Don't Cry for Me Andalusia

Don’t cry for me Andalusia,
the truth is not too pleasing to tell.

You were once the apple of me eyes,
the crowning glory,
the manifestation of a magnanimous society,
the torch bearers of knowledge,
to enlighten your community,
at a time when your neighbors,
were still shrouded in darkness and ignorant,
living in abject poverty and callousness,
when yours were the shining light,
as beacons of learning and eternal Guidance,
with bountiful acquaintance to share,
with the might to expand,
to new frontiers,
making you the power of the day,
churning at your heights,
such luminaries as ibn Rushd and al-Qurtubi,
creating such marvels as the Alhambra,
and Medina Azzahra,
for the world to witness,
the grandiose of your civilization,
until to this present day.

But what had become of you?
after more than 800 years,
of glorious existence,
the magical you,
had suddenly vanished,
from the face of this earth,
dark clouds had descended once more,
no more harmony, no more magnanimity
only ruins and melancholy,
to witness your past splendors.

Don’t cry for me Andalusia,
the truth is bitter to swallow,
through nobody else’s faults,
except your own.

The chance of a permanent presence,
in the lands of the Castile and beyond,
was drowned in your worldly pursuits,
of power and decadent pleasures,
at the expense of your holy role,
as God’s Khalifah on this earth,
as the torch bearers,
until your weaknesses and corrupted existence,
were too glaring,
even for the enemies to ignore,
a heavy price to pay,
through annihilation and humiliation,
being banished from your homeland,
in utter disgrace,
through no faults of others,
but your own.

So, don’t cry for me Andalusia,
even your own descendents,
are asking now,
for the tragedy that befell,
as they have not even heard of you!

Me missing you oh Andalusia,
hoping your shining lights,
will once again shines bright,
as a testimony,
of your pristine glory,
at the behest of the Almighty.

Happy new year 1431H!
Happy new year 2010 AD!
May the new year spirits,
bring us closer together,
to the path of truth,
and peaceful way of life.

Life is full of Miracles

Ever wonder why we still survive on this planet? Still breathing the air that we breathe? Did we know that our existence is so fragile that the slightest wrong will see the end of us? But God in His infinite mercy has made it such that we human can still survive despite our own fragility and seeming helplessness - mostly without even us realizing it!

To see us through the days in our lifetime and to remain as "us" in the true sense of the word, we need to count on a lot of "unseen" miracles and blessings bestowed upon us by Allah the Almighty. We need only to be aware of it happening around us in order to be truly grateful - to know that we are always in His care as we can never be left alone if we are to survive even for a split second.

From the day before we were born, to the day we pass on to the next world, the miracles never stop. God has made it a point for us to go through this life in a cycle and has given His "gift of life" for us to continue doing so. This is being passed from one generation to the next, from parents to the children and so on, as part of the miracle of life, where we "come and go" when our "time" is up, in which all of us have to go through in order to sustain our temporary existence - until "Kiamah" or the end of this world.

One thing for sure, me can't avoid noticing this beautiful feeling not many of us could experience when the "baton" is being passed from one generation to the next - the very moment seeing a baby being born. Seeing this sweet little creature, not knowing anything, helpless to the end but who is destined to take our place on this earth, this is truly a moment, beyond words to describe the significance of it all other than to say that "this life is truly full miracles"!

Welcome to this world me grand daughter Nur AzZahra Binti Muhammad Rajaie!

Worth Waiting the 26 Years

Today is the grand finale, the end of waiting for all those 26 long years. Me is grateful to Allah swt for the opportunity to witness the graduation ceremony of me Dr Along at UNPAD - Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung given the critical circumstances me was in only last week!


Congrats to you wisudawan Ahmad Syauqi Abd Razak dr.!

Rm 1105
Aston Braga Hotel,
Bandung
24 November 2009

Where Me Can’t Buy Love

Me was recently admitted due to an acute ailment. It was quite a traumatic experience in itself when to suddenly fall sick out of nowhere and found me self totally “helpless” lying on a hospital bed which me had not done so since me was five! Since it was quite a serious illness, me have to be strong and persevere by following every prescription given by those doctors that diagnosed and treated me sickness.

Thanks to Allah the almighty, the worst is now over. After five long days of being on the drip and going through a surgery to rectify the imbalances in me system, me knew, me trouble would be soon over when the doctor said me can be on a normal diet again!

The thought of being incapacitated when you least expecting it can itself be quite a frightening experience. There were still things to be done and you just don’t know whether you can survive the ordeal to finish those unfinished businesses. But strangely enough, me “hospital experience” has given me a rare insight into the one aspect that we always take for granted in our haste to get on with our everyday lives – the gift of love especially from those precious to us.

While lying on me hospital bed, feeling weak and vulnerable, me suddenly felt the one unexplained force that seemed to radiate from those attending to me needs, giving their all for me sake, which seemed to provide the energy and giving me the strength to fight on and staying alive. The selfless gift of love from those whom, during our normal days were just our “somebody” had transformed me harrowing suffering into a pleasant and “cool” sensation - of being loved and would sorely be missed if anything were to happen to me.

Well it took a sudden “jerk” in me system for me to realize the plain truth that there is no more precious gift than the gift of love - especially from those that you truly love. Now, that me episode with the hospital is nearly coming to an end, me has resolved not to take things for granted from now on. Everything that we have and everything that we do must have a purpose and we must not forget, behind our individual suffering, there will always be those loved ones who will suffer more for our lost due to their unconditional love for us where no amount of money can buy that love.

Thanks so much to those who had assisted me in me times of distressed especially to me "ambulance drivers" En Imran, En Hafeez and En Azim and his lovely fiance Ms Mira, and all me family members and CEO and staff of Rakannusa. And not forgetting special thanks to Dato’ Dr Ngun and staff from the Kuantan Specialist Hospital and Dr Koh and staff from the Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital, Kuala Lumpur who had acted swiftly and professionally to diagnose and cure me illnesses...of course me is eternally grateful to Allah swt who is the ultimate Healer.

“Kindness in words creates confidence, kindness in thinking creates profoundness, kindness in giving creates love” - Lao Tsu.


Room 529,
Ampang Puteri Hospital, KL
18 November 2009

Me Words of Wisdom - Part 1

Well, it is not really me own words of wisdom but me own selected favorite sayings which has truly captured me real life experiences on the subject of "Challenges and Love". Again, these sayings are me motivational tools to light up the "fire" in me, to inspire me to go that extra miles to achieve me goals in life - and hopefully for others too.

"Playing with Words" has always been me favorite past time activity and me hope to share some of the many wise sayings in me collection in this and other future postings for us to deeply ponder on their true meanings which, at the end of the day, may become our guiding light - if we care to take heed and reflect on the meanings hidden behind those words of wisdom...

