Happy 'Aidul Adha 1433 and Happy New Year 1434

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Recently I have been really... really... really busy. So nice that I could write or speak in proper polite English. Usually I can't avoid to speak vulgar ones. It's just the way I talk with the people I was dealing with, haha. For sure that is not the characteristic of a member of the paradise. So, I would actually advise myself not to forget my responsibility and to remain "pure" like the lotus among the mud. The lotus can not leave the mud because it is surrounded with it and needs to cooperate with the mud to protect the balanced earth. 

First of all before I go further about what happened in this temporary earth and in the life of a slave of Allah. I would gladly wishing brothers and sisters happy 'Aiduladha and Happy Rossussanah 1434 H. It is our new moon and I think as always most people will recite the supplication and prayers in the masjid. Among all celebration, I actually in deep love with 'Aiduladha as its significance of Qurban or sacrifice to seek nearness to Allah warming my heart with the love to Him. I always remember and cherish my memory while in holy Mecca and those whom I had met during the pilgrimage season and high holy days there. It makes me realize who is my self and what I found is that I am nothing in this universe but He is full of Glory and full of Greatness. I am actually shedding my tears when the flashbacks come in my head hope nobody see it here, hehe :') 

Awareness on the Significance of Qurban and 'Aiduladha

This is only a summary of what I know about my faith, my ancestral tradition and my religion. I would like to call all brothers and sisters regardless denominations and schools of jurisprudence to keep the awareness about what is the significance of certain celebration and festival in our religion. I don't actually care whether brothers or sisters are from different schools of jurisprudence or from whatever denominations. We still profess the same prophet Muhammad s.a.w as our seal of prophethood, reciting the Quran and our faith is solely in Allah where we direct all of our hopes and dependance only to Him. 

Many young people are not really aware about the details of their religion but yet calling it as a "tariqa" of their life. I was also like that though I studied about Islam but that was only for examination papers. Not for "myself" to use it to perform pure livelihood in the way to seek His Glorious Holy Appearance in the hereafter. Nowadays I would question people but it seems that most of them do not understand it yet they think I am trying to put them down. I was not talking to them as a "second person" but I assume that I was talking to my another self when those questions come out. 

This has nothing to do with any mysticism. I beg those who accidentally stumbled by to please do not misunderstood me. I am tired people thinking that I am practicing mystical mysterious dzikr or whatever practices. I am just an ordinary Muslim man like brothers and sisters out there. I don't like people looking at me like a scary pathetic ghost and it makes me crying in my heart. I am a human and I live like other people watching TV, listening to radio and also typing in the computer now. Only Allah knows how I feel where I feel like I wanted to slap the face of "adik-adik" or kicking their ass when they approached me and asking me about some kind of turuq practices. Fortunately it is in the musalla or in the canteen so they were safe. Otherwise I will make sure they bleed their nose without they even realize it! I do pray for brothers of another "realm" but I do not do it for false practices. I am doing it for their benefit because I am always alone. I rarely made friend and as a responsibility of a fellow brother for them I reserved some "foods" and sprinkled them while walking to masjid early in the morning when everyone were asleep. I hate magics, sorcery and tricks! 

Sa'ie, Love of a Mother for Her Infant Son and Sufferings to Continue Survival

Briefly, 'Aiduladha is the peak of a series of high holidays. It is a tradition inherited from our father, Abraham and his son Ishmael. Well, this is according to our tradition's exegesis of Quran. An event that makes me feel touched was about the love of a mother to her son. Hagar as a mother had ran here and there at the Safa and Marwa seven rounds in order to find water after being left by Abraham a.s in the barren valley.  At that time infant Ishmael was around three years old as far as I could remember our elders recital of the chronicles in Arabic poetry form. I recalled everything that I heard when I was in Mecca, while in the Arafat desert and while traveling to Jeddah and Medina along the desert.

We imitated her deeds at the Safa and Marwa hills and I was almost dead with my mother there because so many people and they almost stepped me to death before a man helped me. My mother said that she does not care anymore if she dies, so I was so scared and I took her hand before someone hit me and I was the one who was down there. I never realize that I love my mother and I still have 'some' love in my heart that I thought had already gone after few sad incidents in my life. 

