"Berpetualang ke Aceh" prologue 1

Greeting dear readers. More than six months ago, I started this blog, my first ever in the shadowy realms of cyber space with these intentions in mind... First, to get me started writing in English again after leaving my job as journalist with mainstream English daily 6 years ago. My English writing has gone very rusty since then... I was too busy travelling in search of and studying my family roots which extend from Peninsular Malaysia up to Aceh and on to the Middle East especially Mecca and Madinah.
Second, to start an English translation/adaptation of my Malay novel, "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" (literally "The travel/trip to Aceh: In search of self and meaning"). I was told many would be interested if there is an English version. The problem is I am too busy taking care of other things and of course, my English writing is rusty...
And thus I started this blog so that I can start the translation process by taking bits and pieces, excerpts from the novel while at the same time making some semblance of English writing.
Too bad, up to date, I've made little progress in making the translations... So far, I've done some bits and posted here, pieces like The reason behind the fall of Melaka and The tale of Keramat Kuala Bidor which are just parts of the chapters inside the book. However while at Fraser's Hill last week, for the first time ever I actually managed to sit down and translate/adapt a whole chapter, the opening "Mukadimah: Mengapa Berpetualang" (literally "Prolouge: Why the travel").
I started by editting/streamlining the starting segment which was posted in this blog months ago under the heading Why Berpetualang! . There where words and sentences which could be presented better and I continued making the English adaptation and covered the whole prologue which is actually a chapter in itself.
As for presenting the chapter here, it is better to break it up into three parts because of the length. So without much further ado, here goes part one...

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WHY BERPETUALANG?

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;
Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
Master of the Day of Judgment.
Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.
Show us the straight way;
The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.

(Al-Fatihah – The Opening Verses of the Quran)

Four o’clock in the wee morning hours. Rasyid found it really hard to get a snooze. Felt like ages changing sides and contorting his body to all manners of shape and size just to get comfortable enough for a wink but nothing seemed to work. Rather than continuing this fruitless charade, might as well do something useful. He got up and went to the living room, then took out the Compaq Presario laptop which haven’t been touched for quite a while.
“Maybe I have to start writing again,” his heart whispered.
The lad began to recall his trip to Aceh 2 years ago, when the land also known as The Verandah of Mecca was under emergency rule by the military… A trip that must be made to find the answers to some questions that have been plaguing his mind since as long as he can remember.
There’s no denying it. Of late, Rasyid always have Aceh in mind. If the end of 2004 have seen the world in shock after the Tsunami of 26 December took some 200,000 lives in the war-stricken region, lately the 4 million or so remaining population there begin to see some glimmer of hope.
As it turns out, there is a silver lining behind the cloud. Behind all the casualties and infrastructures destroyed, the Indonesian Republic government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM. For the Malay equivalent – Gerakan Aceh Merdeka) were pushed to sit at the round-table. And so the most solid treaty ever between the two since Indonesia gained independence from the Dutch colonial powers in 1945 were struck. The visible result, GAM is willing to surrender the guns and weapons they’ve held for many years while the Indonesia military (TNI for the Malay words Tentera Nasional Indonesia) began to eliminate their presence at the war-stricken region in stages.
Rasyid who have been practically unemployed the last 4 years soon remembered his promise to write a book about Aceh. The work will contain pages of old sunken tales interwoven with the history of The Verandah of Mecca and its relation with the Malay Archipelago along with his travelling experience and relevant events.
Actually Rasyid already had all the relevant materials compiled for some time - in fact he already started writing a year ago. The title of the book has also long been decided on, a title which appeared at heart when he first stepped at the Aceh-North Sumatera border sometime ago. However, personal problems and many other worries got in the way until it all got too much... The seemingly never ending trials and tribulations he had to face in life made him felt so desolate and frustrated as if the whole world itself conspired to bring him down. And so he walked broken-hearted and lost his way in life.
Rasyid switched on the laptop and searched for the folder “Petualang”. Thank God, as soon as he saw the book cover’s design made a year ago using the Adobe Photoshop software at his adopted father Pak Syed’s office, a new resolution to continue his long-forgotten writing attempt blossomed. And so his finger danced as the story unfolds to the alluring background of the traditional music called Asyik whispering mystically from the laptop.
“Berpetualang ke Aceh? Sounds very disturbing,” said a friend, Asri upon hearing the title of the book. “Why ‘berpetualang’? Doesn’t it sound evil?”
As it turns out, the word has such a negative connotation in Malaysia but in Indonesia, it carries a totally different meaning, a positively adventurous one too but that is another story… For the record, officially Aceh is considered to be in Indonesia. But bear in mind some Acehnese would beg to differ as they considered theirs a free country which happens to be illegally ran by the Indonesians. So there…
“I thought ‘Petualang’ applies only to those who disturb the peace? Those who bring trouble and destruction? Aren’t you worried what people would say? This sounds rather like a communist manifesto!” the friend, a native of Lenggong in Perak badgered…
Malaysians in general have a very bad impression of the Communist because of the bloody disturbances they caused all over the country in the 60s to early 70s. In Malaysia , the word “Petualang” means trouble-maker, unlike in Indonesia where it means to travel with a purpose like searching for something... Or simply being adventurous. And so, in Malaysia words like “Petualang” are used to describe the Communist and traitors to the country while in Indonesia, it coul be used to describe someone going on a holiday!
Asri suggested the title changed to “Berkelana ke Aceh (Adventure to Aceh)” or “Mengembara ke Aceh (Travels to Aceh)”. Or maybe “Jejak-jejak Aceh (The Aceh tracks)” considering the story do cover actual travelling experiences coupled with history and tales.
Rasyid thought for a moment. Fair enough… No harm done using these titles. Don’t sound so bad either. It’s just that the titles are not strong enough to convey the explicit and implicit message of the story… They also sound like something out of a travel brochure when in fact, the stories included does carry with it a hint of rebelliousness (which the word “Petualang” does imply!)… Some sort of struggle that needs to be made public. So he explained to Asri but the friend seemed rather perplexed!
“Don’t be shocked!” Rasyid tried to smoothen things out. “The struggle and rebellion I meant is more on the inside, a spiritual process to understand the true Self. Anyway the world “petualang” does have a positive and healthy spin, so much so it can represent the struggle to make the truth prevail over falsehood.
“Here, look at this…” he continued while shoving an article titled “Music Tutur dan Futtuwah Aceh (Music, speech and brotherhood in Aceh)” by Otto Syamsuddin Ishak in the weekly Indonesian magazine Tempo, 12-18 July 2004.

Hikayat pra-kolonial lazimnya memuat petualangan anak raja budiman dalam meudagang (menuntut ilmu) hingga mendapatkan pengalaman sufistik, sebelum petualangan meraih kembali takhtanya. Banta Beuransah berada dalam petualangannya memasuki sebuah dunia aneka hayati yang penuh makna simbolis hingga terjelaskan selepas seorang aulia hadir. Dalam hikayat lain, Malem Diwa mengalami pengalaman sufistik. Dalam petualangannya untuk menolong para putri, ia selalu mengendarai Buraq, kenderaan Nabi Muhammad SAW saat berisra’-mikraj.

Loosely translated – The old pre-colonial tales usually contains the petualangan of the wise prince (in this context, travelling while learning the lessons and meaning of life) until he achieves the necessary Sufistic spiritual experience (most probably gnosis – the ‘merging’ with the source of all being) before he proceeds for petualangan to gain back his throne (in this context, the mission to establish truth over falsehood… As in returning the rightful heir and disposing the usurper to the throne). Banta Beuransah (an Acehnese folk hero) was in petualangan entering a colourful world of multi-delights full of symbolism (in an alternate universe? This is common in Malay folklore) until everything is explained through the presence of a saint. In another tale, Malem Dewa (another folk hero) had a Sufistic experience. In his petualangan to help the princess (he actually married three!), he often rode the Buraq (a kind of beast slightly resembling a horse, perhaps like the Pegasus), the Prophet Muhammad’s ride in his Isra’ Mikhraj (the night journey where he went from Mecca to Jerusalem before climbing up the seven heavens and above in very small space of time).

