on the use of "Allah": The Malaysian Scenario

            Everyone and their aunties are talking about this. All kinds of opinions have surfaced - some rational, some bordering on lunacy. Knickers, y-fronts, boxers are twisted and knotted beyond recognition over this issue.
            Yea...you've certainly got our attention! And many folks are still foaming at the mouths.
            From my foray into the world of tafseer [interpretation] al-Quran and seerah [biography], I gleaned that "Allah" was used by the pagans of old. These pagans believed that there was this higher being that governed over them. But they also believed that they needed intermediaries to speak on their behalf. So they adopted and prostrated before their chosen deities. 
            On the other hand, there were also those who believed that they themselves were God - Firaun for one. Yet even he knew he was powerless to a certain extent. At the very end of his life, he did try to submit to Moses' God...but we all know what happened.
            As for the Christians, we know that the original Bible is long gone partly because of politics. The church would lose its power over the people if the people believed they didn't need the church to intervene on their behalf with God. Hence, Jesus [pbup] was upgraded to "divine" status and became the Son of God. To this day, the Dead Sea Scrolls remained under lock and key with the Ecole Biblique - and I strongly doubt if the general public will ever be apprised of its contents till the end of time as the stuff revealed in those scrolls would prove the Quran correct. I read a book on this but I've forgotten the author's name...alas!
            Same for the Roman Empire and its king [Constantine] then. In order for Christianity to be palatable to the pagan Romans of that time, it had to include some of the hardcore beliefs of its people - one of which is 25 December, the time when the pagans celebrated its midwinter festivals. Constantine knew that if he were to order his people to fully adopt the Christian faith as mooted in the original Bible, then he'd have to say farewell to his throne. So 25 December was written into the Christian faith and hailed as the birthday of Jesus Christ although no date was given in the original Bible.
            The Arab Christians use "Allah" in this way: Allah al-Ab for God, the Father, Allah al-Ibn for God, the Son, and Allah al-Ruhul al-Quddus for God, the Holy Spirit - since the word "Allah" does not mean One God to them. I figure it's all hunky dory to the Arabs as they all speak and understand Arabic so there's no confusion.
            Lets go to the Malaysian scenario. Since Islam first touched our shores, it's predominantly the Malays who took up this faith. And kept at it even when we were ruled by non-Muslims. Efforts were made to convert the Malay Muslims to Christianity since the days of the Portuguese rule but it didn't make a dent - there were zero conversions for a long, long time. So the Christian powers that be decided that perhaps they would be more successful if they had a Malay Bible - the Malays, largely, didn't speak English during those times. Hence, the birth of the first Malay Bible in the 1700s [Romanised version] and 1800s [Jawi version]. However, the Christian missionaries were still stumped as the Malays didn't budge from Islam.
            I really don't know how it is that the folks in Sabah and Sarawak came to adopt the Malay Bible. If I were to hazard a guess it would be because English is a complex language as compared to Malay, so it was far easier to teach the folks there in a language they are already familiar with. We all know how easy it is for immigrants to pick up Malay - the Banglas and Nepalese could do it within a few short months of their stay here. At least enough to be understood!
            The situation in Malaysia is unique in that only the Muslims [at least the ones in West Malaysia] use "Allah" to denote their God. I remember the times when the Chinese and Indians would use the term "Tuan Alah" when they mean the Muslims' God. It has been this way for the longest time....and respected by the people of other faiths. The fact that it is used by the Christians in Sabah and Sarawak for the last few hundred years isn't a well known fact for the majority of Muslims in Malaysia....until the "Allah" issue was brought to the courts.
            Hence, the hue and cry! The majority of the Malay Muslims feel that this term describes only their God. That's what they have been exposed to all their lives. So they get understandably upset/enraged when another faith wants to use that sacred term in their book. On the theological front, it's obvious that the Christian God and the Muslim God isn't the same. So the Malay Muslims here feel that it's blasphemous if the Christians use it.
           Also the fact that the Christians have never stopped attempting to convert the Malay Muslims to Christianity - despite their claims otherwise. It's obvious that they have been somewhat successful too - there are more than 200,000 Malay converts in 2011 according to the, then, Mufti Perak.
            I can only surmise that the fact that the Christians here want to use the term "Allah" is born of mischief. I can imagine this scenario: when excerpts from the Malay Bible is handed out to little children who may or may not show it to their parents; what will happen then? Because the term "Allah" is used, they may regard it as Islamic doctrine....and they're too young to know the difference. Nauzubillah....although I believe this is already a practise here. If the entire Malay Bible is handed out, even kids would know it's not the Quran because of the distinctive cross. But would the Christian missionaries be that honourable?
            Herein lies our objection.......

Is he crying for help??

