Sabit Januari Dzul Hijjah Di Nusantara

Sabit Januari Dzul Hijjah Di Nusantara  
Komentar Keatas Sajak Dr.Abdad al-Rauwi 
 
Alangkah indahnya jika sang pencari berbisik halus
Dimalam sejuk angin utara berhembus ke pulau mutiara
Gelora kasih tiada padam dek riak air telaga tujuh 
Dari setitis air Yunus dia menjadi danau dan laut

 Cintanya menderu dialunan jalal Diwan al-kamil 
 Ahmad Thomson sudah berkunjung ditaman zikir 
Dihadapan deru hempasan ombak Lakal Hamdu dikarang
Syahdunya angin malam bergema di Jabal Alam 
Setelah sampai ke Mekah dan Madinah disuruh pulang 
Demikian Abu Hassan Shadhili mendaki dan menuruni
 Gunung-gunung Timur Barat dan kilau ulamak duniawi 

Sinar fajar purnama bertebaran pada qalbu para Awliya 
Firasat Wali Bahlil pernah berguru kepada Shaykh Alawi
sudah membaca riak air muka fuqara Malaysia 
Tanya pada lima serangkai yang bertemu baraka itu 
Ahmad Atjie bersusah payah kembara dari Bandung 
Membawa dua sahabat terbang hingga ke Tangier 

Nakhoda Kapal sedang mengadakan perayaan besar 
Ayuh kamu naik semua ke Bahtera Nuh Zaman
 Makanlah sirr bijian dan tanaman yang akan bercambah 
Tidak boleh bertayamum jika menjumpai Air Segar 
Alangkah sukar berebut kasih dengan ratusan ribuan fuqara 

Dari negeri china hingga hujung benua di Chiapas
 Bersama Amir Nafia dan Hajji Issa, engkau lihat satu kampung
Dan zawiya kayu dan tanah hampir mencecah kepala 
Jambak suffina dirai kanak-kanak dan wanita 
Bukan hanya lelaki gah bicara dan membaca
 Para sarjana dan doctor falsafah tidak bisa mengalah
 Aku aku aku lebih bijaksana dan banyak ijazah.

Tapi mana bunga boi wangi setiap musim haji  
Pulau Bintan dan Penyengat seluruh Riau menyambut kami 
Tuhfah al-Nafis bagai bersinar kembali tatkala 
Melangkah masuk ke mesjid Sultan putih kuning hijau 
Hujan gerimis pagi 11 Disember 2005 menyatukan jiwa resah
Lima paksi atau makam Sultan dan Yam Di Pertuan Muda 
Disisinya kubur sang Wali Sheikh Habib Hussein al-Alawi
 Maka kami bacakan Fatihah dan Qul HuwaLlah  
Untuk roh shuhada para wali dan raja sultan beriman 
Termasuk al-marhum Raja Ali Haji Syahid bertempor Belanda.

Bukan naik kapal feri 200 penumpang atau perahu pompom 
Dari Stulang Laut merentas 150 km ke Tanjung Pinang  
Tatkala terlupa membawa naskah Diwan kerana disangka  
Singkat ziarah pagi Ahad namun jangan lupa doa banyak-banyak
Demikian pesan sang amir Johor yang pernah bersua fuqara tua 
Dipadang pasir ceruk Sahara, maka lagu Lakal-Hamdu jadi penyatu 

Semerbak Fansuri yang hilang akan harum lagi 
Diatas banjaran gunung , pulau dan tasik serata Nusantara
Begitu juga zikir Ala Ya Latifu dan Ya Hafizu 
Habis makam-makam dan istana dan kubu diterokai 
Membuka rahsia nur dan baraka dengan kunci al-Miftah  

Bergembiralah oh muridku, seru Guru kami suatu hari 
dia turun dari biliknya atas bangunan zawiya . 
Tidak pasti di Granada atau Norwich atau Achnairgn 
Sebab adanya Wali Allah dikalangan kamu semua ! 
Ini rahsia baru dibukakan sebentar tadi, bisik sahabatku
Satu malam selepas kembali dari Ribat Ukay Perdana 
Menjadi saksi kepada peristiwa ini dan kisah Imam Yasin Dutton 
Jika ingin tahu- kuncinya Istiqama sepanjang hayat. 

