Migration: Current Challenges to Nations

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Now we continue the third and final series of the lecture about migration in conjunction to Hijrah New Year 1433. The previous series could be accessed in Migration: Knowledge is the Light. According to Ustad Roslan Chik Ros, a scholar had once listed down based from the Quran and Sunnah on what are the obstacles which prevent a faithful servant of the God to be an obedient and a good servant?

1. Evil Desires and Lust   

In Arabic, we call desire and lust with the term nafs and it means self as human possess various selves in him. We had talked a lot about many bad things. Human who fails to educate this enemy (desire and lust) will be in turn being educated and lead by this enemy. It will lead human into destruction. 

The book Durat al-Nasihin mentions that the God has created the desire and later asked it. Who are you and Who am I?! It answers Him: I am as I am, and You are You! It means that the desire does not want to admit itself as His creation and servant. It has no gratitude and never feels enough. The God cast it into the hell of torment for 300 years. When he was brought out, the God asked it again. And it still answers the same. The God then cast him again for another 300 years. After that, he was brought out again. The God asked it again. And the desire admitted that it is His a servant of the God.

The goodness which could not penetrate into our selves was caused by this obstacle which is the evil desire. There is no struggle which is as great as the struggle to fight the evil desire as it is the root for various desires and which also brings war in this world. When the desire becomes younger and younger but our physical body becomes older each time we reach the year. If we do not bring the desire into what He is pleased with, thus there will be no changes in the society and nations.

2. The World 

The World or duniya in Arabic refers to anything which we can see in this world with our physical eyes and we can touch them. On the other hand, it also refers to materialism. In Islam, the matters which we sought for our necessity to face the life is considered as tools and in the same time those matters are also considered as the fitna (test). The God mentions that property, children and position that we have in our society are all the tests on us. Those who fail to reckon these matters as the tests from the God will sacrifice "Islam". What is the goal of human life? Is it for the stomach (to eat excessively)? Genitals (having sex for never ending lust)? Entertainment and having fun is our goal of life? 

The character and the appearance of the world is luring. She makes people obsessive of her. In the event of Isra' and Mi'raj where the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w had visited the heavens, he had saw a pretty woman with jewelries all over her. Then he was curious and asked his companion, the noble emissary, archangel Gabriel a.s. Who is that woman? The archangel Gabriel a.s answered, that is the simile of the world. Why the God made the world looks like a pretty woman? What is His message to us? How does a pretty lady looks like at the guys? We are also aware that there is also gay and transvestite communities. But this still applies. The world has her attractions and that is why the male and female must cover the parts which are prescribed in the jurisprudence as should not being exhibited to public. When people wanted to produce advertisement banners for example, they for example might use material and human models. The advertisement for cosmetics might use woman with "sexy" features for example lips, eyes, nose, and etc. The advertisement for obscene magazine perhaps using naked or half-naked male models. The advertisement for alcohol drink might also use woman as the attraction though it is non-related to the beverage, haha. 

This world is indeed fun for those who can't detect her weaknesses and flaws which is harmful for other higher selves. It is not enough until early in the morning that kids hanging around with friends, racing on the motorcycles. Will we be able to face challenges in society today if we had wrongly estimate the world? For example having wives. Human actually feels bored quite in no time. The God had given some loosen up for man to have four wives and practicing polygamous marriage. Because men feels bored with the only wife and preventing them from finding concubines or establishing non-legal relationship with other women. However men are not satisfied and still having boundless desire over the women (world) as an example.

Prophet Muhammad s.a.w mentions that human will never be satisfied even when being given a valley of gold. He is still not satisfied with two valleys of gold and so on. He will only be satisfied when the soul leaving his mass. Money is never enough for human. If we never change our attitude toward the world, how would we be able to face obstacles to change the society and bringing it into His Mercy and Love? We are still being deceived by the worldly affairs. The worldly affairs which brings us toward the goodness and the success in the hereafter is when we assume it as the "field for us to work in reaching Him."

3. Satan: Genies and Devil     

In the Glorious Quran, surah Yaasin, the God mentions about human has an obvious enemy which are the Satans. These creatures are invincible at human physical eyes but they co-exist with human-being and that is why they are known as genies which means hidden creatures. The first genie, who's known as Iblis or Devil has made a promise before Him after he was accursed that he will drag human-being and others into the torment and the curse as he is envious. Envious is madzmumah (evil) characteristics for servants of the God. It brings no benefit to society. These creatures who are evil are classified as satans which means demons and those who are stubborn to submit to Him. Satan also applies to other creatures such as human-being and animals who are evil.

A person who is unable to see the tricks and the motions of Devil will be deceived and fail the tests. The Devil promised to deflect human-being and decorate His commands with lame looking while he decorates His prohibitions until they look interesting. For example, in Malaysia, people love to go for night market while nobody wanted to meditate in the masjid though the masjid has facilities and activities. People would walk around the night market and only ended up buying kacang puteh (garden peas). During the early part of Ramadan, people might influx the masjid until the mosque lose its balance and list. That happens because He had seized all of these hidden creatures so human will use their considerations and minds wisely, not being influenced by evil whispers. However, when it is near to the end of Ramadan, the masjid becomes empty and empty as the blessed month is almost over.

Devil decorates what is illegal and makes it look fun for example the time when a non-married couple is chatting to each other until they forgot the time. They could stare at each others' face for eight hours without stop. But when they are married and are legal to stay together, they feel that it is not fun anymore. The Devil made it opposing each other. When it is illegal, couples would be so fond of each other, perhaps calling each other every minutes. I also see this everywhere, it also includes my first year degree roommate Duwe, hahaha. His girlfriend called him even when he is in the toilet... poopin', hahahaha. If we have no knowledge and forget about this, we would be carried away by the current. No changes.