            I recall the times I used to sit across from him having long discourses on Islam. He knows quite a fair bit about the religion.
            He tried so hard to reject it! Kinda tough really given his upbringing - ustazah mother and all. The kind of parents who read "kitab kuning". However, he insisted that he was an atheist.
            But I've always had this suspicion that it was all bogus. That it was all lip service. I suspect that he was too scared to be a Muslim - especially a bad one! He was too scared to own up to his errant ways. And the fact that, despite declaring his Godless state, he still wanted toilet space in heaven!
            So....he took the easy way out - "I don't have a God!".
            What a cop out!
            I'm no Rabiatul Adawiyah. Just a Muslim who owns up to her sins. I don't believe in justifying my sins no matter what. After all how on earth am I gonna fool Allah right?!
            Over time he became more convoluted in his "debates". It became tirades. I got tired of listening. He, in turn, wasn't very good at listening. So I distanced myself from him. Or was it he who did that??
            Whatever! Anyway we hardly met for the past 10 years or so. But I get news of him regularly since he's pally wally with a close friend of mine - who is of the opinion that he's gone from bad to worse.
            But something this friend said recently made me pause and reflect. Seems like, of late, our "atheist" friend has been rethinking about the existence of God. Allah to be exact. He wanted Allah himself to "speak" to him!
            Hmmm.....Moses' people came to mind. The 70 who got zapped afterward.
            Could this guy be stupidly arrogant? I know he would know of this story. He's well read. Then again I have doubts about his understanding and interpretation of the Quran based on the discussions we used to have. However, to be fair, I really don't know how far he has "progressed" since then.
            The fact that he's even entertaining the thought of Allah in his sunset years could mean he wants someone to convince him. Maybe because death seems so near when one passes the half decade mark. Especially when rudely reminded - when one's friends are dropping dead left, right and center.
            He could be crying out for help. I pray that his cry will be answered - if that is what it is.....

Demise of the Family Matriach......

            Hari raya Haji is just around the corner. Normally we'd be occupied with menus, housekeeping, and looking forward to receiving our big family in our home. All the others who would come to pay homage to the matriach - mak. Mak was the oldest surviving relative. Also the most sociable.
            Now mak is no more. And the excitement died along with her. At least for now.
            We no longer discuss menus.
            Or get cracking with vacuums, mops, "dirt-cloths".
            Zenal isn't seen rearranging the softscape.
            All is quiet on the kitchen-front. No aromatic smells emanating from anywhere on No30.
            Some of us will be going away for raya haji. To try to get away from the scene of numerous happy moments.
            The phones are quiet.
            No30 is quiet. Too quiet.
            Too "pain-filled".
            The much loved matriach is gone. And, for now, much of our exuberance has gone with her.
            I miss u, mak! WE all miss u, mak!
            May you be among the righteous and having a swell time there......with bapa, Kadir and Latif for company...... :)

Adab saya memang kurang.....

            Ramai orang suuukaaa sangat bertekak dengan saya. Tak kiralah saya layan ke tak. Bila tak layan, depa dok juga terngiang2 kat tepi telinga ni...macam nyamuk. Irritating! Sampai saya fed up dah suruh depa shut up.
            Dulu masa kecik2 selalu kena tegur dengan mak sebab suka cakap lepas sedap mulut. Tapi saya tak kurang ajar - cuma kurang pengetahuan dan penguasaan basa-basi. Kalau tak lawa, saya cakap aja tak lawa bila orang tanya. Sama juga bila tak sedap, tak suka, tak kisah, tak kuasa dan sewaktu dengannya. Membuatkan ramai yang "terserot" - kira terasa hatilah. Jadi ada satu masa tu saya diam aja. Bila orang minta pendapat, saya tanya dulu samada dia orang betul2 ke nak pendapat saya. Kerana saya masih juga fail basa-basi.
            Nasiblah saudara mara sahabat handai terdekat tahu sangat personaliti saya ni. Kalau tidak rasanya saya lama dah dipulaukan! Masalahnya bila saya berdepan dengan orang luar yang tak kenal/tak berapa kenal saya.......
            Rupa2nya sifat saya yang sebegini ada juga gunanya. Saya aja yang dengan selambanya akan berkata apa yang tersirat dalam hati bila berdepan dengan penguatkuasa, ahli politik, kuncu2 ahli politik, anggota polis dan sebagainya. Yelah...bila dia orang ni sesuka hati aja suruh kita buat benda bodoh. Lagi2 kalau depa ni threaten saya - pantang tok nenek saya tu!
            Jadi saya selalu jadi spokesperson untuk mereka2 yang pemalu dan sewaktu dengannya. Sebab saya tak reti malu. Kulit rhinoceros! Kena maki pun saya cool aja. Dan saya tak reti maki orang walau macam mana marah pun hati ini. Nasib baik! Kalau tak dah lama kena racun.
            Dan saya tak kurang ajar. Cuma kurang peka dengan bahasa berlapik berkias orang Melayu. At least most of the time..........
            And I'm working on acquiring better "adab" in syaa Allah ;)
         

Aku lupa dia "Teenager"......