On facing the Challenges in this Life...

"It is easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows by like a song.
But the man worthwhile is the one who can smile,
when everything goes dead wrong.
For the test of the heart is troubled,
And it always comes with the years.
And the smiles that is worth the praises of earth
is the smile that shines through tears." - Ella Wheeler Wilcox

"Remember, always give your best.
Never get discouraged.
Never be petty.
Always remember, others may hate you.
But those who hate you don't win unless you hate them.
And then you destroy yourself." - Richard M. Nixon!

"To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way.
You can't just accept the ones you like." - Mike Gafka


On the true Meanings of Love...


"Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house- give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor...
Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.
Be the living expression of God's kindness-kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting."- Mother Theresa

"Kindness in words creates confidence,
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness,
Kindness in giving creates love." - Lao Tsu.

"Time is too slow for those who wait,
too swift for those who fear,
too long for those who grieve,
too short for those who rejoice,
but for those who love, time is eternity." - Henry Van Dyke

"A loving heart is the truest wisdom." - Charles Dickens

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." - Joseph Addison

"If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were..." - Kahlil Gibran

"The best proof of love is trust." - Dr. Joyce Brothers.

"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.-Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

More words of wisdom on me "Tryst with Time" and me "Formula for Success" to follow...God willing..

Merdeka Palace Hotel, Kuching
05 November 2009

I Love Me Dentist

Yesterday me was about to go to Penang when during lunch, me sensed something was amiss with one of me teeth. The thought of having a toothache when you are outstation can be very distressing indeed. So me decided to check it out with me dentist with the intention for a "quick fix" before me can continue with me trip to Penang.

Alas! lo and behold, the quick fix treatment me was hoping for turned out to be a 3 hour long operations on a dentist chair! Resulting in me missing the trip to Penang and coming back home with four stitches in me sore mouth and one missing tooth too badly decayed to be salvaged - and not to mention a big hole in me wallet!

The thing that sparked the thought of this entry is the way how me dentist handled the whole episode in a very calm and very professional manner-being in complete control of the situation and at the same time calming me with soothing words so as not to make me panicky and more miserable then me already was!. Which to me if all the dentists in this world are to be like him then maybe the whole world would be free from that age old fear of visiting the dentist!.

When he couldnt pull the whole tooth out me knew that something was going to be terribly wrong. True enough, the root of me tooth got "stuck" in me jaw bone and refused to dislodge itself when pulled. Instead, the crown which was already very brittle, came out in bits and pieces. The quick thinking doctor immediately organize a small surgery to cut open me gum and cut away the surrounding bone before he could retrieve the stuck root sideways. In all it took him nearly 3 hours to complete the procedures with several of his assistants taking turn to assist him.

Me was just plain tired from the whole experience but was very relieved that it was finally all over-at least for now before me next follow up visit!

Me have to thank me dentist for a job well done. A big salute to you Dr Arasu! Me love you for being the coolest dentist on this planet!

Hopefully me Ruzanna, if you read this, will follow in his footsteps...

Happy Birthday Angah!

As if it was yesterday me held you in me arms - a small crying baby. But now you are already grown up at 25! As if your 25 years on this earth had come and gone in a splitting moment. Looking ahead, me hope your next 25 years and beyond would be filled with countless blessings and bounties and not slip through you like "gone with wind" without us noticing...insyaAllah.

Me still remember at that time when you were born, in rapid succession within a year after your "playmate" Along, the "simmering heat" from the greatest event in the last century, the Islamic Revolution of Iran, was still fresh in everyone's minds. Hence your name was inspired from that momentous event in honor of one of me revolutionary heroes named Muhammad Ali Rajaie, who became the 2nd elected President of the post revolutionary period. But in me haste to register, the name "Ali" slipped me mind thus making your name Muhammad Rajaie. "Rajaie" is in itself a unique and beautiful name meaning in Malay "harapan ku". Hoping that one day you will grow up and be a good man and help contribute to the society and ever willing to fight for the things that you truly believe in.

Me noticed your first 25 years had itself been eventful in your own way. By the time you are 25, you have achieved what many others can only dream of - a degree and a good job, a car, a cosy apartment and even a beautiful wife!

Me take pride and be grateful to Allah for the bounties bestowed on you and me share your achievements and happiness if that is what will make you happy. Me wont be able to provide you with all the worldly possessions except giving you a good education that you have now. Me still remember, me Pa, your grand dad, did not leave anything except the education bestowed on his children and this, me hope will be the tradition of our family for the future generations to come...from now on you are on your own path to seek further blessings from God and to serve Him and the society better...

Me hope for you , me Angah, is for you to mold your future as what you wish to be. Follow your heart in what you want to achieve in the next 25 years and beyond...One thing that me can say is, just do what you "know and want" to do and do it yesterday!...as long as it is within the domain of your capability and creativity and our Muslim believe and for the betterment of our family members and our society...

Go and strike on your own me Angah, if that is what you wish to do and all me Doas will go to you for this world and the hereafter...ameen.

Happy Birthday Angah...this is your day!!

Happy Eid al-fitr 1st Syawal 1430H

Today me sure everyone is feeling great and excited to celebrate eid al-fitr. 1st Syawal signifies the end of Ramadan and time to be merry for the young and old. Me would like to take this opportunity to wish me guests who frequented this blog a happy eid and may Allah bless us all. May we all be forgiven by Him and be guided in His righteous path always. May the school of Ramadan that we have just attended taught us to be better Muslims in the days to come. May we be under the radar of Allah always..ameen.

Sayonara Ya Ramadan Kareem

It seems yesterday was the 1st day of Ramadan but no, Ramadan Kareem is nearly over. It is about to leave us with no promise that we might be meeting Ramadan again next year. A month is about to pass like a breeze as me still remember welcoming Ramadan with full of zest for this to be me best Ramadan ever...

Praise be to Allah who has granted me the opportunity to be in this blessed month of Ramadan - for me to do fasting and to do whatever good that me desires, to see to it that me get to practice what has been enjoined in the Quran and al-Hadith - the opportunity to uplift me discipline as a Muslim - to the best of me ability.

Praise be to Allah who has presented me with the prospect of absolving me countless sins through cleansing of me soul in this blessed month of Ramadan - either through nightly prayers or supplications or by reaching out to the poor and the orphans or simply reading verses from the holy Quran.

Praise be to Allah who has bestowed upon us this blessed month of Ramadan which is really a month full of forgiveness and mercy - if we care to seek His forgiveness and mercy...

Now you are about to go, ya Ramadan Al-Mubarak, leaving me still not really ready to let you go. Me wish you could stay longer to accompany me daily fasting and nightly prayers, how me wish everyday would be a Ramadan day...