4. Satan: Human-Being   

We would be spoiled because of fellow human-being. Sometimes, our children who we had properly educated with religious classes, being sent to madarasas, and we taught them with scriptures but still could be found for example illegally racing on the road. Why? It's the influence of friends. Sometimes, a friend who is not good will bring a person into the darkness. 

As for myself, I have to think many times when I wanted to make friend too and this is how I survive until today. I am using my consideration despite I also think like sometimes I wanted to just break out of all the rules or norms in the society and just be like others. When I declared the faith into Buddhism, I still perform the norms and performing strict observance of a shraman (hermit who does not live in monastery) though I just undertake upasaka (layman) vow. This shraman life had also made me in conflict with people around because they don't understand me and I became one because I was treated like a thrash by people around. A shraman is a thrash in people's eyes.

Children, wife, and husband all could be the satan who lead human-being into darkness if they make a person forgets Him and His commandments. So, an immigrant should migrate into obedience to the God. Make sure that we are able to face these four obstacles to migrate to Him and for a better future. We must migrate into humility before Him and not being enslaved by these four matters mentioned by the scholar. If we fail to win them over, our civilization and nations will be in doom. We try to avoid our morality from being defecated and also protecting our Creed from being deflected by these four matters. 

Move the migration toward Faith and Fear to Him may everyone be blessed and all the blessings of the heavens and earth being directed to everyone as what had happened to the blessed prophets and messengers of the God.

Conclusion

Ustad Zamry Haji Kassim calling everyone together to reflect on the topic. The challenges that we are facing today is also could be reflected in the hadith narrated by Abu Dawud. Says the prophet Muhammad s.a.w where in a certain period, the nations of Him will be a target group! Companions feel weird and they asked further. Will we be among the minorities at that time? Muhammad s.a.w answered: No! There are many of you, but you are just like bubbles in the sea. You'll explode when you hit the ship, when the ship hit you too will you explode.  

When we look again at the reality of Muslims in Malaysian Peninsula today. We are not so many. We are challenged in three angles where our Creed has no strong foundation. The Shariat (Way) is not completed and performed well. We take some part of Shariat but we reject the other parts. Morality, dear Lord! In this angle of morality, we view nicely on wrong values of adultery. This applies to all groups who are sex-craved and thinking only genitals twenty four seven. 

We afraid that we will be like what is mentioned in Malay idioms. Melukut di tepi gantang, campak ke tengah halaman tidak dipatuk ayam, dibuang ke sungai tak disudu itik. We repeat again that the mind is filled with knowledge to know. The heart is filled with faith to motivate the move to Him. Facing the four challenges with perseverance to educate desires as to make sure that we are able. The most good property is the property which is managed by a good and pious man. If a pious man managed the property, the benefit is also into piety.

We train our desires to face the challenges in the situation and according to environment. Children, when we study, make sure Islam is with us. Others had far in front of us to recognize A as they know their environment. That is why a professor will send his broken engine to a mechanic to repair it though the mechanic gets no As in his examination. Mechanics know what happens to the engine. Remind ourselves that our intention for everything is for Him. He is our Source and our Base. Hopefully that tomorrow Fajr prayer service would be as crowded as today in the masjid, we can right?!  

a. Mind is filled with knowledge to know

b. Heart is filled with faith to move

c. Desires is trained to be able to face challenges  

May we see again in other opportunities. Pray may we meet again in His paradise the Abode of Peace. May everyone knows each other in the name of our Faith, we see each other because of the God, we say farewell also because of Him. Wish that this lecture (and post) injects some spirit to our souls and to other brethren from Portugal to China, from China to the US.  

- Final part of lecture, Masjid Yayasan al-Bukhary and co-Organizer, Kedah Islamic Guidance Department. 

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

Migration: Knowledge is the Light

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Before I forget about what I had listened I better keep it a record as a witness for me before Him. We are still in the spirit of Lunar New Year and Hijrah. I had just tuned the radio at quarter part of the lecture but never mind, we still can benefit from little things that we get, His Will. I am actually afraid to directly mention Him because I feel unworthy but I am referring to Him, haha.

Says Ustad Hajji Roslan, in term of the knowledge we have al-Furqan which is the scripture, al-Furqan is another name for the Glorious Quran which means the Divider. It separates the Light from the Darkness. It shows us which is the right thing which is wrong. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w was once asked, what is Islam? He mentions that Islam is the Creed and Faith, the Way, and the Morality. To lead us to these three matters, we need knowledge. The knowledge about these three matters for us to understand what is Islam. For us to migrate from chaotic situation in our life, it will never happen without the knowledge about the Creed and Faith, the Way, and the Morality. Because we have knowledge about these three matters and not all of the people acquire or searching for these knowledge, we could only see a person who wants "Islam" but other 50,000 persons reject it. The real success does not actually come from wealth but from the faith.

In Malaysia, we talked about bohjans, bohsias, minah rewangs, mat rempits and others. These terms are used to refer to teenagers who have no real goal in their life but searching for entertainment to satisfy the emptiness in their soul and they get involved into social problems. The ustad advise everyone to stop creating terms which shows the destruction of civilization of nations. Let us create again the civilization and reconstruct the society may we be safe in the future. We won't receive salvation without the knowledge about the Creed, the Way, and the Morality. We are only Muslim by our names and family. We are worried that without the migration of the knowledge, we may lose "Islam" but only having the name. Few times to come, perhaps the time will come where people would also consider Islamic names for example Muhammad, Abdullah, 'Ali, and others are outdated. This had already happened in many parts in the world. If we only have Islamic names, we would never receive Salvation. We could see how many people with Islamic names but involved in social problem and we feel sad because of this. We never follow the prophetic traditions for example about the process of expounding the knowledge to people in Meccan and Medinah period. That is the basis which determines people into the migration. We want to see these again in our society and nations where it could develop civilized nations.

