Welcome Ramadan

Ramadan tomorrow.

Don't know esok 1st day camana.
Pagi - driving range.
Petang - Emirates: Arsenal v Portsmouth
Buka 2010.
OK kot.

Terawih & niat posa .. Erry imam terawih, gua imamkan witir.

Pulut Kuning

Ada mamat tu gigih suruh eksplen jugak pasal pulut kuning ni as per here.

So here goes.

Whenever there is a majlis khatam Quran for Malaysian Malays (can't vouch for Brunei, Indonesian, Phillipines, Sri Lankan, Thai, South African, Hawaii .. etc) almost inevitably among the menu would be Pulut Kuning. Now, what has pulut kuning got to do with khatam Quran? I'm pretty certain zaman2 Saidina Hassan & Hussin dulu diorang khatam sure makan shish kebab or something like that. Probably with nasi Bukhara (itu kalau zaman2 Imam Bukhari lah kot). What I mean is, its definitely a Malay tradition.

My suspicion is, khatam Quran being a highlight in the life of a kid, he or she is supposed to be treated like a royal. Hence the colour yellow in the pulut. Kalau putih je, tak de kelas la kan? Makan dengan kelapa parut & ikan masin - peasant food gitu (sedap siot!)

Another possible explanation was given by Mar a long time ago.
Kata dia: Masa khatam orang baca Lamyakunillazi (Surah 98 i.e. Al-Bayyinah [Bukti]). Orang Kelantan sebut Lamyakuning .. hence the Pulut Kuning!!

Wallahua'lam

p/s aku memang suka gila pulut kuning ni. Tak caya tanya Mar. Paling kokak makan dgn telur dadar potong jalur2.

Tazkirah Jumaat

Before you head for Friday the 13th prayer. A short tazkirah.

OPINION EUROPE: MARCH 8, 2009, 8:21 P.M. ET

Islam Needs to Prove It's a Religion of Peace

Muslims can start with a new Quranic scholarship that rejects radicalism.

By TAWFIK HAMID | From the Wall Street Journal Europe.

The film "Fitna" by Dutch parliament member Geert Wilders has created an uproar around the world as it linked violence committed by Islamists to Islam.

Many commentators and politicians -- including the British government, which denied him entry to the country last month -- reflexively accused Mr. Wilders of inciting hatred. The question, however, is whether the blame is with Mr. Wilders, who simply exposed Islamic radicalism, or with those who promote and engage in this religious extremism. In other words, shall we fault Mr. Wilders for showing photos of the hanging of homosexuals, or shall we fault those who actually promote and practice this crime?

There is a certain schizophrenia among many Muslims who seem to believe that it is acceptable to teach hatred and violence in the name of their religion, while at the same time expecting the world to respect Islam as "a religion of peace, love and harmony."

Scholars in the most prestigious Islamic institutes and universities continue to teach things like Jews are "pigs and monkeys," that women and men must be stoned to death for adultery, or that Muslims must fight the world to spread their religion. Isn't, then, Mr. Wilders's criticism appropriate? Instead of blaming him, we must blame the leading Islamic scholars for having failed to produce an authoritative book on Islamic jurisprudence that is accepted in the Islamic world and unambiguously rejects these violent teachings.

While many religious texts preach violence, the interpretation, modern usage and implementation of these teachings make all the difference. For example, the stoning of women exists in both the Old Testament and in the Islamic tradition, or "Sunna" -- the recorded deeds and manners of the prophet Muhammad. The difference, though, is that leading Jewish scholars agreed to discontinue these practices centuries ago while Muslim scholars have yet to do so. Hence we do not see the stoning of women practiced or promoted in Israel, the "Jewish" state, but we see it practiced and promoted in Iran and Saudi Arabia, the "Islamic" states!

When the British government banned Geert Wilders from entering the country to present his film in the House of Lords, it made two egregious errors. The first was to suppress free speech, a canon of the civilized Western world. The second mistake was to blame the messenger -- punishing, so to speak, the witness who exposed the crime instead of punishing the criminal. Mr. Wilders did not produce the content of the violent Islamic message he showed in his film -- the Islamic world did that. Until the Islamic clerical establishment takes concrete steps to reject violence in the name of their religion, Mr. Wilders criticism is not only permissible as "controversial" free speech but justified.

So, Islamic scholars and clerics, it is up to you to produce a Shariah book that will be accepted in the Islamic world and that teaches that Jews are not pigs and monkeys, and that declaring war to spread Islam is unacceptable, and killing apostates is a crime. Such a book would prove that Islam is a religion of peace.

Mr. Hamid, a former member of an Islamist terrorist group, is an Islamic reformer and senior fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

As the Arabs see the Jews

Aku selalu kutuk Arab. But this is one piece I think everybody should read.

Summary

This fascinating essay, written by King Hussein’s grandfather King Abdullah, appeared in the United States six months before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In the article, King Abdullah disputes the mistaken view that Arab opposition to Zionism (and later the state of Israel) is because of longstanding religious or ethnic hatred. He notes that Jews and Muslims enjoyed a long history of peaceful coexistence in the Middle East, and that Jews have historically suffered far more at the hands of Christian Europe. Pointing to the tragedy of the holocaust that Jews suffered during World War II, the monarch asks why America and Europe are refusing to accept more than a token handful of Jewish immigrants and refugees. It is unfair, he argues, to make Palestine, which is innocent of anti-Semitism, pay for the crimes of Europe. King Abdullah also asks how Jews can claim a historic right to Palestine, when Arabs have been the overwhelming majority there for nearly 1300 uninterrupted years? The essay ends on an ominous note, warning of dire consequences if a peaceful solution cannot be found to protect the rights of the indigenous Arabs of Palestine.

"As the Arabs see the Jews"
His Majesty King Abdullah,
The American Magazine
November, 1947

I am especially delighted to address an American audience, for the tragic problem of Palestine will never be solved without American understanding, American sympathy, American support.

So many billions of words have been written about Palestine—perhaps more than on any other subject in history—that I hesitate to add to them. Yet I am compelled to do so, for I am reluctantly convinced that the world in general, and America in particular, knows almost nothing of the true case for the Arabs.

