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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, September 16, 2009

Getting to know the Ahlul-Bait, family of Rasulullah SAW: Introduction

Peace be upon you all. I've promised myself that after finishing a day's fill of story-telling regarding my trip in Aceh, I would do another voluntary translation for the Islamic website http://www.shiar-islam.com/ before telling stories of another day. So here' the translation I did just now. It happened to be the start of a series on the Ahlul Bait, the family of Prophet Muhammad SAW, a subject very dear to me.

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Getting to know the Ahlul-Bait, family of Rasulullah SAW: Introduction

By Ustaz Syed Hasan Alatas

Translation by Radzi Sapiee


Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum , Peace be upon you.

Allah said in the Quran: “Verily Allah wishes to remove all impurities from you, O people of the house and to purify you completely.” (Verses of al-Ahzab : 33)

The Ahlul Bait are family of the Prophet SAW very close to him. It is related by Ummu Salamah a wife of Rasulullah SAW that once he was at their house sleeping and wearing a blanket. Then came his daughter (from the deceased first wife Khadijah) Fatimah who brought a bowl of Khazirah, a type of food. Rasulullah SAW told Fatimah, "Call your husband and your two sons Hassan and Hussain". Fatimah then called them all.

While they were together sitting and eating with Rasulullah SAW then came the revelation as mentioned in the verse above. At the time Rasulullah SAW was holding the tip of the blanket which he had with him and started to cover them all. While holding his hands in supplication, he uttered a prayer. "O Allah these are my Ahlul Bait (members of my house) and my progenies, thus abolish all impurities from them and purify them with total purification".

Nabi SAW uttered this prayer thrice. Ummu Salamah then added: “I put my head under the cover but the Prophet SAW pulled away the blanket while saying ‘Verily you are in virtue’ twice”. (This was related by Thabrani who got the story from Ummu Salamah)

Al-Fakhrul Razi in his commentary Tafsir al-Kabir touched on what happened after the 132nd verse of Thaha was revealed to the Prophet. The verse said: “Ask your family members to do the prayers and be you patient in carrying it out.”

This is mentioned in a Hadith (saying) of the Prophet related by Hamad bin Salamah who received it from Ali bin Zaid who in turn received from Anas RA. It is said that after the verse was revealed, Rasulullah SAW would often call out to his family when passing the house of Ali and Fatimah. The Prophet asked them to do the prayers while repeating the Quranic verse which said: “Verily Allah wishes to remove all impurities from you, O people of the house and to purify you completely.”

Once there happened an incident which show the high degree of sacrifice Saidina Ali bin Abi Thalib, his wife Fatimah Azzahra and their two sons Hassan and Hussain are willing to make. While Fatimah was serving bread for them to break fast, there came a poor person, an orphan and a prisoner of war starving and asking for food. Immediately without any doubt their food was handed to the people leaving themselves without anything to eat. Thus came a Quranic revelation which says: “They gave out food which which they badly need, to the poor, the orphan and the prisoner of war. Verily they gave because of Allah, and did not expect any return nor saying of thanks.”

This is part of the ethics and excellent character of the family of Rasulullah SAW who are very close to him. Just take the example of Saidatuna Fatimah Azzahra. Although she is the beloved daughter of Prophet the skin of her hands often crack because of bailing and carrying water apart from milling wheat. Once it was suggested that she asked her father to give a servant to help out her chores. The Prophet did not comply. He just taught Fatimah Azzahra to recite the zikir (remembrance of Allah formula) of Subhanallah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times, and Allahu Akbar 33 times.

Once it happened that an old man was taking abolution and this was observed by the Prophet SAW’s then young grandsons Hassan and Hussain. The way the old man took abolution was imperfect so this must be rectified. But how can you correct an older man which must be shown respect.

Thank God both kids are bright and have excellent character. They pretend to argue while taking abolution accusing the other of being imperfect in the way he took abolution. The old man who was nearby then asked them to repeat their abolution. He became perplexed to see the Prophet’s grandsons smooth way in doing it that he started questioning himself, maybe he was the one who did it imperfectly. The man then asked who the kids really are. Then only he knew these are the beloved grandsons of the Prophet who received direct tutelage from him in many useful matters.

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