As I see it....

Better to be Safe Than Sorry

2011-12-23T22:15:00.003+08:00

I received the following article in my email and would like to share it with you:

Three Saturdays ago, my brother Wooi Chi, who runs an insurance agency business from the 1st floor of a shop office in SS15 Subang Jaya, was alone in the office browsing through his emails. At about 11 o’clock in the morning, he heard a buzz at the magnetic-controlled door and what looks like a courier man peering through the glass door. Since there was no other staff around, he got up and strode to the door and pressed the button to open the door. Next thing he knew, two Indonesian men burst in and one of them with a parang started chopping him on the head. He fell backwards and as the blood oozes out from his open wounds he lapsed into semi-consciousness. They rifled through his office, took away his I Phone, I Pad, notebook and his wallet. It was all over in about 5 minutes. And the blighters bolted.

With adrenalin pumping through his body he managed to stagger down a flight of stairs, wobbled another 7 shops away and sought help from BP Lab. They administered first- aid and summoned an ambulance from Subang Hospital. Thank God for Good Samaritan at BP Lab and adroitness of the surgeon at the hospital, and after 104 stitches on the head, he survived. The attack was unprovoked, cold-blooded and brutal.

This seems to be the latest technique used by robbers and snatch thieves: To prevent victim from resisting or fight back, they clobber the victim first, just like President Bush’s famous, or rather infamous, “ Shock and Awe “.

The irony of the story is that my brother, who is also a lay pastor, feeds and provides shelter to the homeless, ex-drug addicts, ex-prostitutes (some of them are Indonesians) along Jalan Chow Kit and Tiong Nam in KL.

Over the weekend I googled “ How to avoid being mugged “ and “ Delay and Defence “ and checked with friends in the police force how best to survive in this concrete jungle of ours, where you are a prey and the predators are lurking out there.

There are two main areas I would like to focus on, namely: when you arrive early or work late in the office and when you are walking to and from your car. Here are the 4 Ds tips to survive: Delay, Detection, Deterrence and Defence

When You Are in the Office

Lock the main door or your room door (Delay)

Remember where are all the fire alarm and panic buttons located (Deterrence)

Practice on the fire alarm and panic button (Deterrence)

Look at the CCTV before leaving the office (Detection)

Ask questions before opening the main door (Detection)

Keep an umbrella next to you (Defence)

When You Are Walking To and From your Car

Walk with your colleagues (Deterrence)

Don’t use your mobile phone and be alert with your eyes darting around (Detection)

Don’t walk, but stride to and from your car (Deterrence)

Look around before getting into or out of your car (Detection)

Bring along an umbrella or tennis racquet (Defence)

When you get into the car, the first thing to do is to lock your car (Delay)

Carry a pepper spray in your hand, not in your handbag (Defence)

Bad things happen to good people. You are a soft target. Be Paranoid.

Chee Kong Chi
Consultant
23rd of November 2011

The Basket

2011-11-05T18:01:00.008+08:00

Everytime I go to a supermarket in Malaysia and grab a basket instead of a trolley, it always reminds me of those days when I spent my first 11 years of childhood in Singapore. At that time, I stayed with my parents at a rented wooden attap house in Kampung Bukit Kasita and went to Radin Mas School, where I studied from Standard One to Standard Five. My family was of course struggling at that time to make ends meet.

The basket in the supermarket reminds me of the cane basket that I used to carry when I had to walk for half a day after or before school, selling food to the public. If I went to school in the afternoon, then in the morning before sunrise, the kampung folks would be hearing a boy calling out "nasi lemak...nasi lemak...", sometimes louder than the sound of the "azan" (the call for prayer) from the local village mosque.

Yes, in those days (1951 to 1962), the village folks didn't have to go to a Malay or Mamak restaurant for their breakfast. Breakfast was literally brought to their doorsteps. All they had to do was to call out to the boy,"Hey, Nasi lemak, mari sini" (Hey Nasi lemak, come here...). The boy would then carry the basket of "nasi lemak" to the customer who would then purchased the quantity that he wanted that morning. At that time a packet of nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaves only cost ten cents. Now it costs from RM1.00 to RM1.50, depending on where you are in Malaysia. To know more about "nasi lemak" dish, please click here.

The nasi lemak made by my late mum was very popular and well-liked by the local village folks. It sold out so quickly that sometime I had to come back to the house to fill my baskets with more nasi lemak packs and went out again to finish my round of the village. You see, I had a fixed route which I took every morning with my baskets of nasi lemak. Normally there won't be any nasi lemak left by the time I finished my round of the kampung.

If I went to school in the morning, then I would go out to sell "epok-epok, mee Siam" and a few other Malay "kueh" like "seri muka and lepat pisang" in the afternoon. After I came back from school and had my lunch, my late mum would hand to me the two baskets containing the food to be sold that day. I carried a basket in each hand and with my right hand holding the bottle of mee Siam sauce, I began the journey in the afternoon to sell them to the Singapore town folks.

At that time the "karipap" of today was called "epok-epok". I don't know why the Malaysians called it "karipap" and not "epok-epok" and I have not been to Singapore for so long that I wonder whether Singaporeans still call it "epok-epok." "Karipap" as I understand it was originally made by the Sikhs or "Benggali" as we called them. It was a big-sized triangular-shape piece of food containing spicy curried potatoes wrapped with a layer of flour. It was deep fried until the flour skin became crispy.

The "karipap" of the Malays is also made of spicy curried potatoes and wrapped in the skin of flour and deep fried. However, the shape is different and the size is smaller.

"Mee Siam" was actually the fried mee-hoon that is normally found in Malaysia, except that "mee Siam" came with its own special sauce. I can't seem to find mee Siam in Malay restaurants nowadays.

So there I was carrying the two baskets and a bottle of sauce with my bare hands. Initially it was tough for me because of the hot afternoon sun and the heavy weight of the baskets which were fully laden with the food. But as it got towards evening, the sun's heat became more bearable and the baskets became lighter after the food were gradually sold to customers.

The route that I took was diffrent from the village route in the morning. Onr of my elder brothers (Rosli or Shariff) was covering the village route and I had to cover the town area. Selling at the town area was tougher than selling at the village. I had to cover a longer distance. Normally I returned to the house at about 5.00 pm after the baskets were empty . When I didn't return to the house by 7.00 pm, my late mum would know that I couldn't finish selling all the food yet and was trying to finish selling before returning home.

My late mum gave me twenty cents for every dollar of food sold. I used the money to save at the Post Office. What I did was to spend all my earnings to buy stamps from the local Post Office and then stick the stamps onto the Post Office book. Whatever amount contained in the stamps were considered as my savings. I wonder whether the same style of savings are still being practised in Singapore now. Come to think of it, I don't remember whether I managed to cash out my savings before I moved to Johor Bahru in 1963 :)

After my father moved to Johor Bahru in 1963, my elder brothers and I also stopped our "selling business". My late mum didn't tell us why it was stopped and my brothers and I didn't dare to ask her (in case she changed her mind about not selling...hehehe). I guess my father had a better pay and we didn't have to resort to the "selling business" again to augment the family's income.

In 1963 and 1964, I manged to concentrate on my studies and was among the students selected to study Form One at the Malay College in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. The basket, wherever I see or hold it, will always remind me of the "selling business" experience that I had in Singapore as a kid.

Killing 3 birds with 1 stone

2011-11-02T08:28:00.007+08:00

From Ibnu Umar radhiallahu 'anhuma that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "To pray in congregation (Solat jamaah) is 27 times more beneficial than to pray alone." (Dari Ibnu Umar radhiallahu 'anhuma bahawasanya Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda: "Shalat jamaah adalah lebih utama dari shalat fadz - yakni sendirian -dengan kelebihan dua puluh tujuh darjat."(Muttafaq 'alaih))

Based on the above hadith, I always try to go to a mosque to perform the "solat jemaah." Where I work, it takes me about 7 minutes of walking to arrive at the nearest mosque and of course less than that if I am to drive there. So I have 2 choices, either to walk or drive there. Which one should I choose, then?

As you may have guessed correctly, I chose to walk there because of the following hadith:

From Abu Hurairah r.a. who heard the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever cleanses himself ("berwuduk") at his home and then goes to one of Allah's houses (the mosques) to perform one of the five obligatory prayers ("solat fardhu"), therefore every step that he takes (on the way to the mosque) will remove one sin from him and the next step will raise his status ("darjat") to a higher level." (as "riwayat" by Muslim)

So it's nice to have our sins removed and status elevated higher ("dinaikkan darjat") everytime we walk to the mosque, don't you think? But what if we have a transport like a motorcycle or a car to take us there? Do we get the same benefits as walking? This question was subsequently answered when I attended one of the religious talks ("ceramah") by an Ustaz (religious teacher) who said that we get the same benefits as walking if we ride a motorbike or drive a car to the mosque. So, given the choice between walking and transportation, which one should we choose? To answer that question, let's look at the following hadith:

From Anas bin Malik r.a. who heard the Prophet (PBUH) said, "Make it more convenient and not more difficult, be calm and not be fearful."
Hadis Anas bin Malik r.a katanya:" Rasulullah s.a.w pernah bersabda: permudahkan dan jangan memayahkan, tenangkan dan jangan menakut-nakutkan. (Riwayat Muslim)

Thus, between walking and driving, which one is more convenient? It is of course more convenient to drive than to walk. So, I decided to drive instead of walking to the mosque to perform my "solat zohor" and "solat asar" there.

This went on for quite some time until a few days ago I came across another hadith which says that " A strong Muslim is much better and loved by Allah than a weak Muslim." (Seorang mukmin yang kuat adalah lebih baik dan dicintai oleh Allah berbanding mukmin yang lemah - Riwayat Muslim)

I deduce that to become a strong Muslim, one must be healthy,and to be healthy, one should exercise more often (apart from eating good food, has enough rest and peace of mind and heart).

I have always wanted to walk from day one, but because I was "convinced" by the above hadith that one should choose the more convenient way of doing things if there are more than one way of doing it, I decided to drive. Furthermore, I haven't come across a hadith which says that one can also get one's sins forgiven and one's status elevated if one is to go to the mosque by using a transportation as the ustaz had mentioned.

Thus, by walking to the mosque, one gets at least 3 benefits, namely,

1. One gets 27 times the benefit of praying alone.

2. One gets one sin forgiven for every step taken and one "darjat" elevated with the next step taken and so on until one reaches the mosque. The further the distance the more benefits one shall get. Thus, for a total of say, 500 steps, 250 sins are removed and one's "darjat" is raised 250 times.

3. One gets to become more healthy and therefore stronger with the exercise that one gets by walking to and from the mosque. A lot of chronic diseases, like high-blood pressure and diabetes, were due to lack of exercise.

Thus, without further delay, I started walking to and from the mosque starting from yesterday (1/11/11). I carry an umbrella with me just in case it rains or it gets unbearably hot. I have also told my friend that I have to stop going with him in his car to the mosque. He at first thought that there was something wrong with his car or the way he drove, but after hearing my explanation that my decision had nothing to do with them, he finally understood and felt better.

If you are unhealthy or overweight, why not you try "killing" 3 birds with one stone by walking to and from the mosque. instead? :)

Zorzini Roslan

2011-09-28T12:45:00.011+08:00

"An average of 195,000 people in the USA died due to potentially preventable, in-hospital medical errors in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, according to a new study of 37 million patient records that was released today by HealthGrades, the healthcare quality company."(Obtained from this link)

My eldest daughter Zorzini passed away on 24th March 2011, which was 5 months after her 32nd birthday. At that age, you would agree with me that she died at an early age. The last time that I spent time with her was on her last birthday itself, where we had lunch at an Indonesian Restaurant in Kota Damansara.

Due to our respective heavy work commitments, we found it very hard to meet each other as often as we wanted to. The same can also be said about her siblings who are working. Zorzini worked with Shell as a senior manager and her work demanded her to travel outstation very often. So, we only managed to keep in touch with each other over the phones and by sms (short message services).

I remember on that day when we met for lunch, she looked very thin and slightly sick. I didn't mention about it to her then because I thought that she was on some kind of diet to lose weight. It's only later on after her death that I learnt she was suffering from athritis for some years. Not many knew about it except her mum and hubby. I can understand it, because she's the type who would rather keep her problems to herself rather than sharing it or worrying her younger sisters and those closed to her.

After she fell down on the way to the bathroom, unknowingly she contracted the Septic Athritis. The Wikipedia defines Septic Athritis as "the purulent invasion of a joint by an infectious agent which produces arthritis. People with artificial joints are more at risk than the general population but have slightly different symptoms, are infected with different organisms and require different treatment. Septic arthritis is considered a medical emergency. If untreated, it may destroy the joint in a period of days. The infection may also spread to other parts of the body."

How true. The infection from her knee spread to her heart and brain and subsequently caused her to lose her life.

When I first heard the news that she was hospitalised and in a state of coma at the University Hospital, I couldn't believe it. Who could believe that a healthy young girl like her could land in hospital and treated on a life-support system? I didn't hesitate to take a bus from Terengganu to Kuala Lumpur after I heard the news. Salmiah and I went to see her at the hospital on the same night that I arrived. She was in a state of coma for about a week, I was told. By the time I met her, she had already come out of her coma for a few days. She was kind of surprise to see me there and we chatted pleasantly for awhile. It looked like she had recovered from her illness. It never occured to me that she recovered just to be able to see and chat with her loved ones for the last time. Zorlinda, her younger sister also came down from Dubhai and managed to talk to her a few days before, saying "I love you" to each other before Linda left for Dubai.

From the brief explanantion given by Irman, her hubby, I was only vaguely aware that she was suffering from some kind of heart problem caused by bacterial infection. I knew it later as "endocarditis", which has something to do with the inflamation of the interior of the heart and also badly affected the function of the heart's valves. The doctor told Irman that her heart was weak and not to expose her to any kind of stress.

Irman and I had teh tarek after the chat with Zorzini and I went home that night feeling that she's going to be okay.

The next morning Irman called me to inform that her heart had stopped beating but the doctor managed to get it to beat again after 20 minutes. She had to be put on a life support system again. I rushed to the hospital to see her. I met Sureen Nita, her younger sister at the hospital too. A few of her friends were also there. Zorzini was lying on the bed motionless with only the sound of the breathing apparatus and the hearbeat equipment to be heard. I knew she was struggling to stay alive. Her heart stopped beating forever 5 days later. Innalilla hiwainna ilahirajiun...(from Allah we come to this world and to Allah we return)

Irman told me that it all started when she fell in the toilet and hurt her left knee sometime in November 2010, a month after I met her for her birthday lunch. She went to the Subang Jaya Medical Center for medical treatment. Her knee was x-rayed and they couldn't find any broken bones. So she was given some "standard" medicines like Panadol and told to go home. She went home alright, but that's how the septic athritis started. Her knee didn't get better. She couldn't walk properly and experienced severe pain whenever she tried to move her knee.

After numerous visits to the doctor, she was always given the same opinion and medication, which never improve her condition. In fact, her condition worsened. She finally insisted that the doctor checked her knee thoroughly again. Therefore they did some kind of scan on her knee and discovered a minute piece of broken bone from a fracture, which an x-ray couldn't detect. By this time her health had deteriorated and condition getting worst. The same doctor decided to introduce a strong medicine (I forgot the name), which I found out later, that it reduces or weakens the body's immune system. My daughter's immune system was already struggling hard to fight the bacterial infection and here we had a doctor giving something to weaken her immune system. Her condition got worst after taking the medication. She was beginning to talk "funny" suggesting that her brain was also affected by the bacterial infection. Her mother decided that "enough is enough" for the treatment by the SJMC doctor and decided to bring her to University Hospital.

Upon admittance, she was quickly diagnosed as being in critical condition and was put in the emergency room on the life support system straighaway.

I'm not going to write something here that will bring tears to your eyes for I am sure you know how it feels like to lose someone in the family whom you love so much. My only most regret is that I didn't spend as much time with Zorzini as I should. I shall always cherish the precious moments that we had together, from the time she was a baby until the time when she graduated and secured herself a job with Shell.

I can still remember how pretty excited she was back in 2003 when she got the job with Shell and was posted to Butterworth near to where I was living.

She was assigned to look after all the Shell stations in the north. I was at that time supervising the construction of a dam in Kedah (Beris Dam). We would always meet up for lunch whenever she had to travel and pass near the place where I worked. She would entertain me with her jokes in her usual cheering manner and smile. I can never forget her smile. In fact, I miss her smile now.

Her death came not only as a shock to me, but also to all her loved ones and close friends.

When it's time to return to Allah SWT to leave this world for good, the circumstances leading to death just happens the way it is "written" to happen.

Well Zorzini, stay put there. Papa's turn will also come one day, sooner or later, for death is only to wake up and live again in the next world., this time in a permanent world, where we don't have to be separated again and where papa can see your loving smile again...insyaAllah.

My Umrah Trip - Part 5

2011-09-18T14:36:00.021+08:00

Visit to a Camel Farm

Well, a visit to Saudi Arabia is not complete without a visit to a camel farm. Our tour bus stopped by this camel farm before proceeding to other historical destination. Visiting this camel farm really made me wonder how such a nice and gentle creature is brought up in a surrounding, which is rough, tough and environmentally unfriendly. Here they are in the middle of a desert under the punishing heat of the hot afternoon sun without any shelter. Yet, they greeted us amicably when we approached them. No wonder, it is quoted in one of the Hadiths that the camel is one of the animals to be guaranteed a place in Heavens.

The farm that we visited was run by an Arab single-handedly. While we were there, we had the chance to taste and drink fresh milk taken from the she camel. At first, we were thinking we would probably "throw up" after taking it, but after the first sip, we found that it tasted like "santan" (coconut milk) but more gentle. We paid 5 Rial for a small bottle and Salmiah and I consumed a bottle each. We also applied some of it on our face' Our guide said that it's good for our face. Wallahu'alam......

The Treaty of Hudaibiyyah

After the visit to the camel farm, the tour coach brought us to the historical site where the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah was signed. It is considered a very important historical site because it was where the treaty was signed between Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and one of the Meccan Quraish, who were the enemies of Islam then. Even though the treaty seemed to be more like one-sided in favour of the enemies, it turned out to be good for Islam because when the treaty was signed, there were only about 1,400 Muslims who accompanied Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). But about two years later, when finally the Prophet (PBUH) marched into Mecca to perform the Haj, he was accompanied by 10,000 Muslims. Mecca was finally conquered without much bloodshed. Without the treaty, there would probably be more bloodshed amongst the Arabs before the Prophet (PBUH) could finally take over Mecca.