We Arabs follow, perhaps far more than you think, the press of America. We are frankly disturbed to find that for every word printed on the Arab side, a thousand are printed on the Zionist side.

There are many reasons for this. You have many millions of Jewish citizens interested in this question. They are highly vocal and wise in the ways of publicity. There are few Arab citizens in America, and we are as yet unskilled in the technique of modern propaganda.

The results have been alarming for us. In your press we see a horrible caricature and are told it is our true portrait. In all justice, we cannot let this pass by default.

Our case is quite simple: For nearly 2,000 years Palestine has been almost 100 per cent Arab. It is still preponderantly Arab today, in spite of enormous Jewish immigration. But if this immigration continues we shall soon be outnumbered—a minority in our home.

Palestine is a small and very poor country, about the size of your state of Vermont. Its Arab population is only about 1,200,000. Already we have had forced on us, against our will, some 600,000 Zionist Jews. We are threatened with many hundreds of thousands more.

Our position is so simple and natural that we are amazed it should even be questioned. It is exactly the same position you in America take in regard to the unhappy European Jews. You are sorry for them, but you do not want them in your country.

We do not want them in ours, either. Not because they are Jews, but because they are foreigners. We would not want hundreds of thousands of foreigners in our country, be they Englishmen or Norwegians or Brazilians or whatever.

Think for a moment: In the last 25 years we have had one third of our entire population forced upon us. In America that would be the equivalent of 45,000,000 complete strangers admitted to your country, over your violent protest, since 1921. How would you have reacted to that?

Because of our perfectly natural dislike of being overwhelmed in our own homeland, we are called blind nationalists and heartless anti-Semites. This charge would be ludicrous were it not so dangerous.

No people on earth have been less "anti-Semitic" than the Arabs. The persecution of the Jews has been confined almost entirely to the Christian nations of the West. Jews, themselves, will admit that never since the Great Dispersion did Jews develop so freely and reach such importance as in Spain when it was an Arab possession. With very minor exceptions, Jews have lived for many centuries in the Middle East, in complete peace and friendliness with their Arab neighbours.

Damascus, Baghdad, Beirut and other Arab centres have always contained large and prosperous Jewish colonies. Until the Zionist invasion of Palestine began, these Jews received the most generous treatment—far, far better than in Christian Europe. Now, unhappily, for the first time in history, these Jews are beginning to feel the effects of Arab resistance to the Zionist assault. Most of them are as anxious as Arabs to stop it. Most of these Jews who have found happy homes among us resent, as we do, the coming of these strangers.

I was puzzled for a long time about the odd belief which apparently persists in America that Palestine has somehow "always been a Jewish land." Recently an American I talked to cleared up this mystery. He pointed out that the only things most Americans know about Palestine are what they read in the Bible. It was a Jewish land in those days, they reason, and they assume it has always remained so.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is absurd to reach so far back into the mists of history to argue about who should have Palestine today, and I apologise for it. Yet the Jews do this, and I must reply to their "historic claim." I wonder if the world has ever seen a stranger sight than a group of people seriously pretending to claim a land because their ancestors lived there some 2,000 years ago!

If you suggest that I am biased, I invite you to read any sound history of the period and verify the facts.

Such fragmentary records as we have indicate that the Jews were wandering nomads from Iraq who moved to southern Turkey, came south to Palestine, stayed there a short time, and then passed to Egypt, where they remained about 400 years. About 1300 BC (according to your calendar) they left Egypt and gradually conquered most—but not all—of the inhabitants of Palestine.

It is significant that the Philistines—not the Jews—gave their name to the country: "Palestine" is merely the Greek form of "Philistia."

Only once, during the empire of David and Solomon, did the Jews ever control nearly—but not all—the land which is today Palestine. This empire lasted only 70 years, ending in 926 BC. Only 250 years later the Kingdom of Judah had shrunk to a small province around Jerusalem, barely a quarter of modern Palestine.

In 63 BC the Jews were conquered by Roman Pompey, and never again had even the vestige of independence. The Roman Emperor Hadrian finally wiped them out about 135 AD. He utterly destroyed Jerusalem, rebuilt under another name, and for hundreds of years no Jew was permitted to enter it. A handful of Jews remained in Palestine but the vast majority were killed or scattered to other countries, in the Diaspora, or the Great Dispersion. From that time Palestine ceased to be a Jewish country, in any conceivable sense.

This was 1,815 years ago, and yet the Jews solemnly pretend they still own Palestine! If such fantasy were allowed, how the map of the world would dance about!

Italians might claim England, which the Romans held so long. England might claim France, "homeland" of the conquering Normans. And the French Normans might claim Norway, where their ancestors originated. And incidentally, we Arabs might claim Spain, which we held for 700 years.

Many Mexicans might claim Spain, "homeland" of their forefathers. They might even claim Texas, which was Mexican until 100 years ago. And suppose the American Indians claimed the "homeland" of which they were the sole, native, and ancient occupants until only some 450 years ago!

I am not being facetious. All these claims are just as valid—or just as fantastic—as the Jewish "historic connection" with Palestine. Most are more valid.

In any event, the great Moslem expansion about 650 AD finally settled things. It dominated Palestine completely. From that day on, Palestine was solidly Arabic in population, language, and religion. When British armies entered the country during the last war, they found 500,000 Arabs and only 65,000 Jews.

If solid, uninterrupted Arab occupation for nearly 1,300 years does not make a country "Arab", what does?

The Jews say, and rightly, that Palestine is the home of their religion. It is likewise the birthplace of Christianity, but would any Christian nation claim it on that account? In passing, let me say that the Christian Arabs—and there are many hundreds of thousands of them in the Arab World—are in absolute agreement with all other Arabs in opposing the Zionist invasion of Palestine.

May I also point out that Jerusalem is, after Mecca and Medina, the holiest place in Islam. In fact, in the early days of our religion, Moslems prayed toward Jerusalem instead of Mecca.

The Jewish "religious claim" to Palestine is as absurd as the "historic claim." The Holy Places, sacred to three great religions, must be open to all, the monopoly of none. Let us not confuse religion and politics.