The moderator then continues, it is important to take into notes that the pre-condition to be a human is with the knowledge. Without knowledge, a human-being is not yet a complete human-being. Wherever we talk about knowledge, we will also talk about the importance to migrate toward the knowledge. The knowledge is the right of the God. As long as the knowledge is bringing us closer and please Him, we will go for it. 

In the sense of migration and the challenges that nations are facing in the era of globalization, we do not want our life to be filled with the culture of hedonism and living only a luxurious life having fun without having to think and stimulating the mind with knowledge. The thing which completes our life is the Creed and the Faith. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, companions, and disciples migrated to protect the Creed and the Faith. The paternal uncle of prophet Muhammad s.a.w, Hamzah r.a had also embraced Islam when prophet Muhammad s.a.w was beaten by another uncle which is Abu Jahal. The questions that popped out from Hamzah to Abu Jahal sounds: "What is wrong with you that made you beat Muhammad? Is it wrong for him to remind people to worship the God? Is it a big sin? Once again you hit him, I will be the one who tear your head down!"

My opinion, this event also shows that Abu Jahal does not want to leave luxurious life as a noblemen because the people who listens to Muhammad s.a.w mostly are paupers, the meeks (as what Jesus had mentioned), and those who were tyrannized. People who had no worldly attachments. Muhammad s.a.w bring the knowledge about the God and the Faith to Him. He does not bring the way to make profit or getting money. The Creed and Faith mold inhuman human to be human with Mercy and Love. I am not sure if Europeans and Western World could understand this. Their way of thinking is also influencing the world through globalization and its tool which is media. What red neck Protestant Christians and other Christian organizations are teaching regarding these instead of trying to blacken others?

Ustad Hajji Zamri Hashim discussed about the challenge faced by people in term of protecting the Faith and the Creed. The Creed is important and very precious. If a person knows to correctly evaluate things, his act will also be correct. To make people understand about choosing the right values, we give everyone an example. If I am holding the RM50 banknote at my right hand and then I crumple it with my hand. Then I hold a nice and fresh RM1 banknote with my left hand. Later I call a person to choose which one for him to take. Of course he would take RM50 though it is crumpled right? Because it is more valuable than RM1 though it is crumpled. But if I show this to a kindergarten kid, perhaps he will choose RM1 at the left hand. So, every man with the mind and consideration knows how to choose and later act.

Because of choosing the right value too, Mashitah was thrown with her family into a boiling hot water. Masyitah is the title for the lady who served Pharaoh family during Egyptian civilization period. The Pharaoh had declared his Divinity where everybody must worship him as a deity. She was reported by a princess of Pharaoh because she unintentionally mentioned Him the Lord of Israel while her comb had fallen down and not the name of her father. She and her family were boiled alive to death in the hot boiling water by Pharaoh official through royal decree and she is mentioned by the God in His Revelation as to honor her Faith. Western world should also take this as a lesson, though having no faith in this because what happened in the past we can't see with our eyes. What Western world had done to the World in the past and still continues today. Fellow beloved brothers and sisters, we could also learn from this honorable lady, Mashitah. Me and my younger sister is also pressured with the needs to "find money" and even people close to us telling us to forget Him for a moment and leave His commands behind... How could we forget Him when we love Him? :')

- Second series of the lecture in Masjid al-Bukhary, Kedah Darul Aman.        

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

New Year 1433 H Event in Masjid al-Malik Khalid

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Souvenir from the event, a Hijriyyah calender so I could also check prayer services time and try to be as early as possible in prayer hall waiting to see Him : )

Before the Maghrib Prayer Service

I regret that I had missed congregational prayer service in masjid this morning. They had conducted a lecture there I can't remember delivered by which Habeeb. This evening, rain fallen quite heavy. I had made a mistake by going to Sungai Dua without bringing clothes and hygiene stuffs where I could just clean up myself at the shower at the side of the masjid. I had some meal at the Thai restaurant at the alley near the KFC of Sungai Dua. I had to walk back to perform ghusl, wudhu' and clean up everything because we must be clean both physical and spiritual to enter the holy boundary as a mean to respect Him. Then walk again to the masjid.

I just wanted to pray to the God for the better future which also includes my future in the hereafter. Also praying for other brothers and sisters either Muslims or non-Muslims for their life to be blessed. So, I don't care about the rain and I never try to get any help from others in term of borrowing their transportation. I am not really close with people here anyway because I always feel afraid to say goodbye to friends. I regard friends the same as blood brothers and sisters. When I was a first degree student, brother Mijie and brother Duwe had also offered me their motorcycle but I just politely refused their offer. I feel bad to burden them though they don't mind. I just want to make sure that my heart and intention is purely for Him. We can strive hard to get certificates for better job or better life improvement but to sacrifice ourselves for Him is hard? He never asks us to give Him money, kill ourselves for blood nor anything. Just surrender to Him, our heart because He is the Most Compassionate full of Love and Mercy : )

The masjid people had also recited Yaasin Surah and the supplication to end the year and beginning the new cycle of year 1433 H. At home, parents and second sister would also go for masjid and pray there. I did that to respect my parents though I am in the distance of 400-500 km from home. I am aware about acts mentioned in valid Sunnah. I keep hadith books as well as Quran with me where I had immediately get them while performing hajj and I memorize some parts of 40 hadiths. Still in the process and this annoying political administration studies had also delayed my memorization. 