“So what’s the problem with “Berpetualang ke Aceh?” Rasyid asked. Enough said…

Bird-watching at Fraser's Hill?

So colourful... The scenery greeting visitors at Fraser's Hill for the international bird-watch race 23-24 June.

Two weeks ago a cousin who have long not been in contact suddenly called. It turns out, he just read a review on the "Berpetualang ke Aceh" book series which just came out in the Malay daily Berita Harian that day. The cousin was excited with the review and suggested that I do promotion at Fraser's Hill, in conjunction with the international bird-watch race this year. It happened that I attended the same event last year and it was apparent lots of participants and visitors made it festive, so came the urge to follow the cousin's suggestion.
Thursday, 21 June. And so I rushed to the late grandma's house in Raub where Mak Uda, mother to the cousin lives. Then I found out, unlike last year where the cousin went to Fraser's Hill with his in-laws, this year they couldn't make it as everyone was busy with their own affairs. I almost cancelled the plan to go there, if not for some 'coincidences' which I considered as signs that I must go up to Fraser's Hill. Therefore I took the opportunity of the presence of many people there for the bird race to promote my book.
Earlier, I thought I had to be in Raub until Monday in order to help family members. An uncle had an accident which prevented him from driving the car so Mak Uda asked me to be ready to act as the driver to sent the uncle's wife, Mak Ngah to and from work.
For the sake of the family, I announced my willingness to start 'service' the next day. As it turns out, Mak Ngah is on holiday Friday and then came other relatives who took over some task, and so I have free time to do whatever is liked. But it felt hard to go to Fraser's Hill as I don't have transport... Last year I went with my cousin by car...

That Friday, I went to the town of Raub alone by bus then walked almost a mile to Simpang Kallang to have ikan keli gulai asam rong (I can't make out the translation except it was a local dish using catfish) for lunch. As the new main mosque is rather far away while I don't have any transport, I was thinking of just doing the Zohor (afternoon prayer) at the old main mosque which is nearer. Anyhow, I was on travel, thus it was not compulsory to do the Jumaat congregational prayer.
On the way back to the town centre after lunch, I was thinking of dropping by the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant since my cousin did mention there is Internet wi-fi signal there which I might be able to hop on. A sweetheart then called making me so occupied such that I walked 3 blocks of shops past the Kentucky restaurant!
As it turns out, there is a good reason why this happened. The walk which saw me overshoot caused me to come across the cousin which happens to be at a photo shop. Therefore I could hop on his scooter to do the Friday prayers at the main mosque. Later we stopped by his in-laws' place and that's where the mother-in-law said, their is a twice a day bus service from Raub to Fraser's Hill.
Cutting short the story, and so I managed to get up there and do the book promotion for "Berpetualang ke Aceh"... But let the promotion story be featured in a different article ya, methinks for the "Catatan Si Merah Silu" blogspot only. Here, I just want to tell a story about what happened and the feel at and around Fraser's Hill 23-24 June. Come... :]

The big clock of Fraser's Hill. While sitting and resting at a spot, I could see a group of young female students, looked like secondary school student walking heading for the big clock with a camera each.
Not long later, there appeared an adult with much advanced camera equipment, looks like the teacher. This man asked them to take pictures of the big clock. "This is the identity of Fraser's Hill!" he said.

Some of the exhibition stalls set up for the Bukit Fraser bird-watch race. For information, the event held since 1988 (if not mistaken) is also attended by participants and visitors outside the country.
This gives the chance for any party to promote their goods or produce to a bigger crowd. Therefore there were stalls promoting batik and optical goods such as binoculars and camera lenses. In fact there were stalls promoting jungle growths especially in the state of Pahang.
In the picture's background is Puncak Inn which is also one of the identity buildings of Fraser's Hill. The rate here, if not mistaken is around RM50 to RM90 for a room per day, is said to be the cheapest at the hill resort station.

View of the exhibition stalls from a different angle. This area is also known as Fraser's Hill 'town centre'. The big clock (not seen in the picture) is situated left of the picture's background.

The Golf Club building which also served as the comittee and secretariat centre for Fraser's Hill international bird-watch race.
Oh... The race is a team event where each team must go to the designated areas and look for as many species of birds at the area and take notes. The team which finds the most type of birds is considered the winner.

Fraser's Hill big clock seen from a different angle. Seen here the self-designed bunting for promoting the book "Berpetualang ke Aceh" erected beside a tree, the first location for the bunting here in an experiment to see passers-by' reaction.

The festive atmosphere due to the number of visitors at Fraser's Hill.

A concert was also held to perk up the atmosphere. Seen here are members of the group Kopratasa on stage.

This is the mosque where I spent the night to spare expenses... It is situated some 500 metres uphill from the 'town centre'.
Not that I had a good sleep, after all I was actually having cold while counting on a jacket and two pairs of clothes to protect myself from the chilly night mountain air.
For information, Fraser's Hill is situated some 4,000 feet above sea level. The daily temperature is often around 22 Celsius during the day and 20 Celsius or below at night while I'm used to the temperature in Kuala Lumpur at a minimum of 27 Celsium and often reaches 31 Celsius and above.
The result, I couldn't sleep properly and often shaking in cold in fact often got stomach-ache and uncomfortable kidney. At 5.15 in the morning, I woke up again to go to the toilet and thus went straight for congregational Subuh (early morning prayers) before going down to the 'town centre' to set up the "Berpetualang ke Aceh" bunting. So tired woo not having enough sleep!

The atmosphere at the food outlet at the foot of Puncak Inn. Colourful isn't it?

Hmm... Enough of me story-telling ya. While writing this paragraph, the time is already past 2 in the morning (actually 4am when I made the English translation up to this point) when I actually haven't had dinner after returning for Kuala Lumpur city centre at 9... So busy to update the blogspots. Good night ya... :]

p/s: Perhaps some would ask, did I also watch some bird at Fraser's Hill? What more, isn't the title of this article "Bird-watching at Fraser's Hill"?

Hmm... Yes there's some species of birds seen flying everywhere. Maybe I can see more if I don't just stick around the 'town centre'... Maybe too I could find some birds in hiding if I brought my own binoculars.

What was sure, I met a beautiful 'bird', wearing head-scarf with a sweet and endearing smile. We got to know each other, share plenty of stories while walking about and I feel comfortable and like her.

It's just that I feel enough we become friends... I told this 'bird' that I still have feelings for the ex-wife especially when I think about our daughter. And I also have two girlfriends whom I love dearly. Enough that way...

A strange accident!

Look at the picture above. A BMW 3 series luxury car stuck inside a rather narrow drain sometime during the day... Look carefully. Actually, the width of the drain is not enough to accomodate the height of the car, so how did the car got stuck in such a way? Why not stuck beside the drain?
More curious, the drain is situated beside a small road at a housing estate in Ampang... The main road which is Jalan Ampang is actually behind the barriers and the witnesses along with those present as seen in the picture.
From a logical point of view, maybe it is easy to accept this accident if the drain is situated immediately next to the main road with no barrier in-between... Or the barrier has been hit until broken causing the car to plunge into the drain because the car was driven fast and then went out of control.

This can be considered common at the main roads where many often drive fast. How can such a thing happen at a small road which I know have many bumps? A road where people often drive below the speed of 30 km/h?