Sayonara Ya Ramadan Kareem, you are ordained to be with us only once a year and hope the next time around we will meet again.......God willing, ameen.

Nicole Queen - Why Islam?

Recently me came across this video clip which me think is worth sharing. In me previous posting on "Why Girls?" me mentioned the phenomenon in the West where women were more likely to be attracted and embraced Islam than men - most felt more "empowered" and "liberated" after their conversion. Maybe through this video Nicole can provide some insight into this phenomenon which has transformed her from that famous "Party Girl" to a new found freedom of becoming a Muslimah in her own accord.....

Further, in another posting on "911 - What Lesson? Part I" - me also noted that "Inquisitiveness has always been the best part of the intellectual West - a quality that will eventually helped them to decipher meanings "in between the lines", which will ultimately led them to the truth and be their savior", this can clearly be seen in this video where Nicole explains how she got to know Islam...through being observant and using her very inquisitive mind to probe deeper into Islam...and not to be easily satisfied if her "Whys?" questions were not being sensibly answered...

God willing, more will be following in her footsteps....may Allah bless you Nicole...now you can "party" the night away with zikr and remembrance of Allah.......




Nicole Queen on her first Ramadan's experience...

At Last You Made It!

Today is me very special day, which me would like to immortalize in this entry. For today is the very day that me been waiting for all these years - the day when me Along completed his study as a Doctor. Indeed this is your big day, Along, you really deserve it, after 6 long years of innumerable trials and tribulations, including being seriously sick and experiencing a magnitude 7.0 earthquakes, at last you made it to this day - your last day doing practical as a medical student! Now only the graduation ceremony is what separating you from being called Dr Along!

Me don't wish to brag about you or your achievements, only that me want to recall back those moments about 26 years ago when you were just a tiny little baby born to this world. Me still remember, a few days after you were born, how me lifted you high, firstly, looking at your tiny self and still not believing that me had become a father! Secondly, you being the first born, me naturally had high hope for you. Just like "Kunta Kinte" when he was lifted by his proud dad, me also raised you high towards the horizon while silently saying to meself, "O God, in me hands is me first born, me thus dedicate this baby to serving You and his community".

Now that you are about to enter the next phase of your life as a Doctor and a member of the community, me wish that you will always remember those moments when me had made covenant with God on you. So that you will always be the faithful servant of God while putting your finest efforts to serve your people and the community at large the way you know best.

Maybe this "news" of a covenant with God would shock or scare the living daylight out of you but me wish you will be responsible enough to be patient and to be steadfast in your commitment to do good to others. In doing so, me sure you will be rightly guided and in a way fulfilling me promise to dedicate you in the service of God as well...

Happy Ramadan al-Mubarak Dr. Along, may Allah always guide you and your younger brothers and sister, to His righteous path and bless your efforts to do good to others......Amen.

Complement to those not familiar with the film Roots - Kunta Kinte back in 1977, where he was lifted high by his father towards the end of this clip:

Lailatul Qadr - The Mother of All Nights

Me can't help not putting me thoughts about this one special night, the "mother of all nights" or the "gems of all nights" or simply the blessed Lailatul Qadr which can only be experienced by those lucky ones during Ramadan. Every year when come Ramadan, it would be like playing the "Russian Roulette" for most of us modern Muslims - who hope to cut short our path to God's blessings and salvation by scoring big and hitting the jackpot by simply targeting to do our utmost solemn form of Ibadah only during this one particular night which God has said to be full of barakah and equivalent to a thousand months' nights of doing supplications.



It has become sort of ritual and a natural thing to do especially when entering the last phase of the Ramadan month for everyone to speculate when that blessed night going to happen. All the signs as can be gleaned from the Hadiths or local folklore were used to justify the arrival of the night or to determine that the night had indeed come and gone - so we wont be caught "off guard", yet again, and has to wait for another Ramadan to experience the night - if we live that long.

It is always good to be highly calculative and creative in doing our Ibadah. To anticipate and to be prepared for the night is another good sign of sincere discerning Muslims who really know their maths!! - so as not to miss the breathtaking experience of the Lailatul Qadr. Doing things step by step is all it takes to be ready for the special night. Thus the instinctive thing to do should be to start preparing for the night right from day one of Ramadan and to be consistent or istiqamah in our Ibadah come rain or shine,night after night of each of the Ramadan nights.

If we are always sincerely looking for the night, me sure God will let us have the night not only to ourselves but also to our beloved family members. Gone will be the ritual of guessing when the actual night would be. No more playing the guessing game, no more missing the boat and no more looking for clues that the night had indeed come and gone. So if we happen to meet the next Ramadan, then it will be a bonus to experience the next round of Lailatul Qadr!

This is indubitably a golden opportunity and a very real incentive for us to do good and be rewarded multi-folds while doing so in only a fraction of time. It is really a special gift from God for the Ummah of Muhammad, for us mortals, as we don't live that long on this earth....

Dua during Lailatul Qadr (Part 1) - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Ahlan Wasahlan Ya Ramadan

Praise be to Allah, who has given us the opportunity to be in this blessed month of Ramadan which is now entering its 3rd day. Hopefully we will be able to complete the days to come with ease and "happenings" until the end of this Ramadan fasting month.

Remembering that this is the month full of forgiveness and blessings, it is best to double up our efforts for doing good to ourselves as well to others and to be always virtuous in our ways.

Ahlan wasahlan ya Ramadan, greetings be to you ya Ramadan, you have come knocking and you are most welcome to guide and train us. We are full of gladness and gratitude to Allah swt for presenting us with this beautiful and blessed month of Ramadan.

Happy Ramadan al-Mubarak....

Ramadan Ya Ramadan

Me think many of us would have realized that Ramadan Karim, the blessed month of Ramadan is the only month in the Muslim Hijri calender which is known the world over as a fasting month for Muslims. Just ask our non-Muslim friends,they will surely answer that the month of Ramadan is very special and to be treated with respect as during the whole of that month, their Muslim friends the world over would become as "angles" during the day as they are required by their faith to refrain from eating or drinking, to be decorous in their conducts and to abstain from all forms of sexual indulgences from dawn to dusk.

For us Muslims, the arrival of Ramadan is always full of great excitement in anticipation of the abundance of forgiveness and blessings to be "dispensed" by the Almighty Creator. None like in any other months, a special period indeed for forgiveness and thanksgiving from the Lord Most High - for those willing to partake and immersed themselves, in the "Festivities of Ibadah" every second of their 24 hour day, throughout the blessed month. It is a once a year affair which should not be missed at all costs by any good Muslims.

The month is so full of "goodies" from God that no right thinking Muslims could ever afford to ignore it. Or be those of the "losers" by letting the month passes by without ever trying to fast and conduct their daily activities in decorum in the hope that it will reverberate for the rest of the year when they "graduated" following the end of the "training" period until we are called for a "refresher course" when come the next Ramadan - God willing.

