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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.


Thursday, October 29, 2009

My latest visit to the royal tombs at Jugra...

A week or so after having a look at the Selangor river near Batang Berjuntai (look at the article A look at the Selangor river near Batang Berjuntai), me and wife visited her dad at Tanjung Sepat, some 16 km south of the famous Morib beach. On the way back home a day or two later, as we were about to reach Banting, I felt like taking a detour to a certain place of note...


Welcome to Jugra where there's a number of places of historical significance...



Among the most famous is the one on the left parts of this hill...


Welcome to the royal tombs of Jugra...



While the Selangor royal family also have tombs at Bukit (hill of) Melawati in Kuala Selangor and another in Kelang, this one is considered by many to be the most famous of all...




For one, look at the tomb buildings around...





The most signficant lies inside the main building...






For here lies the body of Sultan Abdul Samad, the fourth ruler of Selangor who reigned towards the end of the 19th century. Legend has it, he is among the last of the Malay Sultans who have reached saintly status and thus is said to be vested with magical powers even from beyond the grave!

The road from Batang Berjuntai to Batu Arang...

Continued from A look at the Selangor river near Batang Berjuntai ...

I headed back towards the main road, decided to make a stop first here...

For one I am fascinated by this huge jungle tree at the roadside...


Then there's this Minangkabau-roofed house which I saw when heading closer to the river. Too bad, I couldn't get the right angle for a good snap...



I soon headed out towards Batu Arang. The same road from Batang Berjuntai also leads all the way to Rawang. At one part you could see a vast opening with plenty of food trees. Welcome to the Selangor Fruits Valley, one of the biggest fruit orchard in the state...




A look towards where I came from, that is towards Batang Berjuntai...





The orchard is so vast that it looks like it almost goes all the way to the horizon...






Time to continue the journey towards Batu Arang...





Further on, one could see more openings that seemed to go all the way towards Rawang!








From here the road starts to twist and turn... refer to the satellite pictures available in A look at the Selangor river near Batang Berjuntai ...







Despite that, I managed to take this shot while riding my bike... with the right hand holding the camera, the left controlling the handles forcing myself to do a delicate balancing act as the bike slows down at the corner as I can't pull on the throttle to keep the speed up...






At this point, I have already passed the Rawang/ Batu Arang junction. Batu Arang is less than 3 km away while my house is just another 3 km further. Of note is the forest along the way. You should see the beautiful timber trees that line up the roads. That's all! :]


A look at the Selangor river near Batang Berjuntai...

OK. I got a number of pictures from past travels as far back as August 2 months ago waiting to be converted into articles. So let me release some here ya...


One fine day early August, I was playing about with Google Earth when I noticed this satellite picture showing a part of the Selangor river very near to a main road...


Now, the place in question is not that far from my house. Once in a while I like to take my big bike through the small town of Batu Arang on to Ijok covering a distance of 9 km. From Ijok its only about 7 km to Batang Berjuntai, then it should be another 5 km to the targetted spot...

So in no time I was there...


Actually I've been pass this part of the road one or twice before but never noticed the river nearby...



Now, as those who have read my blogspots thoroughly could testify, I have some sort of 'fetish' for rivers especially major ones like the Selangor river. So it's only natural if I try to take a closer view...




Anyway here's a look at the bend which is closest to the river... at the main road connecting Batang Berjuntai to Rawang...





A look at the opposite end should put things in perspective. By the way Bestari Jaya is the new official name for Batang Berjuntai. From a study of the satellite pictures shown above, a turn to the right off the main road should bring me closer to the waters...






I took the turn...





And right enough, a bridge crossing the Selangor river!





There, the river as far as the eyes could see... a look eastwards or upriver...







Besides lie a water pump station or something...








A look upriver, that is towards the sea... or rather towards the Straits of Melaka. A check with Google Earth shows that while this place is only about 25 km from open water, the actual course of the river from here weaves in and out the landscape for more than 55 km before reaching the estuary...