We are told that we are inhumane and heartless because do not accept with open arms the perhaps 200,000 Jews in Europe who suffered so frightfully under Nazi cruelty, and who even now—almost three years after war’s end—still languish in cold, depressing camps.

Let me underline several facts. The unimaginable persecution of the Jews was not done by the Arabs: it was done by a Christian nation in the West. The war which ruined Europe and made it almost impossible for these Jews to rehabilitate themselves was fought by the Christian nations of the West. The rich and empty portions of the earth belong, not to the Arabs, but to the Christian nations of the West.

And yet, to ease their consciences, these Christian nations of the West are asking Palestine—a poor and tiny Moslem country of the East—to accept the entire burden. "We have hurt these people terribly," cries the West to the East. "Won’t you please take care of them for us?"

We find neither logic nor justice in this. Are we therefore "cruel and heartless nationalists"?

We are a generous people: we are proud that "Arab hospitality" is a phrase famous throughout the world. We are a humane people: no one was shocked more than we by the Hitlerite terror. No one pities the present plight of the desperate European Jews more than we.

But we say that Palestine has already sheltered 600,000 refugees. We believe that is enough to expect of us—even too much. We believe it is now the turn of the rest of the world to accept some of them.

I will be entirely frank with you. There is one thing the Arab world simply cannot understand. Of all the nations of the earth, America is most insistent that something be done for these suffering Jews of Europe. This feeling does credit to the humanity for which America is famous, and to that glorious inscription on your Statue of Liberty.

And yet this same America—the richest, greatest, most powerful nation the world has ever known—refuses to accept more than a token handful of these same Jews herself!

I hope you will not think I am being bitter about this. I have tried hard to understand that mysterious paradox, and I confess I cannot. Nor can any other Arab.

Perhaps you have been informed that "the Jews in Europe want to go to no other place except Palestine."

This myth is one of the greatest propaganda triumphs of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, the organisation which promotes with fanatic zeal the emigration to Palestine. It is a subtle half-truth, thus doubly dangerous.

The astounding truth is that nobody on earth really knows where these unfortunate Jews really want to go!

You would think that in so grave a problem, the American, British, and other authorities responsible for the European Jews would have made a very careful survey, probably by vote, to find out where each Jew actually wants to go. Amazingly enough this has never been done! The Jewish Agency has prevented it.

Some time ago the American Military Governor in Germany was asked at a press conference how he was so certain that all Jews there wanted to go to Palestine. His answer was simple: "My Jewish advisors tell me so." He admitted no poll had ever been made. Preparations were indeed begun for one, but the Jewish Agency stepped in to stop it.

The truth is that the Jews in German camps are now subjected to a Zionist pressure campaign which learned much from the Nazi terror. It is dangerous for a Jew to say that he would rather go to some other country, not Palestine. Such dissenters have been severely beaten, and worse.

Not long ago, in Palestine, nearly 1,000 Austrian Jews informed the international refugee organisation that they would like to go back to Austria, and plans were made to repatriate them.

The Jewish Agency heard of this, and exerted enough political pressure to stop it. It would be bad propaganda for Zionism if Jews began leaving Palestine. The nearly 1,000 Austrian are still there, against their will.

The fact is that most of the European Jews are Western in culture and outlook, entirely urban in experience and habits. They cannot really have their hearts set on becoming pioneers in the barren, arid, cramped land which is Palestine.

One thing, however, is undoubtedly true. As matters stand now, most refugee Jews in Europe would, indeed, vote for Palestine, simply because they know no other country will have them.

If you or I were given a choice between a near-prison camp for the rest of our lives—or Palestine—we would both choose Palestine, too.

But open up any other alternative to them—give them any other choice, and see what happens!

No poll, however, will be worth anything unless the nations of the earth are willing to open their doors—just a little—to the Jews. In other words, if in such a poll a Jew says he wants to go to Sweden, Sweden must be willing to accept him. If he votes for America, you must let him come in.

Any other kind of poll would be a farce. For the desperate Jew, this is no idle testing of opinion: this is a grave matter of life or death. Unless he is absolutely sure that his vote means something, he will always vote for Palestine, so as not to risk his bird in the hand for one in the bush.

In any event, Palestine can accept no more. The 65,000 Jews in Palestine in 1918 have jumped to 600,000 today. We Arabs have increased, too, but not by immigration. The Jews were then a mere 11 per cent of our population. Today they are one third of it.

The rate of increase has been terrifying. In a few more years—unless stopped now—it will overwhelm us, and we shall be an important minority in our own home.

Surely the rest of the wide world is rich enough and generous enough to find a place for 200,000 Jews—about one third the number that tiny, poor Palestine has already sheltered. For the rest of the world, it is hardly a drop in the bucket. For us it means national suicide.

We are sometimes told that since the Jews came to Palestine, the Arab standard of living has improved. This is a most complicated question. But let us even assume, for the argument, that it is true. We would rather be a bit poorer, and masters of our own home. Is this unnatural?

The sorry story of the so-called "Balfour Declaration," which started Zionist immigration into Palestine, is too complicated to repeat here in detail. It is grounded in broken promises to the Arabs—promises made in cold print which admit no denying.

We utterly deny its validity. We utterly deny the right of Great Britain to give away Arab land for a "national home" for an entirely foreign people.

Even the League of Nations sanction does not alter this. At the time, not a single Arab state was a member of the League. We were not allowed to say a word in our own defense.

I must point out, again in friendly frankness, that America was nearly as responsible as Britain for this Balfour Declaration. President Wilson approved it before it was issued, and the American Congress adopted it word for word in a joint resolution on 30^th June, 1922.

In the 1920s, Arabs were annoyed and insulted by Zionist immigration, but not alarmed by it. It was steady, but fairly small, as even the Zionist founders thought it would remain. Indeed for some years, more Jews left Palestine than entered it—in 1927 almost twice as many.

But two new factors, entirely unforeseen by Britain or the League or America or the most fervent Zionist, arose in the early thirties to raise the immigration to undreamed heights. One was the World Depression; the second the rise of Hitler.

