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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.


Friday, April 16, 2010

Celebrating the Prophet's birthday in Aceh : Maulidur Rasul, the Ahlul Bait Sultan and a legacy from old Perlak

Soon came the time to go to Perlak, the actual place where we intend to celebrate the Maulidur Rasul or Prophet Muhammad SAW's birthday. This place lies eight hours away by road from Banda Aceh. Continued from the article Celebrating the Prophet's birthday in Aceh : The historical sites at Banda Aceh.


In the article The Aceh connection... made more than a month ago I've shown the picture above without making any explanation. Now let me tell you all dear readers this... the carvings seen with sharp points jutting out of every corner represent something from a bygone era of Aceh. While one is hardpressed to find such carvings at any present house or building in Aceh in this modern times, it is quite common at some old wooden infrastructures in Perak, Malaysia. When I first noticed such carvings in Perak while looking up my roots which led to Aceh, my heart tells me that it did originated from Aceh. But my trips to that part of the world in January 2004, June 2009 and January 2010 failed to offer any evidence...

The funny thing is I finally found this carving in my latest trip to Aceh at the end of February 2010, a trip made to celebrate the Maulidur Rasul (Prophet Muhammad SAW's) birthday in Perlak, an area which used to be the centre of the first Islamic kingdom in the Malay Archipelago ruled by an Ahlul Bait (the Prophet's descendant) since some 1,200 years ago...

What happened was on Thursday night we left Banda Aceh for Perlak. Since Perlak is now a small 'cowboy' town, we could only find proper lodging at Idi some 25 km north of Perlak. That's where we stayed, at a hotel called Bandar Khalifah which used to be the name of the central city of old Perlak. Friday morning as we waited for our convoy to get to the celebrations in Perlak, me, wife and baby stepped out of the hotel grounds and saw the carvings. A local then told us the carvings represented an era from old Perlak where similar carvings used to grace houses and buildings just like the ones I've seen in Perak!

Anyway soon we went to Perlak and arrived at the mosque of Nurun Niswah which was newly opened for the Maulidur Rasul celebration. While this is the main reason this trip to Aceh was made I won't elaborate much. Instead you can have a look at the video clips featured in the article Maulidur Rasul di Aceh : Majlis Maulud di Masjid Nurun Niswah, Perlak made in the Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU.


You see, frankly I was more excited at what's to come next, a visit to a certain tomb in a Perlak rural area just about 10 km or more from the mosque. Oh, posing in the picture is our friend Haji Muzaffar (left) and the young Imam (congregational prayer leader) of Banda Aceh's Baiturrahman mosque who followed us to Perlak. Funnily, they looked like they have been superimposed... must be due to combination of colours I guess...


The tomb belongs to Sultan Sayyid Maulana Abdul Aziz Shah whom I have mentioned earlier. Here's my wife and our baby posing in front of the tomb...



As for me, I just can't resist putting my red sash around the tombstone. No prize for guessing what the red sash is meant for. Those who know would just smile in understanding. That's all regarding Perlak... :]