Ḥaram... Ḥaram...!

Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 

Link

This one also happens in real life. It portrays some angles of Muslim society in our country or maybe elsewhere although in different settings. This movie was played in our television, directed by Erma Fatimah. I am not so much a fan of the actors or actresses in the movie. I simply watch a movie if I think that it is meaningful for me.

I watched this while waiting for my x-ray result at a polyclinic in Kajang for my one week job as a Customer Service Agent in the KL Airport Services Sdn. Bhd around the mid of 2013. I am quite lucky to find this in English so people from other side of the world could at least understand what they say, haha... Some people might look at me like this guy while I also encountered people like this who talk to me like that guy, lol. My third year roommate was also like this before he finds out that I am an orthodox Muslim guy. This movie raised quite a polemic among people... 

First of all I watch this movie with different layers of view while laughing. I am aware that they are all, perceptions!

Synopsis

Rahimi, had just returned from his religious studies. I am not sure where he studied. His attitude in correcting people in which he feels as not in accordance with Islamic jurisprudence without thinking about others' feeling. The people in his neighborhood though are also Muslims feel uneasy. The movie takes place in Ramadan. 

Rahimi's father think that his extreme attitude is quite a headache. His father tried to advise him to lessen his extreme attitude but it ends up that his father is the one being lectured by him. After knowing that his sister, 'Ain is actually an adopted daughter of his parents, he immediately performs the salat al-tawbah (prayer of repentance) because he previously had touched his "adopted" sister while they are not siblings.  

Farhana, who is a neighbor in Rahimi's neighborhood plans to seduce him. It is just to test Rahimi's faith whether he is going to buy it or leaving it. In the beginning, Rahimi resists Farhana but after long being disturbed by Farhana, he suddenly feels some differences in his heart. However, he still maintain the boundaries between him and Farhana.   

'Ain feels uneasy with his "brother" attitude as she thinks that he is a backward and conservative. He prohibits 'Ain from mixing around with her male college friends. Rahimi humiliated her in front of her male classmate while they are doing revision together at her house. He explains that they are going to commit vices and it would later lead them to adultery. 'Ain cannot accept his brother's attitude since her "parents" are also there and they were informed about the presence of her friend.  

One day, Rahimi's mother had asked 'Ain to go for the Bazar Ramadan to buy his father's favorite "Kueh Lopes". 'Ain then asked her brother to send her there because she feels tiresome to walk there. Rahimi agreed but with a condition that 'Ain must not touch him and staying far from him while riding the motorbike. 'Ain irritatingly agreed with his brother's condition. In the middle of the road, they met Farhana who is walking with a man. Rahimi while seeing that had lost his control and they both fell from the motorbike.

'Ain who has respiration disease suddenly being attacked with asthma due to the panic. Since Rahimi could not touch her sister because they are not related by blood. A man offers his help but Rahimi insist that the man should not touch his sister in order to carry her into the car while he also cannot touch her. Farhana who coincidentally is there rushed to see them. She told him to quickly bring his sister to the hospital. Rahimi prayed to the God to forgive him while he has to carry his adopted-sister because it is an emergency.  

While in the hospital, Farhana then asks him why he always avoided from looking at her face or avoiding from greeting her? Rahimi only keep his silence and saying nothing. While 'Ain was discharged from the treatment room, Rahimi immediately take the medicine from the dispensary and bringing 'Ain home. Farhana was left there wondering herself on why Rahimi behaves like that....

On the morning of 'Eid al-Mubarak, Rahimi and his family traditionally asking forgiveness of each other as it is a tradition here. Farhana visiting the family. Rahimi trying to slip away while looking at Farhana and the man whom he saw walking with Farhana at the time he rides the motorbike with his sister. He thought that the man is Farhana's boyfriend. Later, Farhana introduce the man as her younger brother and Rahimi gladly smiles and return to the living room and shaking the hand of Farhana's younger brother. - End...  