This rather strange accident made many people stop to have a look while being dumb-founded. Many where perplexed how can such a big car plunge and then fit nicely inside a drain which is not that big...
The incident made me feel obliged to take pictures for record. In fact I feel I must tell the story in all my three blogspots before I can continue with any sort of other writing!
It turns out, that is not enough... I thought what is told above is already strange enough. Actually, there is one more fact of incident which is far more curious!
I was told, the car came from the opposite direction before having the accident and got stuck inside the drain. If it was from the opposite direction, shouldn't it be the back part of the car which should be visible from where I was standing to take the picture? Why am I looking at the front part of the car instead?
According to one of those present, the car made at least one spin before getting stuck in the position seen here. Ait? Making a spin and then falling just enough to fit inside the rather narrow drain? Ouch... It gives headache thinking about how this incident happened!

Look again, from a different angle. Strange isn't it the position of the car?
Whatever, I was told the driver is safe, maybe suffering some minor cuts and bruises although he (or she?) was said to have driven rather fast when taking a corner at the housing estate until the accident happened.
What is sure, there was no hint of blood seen as often the case in fatal accidents which caused death or those involved to suffer badly. The side-mirror at the driver's side which was opened without any thrace of the mirror being smashed shows that at least the driver managed to escape rather comfortably.
Imagine if the side-mirror was closed and the the driver trapped inside? What would it be like?
Imagine now if the mirror can't be opened and the accident happened during heavy rain which often cause flash flood. For all we know, there would be fatality!

The car being pulled out using a pick-up lorry... As usual, Malaysians are rather 'conscious' whenever there's a road accident. Many are ready to contribute 'expertise' by sitting or standing looking on wide-mouthed... Or busy forwarding 'theories' on how an accident can happen, haha!

Whatever, thank God, the BMW 3 series was succesfully brought out. Now, I can continue with other writings ya... Keep on reading!

So refreshing Janda Baik!

View of the river of Chemperoh and its ravines from a foodstall besides the road. The river is one among many going through the village area of Janda Baik, Bentong, Pahang.
Not far from here is a surau (small praying hall) often frequented by Tabligh followers ( a group of staunch Muslims who try to emulate closely the way of living of the Prophet and his companions) and those who want to meditate, worshipping in peace away from the madness of the outside crowd. The surau is also one of my place of lodging when in Janda Baik.

Say, "Let me inform you of a much better deal: for those who lead a righteous life, reserved at their Lord, are gardens with flowing streams, and pure spouses, and joy in God's blessings." God is Seer of His worshipers.

- Verse 15 from the Chapter of Ali Imran in the Quran

Peace be upon you dear readers. Today, I am moved to share some pictures taken in and around Kampung (the village of) Janda Baik, in the district of Bentong, Pahang... While taking a rest there last week. This refreshing village area is situated on a valley in Banjaran Titiwangsa (the main mountain range in Peninsular Malaysia), at a height of 1,400 feet and more above sea level.
For information, it is the one and only highland in Malaysia that is gazetted as a Malay Reserve Land (meaning only Malays can own the land). The other highland areas seemed to be controlled or owned by other races. Look at Genting Highlands (where exist the only legal casino in Malaysia) which is situated not far from here for example...
These pictures are given according to a sequence of events and travelling. Please look carefully and follow the pace of story-telling which came spontaneously . God willing, behind all this, there will be some sort of transmission of subtle esotoric knowledge for all... Go on!

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This pictorial tale is started with a picture taken immediately after embarking off the Kuala-Lumpur-Bentong-Raub bus. To reach Janda Baik by bus, one must stop at the small township of Bukit Tinggi situated beside the highway.
Inside the picture is the Selesa Hill Homes resort at the back. In front are the flats mostly dwelt by outsiders working in and around Janda Baik and Bukit Tinggi.

This is the walking path that must be taken from the bus-stop to the small town of Bukit Tinggi. The bus-stop heading towards Kuala Lumpur is situated right next to the town while the stop for those heading to Bentong and Raub where I embarked is situated almost half a kilometre further away!


The underground tunnel crossing the highway to get to the small town of Bukit Tinggi.

The minute I got out of the tunnel, there looms a pasar lambak (the local variety market) held on Tuesday

So this is the small town of Bukit Tinggi. Originally, it was a new village area for assembling Malaysia citizens of Chinese origin, created in the 1960s to combat the problem of Communist insurgency rampant then.
Most locals here do business and grow vegetables including around the area of Genting Sempah (near the underground highway tunnel cutting through the mountains) where first grade ginger are grown for export overseas. There are Bukit Tinggi locals who take, even grow vegetables in Janda Baik which is a Malay Reserve Land and send it to the retail wet market in Selayang, Kuala Lumpur.

The view at the pasar lambak in Bukit Tinggi. The word "pasar lambak" is normally used in Muar, Johor where I was born. In Kuala Lumpur, markets such as this are called pasar malam (literally translated as "night market")
Since this picture is taken in the afternoon, it didn't feel right to call it as pasar malam. So let me just use the words pasar lambak ya...


This picture is taken the following day, from the house of Puan Ainon, the owner of PTS, a book publishing company which now features as one of the biggest local outfit in the field. At times, I would drop at the house to use the Internet wi-fi line. Too bad, there is a problem with the line, forcing Puan Ainon and her husband to go down to Kuala Lumpur to continue their work.


This is the picture of a house, taken from the lawn at Puan Ainon's home. For information, in and around Janda Baik, there are many more big and luxurious houses owned by the rich, also the powerful who make this village as their weekend hide-away place.

This is a picture of a tree which grows in the middle of the river next to the village hall and mosque of Janda Baik. Forgot the name of the river but the area is known as Pulau Santap.
According to local tale, it is called Pulau Santap as it was the favourite area for the Pahang royal family to rest and have meals especially during the reign of Sultan Abu Bakar, father to the current Sultan of Pahang.

The same river seen from a different angle. If I'm not mistaken, behind the big rocks there used to exist a pile of sand making up a small island which became the place for the Pahang royal family of old to rest and have meals... That is why it is called Pulau Santap (literally, "the island for having royal meals)!



This is the playing field in front of Janda Baik primary school. This is where the local village youngters play football in the afternoon.



This picture is taken while walking back from Pulau Santap to the river of Chemperoh. In the background is Mount Nuang at around 5,000 feet above sea level, the highest mountain in the state of Selangor.
The summit is situated at the borders of Selangor and Pahang. Not far from the summit also is the border of Negeri Sembilan, that is in Kenaboi.
I've climbed the mountain alone and got lost for over 19 hours. The story is told in my first book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" (literally, "The trip to Aceh: In search of self and meaning) or BKA I.

So this is the "town" of Janda Baik... There is a shop which is the local mini-market with 2-3 small restaurants, also a bus-stop for the Janda Baik to Bentong service.
This area is also known as Simpang Tiga (T-Junction)... One junction to the Chemperoh river and the area further on, a junction to Bukit Tinggi and on to Bentong also to Kuala Lumpur and a junction to Pulau Santap where the road winds far before connecting back to the route to Bukit Tinggi.
If you want to go to Kuala Lumpur, you can take the bus from here to Bukit Tinggi, 10 kilometers away. Then wait for the Raub-Bentong-Kuala Lumpur bus which appears every half an hour.
The problem is, the Janda-Baik to Bentong service is available only 3 times a day. So I prefer to hitchike the bikes, cars. even lorries carrying vegetables to get in and out of Janda Baik.

This picture is taken while walking from Simpang Tiga to Sungai Chemperoh. At first, I saw a calf running around making sounds as if looking for the mum. Then I saw these three cows...


This is a picture of a section of the Chemperoh river running beside the lawns of my adopted father's home, the political writer S.H. Alattas' house. For information, I used to lodge at this place for over 2 years. During the time, the house was the "headquarters" for me to rest before travelling all over.


The scene at a food-stall besides the Chemperoh river. A picture of the river taken from this food-stall is the one that made the first picture to grace this article.