We visited the place of Hudaibiyah, which looked like it needed some improvement. It also explained why no snapshots were taken by us of the place. It looked like a building in a ruin. The Saudi Government should do something to improve the place. However, there was a mosque nearby where we went in to perform solat sunat tahayatul masjid before we left the place.

The Museum

After we left Hudaibiyyah, our last stop for the day before we reached Mecca was a museum. Here we found the historical relics of Mecca, especially those of the kaabah. A picture paints a thousand words. So we are going to show you some of the photos that we took in the museum.
Former Maqam Ibrahim Former Steps to Kaabah

The former casing for the Hajarul Aswad

The former door of Kaabah

Time To Go Home
After spending 6 memorable days in Mecca, it's time to pack our clothing and other personal belongings into our luggage to leave Mecca for Jeddah to catch a plane for our trip home to Malaysia. We had done our very best in performing our umrah and we hope that Allah SWT accepts our ibadat.

The night before, we had been told to place our luggage outside our hotel room before 6.00 am, so that they could be collected and loaded onto the bus that was going to take us to the airport in Jeddah. In the morning after we had performed our last solat Suboh at Masjidil Haram, we also performed our last tawaf around the kaabah. We went back to the hotel to have our breakfast and then waited at the lobby for the bus to come and fetch us.

We arrived at Jeddah around noon time. We were taken to a beach where we had our lunch. Whilst having lunch and facing the Red Sea, I couldn't helped but recalled the journey made by Prophet Musa r.a. and his followers who crossed the sea with the Pharaoh and his troops closed behind him.

The "Floating Mosque" at the background

Having a rest under a hut after having lunch

After lunch, we went to the mosque to perform our solat, but unfortunately the mosque was locked. Fortunately the place for taking ablution (wuduk) was opened and we used the outside part of the mosque to perform our solat (jamaq takdim). After being used to the good service provided by Masjidil Nabawi and Masjidil Haram, it was quite difficult to accept the condition of this mosque.

The hut and the mosque and the Red Sea as the backgroundAfter we had performed our solat at the "floating" mosque. we boarded the bus to take us to the airport. There was some waiting and confusion at the airport, but our travel agent managed to resolve it. We managed to take a group photograph at the airport before we finally boarded the plane. Our trip back to Malaysia was uneventful and our plane safely landed at KLIA in the early hours of the morning (Malaysian Time). Alhamdulillah...

Me & Salmiah on the 1st and 2nd left. Ustaz Mahmud, who led us during the umrah, was standing 7th from the left

The End.
Click here to go back to Part 1 (beginning)

My Umrah Trip - Part 4

2011-09-18T10:41:00.035+08:00

Visit to Historical Places

Waiting for the coach to take us to visit Jabal Tsur. The plastic bag contained my Ihram clothes, which I used at a Miqat on the way back to the hotel.

Jabal Tsur

Left - Photo of Jabal Tsur and on the Right is Photo of Jabal Tsur - closer view

The tour package also included visits to historical places around Mecca. One of the places that we visited was the Jabal Tsur (Jabal means mountain). This was where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his faithful companion, Abu Bakar As-Sidik hid themselves from their enemies in a small cave for 3 days and with the help of Allah SWT, a spider spanned its web and a bird nested itself at the entrance to the cave, thus creating an impression to the enemies that no one had entered the cave.That was also the beginning of the Hijrah for Prophet Mhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to Medina. To avoid detection, he stayed in the desert during the day and travelled only at night. When he finally reached Medina, he established the Islamic Kingdom whichquickly spread the religion of Islamic to the world.

The Peak of Jabal Tsur

Jabal Nuur

Jabal Nur with Hira Cave at the Peak

The Jabal an-Nour (also Jabal an-Nur or Jabal Nur) is the name of the mountain which contains the Cave of Hira at its peak. The cave itself is about 4 meters in length and 1.75 meters in width.
It is notable for being the location where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received his first verses of the Quran from Allah SWT through the angel Jibraile.
Before the Prophet PBUH received his first revelation in this cave, he always climbed to this mountain to be on his own and to meditate in the Hira cave. He felt sad at the state of affairs of the Mecca people then - they worshipped deities and statues, killed their new-born baby girls, gambled, got drunk, killed and robbed each other with no law and order.

An optional trip was organised to climb Mount Hira at night because it would be unbearable to climb it in the day time due to the heat from the sun. Since my eye-sight was not good at night, Salmiah and I decided not to join in the trip. But the descriptions by fellow Muslims who climbed the mountain to reach the cave was good enough for me to picture the situation there. According to them, the cave is not large. There was enough space only for one man to pray standing, and another immediately next to him to pray sitting. There was a long queue of those who were able to make the almost 1-hour climb to get to the cave. They were queuing to pray at the same blessed place where revelation of the Qur'an was first given to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) 1,440 years ago.

Jabal Rahmah

Jabal Rahmah, the mountain of love (kasih sayang) is the place where Adam and Eve met after being separated from each other for 200 years. It is said that from Heaven, Adam landed at India and Eve at Jeddah. Our mutawwir suggested that those of us who were still single, could climb on the hill and pray to find his/her life partners. I wonder whether the single people in our Umrah group had managed to find their life partners after they returned to Malaysia. The Prophet (PBUH) also delivered a speech on his last pilgrimage from this
mountain, the most famous message being, "O' people, reflect of my words. I leave behind me two things, THE QURAN AND MY SUNNAH (HADITH), and if you follow these, you will not fail."

At background is Jabah Rahmah

Climbing up the Jabal Rahmah.

Salmiah with a "taxi"camel at Rial5.00 per ride

End of Part 4
Click here for Part 5 (last)

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My Umrah Trip - Part 3

2011-09-17T22:40:00.017+08:00

Meal Times

After performing the Umrah, I remembered that we still had another 7 days to go before taking the flight back home from Jeddah. In Mecca, we made sure that we did not miss any of the five (5) Solat Fardhu Berjemaah. We were late for the Solat Jemaah on one or two occasions, but other than that, we were always in the mosque ahead of time before the azan was called.

All our meals were arranged to be had after the Solat time - breakfast after Solat Suboh, lunch after Solat Zuhur and dinner after Solat Ishaq. Any visit to historical places was carried out in the morning after breakfast and after finishing all the visits, the bus would take us back to our hotel in preparation for our Solat Zuhur. We never missed our meals at the hotel because my wife and I agreed that it was so easy to get hungry there :-). The meals were quite delicious and we enjoyed them. Normally after lunch, we would get some rest in our hotel room and get ready to go to the mosque before Solat 'Asar. We decided not to go back to the hotel room after each Solat Asar, preferring to stay back in the mosque, either to read the Quran, perform the Solat Sunat or Tawaf Sunat around the Kaabah.

Standing in front of the Masjidil Haram leading to King Abdul Aziz Gate (Gate No.1). We always used this gate to enter the mosque and exit from it.

Kissing the Hajarul Aswad

Every time we did the Tawaf, we always observed the situation at the Hajarul Aswad. No matter what time of the day, it was always occupied with Muslim men and women attempting to kiss the Stone from Heaven. We also felt like doing so but was discouraged by the sight of the pilgrims struggling at each other to reach the Hajarul Aswad to kiss it. However, we managed to reach and touch the Kaabah walls and also found a space at Hijir Ismail to perform the Solat Sunat. It is said that if we wish to get rich and prosperous in this world, the Hijir Ismail is the place to ask for such requests from Allah SWT.

Salmiah was more determined to kiss the Hajarul Aswad than me. One fine day after Solat Asar, we performed the Tawaf Sunat and after that she said she wanted to attempt to reach the Multazam, which is the Kaabah wall located between the Kaabah's door and Hajarul Aswad. It is the place where we request from Allah SWT to be exempted from Hell.

I would have discouraged Salmiah at that time if she had said that she wanted to try to kiss the Hajarul Aswad. She didn't tell me and so I left her there and went back to the mosque to perform Solat Sunat Tasbih and another two (2) Tawaf Sunat before Maghrib time. We did not meet each other again until we had finished performing the Solat Ishaq Berjemaah. Our meeting place was the Shoe Rack No.8 at Gate No.1 (there are 93 gates altogether).

When we met after Solat Ishaq on the way back to the hotel for dinner, only then did she excitedly narrate to me that she managed to successfully kiss the Hajarul Aswad single handedly (without my help, of course). She said, "Moving into the corner from the Multazam was quite easy for me, where the guard on duty assisted by asking the other pilgrims to make way for the "Hajah".

"After I managed to kiss the Hajarul Aswad, coming out from the corner was one big battle." she said. "Being pushed and squeezed from all directions, I really could not get my way out. I even reached out my hand for the guard to pull me out but he just ignored me."

She said that being squeezed from all directions made it very difficult for her to breathe and desperately she prayed for Allah SWT to help her get out from there. Suddenly her feet felt something solid at the bottom of the Kaabah. Reaching down, she grabbed the steel ring and slowly pushed her way along the wall until she managed to free herself from the struggling crowd.

She said that she had performed the Solat Hajat earlier on to ask for the help of Allah SWT to facilitate or make it easier for her (mempermudahkan) to kiss the Hajarul Aswad.

Standing on the Balcony of the Masjidil Haram with the Kaabah in the background

My wife's success in kissing the Hajarul Aswad inspired me to attempt to kiss it too. I also Solat Hajat the next morning requesting the help of Allah SWT to make it easy for me to approach and kiss the Hajarul Aswad. I said to myself that surely there must be something significance or beneficial in being able to kiss the Hajarul Aswad. Otherwise, there won't be so many Muslims making such attempts to kiss it.

After that, even though I did a few rounds of the Tawaf, I still could not find enough courage to attempt to kiss the Hajarul Aswad. However on Thursday, 7th August 08 after Salmiah and I completed the Tawaf Sunat, I decided to try it. We also Puasa Sunat (optional fast) that day. With my wife's help (she was embracing me from behind with both her hands around my waist), we slowly made our way to the Hajarul Aswad. We were pushed from behind, front and the sides, but we maintained our course, always striving forward, as if there was a force helping us to go through. Suddenly, I found myself directly in front of the Hajarul Aswad, with a woman who was kissing the Stone from Heaven. I set myself in readiness and immediately after the woman left, I found myself standing right in front of the Hajarul Aswad. Without much hesitation, I kissed the Stone from Heaven, uttering "Subhanallah walhamdulillah walaila haillallah huwallah huakbar" so many times. It was difficult to leave that position and I felt like staying there forever, but the thought of giving the others the chance to kiss it too, made me slowly withdrew from Hajarul Aswad.

I was surprised that my withdrawal from Hajarul Aswad was made so easy without being pressed and squeezed. I can't describe to you the happiness inside me knowing that Allah SWT has granted my wish and made it so easy for me to kiss the Hajarul Aswad. Syukor Alhamdulillah.......

ZAM-ZAM Water

Without the Zam-Zam water, which is always available not only in Masjidil Haram but also in Masjidil Nabawi, in Medinah, life there could be quite unbearable. The mosque workers always made sure that the Zam-Zam water was available for fellow Muslims to drink to quench their thirst and also to refill their small or large bottles to bring back. The mosque workers also make a good job of maintaining the cleanliness of the area in and around the mosque as well as the compound around the Kaabah. Congratulations to the management of the two mosques for doing a great job and making it pleasant for the pilgrims to perform their Umrah.

What the Prophet (Prayers and Peace Be Upon Him) said about the Zam-Zam water was, "The Zam-Zam water is the antidote for the purpose that it is drank for. It is also a food that can satisfy the hunger and a medicine that will cure."

Inside Masjidil Haram on the 1st Floor. The Zam-Zam water are kept in plastic containers as can be seen on the right side of the photo. Disposal plastic cups are also provided and whenever the containers are empty, they will be replaced with new containers full of Zam-Zam water. Both cool and lukewarm Zam-Zam water were provided.

Medicinal Effect of Zam-Zam water

I didn't know the true medicinal value of the Zam-Zam water until I myself had an unbelievable experience to proof it. One or two days after we arrived in Mecca, I developed a blister on the sole of my right foot. Maybe it was due to my attempt to walk barefooted after I lost my slippers at Masjidil Nabawi in Medinah a few days back or maybe it was due to not getting used to wearing new slippers there. The blister got worst as I was doing a lot of walking there. It reached a stage where I was limping as I walked to and from the mosque. I applied the balm ointment, which we brought along with us together with other medicines from Malaysia, but it never got better. Then one night before going to sleep, Salmiah suggested that I applied the Zam-Zam water to the blister. So I filled a few drops of the Zam-Zam water into a cup and after praying to Allah SWT for His help to cure it, I applied the water on the blister area. At that time I also applied the water at both my right and left ankles because since at Medinah, my skin at both ankles had developed some kind of itchiness, which was very irritating. When I woke up the next morning, not only the blisters had gone, the itchiness too was gone and I was able to walk normally to the mosque without limping. Subhanallah...... If they say miracle happen in Mecca, that was the miracle that happened to me:-).

Salmiah helping herself to the Zam Zam water

I was a diabetic and brought along an instrument from Malaysia to measure the glucose level in my blood. A diabetic is discouraged to consume carbohydrate food like rice and flour for they get converted into sugar after the food is digested. However, in Mecca and Medinah, I did not control the consumption of carbohydrate food. I ate as much rice and bread that I could consume as if I was not a diabetic person. When I checked the sugar level in my blood, it was giving a normal sugar level reading. Maybe it was due to the exercise from walking to and from the mosque (Wallahu'alam), but every time before I drank the Zam-Zam water I preyed that I be cured of all kinds of disease and to clean my heart and mind from any dirty or negative feelings and thoughts. That Zam-Zam water by the Grace of Allah SWT really helped to control the sugar level in my blood but whether I was totally cured of my diabetes for good, only time will tell. But so far, the sugar level in my blood is giving a normal reading. All Praise be to Allah SWT......

Facing the Kaabah, I requested from Allah SWT for good health before sipping the ZamZam water

Our Mutawwir also relayed to us cases of pilgrims who had benefited from the curing or medicinal effect of taking the Zam Zam water. He was telling us about a Muslim who had a kidney problem and had difficulty in urinating. He went to see a doctor who advised him to undergo an operation. He referred the matter to his religious teacher, who advised him to drink the Zam-Zam water. He consumed the Zam-Zam water, each time filling up half his stomach. Alhamdulillah, he got well and there was no need for him to go for operation.

Another case happened during Prophet Muhammad's time (PBUH), when an Arab by the name of Abu Zhar, who for two weeks went without food. He drank only Zam Zam water and he gained weight instead. This happened before he became a Muslim.

Another thing which I forgot to mention earlier, was that there was no need to rush to go to the toilet for urination after taking much Zam Zam water in Masjidil Haram. However in Malaysia, I had to rush quickly to the toilet after consuming much of the local water here. :)

End of Part 3
Click here for Part 4

My Umrah Trip - Part 2

2011-08-29T15:16:00.011+08:00

Trip to Mecca

On Saturday, 2nd of August 2008, we prepared ourselves to leave Medinah to perform the Umrah. We bid farewell to the Prophet after the Solat Suboh (ziarah wada') and preyed to Allah SWT that we be given the opportunity to visit Masjid Nabawi and the Prophet's (PBUH) "makam" again in the near future.

After breakfast, we "Mandi Sunat Ihram" (optional ihram shower/bath). I wore the Ihram cloths before performing the Solat Sunat Ihram (optional Ihram prayer). My Ihram cloths consisted of two white towel-like cloths. One was used to wrap around the lower part of the body from above the navel downwards to below the knee (to cover the "aurat") and the other cloth was to cover the upper part of the body. There was a technique to be learnt on how to dress up securely. You are not supposed to wear an underwear or any sewn or stitched clothes and therefore wearing the Ihram clothes securely was very important.

Dressed in the Ihram cloths, we boarded the bus which would take us to our Miqat at Masjid Bir Ali, which was just 10km from Medinah. At this mosque we preyed Tahayatul Masjid for two rakaats. After we boarded the bus we wished ("berniat") to perform the Umrah and the Ihram because of Allah SWT (mengerjakan Umrah dan ber-Ihram dengannya kerana Allah Taala).

In Ihram clothings, taken after Solat Sunat at Mikad Masjid Bir Ali

After this wish had been said, we were considered to be in the state of Ihram. Whilst in the state of Ihram, the following actions are prohibited: -

(1). You can't cover your head with a cap or any item.
(2).You can't wear any sewn or stitched clothing.
(3) You can only use a footwear that exposes the toes and heels.
(4) A woman can't cover her face and can't wear hand gloves.
(5). No perfume is allowed to be used.
(6). No hair oil is allowed to be used.
(7). No hair is allowed to drop.
(8). Not allowed to cut or pull out any plant or trees, except dead ones.
(9) Not allowed to cut your nails
(10) Not allowed to hunt animals or imprison them in cages.
(11). Not allowed to have sex or any acts that can lead to having sex
(12). Not allowed to get involved in any akad nikah (marriage ceremony).

If any of the above acts is committed whilst in the state of Ihram, there's a "dam" (fine) to be paid. The amount of fines to be paid depends on the extent of the act, the most heavy being the contribution of a camel which is due to him or her having sex.

On the way from Masjid Bir Ali to Mecca, we stopped for lunch at the same restaurant where we had our dinner when we arrived on the first night at Jeddah. The same delicious 5-people-to-a-dish meal was served.

Inside the bus in the state of Ihram on the way to Mecca

We had the opportunity to view the countryside from the bus on its way to Mecca this time. The countryside consisted of rocky mountains and deserts with few bushes that looked like they were struggling to stay alive. Apart from the vehicles plying the highway, we could hardly see anybody in the countryside, most likely they were indoors avoiding the heat of the sun.

I couldn't help thinking, here we were travelling in comfort in an air-conditioned bus whereas more than 1,400 years ago the Prophet *PBUH) and his companions had to ride on the camel, horse, donkey or walked under the blazing sun with their head exposed (They are not allowed to cover their head whilst in the state of Ihram).