I also try to translate some important books into other languages when I am free for example Chinese for Malaysian Muslim Chinese compatriots but it hasn't finish yet because I need to check terminologies used and record them as not to commit mistakes of Orientalists. Second problem is that I am just using pen and paper because I don't know how to install Chinese application in this lousy computer, hahaha. We must be fair to Oriental brothers and sisters. They're all equal brothers and sisters. I intend to send them to some non-Muslim Chinese friends and pay them to type. Then just print them out and distribute them for people's personal use without sending them to religious departments but first I need to neatly check it as to make sure it is a right translation. I had already tried to access federal religious department but so far nothing in response and I know they have few Muslim Chinese translators too. I just observed that, Sunnah Islamic books' translation into Eastern languages is so limited except in the languages where the people are in majority Muslim. If it is not legal, then I would silently send them out maybe to Taiwan, Hong Kong or to Japan pleading help from friends out there to send them to masjids and Muslim families. Doing everything alone is actually very exhaustive but what to do. We have no choice.

Basically it is a good way to recite any surah of the Glorious Quran together because we could listen to others' recitation and we could also recite aloud without feeling shy because nobody care about our voice when we recite together. Usually some fellows who listened to Muhammad Abdul Wahhab followers' lectures would be harsh to their parents but I choose not to be harsh because I don't like to be a blind followers. I read Muhammad Abdul Wahhab however I am not his devotee. I am a devotee of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla and I sincerely proclaim my testimony on Muhammad s.a.w prophethood. I respect all the Salaf as-Saaleeheen and all the guided teachers including the ahlul bayt.

After Maghrib Prayer Service

I didn't get the first unit of Maghrib prayer service because I had already been late. I regret myself so much for that. Then, people listened to a lecture delivered by the religious officer of Kedah state Islamic Guidance Department, Ustad Muhammad Isa Abdul Rahman. It revolves around Hijrah and it went on for about half an hour. I just sat at the pillar and trying to hide from people because I don't want to be spotted recording notes because it is shameful, hahaha. But I was busted by an old resident of my hostel now. He was a Geophysics student. His name is Sayful and is now working in Bayan Lepas. I don't know how he recognized me. Because I hardly talk with people nor noticing people because I hate to show my face to people. Already experienced many things and the recent one in my current hostel last semester. So, I don't feel any importance to be tied to people around or knowing so many people. My name is also not important.    

Lecture Notes

It mentions that Hijriyyah calender is very important thought it was designated by Umar al-Khattab r.a. It was marked by the event of migration by Muslims after the prophethood of Muhammad s.a.w into Medina al-Munawwara. It is based from lunar calculation unlike the Gregorian calender which uses solar calculation. When we record important events such as matrimonial, birth, death, and everything related to life and death, we use Hijriyyah calender. An example, a divorcee sister may count her 'iddah (period after divorce) with Hijriyyah calender before she get marry again with the man of her choice. 

We must take heed on the importance of the terms used in the Glorious Quran. Hijrah or hegira signifies the migration from evil to goodness. From hideous traits to good traits. We do not want to associate Quranic terms with filthy or non-related matters. The Islamic Guidance Department of Kedah for example had issued a ruling for the term used in Islamic rituals should not be used in others' rituals. For example the term Qubur had been differentiated to Jeerat. Qubur and Jeerat both means cemetery but Qubur is Muslim cemetery while Jeerat is the term for non-Muslim cemetery. I remember that my dad had once scolded me because using the term Qubur to refer to non-Muslim cemetery because they are very particular with terminologies and language used. The term tahallel for example is used for Muslim supplications and the Buddhist should use the term phra paritt for their specific ritual because they indeed chant phra paritt during the ritual and not tahallel. As to say, hijrah means the migration where we transfer from evil to goodness.

Other example is the term of ulama' which generally means scholar. But there lies a hidden meaning of it where a scholar is a scholar who fear the God so he never distort the teachings for himself nor practicing out of what he preaches. A person with a knowledge is different from 'ulama. A person who learn Islamic knowledge but has no fear to the God is not an 'ulama (scholar) but just a person who had accessed the information. They could do whatever they want with the information that they have but they are not scholars. A very nice explanation by the ustad : )  

The lecture emphasizes the importance of terminologies and meanings of the word. The ustad also brought the quotes from Ibnu Katsir exegesis. The prophet Muhammad s.a.w mentioned that there is no more physical migration after the re-opening of Mecca to the Light of Revelation. But a person who live with the discipline like in Ramadan though he or she is not fasting because it is not Ramadan could still get the merit as equal as the merit of Ramadan. He or she eats only physically and spiritually clean food but leaving doubted and illegal foods. So do the migration event. It never happen anymore but the concept of migration is still there.  

Regarding illegal things like the ketum or kratom leaves or biak leaves in Kedah, it is advised for public to stay away from it. Kratom (Mytragyna Speciosa) is a kind of leaf which is used as a drug to cure fever but could be harmful if used excessively. Ustad said that don't misuse the drug and turning it into a crack. It is illegal or haram especially they soak it with the cow dung. Cow dung is not a kind of food.

Migration to study, spreading, and sharing Mercy and Love to others is counted as a migration. The person who migrates for these courses will be classified as muhajir (immigrants). While those who receive them are the ansar (the helpers). The honorable Imam al-Ghazali mentions that a dangerous friend is an ignorant friend. Because an ignorant friend loves his friends but he is ignorant and does not know about what is legal and what is illegal. Ustad explains in Kedah people tradition to serve guests with raw salads, rice, and other food stuffs. Raw salads is very important in Kedah people cuisine where they would dip them with sauces such as sambal belachan (shrimp paste sauce). He explained that the ignorant friend might pluck leaves at trees on others' lands to prepare food for his friend and it is spiritually illegal.     

The right on Guidance is the right of the God. It is not the right of human-being. When He is Willing and Pleased to open up the heart of a person into His Light, then it is His Will. For example the person will strive to seek knowledge and he will be released and entered into the Abode of Peace. We take opportunity on the teachings. If we've got little, then little we benefit. If we've got a lot, then a lot we've got. Perhaps from the little thing that we've listened could help us in the future or giving us some understandings. The ustad mentioned about his experience where Muslims in Singapore had accepted the ruling by the Guidelines from the mufti of Singapore that they could perform rituals with the recycled water as Singapore has no fresh water supply. The mufti has to think on the consequences of the nations in his supervision. 

