New Blog Site

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I had launched another site for our business with brother Amir because we found that it is not really easy to find job nowadays. Nak kerja kerajaan ka? Kalau depa bagi la. No one in our house ever receive job offer from kerajaan, hehe... It is just like our part-time business in the meantime for our life to get stable.  At least we do not begging around or just lay dormant but do nothing to survive. It was my idea, but I expand it to brother Amir since he was my colleague. I think we could be good partners and we just collaborate in order to survive according to our ancient nation-states system concept known as the naksat or nakshatra system. It was a confederation system among Buddhist Malay nation-states in Kra Isthmus and we are from one of the state which is Kedah which was represented by the cobra or the naga.

Basically it is a site (click here to figure it out) where we advertise our expertise, skill and knowledge pertaining to translation and interpretation because we had no place to gain experience and people do not see our ability and what we could actually do. People see experience as they think that they do not need to train the employees. It saves their cost a lot. Lagipun, kalau tak bagi kita peluang berkhidmat di serikat mana-mana lah, bagaimana kami nak berpengalaman kerja betul dak? How could we prove ourselves if there is no channel? Maybe everyone could see our real names and contacts. But I do not care because it is only for business deal.

My idea is that, maybe we could collaborate with media practitioners be they independent or of any organization or institutions who would like to use our services of course with some charges, hiring us for movie translators or script translators, subtitling, using our expertise in interpreting maybe during coverage of certain news in parts of Malaysia or Thailand where there are no English speaking people. Or simply hiring us for translation jobs, editing, proof-reading, research, consultancy or being correspondences for their organizations and companies because we cover both northern and southern regions. We act as freelance translators, editors and interpreters. Other than that, I could do some part-time jobs during the daytime or perhaps working in shifts because part-time job in our country is like that. Just to survive and because my dad is bed-ridden... If I do not suite myself perhaps I would have to run to the jungle or climbing the mountain ranges, then stay there until He releases me.   

I realized that no matter how we hate our selves and past. But we have to accept our selves for whom we are. Maybe we were disappointed because just after we graduated in 2009, there was a gap for about a year. In that gap I also tried to do many jobs and finding stable jobs. But then the postgraduate calling came, and I had a second thought to see what it is all about. This is what makes me in sufferings because I am always curious to know what will happen if I follow this way or that way and in the way and there are thorns that would suddenly appear... hehehe... Maybe some people would call me a bodoh, but I don't know. Maybe they are right... 

Now, I am maintaining more than 10 sites since 2008... But those posts in 2008 are deleted because I do not want to remember anything from our undergraduate time. However the memory is still lingering in my mind. Those sites are in Malay about spirituality of different faiths especially Buddhism and Brahmanism where they are not suitable for Muslim viewers, religions, languages, current issues, Islam where I had separated it into other sites as not to confuse public who suddenly stumbled there, about Shi'a Muslim and Mu'tazilite doctrines because I made researches, translations, personal interviews and inquiries, about our Kedah sultanate and others... My nature is more to a da'ie and was trained like one but I don't know why I end up like this... Maybe because of the pressures around and I have no one to be my company so I basically relied on His Mercy-Compassion. Now I am just a wandering traveler or perhaps acting as a wandering da'ie according to situations and conditions. I wish this new year would bring me some light of hope to return to the fitrah... 

Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad wa sahbihi ajma'in. Wishing all beings a blessed Friday and a peaceful Saturday, may all beings be protected and receive mercy of Allah Ta'ala... 

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

Qad Kafaani Poem in Chinese

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

我不選不求因為我主的知識對我滿足

我的祈禱當我在煩惱做證明我這個貧窮
因我是個貧窮的原我當在幸福和困難時候都做祈禱
我是個奴隸，我自尊是以我的貧困於是我的義務

我的主啊 您是我的大王
您知道我的情況
您也知道我心中的煩惱

援救我跟您的禮貌
我的主您上所有主的主
援救我啊 您是最慷慨的主
因為我怕我不能夠耐心

我不選不求因為我主的知識對我滿足
您的幫助是很快降來的幫助
所以我求您的幫助快下來

願它打敗我一切的困難
願它帶來我一切希望
真主啊 您最就近主
您很快回复奴隸的祈禱
您以切事都聽力

我到悟通過我的無能力通過我的歸順通過我的弱點
我不選不求因為我主的知識對我滿足
我仍然站在門口，所以我拜託您呀，我的主
可憐我呀!