As for meself, me see Ramadan as a month full of opportunities to purify and redeem me "wondering soul" in me quest for forgiveness and blessings. It is part and parcel of an ongoing journey in me seeking Allah's salvation and hopefully in the process be granted to be closer and know Him better and God willing, attain a higher spiritual plane through the act of fasting as ordained.

Ramadan Ya Ramadan, me pray that this time around me will be fully prepared to seize this golden opportunity presented before meself and us all, to fast and to do good to the fullest possible, to fast and to give more charities to the poor, the needy and the orphans, to fast and to befriend with the holy Quran and above all, to fast and to be amongst those showered with the "Jewel of Ramadan" - the "Lailatul Qadr", a blessed night without a doubt, whereby in it, a night filled with supplications is equivalent to one thousand months of prayers in rewards and barakah.

Ramadan Ya Ramadan, make this coming Ramadan, me best ever yet Ramadan....to be full of forgiveness, blessings and makfirah from Allah swt....and please allow me to be with you again when come the next Ramadan....God willing...Ameen.

28 Sha'ban 1430 AH.

The Ramen Girl

Me was watching this movie the other day regarding an American woman who was stranded in Tokyo after breaking up with her boyfriend. Searching for direction in life, she ended up being trained as a ramen noodle chef out of curiosity initially, but in the end found real purpose in her life.....

Watching the movie, me was awe struck by how a simple plot could contain so much messages that would unraveled a lot of our present day problems or dilemmas if only we can follow what our hearts are telling us to do.

As portrayed in the movie, a lot of us are doing things without even thinking what we are supposed to be doing with our lives. Whilst many of us are lucky enough to be doing the things we like best, a lot more out there could not find the perfect match that could "fit" them. In the end a lot ended up "stuck" in a limbo, being miserable doing things without any real purpose and not being "spiritually immersed" in doing what they are doing.

The Ramen Girl had shown that if we really want to be good and the best in our chosen vocation, we must firstly follow our heart and then get totally "immersed" in our choice until only the best comes out of us. But as always, the roads to great success are often bumpy and full of trepidations, not many will have the audacity to traverse except the bold and the "crazy", who can smell the sweet smell of success from many miles away.....

A short preview of the movie for us to ponder......

Me Wish for Amie

Me Dear Amie,

We have discussed this over breakfast a few months ago, if you still remember, on what me hope you will be doing one day. The task at hand is no small matter for a fighter (a "Jundu"!) like you - only that in this case, your weapon of choice is not the sword but the mighty Pen or your Blog!!.

Me have seen your growing up years from when you were just a small and utterly helpless baby to a fine and pleasing young man you are nowadays. In all those years, me could not but noticed that you have this special gift - a knack to write and tell stories about things, either from your own imaginations or fantasies or recollected from yours or others real life experiences, told in a style that is too pertinently all your own.

Thus, me have this uncanny feeling that one day you will no doubt become a prolific writer and me hope that you will use your special talent to enlighten our people and the society at large through your writings. And to become a writer with a specific mission - to be the instrument or tool for others to share and to understand the simple truth about life as portrayed by our belief as Muslims, together, put in a plain and simple language that any layman can understand your lucid style.

Me Amie, do remember, everyone loves stories, that is why your flair as a story teller will go a long way to assist you to accomplish your extraordinary mission. A plot with a good story will be more "palatable" and effective as a conduit for your messages if it is dexterously penned down and blended exquisitely with the plot. But me is neither a professor nor a writer and in no way qualified to give you any further guidance, so the style you are to develop would entirely be yours to espouse and your audience to judge.

Me hope you will one day, through your training as an engineer and as a lifelong religious student, be able to communicate and simplify the many complex modern world problems into easy bits that we can all digest and understand in order to bring us closer to God. Me can foresee that the challenges to come in your times would be more myriad and maybe more "out of this world" in nature altogether, so me truly wish that you will be very well prepared and equipped in order to be able to decipher the many hidden messages in the many things happening around us and conveyed them adroitly in your works so that people will learn lessons from them and not going astray. And ideally, everybody will live in this world happily ever after blessed by God - after reading through your epic stories.

Go and reach for the stars me Amie...Me prayers and doas are all for you to succeed in this world and the hereafter....May Allah be always with you all the way.........

Ameen..........

Muhammad al-Fateh

Me sure not many of us have heard of his name or let alone associate him with the “opening” of one of the great cities in the Islamic world.

To begin with, Sultan Muhammad al-Fateh or Muhammad II “the Conqueror” was the Turkish Ottoman Sultan who liberated the city of Constantinople from the clutches of the Christian Orthodox ruler in the mid 15th century (on May 29, 1453 A.D. to be exact) and subsequently changed the name of the city to Islambol – meaning “lots of Islam” or popularly known today as Istanbul. Perched on the crossroad between Europe and Asia and separated by the narrow strait of Bosphorus in-between, Istanbul is the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents.

The conquest of Sultan Muhammad al-Fateh was the more significant to the Muslims at that time as well as now as it was seen as the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) some 800 years earlier, in which Muslims believed to be true –and eagerly awaits its happening.

On Constantinople, the Prophet had said that it will one day be liberated by the Muslims who is led by “a good ruler with a good army and a good populace”. Truly believing in the prophecy, the Muslims, since the times of the early Caliphates, had sent numerous expeditions to try and open up the city, but none had achieved an all out victory until it was the turn of the youthful Sultan Muhammad al-Fateh who finally managed to liberate the city in a classic 53 days siege of Constantinople. It was said, he was only in his early twenties when Constantinople fell to the Muslims.

It took some years before the prophecy was finally realized, nonetheless, the more poignant matter to note was that it came only after the three elements mentioned in the prophecy came into play during the reign of Sultan Muhammad al-Fateh. Since he was very young at that time, it can only be concluded that the preparation for the ultimate “display of prowess” had been meticulously laid out even before he was born to this world by the generations preceding him – to prepare him to be a good ruler, to raise a good army and at the same time to educate the masses to be good Muslims.

The lesson learnt here is whether nowadays, we, as Muslims, have the same dexterity and resoluteness as exemplified by Muhammad al-Fateh and his generations - to prepare ourselves and our society to be good and thus ready to take up the myriad challenges in doing what we really believe in? No doubts the answer would either be “yes” or “no”, depending on which side of the divide we are in.

The arguments would always be lively and unending amongst the Muslims or for that matter the population as a whole, as to which methodology or path to be adopted in order to save the humanity or the society from its own folly.

But the Truth always remained the same, if we follow the path already paved by the righteous generations before us and start for once to believe in our own basic instinct - as given by God to mankind, we will surely be rightly guided and be well on our way towards the path of our own salvation.