Says the member of wisdom, Luqman al-Hakeem, a knowledgeable person who fears the God will be blessed with extra knowledge. Luqman al-Hakeem lives in the time of prophet David a.s the ruler of Judah. He was granted with a vision and dream by the God where he was asked to choose to be a prophet of the God or a member of wisdom? Luqman al-Hakeem had chosen to be a member of wisdom and not a prophet of the God. Luqman al-Hakeem had passed 20 advices to virgin girls. 

There is a merit for an immigrant who migrates from the chaotic land to a peaceful land. There are few matters related to immigration which is accompanied by merits and they are: 

1. Migration to protect his or her faith when being tyrannized by rulers

2. Migration to seek knowledge

3. Migration for da'awa and spreading love, amity and mercy

4. Migration from evil to goodness, from vice to charity and chastity, leaving illegal for legal matters

5. Migration to the way of the prophet s.a.w in performing shariat (way of conducting life)

6. Migration to protect one's dignity

It is not easy for someone to leave his or her land when we had already feel accustomed with the environment around. However as Muslims, our life principles is always revolving around the God. The God is always with us. Even if everybody had left us alone, the God is still with us. It is also not easy to migrate from bad habit to good habit. This event of hijrah by the prophet Muhammad s.a.w and Muslims in Meccan era into Abyssinia and Medinah signifies both physical and spiritual matters. In the matter of protecting one's faith, faith is not something which can be bought nor could be sold. It is in the heart and only the God has the Power to turn it upside down. Protecting faith has the merit as the merit of migration from the tyranny of old days.

The condition of repentance had also has something to do with migration. A person have to migrate from a place which leads him or her to vices and illegal acts. For example a drug addict must migrate from his old place to the new one which will lead him or her to goodness. The ustad had mentioned that he had tried to write and distribute the sermon about the danger of smoking but many of imams in the masjid in Kedah had refused to read the sermon but reading other sermon because imams also have the habit of smoking. So, migration from bad habit really need perseverance and strong will. It is not an easy matter.    

The event of Isra' and Mi'raj of prophet Muhammad s.a.w was actually the event which tests the strength of the faith of those who would later perform migration to Medina al-Munawwara. It means that a person who wants to perform migration needs a strong-will, determination, and strong faith. When we try to please the God, even if it is only a common act of worship, that should be ok in order to migrate to a better situation.

When we preach da'awa, we try to find person who wants to listen to us. No matter who listens to us, the person who listens to us actually is a person who is honored by the God. The God had mentioned about honorable companion of prophet Muhammad s.a.w who is so determined to learn the teachings of the God though he was just a poor blind man, which is Abdullah bin Maktum. He was honored by the God in surah 'Abasa. Teach to people who are willing to listen and those who are not willing just leave them once we remind them. Medium of da'awa today could vary according to technology that we have. We could also use text message system to message friends.  

I did texting messages and calling some friends though some of them (my Kedah and Kelantan compatriots) had humiliated me but never mind. We should never take people seriously but forgive everyone as the God forgives us our sins. How did the ustad knows this??? Maybe lots of people are using the same way, recycling messages, hahaha. I just typed what I feel to friends and I love to wish people around well-being because I was unfortunate when I was a school kid and nobody really cares about me. Usually the wishings come right away from my heart though sometimes I feel shy to tell them but I just send it without thinking about my self anymore. Let people be happy and enjoy and I would also feel happy for them : ) I don't like recycled messages.

Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah had once stated that: "When a human was born, he is crying while people are laughing to receive him. But let people cry when the human is dead but he is smiling because of the goodness that he had left for everyone around to share." 

Ustad mentioned also about the figure of Libya, Umar Mukhtar who was illegally hanged to death in front of public by Italian imperial power in 1913 at the age of 70 years old. Umar Mukhtar was an 'ulama of Libya. Umar Mukhtar had said (with his faith) before he was hanged that let people hang him. People who hanged him will never be known after they hang him, but he (his soul) will smile because he had united his people and his resistance to Italians was that because the Italians had did wrong by plundering people lands. A righteous person never even pluck leaves from others people land which thrust into the fence of his house.

Now, Italy is a member state of European Union and death sentence is not according to human rights but what these countries in the Union would do regarding the people who were killed by the governments before the establishment of the Union or before their ascension into the Union? Where are apologies and confession from civilized nations? I lose respect to these countries and nation-states. I am so sorry.

Closing

They prepared some refreshments for congregations which are some breads and beef dhalcha mixed with eggplant and potatoes. Urmm, I don't really like beef but it has no smell in the dhalcha so I think it is ok and I'm not a Buddhist anymore so what beef has to do with me? There is also a guy who currently live in Aman hostel which was my previous hostel and despite of his eyesight problem, he still come to congregational prayers and attending the event in the masjid. I am so amazed with his spirit and wishing him a good future may he be blessed too. This is another dimension of migration despite of what is understood in the West. Western world had claimed Christianity as their tradition but they never implement the morality of the Christ where the Christ had once said blessed be the meek. But Western world are craving for comfort, materialism and tyrannizing others in the name of 'civilization.' I don't believe any Christ followers exist in Western world when they talked about it in their discussions for example the discussion of Geert Wilders. He's not a Christ followers but a stinky politician. My advise to fellow Muslims in Europe, respect locals and maintain your faith. No need to show off to people nor looking down on others.

Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad, wa 'alaa aali Muhammad. Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love for nations, amin!      