Hagar and Ismael a.s were sent down after Sarah a.s can't hold her jealousy and when Ishmael had teased her son, Ishaq a.s she just asked Abraham a.s to send them both away. That is normal I guess for women. I live with women and I am familiar with jealousy. My younger sister are always jealous to me when my mother gives me something but I actually never ask her anything. I always give everything that I have to others to avoid from "evil eyes". I hate to have issues with others but I just don't understand why they still love to find issues with me.

Back to the story, Abraham a.s just left both of Hagar and Ismael a.s with a prayer may the barren valley be blessed with sustenance which dearly brothers and sisters could read in the Quran Surat Ibrahim verse 37. These prayers were also pasted at the mihrab of our masjid here. Each time when I visit the masjid and pray there I would recite those prayers in my heart and looking at those verses. The valley is filled with metal hill. I am not talking without experience. I saw that the hills do no absorb the water when rain falls and it caused a big and ferocious flood in the Ajyad area.    

Qurban of Abraham and Ishmael a.s

It tells that once upon a time, father Abraham a.s came down to the Meccan valley to visit his wife, Hagar a.s and their son, Ishmael a.s. At that time, Ishmael was already a young man. While staying there, Abraham dreamed that he was slaughtering his son. The same dream happens few times so Abraham understood that the dream is a revelation of Allah (surat as-Saffat vs. 103-107). So, he told it to Ishmael and Ishmael agreed as it was a revelation and a commandment. Everybody at the ancient Jurhumite Arab village thought that Abraham had already losing his mind. 

Jamrat and Throwing Pebble Stones

A "man" appears to Hagar and told her everything. He said that Abraham a.s is going to murder his own son and claimed that it was a revelation. The man according to exegesis was a "satan" in the form of a human. When Hagar a.s heard the word "revelation", she just ignored the man and said that if so then let it be. She knows what Abraham a.s is doing. The "man" was disappointed so he leaves and "appear" to Abraham and Ishmael a.s. Three times the "man" appears to them while they were on their way to a hill to perform the "sacrifice" and commandment. At these three points where the "man" appears, they chased him away with pebble stones throwing. The points nowadays were known as jamrat and the act of these two prophets of Allah is imitated by Muslims all over the world during pilgrimage season. I recalled that we had thrown seven stones in each jamrat and the event happens in three days in Dzulhijja month. The spiritual and psychological significance of this actually is about how we deal with evil whispers. Whether we listens it and stay far from Allah or we just ignore it and be closer to Allah. 

Reward of Qurban and the Love of Allah Saves Everything

At the time when Abraham a.s almost hitting the neck of his son; his sword was directed to another point where he didn't really hit his son. But he hits a sheep. The reward of this sacrifice is what we could see today. Prophet Abraham a.s is blessed with the mercy to the universe for the end of the ages. It was through his prayers and sacrifices that his descents are blessed by Allah.

Other Version: Ishaq as the Subject

I have no time to slip the Old Testament but I am aware that the Children of Israel believe in Ishaq as the one who was sacrificed. I just read the Epistle of Barnabas which is the interpretation of the Old Testament by Jews who were the believers of Jesus a.s that stated this tradition of exegesis. For brothers information, since the end of September until now, our Jew friends are also in High Holy Days where they observed the Yom Kapparot for atonement where they would fast at that day and seeking forgiveness, New Moon of Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot festival and Simchat Torah. To tell everyone the truth; I don't give a damn to any version of the narration or on the differences of gentiles and non-gentiles. Allah blesses everyone regardless they are of any lineage and worldly fame means nothing. 

What I care is the spirit to seek nearness to Allah or G-d or whatever it is spelled because I am referring to the Highest Authority of the Universe, the King. During High Holy Days while waiting for our prayer times, I usually would chat with brother Eidan who happened to be a fellow Hadrami Arab descent but of different religion. We just discussed and sharing our family traditions. He is a Jew since his mother is a Jew but we are connected with the same Muslim paternal lineage of Iraqi immigrant in Yemen who was known as the Migrant though of different clans and of different flows.