In 1932, the year before Hitler came to power, only 9,500 Jews came to Palestine. We did not welcome them, but we were not afraid that, at that rate, our solid Arab majority would ever be in danger.

But the next year—the year of Hitler—it jumped to 30,000! In 1934 it was 42,000! In 1935 it reached 61,000!

It was no longer the orderly arrival of idealist Zionists. Rather, all Europe was pouring its frightened Jews upon us. Then, at last, we, too, became frightened. We knew that unless this enormous influx stopped, we were, as Arabs, doomed in our Palestine homeland. And we have not changed our minds.

I have the impression that many Americans believe the trouble in Palestine is very remote from them, that America had little to do with it, and that your only interest now is that of a humane bystander.

I believe that you do not realise how directly you are, as a nation, responsible in general for the whole Zionist move and specifically for the present terrorism. I call this to your attention because I am certain that if you realise your responsibility you will act fairly to admit it and assume it.

Quite aside from official American support for the "National Home" of the Balfour Declaration, the Zionist settlements in Palestine would have been almost impossible, on anything like the current scale, without American money. This was contributed by American Jewry in an idealistic effort to help their fellows.

The motive was worthy: the result were disastrous. The contributions were by private individuals, but they were almost entirely Americans, and, as a nation, only America can answer for it.

The present catastrophe may be laid almost entirely at your door. Your government, almost alone in the world, is insisting on the immediate admission of 100,000 more Jews into Palestine—to be followed by countless additional ones. This will have the most frightful consequences in bloody chaos beyond anything ever hinted at in Palestine before.

It is your press and political leadership, almost alone in the world, who press this demand. It is almost entirely American money which hires or buys the "refugee ships" that steam illegally toward Palestine: American money which pays their crews. The illegal immigration from Europe is arranged by the Jewish Agency, supported almost entirely by American funds. It is American dollars which support the terrorists, which buy the bullets and pistols that kill British soldiers—your allies—and Arab citizens—your friends.

We in the Arab world were stunned to hear that you permit open advertisements in newspapers asking for money to finance these terrorists, to arm them openly and deliberately for murder. We could not believe this could really happen in the modern world. Now we must believe it: we have seen the advertisements with our own eyes.

I point out these things because nothing less than complete frankness will be of use. The crisis is too stark for mere polite vagueness which means nothing.

I have the most complete confidence in the fair-mindedness and generosity of the American public. We Arabs ask no favours. We ask only that you know the full truth, not half of it. We ask only that when you judge the Palestine question, you put yourselves in our place.

What would your answer be if some outside agency told you that you must accept in America many millions of utter strangers in your midst—enough to dominate your country—merely because they insisted on going to America, and because their forefathers had once lived there some 2,000 years ago?

Our answer is the same.

And what would be your action if, in spite of your refusal, this outside agency began forcing them on you?

Ours will be the same.

Islam, Malay ..

Enlightening article by Dr Bakri.

Islam and the Malay Mindset: What Went Wrong?

December 21st, 2008

This was the topic for a small group discussion at a recent seminar organized by Kelab UMNO New York/New Jersey. I was a passive participant at this dialogue, at least initially.

In the ensuing discussions, the students duly reaffirmed the greatness of Islam, citing many ready examples. Islam emancipated the ancient Bedouins out of their Age of Jahilliyah (Ignorance), and did it all within a generation. Islam then spread as far westward as Andalusia and eastward right up to China. In the process Islam inspired and created great civilizations and empires that lasted till at least the early part of the last century.

After over 1400 years however, Islam (at least the physical empire, though not the faith) was done in by European colonialism. With colonialism’s ending, there was a quick resurgence of Islam. Today it is the faith of a quarter of the world’s population, and fast growing.

Islam has been part of the Malay world for well over half a millennium. It is very much an integral part of our “Malayness” such that the statutory definition of a Malay is tied to the faith. Our embrace of Islam remains firm if not enhanced, despite being under complete Western (specifically British) colonial domination for a good portion of the time.

With the resurgence of Islam, Malays like Muslims everywhere yearn for the return of those earlier glorious days. Thus far that is all there is to it – just a yearning; much of the Muslim world remains tragically mired in poverty, with its citizens deprived of their basic human dignity and rights.

In Malaysia, the achievement gaps between Malays and non-Malays continue to widen despite the political leadership and public institutions being dominated by Malays. This glaring disparity remains a continuous source of communal angst, triggering more than just a few occasions of mass “acting out” behaviors as keris wielding and shrill calls for Ketuanan Melayu.

Why is Islam unable to emancipate Malays as it did the ancient Bedouins? What went wrong? Being true believers, the students rightly asserted that there is nothing wrong with this great faith, rather with our understanding – and thus practice – of it.

We are obsessed with rituals at the expense of appreciating the essence of Islam, the students observed. The universal message of Islam is lost with the associated Arabism, they continued. We are consumed in being Arabs, or at least aping them in the belief that it is the same thing as being Islamic or pious.

In teaching our young we are too preoccupied with being punitive and not enough with being positive. When they are naughty or grab a toy from another child, we would admonish them by saying that God would punish them by burning them in hell. Such concepts are beyond the comprehension of young minds, except to imprint on them horror-filled images of suffering and torture.

A more understandable and thus effective way would be to teach those children to imagine how they would feel if someone were to steal their toys. Such an approach would also be an excellent way to impart upon them the Golden Rule, to do unto others what you want done to you, a basic precept in all faiths.

We make our young recite and even memorize the Quran at a very early age without expending commensurate time and effort in teaching them the meaning or significance of those verses in our every day lives. We have reduced this great religion to a series of rituals instead of being a guide to a “total way of life” that is righteous, pleases Allah, and leads to a harmonious society. We pray, fast, pay our tithe, and undertake the pilgrimage but then go right ahead and accept bribes, neglect our jobs, and ignore our families and society.

We go to great lengths avoiding pork and improperly slaughtered chicken and cows, rightly considering them haram, but we have no compulsion in accepting bribes or neglecting our duties.

The students did a credible job of societal self-introspection. As they were summarizing their conclusions to present to the larger group, I enquired how we as a society have strayed from the central message of Islam. More relevantly, how could we rediscover the essence of Islam so that it too would do for us what it did for the ancient Arabs?