Here's a look from a nearby village...






The river here stays at about 50-70 metres wide while the parts near the estuary, at the town of Kuala Selangor is some almost 5 times as vast, the actually estuary itself being more than 800 metres wide...





Here's a look at the bridge from the village. Time to head back home, through the winding road on to Batu Arang...



The Ahlul Bait with regard to the Prophet...

The Prophet's sandal...


Prace be upon you all. Let me break the current silence with another translated piece from the website http://www.shiar-islam.com/ ...

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

The Ahlul Bait with regard to the Prophet


By Ustaz Syed Hasan Alatas

English translation by Radzi Sapiee


Through Muhammad SAW, Allah Almighty gives guidance to the whole Ummah, the people and show us the right way, the way favoured by Allah SWT. Through his relentless pursuit and fight, Rasulullah SAW and his descendants succeeded in spreading Islam to all over the world. And this they did without asking any fee or monetary gain, in line with the words of Allah as said in the holy book Al-Quran.

"Say (O Muhammad), I do not ask for any wage from you in this mission, except for love towards (my) kith and kins” . (Asysyura: verse 23)

This verse came down after Rasulullah SAW have gone through a lot of trouble and hardship to save the Arabs from their former dark lives. They used to lead their lives astray, full of injustice, ignored by the rest of the world but after the Prophet came into the picture, they became enlightened and a new age of truth, justice and unity started such that the Arabs became a unified people respected by all. Rasulullah SAW came to save the whole mankind from ignorance. They are taught to worship only Allah SWT, the creator of the worlds and everything in existence.

Previously, mankind were at a low lacking humanity what more ethics. They were more animalistic in nature, the strong preying on the weak, the rich taking from the poor. These soon changed as the people were taught to become humane. The Jahiliyah or age of darkness full of stupidity and ignorance which saw the masses being fooled widespread by those in power gave way to an age full of love for knowledge, giving birth to scholars and sages who led and showed the right way for all and sundry.

Rasulullah SAW and his believing descendants travelled to all parts of the world to spread Islam and its true teachings. Despite all their troubles and selfless efforts, there are people who simply forget all their good deeds and try to kick them out of the picture. Thus Rasulullah SAW reminded the Ummah that he never expected any fee, wage or monetary gain in return. He just hoped that the people know how to be thankful by showing their love and affection for the pious family of the Prophet who fought hard to uphold Islam and expound its truth.

Since many nowadays do not care to take heed of the Prophet’s message, the Islamic world is in turmoil. Just look at how the people are divided into small factions each vying for supremacy over the others. They formed small nations dependent on the enemies of Islam. They have to bow down to these enemies and lose their dignity as they are too weak to assert anything due to them being fragmented and weak.

While the teachings of Islam command its adherents to fight in one line, strong like a solid building with each part strengthening the others, in reality the Muslims have become like a fragile building waiting to go down at anytime. The Prophet’s reminder asking the Ummah to always help support each other is not practised. It has come to the extent that when there are Muslims in trouble and hardship, those who have the means to assist simply shrug off or ignore the problem. What is strange, it is the non-Muslims who often came at the forefront to provide assistance. Of course this tends to come with a cost which in the end could turn up to be very detrimental to the Muslims at large.

Thus if Muslims today want the Ummah to be unified as one respected by others they should heed back the message and command of Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad SAW. They have to regroup back and cooperate in all mutual matters, ready to give and take when there are small conflicting matters. They have to fight in line like a solid building with every part strengthening the other, just like one unified body in which when one part is hurt the others feel it too. Such a body of people would always help each other in the path of truth gaining the goodwill of Allah, never cooperating in matters of evil, never turning against each other or break up.

God willing, by following the examples set by Prophet Muhammad SAW and his Ahlul Bait the Ummah would regain its past glory, InsyaAllah!