Basically, these people were known as high sufis of various tariqa and could be founded among Sunni or Shi'a groups of Muslims whether in Yemen, Africa or Indian sub-continent. Both of us are not registered with those associations because for me I just realized that after I made researches as I began to feel weird after comparing our selves with other locals, I made consultations on behalf of my father and his family and checking with the authority while for brother Eidan he is of different religion and already migrating to their holy land.

Anyway I am not going to be registered nor revealing it widely to other relatives of my father side though many elders actually aware about that and it was discarded from young people knowledge because of some conflicts between clans. Maybe they were shy or afraid to tell people because of consequences that our people faced since Abbasid era. They are no different to the Umayyad dynasty. That is normal when we are at the height of "power" and it turns us to be "blind". It takes away our conscience and that is one of the thing that our elders always said to us on what they are afraid of. I know several those who "still" use the title but they behaved not accordingly to the noble morality. Some of them are married to our cousins too. What for the name if the "spirit" is dim and Allah hates us. 

Wishing

Again wishing everyone Happy 'Aiduladha and Happy New Year 1434 H. To those who perform pilgrimage in holy shrine in Mecca and the Masjid an-Nabawi, you don't know how fortunate you are especially the areas are very tight with authority supervision. Take the opportunity to purify yourselves from worldly matters and always ask to officers around if you have problem in the manasik and confused with the flow of the worship in the pilgrimage rituals. Don't listen to self-claimed "ustads" or you might confuse yourselves. Make sure what kind of pilgrimage you are performing because you need to bolt it in your "intention" and revise neatly what is the important process before the day come. For those who perform Hajj al-Ifrad especially in the early groups who arrived in Jeddah, please please please don't mix with other pilgrims or else you will repeat my mistake. I performed tahallul before I finished everything with the obligatory pilgrimage because I listened to my mother who wants to follow her roommates in the moassasah (foundation) to perform 'umra. I regret it until today after I listened to the lecture on the mistakes in rituals. It is not easy to return and performing it again as to ask forgiveness from Allah through the rituals. Hajj mabrur, wa sa'yan mashkur. May your performed rituals lead you toward charity and chastity. May your efforts being followed with gratitude to Him.

Allahumma salli 'alaa aali Muhammad wa 'alaa aali Muhammad wa sahbihi ajma'in...

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

Introduction to Jataka Tales

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Shwedagon Pagoda's Jataka tales in Myanmar: Pic by Mvanparys

In this post, I would like to introduce about what I had previously learned regarding Buddhism philosophies. These stories actually are those that had given me great influences in the way I behave with people around. Somehow, I feel very weird to see that South Asians were quite violent and insolent among each others, committing bribery and etc but these philosophies and pearl of wisdom came from their sub-continent. Bribery is not unique in South Asia but it is a global problem anyway. I am just wondering that Asia (including Middle East) and Africa could also be civilized nations if we could stick to noble morality and teachings.

Jataka is known as Phra Chadoq in Thai and it is originated from sub-Indian continent. Why I don't mention India as in modern India? Because India today is the result of British Raj which is another story of the sub-continent. Greater India actually consists of Western and Eastern Greater India. Western Greater India is now in the part of countries in South Asia such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Nepal while Greater Eastern India is in the area of today's South East Asian countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore. For Nepal perhaps it is not fully Indian since it is the area of the clash between Sino-Hindu civilization happens however those kind of human-being in Nepal could also be founded in Nepal and other countries in South Asia and South East Asia.

Jataka actually refers to the previous birth of Buddha before his final birth. It also includes the story when lord Buddha was born in animal form. According to Brahmanism understanding of spiritual and physical bodies, body is just a vessel which could be destroyed but the soul is still the same soul. It could be transferred to other bodies after the current body is expired and it could be placed in certain bodies according to the deeds of the soul while in the current body. Everything that happens in the future is actually the result of the past deeds of the particular soul. This is the theory of Brahmans or Brahmins regarding soul and non-material worlds. Future Buddha or the enlightened person will appear to people for example as a king, a lower caste or an outcast, a tewoda, animal or any form. Tewoda in Buddhism beliefs actually refers to angelic beings but they are invincible from mortal eyes.