The Malay Dilemma Revisited

Me often ponder what will happen to the Malays in the next few decades given the sorry state they are in today. Many of us may not have read or even heard of the book “The Malay Dilemma” written by the former Malaysian prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir some 40 years ago, nonetheless, the book had then managed to stir up the “hornet’s nest” with its controversial new theory put forth to expound the roots of the Malay dilemma, until it was considered as being too insensitive to the Malay’s psyche and was banned shortly after its publication.

Fast forward 40 years later and after half a century of independence from the British, the characteristics of the Malays are still not much different from what were described in Tun Dr M’s book – as easy going, fun loving folks not known for the hard work that often characterizes a progressive society which to the uninitiated could easily led them to believe that the Malays are simply “lazy people”.

Why so? Me sure many of us would seriously contemplate over this matter. Moreover, if we are ourselves Malays, we would of course be concern and would want to know what ills our society and what could be done as a people to absolve us from such an unwarranted “lazy people” stigma.

Yet again, me often wonder what brave new theory can be put forward to address this matter by revisiting “the Malay Dilemma”. One thing is certain, as was then and now, there is nothing wrong with our DNA’s make up since God has created us all equal as human being. Further, to do more social engineering and experimentation after 50 years of trying would be futile as there is no such thing as a quick-fix-solution to mobilize a community to make them more progressive and at par with others.

From me own perspective, we are left with no other choice but to tackle the issue “head-on” using our very own internal resources in which only us Malays would know better our own latent strength and capability – as embodied in our Malay/Muslim heritage.

Looking inwards, we have to realize that as a community, we have in fact been very resilient and have managed to survive through the “thick and thin” for centuries and has thus far remained steadfast and intact either as Muslims or as one people known as the Malays.

Me was told that the word “Melayu” or Malay means “people who run away” to settle in another land which was then known as Tanah Melayu or Malaya. So in effect we are not really the native people or the “Bumiputra” in Malaya as our ancestors were also “Pendatang Asing” or migrants to this land that we lovingly called our homeland now known as Malaysia.

The only comparison that me can think of is whilst nowadays the “Pendatang Asing” is known as PATI (Tanpa Izin), our ancestors would have been known as PADI (Dengan Izin) ie. one migrants without permission – from the state authority, and the other, our ancestors, migrants with permission – from God!.

Me strongly feel that our salvation as a respected community would come from us emulating the pioneering spirits of the years gone by PADIs as exemplified by the present day PATIs in our country. As many of us would have now realized, the many PATIs that came to our shores with nothing except the burning desires to change their living conditions at home had actually succeeded in their quest to secure a more comfortable niche in the society – only as a result of their intense desires to survive the odds of living in an alien environment with their never ending struggles and sacrifices through their willingness to take risks and not knowing the meaning of failures…

Many of them PATIs are now economically well of as compared to the locals who had given “shelters and opportunities” to them in the first place. As compared to the PATIs, our locals – who are descendents of the PADIs, had seen only stagnation in their lots as reflected in their economic backwardness as they have been stuck to their outmoded economic model in believing that they are the Son-of-Soil (SOS) or Bumiputra and thus entitled to being the “rightful master of their own land”.

Sad to say that the reality and prospects of having the coveted title of SOS is no longer a guarantee for success to the locals as me had seen with so many other people who are also SOS in their own country, be it in the West or the East.

In this era of a borderless world, changes are the only permanent thing in life. Movement of people and goods across international borders are almost unstoppable as the information flows across the cyber space. Progress is thus being measured by the “quantum leap” in people movement and economic activities.

This is surely not good news for those SOS if they still remained static and stuck in their own make believe world – not willing to move away from their comfort zone. As compared to the progress made by the PATIs, who are “fortunate” enough to have experienced the trials and tribulations of being transplanted and “forced” to survive in an alien country, which in the end was proven to be their own salvation!.

In a nutshell, we Malays are at a critical crossroad and must quickly move to come out of our own dilemma – to either revert being PADIs like our forefathers and erasing the Bumiputra (SOS) mentality or get stuck to the status quo of being the “rightful-master-of-the-land” and be merry with stagnation and living with the unenviable stigma of being known as the “lazy people”…

Mikaeel@Michael Jackson

Me just heard the news that the beloved singer has died - so suddenly and so tragically. Not long ago me was also taken by surprise to hear that the singer has reverted to Islam and changed his name to Mikaeel meaning "Rezeki".

Well whatever it is, the fact that the man named Mikaeel@Michael Jackson is no longer with us on this earth. But his living on this earth has taught us a lot in terms of what is the purpose for us being on this earth. God is Great, He has shown that we should not give up hope to find the truth and should keep on searching for it as long as we are still breathing and if we are sincere, His Guidance will surely come to lead us to the world of Syahadah and Iman - just like it did to Mikaeel.

His life was full of worldly trappings typical of those who were blessed with material wealth. But somehow, at the end of it, God has given him the blessing of Islam and hopefully he remained as Muslim until the end....RIP.

Mikaeel@Michael Jackson

A Sacrifice Worth Making

Me just got back from a "whirlwind" tour through Cairo, Medina and performing Umrah in Mecca. Having travelled "solo" to quite a number of other places before, the latest trip had an added significance as it was the first time me and a significant number of me family members were on an overseas trip together.

After visitng the popular tourist spots in and around Cairo such as the Giza Pyramids and Alexandria City, me performed the Umrah (small Hajj) after a brief stopover in Medina al Munawarah.


Me "Conquering" the Giza Pyramid

What's so special about this Umrah trip was the "sacrifice" that me had to make by shaving me head bald after performing the Umrah following the traditions of the beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

Externally, the act itself did not represent much meaning to the naked eyes - except the funny feeling of looking at meself being bald!!. But looking from me mind's eyes, the act itself was a defining moment for meself as me declared victory against the "internal voices" which had urged against me doing it for the sake of me worldly interests and desires.

The simple act of shaving away all the hairs symbolizes an act of obedience and cleansing of the soul by "throwing" away all the bad and negative elements within us. This would hopefully make us less arrogant and be more humble and ever willing to "sacrifice" more of the pleasures in life not only for oneself but also for others in exchange for a greater spiritual experiences.

Me after "Conquering" Meself

Was it worth making the sacrifice? The answer is a resounding "Yes"! as not only me won a victory against the forces of evil within meself but also me experiencing the great feeling of having a new crop of fresh hairs growing on me head by the day along the way:)...

The Mystery in Iron Miracle of the Quran

An interesting clip me stumbled on the topic of Iron as mentioned in the Quran. Iron, the everyday metal we take for granted due to its abundance and widespread use since the ancient times - without us realizing how God in His infinite Mercy has given us the metal Iron as one of His many Signs for us to reflect and reach out to Him in our quest for the real truth.