在您慷慨的山谷中，我在禮拜寺裡冥想
因此，讓我在這里永久冥想吧

讓我有良好的假設對您
因為它是我的好友我的盟友
因為它日夜陪伴我
我不選不求因為我主的知識對我滿足
真主啊！我靈魂有一個需要
所以賜它給我吧
因為您是最好的送禮者
幫我安慰我的秘密，幫我安慰我的心裡
幫牠冷靜從燃燒
在快樂在幸福
以及只想您對我高興
我的狀態就是喜悅和擴張
我的遮掩是我的格言

因為我主的知識足夠了，我不選擇不懇求

- Imam Abdullah Hadad Rahimahullah, Hadramawt, Yemen

I Came to Know Love

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

This is a poem by Rabi'at Basri al-Adawiyah. She was an ascetic lady who dedicated her whole life only to worship the Lord and she is not a married woman. To understand this poem, actually she is talking to Allah, the Lord of the universe. She's not talking to any creature. She regards Allah as her Guardian Friend and the One she loves the most. There are several version of this poem from old Arabic movie of Egypt and also the modern one without musical instrument but only with synchronized human voice from Othman al-Rashidi.

I came to know love the moment I found Your love

And I have closed my heart from everyone except for You

And I wake up (at night) whispering to You

whatever hidden in heart while we don't see You

I have two loves for You

the love of inclination and the love for You are worthy for such love

The love of inclination is when Your remembrance keep me away from everything but You

And truly the love that You are worthy of is when You unveil the veils for me to see You! 

Truly the praise in either case (dear Guardian Friend) is not mine (dear Guardian Friend)

Truly praise in both cases belongs to You!

I have two types of longing for You

The longing of distance and the longing for the closeness so to be secluded in Your refuge

The longing of the distance is creating a stream because of the time of Your departure

The longing for the refuge's closeness is because the light of my life has been faded in Your light

 Despite of all my chantings (dear Guardian Friend)

I am not complaining my love (dear Guardian Friend)

I am content with whatever You have pleased for me

So, ladies out there please don't be sad if you are not married yet or looking around that your gal friends are married with children. I know about this since I have elder sisters. I listened to what they were talking about though I never say anything. 

When you're not married yet perhaps you say you are lonely but when you are married you will mumble other things like you can't enjoy yourselves while your husbands could come back home late after hanging out with their friends or watching football till late at night. You have to take care of your kids, your husbands are lazy to help you even to repair broken pipes at home and etc. Rabi'at al-Adawiyah only lives alone in a cave before her death at her 80's. I am not encouraging ladies to not marry with anyone that they love but just be patient and appreciate whatever that you have. If you are going to get marry with the one you love, then praise the God that your dream is fulfilled, haha.

Some of my undergraduate colleagues in my class last time, including a guy also talked about how lonely life without a girlfriend or boyfriend so they are competing among each other to get life partners. I just laughed in my heart since I thought that only girls would talk like that, hahaha. Human-being are funny but that is the reality of life. Don't make the definition of love and lonely so narrow... It's very broad and human soul tendencies are actually different from others. We could be lonely anywhere and everywhere. While on the earth we could still find people to hang around, but what if we are in the grave? Maybe buried together with others? LOL. So, to whom should we get back???

Before closing my eyes tonight, its the twin brother of death; I apologize to everyone who stepped in here if I posted anything wrong. I didn't mean to hurt anyone but just admiring this ascetic lady and I am just an ordinary mortal human-being. I pray for her soul to be blessed and may she be recompensed by the Lord on whatever she did not enjoy in this fake world since she did not live like normal people, insha Allah. I feel my kidneys are bleeding or its just a feeling???! BTW, Enjoy reading the poem....

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

Muslim Chinese Figure: Wang Daiyu

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Calligraphy by Haji Nurdin Mi Guangjing

We return to our Muslim Chinese figure since it is very important for us in the Eastern part of the world. I think researches should also be conducted about the clerics and scholars of Islam from China other than those from Indian sub-continent or Nusantara which consists of Malay, Javanese and Achehnese speaking people. We also need to check about those in Indo-China as well. Researches about these are very rare or maybe do not reach audiences. It needs to be spread widely.

Introduction

I am not sure about his Arabic name but I am sure he must have his Arabic name along with his indigenous name 王袋輿 Wang Daiyu. He was a Ming dynasty imperial scholar of 15th C and he was known as Zhenhui Laoren. I guess it is perhaps an equivalent to Muslim Sheikh in Arabic. His early paternal ancestor came to Ming dynasty of China but later end up in the imperial court as a master supervisor of imperial observatory since he was talented in calenders calculation and astronomy. Due to this, Wang's ancestor was given a residence in Lu Fei Lane which is now in the South part of Hongwu street in Nanjing. So, if brothers and sisters are visiting China, you may also visit this place and capture some pictures to share with others. I wanted to travel to China, India and Middle East but now I am still occupied because we need financial support for that. Our country is no Welfare State like in Europe or Australia where jobless people could use tax-payers money to travel around and later producing personal works either for Orientalism, Socio-Political studies or Anthropology. I hate being tied like this but we have no choice.  

Education

Wang Daiyu studied under his dad's supervision. Then he was sent to a Muslim teacher known as Ma Junshi in Nanjing city. Only around 20 years old of his age that he began to study Chinese language. He also investigated the writings of philosophies and religions such as Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and etc. 