Arabs Involvement in Economic Activities in Kedah

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 Alor Setar Town. Wish to visit it this Qurban holiday but I have assignments and thesis to finish :(

This post is based of Dr. Zahidi Zainol Rashid research from the Kedah Library Corporation. It is very interesting to read research from local researchers because we only read something from Western writers about our community even in British Malaya.

Not many of us actually are aware about our own community since we had been registered as Malays in Malaysia. Even some politicians in Malaysian national party and those involved in business like Mr. Syed Mukhtar al-Bukhary are also of Arab descent. I had checked his details in wikipedia and his ethnicity status had already been changed to Malay from Arab descents ya. You get business and you lie about your self yah... I don’t think that I am eligible for native rights for now if it is according to most of our compatriots thinking though we had been here for more than 300 years because we as individuals do not really receiving proper assistance in our life from political game. Some people also do not like Mr. Syed al-Bukhary since we have current issues like the digital TV so everyone is entitled to their opinion and inclination. The issue doesn’t really bother me anyway, haha. 

Supposedly we are registered as the Arab descents or just Arabs and not of other ethnicity identification but the British authority had converted everyone into Malays just because many of those who live in the state are fluent Classical Malay speakers, wearing sarong, married to Malay women or men, eating rice and working in the field. Thanks to British ‘master’ teaching of nation-state where everyone is compulsory to be converted into a particular race as a religion. 

Why can’t we be entitled to native privileges with our own ethnicity identification or just known by our religion while in our state, we are already considered as integral part of it since hundreds of years before independence granted by Her Highness Queen? I am also researching the same problem about Muslim Indians, Bangladeshis, and Pakistanis in Britain where they were told as trying to Islamicize Britain into Britishstan with Shariah, "Hand-Cutting," or Hijab zone. Perhaps some part of the threaten are true but I just personally think that Europeans are always paranoid of everything because they never really mingle with people around instead of boasting here and there. In this case, we are of the same religion people where Malays and Arabs are Muslims but with different racial background in the political frame taught by British. You British are our teachers…

I had also seen many Muslim Indians like in Penang racing among each other to get Malay status but they speak no Malay at home and they look Indian. They read and write in Tamil while calling themselves Malays. They also eat thoshai, curry, murungakai, raasam, payaasam, and etc and not Malay cuisines at home. Compared to my Hindu classmate whose name is Prema, she said that she also had rice like Malay at home and she does not know how to read or write in Tamil. Most of them are Tamil and Kerala Muslims and they had also married some Arab descents and hijacked the term Jawi Pekan from us. One of my cousin sisters who live in Penang is also married to a Muslim Indian and the guy family speaks pure Tamil but being identified as Malay. Isn’t it bad to lie? Our state had also been integrated in federal system of the country with centralized power in the south. I would actually prefer to be known as a Muslim like our Chinese national friends who are all considered as Hui but they speak Chinese like the majority of Han ethnic. We are indeed Muslims who believe in the God and the prophethood of Muhammad s.a.w, so we are not lying about ourselves in this part. Would it be better?

If we are forced to use nationality, then I would prefer to be known by my state identification, which is Kedah. Everyone in our family love our state and it would be called as kenegerian (spirit of a state) by others in urban areas which is in the southern states and considered as not patriotic toward Federal government which is also located in the southern part. I saw that Johorian are also kenegerian while nobody say anything to them.  

I faced problems in other states other than my state too. Those like in Selangor had discriminated us when we just arrived from other state so I mingled more with Chinese friends at the neighborhood. It was like we were foreigners in our own country. I understood how some Kelantanese feel but we from Kedah are not like Kelantanese with our groups. 

We are usually independent to ourselves and we try to mix around as possible as we can. I had also adapted myself into Chinese environment of Cheras of Kuala Lumpur when I was a young child before we moved for a moment to Kedah. We speak, we eat, we entertain ourselves and we behaved just like our Chinese neighbors. We have to survive in pressures when we migrated to other area even as young kids. So, that is why many people stumbled by would see a guy who is telling a “chaotic” young kid life. Growing like an isolated Chinese or Indian kid while not considered as a compatriot by others because some differences in our selves. 

We had also a neighbor from Egypt last time and she is married to an Imam from Terengganu. Her children are poor things. I saw them being treated badly by Malay kids when they tried to befriend them. All of them could not excel well in school too but they are not really lazy or stupid. I and my sister felt like crying when looking at the report card that they had shown to us. They speak Egyptian Arabic at home and that perhaps being a problem for them when they were registered by their father into national school. Inshaallah, I would also paste here a video, actually a movie starred by Muhammad Hilmy about an Egyptian Arab man who is an American by nationality had to face troubles in search for his own heritage in the mother of the world. Perhaps if I go for Yemen and speaking in Arabic, I would also being treated the same like the character played by Muhammad Hilmy, hahaha.

The Arabs in Kedah were divided into two kinds of Arabs. One is of Sayyid descents of Ba’alawi or Alawiyyah. They are the descents of Hussein bin Ali k.w and Fatimah binti Rasulullah s.a.w. Most had arrived since 17 C. Before their arrival in Kedah, they had already stayed in Palembang, Acheh, Jambi, Singapore, Patani, Burma, Penang, and Perak. They came from many places in Yemen such as Sana Shahrir. Later they settled down in Kota Setar, Kuala Muda, Yan and Kubang Pasu. Our ancestors settled down in Kota Setar and Kubang Pasu. They had also married women from Gujarat where a village in Kubang Pasu was known with people of Arab-Gujarat descent and they were not even Malays to begin with. There is also Arab community in Gujarat province of India which is known as Chawsh. 