Salmiah standing infront of the Abeer garden Hotel under the blazing sun

We arrived in Mecca at about 2.00 pm and after checking into the Abeer Hotel,wwere led into Masjidil Haram by our mutawwir just before Asar time. We performed our jama' taqdim before we were led to perform the first ritual, i.e. perform the Tawaf (to circle around the Kaabah seven (7) times, beginning from the Hajarul Aswad and ending there too). Whilst performing the Tawaf our left shoulder must always face the Kaabah and our right shoulder should be exposed. So we had to adjust the Ihram cloth at the top of our body to ensure that our right shoulder is not covered but exposed before performing the Tawaf. Whilst circling the Kaabah, we should communicate with Allah SWT and ask for His Forgiveness for our past Sins and Bertaubat not to repeat. We should also thank Him for all the rezeki and nikmat that He has given us and to request for the well-being of our Prophet PBUH. You can also read verses from the Al-Quran or bertasbih or berzikir. Each time we reached the corner of the Kaabah where the Hajarul Aswad was located, we bid, "Bismillah, Allah Akbar and Lillahil Ham..." and followed up with a flying kiss to the Hajarul Aswad with our hands.

It was also observed that every time we reached the corner where the Hajarul Aswad was located, fellow Muslims were struggling and pushing against each other to get there or to get out from there to attempt to kiss the stones from Heaven. It was not a pleasant sight, but we could see the smiling faces of those who succeeded in kissing the Hajarul-Aswad.

The Majestic Kaabah

After we have completed the Tawaf, we were led to an area behind the Tomb of Abraham (Makam Nabi Ibrahim) to perform Solat Sunat Tawaf (Optional Tawaf prayer) for two (2) Rakaats. After taking a cup or two of the refreshing Air Zam-Zam, we proceeded to Mount Safa to perform the Sai', i.e. to walk or jog back and forth between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah seven times. The distance between the two mountain was slightly less than 0.5 Km

Performing the Sai' is very important in Islam because it marks the beginning of Mecca. History has it that Prophet Abraham was instructed by Allah SWT to bring his wife Siti Hajar and their new-born son, Ismail to a valley in the middle of a desert and told to leave them there. Prophet Abraham did so with a heavy heart but he also knew that Allah SWT knows best. In the middle of the desert and under the hot blazing sun, Siti Hajar soon ran out of food and even her feeding milk went dry. The baby cried out loud for food and drinks. Siti Hajar ran desperately from one mountain (Mount Safar) to another mountain (Mount Marwah) looking for water and help. After she had run seven (7) times, she went to her baby who was almost on the verge of dying when suddenly she saw water oozing out from the ground beneath the baby's legs. That water is known as Air Zam-Zam and from that day onwards, the Arabs started to migrate and settle at what is now known as Mecca. Subsequently Prophet Abraham and his son, Prophet Ismail, also built the Kaabah at the present location.

Performng the Sai' between Mt. Safar and Mt. Marwah

After we completed the 3.5 Km walk for Sai', we performed the Tahalul by cutting at least three (3) strands of our hair. It is said that the hair cut this way will light up our path in the journey towards Padang Mashar after we are awaken in the next world (Hari Kebangkitan). I observed some of us are not contented with just three (3) strands of hair, they had the whole hair on their heads cropped or shaven clean :-)

After the tahalul is completed, we were no longer in the state of Ihram and therefore our mission to perform the Umrah can be considered as already accomplished. Shukor Alhamdulillah....to Allah SWT for having us as HIS guests in His House (Masjidil Haram) in Mecca and also guests to our Prophet PBUH in his Masjidil Nabawi at Medinah and allowing us to perform the Umrah without any major glitch.

Photo taken after we completed the Tahalul

After completing our Umrah, the rest of the week in Mecca was spent performing more umrahs, tawafs, solat fardhu berjemaah, solat sunat, visiting historical places and of course, shopping. I shall describe them in more detail in Part 3, which also include the miracles of Zam-Zam water which I personally experienced and would like to share them with you.

End of Part 2
Click here for Part 3

My Umrah Trip - Part 1

2011-08-29T07:38:00.021+08:00

To perform the Haj (pilgrimage) is one of the five (5) pillars ("rukun") of Islam and must be performed by a Muslim if he is fully capable, not only in terms of health, but also in terms of his financial capability. Verse 196 of Surah Al-Baqarah of the Al-Quran states "Perform the pilgrimage (Haj) and the visit (Umrah) for Allah." Thus, performing the Haj is a must, but performing the Umrah is optional ("sunnat") for a Muslim. However, the Umrah can also be performed during the Haj or separately. I don't have the chance yet to perform the Haj but InsyaAllah the chance will come soon enough. I have myself to be blamed because I didn't register myself with Tabung Haji early enough to ensure a place for me when the time has come to perform the Haj. So my advice to you young people, please open an account with Tabung Haji now and register yourself to perform the Haj, so as not to regret it later on when you get older.

So my wife and I decided to perform the "Small Haj" (Umrah) first and wait until we are offered a place to perform the Haj in the near future, insyaAllah.

After some enquiries, we decided to go to a travel agency recommended by my friend, Dr.Halim Abd Rahman to purchase a complete Umrah package for about RM5,500.00 each, which included flight to and from Jeddah with Saudi Arabian Airlines, accommodation in a hotel room for 2 persons, food, transportation and visits to historical sites. We had to add in RM300.00 due to the recent increase in the price of oil. Otherwise, the package would have cost RM5,200.00 each.

After all the necessary immigration and health requirement had been taken care of, the day for us to begin our journey to Mecca and Medina has finally arrived. We left KLIA at 2.55 pm (Malaysian time) on Wednesday, 30th July 2008 and reached Jeddah at about 6.30 pm (Saudi Arabia's time). There were 42 of us Umrah pilgrims in our group. The Customs and Immigration procedures at the Jeddah Airport went on smoothly. However, when we wanted to collect our luggages, that's when our first "challenge" happened. A group of airport porters claimed to represent our travel agency and offered to fetch and carry our luggage from the airport to the bus waiting outside. Observing that something was not right, one of us phoned the local travel agent representative to confirm whether he had arranged for the airport porters to handle our luggage. He said there was no such arrangement and unless we wished to tip the porters exhorbitantly for their service, he advised us to get our own luggage back.

Everyone in our group therefore immediately arranged to retrieve their own luggages from the porters. We were earlier advised by the travel agency that we had to pay 30 Rial for each luggage to get the service of the airport porter.

After getting over our first challenge, our second "challenge" came when we were met by someone at the airport, who claimed to be representing our travel agency, and later by two (2) tour guides (muzawwir) at the bus, who also claimed to represent our travel agency. You see, they did not wear the travel agency's name tag and the situation was not made better when they insisted on collecting our passports for "safe-keeping". After going through the porter experience at the airport, we were somewhat doubtful whether we had the right tour guides. After some deliberations and discussions amongst ourselves we finally surrendered our passports to them. It turned out later that they were genuine representatives of the travel agency, Alhamdulillah.....

We then moved on to the next phase of our journey, which was to take the air-conditioned bus to Medinah. The journey from Jeddah to Medinah took about 5 hours. We stopped halfway to have dinner and perform the jama' takhir (combining maghrib's solat with ishaq's). The dinner was typically Arabic, where five of us shared one big plate consisting of what looked like fried rice, chicken, fish and vegetables. It was quite delicious. Maybe, it was because we were very hungry then :-). After the dinner, we continued our journey and finally arrived at our hotel in Medinah at about 2.00 am (Saudi Arabia's time). After getting our room keys, we went to our respective rooms to get a "proper" sleep. Not knowing where Masjid Nabawi was and not wanting to risk getting lost in a new place either, we did not venture out to look for the mosque to perform our Suboh prayer the next morning. Instead, the two of us performed the solat berjemaah in our own hotel room.

Infront of the Al-Fayroz Hotel, Medinah

After breakfast, we were taken for a tour of Mesjid Nabawi. History has it that when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) first arrived at Medinah when he hijrah from Mecca together with his loyal and reliable companion, Abu Bakar As Siddiq r.a., the Prophet PBUH released his camel to allow it to go wherever it wished to go. The camel made it's own way and stopped at a piece of land upon which now stands the Masjid Nabawi and where the Prophet (PBUH) built his own house next to the mosque. Masjid Nabawi is the second most important masjid, after the Masjidil Haram in Mecca.

Masjid Nabawi
Our guide took us to tour around the grand mosque and after some briefings, we were left to venture into the mosque on our own to visit the tombs (makam) of the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions, Abu Bakar As-Sidiq and Omar Al-Khatab. The tombs were enclosed in walls and therefore inaccessible to everyone, except the mosque authorities. I offered my salaams to the Prophet (PBUH) and performed solat sunat there. The rest of the day was used up by commuting between the mosque (for prayers) and the hotel (for our meals)

Masjid Nabawi at the back

The next morning after breakfast, our guide took us for a tour ( menziarahi) of a few historical sites. We first stopped at Mount Uhud, the place where the Muslims battled with the Non-Believers (Kafirs) of Mekah. At first the Muslims won the battle, but later lost it because the Muslim archers, who were not supposed to leave their position on the hill, abandoned their position to join in the rush for the spoils of war. They went against the instruction of the Prophet (PBUH). The enemy took advantage of this situation to gather and launch a counter attack on the Muslims. Hamzah Abdul Mutalib, known as the "Lion of Islam" and also uncle of the Prophet (PBUH) was also killed in this battle.

After the visit to Mt.Uhud, we went to visit Masjid Quba', which was the first mosque that was built by the Prophet (PBUH) when he first arrived in Medinah at the early stage of the "hijrah". Then we went to visit Masjid Qiblatain, the mosque that has two directions of prayer (kiblat). Before Allah SWT instructs the Prophet (PBUH) to face the Kaabah in his prayer, the Prophet had been facing the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Palestine when he performed his prayer . After he was instructed to face the Kaabah when praying, he then changed his direction to face Kaabah in the same mosque.

Since it was a Friday, we missed visiting another historical site, which was the Masjid Al-Fath. The guide explained to us that during the Ahzab War, where a trench was built around Medinah as a military strategy, the Prophet (PBUH) prayed for Allah's help for three consecutive days in this mosque, asking for help from Allah SWT to win the war. Consequently, a strong and cold sand storm wind hit the camps of the enemies that night that scared them so much that they decided to leave their camping area and forget about capturing Medinah.

Masjid Qiblatain

The bus then proceeded towards the place where fresh dates (buah kurma) were sold. There were many varieties being sold. Among others, we bought the "kurma Nabi", which was the Prophet's (PBUH) favourite during his time. It was sold to us at RM60 per Kg.

After that the bus brought us back to our hotel for us to prepare for the Friday prayer at the Nabawi Mosque. In Saudi Arabia, they allocate a space in the mosque to allowthe women to participate in the Friday prayer too.

After the Friday prayer came my third challenge- my pair of slippers were not to be seen where I had placed them before entering the mosque. The urge to take someone else's pair of slippers at that time was indeed very tempting, but I managed somehow to decide against it, preferring to walk back barefooted to meet my wife at an agreed place to buy a new pair. Little did I realize or rather, how foolish I was to under-estimate the temperature of the ground. After taking a few steps with my bare feet, I realized that I couldn't take it - the ground was too hot or was it because my "spoiled" feet couldn't take the heat? I had to hurriedly walk back to the coolness of the mosque and called my wife over the phone requesting her to buy for me and deliver the slippers to me at the mosque.

Talking about the weather in Medinah, it was really hotter than the hottest days in Malaysia that I had known and experienced. I had to literally cover my face and eyes against the rays of the sun. No wonder the Arab women cover their faces. It's not only because it's customary to do so, but it's the practical thing to do too. No wonder the Arab men wear the "turban" wrapped around their heads. It also functions as a protective cover to their faces. I remember reading about how Bilal was tortured by his Master to give up Islam; at that time he was forced to lie down naked on the ground and weighed down with a boulder for the whole day without food or drinks. I was imagining that it was hot like Malaysia and therefore couldn't appreciate the burning pain that Bilal had to go through. After standing under the sun in Medinah and experiencing its effects, only then did I appreciate the hell that Bilal had to go through when he was subjected to that kind of torture.

When you are shopping in Medinah, especially buying from the street peddlers, always carry some small change with you. My wife and I almost had a bad experience with a street peddler. After bargaining for a piece of clothing for 18 Rial, my wife handed to her a 200-Riyal note. The peddler gave back 30-Rial as the change, whereas it should be 182 Rials. It was quite tough to get back the total correct change from the peddler as she returned the correct change little by little and only after much persistence from us did she finally return the correct amount. The peddler most likely deliberately did that because from her previous experience, Malaysian shoppers probably did not check their change after paying for the items that they had purchased :-). I also had the same experience later on in Mekah, where the peddler gave me a 30-Rial change for a 10-Rial item that I paid using a 50-Rial note. Only after much persistence did I get back the other 10 Rial. On another occasion in Mecca I bought a box of grapes for 10 Rial. After paying for the grapes, I was left waiting for some time and the peddler only entertained the other customers, "ignoring" me. Finally, I picked up a box of grapes and literally shove it to him to have it packed; only then did I manage to get his attention. Or maybe that was the right thing to do when doing shopping there? :-)

End of Part 1. Click here for Part 2

Bad Breath

2010-02-27T23:18:00.008+08:00

To pray in congregation ("solat berjemaah") in a mosque is not without its challenges. One of the challenges is bad breath coming from our immediate neighbour. If it so happens that our Muslim brother, whose praying besides us, has a bad breath, then the tendency is for us to lose our concentration ("khusyuk") in our "solat".

For this reason, our Prophet (PBUH) had said, "If it is not a burden to my followers, I would have instructed them to "bersugi", that is, to clean their teeth each time before they go for prayer." The hadith was narrated by Abu Hurairah as told from "Riwayat Muslim".

Thus, our Prophet (PBUH) stressed about the importance of having a clean breath when praying.

Another hadith, as narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas, has the Prophet PBUH as having said, "You should perform the "siwak" to clean your mouth to receive pleasures ("keredhaan") from Allah SWT (from Al-Bukhari and Al-Baihaqi).

To perform the "siwak" means to use the young twigs or roots to clean the teeth. At those times, the toothbrush and toothpaste had not been invented yet. So they used twigs or roots to clean their teeth instead.

According to his beloved wife, Aisyah r.ha, the Prophet PBUH always performed the "siwak" everytime he wanted to perform the "solat". During the fasting month of "Ramadhan", she said that he would "siwak" a couple of times during the day. Aisyah r.ha. also said, "The Prophet (PBUH) when he entered the house, would perform the "siwak" first".

One of the Prophet's companions, Jabir bin Abdullah r.a. heard the Prophet (PBUH) as saying, "To perform two "rakaat" with "siwak" beforehand is better than to perform 70 "rakaat" without performing the "siwak" first.

So the next time that we go to the mosque to perform the "solat" in congregation, we should ensure that we brush our teeth and if possible gargle our mouth with "Listerine" too.

Fom my own experience, bad breath happens during the time when performing the "Solat Subuh" and "Solat Ishaq" in congregation in the mosque. In the morning, it happens because we probably don't have the time to brush our teeth before we go to the mosque to perform the "solat" in congregation. As for the "Solat Ishaq", the bad breath was probably due to an early dinner before performing the "Solat Maghrib" at the mosque. Normally an "Ustaz" (Religious Teacher) would give a "ceramah"(religious talk) after peforming the "Solat Maghrib" until it is time to perform the "Solat Ishaq". Due to the long wait during the "ceramah", the bacteria in the mouth have sufficient time to go into action in causing the bad breath to happen.

Wallahu'alam

The Soap

2009-12-13T19:02:00.008+08:00

If you are a Muslim and wish to buy a "halal" soap at a big supermarket like Tesco, Giant or Carrefour, chances are that you won't find it or would have some difficulties locating it. This is because most soap brands contain glycerine, which is chemically derived from animal fats.

Last week I went to a large supermarket at Mutiara Damansara for my grocery requirement. One of the items that I wanted to buy was soap with the "halal" label, as the one left in my bathroom had dwindled down to an insignificant size.

As usual, I went to the toiletries section of the supermarket, to look for the soap. I selected each brand of soap one by one to look for the "halal" sign on the cover. I found to my disaapointment that all of them contained "glycerine" and there was no "halal" sign whenever the soap had glycerine as one of its components.

There was one brand of soap which was supposed to contain vegetable oil. But this brand had no "halal" label on it and comparatively more expensive than the others. Therefore, I didn't buy it.

I was about to give up when I instinctively bent down to reach for a brand of soap that was placed among a row at the lowest rung corner of the shelf. "Alhamdulillah," the soap had a "halal" logo sign on it and upon reading the ingredients written on the cover it did not mention "glycerine". The soap's brand was "Fruitale - Nutrient" and produced by Lam Soon Group of Companies. One pack contained 3 bars of soap and cost only RM1.98 and that was considered as cheap.

This brand of soap was placed at an insignficant part of the shelves - I wondered why. Was it because it was cheaper and therefore made less conspicous? I guess the supermarket people knew better ;)

Some of you who may be wondering what the fuss is all about. Let me inform you about "glycerine". The Wikipedia defines it as a translucent, colorless, odorless, brittle, nearly tasteless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Gelatin is a protein produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, pigs and horses.

It was narrated by Abu Muhammad Al-Hassan Bin Ali Bin Abi Thalib, grandson of the Prophet (Prayers and Peace be upon him) who said,"I have memorised from the Prophet (PPBUH) who said,"Leave the things that are doubtful to things that are not doubtful to you."" (From Termizi)

Thus, if glycerine is obtained from the animals, then it becomes a doubtful ingredients for the Muslims as it is very difficult to know what type of animal it was obtained from. Even if it comes from animals other then pigs, we don't know whether these animals were slaughtered in the correct Islamic way. As such, glycerine is doubtful unless we know from which source it was obtained.

Now, my question is, if the other brands of soap contained glycerine which comes from "halal" animal fat, then why didn't they put the "halal" logo on the packet? Makes one wonder, right?

We take our bath before a solat or wash our hands before a meal with soap. Now instead of cleaning our body and hands, we in fact rub the "haram" g;ycerine onto them. Now, does that make us clean? Think about it. :roll:

The Bridge that collapsed

2009-12-11T11:52:00.005+08:00

About a month ago, I wrote in my blog "Are we building a "reban ayam" here?" about how irresponsible was the developer of the bridge at Dipang that collapsed and claimed the lives of the three (3) schoolchildren. By "developer" I mean the owner of the bridge, the one for whom the Contractor built and handed over the bridge after it was completed. Until now, I don't know who the owner is. Since the bridge was used by the students for the "1Malaysia" activities, I suppose the owner was the Ministry of Education. Otherwise it could be the local Municipal Council, Public Works Department or other Government Department.