Taqlid, Bidaa, and Tajdid

Taqlid and bidaa are two central concepts in the learning and transmission of Islam. Taqlid refers to following the teachings of those more learned and pious than and before us. Specifically, it refers to adhering to the practices of one of the established schools of jurisprudence or mahdhab.

The Arabic root of the word means to place a collar around the neck, as we would to guide an animal. The operative word there is “guide,” to lead us along the straight path.

Malay villagers however, do not put a collar around our kerbau (buffalo) rather a ring through its nose. It serves the same purpose, and more. For in addition to leading the animal we also effectively control it.

Therein lies the problem. Does taqlid mean letting us be guided or be controlled? Is taqlid a collar slung loosely around our neck to nudge us to the left or right as a rein to a horse, or a ring pierced through our nose as with our kerbau? There is a vast difference between paying deference to precedents (as lawyers and judges do) versus being held captive by them. If it were the latter, slavery would still be legal in America.

Likewise with bidaa; with every khutba the Imam would duly warn the flock of the awesome Hellfire that awaits those who would dare engage in bidaa. Invariably the word is translated as “innovation.” “Innovation” means more than just change; it implies change for the better, and thus something commendable and to strive for. Bidaa obviously does not mean innovation; it is closer to corruption or adulteration, hence the dire warning against partaking in it!

My point here was to sensitize the students to the potential treacherous trap in interpreting the meaning of words especially where translations were involved. Such dangers exist even without translations, as words can change their meanings and connotations over time. During the prophet’s time for example, poets were held in low regard, as clearly stated in some Quranic verses, as they used their talent to mock the prophet.

Thus when a religious scholar quotes a verse from the Quran or hadith and then confidently assert with such certitude, “And the verse means … ,” that belies an arrogant mindset, impervious to reasons and intolerant of differing interpretations. A more humble and also accurate way would be to add the proviso, “When approximately translated.” Translations are at best approximate and provisional.

Our Prophet Muhammad, s.a.w., anticipated this erosion and corruption of the faith, as had happened to earlier revelations to other prophets before him. Hence the Quranic references to the appearance of a “prophet amongst us every hundred years” to renew the faith by getting rid of the inevitable accretions of extraneous practices and beliefs that would inevitably develop over time. “Prophet” here of course means “leader,” as to Muslims Muhammad, s.a.w, was the Last Prophet.

This concept of renewal or tajdid is a long established tradition in Islam. However, we cannot have renewal if we remain a slave to precedents, or if we consider every change a bidaa or an affront to taqlid. Islam has never been short of reformers, right from the first rightly-guided caliphs to the rationalists Mutazilites and many modern-day reformers. Like reformers in other faith, some have paid dearly for their attempts.

America with its freedom provides fertile ground for the renewal of Islam. America is also fortunate in having many brilliant Islamic scholars who have been driven away from their native land for their innovative ideas. To their folks back home, these reformers are engaging in bidaa, a mortal sin.

We are also fortunate in America to have the freedom to explore the rich and varied traditions of our faith. In Malaysia you could be detained under the ISA for reading Shiite literature! To put that in perspective, that is the same punishment if you were to engage in subversive or communist activities. Add to that the favorite past time of our leaders: banning books and restricting speakers! That ring through our noses can be very restricting!

What went Right

To end the students’ discussion on a positive note, I asked them to consider the flip side of their query, to ponder what went right. I nudged them to imagine what would have happened had Islam not landed on our shores.

One student reacted with horror at that prospect as we would then still have our animist ways and Hindu beliefs. At which point I enquired whether the Balinese (who are racially Malays) are somehow inferior to us because they are not Muslims. Or for that matter the Protestant Bataks in Sumatra.

As that seemed to dampen the discussion, I volunteered that there are many things that went right with Islam and Malays. Seeing it strictly from my professional perspective, I am glad that Malays are Muslims. When I was a surgeon in Malaysia, I never saw a single case of alcohol-related injuries among Malays. Before America had its strict drunk driving laws, a large part of my work as a surgeon was to repair the horrible damages wrecked by drunks. In the Philippines, alcohol-related crimes and injuries are rampant.

I wish our Quran would have similar explicit prohibitions against drugs and corruption as it does against alcohol!

On a higher level, Islam introduced the written word to our world. Once a society adopted a written culture, there is a quantum lap in its intellectual development. Yes, before the arrival of Arabic Malays had Sanskrit, but that was a dead language. Many of the ancient Malay literature are adaptations of stories from the Middle East, and our language borrows heavily from Arabic.

On that positive note we ended the discussion. What went wrong is not with Islam rather how we have missed the essence of this great faith in our obsession with its peripherals.

Happy New Year

Its 1430 years after Rasulullah ensured that 9:20 was implemented.

9:20 Orang-orang yang beriman dan berhijrah serta berjihad di jalan Allah dengan harta, benda dan diri mereka, adalah lebih tinggi derajatnya di sisi Allah; dan itulah orang-orang yang mendapat kemenangan.

Me, a few small "faaizuun (kemenangan)" here and there. Nothing compares to you, my dear Rasulullah.

Today, we had an English lunch at Terry's & Kak Bib's. Roast Beef yang sangat kaw. I've never tasted any better than this.

Then we had early dinner with Dell & family. Mas & kids will be going away for good. Mas has exhausted her leave of absence & all possible tricks to stay longer. Anne is pretty sad .. no more friend to do this & that together. Sent them to LHR, thanks to Baha, checked in almost everything.

So long Mas, Syamil & Syida. See you guys in May (if I'm still here). And Salam Maal Hijrah.

Merry Keris Mas

Last week I received a (chain) mail advising against wishing friends "Selamat Hari Nata.. or Merry Christma..". Note that the email did not even finish the words. It's like in Harry Potter, "he whose name shall not be mentioned" kind of thing. A bit difficult for me coz most of my friends & those I do business with over here in this part of the world, are Christians - be it Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Protestant, Mormon etc. Banyak ek? Well before you say anything Islam has pretty much the same thing - Sunni, Shiites, Ahmadiyah, Ismailis .. etc.