Amat jarang lima fuqara dijemput buka bicara
Seminar Pengakraban Malaysia- Riau.   
Syed Anwar menyingkap mesej Tarbiyya Islamiyya Asliyya.  
 Dr.Hakimi dengan rahsia amar Salat dan Zakat 
Berkelip mata Bapak Huzrin Hood pewaris raja riau   
Segera dicalonkan menjadi amir Riau selepas keluar penjara . 
 Diambang Shawal bahagia dari penjara Sukamiskin Bandung.  
 Satu kamar dengan Pak Sukarno ditahan tidak lama dulu 
Sempat dia mengarang buku Kerana Aku Bukan Robin Hood
Dan diizin keluar bertemu dan berbayat pada Rais Abu Bakr Rieger 

 Oh Nusantara, Oh Bandung, Oh Penang, Oh Patani, 
Oh Kuala LumpurOh Riau, Oh Singapura…
pemburuan ruh-ruh gersang dimulakan
 Lupakan sebentar Brunei dan Mindanao serta ribuan pulau rempah.
Apabila Shaykh Darqawi keluar dari gua khalwa di Tafilalet 
Atau Kota Fez penuh baraka dan misteri ahli sufi dan umara 
Kamu bebas sekarang, menyanyi atau berzikir sambil berdiri 
Berjalan dan berkenderaan atau pesawat moden tiada kisah 
Asalkan mendapat IZIN, SIRR dan  IRSYAD sang Murshid 

Seperti serangkai bayt dari Diwan :
Lakal-Hamdu Ya Dzal-Hilmi wa Afwi wal-Sitri  
Wa Zidna min Na’mai wa Nuri wa Kasyfi
Wa Makin-na fil-Irsyadi bi-Izni wal-Sirri  
Wa Salli bi-Anwai Kamalati Kulliha  
 Ala Ahmadi Hadi ila Hadrati Thuhri 

Ledak bumi lontar metamorphosis lihatlah Eropah 
Tiga puluh tahun dahulu, zawiya tanpa letrik di Bristol Garden 
Salat dan zikir di Hyde Park London, diceruk Copenhagen .
 Dimana seorang faqir Malaysia akhirnya bertemu lawan sebenar.  
Masjid dan ribat Granada masa itu terselit dihati lima pemuda 
Berkunjung ke London bertemu Sang Muqaddim.
 Kini tersergam indah setiap minggu ada saja pelawat 
Mengukir cinta dan melafaz kata Syahadah.

Kemudian, di Dresden, Weimar dan Berlin bangkit 
Bibit-bibit muzik, falsafah dan mutiara Goethe, Wagner, 
Nietzche, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Heidegger dan Achilleus
  Siapa kenal nama-nama ini, Habib Dahigen, Osman Mossignon 
Abdal Basir Ojembara, Hasib Castiernera, Abdus Samad Kirke.

Pesan Hikam Athaillah : Benamkan wujudmu dibumi sepi.  
Supaya kelak tumbuh hikmah dan buah ilmu 
Dihari kemudian apabila pohon sudah matang dan kuat. 
Jika belum tiba musim, apa jua buah, bunga dan lagu
 Yang dipaparkan adalah metafora bahasa dan puisi saja.
 NurNya pancaran dihati kekasih tersembunyi melepasi bintang 
Sudah bersambung jambatan antara benua-benua sensori. 
 Dan bakti kita pada tariqa dan salikin sentiasa menaungi.

 Singgahlah fakir dan musafir, pintuku terbuka menanti
 Hidangan cangkir tea jasmin dan shushien pilih sendiri. 
 Dimana ada halaqah dan jalal selawat nabi, lupakan sebentar 
Jawatan professor, menteri atau pangkat gaji 
Atau jarak kilometer serta harga minyak atau tenaga zahir.
Debu-debu dijalanNya lebih mulia dari cahaya tivi 
 Kini tiba Musim bermusafir lagi dengan jemputan
 KenduriDi Gurun pasca moden memasang kereta dan motor
 Ayuh fuqara membuka tirai Miftah al-Wird 
Kemudian mendendang lagu Qasidah dan Salawat Burdah

Sejuta doa membangkitkan cucu cicit Alim Awliya

 Dikirim Angin hujan dan ribut Disember  
Bersua Nurnusantara dan anak Naga Benua Utara    
Insya’ Allah, dari kitab ke kitab, lembar ke lembaran dan  
Baris-baris sajak, diselangi Tsunami dan Gempa 
Merentangi lima Benua Asia, Afrika, Eropah dan Amerika 

Semuanya berasal dari setitis TintaNya 
Tiada kamu dikurniai Ilmu melainkan sedikit 

18 Januari 2006-Abu Zuhri Hakkawi

Putting Out Fire of Riba and To Be Singaporeans ?