It is a normal construction practice that after a building or structure is completed, the Owner takes over and consequently maintains the building or structure after the Defects Liability Period is over. In the case of the bridge, the Owner should also take over and maintain the bridge after it is completed. Certainly the Contractor is not going to do that - he just wants to be paid for the work already done and moves on to another construction job.

It was reported earlier after the collapse-bridge incidence that no plans were submitted by the Contractor to the Authorities for approval before the bridge was constructed.

This report regarding "submission of plans" sounded a bit funny to me now. "Funny" because normally it is the responsibility of the Owner and not the Contractor to submit the plans for approval. The Contractor only constructs what are shown on the plans given to him. The design of the bridge or any structure for that matter is usually undertaken by a registered Professional Engineer. Thus, it was not a Contractor's job to do the design unless of course, the Contractor was apointed on a "design-and-build" basis. Nevertheless, the onus was on the Owner to submit the plans, even if the Contractor that he employed was a "design-and-build" Contractor.

The Star on 2nd December 2009 reported the Director-General of the Ministry Of Education having said "that the bridge did not meet the required engineering codes and specifications."

Now, this is also another funny statement to me because if there were no plans being submitted, where did the Education DG get his information that the bridge did not meet the required engineering codes and specifications?

It was further reported that, "The suspension bridge which collapsed near SK Kuala Dipang in Kampar was capable of taking the weight of eight (8) pupils, each weighing 35kg. There were about 15 pupils on the bridge when it collapsed."

Again, if there were no plans submitted, how did the DG know that the bridge was designed to take the weight of eight pupils, each weighing 35kg?

Even if the Owner of the bridge knew that the bridge was designed to take only eight 35-kg-each students, he would have ensured that a big signboard would be placed at strategic locations at each end of the bridge to warn the students and the teachers especially, not to use the bridge with more than seven or eight students at any one time. Of course, the Owner would only do this if he had the civic-mindedness or concern for the safety of the others.

The DG further stated, “The investigation committee found that the concrete block connection in Pylon A could not handle the uplift force from the back-stayed cable."

Of course, when a structure is subjected to a force greater than what it can take, it will eventually give way or fail.

Finally, the DG stated, "The Education Ministry, he said, will take into account the views of the Public Works Ministry and Department, the Construction Industry Development Board, and the Attorney-General’s Chambers in deciding the appropriate measures to be taken against the involved parties."

Who were the "involved parties?" No doubt it was convenient to blame the Contractor who built the bridge, but he would not have gone ahead and built the bridge if he had not got the approval from the Owner.

The Bernama reported on the same day that the bridge was built "hasil sumbangan pihak swasta" (as a contribution from the private sector). I wonder whether it meant that the Contractor built the bridge for "free" or was paid from the contributions obtained from the private sector. Either way it did not mean that the Owner could forego or ignore the requirement of getting approval for the plans from the relevant authorities.

Whether the bridge was built by the Contractor for free or for a certain sum of money, he would not have gone ahead with the construction of the bridge if he had not received the "blessings" or approval from the Owner himself.

The "Town" Chicken

2009-11-18T08:46:00.017+08:00

A "town" chicken is the term that I use to describe a chicken that is reared commercially, as opposed to a "kampung" (village) chicken. A "kampung" chicken is the term given by Malaysians to describe a chicken that is reared in the "kampung" or at our own backyard. It lives naturally in the "kampung" environment and is allowed to wander around the compound to fend for food. If it is allowed to roam during the day, by nighttfall it will return to the chicken coop. The "kampung" chicken is normally fed with left-over rice from the day's meals or uncooked rice if there are no left-overs.

In the past, I normally avoided taking the "town" chicken and preferred the "kampung" chicken instead, simply because its flesh tastes better. There was one exception though, which was the KFC chicken - Colonel Sanders had indeed invented a delicious recipe for the fried chicken. I really enjoyed the KFC chicken back then. However, after I gained knowledge about how the town chicken was bred and treated up to the stage where it was slaughtered, I decided once and for all, to give up consuming the "town" chicken. I am going to tell you why I do that, as follows:

1). Chicken Feed

I understand from an "Ustaz" (Religious Teacher) that 60% of the chicken feed consists of animal bones, which are grinded into powder before it is mixed together with the other chicken feed. Further investigation into the source of the powder by the Ustaz brought him to a factory in a neighbouring country. which specialises in grinding of animal bones into a powder form, and it includes pig's bones too. He also mentioned that manufacturers of toothpaste in that country use the powdered animal bones as one of the ingredients in making toothpaste. He therefore advised Muslims against buying toothpaste made in that country.

2). Growth Hormones

The town chicken are also fed with growth hormones to make them grow faster so that they can be sold to consumers within a short time, as compared to the time taken for a kampung chicken to grow to the same size. The Ustaz mentioned that the growth hormone given to the chicken supposedly encourages the growth of cancer cells in the body. An interview which was conducted with cancer patients at one time revealed that their favourite food was "town" chicken.

3). Cancer-causing Antibiotics

Chicken farmers believe in the motto "Prevention is Better than Cure". So they also include antibiotics in the chicken feed to prevent the chicken from contracting chicken diseases easily. Some diseases can cause them to die instantly. This is a good move by the farmers, except that the antibiotics are bad for human consumption.

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) had conducted several random checks on chicken farms which frequently revealed the deplorable filthy conditions and rampant antibiotic abuse on the farms.

CAP revealed that in 2003 alone, 13 out of 17 samples of chickens which were tested were found to contain bacteria which were resistant to either Nitrofuran or Chloroamphenicol, or both. Both Nitrofuran (a cancer-causing agent) and Chloroamphenicol (which can cause potentially fatal bone marrow depression in some people) are banned in food. Therefore they should not be present in chickens.

4). Physical Abuse

Islam forbids treating any animal in a cruel manner. It is said in the Quran that "There is not an animal on earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but they are communities like you..." (Al-Anaam : 38).

It was narrated by Anas r.a. that the Prophet s.a.w. said, "All creatures are like a family of God and He loves the most those who are the most beneficient to His family." (Al Bukhari)

If you have been to a typical farm, where the "town" chicken are reared, you would observe that there are not enough room for them to move about such that they cannot even spread their own wings, let alone move freely to exercise their muscles. They are also debeaked (a painful procedure) to reduce further pecking and cannabalism. Basic natural behaviour such as foraging, nesting and laying eggs in privacy is impossible. As a result, they suffer many health problems such as feather loss, skin damage, injury to their feet (including abnormal claw growth) and poor bone development (which leads to bones, especially in the legs, being easily broken).

Islam teaches us to love and respect all the creatures ("makhluk') of Allah, irrespective of their usefulness or their apparent harmfulness.

Abu Huraira r.a. reported the Prophet s.a.w. as telling of an incident that happened to another prophet in the past. This prophet was stung by an ant and in anger, he ordered the whole of the ants' nest to be burned. At this point God reprimanded this prophet in these words: "Because one ant stung you, you have burned a whole community which glorified Me." (from Bukhari and Muslim).

Apart from the deplorable conditions in which these chicken are being "brought up" at the farms, they are also treated very badly at the place where they are slaughtered. Eyewitness accounts from ex-workers of such a place reported reprehensible mistreatment of the chickens, such as chicken with popped-out eyeballs, broken bones, disfigured and missing body parts and chickens that are scalded alive and have their bodies literally blown to pieces. In short, from their breeding ground to the time they are slaughtered, these chickens suffered and are treated in the most inhumane manner.

It was related that Shaddad ibn Aws r.a. said: "I recalled two things that the Messenger of God (prayers and peace be upon him) said: "Indeed God has enjoined upon you to be kind to all that you slaughter, so slaughter in a kind manner and when you slaughter, slaughter well. Everyone of you should keep his knife sharp and permit the animal to die in comfort." (from Muslim)

Thus, it can be deduced from the above "hadith" that if the chickens in the farm and the place of slaughter are not treated kindly or they die in discomfort, then it is "haram" (prohibited) to consume them.

In more recent investigations, CAP's tests have even discovered that chicken is one of the most unsafe meats in the market as it is frequently badly contaminated with bacteria - a clear indication of unhealthy chicken breeding and processing practices.

Lastly, most of the commercial chicken farms in Malaysia are owned and operated by non-Muslims. These non-Muslims sometime do not understand the proper method of slaughtering the chicken in the Islamic way. These farms consider slaughtering the Islamic way as very cumbersome and time-consuming. Even though they are being regularly monitored by the religious department, there are still some of them who try to avoid slaughtering it the proper way.

So, I hope now you can understand why I don't take the town chicken anymore. However, if I have the urge to eat chicken, I either go for organic chicken or "kampung" chicken, which are a bit more expensive, but at least I am assured that they are "halal" and hygienic.

Are we building a "reban ayam" here?

2009-11-15T23:07:00.007+08:00

The recent suspended bridge at Dipang which collapsed and claimed the lives of three schoolchildren on 26 October 2009 prompted me to write this article.

Prior to this incidence, we read about the collapse of the roof of a newly-completed stadium in Kuala Trengganu and that of a mosque in Kemaman. After the collapse of the Dipang bridge, I asked myself, "what else will collapse, I wonder?"

I also asked myself, "Are Malaysian engineers incompetent or do we have building contractors who cheat and cut corners here and there to maximise their profits? Or do we have field supervisors who collaborated with the contractors to compromise on quality and safety?

All these questions came to my mind before I read the article in The Star on 12 November 09, where it was reported that Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that the investigation carried out by the Public Works Department showed that the bridge did not have a proper plan and its structure was weak.

So the bridge was built without a proper design? Of course, it goes without saying that when there's no proper design, not only the structure but everything else about the bridge would be considered as "weak".

I at first thought that the bridge had collapsed because of poor design by the engineer or the use of poor construction method by the contractor. It would be simple enough for an engineer like me to determine whether it was due to poor design or poor construction, but when our Education Minister announced that there was no "proper plan", it means that there was no professional engineer being engaged to carry out the design of the bridge. When there was no professional engineer being engaged to do the design work, everything else about the sizes and type of structures for the bridge would just be guessing work.

The thing that made me wonder most was, in the first place, how could the bridge be allowed to be built and used without a proper plan (design) being first drawn up and submitted and for the normal process of approval to take place? What made the person(s) responsible for the development of the unfortunate bridge think that building a bridge is like building a "reban ayam" (chicken coop), where you can just nail in the timbers and planks together and the "reban" will stand?

Wasn't there any respect and due regards for the safety of the public when the idea of building the bridge was first mooted?

The Education Minister also mentioned that a detailed report by a special committee set up to investigate the incident involving the PWD, Perak police and the state government would be completed at the end of the month.

I certainly would like to know the contents of the report after it is completed at the end of this month. I also hope to give my comments in this blog after I have read the report.

A House in Heaven

2009-11-05T23:41:00.009+08:00

It was only last Friday that I went to the mosque known as Surau As-Sahabah at Section 7, Kota Damansara to perform my Friday prayer there with my son, Anuar. Even though I have moved to Ampang, I always make it a point to go there for my Friday prayer.

Even though another mosque (Masjid Kota Damansara) has opened recently, the Surau As-Sahabah is still popular with the local residents. As with other mosques, sometimes when the crowd is heavy, there is not enough space for the Muslims to find a place to perform their prayer. I remember on one occasion that I had to pray in the open sun at the back of the mosque when the crowd was unusually heavy that day. Therefore when the surau As-Sahabah decided to extend its existing building to cater for increasing number of Muslims using it, I totally agreed with the proposal.

So, prior to the start of the fasting month, I saw some construction activities going on at the mosque. I thought that it could be completed before the start of the Ramadhan month, but when it was not completed, I thought that it could be completed before the "Hari Raya Puasa". But alas, it could not be completed before the "Hari Raya Puasa" either and last Friday at the mosque I was told that it was another 30% to go before it could be completed.

Obviously, the reason for the delay was due to the lack of funding to support the cost of construction. Just before I left the mosque that day, one of the committee members announced over the speakers requesting for financial support to complete the outstanding 30% of the building.

So I said to myself I must contribute something, if not in cash or in kind, at least in some other way, towards completing the construction of the mosque's extension.

So here I am in the way that I only know how, through my email to you and my blog, appealing to you for donations towards the fund. From Al-Termizi, it was narrated by Abu Hurairah r.a., who heard Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said, " When someone dies, he is cut off from his deeds ("amalan"), except three : prolonged alms ("sedekah jariah"), beneficial knowledge ("ilmu yang bermunafaat") and pious sons who always pray for him."

Thus your contributions towards the mosque is considered an "amalan jariah" and it continues to increase your "investment" in the "akhirat" for as long as the mosque still exists to function to bring benefits to the Muslims.

There is also another hadith from Al-Muslim, where it was narrated by Othman bin Affan r.a. who heard Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said," Whoever built a mosque for the sake of Allah SWT, Allah SWT will build a house for him in the Heavens."

So there are many benefits that you can get in this world and the next if you help to build a new mosque or extend an existing one.

So if you wish to contribute to the mosque, you can contact one of the following committee members :-

YM Tengku Endut 012-6769427
Tn. Hj. Senin 012-3121150
Tn. Hj. Razif 012-3118043

or if you wish to pay directly into the bank account you can do so into the EON Bank account no:0539-11-0000-463 under the name of As-Sahabah. May Allah SWT blesses you in this world and the next for your generosity.

Waiting for 40 Years

2009-10-02T06:40:00.007+08:00

Assalamualaikum,

Whenever I go to any mosque or "surau" ( a small mosque in Malaysia) to perform my prayer in congregation, I observe that not many of us Muslims are aware of the following hadith:-

It was narrated by Abu Juhaim r.a. who heard the Prophet (PBUH) said, "If a person knows the sins of walking infront of a person who is performing his "solat" (prayer), he would rather wait for 40 years than to walk infront of that person." (al-Bukhari and Muslim)

We can therefore deduce from the above hadith that to walk across a person who is performing his solat is a big sin.

However, I observe that it's not only the problem of a person walking across another person who is performing his solat. It is also the problem of the person who is performing the solat, not to give an opportunity for the other person(s) to avoid walking across him. Let me quote you two (2) examples, as follows:-

Scenario No.1

In Islam, it is encouraged and quite a common sight to find Muslims arriving at the mosque early, before the time for mandatory prayer (solat fardhu) is due, to perform solat sunat (optional prayer) such as "sunat tahiyatul masjid" (respect the mosque as the House of Allah SWT). However, it is also a common sight to find them performing at the back of the mosque instead of at the front. This is not a problem if the mosque is large or there are not many Muslims. However, when the mosque is small or there is a big crowd of Muslims, then it becomes a real challenge trying to avoid walking across the persons who are praying to find a spot to perform one's own "solat sunat".

Scenario No.2

This happens after a mandatory prayer has been performed in a congregation. We find some Muslims "rushing" to the back to perform the 2-rakaat optional prayer (solat sunat rawatib). Instead of performing it at where they were before, they go at the back portion to perform this prayer instead. As a result, those who wish to leave the mosque also finds it a challenge to avoid themselves from walking across the persons who are performing the "solat sunat" prayer.

During the Prophet's time (PBUH), he (PBUH) and his companions used items like the saddle of a horse or a spear or even an arrow (which they poked into the ground) to be placed infront of them whenever they wanted to perform their prayer in the open desert. These items functioned as a barricade or blockage.

Thus, we should always have a barrier infront of us whenever we perform our prayer in an area where there is a crowd. For instance, we can use our briefcase or travelling bag placed infront of us as a barrier. If we are in a mosque and don't carry these items with us, we should look for an item in the mosque such as a chair or a standing fan to become the barrier. Otherwise we can look for a column or go to the back of another person to perform our prayer. Worst come to worst, we can go to the front most part of the mosque to perform our prayer where a person can't walk across us.

We go to a mosque to pray in congregation hoping to be rewarded with 27 times as compared to praying alone. However, if we walk across someone who is praying or we pray at a place where it's very difficult for someone to avoid walking across us, unless we place a barrier infront of us, then the sins from there may exceed the 27 times reward that we get from the congregational prayer. Is it worth it then?

Wallahu'alam

P/S - I hope this information is of some benefits to you and please forward it to our fellow Muslims for their benefits too.
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Bila saya pergi ke mana-mana masjid atau surau untuk menunaikan solat fardhu, saya dapati bahawa ramai umat Islam yang mungkin tidak menyedari tentang adanya hadith sahih yang berikut: -

Daripada Abu Jahim Al-Anshari r.a. Nabi s.a.w. bersabda, "Jikalau mengetahui oleh orang yang lalu di hadapan seorang yang sembahyang akan apakah seksanya, nescaya adalah berhenti ia selama empat puluh tahun terlebih baik dari ia lalu di hadapan yang sembahyang itu." (Riwayat Al-Bukhari dan Muslim)

Maka bolihlah ditafsirkan dari hadith tersebut bahawa melangkah atau lalu di hadapan orang yang sedang mengerjakan sembahyang itu adalah berdosa besar. Tetapi apa yang saya perhatikan berlaku di masjid-masjid dan surau-surau sekarang bukan sahaja masaalah orang yang melangkah di hadapan orang yang sedang bersembahyang, tetapi masaalahnya juga orang yang mengerjakan solatnya itu tidak mengizinkan orang lain daripada mengelakkan diri daripada berjalan di hadapannya. Saya berikan 2 senario yang berikut:-

Senario No.1

Adalah digalakkan dan menjadi kebiasaan untuk datang ke masjid lebih awal sebelum waktu masuk solat fardhu. Masaalahnya adalah bila mereka memilih untuk berada di barisan belakang dan bukan mengisi ruang-ruang kosong di bahagian barisan hadapan untuk mengerjakan solat sunat. Akibatnya mereka-mereka yang datang kemudian daripada mereka terpaksa melalui tempat yang sedang mereka bersolat itu. Kalau sudah terlalu ramai yang sedang bersolat, maka menjadi sukar untuk mereka berjalan ke bahagian depan masjid tanpa melalui di hadapan mereka yang sedang bersolat itu. Dalam keadaan begini, agak susah untuk mengelakkan diri daripada melintasi orang-orang yang sedang bersolat, kan?

Senario No.2

Senario yang kedua pula adalah apabila solat sunat rawatib di kerjakan selepas mengerjakan solat fardhu. Selepas sahaja Imam habis membaca doa dan belum sempat lagi yang lain habis bersalaman antara mereka, terdapat beberapa Muslimin yang sudah pergi ke barisan-barisan belakang untuk mengerjakan solat sunat rawatib. Akibatnya yang baharu selesai bersalaman tadi tidak ada ruang untuk berjalan keluar dari masjid tanpa berjalan di hadapan mereka-mereka yang sedang bersolat sunat itu.