What is Christmas anyway? Well, in its current spirit, it is celebrating the birth of Jesus. For Christians - the birth of god/son of god .. whatever. For Muslims I suppose we can celebrate it too as Maulidurrasul. Isa is a messenger spreading the same thing right? Islam. Actually, come to think of it, we should celebrate it if we are among the believers. That's what one of the most recited doa in any of our functions says:

2:285 Rasul telah beriman kepada Al Quran yang diturunkan kepadanya dari Tuhannya, demikian pula orang-orang yang beriman. Semuanya beriman kepada Allah, malaikat-malaikat-Nya, kitab-kitab-Nya dan rasul-rasul-Nya. (Mereka mengatakan): "Kami tidak membeda-bedakan antara seseorangpun dari rasul-rasul-Nya", dan mereka mengatakan: "Kami dengar dan kami taat." (Mereka berdoa): "Ampunilah kami ya Tuhan kami dan kepada Engkaulah tempat kembali."

Anyway, digressing again. Christmas can be broken into 2 words: Christ & Mas.
Christ came from the Orthodox Greek Kristos which means Messiah or the Annointed One.
Mas came from Mass. So it basically means Messiah Mass or Perhimpunan Untuk Utusan. Pretty harmless I would say, language wise.

BTW, Jesus wasn't born on December 25th. God knows when.

Oh, and the same person has previously sent me pics of Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran showing him in humbling poses (partly to compare him with Pak Lah). Well, just check out what this role model wrote (look at the 1st line) in his blog.

I know I'm pretty merry today. Spending an off day with family. Ciao.

Eid Mubarak

Solat Raya at the Youth Centre at Egham, an indoor basketball to be precise. Should've gone to M'sian Hall coz Dr Asri was delivering the khutbah. May be next time, perhaps in Birm. Plus my feet are still killing me.

Dell & Mas, Terry & Kak Bib, Sam & Linda singgah around 11.00 am. Had nasi impit, lemang, rendang, kari ayam w/o santan, laksa Johor .. meriah!

This is the time of the year to think of the needy and the less fortunate.

Citigroup, AIG, Lehman Brothers, General Motors...

- David Letterman-

Eid Mubarak Everyone

Po in Rantau Panjang

Markets in Europe made a spectacular drop again yesterday, mostly dropping more than 7% with France & Ireland falling close to 10%. So today, I am feeling rather depressed. And this overdose of rendang & kuah nasi himpit is not helping either.

Anyway, saw this in NST site. Nice architecture. Reminds me of Po a.k.a. Kung Fu Panda jumping around trying to reach the Dragon Scroll. Ahh .. I need to exercise. I'm tired .. yawn...

Open Houses - Non-Stop Eating!

Raya .. incomplete without open houses.

1st Weekend.

At Gumok's/Zakiah's

At Jai's/Mazza's

At Our's

Eid Mubarak

'twas just after 1500 on Sept 29. The US indices started to fall .. quite badly. As usual, the European follow suit. Weren't in no mood to do anything. Had a suspicion that tomorrow will be Eid for London & yg sewaktu dengannya. I say yang sewaktu dengannya coz definitely some will raya on 29th Sept, some on 1st Oct and maybe a few on 2nd Oct. Really ironic for a religion which emphasize Tauhid as such an important concept. No need to ulas .. I did it before here.

Gedebak-gedebuk, managed to complete our cooking etc. This year we are all Boy Scouts (coz their motto is "Be Prepared"). Managed to leave for Birm around 2245 & reached there just after midnight. Rumah baru wooo...!! Along the way, got texts asking me to check out news. Oh my god! S&P 500 just fell 9%!!!!

Eid

I was quite early mengerah the kids to shower etc. Coz solat will be at 0945. First time solat raya this late! Despite that, we were still late - masbuq into the 2nd rakaat. Biasak la .. nak mengatur 7 adults & 8 kids.

Open house at Sis' .. Whoaaa!! I think about 200 came! Memang Birm ramai Melayu!!

Raya Photos in Birmingham - Quinton Road

Songkok ketat sket. Songkok shrink ke, aku dah besar kepala sket?

Nat - standard ~ mesti x nak pandang camera

Hah, duit raya Mar mana? ..

Eh, you pakai perfume Sarah Jessica Parker ke? I like ..

Aiman missing & budak baju kuning tu plak tersesat masuk.

Gotcha! Everybody in.

Briyani, khuzi kambing, laksa Johor, nasi impit, rendang ..

Khuzi Diny - terangkat siol!

Laksa Johor - kick giller!!

Nasib BIL & Kak Yah - basuh pinggan lah kamu yea

The Admirable Exercise of Restraint

It's getting chilly nowadays. The office has the heater on .. emmm .. ramad lah pulak. Coz its dry and I long for a gulp of cold diet coke .. fizzzzz!! Aaah .. ok ok, lets ponder an old article by Bro Rehman .. (I do not share some of his interpretations though .. anyway read on, a good article)

THE ADMIRABLE EXERCISE OF RESTRAINT
By : Rehman Rashid

RAMADAN commemorates the time of year during which the man who would
be the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad bin Abdullah, peace be upon him,
took his annual retreat into the hills behind Mecca to fast and
meditate in a spiritual cleansing.

About three weeks into that seclusion in the year 610, Muhammad
underwent the shattering experience that marked the commencement of
the Revelation of the Holy Quran — the affirmation and seal of the
great message of Abraham (Q3:95).

Ever since, Ramadan has been observed by Muslims as a month of dawn-
to-dusk fasting, prayer and spiritual observance (Q2:184-185). The
classical Arabic word for this abstinence is siyam or sawm. It refers
to a condition of stillness, expressing an ideal tranquility of mind,
heart and soul.

A mundane interpretation of the Fast says it is meant to remind
Muslims of what it feels like to be poor and hungry. To some extent
this is valid (though millions of Muslims would need no such
reminder), but the Fast is much deeper. It seeks to cleanse the
physical body by asserting the discipline of the will. As such,
fasting is an exercise in transcendence.