Some people might say muka belacan to people who call themselves Arabs now but for me I just do not want to lie and it is not that I wanted to boast about it. We realize that we look more Mongoloid than Arabs or Malays because of our mother genetic. I don’t take shrimp paste and I don’t take seafood as it is not permissible in our manhaj. I am not sure how belachan or how mongol I look like. Usually I would be mistaken by Nepalese migrant workers as one of them; some Punjabis (Western Indian) had also talked in Punjabi with me. When there are majority of Northern Indians or Arabs in a certain place, I would feel comfortable and mingle more with them compared to Malays. We also have the right to learn our ancestral language which is Arabic, speak in it and first we have to realize who we are just like our Chinese compatriots realize about who they are. Chinese compatriots had taught me many valuable lessons. Nowadays most of all are just fluent in Malay or English. Some perhaps speaking in Urdu, Chinese or Thai.

           

Those Arabs who were not Sayyid came earlier and settled in Kedah. Examples of them are Syeikh Ahmad bin Syeikh Ja’afar Qamiri, Syeikh Ahmad bin Syeikh Salleh Mawtti, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Biyari and Sheikh Abdullah. Sheikh Ibrahim for example was invited by his highness Tunku Mahmud, the brother of our beloved Sultan Abdul Hamid who ruled around 1882-1934. Sheikh Ibrahim was also a Chief Imam and a teacher of Quranic lessons.

Early stages of their arrival, the Arabs were visitors and traders. When Islam emerged again after the darkness, many religious science teachers and missionaries also arrived at the port and they settled in Kedah. Arabs as an integral part of Kedah society had been involved in political development in Kedah.

Many of Arabs from Sayyid descent are the Shahabuddin clan and they are the majority clan in Kedah. Most of them came from Hadramawt but stayed for few moments in Palembang, Acheh, and Pulau Pinang. Barakbah clan had arrived from Indonesia and from Yemen. One of a Sayyid who held an office in Sultanate of Kedah government was Sayyid Muhammad Aidid. He was a Secretary of Kedah Sultanate Affairs during the reign of our Sultan Abdul Hamid. 

Kedah state nowadays is known as the oldest state in Malaysia. We have historical tracks based from archeological excavations, written sources, and inscriptions. The Kedah Sultanate had already proved that it has a well-built society, possessing a state element, and employing its own political system. The emergence of Kedah kingdom since ancient time as a well-developed trading center and famous around the world was a factor which relates to the arrival of Arabs into the Kedah kingdom. 

Urmmm... Please don’t throw out... We also want to have pride of ourselves like Europeans and telling everyone around how marvelous our states are although our state is just a small state compared to the EU member states or even Sarawak in our federation, hehehe. I also felt the same in our classes learning about how magnificent Europe is. It does not count the US yet where some of my friends are also worshiping the US as their oracle with the influence of American movies and entertainment stuffs like American Idol, Justin Fag Bieber, Lady Ugly Gaga and etc.

The significance of Jerai Mountain in Kedah plateau for ships that sailed and the dependence on the monsoon wind and economy value in Kedah also became an important factor in the questions of the Arabs’ arrival in Kedah ports. The result from Kedah Malays with those people in Arabian states and the coming of Arabs themselves had earlier spread the light of Islam to Kedah kingdom compared to other states in Malaysian Peninsula today. 

The Sayyids are known for their profession as traders and they were making life from business. Just like Chinese and Indian in the cities. Other than trading, some of them were also involved in agricultural activities. For those Sayyids, agricultural activities like paddy cultivating are considered as new way of making a living which their forefathers had never done it before in Hadramawt. Those in Hadramawt only know a kind of plant which is tamr or date tree. So, trying to do paddy field was quite difficult for these Arabs since their life was based on the character of desert and it is different from trading.

In trading field, Arabs had traded various kinds of spices, clothes, books, and jewelries. Before the arrival of British in Pulau Pinang, the Arabs depend solely on business and trading and had controlled some parts of Kedah Sultanate economy. Arab communities did not only concentrated in particular areas in Kedah but they live all over Kedah Sultanate. Their nature is more inclined to business and trading. The Arab traders had already penetrated the areas of South East Asia since before the re-emergence of Islam. In the beginning, they just wanted to do business and trading and later bringing some profits from business to their states of origin but later they ended down here with settlements.  

When Islam was propagated again by the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w, these Arabs had also brought together the teaching and propagated it to natives. They had left their family and their lands to propagate the teachings. Then they settled down in foreign lands and beginning new life. Due to their condition in foreign land, they have to survive through business and trading since they had no lands. After that, the court of Kedah had also support them so they had more opportunities in economy where the economy of traditional Malays were fully controlled by the rulers.  

Arabs at that time had the experience in business and they had good relation with court. The court had also opened for them the opportunity to run business as the right to do business was only granted by royal decree or by certain authority decided under royal permission. Only the sultan has the right to permit anyone he favors to run business in his territory.      

          

Many Arabs had already successful as entrepreneurs where they had also possessed companies and became directors of companies. It has to do with their experience in business beside they possess large capitals and strong basis in business. When British arrived from Pulau Pinang, Arabs economic survival had also been challenged. Then, they had also have to compete with Chinese merchants after Chinese penetrated Kedah market. From that on, they began to get involved in groceries shop business as well. I see, that’s why many of our people now trying to use other identification in securing their business survival and the mamaks had imitate it.

The impact from the competition of British and Chinese had made Arabs moving far into rural areas. Beside doing business and trading, they also trying to do agricultural and became landlords. Some of the lands were granted by the Sultan of Kedah as the lands in Kedah was the possession of the Sultan. The Sultan has every right on the lands and he would stamp the seal with the signature of the Regent. 

Thus, many of those paddy lands and farms being transferred into Arabs possession with the permission of our Sultan. But many of those Arabs had also pawned the lands to Chinese merchants to get quick money. For e.g in 1911, the rights for duty import collection on timber being granted by the court to Sayyid Othman from Yan district but he had pawned the right to a Chinese merchant for $ 400.00 per year. Many of Arabs during this period of time became bancrupt.