Pada zaman Nabi s.a.w. dahulu, baginda s.a.w. dan sahabat-sahabatnya menggunakan barang-barang seperti pelana kuda, tombak atau panah yang di cacakkan ke dalam tanah sebagai "dinding" di hadapan mereka sebelum mereka memulakan solat.

Di zaman sekarang ini, kita boleh menggunakan beg kita sebagai penghadang. Sekiranya kita tidak membawa "penghadang" bersama kita, adalah dinasihatkan supaya kita menggunakan penghadang yang sediaada di masjid itu seperti tiang atau kipas berdiri atau seelok-eloknya pergi lah ke barisan hadapan masjid untuk menunaikan solat sunat kita.

Kita ka masjid untuk solat berjemaah supaya pahala kita dapat di gandakan sehingga 27 kali berbanding dengan bersolat seorang diri. Tetapi sekiranya di masjid, kita melangkah di hadapan orang yang sedang bersolat atau pun tempat kita bersolat itu tidak memberi peluang bagi orang-orang lain daripada mengelakkan diri daripada melangkah di hadapan kita, maka dosa yang telah kita lakukan itu mungkin lebih berat daripada pahala yang kita terima daripada solat berjemaah itu.

Wallahu'alam

P/S : Saya berharap pengetahuan ini akan dapat memberikan munafaat kepada kita semua dan diedarkan atau disebarkan kepada kaum-kaum Muslimin dan Muslimat yang lain untuk rujukan bersama.

Don't Look Like a Pig

2009-09-13T15:17:00.017+08:00

Last Saturday, 5th September 2009, my family and I went to IKEA at Mutiara Damansara to buy some household goods for our newly-completed house in Dungun, Trengganu. Well, it's going to be exciting to celebrate the Aidil Fitri's festival at a new house, right? Just like it's exciting to get a new car before the festival.

We arrived at IKEA rather early, around 11.30am, and easily found a place to park our car.

Whilst in the "shopping" mood, we totally forgot that the time for the zohor prayer had arrived. When I looked at the time on my mobile phone, it was already 2.30pm. I said to myself "Astaghfirullahalazim....." (God forgives me). We had been careless or negligent by the shopping spree that we didn't realise that the prayer time for zohor had passed us. After that I hurriedly brought my family to the prayer room, which was fortunately available at IKEA, to perform the zohor prayer.

In the fasting month of Ramadhan, as we approach closer to the 1st day of the Syawal month (Aidil Fitri), it's very typical of Malaysian Muslims to go for shopping for new clothings, handbags, shoes, festival cakes and the likes. I hope that the shopping does not make us careless of the prayer times like what happened to me at IKEA, where I was careless of the time to perform the zohor prayer.

It was related by Abu Huraira r.a. that the Messenger of God (PBUH) said: "The place that God loves most is the mosque. The place that God hates most is the market."

"Market" includes supermarket, shopping complex and shops. One of the reasons that God hates these places is because we tend to forget our duties to HIM when it comes to performing the fardhu (obligatory)prayer when the time is due.

It is advised that during shopping time, if we hear the "azan" or are "reminded" by God that the time for prayer is due, we should immediately stop shopping or whatever we are doing and look for the nearest place to perform our prayer.

Let's not delay in performing our prayer by saying things like, " Oh..there is still ample time to perform the prayer..." because delay in performing our prayer without a valid reason will bring disaster to ourselves, as narrated in the following hadith by Imam Ahmad and Baihaqi:-

At one time, Muaz bin Jabal r.a. approached the Messenger of God (PBUH) and asked him, "Oh Messenger of God, please explain to me regarding the content of the Al-Quran, which says that :-

"The day that the Trumpet shall be sounded, and ye shall come forth in groups." (An-Naba' : 18)

When he heard the question, the Messenger of God (PBUH) cried until his clothes were wet with his tears.

He (PBUH) then answered, "Oh Muaz, you have asked me a very significant question, whereas on that day my followers would be brought into 12 groups. Each group with its own features."

The hadith then describes the features of each of the 12 groups, but I'm not going to state here all the 12 different features, except the feature of the group which is relevant to this case, which is :-

"The people in the group that like to carelessly delay in responding to the call for performing their prayer shall look like a pig."

There is definitely no hadith or Quranic verse that says that we should go shopping in the month of Ramadhan to celebrate the Aidil Fitri. In fact, in the month of Ramadhan, especially towards the last 10 days, we should be spending most of our time doing good deeds to increase our "investment" in the life hereafter.We should also look forward to the "Lailatul-Qadar" night, which according to the Al-Quran, "is a night better than a 1000 months." (Al-Qadr : 3)

New clothings and other purchases can be done at other times, not necessarily in the month of Ramadhan. Any excess money is better spent on those in needs, like the poor people, orphans and mosques so that we are blessed and rewarded 10 to 700 times if compared to the reward at other months for the same deeds.

Lastly, do not forget to pay the tithe bcause those who do not pay the tithe are described in one of the 12 groups as "the person whose stomach is as large as the mountain and filled with snakes and scorpions."

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Bahasa Malaysia Version:-

Pada hari Sabtu 5hb September 09 yang lepas, saya seisi keluarga telah pergi ke IKEA di Mutiara Damansara untuk membeli barang-barang perkakas rumah bagi rumah kami yang baru siap dibina di Dungun, Trengganu. Maklumlah, seronok nak berhari raya di rumah baru. Seperti juga seronoknya apabila dapat membeli kereta baru sebelum Hari Raya.

Kami tiba di IKEA agak awal sedikit dalam pukul 11.30 pagi dan dengan senang kami mendapat tempat untuk meletak kereta.

"Shopping punya shopping", kami telah terlupa apabila sudah tiba waktu zohor. Apabila saya melihat jam di telefon bimbit saya yang menunjukkan sudah pukul 2.30 petang, saya mengucapkan, "Astaghfirullah.....". Rupa-rupanya saya telah dilalaikan oleh "shopping" saya sehingga tidak sedar sudah masuk waktu zohor. Lepas itu saya terus mengajak keluarga saya untuk pergi ke surau yang nasib baik ada disediakan oleh IKEA di bangunan itu, untuk mengerjakan solat zohor.

Di musim bulan Ramadhan dan semakin dekat tibanya Hari Raya Puasa, memang menjadi lumrah kaum Muslimin dan Muslimat di Malaysia untuk "shopping" pakaian baru, "handbag" baru, kasut baru, kueh-mueh dan seumpamanya. Saya harap semasa "shopping" itu, kita tidak dilalaikan seperti apa yang berlaku kepada saya di IKEA sehingga lambat untuk mengerjakan solat fardhu zohor.

Daripada Abu Hurairah r.a., Nabi s.a.w. bersabda, "Tempat yang paling disukai Allah ialah masjid. Tempat yang paling dibenci Allah ialah pasar." (Riwayat Muslim)

"Pasar" termasuk juga pasaraya, "shopping complex" dan kedai-kedai. Satu daripada sebab-sebab mengapa Allah SWT membenci tempat-tempat yang sebegini adalah kerana tempat-tempat ini mudah melalaikan kita daripada menunaikan tanggung-jawab kita untuk mengerjakan solat fardhu setelah tiba waktunya.

Semasa "shopping" itu, sekiranya kita mendengar azan berkumandang atau di"ingatkan" oleh Allah SWT bahawa sudah masuk waktu solat, hendaklah kita hentikan "shopping" kita itu atau meninggalkan apa yang sedang kita buat dan terus mencari tempat yang terdekat sekali untuk mengerjakan solat.

Jangan kita melengah-lengahkan tanggungjawab kita itu dengan memberi alasan-alasan seperti, "Aah...tak mengapalah, ada banyak masa lagi...." kerana berlengah-lengah dalam mengerjakan solat fardhu tanpa sebab yang munasabah adalah menganiayai diri kita sendiri, seperti hadith yang di riwayatkan oleh Imam Ahmad dan Baihaqi, iaitu:

Suatu ketika, Muaz bin Jabal r.a. menghadap Rasullullah s.a.w. dan bertanya, "Wahai Rasullullah, tolong huraikan kepadaku mengenai firman Allah(Iaitu) pada hari ditiup sangkakala (trompet), lalu kamu datang berbondong-bondong." (An-Naba' : 18)

Mendengarkan pertanyaan itu, baginda s.a.w. menangis sehingga basah pakaiannya dengan air matanya.

Lalu baginda s.a.w. menjawab, " Wahai Muaz, engkau telah bertanyakan kepadaku perkara yang amat besar, bahawa umatku akan dibawa, dikumpulkan berbaris-baris menjadi 12 barisan. Masing-masing dengan pembawaan sendiri."

Lepas itu hadith itu menghuraikan satu-persatu pembawaan dalam 12 barisan itu, tetapi saya tidak mahu menyebutkan di sini kesemua 12 pembawaan yang berbeza-beza itu, kecuali yang ada kena mengena dengan melengah-lengahkan solat, iaitu:

"Golongan yang suka melengah-lengahkan solat adalah mereka yang menyerupai babi."

Jadi, sekiranya kita termasuk golongan yang suka melengah-lengahkan solat kita di dunia ini, janganlah terperanjat di hari akhirat kelak apabila kita dimasukkan ke dalam barisan di mana rupa-rupa kita menyerupai babi. Wallahu'alam...

"Salam Politik"

2009-09-02T07:20:00.006+08:00

When I was in Dungun last Friday, 28 August 09, I went to the local mosque to join the local Muslims there to perform the Friday prayer.

As it was and still my usual habit, immediately after I entered the mosque and before sitting down, I performed the two-"rakaat" "solat sunat tahayatul masjid" (the optional prayer to respect the mosque). It was customary or encouraged, if you like, that after we finished performing our "solat", we should "salam tangan" (shake hands) with fellow Muslims sitting next to us on the left and right side. It was related by al-Bara' r.a., that the Messenger of God (prayers and peace be upon him) said: "When two Muslims meet and they shake each other's hands (berjabat tangan), God will forgive both of their sins before they depart from each other."(Riwayat Abu Dawud)

Whenever I shake a person's hand to "salam" him, I always make it a point to look at his eyes directly to give him a sincere smile and sometimes together with a nod of acknowledgement.

So on that day when I extended my hand to "salam" the two neighbouring Muslims, I was also greeted with a smiling face by each one of them. They also looked directly at me when we "shook hands".

After the "iqamat" was called to perform the Friday prayer, I moved forward to occupy the empty space left open in the rows infront of me to perform the prayer. I was between two Muslims who were not the same ones whom I "salam" earlier.

After performing the Friday prayer and before leaving the mosque, I extended my hand to "salam" with the two neignbouring Muslims on my left and right side. I was also greeted with the same sincere smiling face from each one of them as we "salam."

I felt very pleased with the "salams" given by the four Muslims in the mosque because they were done with great sincerity and I could feel that sincerity inside of me.

However, this was not always the case when it comes to the "salam" with the Muslims in the mosque or surau that I normally frequent in Kuala Lumpur or Selangor. Some of them just extend out their hands to you but their faces were looking somewhere else. If this is not an act of insincerity, what is, then?

This is what I call "salam politik". If you observe a certain event on the TV news, where a politician is shaking hands with the people, you can see that while shaking hands his eyes are looking at another direction. There is no sincerity at all in his "salam." He shakes hands for the sake of shaking hands, that's all.

Maybe I'm too sensitive about this matter but that is how I look at it. So, the next time you shake hands with me as a form of "salam" but your eyes look somewhere else during that time, I know you are not sincere in greeting me. And may Allah forgive your sins too before we depart....

My Two First Times

2009-07-12T06:51:00.012+08:00

I can vaguely recall in 1964 when my class teacher of Standard 6, Mrs. Maniam asking me, "Roslan, would you like to sit for an exam to enter Form 1 at Malay College Kuala Kangsar?"

Not knowing anything special about MCKK (Malay College Kuala Kangsar) at that time, I just looked at her and said nothing.

"MCKK is a special school for selected Malay students with high academic performance and leadership talents," she said, or with words to that effect.

"I suggest you sit for the exams and I'll include your name, along with Abdullah Hamid and Ali Hassan." she continued.

At that time Abdullah Hamid, Ali Hassan and I were among the top four students at Standard 6A at Sekolah Kebangsaan Temenggong Abdul Rahman at Johor Bahru. The other person was Quek Yee Teck. I can never forget him because his name reminded me of a duck. Quack ("Quek") is the sound made by a duck and Yee Teck is also pronounced "itek", which means duck in Malay.

Anyway, the three of us sat for the exam and were told later that we passed it with flying colours. Abdullah and I accepted the offer to continue our Form 1 in MCKK, but Ali rejected it. Until today, I didn't have the chance to ask him why.

When I first told my late mum about the offer, she just nodded her head. I guessed like me, she too didn't know anything about the status of MCKK at that time, that Malay parents who knew about MCKK would "do anyhting" to get their sons into MCKK.

I knew she discussed with my late father. but neither of them asked me to confirm with my school about going there, until one afternoon the headmaster came to our house to explain to my mum about MCKK. Most likely he had convinced my mum because she then convinced my dad to agree to allow me to enrol in the alma mater.

So my time in the next five years and few months were going to be spent at MCKK.

Therefore, in 1965, after all the personal items, like mosquito net, bedsheet and pillow cases, had been purchased, I was ready to leave for Kuala Kangsar. My dad at that time didn't say anything about how we were going to travel to Kuala Kangsar. Neither did my mum because most probably, she didn't know, either.

I remembered asking myself, "Could it be by car, train or bus?" At that time travelling by air plane was too "far-fetched" an idea for me to even consider it. Nowadays however, with cheap air fares provided by budget airlines like Air-Asia, one can always consider seriously whether to travel by air or otherwise to a destination.

I said to myself that whatever mode of transport that was going to take me to Kuala Kangsar, I would request my dad to let me sit by the window so that I could enjoy the scenery along the way.

So that morning, with all my clothes and personal belongings already packed, I waited with my mum for my father to take me to MCKK. Soon enough a lorry arrived at the house. I said to myself that most likely the lorry driver had lost his way and had to stop by the house to enquire from us about the correct directions to take to get to his destination. As my mum and I approached the lorry, suddenly my dad jumped out from the lorry.

My mum asked him, "What are you doing here with this fish lorry?"

"Nothing" answered my dad. "It's just that I'm going to take Roslan to Kuala Kangsar in it."

"What? You are going to send my son in that fish lorry?" My mum asked in a high tone of disbelief.

Noting that my mum didn't look too pleased with his plan, my dad pulled her aside and both of them had some kind of a "conversation" (to put it mildly). Somehow my dad finally managed to convince my mum to allow me to travel in that lorry. Years later, my mum explained to me that if the family had been financially stronger, she won't have allowed me to travel in that lorry. The items that were bought and needed for the boarding school had more or less drained out most of my dad's bank savings, that he couldn't afford to take me to travel in the other more conventional means of transport.

So anyway, after saying goodbye to my mum, I hopped onto the back of the fish lorry, with the not-so-pleasant fish-smelling aroma to start my journey to this so-called special school, MCKK. My dad didn't have the same chance to enjoy the smell of the fish aroma like I did because he was sitting at the front seat together with the driver. I said to myself that this school had better be worth the journey that I had to endure to reach there.

The lorry stopped for a few times along the way for the driver to rest and for us to have our regular meals. On one of the stops my dad explained that the lorry had just completed its delivery of the fish to the market in Singapore and it was making its way back to Malaysia to be filled up with another new load of fish to be transported back to Singapore. Considering his financial predicament at that time, he thought that it was a good opportunity to take a free ride in his friend's fish lorry to take me to MCKK. After the explanation, I felt better.

It was initially not pleasant to sit at the back of the lorry with all the fish stench. Even though the lorry had been cleaned (so I was told), the stench remained strong. My dream of wanting to sit by the window to enjoy the scenery remained a dream, of course. The lorry was totally covered in canvas and therefore the view from inside was totally blocked. Before long, I got used to the stench and taking a nap every now and then was how I passed my time away in that lorry.

I couldn't recall how long the journey took, but finally we reached Kuala Kangsar. It was not that difficult for the lorry driver to locate the "Prep School" because everyone he asked in Kuala Kangsar knew where to find it. The Prep School (short for "Preparatory School")was actually a hostel to accomodate new Form One students.

I remember it was already evening by the time we "checked in" to the Prep School. After the registration process was over, my dad helped me to carry my luggage to where my bed (locker no.54) was located in a dormitory (Dorm C) on the top floor of the double storey building. After my dad left me, it was already time to take my shower to prepare for the night's dinner. After the bedsheet and pillow case were done, I started to put up the mosquito net. Mind you I had no previous experience in installing a mosquito net. Back at home in Johor Bahru, we burned the mosquito coils to deter the mosquitoes away, not using the mosquito net. My neighbours, like Bab (Anuar Ismail) and Salleh Sulong (now a Tan Sri) already had their mosquito nets nicely installed and hung over their respective beds. They had arrived earlier and most likely already had some previous experience in installing their nets. I should have asked my mum to show me how to install the net before I left for this place.

So after it was "light's out", I was still struggling in the dark to install the mosquito net. You see, my bed was located by the side of a wall, at a "corner lot", so to speak. So, I had to make sure that the entrance of the mosquito net did not face the wall. I could not remember how many times I had to open and reinstall the net. It went on unsuccesfully until it was time for the dormitory prefect to make his routine round at the dormitory. He was Aziz Abdul and he helped me to install the net in the correct way. Thank you prefect Aziz for not scolding me but helping me to install the net on that night.

By the time the net was tucked around the bed successfully, I was too exhausted to do anything else or even to think about missing my family at home. I also felt relieved that there was no more aroma of fish around me. So, that night, as soon as I placed my head on the pillow, I fell asleep immediately.

That was the story of my first day to MCKK, where I had the chance to get two first-time experiences. The first one was travelling in a fish lorry and the second first-time experience was installing the mosquito net. I became an expert in installing the mosquito net subsequently as I moved from one dormitory to another in my five-year-plus tenure at MCKK, but for the fish lorry, it was to be the first and the last experience for me, thank goodness.

H1N1 - Curing is better than Prevention?