Yet, Ramadan is not meant to be a sequestered, joyless time. The
duties of life are not to be forgone; work continues by day, if at a
gentler pace to allow for leaner fuel. By night, families are meant
to commune at the Breaking of Fast, and married couples are
encouraged to intimacy (Q2:187) — many Muslim cultures consider
children conceived during the month of Ramadan to be doubly blessed.

Most of all, Ramadan is a time for the suspension of hostilities. The
Quran is too knowing of human nature blithely to call for peace and
goodwill, but for this one month, there was to be no warring.
Instead, antagonists were to reflect on themselves in contemplation
of who they are, what they are intended to do, how they are to do it,
and above all, why (Q4:94).

Ramadan is a time of contemplation towards clarity; of the analysis
of motives and deeds.

The 22nd or 23rd night of the month is known as Laylat Al-Qadr,
the "Night of Power" marking what is believed to be the actual
anniversary of the Revelation; of the conjoining of Heaven and Earth
for the salvation of Man. At this time, those who have most
diligently observed the Fast engage in night-long vigils of prayer
and meditation, with their physical constitutions cleansed and their
consciences clear and open to insight and epiphany.

A week or so later, with the sighting of the new moon, Ramadan ends
in the most important festival of the Muslim year — a day or two
spent in soulful memory of the departed, communal prayers, charitable
acts and festive family gatherings.

Ramadan is, therefore, a crucial annual check in the cycle of life.
Observed as it should be, each year includes a month in which
humanity pauses for a stock-taking and "spring-cleaning" of the
individual soul, and of the societies formed of them. In this noblest
of months, there is no place for negative thoughts — except insofar
as they can be seen for what they are, and pondered upon for
realisation, repentance, and forgiveness.

For all these reasons, the simple sacrifice of food and drink never
seems to be so great as to merit much fuss. Think of it as having an
earlier breakfast and skipping lunch, no big deal.

But, as Bob Marley observed, "a hungry man is an angry man". A
definite crabbiness does come with an empty belly — which is all the
more reason to welcome the discipline of fasting as a reminder to not
be such a grump about it. (Besides, Marley was referring to hunger
caused by repression, corruption and bigotry, not a passing
peckishness.)

In sum, though, the fundamental ethos of Ramadan is one of retreat.
Some take this literally, opting to take their annual leave off work
to ease back on the throttle and glide a loftier trajectory; perhaps
even spending the month in the Holy Land at this very special time of
year.

For most, the "retreat" has to be more internal than actual; furling
the sails to rest on calmer, more reflective waters.

In search of those calmer waters, there are certain places that are
best avoided during the fasting month. Pre-eminent among them are
the "food courts" of shopping malls and the buka puasa buffets of
hotels.

The final hour of the fasting day is perforce the longest and
hardest, hypoglycaemia being what it is. Remaining calm, therefore,
may be hardest of all when witnessing what happens in that hour in
such places during Ramadan.

They fill to overflowing with Muslims sitting at tables with their
dinners piled high before them congealing on their plates, ice
melting in their tumblers, tea cooling in their cups, waiting in dry-
mouthed and glazed-eyed anticipation for the call of the Azan, not to
pray but to eat.

What's worse, this never happens at any other time of year, when the
call to prayer means exactly that.

True, it is proper to break one's fast at the appointed time, but
this was supposed to be done with a piece of bread or fruit and a
drink of water prior to prayer, with a leisurely and hopefully
convivial dinner to follow. This is a perfectly sound dietary regimen
while fasting; gently restoring fodder to depleted alimentary systems.

Suddenly shoving a kilo of dates, rice, curry, satay, meat,
vegetables, lobster thermidor and air bandung down a parched throat
into an empty stomach, however, can play havoc with the system. Blood
drains from the head to the gut to deal with the sudden engorgement,
blood-sugar levels skyrocket, and the brain is left stuporous.

That the blessed hour of Maghrib throughout the holy month of Ramadan
in this country is now associated with such public spectacles of
preposterous gluttony — for an obsession with food to be the hallmark
of the fasting month — is a riddle to be contemplated with detachment
(Q42:37).

To all Muslims everywhere: Peace and Coolness be upon Thee. Enjoy the
month. Selamat Berbuka Puasa. (Q5:93.)

Ramadhan

2:183. Hai orang-orang yang beriman, diwajibkan atas kamu berpuasa sebagaimana diwajibkan atas orang-orang sebelum kamu agar kamu bertakwa.

The London Central Mosque has announced that, the first month of Ramadhan is confirmed to be on the 1st September 2008.

Selamat menyambut Ramadhan Mubarak kepada semua.

Seperti kebiasaan, setiap tahun akan ada saja isu mula puasa tidak sama hari. Ini kerana ada negara guna falak, ada negara lihat anak bulan. Alangkan satu negara pun tidak sama jika berlainan area. Macam di UK, Egham where my home is, and Croydon (Khalil & Jai's homes) - puasa dan raya selang sehari last 2 years.

I am amazed that this phenomenon keeps popping up year in year out. Not unlike the terawih 8 rakaat vs 20 rakaat debate. Oh ya, by the way, terawih tu sembahyang sunat, meaning - tak buat pun tak dapat dosa. I suppose new technologies can pinpoint the day anak bulan will emerge, if not the second. So, on that score - actually its a non-issue if you use technology.

BTW, we have been so hard up on this precision of when to start and end Ramadhan all our life. However, looking at Al-Baqarah 2:183 (translation above) - it clearly says puasa is wajib "sebagaimana diwajibkan atas orang-orang sebelum kamu ". This means before me and you, there were people which fasting is ordained e.g. our parents, grandparents, forefathers .. etc. going back to Rasulullah. And since this ayat was first delivered to Rasulullah, it means before him, there were people ordained to fast too. Perhaps Nabi: Isa, Musa, Ibrahim, Noh .. all the way to Adam.

Fact:
1. All of believers (orang2 yg beriman) must puasa/siam (as in "kutiba alai kumussiam")
2. Puasa is in the month/period of Ramadhan (2:185)

The Islamic Calendar, which is based purely on lunar cycles, was first introduced in 638 by the close companion of Rasulullah cum the second Caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (592-644). He did it in an attempt to rationalize the various, at times conflicting, dating systems used during his time. Umar consulted with his advisors on the starting date of the new Muslim chronology. It was finally agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the Islamic calendar was the Hijrah. The actual starting date for the Calendar was chosen (on the basis of purely lunar years, counting backwards) to be the first day of the first month (1 Muharram) of the year of the Hijrah.

