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This blogspot is a medium to share my thoughts and adventures apart from promoting my books. Below are the books which have been written or authored and published by myself.


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti".

ISBN 983-42031-0-1, Jun 2006


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal"

ISBN 983-42031-1-x, May 2007


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Sirih Pulang ke Gagang?"

ISBN 978-983-42031-2-2, November 2007


It is interesting to note that while these books were written in Malay it has gained enough attention to merit being part of the collections of the American Library of Congress and National Library of Australia. Look here and here.


While the first three books were published by my own company, the fourth titled "Rumah Azan" was published in April 2009 by a company called Karnadya with the help of the Malaysian national literary body Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. It features beautiful pictures along with stories behind selected mosques which could be related to the history of Islam and the Malays alongside the formation of the Malaysian nation. Look at the article A collaboration of old collegemates - the book "Rumah Azan".


My fifth book "Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and Malay Sultanates", an English translation and adaptation of the Malay book "Ahlul Bait (Keluarga) Rasulullah SAW dan Kesultanan Melayu" authored by Hj Muzaffar Mohamad and Tun Suzana Othman was published early 2010. Look here... My 5th book is out! Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and the Malay Sultanates... . For more information check out my Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU.



Like my fourth book "Rumah Azan", the sixth book "Kereta Api Menuju Destinasi" is also a coffee-table book which is published by the company Karnadya with the cooperation of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (the main Malay literary body in Malaysia). Coming out January 2011 it features pictures and stories on the adventure travelling by train to all of Peninsular Malaysia along with the interesting places which could be reached this way.


My seventh book "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" in turn is a coffee-table book which is written, editted, designed and has pictures taken by me. Coming out of the factory October 2011, this book which combines family history with history of places such as Singapura, Johor, Batu Pahat, Muar and in fact the history of the island of Java and England has been reviewed with me interviewed live in the program Selamat Pagi Malaysia at RTM1. Look at the article Siaran langsung ulasan buku "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" dan temu ramah di Selamat Pagi Malaysia. Some selected contents have been featured in Sneak peek "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah".


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The "Berpetualang ke Aceh" series of novels could be obtained in e-book form. Enter http://www.e-sentral.com/, click general novel and go to page 4. You can also type the word "Aceh" at the search box. Or click straight Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3.


Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Coming soon! The book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal" (literally translated: "The trip to Aceh: Advocating the original faith")


Praise be to God! After more than 11 days leaving my blogspots quiet without any additonal story or news, recently came the urge to do something about this. So let me break the ice by presenting a good news… That I’m very glad to inform the book “Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal” (literally translated as “The trip to Aceh: Advocating the original faith”) or BKA II is already in printing and if there is no problem, should be ready for readers by May 18th. So when will it arrive at your nearest bookshop? I myself can’t say this for sure as distribution is still in negotiation. What’s important, the book should be ready to meet dear readers soon enough.
Anyway, this posting is the 89th in this blogspot. Remember, I mentioned in the last posting at “Catatan Si Merah Silu” (that is if you care to look) that the blogspot (at that time k…) already have 88 postings, the English blogspot “Berpetualang ke Aceh” have 44 and the English plus Malay blogspot “Seni Lama Melayu (Malay Older Art) 22? I thought the numbers look nice, so that is why I left the blogspots without any updates. Now, let me furnish all three with the news on the coming of the book BKA II.
Oh… Something I felt interesting about the writing process of this book until it is completed… Since the book “Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti” (literally translated as “The trip to Aceh”: Searching for self and meaning” or BKA I reached the market in June 2006, all sorts of obstacles and tests came my way making the writing process of BKA II felt so heavy. At times, I felt like going mad because of the spiritual and health disturbances I had to face… Luckily there are those who’s willing to give the moral support and cooperation needed to make it possible to complete the book at all.
The last process in writing BKA II is to provide the poetry for the back cover of the book. Imagine, when BKA I was made, the poetry at its back was one of the sections that was the first to be completed. Everything appeared in an inspired moment that took less than 15 minutes, during the first time I played with the Adobe Photoshop programme to create the lay-out for the book cover, sometime in the middle of 2004. But for BKA II, I had to wait almost a year before getting the right inspiration, even then after the writing process for the rest is completed. I had to go out at night and have coffee at a stall in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur with a piece of paper and a pen in hand. Thank God, the next day the book BKA II is ready to go for printing!
So here, let me share the poetry mentioned… May you dear readers find the book BKA II of much benefit, God willing! Oh… First, have a look at the original one in Malay:

Adam, Idris, Nuh dan Salih,
Zaman berzaman siang dan malam,
Membawa risalah selagi boleh,
Intipatinya sama, Tauhid dan Islam.

Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq dan Ya’aqub,
Zaman pertengahan keluarga Nubuwwah,
Di Surah Baqarah firman termaktub,
Inilah keturunan pemimpin yang amanah.

Yusuf, Musa, Daud dan Sulaiman,
Nabi Bani Israel termasuk Zakaria,
Sampai ke Isa berubahlah zaman,
Peralihan risalah ke Khatamul Anbiya.

Muhammad Mustapha penghulu Nabi,
Sempurnakan risalah untuk sekalian beramal,
Ahlul Bait dan raja menabur bakti,
Di Nusantara ini membela syiar yang asal

And here goes a rather loose English translation though I can’t guarantee it ryhmes like the original. For you information, the names mentioned in the poetry are the names of the prophets as mentioned in Arabic and Malay…
Adam, Idris, Nuh and Salih,
Ages and ages, night and day,
Conveying the message as best as they can,
The gist is the same, Tauhid (oneness) and Islam (submission and peace)

Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq and Ya’aqub,
The middle period of the family of Prophets,
In the verse of Baqarah (in the holy Quran), it is mentioned,
This is the linage of thrustworthy leaders.

Yusuf, Musa, Daud and Sulaiman,
The prophets of Israel including Zakaria,
Came to Isa so the time changes all,
The message shifted to the Seal of the Prophets.

Muhammad Mustapha the head of all Messengers,
Perfecting the message for the benefit of all,
The Ahlul Bait (the Prophet’s family) and kings doing their bit,
In Nusantara (South East Asia) advocating the original faith.