2009-06-21T23:41:00.000+08:00

The situation with the outbreak of A(H1N1) virus in Malaysia is getting from bad to worse. It is reported in The Star today (21 June 09) that "An 11-year-old girl from a Chinese vernacular school in Kuala Lumpur is among seven new confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) cases, bringing the total number to 42."

The SJKC Jalan Davidson became the first school in Malaysia to be closed after it was found that she had transmitted the virus to two classmates.

Other than Malaysia several Asian countries have ordered mass school closures, some in the thousands, to stem outbreaks of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.

The Hong Kong government has closed all primary, kindergarten, nursery and special schools since last week after the Chinese territory recorded its first case of the virus.

Japan has closed 4,466 schools in six prefectures, mostly primary schools, kindergartens, junior, according to its Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Thailand has authorised schools to suspend classes if necessary, without seeking the Education Ministry’s permission, according to a Thai news agency which quoted Thailand’s Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisit.

The Philippines, which has suspended classes in 11 schools and universities after detecting one case in each, told school authorities to report any influenza-like illnesses among their students, especially those who have recently travelled to affected countries.

It all began in Mexico and has now reached a pandemic level according to WHO (World Health Organisation).

Little did we know that about 1,400 years ago, we had been informed by a great man how to handle the problem if there was an epidemic in a certain area or country. He said that to prevent the disease from spreading, no person should leave that country and no person is allowed to go into that country. That great man was none other than Prophet Muhammad (prayers and peace be upon him) himself.

It was related that Usama ibn Zaid said that the Messenger of God (prayers and peace be upon him) said, " The plaque is a punishment, some nations before you were punished by it. Then it remained on earth, and it returns from time to time. Whoever hears of it in a land, he should not go there, and if it occurs in the land where he is, he should not flee from it." (Al-Muslim)

Thus, if we know that countries like Mexico, US and Australia are plaqued with the virus, we should not allow anyone from any of these countres to come into Malaysia. Likewise, we should also not allow anyone from Malaysia to go to any of these countries, until the disease has gone.

No doubt if we take this action, someone will say, "Oh, but they are Malaysians who must return to their families in Malaysia." Or even say,"We can't do that, it will badly affect our airline business."

Since a cure for the flu has not been found yet, it won't surprise me to hear next that a patient has succumb to the disease.

We talk about "prevention is better than cure". We talk about preventing getting a disease is better than trying to cure the disease. Yet, we are not preventing, but allowing the disease to come in. So instead of prevention is better than cure, it becomes curing is better than prevention. To make matters worst, we have not found the cure for it yet.

Let's pray and hope that the quarantine process for those already infected with the flu really works and that the disease can be safely contained from spreading. At the same time, it is still not too late to prevent people from infected countries to come into Malaysia. Better to sacrifice a bit of inconvenience to implement this preventive measure than to finally find that we are losing precious human lives instead.

My Visit to the Baitul Quran Care Center

2009-06-20T23:05:00.000+08:00

I seldom have the chance to meet someone who devotes and sacrifices much or all of his/her time towards taking care of orphans and needy children. So when I found out that my friend Ismail Jusoff and his wife, Rosminah Atan owned and managed two (2) teenage homes known as "Pusat Penjagaan Baitul Quran" (Baitul Quran Care Center), I did not hesitate to contact them to visit the care center to find out more about it.

It was at about 9.30am on Wednesday, 17th June 2009 that my eldest son, Johan and I left our home at Taman Kosas in Ampang to go to Masjid Mu'az Jabal at Taman Setiawangsa to meet Ismail. My other friend, Johari Amat, who was staying near the mosque, was there to greet us. Together with him, we proceeded in my car to a "mamak" restaurant which was located a few minutes' drive away. Even though Johan and I already had a hearty breakfast that morning, we nevertheless joined Johari and Ismail for a brief "teh tarek" session there. Johari was kind enough to pay for the bill, citing the area as being his "territory" and he has therefore, the "full right" to pay for the bill.:-)

After having a short discussion and a light meal, we proceeded to the teenage boys' home at Jalan Setiawangsa 2A, which was not far from the restaurant. After reaching the home, Johari had to excuse himself for another appointment and Ismail then took us into the home. According to him. there were 20 boys in the home and that was the maximum number that it could accomodate. Located at a corner lot, the house was rented at RM3,000 per month. The house had plenty of land area, which according to Ismail, was convenient for the boys to play mini football or other games during their free time.

We observed that there was a group of four (4) boys at the car porch taking lessons in reading and writing from a tuition teacher, who was specially employed by the Care Center to provide the lessons. Inside the house, the other boys were occupied with reciting verses from the Al-Quran with an Ustaz to teach and guide them along.

I left my car at the boys' home and went into Ismail's car to visit the girls' home located a few minutes' drive away at Taman Keramat. There we met Ismail's wife, Rosminah and we sat together to listen and find out about their purpose of setting up the homes and their experience in running it.

According to her, there were 36 girls in the home and that was about the maximum number that the house could accomodate. The blessed couple explained why they started the homes. According to them, Muslim parents play a very important role to ensure that their children are raised in accordance with the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The status of the teenagers nowadays are that normally they have working parents who are always too busy that the teenagers have nobody to talk to or receive advice when they encounter problems. Their actions are not supervised and therefore, they are prone to be negatively influenced by their surroundings. They are exposed to bad elements from watching TV (television) and other media. They have no positive role model, except for artistes and sport personalities. They are badly influenced by the "lepak" culture which wastes their precious time away. As a result, many teenagers got themselves involved in crimes and immoral activities. Many of these teenagers are orphans or come from less fortunate families or financialy disadvantaged working parents, especially single working parents.

In view of the above, the couple came up with the idea of providing a "home" with Islamic environment to assist parents in bringing up their children according to the teachings of the AL-Quran and Sunnah. Their objectives are to instill a love of the Quran and abide by the Sunnah of the Prophet (prayers and peace be upon him) for guidance during the tumultous period of a teenager's life, to instill Islamic values, inner strength and a sense of self-worthiness within themselves, to teach and guide them through love and awareness of their purpose in life.

In 2002, the couple started to set up the home modestly with eight (8) "totally loss" teenagers from parents who could not afford to care for them the Islamic way. The parents were more than pleased to have their teenaged daughters and sons being brought up by the couple in the Islamic way. These teenagers were at first accomodated at a double-storey linked house but as their numbers increased, due to the effectiveness of the programme that the couple implemented at the Care Center, the teenagers had to be moved to the existing bigger house, which is more spacious and can accomodate more people. Soon after, this bungalow house became over-crowded too and the couple had to rent a corner-lot house at Jalan Setiawangsa 2A to accomodate the boys only, whereas the girls remained at the bungalow. They now have a total of 20 boys + 36 girls = 56 teenagers under their care.

Due to the big demand by other parents to request to accommodate their own teenagers into the home, the couple had to look for another place to accommodate them. They soon found a house at Taman Permata for this purpose. This house had been recently renovated and they said that as soon as they had found suitable and reliable staffs to assist them in running this new place, they would take in new inmates. In the meantime, they allow the place to be temporarily used to accommodate single mothers who were in desperate need of shelters.

When asked how they educate and bring up the teenagers in the home and ensure that the teenagers become good Muslims one day, the couple said that they implement the following programme :-

1. There is 24-hour counselling - a place to turn to in times of trouble and provide guidance towards becoming a good Muslim.

2. Teach them to read, memorise and understand the meaning of the Al-Quran and the Sunnah. They also provide advice and support to other Islamic schools - for example, when the Care Center receives bags and bags of rice from generous donors, they give some of the bags of rice away to them.

3. They also fill the teenagers' time with healthy activities and get them involved in charity work, such as visiting the less fortunate people to instill the spirit of sacrifice and volunteerism in them.

4. Provide training skills such as cooking, sewing, hair styling, facial and body care, massage and personal grooming.

5. Provide "Tarbiah" (education and training) through love and good examples and use the Quran and Hadith to develop a good "Akhlak" (character, moral) and "Akidah" (belief, faith) in them.

When asked how they managed to run their organisation successfully without financial support from the Government or even the Baitul Mal, they said that they survived on donations from friends and friends of friends. They say Allah is Great, Who always ensures that there is a source of financial support from the public, either in cash or in kind. For example, they were paying rental for the present bungalow house and a few months later, the owner decided to let them stay there for free. We were told that as a result of this good deeds, the owner's business also subsequently improved.

The couple said that their average monthly expenses was about RM13,000.00 and most of it go towards paying salaries to the staffs, teachers and ustazs. They said it was difficult to look for staffs who are dedicated and yet prepared to work for lesser salaries, but Alhamdulillah they still managed to find them.

We were served a plate of delicious meehun goreng, cooked by one of the inmates, and a glass of cool thirst-quenching drink while we were there. Not wanting to take up more of their precious time, we finally bid farewell to Ismail and his wife. On the way back to Taman Kosas, Johan and I were mostly silent in the car, each immersed in our own deep thoughts about the meeting with this fantastic couple, who sacrifice their time and money to take care of these teenagers and to train them to become better persons one day.

In an effort to acquire as much wealth as possible to improve their lives in this world, most modern-day parents not only tend to neglect the affairs of their own children but also neglect to do something about their own lives in the next world (Hereafter). Life in this world is just a transition, in anticipation of another life in the next world, which is more secure and permanent. The accumulated wealth in this world will not help us in guaranteeing a better life in the next world, but the accumulated good deeds and sacrifices that we do in this world in the path of Allah SWT, will certainly help us to have a better permanent life in the next world, insyaAllah.

It's not easy to find a dedicated couple like Ismail and Rosminah, doing what they are doing now. We pray that Allah repays Ismail and his wife tremendously for the great efforts and sacrifice that they have done and are doing taking care of the orphans and the other less-fortunate teenagers. Ameen... As related by Sahl bin Saad, that the Prophet (prayers and peace be upon him) had said, "The orphan's custodian and me are like 'this' in Heavens." He said it while showing his two fingers, one was the index finger and the other was the middle finger."

However, Ismail and Rosminah could not have done what they have achieved if there are no generous and charitable contribution from people like you and me. And for people who contribute generously towards a good cause, Allah has promised a good return, as said by Him in Surah Al Baqarah : 261 of the Al-Quran, "The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is as the likeness of a grain of corn; it grows 7 ears and each ear has a 100 grains. Allah gives multifold increase to whom He will. And Allah is All Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All Knower".

The Baitul Quran Care Center is run by the couple on volunteer basis and therefore welcomes any contributions if any, be it in monetary form or in kind. There is also a scheme where if anyone is interested to sponsor a student, his/her "investment for the Hereafter" is only RM250 per month for the student's food and lodging.

You can contact the Baitul Quran Care Center by calling Rosminah at 013-3460580/012-640 5008 or Ismail at 019-2511792 and if you wish to contribute directly into their account, you can do so to Account No: 14030004456713 at Bank Muamalat Berhad, Taman Melawati. May Allah blesses you for your contribution.

My Trip to Cameron Highlands

2009-06-02T13:10:00.000+08:00

I never thought I'd get another chance to savour the cool fresh air and feel the peaceful serenity of Cameron Highlands again until Salmiah invited me to accompany her to a seminar sponsored by her employer at this popular mountain resort. I can recall that the last time that I went to Cameron Highlands was about two years ago when I accepted the invitation from my younger brother, Rosman and sister, Rosnah to join them and their family for a barbecue by the side of a stream at Tanah Rata. But that was a day trip. This time, it was for four days and three nights. We stayed at the Equatorial Hotel, standing at 1,600m above sea level and located about 4 km from Brinchang town.

We left Ampang at about 4.00 pm that day (Tuesday, 19 May 2009) and took the North-South Expressway. We stopped for awhile at Rawang Rest and Service Area to fill up the petrol tank and perform the "solat asar" (prayer). We then made our way to Simpang Pulai Tol Plaza, preferring to use the new and better-constructed road to our destination, instead of using what I thought was a less-safe winding road from Tapah Tol Plaza. We reached the hotel at about 8.00 pm. We could have reached it earlier if not for the drizzling rain, which slowed us down after we encountered it about 10 km from the Tol Plaza.

As soon as we got out of the car to check into the hotel, we could immediately feel the cool and refreshing air of Cameron Highlands. However excited we were to arrive at this place, we didn't venture out that night, preferring to rest in the cosy hotel room after the long drive. We settled down for the night after we had our dinner at the hotel's Coffee Room.
The next morning we had buffet breakfast and I managed to meet some of Salmiah's working colleagues. I also met Najeeb, whom I first met many years ago when he was formerly working in Perlis. Now he is attached to Langkawi.

After breakfast, Salmiah went to her seminar and I took a walk to the nearest farm to buy myself a half-kilogram of freshly-picked strawberries (RM15.00), six (6) pieces of large "jagung mutiara" (pearl corn) at RM10.00 and a packet of sweet potatoes at RM2.00.

After Salmiah finished her seminar at about 4.15 pm, we took a drive to Brinchang town and stopped by a Malay restaurant to have the famous Cameron Highlands vegetable soup. It was really delicious. It contained an assortment of vegetables and boiled with seafood. On the way back, we stopped by some roadside stalls to look at some of the fruits and vegetables there. We compared their prices from stall to stall so that we would know where to buy after we checked out from the hotel two (2) days later.

We brought along an electric steamer with us and used it to steam-cook the vegetables. Whilst Salmiah had dinner in the hotel with her colleagues that night, I steam-cooked two (2) pieces of pearl corns and two pieces of sweet potatoes for my dinner. The delicious strawberries became my "snack" throughout the day. Come to think of it, if you want to look after your diet and slim down your body, this is a good place to do that, where vegetables and fruits are your everyday meals.

Most of the time in this cool and tranquil place, I spent my time reading a book about Khalifah Abu Bakar As Siddiq. He was the first "Khalifah" (Muslim ruler) after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had passed away. His character and leadership qualities is an example for a leader of any country to emulate, so as to make this world a better place to live in. Why I said so was because this God-fearing man was very concerned only about the welfare of the people under his rule.
Ever since he embraced Islam, he spent most of his cash and properties towards helping the Prophet (PBUH) to introduce and spread Islam to the Arab countries. He bought out and freed at least five (5) Muslim slaves, who were tortured by their former masters for becoming Muslims.

Immediately after he became the "Khalifah", he announced to the people that the fact that he was chosen as their leader, did not mean that he was the best among them. He said that if he did the right thing, they should support him and if he did the wrong thing, they should correct him. The weak among them would be strong to him for he would support them and the strong among them would be weak to him because he would take away from the strong to support the weak.

Initially, he carried his things to the market to do business as usual, until one day along the way, he encountered Omar Al-Khatab, who asked him, "Where are you going with those things, ya Amirul Mukmnin?" ("Amirul Mukminin" means the ruler of the people).

Abu Bakar replied," To the market to do business as usual."

Omar said," But you are a Khalifah, you shouldn't be doing this?"

"But I've to earn my living, haven't I? How am I going to feed my family if I don't have an income?" replied Abu Bakar.

Omar then brought him to meet Abu Ubaidah, who was the Keeper of the "Baitul Mal" (Treasury), who then determined how much salary Abu Bakar should get as the "Amirul Mukminin" (President/Prime Minister). His salary was only a meagre sum, just sufficient to feed him and his family. Only after that did he stop going to the market to do business.

Abu Bakar stayed about 3 km from Medina and during the first six (6) months as the Prime Minister, he walked back and forth to Medina to lead the five-times-a-day prayer in the mosque and also to administer the country. He seldom took a horse or camel unless he had to travel long distance, preferring to walk instead. He didn't have any bodyguard with him and preferred to walk alone everywhere.

He did everything with his own hands and preferred not to seek for help. For example, when he was on a camel and something fell down, he himself would pick it up, refusing to let anyone else to do it for him.

When he died, he left behind only one (1) dinar in his savings.

I had the opportunity to finish reading the book about him and his achievements with all the free time that I had in this popular mountain resort.

Now back to my stay in the hotel. On the third day, I ventured out of the hotel room to have a look at the swimming pool at level 5. There was nobody at the pool. I walked to the edge of the pool to touch the water. It was cold and not heated up as expected in a cold place like this. I then walked down to level 4 to have a look at the gym, but it was locked, with a sign asking guests to get the key from the reception if they wish to use the gymn facility. I then went down to level 1 and observed that apart from the business centre, which was closed, there was also the karaoke room known as "Singalot." The Coffee Room, where breakfast, lunch and dinner were served, was also located on Level 1. There was also a table counter, which provided a tour service for those interested to visit Cameron Highlands in more detail.

After Salmiah finished her seminar, we decided to take a walk to the nearest vegetable stalls to buy two (2) packets of mushrooms of different variety, a packet of tomatoes, a bunch of asparagus and two (2) packets of fresh strawberries. That night, whilst Salmiah had steamboat dinner with her colleagues, I had steam vegetables for dinner, which consisted of an assortment of mushrooms, tomatoes and asparagus. You should try it sometime, it was appetisingly delicious!
On Friday, 22nd May 09, the day for us to bid farewell to Cameron Highlands finally arrived. Salmiah's seminar ended at 10.00 am that day. Since the checking-out time was at 12.30 pm, we decided to do our "shopping" first before we checked out. We packed our stuff and shove them in the boot of the car and drove to the places that we had scouted two (2) days earlier and bought some corns, strawberries and an assortment of fresh vegetables.

When we had finished shopping, we went back to the hotel to check out. Salmiah invited me to join her for lunch because most of her colleagues had decided to leave early and skip the lunch. Only one out of the five lunch tables was occupied that day.

After lunch, we left the hotel at about 1.45 pm. We decided to use the same road that we used on the way up. When we reached the foot of the hills, we stopped at a Petronas station to fill up the petrol tank and perform the "solat jamak takdim" (2 different prayer times conducted together). After that we entered the North-South Expressway at Gopeng Tol Plaza and drove non-stop to reach Ampang at about 5.15 pm.

Finally, it puzzled me how the corns didn't taste as sweet or the strawberries as delicious as when we had them in the mountains. Could it be because the hotter weather at Ampang had adversely affected their taste? I would be glad to share your experience regarding this matter if you had been to Cameron Highlands before and bought the corns and strawberries.

The Seeds of Health

2009-05-16T16:30:00.000+08:00

Nature has given us many sources of health food as well as medicine. One of them is Nigella Sativa or "black seed" as it is popularly known.

I call it the "Seed of Health" because it's the only herb that I've encountered that has really worked for me. I have tried other types of herbs, usually those sold through the "direct-selling" member-get-member method, but either they didn't work for me or they only worked on specific type of illnesses.