How will I ever describe a people who cannot respond to a small fire that could be put off in two seconds? I thought of the Day of Judgement when the situation will be infinitely worse that what I had just witnessed. Then I thought, “How about Riba?” These people cannot life a finger to put out a fire, how will they ever do anything to fight Riba and establish the Deen. Riba is infinitely worse than the commotion that the small fire had just caused. Riba is far far  worse than prostitution and incest. Riba is far far worse than alcohol and what it has done to shatter families. How will we ever act to eradicate this greatest of all vices after shirk?

A middle-class society needs only courage. If Allah’s name is mentioned, those who love Allah will recognise the seriousness of the situation and come forward to act and respond to the call. Those whose lives are destroyed by a middle-class lifestyle beyond any treatment, some good words of hope and encouragement, and service to them and a little bit of education will help them to live on without complaining. Others who are hypocrites, who justify Riba and find no problem in the ruins it has caused all around the world, and yet call Allah without shame must be left alone to Allah. Those who stand by watching will come and join the struggle later and they will feel that they should have realised the urgency earlier that is much more than the urgency of a fire and should have acted on it.

Singaporeans are a unique people. I love them. But I do not belong to them. This is not a simple short story. This is the state of the people who surround us. Muslims do not have such a character. The over-reacting neighbour, the fellow wearing the fire-fighter T-shirt, the woman who was annoyed that she had to walk a longer way, the fire-trick watchers and those who were performing the fire-worship ritual are all Muslims. I still see them. What has caused them to be indifferent to a burning fire that had just damaged a lift lobby, let alone Riba, is without doubt the middle-class lifestyle the religion of Capitalism has imposed on them. 

The only way to free these people is to call Allah’s name to wake them up from the trance of Capitalism they are in, from the utterly despicable middle-class lifestyle they are stuck in and show the way of Islam and the re-establishment of Muamalat that is the very antidote to the cancer of Riba and Capitalism that is based on it.

TTN must expand and readers must make this a daily activity. Shaykh Umar Vadillo mentioned recently,

The activist is not the one who says “we have to clean the river”, but he who is busy cleaning the river. This is a time when people confuse “who they are” for “who they think they are”. If you ask a Muslim, especially those who claim to be most active, “what do you think about Riba?”, most will answer “it is haram”. But if you ask: “what have you done against Riba in the last week, in the last month, in the last year?” The answer is a look of perplexity, and if they have the courage, perhaps a mournful “nothing”.

Be aware of what Proudhon called “weekend revolutionaries”, he also called them melancholic revolutionaries. In today’s language we will call them “bipolar revolutionaries”, jumping form high to low, from mania to melancholy. These people shout loudly revolutionary slogans in the weekend, in their gatherings and in the streets, only to find themselves returning to their miserable job on Monday morning. 

It is all about blaming others –what Nietzsche called “the morality of the slave.” Their leaders will say, “the society is rotten and corrupt”. But the next week they will have to scale up their discourse to keep their followers attention: “the system is evil and rotten, and corrupt”; and then the following week, “it is evil, corrupt, rotten and insane”; and so on. Until they ran out of adjectives

 –Proudhon says. The true revolutionary is in “his doing”, not in “his saying”. Judge leaders for “what they do”, not for “what they say they do or will do”. And judge yourself for what you do, not for what you say you do.

Taqwa with sincerity leads you to see these things and act upon it.

And Allah Victory belongs to Allah.

This is an important message that I will from now tell myself everyday. We cannot live without dignity not being able to respond to one small fire. We have the greatest fire to put out that has been burning the last two hundred years in all the lands of the world – the fire of Riba and Capitalism.