Moral of the Movie

• Nothing wrong in correcting people or reminding them on the right ways but it must be done appropriately and with manner.
• One should not humiliate others while performing the da'awa especially when it is done in the midst of people.
• Society is a "complex creature" itself thus a da'ī should know the methods of da'awa to be employed within the society and it has to do with psychology and mentality.
• The link of mercy is something which should be protected in society and it has to do with the relationship of an individual with the society.
• A person who delivers the message should bear in his mind that he is not a judge and the same human-being with the listeners while delivering the message (eḥno du'āt wa lā quḍhāt).

The movie uploaded in the site is for educational purpose without any profit-making meaning. The disclaimer made specially for the uploader: hanin lee. I wish he/she to include the disclaimer at the description site as an additional information. May the God bless him/her and the movie productions for the sharing...

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

Poyo

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Now I know why I cannot mingle with little kids no more. Because I am an older guy, haha. I discussed things with my colleague, Amir (22 Nov 2013;16:06). The only survival colleague in my contact list. I somehow agree with what he says, haha...

Tak susah nak cari kawan pun. Aku suka kawan dengan orang tua-tua yang humble. Tak macam budak-budak muda baru nak naik ini. Berlagak saja kerja depa. Kat office aku duk baik dengan seorang ini. Dia cuma seorang pembantu am sahaja. Dia tumpang kereta aku pi mari. Best juga. Jenis happy go lucky, sempoi. Macam mana aku duk merungut stress pun dia sama pandangan dengan aku. Jadi, aku tak lah rasa alone in hell sebab dia pun share benda yang sama dengan aku.

Last time, I also had this experience with this young little guy known as Nasrol from Ipoh, Perak. I guess he was born in 1990 which makes him at the level of my younger sister. What I could see from this guy is that he is friendly and he could mingle with others in term of conversation but he is also a "poyo" guy. He only gets an interview letter where he applied for police constable position but he talked as if he had got the job, lol. I do not feel like it is something which is bad or good. But it is normal for little guys who are about to embark this journey of life, haha.

I am not sure when does this word "poyo" come into existence but I guess it was already in usage while I was schooled in Selangor state around 2000. It is an adjective in Southern Malay slang which refers to a person who is not original, a little annoying or silly. Or referring to someone who behaves a little bit out of the norm, who thinks that he is cool and talking out of the fact of life. I guess it is close to "lame-ass" in American English, lol...

While I was in the varsity, there were many of these "lame-asses" talking about things related to their future-plan such as setting up business particularly cyber cafes, food and beverages, and stuffs. The same thing also happened when I was in self-introduction session with brother Muhammad Firdaus during the early phase of my postgraduate time. Suddenly, a guy who was a companion of Muhammad Firdaus interrupted from no where and talking about their future plan after their graduation. I just said my goodbye when I listen to that kind of thing because I had gone through that situation before. I had been in the university as an undergraduate 3 years earlier than them, lol.. And I am going through the same situation in which we call it in technical term as saṃsara for whatever that happens in the cycle.

I mean future plan is good but if you talk about that almost everywhere, then people would be annoyed with it especially we do not know the way people think. Human have different kind of thoughts and inclinations. There are also many types of "poyos" or "lame-asses". Sometimes, you could also be an artist or a popular figure because of your "poyoness". It does not have to be all the time but maybe sometimes, lol. Politicians could also be "poyos", haha. Preachers whether they are Muslims or Christians the same could also be "poyos", bitches and bastards. Atheists, Liberalists, Realists and others too. No one is spared from that at certain time.   

I maybe should be a psychologists but I did not do the course in higher educational institution which would lead me to a career but rather learning from life. Life is a university itself, haha...

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

Classical Malay

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Just recording about Malay language especially when we were disconnected with our ancestral land in Yemen because of family problems and unexpected events in life. I actually speak and understand few languages due our hybrid nature. While historically in South East Asia, our people are well-versed with Classical Malay and Arabic. When people talk about Classical Malay, automatically people would come to the language used in the Malacca Sultanate of 14th century.