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Hmm... Methinks, enough story-telling for the day ya... While relaxing and looking at these refreshing pictures, hopefully we become more enlighten to see God's greatness apparent or hidden along with the lessons to be learned behind all this, God willing, so long! :]

Flood in Kuala Lumpur 2007... Is there a hidden meaning behind it?

Picture of the area for taking wuduk (ablution). Note the mud in the way...

Peace be upon you readers. Today, I went to several places in and around Kuala Lumpur especially the city centre to settle a few things regarding the book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal" (literally translated as "The trip to Aceh: Advocating the true faith"). During travel, I witnessed how the flood that ravaged some parts of the metropolis due to the heavy non-stop rain for more than 3 hours last night had destroyed so many goods especially at the shops. The mud left was also very apparent at many places, in fact some left such a bad smell like that of drains or toilet that has not been washed for long.
At first, I didn't want to take notice of the flood's aftermath as I was busy figuring out things related to my book while making updates of what is necessary using the laptop computer that is often brought along everywhere. But upon seeing the amount of mud and dirt at Masjid Jamek (main mosque) of Kuala Lumpur while on the way to perform the Asar (late afternoon) prayers, came the urge to take some pictures and then write a story alongside the interpretation of events that came suddenly.

The congregation was forced to pray at the mosque's verandah area, not inside the main hall because of all the dirt left by the flood overnight...

Look at the picture above where the congregation was forced to perform the prayers at the mosque's verandah. While looking at the mud and dirt brought by the flood at the mosque's compound, suddenly there emerged a question upon the heart... Is there any hidden meaning behind all these? Coincidently the flood yesterday happened a day after there occurs the marriage of Malaysia's 5th Prime Minister Pak Lah (as Abdullah Badawi is fondly known) to a widow of mixed parentage Jeanne Abdullah who was the sister-in-law to Pak Lah's late wife, Datin Endon. Is there a relationship between all these?
As a Muslim, although I don't belong among the pious and knowledgable ones, I feel it is high time Pak Lah choose a wife who wears the head-scarf. This is because Pak Lah is carrying the image of a pious leader who should forward the advantages and purity of Islam and he hails from a lineage of religious scholars - His grandfather Haji Abdullah Fahim was the mufti (head of religious matters) of Pulau Pinang and is considered as a very reputable religious scholar. If the late Datin Endon don't want to wear the headscarf, hopefully the new wife is more willing to follow the prescriptions of Islam, God willing!
Regarding the wearing of headscarf, perhaps some would argue that it is a matter of individual rights... It is better not to wear the headscarf than to wear it just in order to please other people. In this matter, I feel it is better to wear the headscarf to please people eventhough one will be accused of not being sincere. Maybe one is not ready to cover the aurat (body parts that should not be exposed according to Islamic prescriptions) but God will surely take account of the good intention of a wife who wears the headscarf in order to safeguard the good name of the husband and family especially when the husband is being related to religious scholars and those who fight for Islam.

The Masjid Jamek (main mosque) of Kuala Lumpur as seen from the front. The mud and dirt brought by the flood last night was not apparent in the picture... Try going closer. For sure you'll notice the dirt that stains the purity...

OK... Back to the hidden meaning behind things. Is there any relationship between the flood that carries dirt and mud all over Kuala Lumpur to Pak Lah's marriage? I don't know. What I do know, my heart keeps saying that there must be a meaning behind all these happenings... A meaning that forced the mosque's congregation to pray at the verandah, not inside the main hall of the mosque which is not just any ordinary place - Its position at the meeting of the Gombak and Klang rivers is the starting point of the origins of the city of Kuala Lumpur itself!
As many know, it is during the time of Pak Lah's administration that so many cases happens such that never took stage in Malaysia... A group of non-Malay leaders dared to question Article 11 of the Constitution touching on a Malaysian citizen's right to religion... Lina Joy (which took the limelights because of the gravity of the case) challenged the courts so that a Muslim may be allowed to leave the religion and convert using the process of law. Besides that, I'm sure many knew how the main companies in Malaysia have received "injections of cash" from a neighbouring country. Looking at the flood's aftermath all around the city especially at he mosque, my heart says... This means something is not right.
As it is, in the art of divination and interpreting dreams, water is often related to money and wealth. So, a dream where we see a lot of water like looking at a river, the sea, even a flood is said to be a sign that we will receive money and overflowing wealth. What if the water brings so much dirt that people are forced to get out of the mosque and pray at the verandah? What is the meaning of this?
At the same time, a thought occured... From one point of view, the "injection of cash" which came in the form of purchase of Malaysia's main companies (such as through buying of shares) by certain parties from a neighbouring country can be considered as the advent of overflowing wealth which managed to push up the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange to its highest gain above 1,300 points. Of course, it is good for business but is it really good for the man on the street especially the Malay Muslims who form the backbone of the country's existence?
Look at Pasar Seni (literally translated as "market for arts") or Central Market where the rent for space reputedly has been raised from RM600 a month to RM2,000 a month after it was taken over by a company owned by a neighbouring country. Look, what happened to the Malay traders who used to form a part of the identity of Pasar Seni... Where are they now? Methinks, they've become like those sitting beside bags of rice but with no chance of having a taste of rice!
Hmm... Enough of letting out steam. Do look at the snapshots below to have a picture of last night's flood aftermath which happened a day after Pah Lah got married.

Picture in front of the Mc Donald outlet beside the main mosque. Look at the piles of rubbish and goods damaged by the flood. At the time, it was around 5 in the afternoon, the area was having a blackout.

Jalan Melaka with some parts still immersed in mud, just beside the LRT (Light Railway Transit) of Masjid Jamek.




The flood aftermath around the area of Masjid India. Plenty of goods especially clothings where damaged becaused of the flood which went up not less than 2 feet deep. Visible in the picture is a sale where women's headscarf which normally cost RM10 each is being sold at RM3 a piece.
Next to this shop (not visible in picture) is a sale for Indian-made silk. The silk normally cost RM80 a piece but now is being sold at RM20 each, all because it was spoiled by the flood and must be washed and cleaned by prospective buyers.

The traffic jam at Lebuh Ampang caused by works to clean rubbish left by the flood.

Look, how the road is temporarily blocked so that the rubbish can be carried away.

This is the dirt and mud left at a lane beside Lebuh Ampang. The tall building in the backgroud is the Kuala Lumpur City Hall building!

Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani's academic years

For reasons I'm not sure of, today I feel like updating this blogspot with some stories regarding the life of the Sultanul Awliya, King of Saints Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani. I mean I know at this juncture I want to update this blogspot so as to make it my 55th posting here - For some unknown reasons too, somehow I always relate this number with a particular girl in my life and nowadays, this number is shared with another girl too. But why these particular stories on the great Sufi Saint? I don't know as I was actually surfing for stories on Sheikh Junaid Al-Baghdadi who lived 200 years earlier but came across this one instead. So here goes...

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Shaikh ABD AL-QAADIR AL-JILANI ENTERS BAGHDAD:

The city of Baghdad was blessed with the presence al-Ghawth al-A’zam Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. in the year 488 A.H. When he arrived in Baghdad, Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. already spent the forty Dirhams given to him by his mother. Without any money, he began to spend his days in hunger and poverty. Due to immense poverty, he went towards the Arcade of Chosroes in search of Halaal food. When he reached the Arcade, he found that there were already seventy Awliya Allah in search of Halaal food. Since he did not wish to be in their way, he returned to Baghdad.
On his way back, he met a traveller from Jilan. When he heard that Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. was from Jilan, he asked him if he knew a young man by the name of “Abd al-Qaadir”. Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. informed him that he was Abd al-Qaadir. The traveller then handed a block of gold to Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. saying that it had been sent to him by his mother. When Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. heard this, he immediately made the Shukr of Almighty Allah. He then returned to the Arcade of Chosroes where he presented most of the gold to the Awliya Allah who were in search of food. He then took a little for himself and returned to Baghdad.
On his return to Baghdad, he prepared meals and fed the poor and then shared this meal with them. This alone shows the character of the great Ghaus that even though he was without food, he first gave most of his gold to the Awliya Allah, then fed the poor before eating the the food himself. Without doubt, this is the sign of a true servant of Allah.
It was in this manner that the life of al-Ghawth al-A’zam Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. commenced in the holy city of Baghdad.

