BERPETUALANG KE ACEH: Hol (remembrance) ceremony of Tokku Paloh

Salam. On to the 5th day of the recent East Coast trip. Continuing from The coastal route from Kelantan to Terengganu.

The reason we went to Terengganu is to attend the Hol (remembrance) ceremony of the late Tokku Paloh, a famous religious master of saintly status who featuredly strongly in late 19th century and early 20th century Terengganu.

His name still features strongly in religious circles throughout Terengganu, in fact the whole of Malaysia and beyond. His grandchildren and great grandchildren are still much respected especially among Terengganu palace members and royal circle as he was teacher and religios master to the famous pious Sultan Zainal Abidin III who ruled Terengganu 1881 till 1918.

Living from 1817 till 1917 or so, his real name was Saiyid Abdur Rahman bin (son of) Saiyid Muhammad al-Aidrus.

He was much respected that Sultan Zainal Abidin III himself called Tokku Paloh the owner of Terengganu.

Tokku Paloh is well-known from doing miracles which scared the British colonialists. When he was still around, the intruders dare not invade Terengganu although they had strong intent to do so.

Here, I won't dwell on the miracles. You can look for the stories via Google.

Here I'd like to add that a grandchild of Tokku Palok, Syed Omar al-Aidrus is the religious master and adviser to the present Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin. It is said that the Sultan never makes any decision involving the state without getting Syed Omar's approval first.