I'm a diabetic of type 2 and doctors have told me that there's no cure for it. They say that the best you can do is to control the sugar level in your blood to a safe level by taking the prescribed medication. They also advise us to control the type of food that we take, have regular exercises and get enough rest.

I don't like to be told that there's no cure for my diabeties. It was related that Jabir said that the Messenger of God (prayers and peace be upon him) said: "For every ailment there is a cure. If the remedy is correct, the ailment will be cured by the leave of God Almighty." (Al-Muslim)

Thus, there is always a cure for any disease or illness. It's a matter of finding the correct remedy only.Since that day, I started to search for a cure for my diabetes. I tried many herbs and even teas, but to cut the story short, I think I finally found it - the herb that can cure, that is, the "black seed". Why "I think" is because I'm still monitoring the effects that it has on my diabetes for I've just taken it for a few months and therefore it's unfair for me to reach a conclusion within such a short period.

But a few days after taking the "black seed", I started to feel the improvement and positive effects that it has on my 57-year-old body. I used to take the expensive physillum husk twice a day to help with my digestion and relieve my constipation. Now I don't take the husk anymore.

I used to go to the toilet to pass urine every so often that it became an annoyance to me, simply because I discovered that there was not much urine to be released; it was just a few drops. But the "pain" in my urinary bladder at those times was like the bladder was already full and about to "explode" if I didn't release it immediately. Sometimes, I didn't have time to open up my zip to release the urine. It decided to leak out before I was "ready" for it.

At night, it disturbed my sleep because I had to wake up so very often to release out the few drops of urine. All the symptom stopped after I took the "black seed." After that, the process of going to the toilet to urinate became more bearable and regulated to this day. At night, I don't have to wake up so often again to go to the toilet to urinate.

I used to have running nose every morning after I woke up and had my shower. At times it could get so bad that I had to take medication to stop it. This symptom stopped after I took the "black seed."

I found out from the internet that there are many other medical and health effects that one can get from taking the "black seed." It includes increasing the body's immune system and for the ladies, it stimulates the menstrual period and increases the flow of breast milk.

It was related that Abu Huraira said he heard the Prophet (prayers and peace be upon him) say:"This black seed is a cure for everything except Al Saam." Aishah said: " What is Al Saam?" He said: "Death"."(Al-Muslim)

If you have any persistent ailments, I suggest you try taking the "black seed", especially when this advise came from the Prophet himself (prayers and peace be upon him).

Between Petronas and Shell

2009-05-13T14:43:00.000+08:00

I hold a Visa Debit Card. For those of you who may not be aware about it, the difference between a Credit Card and a Debit Card is that, for a Credit Card, you use the bank's money to purchase something. That means the bank pays for the items that you purchase and you pay back to the bank after it sent you a statement showing the amount that you have spent using the bank's Credit Card. If you delay in paying back to the bank, you will be charged interest on it.

For a Debit Card, the bank pays for your transaction from your bank account. You use the Debit Card on the strength of your own bank account. Therefore, you need to have some money in your bank account before you can use the Debit Card to purchase something. What you spend should not exceed the balance available in your bank account.

So a person with a Credit Card may only have thirty sen (RM0.30) left in his bank account, but with his Credit Card he can purchase any amount he likes, provided it does not exceed his authorised limit. However, a person, who holds a Debit Card with only thirty sen left in his bank account, can only spend not more than thirty sen. So, a person with a Debit Card has to top up his account with sufficient fund all the time to enable him to use the Debit Card to purchase something.

Having said all that, you might wonder what the two types of card had to do with Petronas and Shell? Well, let me narrate to you my experience about using the Debit Card to purchase fuel for my car at Petronas and Shell.

You see, I never have any problem using my Debit Card to purchase petrol from Shell. It's just like purchasing at Giant or Carrefour, easy, within seconds after the cashier swiped the card, the receipts were printed out for signature verification. But I always have problems when using the Card to purchase petrol from Petronas. Most of the times, my card would not be accepted. Mind you there was always sufficient funds available in my bank account.

However, during one of those very few trying times when my Card was finally accepted by the few Petronas stations, it was a "fill first, pay later" kind of transaction - I had to go back to the pump to fill the petrol and then went back to the cashier to sign the receipt chit and to get back my Card. Not that I mind having to walk to the pump and back again (it's a good exercise for me, right?) but let me ask you, do you think that this is the kind of service that you should provide to your customers if you are running a petrol kiosk? I could not remember any single instance when purchasing petrol from Petronas, where the "pay first, fill later" principle was applied. But with Shell, it was applied successfully, which provides more convenience to customers. Funny, isn't it?. Sometime when I am in a hurry, I just use cash to pay for my petrol at Petronas.

Last Sunday, I was at Bangi. After sending my son, Jowin to his hostel at UKM, on the way back I stopped by a Petronas station to fill petrol for my Pesona. I only had a few dollars left in my wallet and therefore gave my Debit Card to the cashier to pay for RM60.00 of petrol. I was prepared to walk back and forth, but as expected, my Debit Card was not accepted. To worsen the matter both the Maybank ATM's did not accept my CIMB ATM Card. Most probably, that day being a Sunday, the machines had run out of cash.

The cashier said that the nearest CIMB ATM would be at Bintang shopping complex. I didn't know whether I heard wrongly or misunderstood him, but it was a long drive before I could finally find the Bintang Complex. After withdrawing some cash from the ATM, I finally made my way back to the same Petronas station. Why the same station, you might ask? The reason is that there was no other fuel stations nearby, you see.

Just as the Pesona reached the Petronas station, I heard the call for prayer ("azan") for "asar" distinctly from a nearby mosque - indeed, as the "azan" said "God is Great". So you see, buying petrol from Petronas using your Debit Card is indeed like a challenge ("dugaan') from the AlMighty.

I don't know what seems to be the problem that the service at Petronas differs from that at Shell when it comes to using the Debit Card. Whereas it's easy to use the card at Shell, it's the opposite case with Petronas. Is it because Petronas recognises the Credit Card more than the Debit Card? Or is it because
the communication line in Petronas is less efficient? Whatever the problem is with Petronas, they better sort it out as soon as possible before they lose more customers to Shell, Esso or Caltex.

As for me, whatever poor service that Petronas provides, I still go to Petronas to fill up petrol for my car. You know why? Because Petronas is a Malaysian company and as a Malaysian I am proud of it and therefore will always support it. Furthermore, Shell belongs to Holland and I don't like Holland after one of her citizens gave the wrong impression about my beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when he painted the Prophet's (PBUH) picture a few years' back. I've also stopped buying any item from the supermarket that bears the "Made in Holland" sign.

A close friend once asked me why I didn't use the Credit Card instead? I told him Islam has forbidden usury ("riba") in any transaction. The company that sells an item, which is paid through a Credit Card, has to pay interest to the bank. The purchaser using the Credit Card has to pay interest if he delays in paying to the bank. Whether a person pays interest or charges interest, both are forbidden in Islam, as per the following "hadith":

"It was related that Jabir said,"The Messenger of God (Prayers and Peace Be Upon Him) cursed the one who devours usury and the one who pays it, and the one who writes it down and the two witnesses to it." And he said,"They are all equal."

The Need to wear a Glove

2009-02-24T14:41:00.000+08:00

Last Friday, 13th February 09, after taking my 'wuduk' at Masjid Sahabah at Section 7 in Kota Damansara for my weekly Friday Prayer, my youngest son, Anuar asked me why I did that. He asked me not because he was ignorant of the fact that a Muslim must take his "wuduk" (cleans himself) before he starts his "solat" (prayer). He asked me because from his previous observations, I didn't take my "wuduk" at the mosque. I took it at my office before I left for the Friday prayer. I just smiled at him and told him that my earlier "wuduk" had been annulled ("batal"). It had to be retaken to ensure that I would be a "clean" person again to face the Almighty in my prayer.

Before I go further let me explain a bit what "wuduk" is all about. As defined by Wikipedia, Wudu (Arabic: الوضوء al-wuḍū', Persian:آبدست ābdast, Turkish: abdest, Urdu: وضو wazū') is the Islamic act of washing parts of the body using water. Muslims are required to be clean in preparation for ritual prayers. The Qur'an says "For Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.". Muslims are also required to be clean when handling and reading the Qur'an. The Qur'an says "Which none shall touch but those who are clean". Wudu is often translated as "partial ablution", as opposed to ghusl, or "full ablution".

Wuduk is performed by following a certain procedure in washing one's face, hands, ears, hair and the feet. Little did Anuar knew that just about 10 minutes before I fetched him and his brother Amin from the house, my "wuduk" had been annulled by the "touching" incidence with the opposite sex at the Kota Damansara Toll Plaza exit. You see, my Touch N Go card only had 30 sen left (RM0.30) and the fact that PLUS had changed its top-up service between the period from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm had not made it easier for me to top up the card's credit. Thus, until such times that I could top up the card again, I had to enter and leave the Toll Plaza the "manual" way, that is, to collect a ticket on entry and pay for the trip on exit at the next Toll Plaza .

That day on the way into the Subang Jaya Toll Plaza, I collected the ticket but felt my hand rubbed against that of the person at the Toll Plaza. But I didn't realised whether that person was a "he" or a "she." So I said to myself that since I couldn't identify the sex of the person, my "wuduk" should still be valid. Before I reached the Kota Damansara Toll Plaza exit, I prepared the RM1.20 in advance to pay for the toll. So when I reached the Toll Plaza, I tried to hand over the RM1.20 "cleanly"; "cleanly" in the sense that her skin won't have to rub against mine, you see. But somehow she must have sensed my great effort in trying to hand over the money "cleanly" to her. Therefore, it's just natural that she reciprocated by grabbing the money instead of taking it. In the process, the money and my hand was also "grabbed" by her, thereby rendering my "wuduk" to be null and void ("batal").

Sorry, I forgot to explain earlier on that the state of cleanliness of one's "wuduk" would be annulled if one performs one of the following acts :-

1. Defecation, passing gas or urination.
2. Emission of semen.
3. Sleep.
4. Passing blood.
5. Vomiting.
6. Loss of senses.
7. Fainting
8. Touching the skin of the opposite sex (of marriageable status)

And that is why I have to take my "wuduk" again because my skin touched hers at the Toll Plaza.

This incidence kept me thinking that Highway Concessionaires should really ask their staffs at the Toll Plaza to wear a glove each. I did come across female staffs at some Toll Plazas wearing glove, but most of them did not. I had never come across a male staff wearing the glove, though. The reason why the female staff at some Toll Plazas were wearing their gloves was most likely not because she wanted to maintain the validity of her "wuduk" but more so because she didn't want her hand to be infected with germs or dirt from the motorist during the transaction.

Therefore it makes good sense for the Highway Concessionaires to encourage their Toll Plaza staffs to wear glove, not because they want to avoid annulling the motorists' "wuduk", but more so due to health; because if a Toll Plaza staff contracts a disease during the transaction with an infected motorists, the particular staff has to go on medical leave, and therefore her employer will incur losses in terms of working hours and medical bills.

However, I can't wait for the Toll Plaza staffs to wear glove. I have to buy a pair of glove myself so that every Friday I won't have to retake my "wuduk" when I go to a mosque to perform the Friday prayer.

Where is my Kampung?

2009-02-09T01:13:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum,

"Where are you from?" or "where is your kampung?" is always the standard question asked by someone whom you have just met in a conversation.

The Wikipedia defines the term "kampung" as "a Malay hamlet or village in a Malay-speaking country" In other words, a kampung is defined today as a village in Brunei, Indonesia or Malaysia.

The Wikipedia continues to say that in Malaysia, a kampung is determined as a locality with 10,000 or fewer people. Since historical times, every Malay village came under the leadership of a penghulu (village chief), who has the power to hear civil matters in his village. A Malay village typically contains a "masjid" (mosque) or "surau" (Muslim chapel), stilt houses and paddy fields. Malay villagers practice the culture of helping one another as a community, which is better known as "joint bearing of burdens" (gotong royong), as well as being family-oriented (especially the concept of respecting one's family, particularly the parents and elders), courtesy and believing in God ("Tuhan") as paramount to
everything else. It is common to see a "kubor" (Muslim cemetery) near the mosque, as all Muslims in the Malay village want to be prayed for, and to receive Allah's blessings in the afterlife.

Having said that, a kampung is therefore our origin, where we were born probably and also where we grew up and spent most of our early schooling years there. A kampung is also where our parents settle down for good.

Whenever we have the opportunity, a kampung is where we return to spend the time with our parents, relatives and friends, who grew up and played together with us in the kampung. There is no other preferable way to spend the time during the holidays than to "balik kampung" (return to our parents' house in the village) whether we were at college, university or working somewhere else at that time. A kampung can also be said to be the focul point for "silaturrahim" (maintaining close relationship amongst friends and relatives), where all the brothers, sisters and close relatives get together as often as possible, especially during festivals like the Aidil Fitri, Aidil Adha or marriage ceremonies of those very close to the family. For as long as one of the parents is still alive, the "spirit" of the "balik kampung" still remains, that is, the joy of looking forward to return to the kampung.

Now, back to the question of where my kampung is. You see, I was born in Singapore at the customs quarters at Kampung Bahru Road. Later on my parents rented a house in Kg. Bukit Kasita. I studied at the Radin Mas Primary School from Standard 1 to Standard 5. So it can be said that my kampung at that time was Kampung Bukit Kasita in Singapore.

In 1963, my late father was transferred to Johor Bahru. At first, we were staying in the Government's quarters at Jalan Larkin. Later on, my late father bought a house at Jalan Kasawari, Larkin Lama, Johor Bahru. I continued my studies at Sekolah Rendah Temenggung Abdul Rahman. At the end of 1964, my class teacher, Mrs. Maniam recommended me to sit for an examination for selection to study at MCKK (Malay College Kuala Kangsar). I was one of the successful candidates to be selected, the other one being my classmate, Abdullah bin Abdul Hamid.

So whenever I was asked where my kampung was during my 5-year study period in MCKK, I would answer that it was Johor Bahru. Fellow Johoreans at MCKK thus thought that I was a pure Johorean.

In 1970, I was given a scholarship to study for a diploma in Brighton Technical College in the United Kingdom. Two years later, I went to London to study for my enginering degree at King's College (University of London). While I was there, whenever I was asked by any Malaysian about my kampung, I would say that it was in Johor Bahru.

While I was studyng in London, my late father was transferred to Lumut in Perak. Subsequently my late father bought a piece of land at Kampung Kurnia in Tronoh, Perak and built a house there. "It's going to be my retirement place." said my late father. So after that, Lumut and subsequently Tronoh in Perak became my kampung. In the meantime, my mother continued to stay in the house in Johor Bahru. So technically speaking, I had two kampungs at that time, one in Perak and the other one in Johor. It wasn't very long thereafter that the house in Johor Bahru was sold and therefore Kg. Kurnia at Tronoh in Perak became my latest kampung.

My late father was born in Lubok Merbau in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. My late mother was born in Batu Berendam in Melaka. My late mum was a "baba nyonya" which explained the Chinese look in me. So by right I should have a kampung in Melaka too. But it was not to be that way for the story as was told by my late mum was that she was "disowned" by her parents when she married my late dad. She never returned to Melaka to meet her parents again after that except to visit her two elder brothers, Pak Long and Pak Ngah, who had also embraced Islam at the same time as her.

I still have some relatives residing in Melaka who are descendents from my late Pak Ngah. Until today, whenever I meet a nyonya-baba or baba-nyonya from Melaka, I wonder whether he or she is related to my late mother.

When we grew up, we got married and have children. We eventually establish our own kampung by buying a house of our own. We spend lesser and lesser time to "balik kampung" after both our parents had passed away.

Almost all of my brothers and sisters have committed themselves to have their own kampungs by buying a house at the place chosen by them. Therefore, during the holidays, their own childen visit them, just like they visited their own parents when their parents were still alive.

As for me, I do not have a house to settle down yet. All my life I had been travelling and working at different places and I was never at a place for more than 4 years. However, my wife and I are building a house in Dungun and most likely we will settle down in Dungun for good and call it our kampung.

So in the meantime, what shall I say if someone is to ask me where my kampung is? :-)

My Trip to Putrajaya

2009-02-06T00:04:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum,

My second son Josef, who is studying medicine in Moscow, Russia has been pestering me to send to him the "NOC" (No Objection Certificate), which he says, is required by his university.

So last Tuesday, 3rd February 2009, I took the Kancil car and drove to Putrajaya, which is the center of the Malaysian Government Departments.

It was at first a decision of whether I should take the Volvo, which was parked at my office in Shah Alam, by taking the LRT/train to Batu 3 first and then walked for 15 minutes to my office to get the car. Or whether to drive directly there with either my wife's Kancil or Persona. I finally decided to go there with the Kancil because it consumed the least amount of petrol and saved me the traveling time in the LRT/train. It would also be easy for me to find a parking space for a Kancil at Putrajaya. I was thinking that the only thing that I was going to miss for not taking the LRT/train and then the Volvo was the exercise from the walking. But I consoled myself that I had been fasting the previous day and also had some walking exercise from my office to the Batu 3 railway station on the same day - all for the sake of controlling my diabetes.

Traveling to Putrajaya and arriving at my destination, which was the Ministry of Education at Parcel E, was easy enough for me because I had been to Putrajaya a couple of times before. The first few times was, of course, a nightmare. There were so many signboards and roads and "Precinct" here and "Precinct" there that I got lost a few times. Nowadays, whenever I have to go to Putrajaya, I'll take the same route and also leave by the same way if I want to avoid getting lost again. If you want to have a non-stop learning activity, going in and out of Putrajaya with your car is the best place to do it and also the best way to know about the roads in Putrajaya.

Whoever did the town-planning for Putrajaya, especially at the "Parcel E" area, probably did not think that the Government employees are going to drive and park their cars there and that visitors going there need to park their cars too. When I arrived there at about 8.30 am, I observe that both sides of all the roads there were occupied with cars if not the red barrier cones. Since it was still early, those cars must belong to the employees. On my first round of the area, I was unsuccessful in locating an empty parking space. Yes, even with my tiny Kancil I couldn't find a space large enough to squeeze it in. I was lucky on the second round of the complex when there was a free parking space for my Kancil. Someone who had parked there must be using a Kancil too because it was just wide enough to accomodate my Kancil.