ATTAINING AND COMPLETION OF ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE

After a few days in Baghdad Shareef, al-Ghawth al-A’zam Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. enrolled for academic studies at the famous Jamia Nizamia, which was the centre of learning and spiritualism in the Islamic world. Teachers of great calibre and piety tutored here.
Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. studied with great sincerity and dedication.
Amongst his teachers were: Abul Wafa Ali bin Aqeel, Abu Zakariyah Yahyaa bin Ali Tabrezi, Abu Saeed bin Abdul Kareem, Abul Anaa’im Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad, Abu Sa’eed bin Mubaarak Makhzoomi, and Abul Khair Hamaad bin Muslim Al Dabbas r.a. He attained the knowledge of Qirah, Tafseer, Hadith, Fiqh, Shari’ah and Tareeqah from the above-mentioned Ulama.
He also excelled in all these subjects. In the field of Adab, his teacher was Allama Abu Zakariyah Tabrezi r.a. who was a great Aalim of his time. He was also the author of various Kitaabs such as “Tafseerul Quraan Wal E’raab”, “Sharah Qasaa’idul Ashr”a“Sharah Diwaan Abi Tamaam”. In the field of Fiqh and Usool-e-Fiqh, his teachers were: Shaikh Abul Wafa bin Aqeel Hambali, Abul Hassan Muhammad bin Qaazi Abul Ulaa and Shaikh Abul Khataab Mahfooz Hambali, and Qaazi Abu Sa’eed Mubaarak bin Ali Makhzoomi Hambali r.a.
In the field of Hadith, he attained knowledge from the following Ulama: Sayyidi Abul Barkaat Talhaa Al Aaqooli, Abul Ana’im Muhammad bin Ali bin Maimoon Al Farsi, Abu Uthmaan Ismaeel bin Muhammad Al Isbihaani, Abu Ghaalib Muhammad bin Hassan Al Baaqilaani, Abu Muhammad Jaafar bin Ahmad binil Husaini, Sayyidi Muhammad Mukhtaar Al Haashmi, Sayyidi Abu Mansoor Abdur Rahmaan Al Qaz’zaaz, Abul Qaasim Ali bin Ahmad Ban’naan Al Karghi After intense studies, Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. qualified from Jamia Nizamia. During this period, there was no Aalim present on the earth who was more knowledgeable and pious than Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a.

HARDSHIPS FACED DURING STUDIES

While studying in Baghdad, he faced many hardships and was tested severely by the life of Baghdad. Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. himself used to say: “The hardship and difficulties that I faced in Baghdad during my studies were so severe that if they had to be placed on a mountain, then even the mountain would split in two.” He also used to say: “When the hardships and difficulties would become unbearable, then I would lay on the road and continuosly recite the Ayah of the Holy Quran, ‘Then without doubt there is easiness with shortages, without doubt there is easiness with shortages’. By making takraar of this Ayah I used to find great tranquillity and peace.”
After adjourning from classes, he used to wander into the jungles and forests of Baghdad where he used to spend the entire night in the Zikr of Almighty Allah. He did this regardless of the weather conditions or season. If he become tired and weak, he would rest for a while making the ground his bed and a boulder his pillow. During these nights of Zikr, he would dress in a small turban and a thin cloak. If he became hungry, he used to go towards the river Euphrates and eat whatever vegetables he could find beside the river. He always said that he gained much pleasure in this way of life and it caused him to gain closeness to Almighty Allah.

PATIENCE DURING A SEVERE DROUGHT:

Once, while he was studying, the city of Baghdad experienced a severe drought. The conditions in Baghdad became so desperate that people became dependant on every grain that they could find. When there was no more grain, people began to eat plants and leaves from trees. During this time, al-Ghawth al-A’zam r.a. used to also go out in search for food. But when he saw others in search of food, he would return to the city empty-handed, as he did not feel it appropriate to impose by disturbing others whom he thought needed food more than he did. Many days had passed by without him eating.
Due to intense hunger, he was compelled to go out in search of food towards a market in Baghdad known as Sooqur Raihaanain”. As he entered the market, his hunger had made him so weak and tired, that be could not stand anymore. He saw a Musjid nearby and slowly dragged himself towards it. He entered the Musjid and sat against one of the walls of the Musjid to support his now tired and weak body. He sat there for a while. Then he saw a person enter the Musjid. The person sat in one corner and opened a parcel in which there was fried meat and bread. Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. reported this incident that the person then began to have this meal. Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. says: “The intensity of my hunger was so great that every time the person lifted a morsel of food to his mouth, my mouth would open uncontrollably with his and would wish that I also had something to eat.”
When this continued happening, al-Ghawth al-A’zam r.a. turned to his nafs and said, “Do not be impatient. Have trust and faith in Almighty Allah.” After saying these words he did not feel this way anymore. After a little while, this person came to Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. uninvited and offered him some food. Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. kindly declined, but the person insisted. Upon such insistence, Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. joined him in his meal.
Whilst eating, the person asked al-Ghawth al-A’zam r.a. about himself. He explained to him that he was from Jilan and that he was in Baghdad to attain knowledge. The person then said that he was also from Jilan and asked if he knew the person of the name of Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. answered by saying, ‘My name is Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani.”
When the man heard this, with tears in his eyes, he stood before Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. and said, “Please forgive me for I have misused that which was given to me in trust.” Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. asked the stranger to explain what he meant. The stranger then said: “When I was leaving Jilan, I met an old woman, who gave me eight Dirhams in trust that I should give it to her son, Abd al-Qaadir, who is studying in Baghdad. O Abd al-Qaadir! The food that I was eating was from the eight Dirhams that your mother had given for you. I had been searching for you but could not find you and due to this, my stay in Baghdad was extended. This caused my money to run out and out of extreme hunger, I used some of your money to purchase this food that we ate. O Abd al-Qaadir! It is not I that fed you, but it is you that fed me. Please forgive me for abusing that which was given to me in trust (Amaanah).”
Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a., with great gentleness and affection, held the stranger to his heart and praised him for his honesty and his sincerity. He then gave the remainder of the food and a portion of the eight Dirhams to the stranger and bid him farewell.
This incident indicates in clear terms that Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. was concerned more with the needs of others than those of his own. Notwithstanding his dire need in the circumstances, he remained sensitive to the plight of this stranger. This act of selflessness alone is a lesson in the behaviour that one should adopt.

A LION OF ALLAH:

Shaikh Abdullah Salmi r.a. states that he heard the following astonishing incident from Al-Ghawth al-A’zam Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. The Great Ghawth said: “Once during my studies in Baghdad, I had nothing to eat for many days. One day, in this condition, I was on my way to a small street called ‘Qat’eeya Sharfiya’. Here, there was a Musjid, which used to be empty. I used to sit there by myself and revise my lessons for the next day. On my way to Mohalla Qat’eeya, I met a stranger who gave me a piece of paper and asked me to take it to a certain shop. Very surprised, I did as he asked. When I got to the shop, I gave the piece of paper to the owner, who in turn kept this piece of paper and gave me roti (bread) and halwa (sweets). I took this roti and halwa and went into the Musjid where I used to revise my lessons. I sat down for a while and decided to eat a piece of bread and some halwa when I saw a piece of paper beside the wall.
I picked it up and saw the following words written on it, ‘Almighty Allah has stated in one of the past Books, that the Lions of Allah have no desire for the pleasures of this world. Desires and pleasure (in food) are for the old and weak who depend on this to gain strength for Ibadah. When I read this my entire body began to tremble in the fear of Allah causing all the hair on my body to stand on end. I immediately removed the desire of eating from my mind and read two Rakahs of Salaah and then left the Musjid without eating.”