Just see and observe the many other Signs around us, surely soon enough we will realize the "Hands" of God behind each and everyone of them, as if those Signs were whispering softly to our ears telling us that He is infact the ultimate Creator of all things...for surely God is truly Great.

See whether we can learn a little bit more from this video clip on the mystery of Iron...



The Mystery in Iron Miracle of the Quran - The best video clips are right here

Did You Know?

A refreshing presentation with a mind boggling facts on what the future could be in store for us with the rapid changes in technology. In this age of a borderless world of information...despite the fact, these all are nothing as compared to the power and greatness of God, the all Knowing the all Powerful...the real Knower of what is actually in store in future for us feeble mankind...



Courtesy from "Me Muslim Friends" blog....

Believe It or Not?

This song was claimed to have been the source of many European reverting back to Islam....do take your time to listen and try to decipher the hidden meanings with your mind's eyes...


Song That Convert Many European to ISLAM,chanson Qui a Convertit Plusieurs Europeen à L'ISLAM,canzone Che Ha Convertito Molto Eu - Awesome video clips here

Why Girls?

Me noticed, despite the many news or bad publicity made by the so called western media on the freedom or status of women in Islam, a lot of those who reverted to Islam are actually girls or "liberated" western women. Why is this so? It remains a mystery to me but God knows the truth and these ladies who have found what they've been looking for - the "real" freedom, would be the best to answer from the bottom of their hearts...

An English girl reverting to Islam and how her parents are reacting to her choice of being a Muslimah as shown in this short clip, is just one of the many circumstances happening nowadays in many parts of the western society. This is the time for us to reflect and ponder the graciousness of our Creator...for us to assist those new reverts...or the least not to fall victims of being "old" and uncaring muslims...


A Girl Converted To ISLAM - For more funny videos, click here

911 - What Lesson? Part II

Strange it may seem but post 911 has impacted Americans in more ways than one. Besides the constant threats,induced hatred and "Bomb the Muslims" propaganda portrayed by the mainstream media, the effect to the ordinary Americans had brought a welcoming twist to the whole 911 saga through the rapid acceptance of Islam to a lot of them Americans. This phenomena has not gone unnoticed by the ever presence CNN through this short take on the stories of the American reverts post 911...


CNN News: 1.5 Million Americans Coverted to ISLAM in USA - The best video clips are right here

More to come on the stories of "Western Reverts"...

A Tribute to Ahmed Shawqi the Poet...

On 13th October 1932, the great Eyptian poet, "Amir al-Sho’araa" or literally means the " "Prince of Poets", Ahmed Shawqi, left this world at the age of 62 years old. Some 50 years later, on the 13th October 1983, me own Ahmad Syauqi, the doctor and blogger, was born to this world bringing hope aplenty. Maybe he won't be as close to his namesake in his poetry and prose but nevertheless, this "insignificant being" can blog and put his thoughts down for others to share and ponder...that is good enough for any parents to be proud of...

Ahmed Shawqi the poet, has been attributed to making the following observation regarding the state of Islam and its followers during his times "You can find many Muslims in the East but no Islam whereas you can find Islam in the West but no Muslims". This has great significance to the fact that Muslims were beginning to take the Islamic values lightly in the East whereas in the West, although there were not many Muslims around, most of the Westerners (unknowingly) are living according to the principles as preached by Islam such as being honest and true to themselves. If the observation is true, which me can vouch to be true (as observed during me travels across Europe), this would augurs well to making the West a fertile ground for the rapid spread of Islam...

Ahmed Shawqi has also penned down many thoughtful statements which have been since then widely known as wise sayings as can be sampled below:

1. He who oppresses with a rightful weapon will be oppressed with a wrongful weapon.

2. When people brag, they lend to a cat a tiger's mustache.

3. Doomed to perdition is a nation that by an individual survives and dies.

4. Underwater, all depths are alike.

5. Valor may require one be a coward for an hour.

6. A woman-half learnt-looks prettier, a man-half ignorant-looks uglier.

7. A wise man, while unforgetful of life is mindful of death.

8. You may be cured of illness by protection, but cannot escape death until you have met it.

9. He who delves deep in human souls, will never again rise.

10. Brimful prisons are doomed to burst out.

11. Right will never fade out in a nation as long as it has a single man alive.

Maybe me Dr Ahmad Syauqi the blogger can learn something from the many treasures left by Ahmed Shawqi the Prince of Poets and possibly continues with his legacy for the good of the Ummah for your old man too has dedicated you to the services of the Ummah when you came to this world almost 26 years ago....

Perhaps the poetry below from one of his major play entitled "Majnun Laila", literally "Laila Love's Lunatic" written in 1931, a year before his death, could give us a glimpse of what this great poet had left amongst his many treasures reproduced here as a tribute to the Prince of Poets...maybe hidden in between its beautiful verses some wise sayings for us all to muse over its meanings...in order to face the many challenges of our times...

O’ God !

I wander all day and pine through time,
And seek some comfort in my rhyme.
The noblest of rhymes overflow with love,
The sweetest line - the musical and pure -
Are written down for the heart as a cure.
Men turn as they pay to the holy place;
To Laila’s home I turn my face.
Twice people say their payers at dawn;
When I think 0of her’
I know not the times I repeat my own,
Laila hid behind a crowd;
Her lip betrayed a smile,
Like the break of morn,
Or the sun as it shone.
Her sweet breath filled the air,
Made perfumed roses seem less fair.
A shiver ran through my form
From head to toe
As though my eye had met her own.
Let’s love:
All men are mortal but love never dies:
Laila and I loved with young eyes:
Our love story which is now alive,
To our successors will continue to survive.
Generations of men will die and go past,
But our true love will forever last.

(Translated by Dr Jeanette W.S. Attiya)

The Sun is Rising from the West?

The sun rising from the West? Maybe not in me lifetime...but what me want to share is the rapid spread of Islam in the West has not gone unnoticed by many. If metaphorically equating Islam to the Sun, it is obviously rising fast from the West.

The great philosopher, Sir George Bernard Shaw, once concluded that the future of Europe is Islam...and maybe he has seen then that unknowingly Islam was already there in the very essence of the European's psyche ripe for the picking except only for the followers (Muslims) were not there yet.

Nowadays, his prophecy could just be true as it was recently reported by the BBC that many British Atheists and Christians are turning to Islam in drove as chronicled by this BBC report from interviews with some of the reverts...

Could this phenomena be part of the 911 effect? Only those who reverts would know the answer...

Bule yang Mualaf

It has always been me fascination to see how people revert to becoming Muslims. One case in question just look at this young bule lady mualaf...maybe we can learn something from her conversion..