However, we have our own version of Classical Malay language in Northern Malayan Peninsula. It is largely influenced by the Patanese and Acheen version of Classical Malay while there are also Classical Malay spoken in our capital in Alor Setar since 18th century.  Our sultanate was also invaded at once by the 16th century Acheen Sultanate of Northern Sumatera. Some people said that there was no Acheen influence in Kedah but there is "some" influence such as in cuisine where we also have their Kueh Karas and few Acheen words were absorbed in Kedah Malay for e.g jelan lidah (Acheen: jelen lidah) which means stick out the tongue. Other than that, we also received the kitabs from their Sultanate around 11th century just after the sultanate of Kedah accept Islam as the court religion.

The Classical Malay language was used to be a medium for all of the people in our sultanates to convey ideas and also as a medium of da'awa. Our people had also used Arabic script to transcript the previously Pallava written Malay maybe because they were lazy to learn the complex Pallava script or because they were non-Hindus. In Southern Thailand, the Classical Malay is known as Jawi language and is spoken in few provinces of Southern Thailand such as Yala, Patani, Narathiwat, Songkhla and Satun. While in Malaysia, it is spoken with its variants in Kelantan and Baling or Sik in Kedah. My Malay actually sounds more like these people because I mingled with the Hulu people of Kedah and sometimes people might mistaken me to a Kelantanese, hehehe... 

Malay language exists in Northern Malayan Peninsula up to Krabi province in Thailand since the era of Srivijayan Buddhist Malay empire. Regarding Kedah Malay and their variants, I could say that I am quite expert in it and we also created our secret language where no one from other area or region would understand us. The grammar is more or less is according to old language. Sometimes, people who never read religious books in Classical Malay would be dumbfounded and thinking that we are of different era... I just learned to speak in Modern Standard Malay at school and it also makes me a lot in pain when I pronounce everything differently to what is written on the board...

Some words which were derived from the hybrid Classical Malay that we still use are like:

Kutub khanah (Persian): Library

Kitab (Arabic): Book

Pondok (Arabic): Madrasa, Motel

Melele (Malay): Temple

Sakar (Arabic): Sugar

Kanzulmal (Arabic): Treasury

Petitih (Malay): History

Perhamba, diperhamba (Malay): polite version of first pronoun

Boran (Sanskrit, Thai): Ancient, Old

Achard (Hindi): Pickled vegetable 

Faranggi (Persian): White man, caucasian

Kaus kaki: Shoes

Haram zadah (Persian): Bastard

Lau ayam (Thai+Malay): Chicken coop

Nyedra (Sanskrit): Sleep soundly... The real word is Chandra which means moon...

Taqwim (Arabic): Calender 

Dastar (Persian): Turban 

Narang (Persian): Orange

Cheruk (Khmer, Malay): Hidden land

Belalai (Malay): Nose  

Lebai (Persian): Non-Arabic speaking man who had performed pilgrimage usually indicated by their white skull-cap

Lemari (Portuguese): Closet 

Bantal kaki (Malay): Malay royalties' friend

Tali api (Malay): Wire

Pera-Pera (Malay): Plastic tupperware

Kerchong (Malay): Basket

Ngenjuk (Malay): Take and give something to someone 

Nowadays, we mixed the language a lot with English or even speaking fully in English because it makes us a lot easier to communicate with people including with Malays of other states. Other than that, we always use the particles such as "lah" or "pun" even when speaking in Chinese and we also spontaneously would use the beginning of sentences such as "makanya", haha... I checked these with some Hui Chinese students from China at my university last time and astonishingly some of the words especially of Arabic and Persian origin are similar to theirs while they were from rural region of Western China : O I think that these hybridization looks like Jewish hybrid languages in Europe too such as Ladino or Yiddish where we absorb the words that we listened and we also use our own words when we do not know native words, lol...

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