ENCOUNTER WITH A PIOUS SERVANT OF ALLAH

It was a common practice during harvesting season in Baghdad Shareef for students to get together at a nearby village called “Baaqooba” and to ask the farmers for some grain from their annual harvest. In those days, the people showed great respect to students and happily gave them grain. On one occasion, the students, who were in the class of Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a., insisted that he accompany them to the village of Baaqooba. Since he did not want to disappoint them, he accompanied them to the village. When they reached there, Al-Ghawth al-A’zam r.a. heard that a pious servant of Allah, by the name of Shareef Baaqoobi lived in this village. Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. decided to meet this pious servant to obtain his blessings. When Shareef Baaqoobi saw Al-Ghawth al-A’zam r.a. Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a., he immediately recognised that this was the Qutb-e-Zaman. He told him: “0 my son! Those who strive in the path of Allah do not sketch their hands out to anyone but Allah. You seem to be amongst the chosen servants of Allah. For you to ask for grain (from the people of Baaqooba) is contrary to your status.”
Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. states: “From that day onwards, I never accompanied anyone on such trips and I never asked anything from anyone again.”

ASSISTANCE FROM THE UNSEEN:

One day, the Great Ghawth r.a. was studying in the jungle when he heard a voice from the Unseen call to him: “O Abd al-Qaadir! You have not eaten in days and most of your time is being spent in studies. Go to someone and get something on credit. It is the Sunnah of the Ambiya.”
When Al-Ghawth al-A’zam r.a. heard this, he replied that he could not take anything on credit, as he had no means of repaying this credit. The voice answered: Do not worry about this. Repaying your credit is Our responsibility.”
After receiving this message, he went to a shop and requested the shopkeeper for some food on credit. He said: "I would like for you to give me one and a half rotis (slices of bread) daily on credit, which I will repay when I have the means, and if I die before this, then you should pardon my credit.”
The shopkeeper, being a pious servant of Allah, began to cry when he heard these words of Al-Ghawth al-A’zam r.a. He repled: “Take anything that you wish to take from my shop and whenever you wish to do so.”
From that day onwards, he used to take one and a half rotis (bread) daily. The days passed by rapidly and Al-Ghawth al-A’zam r.a. began to worry about the money that he owed. One day, he was engrossed in this thought when the same Voice from the Unseen called to him and said: “O Abd al-Qaadir! Go to a certain place and whatever you find there, give it to the shopkeeper”.
Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. went to that spot that he was commanded to go to. There, he found a piece of gold. He took this piece of gold and gave it to the shopkeeper thus paying off his credit.

ATTAINMENT OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE

After the completion of his academic studies, Al-Ghawth al-A’zam r.a. did not cease in his quest for in-depth spiritual knowledge. To quench this spiritual thirst, Almighty Allah presented him with the opportunity of coming under the guidance of Shaikh Ham’maad bin Muslim Ad Dab’baas r.a. He was amongst the superior Mashaa’ikh of Baghdad Shareef.
Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. states that there came a time in Baghdad when there was an abundance of fitna (fighting) and fasaad (trouble). Since he did not want any part of this, he decided to leave Baghdad Shareef for a more peaceful environment. Al-Ghawth al-A’zam r.a. says: “I made my intention to leave Baghdad due to the unsuitable conditions and I was on my way out of Baghdad, when from the Unseen, some great strength pushed me so hard that that I fell to the ground. Then, I heard a Voice from the Unseen say, ‘Do not leave here. The creation of Allah will gain benefit through you.’ On hearing this, I said, ‘What do I have to do with the people? All that I want is to protect my Deen (Imaan).’ The Voice then said, ‘No, No, It is of utmost importance for you to remain here. No harm will come to your Deen (Imaan).’
“I immediately changed my mind and I remained in Baghdad for the Pleasure of Allah. The very next day, as I was passing through a street, a man opened the door of his house and called to me. He said: ‘O Abd al-Qaadir! What did you ask from your Creator yesterday?’ With these words and in great Jalaal, he closed the door of his house. I walked for some time and then realised that I had made a grave error. This person was a Wali. If he wasn’t then he would not have known what had happened the previous day. I went in search for his door but was unsuccessful. Thereafter, I looked for him wherever I went, until one day I saw him in a Majlis. I stayed in his company from then onwards. This personality was Sayyidi Ham’maad bin Muslim Ad’ Dab’baas r.a.
Shaikh Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani r.a. gained deep spiritual knowledge from Shaikh Ham’maad r.a., who was originally from Syria. He was born in a village near Damascus. He travelled to Baghdad and lived in a place called Muzaffariyyab until his demise in 525 A.H. His Mazaar is in the Shawneezia Cemetery in Baghdad Shareef.

Parliament of the birds

Greetings earthlings! Today I feel like updating this blogspot with parts of the works of the eminent Sufi poet Fariduddin Attar. I'm sure anyone who is slightly acquainted with the world of Sufi poems would recognise his works especially the Mathnawi and Mantiq at Thair (Parliament of the birds). So here goes the English translation rendered by Edward Fitzgerald...

Bird Parliament

by Edward FitzGerald

Once on a time from all the Circles seven

Between the stedfast Earth and rolling Heaven

THE BIRDS, of all Note, Plumage, and Degree,

That float in Air, and roost upon the Tree;

And they that from the Waters snatch their Meat,

And they that scour the Desert with long Feet;

Birds of all Natures, known or not to Man,

Flock'd from all Quarters into full Divan,

On no less solemn business than to find

Or choose, a Sultan Khalif of their kind,

For whom, if never theirs, or lost, they pined.

The Snake had his, 'twas said; and so the Beast

His Lion-lord: and Man had his, at least:

And that the Birds, who nearest were the Skies,

And went apparell'd in its Angel Dyes.

Should be without—under no better Law

Than that which lost all other in the Maw—

Disperst without a Bond of Union—nay,

Or meeting to make each the other's Prey—

This was the Grievance—this the solemn Thing

On which the scatter'd Commonwealth of Wing,

From all the four Winds, flying like to Cloud

That met and blacken'd Heav'n, and Thunder-loud

With Sound of whirring Wings and Beaks that clash'd

Down like a Torrent on the Desert dash'd:

Till by Degrees, the Hubbub and Pell-mell

Into some Order and Precedence fell,

And, Proclamation made of Silence, each

In special Accent, but in general Speech

That all should understand, as seem'd him best,

The Congregation of all Wings addrest.

And first, with Heart so full as from his Eyes

Ran weeping, up rose Tajidar the Wise;

The mystic Mark upon whose Bosom show'd

That He alone of all the Birds THE ROAD

Had travell'd: and the Crown upon his Head

Had reach'd the Goal; and He stood forth and said:

'O Birds, by what Authority divine

I speak you know by His authentic Sign,

And Name, emblazon'd on my Breast and Bill:

Whose Counsel I assist at, and fulfil:

At His Behest I measured as he plann'd

The Spaces of the Air and Sea and Land;

I gauged the secret sources of the Springs

From Cloud to Fish: the Shadow of my Wings

Dream'd over sleeping Deluge: piloted

The Blast that bore Sulayman's Throne: and led

The Cloud of Birds that canopied his Head;

Whose Word I brought to Balkis: and I shared

The Counsel that with Asaf he prepared.

And now you want a Khalif: and I know

Him, and his whereabout, and How to go:

And go alone I could, and plead your cause

Alone for all: but, by the eternal laws,

Yourselves by Toil and Travel of your own

Must for your old Delinquency atone.