The Asian Tsunami – What Lesson?

That day started off as normal as in any other days. Yeah! me still remember, that day was a day after Christmas, most people was still in their holiday mood, looking forward to celebrate the coming new year–it was on the 26th December 2004, a day known amongst Christians the world over as the Boxing day. But what was to happen that day would long be remembered as the day when the human souls were greatly humbled in the wake of a Tsunami which struck following a powerful earthquake off the coast of Aceh in the island of Sumatera, Indonesia.

When that fateful day had ended, almost a quarter of a million people had perished in places as far away as the coast of Somalia, thousands of miles from the earthquake’s epicenter, notwithstanding, the brunt of the Tsunami was borne by the people of Aceh itself.

The whole world was caught off guard for the first time in its living history. A great devastation caused by an event simply known as the Asian Tsunami, unfolding right under its “nose”, feeling helpless and unable to do anything except watching it “life” in utter disbelieve – as if the whole world was walking in a daze having witness a calamity so awesome and so awe-inspiring to the human spirit not seen before in anyone’s living memory.

The days following the monstrous Tsunami saw the world waking up to a new dawn of humanity - a defining moment for humankind. As the world staggers to pick itself up from the specter of the Tsunami, a new sense of camaraderie never seen before in the history of mankind suddenly bloomed in the aftermath of the spectacle – the earth citizens of all colors and persuasions jumped to the rescue band wagon in great gusto without the slightest hesitation and in all sincerity in a show of great selflessness to helping those touched by the catastrophe.

Suddenly all the physical barriers were broken, borders were opened and all restrictions imposed following the 911 disaster were dismantled and made less burdensome. Suddenly all the benevolent human traits thus far buried deep in our psyche came to the fore in great abundance manifesting itself in the eagerness of the donors to just help the affected people recover from the tragedy and get on with their lives. Indeed, it was like a miracle to see what a Tsunami can do to the spirit of human endurance, a utopia that can only be dream of, to get us to forget about our petty differences in pursuit of the higher goals in life in a magnified way as one common citizen of the world living in the same “boat”.

What lesson from the Tsunami? Again, it was indeed an overwhelming experience, a stark reminder of our own fragility against our surrounding elements. But in the face of a misfortune, the human spirit remained resilient and has always managed to recover to live for another day.

It took the Tsunami just a day to end decades of fighting for the GAM and brought everlasting peace to the Aceh province which had suffered the most, seeing what has become of the squabbling in our world nowadays, are we asking for another Tsunami before we can talk and make peace with each other?

911 - What Lesson? Part I

It has been almost a decade since that fateful day known the world over simply as 911. The many stories of personal tragedies coming out of 911 may be starting to be vaguely remembered by those not really directly affected by the tragedy. In the face of so many other tragedies that followed the aftermath of 911, that frenzied September day may no longer get the kind of attention or closed scrutiny it used to command.

Alas! many start to forget that day was actually the beginning of the end of something more significant in our worldly affairs - in particular the love-hate relationship between the East and the West, between the Muslims and the Rest of the World.

The immediate repercussion of 911 was felt not on the American soil but half way across the globe in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan where the then recently installed Islamist Taliban was defeated by the US led coalition forces after a short one sided battle to find Osama Ben Laden. Not long after, the dictator Saddam Hussein fell to the advancing coalition army also led by the US on the pretext of destroying the weapon of mass destruction (WMDs) supposedly hidden somewhere in the deserts of Iraq.

Those were the grim reality of the impact of 911. Most of us, me including, were shown the "true" side of the story "life" through CNN or other media as if it was the right thing to do for the injustices done.

Many would agree that the world we live in had never been the same ever since 911. Many would henceforth viewed people of Muslim faith and origin as the perpetrators so as to be avoided at all costs. Muslims were looked upon with disdain and suspicion as if at any moment they would strike and cause untold havoc to their neighbors.

The "War of the Worlds" was replaced with the "Clash of the Civilizations". Muslims versus the West, Muslim versus the Rest of the World. Life was becoming very difficult for those whose looks or names having any tiny resemblance to being Muslims. Even the Arab tourists were forced to flee from the West and make a mass exodus to the East to spend their petrodollars in unheard of vacation spots in the East.

Muslims in the West continue to suffer. Head scarves for the Muslimah were banned in schools and public institutions. Places of worships were closely monitored and sermons were being taped for later evidences. Charitable organizations with suspected linkages to "terror" were forced to close and assets frozen, shutting down critically needed funds for helping the needy the world over. No more fun no more life as Muslims living in the West - only untold sufferings and hatred.

With clouds there is silver lining, despite the grim and gloomy outlook, there bound to be good tidings as God works in very mysterious ways. All is not lost it seems, the deluge of negative publicity on the Muslims had apparently produced an unprecedented demand for copies of the Quran's translations, where it was reportedly fast becoming the most sort after item and became the "best seller" and at times were "sold out" in some major bookstores in the West. There were also a tremendous surge in the searches for "Islam" or "Muslims" in the world wide web - mainly out of curiosity, out of the desires to know "why things happened".

This inquisitiveness has always been the best part of the intellectual West - a quality that will eventually helped them to decipher meanings "in between the lines", which will ultimately led them to the truth and be their savior.

What lesson from 911? No matter how much the truth is to be concealed and distorted, it will one day come out with a shine to find its true place in the hearts of men and women who are sincere and willing to look for an answer.

Me "Malay Chauvinist Pig"

Me used to be one of them "MCPs". The Malay in me may have shifted a gear too fast so as to be too exclusive in looking at things - mainly just from the perspective of one's own race. Reflecting back, the motivation then was to further the Malay agenda as a disadvantaged lot, as the master in one's own land. The rest of the population can either take a back seat if they want to or strive for their own survival.

We Malays (although a "mutt", me officially a Malay, remember?) were then backwards in so many ways - almost in every aspects of life including our main domain of being the followers of Islam - a complete way of life with all the recipes on how to live on this earth and in the hereafter.

Things were not looking too good then for the Malays, even though politically matured and strong, the Malays were still traditionally steeped in their agricultural and feudal outlook. Falling far behind in their economic well being as well educational excellence. It was further exacerbated by the desire from the power of the day to be seen as the champion of the Malays with policies favoring the "son of soil" (SOS) being made the top priority in the nation's building agenda - so much so the Malays were literally spoon fed to be the enterpreneur par excllence in trying to narrow the economic divide!

But after years of experimenting and implementing the SOS policy, where do we stand in term of furthering the agenda of the Malay race? the answer is simply - not even close to when it first started!

No doubt, the SOS policy has created millions of new Malay middle class, owners of houses with two or more cars per household but the sad reality remained - they now becoming "hooked" to more spoon feeding then before!