In every Buddhist nations like Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, and etc; Jataka tales are the source to develop people characters to the better one. It is used by phrasongs (monks) and upasakas (laymen) to preach and deliver sermon to people. Some of these stories were used by lord Buddha himself to preach to his disciples and later they spread it widely into the society. The same type of stories like this also appears in Vedic literature. 

Greek myths for example Aesop Fables inherited the philosophies from Buddhism and Vedic literature. How come is this happen? I think I had read about the invasion of Alexander of Macedonia in his quest to establish Hellenistic empire. They had already reached Indian sub-continent. Some of those Greeks had also established Indo-Greek kingdoms such as Bactrian kingdom and some Greeks had also embraced Brahmanism and Buddhism. I guess Bactria is known in Middle Eastern name as Balkh and located near northern of Afghanistan today. Later, these Greeks were absorbed into Hindu or Indian society. One of the greatest Greco-Buddhist king is King Milinda. His Greek name is Menander I and he posed questions to a disciple of lord Buddha known as Nagasena regarding Buddha's teaching. This happens long before the rise of prophet Jesus a.s. Other than that, this stories were translated by Persian empire's court. They were also adapted into Chaucer's in England and Boccacio in Italy. Buddhist also have their own version of Ramayana which is the incarnation of Buddha in the form of Sri Ram and Phra Vishnu Narayann according to Brahmins' belief in what they call it as one of the Dasavatar of the 10 Incarnations.  

So, this question comes to my mind. What is so great about European and Western civilization when Greeks also embraced an oriental religion like Buddhism? What I had learned in European studies is that, they had to establish their Union because of the wars and the cause of the wars to happened in which it also involves the whole world because they had colonized lands in other parts of the world is none other than their own aggressiveness toward material. What about Enlightenment period after Medieval Europe? Nothing interesting at all for me. Lord Buddha had long reached Enlightenment before those in European caves came out and telling the whole world how civilized they are. And people from Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world trying to appease them to get some good life or wanted to be seen as modern because they have some kind of inferiority complex over themselves? The term modern itself needs to be redefined again. It is the matter of mentality and psychology. When we think that Europe or Western civilization is the greatest then it will be imprinted in our mind. It is later become like when some human-being offer sacrifices to 'genies' and 'genies' think that they're gods while in contrary they are just the same creature like human-being who worship them but people admire the 'genies' because of their different natures invisible to human eyes, hehehe.

Long time ago, people listen to these kind of stories to get moral lessons as well as to enjoy. These stories help people to develop humanity values, patience, loving kindness, sympathetic and joy, and compassion. Previously, these stories were played in wayang kulit or shadow play like in Northern Malaysian Peninsula and Southern Thailand. The prominent shadow play player in Kedah was the father of Pak Majid and today it is Pak Majid himself. Nowadays, many of wayang practitioners have to abandon the play because there are rituals which is not in accordance to Islamic faith such as the pujas to the tewodas to protect the stage. Pak Majid still plays his wayang but without any puja no more. He just plays the wayang to entertain people and it has no religious element like what elders had done. We could also listen to his voice in Kedah FM playing Ae Thong with his trademark laugh. In Kelantan state, I guess they have non-Muslim wayang players whom are of Chinese ethnicity. Other than Jataka tales, there are also Kathasaritsagara compiled by a Saivaite Brahman known as Somadeva.    

This post slightly reminds me to Abdullah Munshi who translated the Tamil version of Panchatandiram or Panchatantra into Malay. He also translated the Gospel of Saint Matthew into Classical Malay, hehehe. Panchatantra was translated into Persian and Arabic as Kalilah wa Dimnah by Abdullah bin al-Muqaffa'.

Just sharing a quote from Gautama Buddha's teaching about listening to old stories as a historical figure. He said that: "When we listen to what a monk says and wonders on its truth... Then, we should test its meaning, weigh or consider it, and it depends on our internal to know if it is the truth. Only after we are satisfied that we follow and later practicing with it." The God has given us mind to think and consider. He also sends us guidance and mercy in term of Revelation as the guidance together with mind. So, it is up to us to recite the Quran, to learn the meaning, and to practice with its morality teachings.  

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