Were you indeed not blinded by the Curse

Of Self-exile, that still grows worse and worse,

Yourselves would know that, though you see him not,

He is with you this Moment, on this Spot,

Your Lord through all Forgetfulness and Crime,

Here, There, and Everywhere, and through all Time.

But as a Father, whom some wayward Child

By sinful Self-will has unreconciled,

Waits till the sullen Reprobate at cost

Of long Repentance should regain the Lost;

Therefore, yourselves to see as you are seen,

Yourselves must bridge the Gulf you made between

By such a Search and Travel to be gone

Up to the mighty mountain Kaf, whereon

Hinges the World, and round about whose

KneesInto one Ocean mingle the Sev'n Seas;

In whose impenetrable Forest-folds

Of Light and Dark "Symurgh" his Presence holds;

Not to be reach'd, if to be reach'd at all

But by a Road the stoutest might apal;

Of Travel not of Days or Months, but Years—

Life-long perhaps: of Dangers, Doubts, and Fears

As yet unheard of: Sweat of Blood and Brain

Interminable—often all in vain—

And, if successful, no Return again:

A Road whose very Preparation scared

The Traveller who yet must be prepared.

Who then this Travel to Result would bring

Needs both a Lion's Heart beneath the Wing,

And even more, a Spirit purified

Of Worldly Passion, Malice, Lust, and Pride:

Yea, ev'n of Worldly Wisdom, which grows dim

And dark, the nearer it approaches Him,

Who to the Spirit's Eye alone reveal'd,

By sacrifice of Wisdom's self unseal'd;

Without which none who reach the Place could bear

To look upon the Glory dwelling there.'

One Night from out the swarming City Gate

Stept holy Bajazyd, to meditate

Alone amid the breathing Fields that lay

In solitary Silence leagues away,

Beneath a Moon and Stars as bright as Day.

And the Saint wondering such a Temple were,

And so lit up, and scarce one worshipper,

A voice from Heav'n amid the stillness said:

'The Royal Road is not for all to tread,

Nor is the Royal Palace for the Rout,

Who, even if they reach it, are shut out.

The Blaze that from my Harim window breaks

With fright the Rabble of the Roadside takes;

And ev'n of those that at my Portal din,

Thousands may knock for one that enters in.'

Thus spoke the Tajidar: and the wing'd Crowd,

That underneath his Word in Silence bow'd,

Clapp'd Acclamation: and their Hearts and Eyes

Were kindled by the Firebrand of the Wise.

They felt their Degradation: they believed

The word that told them how to be retrieved,

And in that glorious Consummation won

Forgot the Cost at which it must be done.

'They only long'd to follow: they would go

Whither he led, through Flood, or Fire, or Snow'—

So cried the Multitude. But some there were

Who listen'd with a cold disdainful air,

Content with what they were, or grudging Cost

Of Time or Travel that might all be lost;

These, one by one, came forward, and preferr'd

Unwise Objection: which the wiser Word

Shot with direct Reproof, or subtly round

With Argument and Allegory wound.

The Pheasant first would know by what pretence

The Tajidar to that pre-eminence

Was raised—a Bird, but for his lofty Crest

(And such the Pheasant had) like all the Rest—

Who answer'd—'By no Virtue of my own

Sulayman chose me, but by His alone:

Not by the Gold and Silver of my Sighs

Made mine, but the free Largess of his Eyes.

Behold the Grace of Allah comes and goes

As to Itself is good: and no one knows

Which way it turns: in that mysterious Court

Not he most finds who furthest travels for't.

For one may crawl upon his knees Life-long,

And yet may never reach, or all go wrong:

Another just arriving at the Place

He toil'd for, and—the Door shut in his Face:

Whereas Another, scarcely gone a Stride,

And suddenly—Behold he is Inside!—

But though the Runner win not, he that stands,

No Thorn will turn to Roses in his Hands:

Each one must do his best and all endure,

And all endeavour, hoping but not sure.

Heav'n its own Umpire is; its Bidding do,

And Thou perchance shalt be Sulayman's too.'

Subhanallah, praise be upon God. Such beautiful verses, I would love to put the whole thing together here for everyone to view but it is much too long! These verses which is actually just the introduction to the story of quest by a group of birds to meet the king of birds is only 10 per cent of the introduction, what more the whole story itself!

Nevertheless, I hope this is sufficient to wet the appetite... For thou should never tire in searching for the truth, nothing but the TRUTH! And the truth meant here is not the truth as espoused by those artful liars called the lawyers (and the politicians too, God, I hate those hypocrites and artful dodgers) but the TRUTH that is yearned much by the LOVERS!

What sort of lovers? If you don't understand this, better perk up your Sufi readings. Cheers! :]

An essay on Tok Kenali

Assalamualaikum, peace be upon you dear readers. Today while going through my old files in search of a collection of mystical proses written by Sheikh Hamzah Fansuri the venerated 17th century saint of Aceh (written in Malay), I accidently came across an English essay fetched from the web sometime ago. The essay is on another mystical figure but of a later time, the highly-respected Tok Kenali who graced the Islamic scene of early 20th century Kelantan. His was a story of scholorship interwoven with tales of miracles... Nevertheless I feel like sharing the essay in this blogspot, so here goes...

TOK KENALI (MUHAMMAD YUSOF) (1870 –1933)

This essay proposes to examine the life and contributions of To’ Kenali of Kelantan, whose life coincided with the period when Kelantan was under the Siamese rule and then under the British sephere of influence, after the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909. His studies in Islamic traditional education which started in his hometown and then pursued further at Mecca at the Sacred City, with a brief visit to Cairo, making him a revered intellectualand spiritual figure of the country, with such desire for positive changes among his people, led him to pursue an intensive life of Islamic educational and social reforms, with a number of institutions bearing the stamp of either his direct or indirect influence. Inspite of his intellectual attitude directed towards reform, he is intellectually a man of the traditional intellectual Sunni school, much influenced by Imam al-Ghazali, Shafi’i and Al-Ash’ari, affecting reform by a very cautious attitude, without making an intellectual break with the classical intellectual construct of mainstream Islam. Hence, his ability to gain the respect and following among the traditional scholars apart from him being accepted by those among the administrative elite in the state. The writer has to rely on the writers who had already made a study on him, apart from his perusal of some original sources; the interpretations are his own, guided by the facts observed.
His Life:
To’ Kenali (1), that is Muhammad Yusof (frequently referred simply as “Awang”)-may Allah has mercy on him - was born in kampong (village of) Kenali, Kubang Krian, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, the state in the East of Peninsular Malaysia, in 1870. This coincides with the period towards the end of the reign of Sultan Muhammad II of Kelantan. His father Ahmad was a farmer, a simple villager, nevertheless was a man devoted Islamic values. His mother, Fatimah, was a lady with fine character and strong believer of the values and practice of the faith. In the first number of the Islamic magazine Pengasuh (2) of which he was the first editor, he was named as “al-fadil Tuan Haji Awang Kenali”, and Sultan Muhammad IV named him as “Haji Awang Muhammad Yusof Kenali” in his royal address appointing him as one of the members of the Kelantan Islamic Religious Council. He was born about three years after the building of the Muhammadi Mosque of Kota Bharu, which later was to become a very significant center of Islamic learning, making it famous in South-east Asia. (3)
He was born into a poor farmer’s family making a living by planting paddy, with the mother helping in maintaining the household. This family situation living with little means influenced the future Islamic scholar to be man of asceticism and independent ways. When he was five years old his father passed away and he was taken care of by his maternal grandfather.
His educational Background:
At that time there was a strong awareness among the people to educate their children in the field of Qur’anic learning and the Islamic religious sciences. Hence Muhammad Yusof began his education with his own grandfather Che Salled or To’ Leh, who taught him the Qur’an, reading and writing. His grandfather was a man of sufficient learning and piety to be his guide, living with the philosophy of life seeking for the pleasure of his Lord in whatever he does. From his step-grandmother he was influenced by her views about the necessity of being careful concerning food and drink because taking forbidden meals and drink will impair one’s well being in this world and the hereafter.
Due to his love of learning since the earliest years of his life, soon he became proficient in the Qur’anic learning and in reading and writing. The story is being told that even at the early age of seven or eight the To’ Kweng –the title for the village chief at that time - engaged him as a clerk to help him to keep record of the yields from paddy, coconut and durian at that time from which taxes were taken. After the death of this To’ Kweng Ahmad, his son Ismail succeeded him in that post. This occurred some time after 1908 after To’ Kenali’s return from Mecca. (4)
When he was about eight or nine years old (1878-1879) he continued with his education in Kota Bharu, walking twice daily for four miles each way, for attending his classes in the capital, in the state mosque, Masjid Muhammadi. There were a number of religious scholars teaching at the mosque with several hundred students from every corner of the state. The mosque was surrounded by small huts of the students – called pondoks, which constituted the ‘hostels’ for them during their period of studying there. (5)
Among the famous scholars with whom To’ Kenali learned Islamic religious sciences then were: Encik Ismail or Haji Wan Ismail, the father of Dato’ Nik Mahmud, the Perdana Menteri or the Chief-Minister of Kelantan, Tuan Guru Shaikh Muhammad ‘Ali bin ‘Abd al-Rahman, known by the name of Wan ‘Ali Kutan, Tuan Guru Haji Talib Tuan Padang, and Tuan Guru Haji Ibrahim Sungai Budor. (6)
Apart from teaching at the central mosque of the state the scholars also taught in their own homes; for instance Haji Wan Isma’il, To’ Kenali’s first teacher after his grandfather, taught at kampong Banggul, not far from the central mosque; one of Haji Muhammad Yusuf’s fellow students studying under Haji Wan ismail was Idris bin Haji Hassan who in 1921 was appointed as the state mufti holding the post until his demise six years later.
It appears also that Muhammad Yusof studied in the early 1880s under one Haji Ibrahim at his pondok at Sungai Budor, in Kota Bharu. He also studied with Tuan Padang - that is Tuan Guru Haji Taib, originally from Sumatera, Indonesia. (7)