Around 15th year of the reign of Chongzhen emperor, he produced a translation of a True Explanation of the Right Teaching. Then he translates Islamic sutras or scriptures. He also wrote the Great Studies of Islam and the Rare and True Answers. Within the Chinese tradition, he was known as among the "Great Saint" of the Qing period. He believes in providing Islamic works in Chinese language version instead of just depending on Arabic ones. Our people in South East Asia also have the same belief that make some of the foreign teachers from Southern Arabian Peninsula trying hard to learn local languages and later we as their descents have also abandoned our identity. 

Literature

Wang was fluent in Chinese, Arabic, and Persian. I am also not sure whether he was fluent in term of speaking or written or both. I speak Chinese too but my Chinese is still rusty as compared to the last five years but I could still write in Chinese. People might feel weird if I read everything in Malay or English but it is Chinese writings, hehehe.  

He studied Confucianism and using its terminologies to explain Islamic concepts. Urmm, sometimes I am also using Taoism concepts to explain about things like angelic beings and stuffs about worship to some Chinese friends so they would also forgotten that I am a Muslim. I could also use Arabic terms transliterated into Chinese but it would be very weird and people could not understand them. In other time, I also used Buddhism terms that I had translated into Chinese.

Besides, he used Chinese Classical texts to explain Islamic concepts and writing commentaries because Chinese speakers do not read original Islamic texts. However, he is very critical to Buddhism and Taoism. He favors Confucianism more because its ideas agrees more with Islamic teachings. Urmm, I am not sure about Taoism but I understood most of Buddhism ideas through Theravada school and Forest Monastic traditions. It is closer to people here as compared to Confucianism and Taoism but we don't need to translate everything into native languages here anymore because our elders had helped us with it. And many natives are also proficient in Arabic as they were sent to Arabian Peninsula and Middle East to study religion. 

His intention of writing about Islamic teachings in Chinese language and citing Confucian text was not to convert non-Muslim Han Chinese. It is just a way to help Muslims in China to understand their own religion better. Most of Muslim in China at that time already speaking in Han language or Chinese so it would be very difficult to transliterate stuffs into Chinese scripts without using the already in existence terms used by Chinese speakers.

He also used Chinese language and Confucianism concept to explain about Islam to non-Muslim Han Chinese if they ask him about the teachings. His work became part of an Islamic text known as the Han Kitab along with those Muslim scholars from Eastern provinces of China such as Liu Zhi and Ma Zhu.

Translation of concepts

Yesterday, as per my experience talking with non-Muslim friend, I used Taoism terms to explain about metaphysical stuffs like angels or malaaikah to friend and talking about angels who taking the notes at the masjid before the Friday sermon. I don't know if it is correct because I have no Muslim Chinese here to ask what are the correct terms and a Chinese national brother is still in his semester break. Maybe he would return the next week. I bought a Chinese translation of Quran for parah 30th which was translated by few individuals like Prof. Obaidellah bin Mohamed, Ustazah Ma Lee, Ustazah Hajjah Alina Wong, Ustazah Nuralina Tay, and Ustazah Juliyana Wong simply to check religious terms. I also need to polish up my Chinese since it has been a long time being separated from Sino-sphere. If I have free time perhaps I could also do some writings in Chinese about Islamic figures like prophets and messengers of Allah so I could also have the terms imprinted in my mind again. This is also a motivation for myself and also for beloved brothers and sisters. Now, I could peacefully go back to my thesis. Wishing it quickly finish. Please, help me pray brothers and sisters. Thank you.

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

Bulleh Shah: Comforting Prayer of Love

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Hail, Lord the True Teacher!!! 

The God that you find in the jungle

Is found by birds and fishes

Only those with pure sacred heart find the True God

You have learned so much reading thousand of books...

But do you even bother to read what is inside you?

You visit and sit inside the masjid and temple...

But have you ever think of visiting your own soul?

You are busy of fighting Satan

But have you ever fought your own evil intentions and desires?

You have reached the sky but you failed to reach your own heart

You may destroy masjids, go and destroy to the earth temples...

Do as you wish, do as you please

But never destroy the human heart

For the Lord is there in

This is one of my favorite poem from a portion sung by Abidah Parveen in Punjabi. The poet name is Abdullah Shah but widely known as Bulleh Shah. His poetry are also being sung by Sikh and Hindu singers but he is a Muslim of Qadiri order. 

Some of his poems actually sounds cynical and critical toward orthodox practices of people in 17th C but that does not mean that he is not an Orthodox Muslim. Sometimes his poems are questioning certain things but it actually asking us on our intention of doing certain things whether it is simply a mere ritual which we imitate others doing or because it is due to our devotion to the God. He emphasizes the heart as the core of every practices and advocate love toward fellow creatures regardless religion and creed.

I always feel that I am not sincere to the God which makes me actually afraid of what will happen after being taken away. Baba Bulleh Shah was also accused by his colleagues because of his messages were misunderstood. Sometimes we have to think very deep and ponder on every words which would make us keep our silence and observe more. It also applies to Quran and Sunnah, right?

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