Fact:
3. Rasulullah - Nabi Muhammad (lifetime - circa: 570 Mekah – June 8, 632 Madinah)
4. Hijrah calendar created after his death by Saidina Umar Al-Khattab.

Therefore, how do "orang-orang sebelum kamu (Muhammad)" fast in Ramadhan, when Ramadhan was established - say, for Nabi Isa, about 638 years after his birth?

Interesting question innit?

So lets all not get too uptight about the timing of the month & events.

Ramadhan is time to:
1. Refresh our faith
2. Reflect on how Rasululah & his companions "puasa dunia" to achieve what we are enjoying today.
3. Reflect and find ways to improve the lives of the unfortunate ones among us.

Salam Ramadhan.

Paling Kodi

Been away a few days. Checking out the Isle of Wight - Cool!

Something to ponder on a Friday (courtesy from Amali)

At-Tiin

95:4 Sesungguhnya Kami telah menciptakan manusia dalam bentuk yang sebaik-baiknya.
95:5 Kemudian Kami kembalikan dia ke tempat yang serendah-rendahnya.
95:6 kecuali orang-orang yang beriman dan mengerjakan amal saleh; maka bagi mereka pahala yang tiada putus-putusnya.

Wish List - Masjid

(pic cilok from cibil - boleh kan...?)

A friend asked me one time, for some possible things to do at his area's newly formed masjid (in Bangi) so that it attracts youngsters to frequent the joint.

To me, we should bring it back to what it was before. Masjid is pusat ibadah (which includes administering/governing) - isn't god kingdom heaven & earth, and we are the governors (for the earth portion at least). Where best to govern if not from masjid. So I proposed some ideas to him, among others:

1. Learnings, kuliah subuh not just on Islamic studies/feqah/tauhid stuff, but also on economics, how to participate in stock markets. How to read annual reports and those accounting stuff.

2. Saturdays - entrepreneurship seminars - minimal fee/perhaps sponsored by tabung masjid/lecturer takes minimal token (duit minyak - aloo minyak mahal woo!)

3. Games in compounds of masjid - Hmmm, what kind? How about takraw, volleyball, badminton, tennis (if compound big enough), basket ball. Only after Asar, and 20 minutes before azan maghrib stop game - kalau tak, sunat kan lagi sekali sekor2.

4. Cafe, wifi - ok, pushing it.

5. Library - full ok, not just buku agama. Macamana nak jadi ahlil kitab, kalau tak baca kitab.

6. Site for Kids Camp (call it Khemah Pimpinan Ibadat if u want to), where kids get thought about life, some history of the world - esp. the part how the Muslims got to such a low level today, leadership, purpose of life, unity

and all this, non-muslims can join too. We want to bring unity, not dis-unity remember? Ya ayyuhannas remember? Islam is for everyone, not our copyright.

But at the end of the day if I remember correctly, that masjid turned out like the ones we already have. Sigh! .. so much for asking for ideas...

On another note, a write up by a guy named Hamizul on Masjid & kids here and a good article by SS Dr Asri here

Friday 08.08.08 China Olympic

Let the Games Beijing

It's Friday. I love Fridays.
Today, while monitoring the yo-yo market, we watched the most elaborate, most spectacular opening ceremony for an olympic games ever. The Chinese are determined to show the world that they are a new Superpower to be reckoned with. Simply superb show!

We even rushed back from our Friday prayer, apart from a quick take out visit to the Chicken Cottage at Old St. to be back at the office to continue watching the flamboyant show.

Friday. I was told once by somebody that we, the Muslims created Friday as our "holy" day to compete with the Jews whose holy day is Saturday, and the Christians, Sunday.

Basically, this Friday business came from the 62nd surah of the Al Quran (AQ), Al Jumu'ah which means Friday. The Friday prayer came from Ayat 9 of the same Surah as follows:

[62:9] O ye who believe! When the call is heard for the prayer of the day of congregation, haste unto remembrance of Allah and leave your trading. That is better for you if ye did but know. (Marmaduke Pickthall)

(Hai orang-orang beriman, apabila diseru untuk menunaikan shalat Jum'at, maka bersegeralah kamu kepada mengingat Allah dan tinggalkanlah jual beli. Yang demikian itu lebih baik bagimu jika kamu mengetahui. - Uthmani Version -)

This is true if "solawati min yawmil jumuati" means "the call is heard for the prayer on Friday". Note that Marmaduke Pickthall translated Jumuati as "the day of congregation".

Some critics says that the meaning of the word YAWM in the Quran can vary from one context to another but the main meaning or the essence of this word is in something that deals with time. It can mean when, then, during, day, period of time, time and etc. i.e. not necessarily "day". (YAWM is mentioned > 400 times in AQ)

Also, they say it is rather queer for Arabs to use Al Jumu'ah or Jumuati to refer to the day Friday. Since it is common for them to use numbers to indicate days i.e. day 1 means Sunday (wahid), day 2 - Monday (ithnani), and hence Friday is very commonly termed as Day 6, not Jumu'ah. Just like Bruneians (if I'm not mistaken) who refers to days as Hari Satu, Hari Dua ...

So, should "min yawmil jumuati" be taken as "in/during a time of congregation" as opposed to “on the day of congregation", the translation becomes:

“O you who believe, when the call is made for salat, in/during the time of congregation, haste unto remembrance of Allah and leave your trading. That is better for you if ye did but know.”

Hence, if the time of congregation refer to events like marriage, conferences, businesses, fairs etc, where does Friday prayer comes?

Anyway, that's what I read & study, purely from AQ of course. But to me the congregation on Fridays is such a superb way of conveying messages (needs to be contemporary of course) to the Muslim masses - either localised message or a uniformed message throughout the nation or even the world. It's like a mass e-mail message sent to all Muslim contacts.

That said, I like Fridays. And today, the Chinese just made my Friday.