His Life and Education in Mecca:

Mecca is not only the center for the pilgrimage, the rite constituting the fifth pillar of the religion, but it also is a center for Islamic education. Thus for centuries Mecca became a center for advanced studies for these scholars wherein they spent their life in advancing their knowledge and understanding of Islam and at the same time they composed their writings in the Malay Language (called “Bahasa Jawi”) for enriching Islamic literature in that language. There they gained profiency in Arabic and the Islamic religious sciences of tafsir, traditions of the Prophet, fiqh or the Islamic Sacred Law, usul al-din or Islamic Theology and mysticism. Among these scholars can be mentioned such illustrious names like Shaikh ‘Abd al-Rauf al-Fansuri, Shaikh ‘Abd al-Samad al-Falimbani, Shaikh Daud al-Fatani, Shaikh Muhammad Arshad al-Banjari, Shaikh Nawawi Bantani (known for writing his works in Arabic), Shaikh Ahmad Khatib, Shaikh Ahmad al-Fatani, and many others. (8)
Teaching in the Sacred Mosque or Masjid al-Haram was done in small groups in circles – in halaqah – as was the practice for centuries; apart from this mosque there was the center of learning at Medina, at the Mosque of the Prophet, -peace and blessings be upon him, and then of course, there was the famous University of Al-Azhar, centered around the Mosque at Al-Azhar. Scholars from the Malay World flocked to these centers, to deepen their studies in the Islamic sciences and Arabic. After their return to the Malay World, they devoted themselves to the dissemination of Islam and its practices.
To’ Kenali must have felt such a great longing to advance in his studies at the sacred city of Mecca. Hence he undertook his voyage to Mecca in 1886, at the young age of about eighteen, and after a difficult journey of six months by sailing ship he set foot on the sacred soil of the Holy City of Mecca to perform the pilgrimage and further his studies.
Since he was from a poor family, he could only make the journey with the financial assistance of his friends and well-wishers in Kota Bharu who collected for him $50.00 (fifty Dollars then) to which his mother added another sum of $22.00 (twenty Dollars); for seven months he was without proper lodging there, and he was able to rest in the evening and at night at the mosque. He was in very difficult circumstances in the land of strangers, and he managed to solve some of his difficulties by cooking for his friends and acquaintances in their picnics in the valleys outside the Holy City. (9)
While he was in Kelantan Muhammad Yusof has already mastered such subjects as Arabic grammar and syntax (nahw and saraf) so that he would be able to follow his classical Islamic learning in the Arabic language. He was ready to follow the instructions in his studies in the Holy City. However, unfortunately because he was in difficult circumstances, he could only follow his lessons by listening, without being able to benefit from reading the texts. As a result, so the story goes, he has to go to the bookshops and ask the permission of the owners to see the relevant books with particular care and attention without buying them. Books in the waqf endowment in the sacred Mosque were also utilized by To’ Kenali to help him in his studies. He was also fortunate because he was able to borrow the texts from his teachers. Possibly because of his patience with his difficult circumstances and poverty he was able to advance very well in his studies due to his diligence and focus.
To’ Kenali’s intellectual horizon seems not to be confined to limited subjects of his studies alone. It appears that he frequently read and scrutinized manuscripts written by Muslim scholars and thinkers which were in circulation in the Muslim World at that time. He liked to examine the materials taught to him and ask questions about them, before being repeated by his teachers, in this manner he made more impressions of the materials of his learning on his mind and heart, and in this way also he was able to make comparisons between the materials learnt with his own experience and understanding. Possibly wide reading and positive critical attitude in his studies made him advance very well in his studies.

Teachers in the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram);

Among his teachers frequently mentioned, in the Masjid al-Haram were – among the most outstanding: Tuan Guru Wan Ahmad, his full name being: Ahmad bin Muhammad Zain bin Mustafa al-Fatani. (10) Apart from being a very famous and respectable teacher Shaikh Ahmad – may Allah has mercy on him – is also an important writer, second only to Shaikh Daud al-Fatani. (11). To’ Kenali became a very close student of this mentor who influenced him in his studies and life too. This towering figure in the Malay World who is to be the determining influence on To’ Kenali’s life, as will be seen from his activities later on, deserves more serious attention from researchers on Muslim Thought in this region. The fame of Shaikh Ahmad is still remembered in the Malay World, in Malaysia, Indonesia (especially Sumatera), and Cambodia, and Brunei. It is stated that Shaikh Ahmad changed the name of “Petani” with “p” –“t”-“n” to “f” (fa’) – ta’ (the ‘big’ ta in Arabic)-“nun” –) giving the name from “f-t-n” meaning “to be clever skilful and wise”(12). This is to avoid the meaning of “fitnah” from the old manner of writing it as if it is from “f-t-n” giving the name of “trials” and “dissentions”.
It is known that several other teachers from Patani and Indonesia attracted the attention of To’ Kenali; apart from that there were a number of Arab teachers who attracted his attention.
Among the Arab teachers whose knowledge were benefited by To’ Kenali were: Shaikh Hasbullah from Egypt, Shaikh ‘Ubaid, the mufti of the Maliki school of law, Shaikh Muhammad Amin, the imam of the Hanafi school of law, Shaikh Sayyid Bakri, Shaikh Muhammad Yusuf al-Khayat, Shaikh Sayyid ‘Abdullah bin as-Sayyid Muhammad Salih al-Zawawi, the mufti of Mecca and a teacher in the Sacred Mosque. (13)