            My bad! Aku betul2 terlupa yang di depan aku ni is a teenager trapped in an adult's body. Kesian dia!
            Aku lupa yang golongan remaja menganggap setiap masalah yang melanda mereka merupakan masalah yang paling kritis dan berat di dunia. Lebih berat dari kemelut gabungan Syria, Palestin, Rohingya, Mesir.
            Aku lupa that to a teenager, dunia harus berhenti dan tumpukan sepenuh perhatian kepada setiap permasalahan mereka. Tak kira bila dan di mana kita.
            Aku lupa bahawa remaja hanya mampu fikir tentang diri mereka saja. Bagi seorang remaja, dia saja yang terpenting dalam hidup dia. Orang lain diwujudkan hanya untuk akur kepada kehendak dia.
            Aku lupa sang remaja tidak mampu [atau tidak mahu?] fikir tentang perasaan dan kehendak orang lain. Bahawa hanya mereka saja yang tahu betapa sukar dan sulitnya permasalahan mereka. Mana mungkin orang lain faham atau pernah lalui keadaan sama dengan mereka.
            Aku lupa that a teenager always feels yang dia sangat2 dizalimi oleh orang2 yang menyayangi mereka. Yang orang2 ni sebenarnya hanya suka mengongkong dan tak mahu lihat mereka bahagia.
            Aku lupa yang remaja hanya akan buat apa yang mereka suka. Pada bila2 masa yang mereka suka.
            Aku lupa remaja tak suka ditegur, dinasihati. Mereka saja yang betul dan paling pandai dalam dunia. Bahawa orang2 tua semuanya kolot dan bodoh tak faham bahasa.
            Aku betul2 lupa!
            Aku lupa bahawa sang remaja itu tahu dan yakin tentang hala hidup mereka. Walaupun pada pendapat aku, akal si remaja hanya panjang sejengkal.
            Aku lupa bahawa seorang remaja selalu menganggap diri mereka sudah dewasa. Walaupun mereka masih perlukan orang lain untuk finance their lifestyle.
            Aku lupa yang remaja mana mampu berfikir panjang dan melihat hidup dari perspektif berbeza. Tak tercapai akal mereka.
            Aku lupa hidup seorang remaja is one drama after another. Setiap situasi perlu dijadikan sensasi. Cara mereka untuk meraih perhatian dunia.
            Aku lupa remaja tak berapa gemar mendengar tentang agama. Pada mereka mati itu jauh dan agama untuk masa tua.
            My bad!
            My bad!
            My bad!
            Tiba2 aku rasa letih. Letih melayan kerenah remaja. Terasa letih berbulan2 mendengar. Terasa sia2 kering air liur memberi pendapat dan nasihat.
            Memang betullah orang kata yang bila dah tua2 ni jadi lebih sensitif. Terasa pula tak dihargai.
            So....maybe I should just tell her to come back when she's all grown up and an adult - if she wants to talk on "serious" matters. Setakat nak layan isu2 teenager...okay aja bila2 pun in syaa Allah.
            In the meantime, aku titipkan doa untuk si "teenager" semoga dia cepat dewasa dan berupaya untuk membuat pilihan2 yang terbaik untuk diri dia :)

Pound vs Kilogram

A joke a day, chases doctor away.

Situation: In the kitchen.

Woman B: What are you doing?

Woman A: I am pounding the chillies.

Woman B (annoyed look): Hmm.... We don't use pound anymore.

Woman A (curious look): Ha? What are using nowadays?

Woman B: Kilogram, you know! Kilogram!

....on Friendship and Favours....

            Today was such a day. Favours asked and favours given. All in the name of friendship.

            Zai is a childhood friend. We've known each other since we were 12++. We met at boarding school. Only to discover that our families knew each other too. Which forged a stronger bond between us.
            From dormmates to bff to partner-in-crime to "sunset years" buddies!
            Enroute to her place yesterday morning, I stopped to pick up some baking powder for this baker extraordinaire - for use as ant bait instead of going into her cakes. Also picked up a packet of bicarbonate soda she requested.
            A request fulfilled. She happy, me happy :)

            We [Zai, Kemar and I] then drove off to meet up with Daing - who had graciously and generously hosted a lunch at KGNS to fulfill my request. Daing went one step further - she actually invited 14 of us to this lunch!
            Thank you, Daing :)
            And several of the 14 came bearing gifts, mostly for the host who will be going off to Mekah to perform her hajj soon in syaa Allah.
            See how happy she looks with her presents!

         
          And how happy we were with ours!

           Key finder......

 Great food......

Wonderful company...................

 

Chu on her superbike - a sight to behold!

An unexpected invitation to Koji's beautiful home......

 

.....for tea.

It didn't stop here. I got hungry and felt like having scrambled eggs and toast. Zai rustled those up for me...plus her divine coffee.

Yup! Friendship is such. Favours requested. Favours fulfilled. With no thought of compensation.

And Allah somehow gives much more when this happens. Alhamdulillah..... :)