Readers please come forward to take part in this struggle.

by Hasbullah Shafi’i, Singapore.

First Zakat of 542 Silver Dirham in Singapore Historical Revival Sunnah( 15th Sha'ban 1433)

Last Wednesday night, 15th Sha’ban 1433, was a night of great spiritual strength and benefits. On that night we made dhikr of Allah, recited Quran and asked Allah to give us strength and protect us in establishing the shari’ah of the Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Then something happened which must be recorded in the history of modern Singapore. For the first time in many many decades, a man, courageous and daring to submit to Allah after knowledge on the matters explained above had reached him some months ago, came forward to the man he had accepted as his leader and paid zakat to him amounting to 542 dirhams. ( 1 dirham=2.975 gm silver if the muslims forget)

He had known the matter and had waited for his financial year to end, declared his monetary wealth and paid zakat in dirhams. It was a simple act of submission to Allah, which did not require great knowledge and the necessity to go through study-courses on Islam. He had to pay zakat because the time had come and he knew he must pay in real, halal and shari’ah currency and he went to his leader, declared his wealth and paid in dirhams. Islam is as simple as that. But his action has now begun a new practice of throwing stones, the weight, gravity, accuracy and speed of every stone will kill three glass birds at every throw.

The dirhams will be distributed very soon with education on halal and shari’ah currency to people belonging to the eight categories of zakat recipients together with education on the imperative of establishing zakat as a communal pillar of the Deen. Keep your watch dear readers on the next Wariq Madinah program. Capitalism that is defending itself with glass shields is smashed once again. At the neighbouring Muslim lands – Malaysia and Indonesia – a few Sultans have pledged daringly and courageously to re-establish zakat in this way and have got their shari’ah currency readily minted to be thrown at the glass shields of Capitalism. But when Sultans throw their royal stones, the efficacy will be far more resounding for many many years to come.

Miuslims must start spending their dinars and dirhams. If they do not want to spend, of course they are permitted to save but then they must also give zakat on their monetary wealth in dinar and dirham, of course only if it reaches the nisab. This method of payment they are not permitted to change. When more Muslims give zakat in halal and shari’ah currency, they will throw strong stones at glass birds.

Laa Ghaliba illallah. We do not win. We do not have power. 

All victory and power belongs to Allah.

@Hasbullah Shafi’iy
Singapore, 7 July 2012

Six Prominent Chinese of Kedah Embraced Islam (1951) Witnessed by Hj.Ibrahim TY Ma

News reprint from Magazine The Islamic Review (November 1951, published in London):

A huge crowd consisting of all nationalities, male and female, assembled in and outside the famous big Mosque (Sultan Zahir) of Alor Star, Kedah (North of British Malaya then) to observe the conversion (Syahadah) of 6 prominent Chinese to Islam on 8th April 1951. All the high Government official and prominent persons of the Kedah State were present. The new and Chinese Muslims are :

1. Mr.Farouk Cheah (who has lived nearly 50 years in Kedah, is the proprieter of the biggest tailoring firm in Kedah).

2. N.M.B. Radwan, goldsmith in Kedah, a member of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Kedah.

3. Miss Minira Choy ( is the daughter of a planter at Taiping, state of Perak.

4. Mr.Lukman Ying Tok (formerly Principal of a big middle school in Johore, founder member of CCC Kedah and proprietor/owner of an aerated water/drinks company). He saved many people lives during the Japanese occupation of Malaya 1941-45).

5. Mr. Adnan Tseng (a writer and correspondent of Nanyang Siang Poh, the most important news paper in South East Asia then).

6. Mr.Raffian Chao ( is a principal/school grand master of a middle/secondary school in Jitra).

7. Miss Hafifa Ho ( from Hong Kong is a niece of Mr.Husain Ho, the manager of Remington Machines at Ipoh , Perak).

8.  Niss Minuira Ma (is a daughter of Hj Ibrahim TY Ma).

9. Mr.Abdullah Liew (a prominent miner from Perak).


The prominent officials of Kedah that are present and welcoming them are as follow:

1. YAM Tunku Yaakob (Regent of Kedah).
2. Hon. Tuan Hj.Muhammad Sharif (Menteri Besar/Chief Minister)
3. Shaikh Mahmood (chief Kadi who granted the certificates of syahadah)
4. Haj Ibrahim TY Ma (formerly Consul of China in Ipoh, Perak is devoting himself to the preaching of Islam. Mostly responsible for this addition to world brotherhood of Islam).
5. Mr.GV Day ( British Adviser at Kedah).
6. Tunku Ismail and Haji Muhammad Zain (State Secretary of Kedah)

MACMA are most appreciative if those descendants, children and grandchildren of the 6 Chinese Muslims can supply us with extra information and photos for our research and publication bureau. We hope to highlight and publish such important historical news for benefit of future Malaysian generations. Al-Kathrah fil-Wahdat (Diversity bring us back to Unity-Oneness of Divine Reality).

The gathering of Shadziliyya Darqawi fuqara

Haji Ibrahim TY Ma

Note to photo: Akad nikah wedding ceremony of Shukreen Ma (ex-TV3 newscaster, grand daughter of Ibrahim TY Ma. Her father is Nasir Ma Lee and mother Rosey Ma, dressed in light blue in photo)

 

In the more recent history of Malaysia, Haji Ibrahim Ma Tian Ying [馬 天 英] stands out as the person who contributed most in introducing Islam to the Chinese people, for the first time in the Chinese language. This writing will briefly highlight a few aspects of his life and work pertaining to propagating Islam.

 

Haji Ibrahim Ma, from a long-standing Muslim family in Beijing (originally from ShanDong) first came to Malaysia in 1938-1940 as head of a three member Chinese Muslim Goodwill Delegation to the Southeast Asia region. The two other members were Wu JianXun [誤建勳] and Ma DaWu [馬達吾]. During one and a half year’s period, the delegation covered many places and met many people. In Malaysia they went to all the States including Sabah and Sarawak. Everywhere they went they were accorded warm welcome and grand receptions both by the Malays and the Chinese. The local Chinese thus had first hand information about Islam and Muslims in China. During this successful trip, Haji Ibrahim secured many friendships among dignitaries and the general public which would prove to be very useful when he came again to this country.

Haji Ibrahim Ma came back to Malaysia in 1948, this time with his family and as the Consul General of Ipoh sent by the Kuomintang (Guo Min Dang) government. He had with him his wife Feng Yun Xia [馮雲霞 ], his three daughters and two sons. During the short period of his tenure at this office, Haji Ibrahim Ma not only played with great success his role as a diplomat, but, at every occasion he also showed to the local Chinese a very positive profile of a progressive Chinese Muslim. When China fell to communist rule, the Consulate closed down. Haji Ibrahim chose not to go to Taiwan to join the government, and stayed in Malaysia.

After a few years trying his hand in rice mill and other businesses, he joined his two daughters in Singapore and lived there for a couple of years. In 1957 Malaysia gained independence from the British. In 1961, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj extended Haji Ibrahim an invitation to come back to Malaysia to assist him in an important aspect of nation building. Tunku had the vision that if more Chinese were to understand Islam, or better still, became Muslim, this would help in bridging the racial gap between Malays and Chinese.

Thus, PERKIM [Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysia], a welfare association for Muslims was born, with Tunku Abdul Rahman, Haji Ibrahim Ma, Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard, and Tan Sri Ubaidullah as the founding members. With this, Haji Ibrahim Ma’s work in the path of Islam took another step, and did not stop until his last days.

With his position in Perkim, Haji Ibrahim started his rounds in every corner of Malaysia, giving speeches about Islam in Chinese. He talked on radio, on television, in schools, in non-governmental associations, and even in prisons. In a span of many years he wrote booklets in Chinese, introducing Islam in very simple language, easily understood by any non Muslim reader. These booklets were not sold. They were always, and even until today, are still given free in all the states, all the religious institutions. The titles include: 益斯蘭教問答 [Questions and Answers on Islam], 爲什麽穆斯林不吃豬肉], [Why Muslims Don’t Eat Pork], 伊斯蘭教義與中國傳統思想 [The Teachings of Islam and Traditional Chinese Philosophy], 什麽是伊斯蘭教? [What is Islam?]. His last book ‘Muslims in China’, which he started to write at the age of 75, was written in English.