These recent, there are also Arabs who tried to involve themselves in agriculture and fishing industries. They were landlords in Yan, Kota Setar, Kuala Muda and Kubang Pasu districts. They were also active in renting their lands to others and never work on their own lands. They just love to stay at home and take everything for granted. 

 

Their attitude is related to the importance of status and their position as aristocrats and noblemen who possess properties as what had been viewed by Malays as having big houses complete with facilities and they have less working hours.

Paddy field is a main economy source in Kedah Sultanate during the time of British Malaya. With 12 miles early channel of water developed by subjects of Kedah Sultanate had made paddy cultivation become more advanced and Kedah could also supply rice to other areas as well. The water channel project of Wan Muhammad Saman and other figures like Syed Othman who had pawned his duty rights to a Chinese merchant had also involved with the regard to his area of supervision in Little Yan district was quite succesful.

Small portions of Arab communities became fishermen and there were also poor Arabs in Kedah since they only worked with others. They refused to admit that they were Arabs or even of Sayyid lineage. They had ommitted their Sayyid title as they were ashamed of their life if compared to other Arabs in the state.

During the reign of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah (1854-1879), there was a new position given to an Arab with the name Syed Muhammad. Syed Muhammad became a captain for a ship and was ordered to maintain and looking the ship with two sails bought by the Sultan from English.

Early history had shown that Arabs directly was involved in most of religious posts and affairs in the sultanate. When Kedah was surrendered by the empire of Siam to the British empire, all of the posts were paid with salary. Main posts like the mufti, judges, imam and others were held by Arabs. In education, they held postions such as directors, headmasters of religious and English schools, and supervisors of schools.  

     

Regarding lands, last time I heard that elders had also fighting and quarreling over lands until some of them had to run to Southern Thai as it turned into bloody conflict. We had also sold our grandpa land for dad’s part in Kodiang in Kubang Pasu district. Mum had forced dad to sell his inherited land when I was in the second year doing my first degree because it was not easy to maintain the land for paddy and considering that the family who rent the land didn’t help us to pay the tithe as they are non-Muslims and we are not living in the state so it was difficult for us to monitor renting rate and tithe for crops. The land was rented to a Chinese  family under the surname Hooi. After the land being sold, I heard that dad cried on the land as he felt guilty to his father but what to do. The land had already been problematic since before it was inherited to dad and we had gone to courts for solutions but to no avail. Dad sold the land to a rich Malay man. I was busy at that time so I did not also look at the process.  I also do not want to inherit the land. It only bring headache.

We had also encountered many problems like being cheated and stabbed by friends or ‘relatives’ as we helped people without checking their background. I don’t know whether our custom is suitable at all of the time. We would consider our close friends even not related by blood as brothers or sisters. So each time close friends having problems, we would also been dragged into their problems as we would feel guilty to let them alone. It’s like we live and die only for the happiness and comfort of our friends, brothers and sisters. We also would repay back the goodness done on us. In the case, one of a Tabligh guy that I sheltered. Last time, he actually had helped me with internet password. It was not really a big deal but we see even small matters as big and we must repay back whatever is given. I always remember people treatment to me because I count everything. Even a cent that people gave me, I actually never forget. I keep every detail in my memory. Sometimes it would be so absurd and people would regard us as crazy or perhaps scary, hahaha.

Urmmm, the fact about renting the land is true. But according to dad, our grandpa was not a lazy man. This is individual case. He was a hardworking man and also worked as a seeker of fertilizers. If dad lied then I am also lying. Like in our case as individuals and not as groups, we do not live in Kedah but we have to migrate to other states because of family problem, fate and we do not work only as traders and farmers. Some of these Arab decents children had been educated in nursing schools in case of my aunties and my dad was educated in a Singaporean Catholic school just after grandpa died. He was 12 years old at that time and luckily he was not baptized though he lived like a person without a religion, without a mother to teach him because his mother died when he was three years old being casted by black magic and I always thought that Malay village folks always love to cast spell on others that they are envious at. This is my generalization on other ethnics. Why people around the world love to generalize things without looking at discreet root problems instead of trying to do interview with both sides either the pros and contras? Life would be easy if we can always do generalizations ya? 

What had been mentioned in this research is also right in certain parts, because I also met other Arab descents and I myself do not like their attitude. Most of them who are still rich today or filthy rich could we say, are arrogant and Westernized too. I don’t even consider myself as related to them but rather stay quite though we know each other. I don’t even dare to go into cousin brother house because my feet perhaps are dirty and I am not also close to them. 

Some of us also received and accepted religious teachings with the Mercy of the God. We soon realized our responsibility to propagate the faith and the noble life and morality to ourselves and environment. I myself never try to take any advantage from privileges but instead trying to strictly follow morality guidance of religion. I just live like a hermit, wearing clothes like a street wanderer, isolating myself if I did wrong to others, I hate possessions and I don’t want anything associated with world attachment like lands, money, or etc. We look everything at individual capacity can’t we? : )    

I think it is also a good idea for us to find more researches about Arab communities in our state. Because I saw that many of those "racists" are actually of foreign ancestral lineage and that means that they are the one who are tak sedar diri. They perhaps are afraid that their "rights" would be uprooted in what we call as attachment to the world. This earth is not our possession but the possession of the God, the King of the Universe. No need to boast about true blood, Aryan blood, strong race blood, genius race, or whatever it is. In the end everyone will be rotten in the grave holes and we carry dirty things in our intestines. Look at everyone first as a human-being and whether he is a God fearing person or not. We do not look as this race or that race or looking at their status or position in society because the God does not care about that. He is far More Great, possessing Dominion, and Rich compared to anyone in the earth or heaven. I had talked about this with a Malay friend too in our discussion maybe I could make a post about the discussion regarding our experience : )

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