BERPETUALANG KE ACEH: 2010-03-28

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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, March 31, 2010

Celebrating the Prophet's birthday in Aceh : Enter the tomb of Syiah Kuala...

Peace be upon you all. After a lapse of 2 weeks, let's continue the new series on my latest trip to Aceh. Continued from the article Celebrating the Prophet's birthday in Aceh : A feeling of old Kedah... or rather, old Malay country before Western colonialists spoiled everything? .

Thursday 25th February 2010, after having breakfast at the hotel in Banda Aceh it's time to make a visit to a certain place...

Welcome to the tomb of the venerable saintly master scholar, Sheikh Abdul Rauf Singkil also known as Syiah Kuala. Situated some 5 km out of city centre, this is me and wife's third visit here. For our baby Muhammad Al-Aminul Rasyid this is his second visit. You can read about the Sheikh and his tomb in the old articles Makam (tomb of) Syiah Kuala made in the blogspot SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) . Have a look also at the article Views around the tomb of Syiah Kuala....

Sheikh Abdul Rauf's tomb is the one covered in white. It is only in this trip that I learned the one with the yellow-coloured tombstone belongs to his student, Teungku Pakeh Ibrahim.

One for the album. Members of our convoy posing with the religious person (centre with skull-cap) who takes care of this place. He was the one who explained about all the tombs within the enclosed area...

A sideway picture of the tombs situated in the enclosed area. For the record this picture is facing the direction of Ka'abah, the Muslims' global centre of worship in Mecca, Arabia. It is also in the this trip that I learned the uncovered tombstone seen in the centre belongs to Sheikh Abdul Rauf's brother, Sheikh Abdul Wahab. But more of interest to me is the larger tombstone to the right. For it belongs to a certan Sheikh Abdul Rahim Maharajalela, father to Sultan Ahmad Shah Johan Berdaulat who ruled Aceh in the early 18th century...

For couple Haji Muzaffar and Puan Suzana who came to Aceh for the first time, this visit to the tomb of Syiah Kuala was a big revelation.

Soon it's time to go to other places. Will continue another day...