 

Apart from these publications, Haji Ibrahim also started a Chinese-English bilingual, bimonthly newspaper called ‘The Light of Islam’, or in Chinese, 回教之光 [Hui Jiao Zhi Guang], later changed to 伊斯蘭之光 [Yi Si Lan Zhi Guang]. He was not only the publisher, but at the same time, the editor, and the main contributor of articles. Once every two months, when the new issue was ready, his gracious wife would sit with mounts of papers, address slips, sheets of stamps, scissors and glue, folding, cutting and sticking addresses and stamps to get them ready for posting to hundreds of subscribers within Malaysia and overseas. Many people will remember Haji Ibrahim and his wife, seated around the large dining table, engrossed in this labor for the love of God. Often, grandchildren who came for a visit would also be enrolled to help in the task. This first Malaysian Islamic newspaper in Chinese was a family commitment for Haji Ibrahim Ma’s family. 

In Perkim, Haji Ibrahim Ma was ably assisted by a few other Chinese Muslims, namely Zhao Guo Zhi [趙國治], Hu En Jun [胡恩君], Ma Zhi Bin, and a few others who came on shorter contracts … They were recruited from Taiwan, Libya, Saudi Arabia or other Middle East countries. They did missionary work, counseling for Chinese converts, and Islamic teachings in Mandarin. It is their combined work that is directly responsible to a very big extent, for a positive understanding of Islam by the Chinese in this country, and also for the conversion to Islam by hundreds or even thousands of Malaysian Chinese over the years.

Haji Ibrahim passed away almost two decades ago. But the legacy of his work in Islam is carried on by his children. His eldest daughter Aliya Tung Ma Lin [馬 琳], a lecturer and writer, has published a few books on Islam and is still actively taking part, at the ripe age of 75, in Islamic conferences in various states in the United States where she lives, to give information on Chinese Muslims and Islam in China. His third daughter Minuira Sabki Ma Min [馬 瑉] is actively involved with Wanita Perkim, the women’s branch of Perkim. She served as President of this organisation for many years. His elder son Mustafa Ma Chi [馬 琦 ] is also active in Perkim, and is also currently the President of MACMA, the Chinese Muslims Association of Malaysia. His younger son Nasir Ma Lee [馬 理] is often sought by Chinese friends with children who have embraced Islam, to give advice and clarification on the religion. 

 

In present day Malaysia, Ibrahim Ma and his children are known as a Hui Chinese family who have contributed to the advancement of Islam among the Chinese in Malaysia. They are also a fine example of selective acculturation towards Malay culture, without bordering on assimilation. All of them speak perfect Malay and Mandarin, in addition to English, and even Cantonese and Hokkian, and are very much at home among the Chinese as well as the Malays. They are knowledgeable about the Malay traditions blended in the local Islam, as well as the Chinese, especially Beijing culture, including food.

 

Among Haji Ibrahim’s children, Ma Min is the only one who married a Malay. Her husband speaks perfect Mandarin and is totally at ease within the Chinese community. The children understand some Mandarin, the daughter more than the sons, even though they shy away from speaking. Two of the sons and the daughter are married to Malays, and at their children’s level, assimilation may begin. But at least three of her grandchildren take Mandarin lessons and are very familiar and fond of the special home cooked Chinese food. However, they do not have any Chinese names. None of the other siblings’ children and grandchildren live in Malaysia, except for the younger son’s family.

The younger son Ma Lee’s children grew up in Kuala Lumpur with Mandarin as the mother tongue, and Chinese education at primary level followed by Malay secondary and high schools. Only one among the six pursued Chinese education up to high school. With both parents from Hui origin, and an environment that has become more favourable with time, these children may very well carry on the Chinese Muslim identity in Malaysia at least for a few more generations.

Author:-

Rosey Wang Ma (PhD in Socio-Anthropology). Retrieved from http://www.islam.org.hk/eng/malaysia/ChineseMuslim_in_Malaysia.asp). Chinese Muslims in Malaysia – history and development.

Rosey Wang MA is an independent academic researcher and writer on various aspects of Chinese Muslim communities. Of HUI parentage herself, she was raised in Pakistan and Turkey. She was a French language lecturer for more than twenty years before taking up a career in Education Counselling. She still conducts education training programmes. Her doctorate is on: Negotiating Identities: HUI, the Chinese Muslims.