After parking the Kancil and taking out my notebook from the car(couldn't risk losing it), I made my way to the nearest building to enquire where "Jabatan Pengajian Tinggi" (Higher Education Department) was. I approached a guard, who nicely told me that it was located "further down" at Block E3. So I made my way to the Ministry of Higher Education at Block E3. There I was also nicely informed by the lady to go further down to the second floor of Block E9. After a few minutes of walking I reached Block E9 and after registering with the security guard, I went up to the second floor. I informed the lady at the desk of my intention to get the NOC for my son. She nicely told me to take a seat whilst she arranged to get the certificate for me. I was barely seated for 5 minutes before a gentleman approached me and handed to me my son's NOC.

Even though the parking there needed some improvement, I was happy with the way I was treated by all the staffs, including the "jaga" (guard). They were nice and helpful. Maybe because they took a little pity on this "PakCik" (uncle, old man)

I walked back to the car feeling elated because I got what I came for. I was also happy because the walking uphill towards the Kancil made me sweat a bit. I got the exercise that I thought I was going to miss that day.

After I left Parcel E, I went to Precinct One to go to the Immigration Department to get an application form for a foreign maid. In contrast to Parcel E, there was ample parking space for visitors at the Immigration. The planner for the Immigration Department had done a good job of allocating two open-space areas for car parks. So, it wasn't as difficult as at Parcel E for me to get a parking space for my Kancil.

When I entered the lobby, I was surprised to see two lady Immigration Officers standing there to attend to inquiries from the public. I took advantage of the "service" by asking one of them where to get the application form to apply for a foreign maid. She obligingly told me to go to the second floor on the right. I did as she said and sure enough, I soon found myself queuing up for the application form.

What the Immigration Department was doing by placing its officers at the entrance lobby to answer to queries from the public was a good move and should be applauded. I left the Immigration Department being a happier person because my mission to get the NOC for my son and the application form from the Immigration Department had been accomplished. Thank you to God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful and the Most Helpful, without Whose Help my mission will not be accomplished.

I hope the Putrajaya developer can look into resolving the parking woe at Parcel E and similar areas in Putrajaya for the benefit of the Government employees working there and also for visitors like me to find a convenient place to park our cars to accomplish our "urusan" (mission) with the Ministry.

How I look at illness

2009-01-29T19:20:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum,

It had been said by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that "87% of illness come from the stomach." I'm not a doctor, but this is how I look at illness.

Diseases comes from everywhere, but in particular it comes from the food and drinks that we eat and drink respectively. The food or drinks may be infested with harmful germs or virus, or may contain harmful chemicals. Food that is infested with harmful germs may lead to the person consuming it to contract a disease. Diseases caused by virus are normally contagious and are contracted from the air that carries the virus. Food that contains harmful chemicals may consist of additives, which are used to make the food lasts longer; colorings, which are used to make the food looks better and flavourings ("perisa"), like monosodium glutamate, to make the food tastes better. Food that contains harmful chemicals may lead to the person consuming it to contract a disease, which is different from a disease caused by germs/virus.

Food and drinks that are infested with germs are normally due to uncleanliness or unhygienic handling of the food. The housefly from the rubbish heap carries with it harmful germs and viruses, which it deposits on the food as it lands on it. The food can also be infested with germs/viruses carried by cockroaches, rats and lizards if it is left exposed and unprotected. A mosquito secretes a fluid containing viruses from its body as it replaces the fluid with human blood. The germs or viruses soon
multiply quickly and if the person's immune system is weak, he soon finds himself suffering from the disease caused by the germs or viruses.

On the other hand a food containing harmful chemicals does not get a quick reaction (symptons) from the body as does the germs or viruses. These chemicals find their way into the body's organs and stay there and if not removed from the body, can cause damages on a long term basis. Suddenly and without warning the particular organs stop functioning or are infected with cancer cells.

Where diseases caused by germs or viruses can be treated fairly quickly if the person goes to see a doctor, diseases caused by chemicals are normally difficult to detect, until it has done some damages, as indicated by the symptons.

Illness is "good" in the sense that it is a "test" of our patience. If we can overcome the illness to become well again, we become a "better" person. A Muslim considers having a disease as a "dugaan" (a test) and if he gets better, he gains a "darjat" (a better Muslim).

An illness is also good in the eyes of a Muslim because it cleans sins from his soul. When he is awaken in the next world ("bangkit di hari kiamat") he carries less sin with him to face Allah SWT on judgement day at "Padang Masyar."

The problem is, how does a Muslim know that he is going to survive the disease? Is he going to die or live? He doesn't know, I'm afraid; only the Almighty knows.

The survival rate for a "normal" disease like cholera, typhoid, malaria and others caused by germs/viruses is high, but for chronic diseases like high blood pressure (which can lead to a stroke or heart attack), leukomia and cancer is considered as 50:50, as I was told by my doctor friends.

The dilemma comes when one is diagnosed with having a cancer. The success rate for treatment of cancer depends on how early one can detect a cancerous growth. If it is detected early, the growth can be removed. If it is detected later, when damage has been done, the chance of survival is very low indeed.

Therefore a Muslim must always think that death is fast approaching and he must prepare himself to face the day when his journey in this world is going to end for him to join another world. It has been advised by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that a Muslim should grab 5 things before 5 things happen to him, namely:-

1. When he's young, before he gets old
2. When he's healthy before he gets sick
3. When he has free time before he gets busy
4. When he's rich before he gets poor
5. When he lives before he dies.

He should "invest" himself as much as possible in the next world when he's still young, healthy, has the free time, is rich and alive. "Investing" in the next world means to carry out good deeds, which include donating money to the poor and avoid bad deeds, as are guided by the Al-Quran and "Sunnah Rasulullah s.a.w." (actions and words of Prophet Muhammad, PBUH). If he has done bad deeds, he should repent ("bertaubat") and ask for forgiveness from Allah SWT and never repeat the same thing.

For a person who has a chronic disease, who has gone through many medical treatment and seen many doctors and spends many thousands of ringgit, and yet the disease remains, I suggest, as a last resort, that he should do following:-

1.If he has not been a true Muslim, he should change his ways and start being one.

2.He should consider that death is unavoidable and therefore he should repent and ask for forgiveness from the Almighty, before it's too late, in the sense that the Almighty takes his life before he has the opportunity to repent.

3.As a last resort, and if he is still strong and capable, he should make a trip to Mecca to perform Umrah.

4.Whilst in Mecca, apart from performing the Umrah, he should also drink the holy Zam-Zam water, which has been known to have cured many diseases. Before sipping the holy Zam-Zam water, he should request ("berdoa") from Allah SWT to cure his disease because diseases cannot be cured without HIS consent. He should also take the opportunity at Masjidil Haram to prey, repent ("bertaubat") and repeatedly ask for forgiveness from Allah SWT.

Why I say he should be a true Muslim first is because if he wants to ask for a favour from Allah SWT, i.e. to cure his disease, he should first please Allah SWT (mendapat keredhaan Allah SWT). After Allah SWT is pleased with him, either Allah SWT lets him live longer or takes his life. Allah SWT knows best ("Maha Mengetahui") what is good for him and always does good to HIS "makhluk" (living things,
including humans).

Either way is good for him. If he lives, he should continue to remain a true Muslim, if not better. If he dies, he should die a true Muslim and the place for a true Muslim is in the heavens ("syurga"). And that's where we all finally want to go when we finally leave this world. Wallah'ualam.....

How I control my diabetes

2009-01-26T06:36:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum,

It is quite common nowadays to know that a person has diabetes. The first time I knew I had diabetes was when I had to go to a clinic for a medical check-up for an insurance company 8 years ago. The sample of my blood that was sent to the laboratory for analysis confirmed that I was a diabetic of type II. The glucose (sugar) level in my blood sample was then giving a reading of 15. The normal reading for a healthy person should be from 4 to 6.

Then I understood why suddenly about a year back I was always feeling weak, always felt thirsty and had to pass urine frequently. I found out that they were the symptoms of a diabetic. Worst still, I found out that being a diabetic is the starting point for other diseases, including high blood pressure, kidney failure and blindness.

From Abu Hurairah r.a.,Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said, " Allah does not bring down a disease unless Allah brings down a cure for it." (Dari Abu Hurairah r.a., Nabi saw bersabda, " Allah tidak menurunkan sesuatu penyakit melainkan Allah menurunkan penyembuh untuknya." Riwayat al-Bukhari)

So for every disease, there is a cure for it. So my attempts to find a cure for diabetes started that day.

I soon found out that the cause of diabetes is either due to the unavailability of insulin from the pancreas or the insulin is incapable of converting the excess sugar in the blood into fat to be stored in the body.

Sugar is used as the source of energy but if it is not utilised or converted into fat, it becomes a toxin (poison) and will start to create havoc to the organs in our body. That's why a diabetic has to urinate very often because his body is trying to get rid of the excess sugar from his blood. That's why he also feels thirsty very often because his body needs water to dilute the sugar in the blood to get rid of the sugar.

The pancreas of a diabetic fails to produce insulin or if it is producing, the insulin fails to handle the sugar in the blood. This is either due to hereditary or the person leads a life of obesity or both. They say if one of our parents has diabetes, chances are that we are also going to have it.

My late mum was a diabetic. At the peak of her diabetic problem, there was a hole on her right foot and it didn't get better until she finally went to the doctor who advised her to control her diet and prescribed a medication for her. Her wound got better after that.

I'd like to think that I got my diabetes not because my mum was a diabetic and my mum was a diabetic not because her mum was a diabetic too..I think my late mum was a diabetic because she was leading a life of obesity. I don't blame her or mums like her because life as a housewife restricted her to the household chores and hardly gave her the chance to go outdoors to stay away from living a life of obesity.

Long time ago, our grandparents and great grandparents didn't have the luxury of doing things as easily as we presently have. Their lifestyles and ours differ tremendously. If we travel from one place to another, we have motorised transportation to take us there, but they had to walk. We "work" by sitting in a cool comfortable air-conditioned office most of the time, but they had to sweat it out in the open padi fields, vegetable/fruit farms or the sea. They ate fresh food, and so do we, except that our "fresh food" are treated with insecticides and preservatives before they are delivered to us in the supermarkets. They had processed foods like soya sauce, keropok, salted fish and fish balls which they produced for their own consumption. We have processed food too, but our processed food are filled with more-often-than-not harmful preservatives, colourings and taste enhancers like monosodium glutimate. The air that they breathe was fresh all the time. The air that we breath is polluted. No wonder they live longer because they exercise a lot, breathed unpolluted air and eat clean food that were rich in vitamins and nutrients. We eat polluted food, breath in polluted air and seldom exercise.

Let's compare the life of our great grandfather and ours. Our great grandfather, who was say, a fisherman, woke up in the morning and walked to the beach where his sampan (boat) was parked. He had a good exercise there. We wake up in the morning and walk to our car that is parked in the garage - hardly any exercise. Our great grandfather went to the sea (his place of work) by rowing his sampan - that's quite a lot of exercise. We go to our office (place of work) by driving a car - minimum exercise, just turn the steering wheel, press the clutch (manual gear) and the brake. Under the hot sun, our great grandfather had to cast his fishing net or fishing hook and maneuver his sampan from one place to another. He sweat from the exercise and also from the sun, where he also obtained Vitamin D. Under the air-conditioned office, we sit at our desk and move only if we have to go for a meeting or go to the toilet. We hardly sweat.We only get Vitamin D from the sun if we walk to the nearby stall during lunch time, provided of course we do not use an umbrella to get there.

When our great grandfather went home after he had caught enough fish for the day he repeated the same exercise that he did when he left his house in the morning - same good exercise. We hardly have any exercise as we go home in our air-conditioned car. After our great grandfather reached home, he had to sort out the fish that was caught for the day, clean the compound, burn the rubbish or do some other chores. When we reach home however, we sit in front of the television set and wait for dinner to be served. After our great grandfather had his dinner, he would go to sleep early because there was no television to watch or mamak stall to go for "teh tarek". Therefore he had enough rest. On the other hand, after we have our dinner, we sit in front of the TV until late at night or spend hours at the mamak restaurant with friends before we go to bed. We therefore don't have enough sleep.

"We eat to live, not live to eat." But it looks like we are exactly doing the opposite. We eat more than we should, more than what our body needs. We have breakfast at home, lunch in the office, tea and cakes during tea break, dinner at home and supper at night and not counting the chocolates and cookies kept in the drawer during office hours. We fill up our stomach with junk food and food that we don't need. We do not exercise enough to get rid of stored food in our body.

The law of balance says "what goes in should go out." Thus, what goes into the body should equal to what goes out from the body. If we eat more we should also exercise more. If we don't exercise more, then the food keeps accumulating and our body grows heavier and heavier each day. That's when all kinds of chronic diseases start to surface - diabetes, high-blood pressure, cancer, etc.

Diabetes is not like a disease where the doctor prescribes to you a medication and you get better a few days later. It is caused by an upset in our body system due to leading a life of obesity for too long. The doctors advise that there is no cure for diabetes. The best you can do is to control the amount of sugar in your blood to ensure that the sugar level does not reach a dangerous level, in the sense that it does not damage your internal organs.

The doctor helps to control the sugar level in the blood of a diabetic patient by prescribing a suitable medication to him. The medication helps to regulate the sugar level in the blood to a safe level. Other than exercise, doctors also advise that we should limit the consumption of sweet food and carbohydrates and take more meat, vegetables and fruits. Carbohydrates turn into sugar after they are consumed, that's why a diabetic should minimise the consumption of carbohydrates. Rice and flour are the most common form of carbohydrates that are consumed by us.

I've known of a few diabetics who don't control the amount of food that they consume when they are on their doctor's medication. This can be very dangerous because certain medications can give serious side effect to the body. I know of a close friend who took a medication wrongly prescribed by his doctor. His sugar level was normal when he was taking the medication. Later on something happened to him and he had to be admitted into a hospital. The hospital doctors later diagnosed him as having kidney failures. Another doctor later told him that the diabetic medication that was prescribed to him was the cause of his kidney failures. Now he is on dialysis twice a week.

All this while, I have been "experimenting" on the best way to control my sugar level without taking any medication and without sacrificing too much on the consumption of carbohydrates and I think I have found the right solution. I wish to share it with you if you are a diabetic. If you are not a diabetic, it may help prevent you from being one. "Prevention is better than cure" and "better to be safe than sorry." My method may not work for you but you have to try it out and change or adjust it until you find the right solution.

What I am doing to control the sugar level in my blood is as follows:-

1. Eating habits - I only eat twice a day. I never miss a good breakfast. It can be the full-of-carbohydrates type like nasi lemak, roti canai, nasi goreng or mihun goreng. These carbohydrates provide me with energy until about 4.00 pm when I also have a meal. Thus, between breakfast and 4.00 pm I don't take anything else except plain water or green tea. Green tea is an anti-oxidant and it's good for our immune system. After I have my 4.00 pm meal, I don't take anymore meal for the day, except maybe an apple for dinner.

If I realy feel hungry during lunch time. I'll go down to the stall in front of my office to buy a slice of papaya or pineapple. Or I go and buy a packet of groundnuts at the Petronas station nearby.

2. I fast twice a week, every Monday and Thursday. Fasting helps to detoxify the body from accumulated toxins from the food that we eat and the polluted air that we breath. It also gives the organs in our body the time to rest, recuperate and recover. Who knows, your damaged organs may heal and function as normal.

3. I exercise regularly. This I do by taking the train and lrt (light rapid transit) to and from work. It takes about half an hour of walking from my home to the nearest lrt station. After the lrt stops at a station, I walk for about 5 minutes to a train station. After taking the train I walk for another 15 minutes from the train station to my office. So I receive about 50 minutes of walking exercise in one way and 100 minutes of exercise both ways.

I always monitor my blood sugar level in the morning prior to breakfast by using a blood measurement meter, which I purchase from the local pharmacy.So far the meter has been giving me an average reading of 7 to 8. On days when I eat less carbohydrates and more fruits and capatis (made from wheat flour), the reading is about 6 to 7.

I am still experimenting with my lifestyle to reduce the reading to 4 to 6, the so-called normal level. Maybe I should fast 3 days a week or reduce my food intake to once a day instead of the present two meals a day. I'll let you know through this blog soon if I manage to reduce my sugar reading to that level consistently after I adjust my lifestyle or eating habits as proposed above.

Watch that Price Display

2009-01-17T23:24:00.000+08:00

The next time you go for shopping at one of the big supermarkets, I advise you to watch for the price of each of the items on the display as the cashier at the paying counter scans each item.

My family and I went to Carrefour Ampang this afternoon to purchase our weekly stock of food and household goods. Among the items that we were going to purchase was a 10-kg bag of rice and a notebook bag. The price for the rice was displayed as RM20.00 (on offer) and the price for the notebook bag was shown as RM89.90.

When these two (2) items were scanned at the counter, the price for the rice was displayed as RM40.00 (instead of RM20.00) and the bag as RM93.50 (instead of RM89.90). We immediately told the cashier that they were incorrect. The cashier immediately called someone to go and check the price for the bag. The staff checked and came back to confirm that the correct price was RM89.90 and not RM93.50.

My wife did not wait for the Carrefour staff. She personally went to check the price of the rice. She came back with another 10-kg bag of rice of another brand which cost RM25.00. She told me that the bag of rice on promotion at RM20.00 was no longer available, it has been sold out.She told me that the bag of rice that she took earlier was placed where the sign showed the price as RM20.00. She therefore assumed that the bags of rice placed under the RM20 price tag would cost RM20.00. Furthermore it was of the same brand.

I was told to go to the Customer Service to claim back the difference between RM93.50 and RM89.90, which was RM3.60, which I got back in cash.

The point I am trying to make is that one should always know how much one is going to pay for an item and make sure that the same price is shown on the display when the cashier scans the item. Let's not divert your concentration, like sms or call someone over the phone, while the cashier is scanning the items because you will not know whether you are paying for the right prices as indicated.

As for the bag of rice on offer at RM20.00., why still displayed the price tag at RM20.00 when the rice had been sold out? Why not just remove the price tag instead?

I'm not saying that the supermarket is deliberately trying to cheat the customers this way.Most likely it's an oversight or one of the staffs forgot to remove the price tag or place the correct one. Just imagine if we didn't observe the scanned price properly or didn't check the receipt after that - we would be paying more than we should.

Introduction

2004-10-21T08:11:00.000+08:00

Hi,

Welcome to my blog. It is created as an extension of my website at http://roslank.com.
I'm going to describe here my observations and opinions of the situations that I experience and encounter in my daily life. Your comments are most welcome.

Thank you,

Roslan.