ahlihi wa sahbi ajma'in. Allah forgive us our sins, Allah bless us with wisdom. Gratitude to Allah for the grace of Imaan. Aaminnn!!              

Kedah heritage, my Kedah memory

Peace,

Good day, I would like to share with myself about the history of  our life in the states where my mother and father spend their life times there during their childhood and youth times. Also the state where I was born and where my ancestors landed so that I may not forget my root and heritage. 

 My mother was born in Sanglang district of Kedah state. While my father was born in Kodiang in Kubang Pasu district. I don't really know what Sanglang means. I checked in some dictionaries and they said it means aborted calf. While Kodiang came from Thai compound words which means Red Hill. However my mother was raised in Arau district of Perlis when her parents exploring new lands there together with those Thai speaking villagers from Thai side during those days where immigration wasn't so strict as today. Both of my parents are from Northern Kedah. My father has to move to Alor Setar and later to Singapore after his father passed away and his mother had already passed away when he was still in cradle.

That is a bit an introduction about my parents. In my part, I was born in Sungai Petani in Central Kedah. Just like our fathers, we are nomads. We use to move from places to places. I always lamenting myself for always being a nomad, we can't even develop friendship with people around like normal people.

Although raised in other states, our heart is still the heart of Kedahans and we never forget our dialect. Well sometimes I do try to hide my dialect by speaking in southern Malay dialect but that doesn't mean that I am shy of my northern heritage. I know many archaic Kedahan words which are only used by people around 80's because I use to speak with our elders. 

We love our states although we might feel that we have nobody anymore in Kedah after grandparents died.  My parents are still fond of our state and will try to find reasons to return back for few days just to express their saudade to the state. Hurmm, saudade is a Portuguese word. I don't know how to translate it into English. But it means the feeling that someone is missing someone or something with the memory traced their way back to the old days.

I still can remember when my late maternal grandparents were still there in Arau. May Allah bless their soul in the world there. We had sticky rice with dried fish or mango. Ramadhan and Syawwal that we spent together. Grilling meat and fish beside grandparents house. Walking in the sugar cane plantation. Learn to drive motorbike and fall down, laughing to my sister's driving skill while me too can't even drive the bike at that time. 

But to be frank, I don't really have any good or close childhood friend in Kedah or Perlis. I just know my siblings and few cousins. I still remember a Quran teacher who taught me some portions of Moqaddam at my grandparents village when I was a kid. I called him, Pak Dollah.

My half  Muang Yuan Thai cousin, I am so sad for him. Muang Yuan is another name of Lanna kingdom in North Thailand. His mom was detained in Thailand for stealing accusation, we believe she never did that as she is a very noble and hardworking woman. My grandmother loves his mom so much and we always recite moqaddam surah and listen to her recitation when we meet her. We never meet her anymore after she went back missing in Thailand. His son which is my cousin becomes lost. He used to be a good and polite boy.

One of my colleague during my bachelor degree time is in Jitra. Few others who are not really close to me are in Alor Setar, Padang Besar, Kuala Perlis, Pendang and Yan. I only had been to one of my hostel mate house in Yan which is in Central Kedah because I did not have the chance to visit his dad's funeral during our first year. Allah bless my friend dad's soul. I went there and getting to know his family, talking with his mom and expressing my condolence to the family.

Till now, we still heading north during Eid festival. This coming Qurban celebration is almost near in the midst of students answering exams. I am not sure either my parents will come back to north. My father was affected by stroke during the first Ramadhan this year. I am worried for him and for my family. Our state too is having hard time dealing with this recent flood. And this Wednesday, I will be sitting for exam.

I myself faced many problems like stressed out of myself when I have bundles of assignments, a psycho roomate, and I am so sad when I see my dad become so restless and not in peace during my holiday for revision week. Insya'Allah, I will try to focus and taking my heritage and state as a motivation.

Our state has this motto, Kedah pantang kalah, walau sakit jatuh dan rebah, pasti bangun semula. It means that we will rise again no matter how hard the obstacles had made us fallen. This motto is a lyric from our state's soccer team song.

Although now the state soccer team is not really as it was in the once upon a time glorious position but it is still illuminating. We don't have to be a winner, but just do not lose hope. I had gone through many experiences if not as many as others, but I still had gone through these experiences of 24 years old of my lifetime. I pray that Allah SWT grant us strength to go through this challenges in our life.

Till now, blessed be everyone and may Allah protects us from evil eyes, smile always ya baba : )