Maybe outwardly, they are now living very comfortable life, internally they have not changed that much - the Malays had remained as they are - doing what they like best - working for others.

La Syarkiyya La Gharbiyya...

La Syarkiyya! la Gharbiyya! thawra thawra Islamiyya! "Neither East nor West, Islam is the Best!"Those were the magical mantra that had made the Shah of Iran an historical piece. Thousand upon thousand of the oppressed masses, young and old, male and female, took to the streets, chanting the revolutionary mantra while clenching their fists - a symbol of defiance to the rule of the corrupts and plenty becoming martyrs in the ensuing clashes. A great revolution evolving, history in the making, right in front of me very own eyes, "life" via CNN! - no Al Jazeera at that time..

The Islamic revolution of Iran, the most explosive experience touching me life almost three decades ago to this day. It never crossed me mind that such a great historical event could have ever taken place, not in me lifetime at least, but it did - breaking new grounds, giving new meanings to freedom for the oppressed folks - freedom from those who were supposed to protect but instead used and abused the power entrusted by the people for their own sake, promoting self grandiose and glorification, whilst subjugating others in the name of democracy and freedom of speech.

The tumultuous event was an eye opener and a defining moment for the many "lost souls" including a "mutt" like me self. Suddenly me had something tangible to cling on - a latent identity which had not seen the light of day, waiting to be burnished by the shining spirit of the great revolution with its powerful mantra - a wake up call for those lost souls still in the midst of their deep slumber.

La Syarkiyya La Gharbiyya! Neither Right nor Left, we are the people of the middle path, following in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, true to his way on our very own, very genuine path of salvation along the blessed path of the "Ummatan Wassatan".

Fair dinkum, mate? Yeah, bet ya, mate!

Fair Dinkum, Mate!

Fair dinkum, mate! An Aussie expression marking the beginning of me new world. A journey of self discovery in the far away land down under - the land of the kangaroos and wallabies.

The Aussie taught me the spirit of "fair dinkum" - a sincere expression of fair play where only the truth matters. No matter who we were or what our background was, we must remain true to ourselves and to the people around us. We must play fair and promote only the true and genuine things in life.

This has been a guiding principle in me life ever since. It has become more relevant now in an age where the sense of fair play and the love of truth are all but gone. ..

Me realized then, while still searching for me identity, we cannot choose where and how we were born. We cannot choose what God in His wisdom has given us. Denying the fact was a sure sign of not being grateful on what God has bestowed upon us. God in His own way is fair dinkum!

In those days when the clouds were still hanging over me head, and in me desperation, me used to conclude that me neither a Malay nor a Chinese but a Muslim-where Islam as a religion has managed to dismantle the barrier of race. But still it did not erase the fact that me still a "mutt". Denying the fact that being a "mutt" like me was fated and was the will of God could make matters worst. Knowing the fact and accepting it was the easier thing to do and most crucial part in helping "mutts" like me to move on with life. Even though for me this did not happened for quite a number of years yet until me big bro "broke" the news of me Ma's origin.

Me is grateful to me Ma and Pa for bringing me into this world. Without them, there can never be me - a "mutt". Rather than fretting about our origin, or gloating on the superiority of our own race, we could better use our energy and talents in promoting racial harmony in the true sense of the word for the betterment of our people and environment just as me Aussie friends would vouch by saying "fair dinkum, mate!"

Me no Malay nor Chinese

It is hard to be both a Malay and Chinese at the same time. Before knowing me a real "mutt", the safest route to take was to assume me neither a Malay nor Chinese - me was just me, a human being born in this world for a reason - only God knows what.

Being Muslim helps for "mutts" like me as "believe in God" not race was the defining factor to be accepted as a member of the society. In the "Eye" of God, one's steadfastness in his believe of God is more paramount than any other factors including racial background.

Henceforth me found deep solace in me as Muslim even after discovering me "real status" as a "mutt".

Thus the never ending confusion of me being no Malay nor Chinese has been resolved with me sanity still intact!.

The Malay in Me

Me Malay"ness" may not be apparent from me look. First impression was always deceiving as a lot had mistaken me for a Chinese or Japanese or even Vietnamese!

Being a "mutt" could also pose problems of its own. Your community might disown u just because of your appearance. The trust was also not there. They have to be convinced that me is really a Malay like them - 100%.

But then the "Malay in me" had given salvation countless of times when me life was full of confusions and when me is now.

Being Muslims, Malays are at their best. Thus the Malay in me has provided me with a strong insight into this life. Me is lucky to be born amidst this surrounding where there is purpose going through life-clear and simple...we are all going to die one day and in the meanwhile we are on this earth to seek God's blessings and forgiveness. Lets persevere and do what God has asked us to do, be kind to others, help the orphans and the poor if can and do it with utmost humility and sincerity.

The Chinese in Me

There were countless moments when people had spoken to me in Chinese before realizing me a Malay. True, dont judge a book by its cover, as me look more like Ma than Pa.

Look could be deceiving, me Chinese"ness" may not be that much left but in me there still blood flowing from Ma's descendants which could never be drained dry. This fact could not be easily ignored as it has been coded in me DNA even though me is officially a Malay.

The one thing that is obvious, me seems to be always thinking in a different perspective (at least that's what me think!) from the rest of the Malay crowd. Further, if Malays love entertainment and the easy frivolous life, these were missing from me. If Malays desire to be bosses and rule the crowd, this desire was not there in me. If Malay folks like to work for others, me love to work for me self.

There was not a moment in me life when the "Chinese in me" had not goaded me to be aware of the trappings of an easy life and losing the independent spirit in me.

Me & Pa

Pa was the opposite of Ma - very gentle and kind at heart but strict. Always the "perfect gentleman", Pa had made what me is today - softhearted and gentle.

Me recollections of Pa was not that much. The fact that Pa had sacrificed his "nomadic" policeman job to settle down in his village, surviving on a meager pension supplemented by odd jobs, for the sake of his children's education, would speak volumes about the man. Pa truly believed in education for the salvation of his children. Pa would rather be poor then leaving his children without a good education. To him, education is the key to a better future. Even though he did not live long to see that "future", me can testify that Pa was absolutely right!

Thank u Pa, thank u so much more, u did not sacrifice in vain, your children are now passing down your "key" for the better future of your grandchildren.

May Allah blessed your kind soul Pa aka Encik (we all addressed Pa as "Encik" or Mr maybe due to getting used hearing people called him so during his policeman days) - al-Fatiha.

Me & Ma

Ma was an adopted daughter to a Malay family. Back then, Chinese parents were poor and most looking forward to have boys rather than girls. Ma was "given" away from very young, over the years, she grew up a "Malay" and was married to a Malay - me Pa.

Ma was unlettered but knew how to read figures. Ma has a resolve made of steel. Never to go against her wishes if u were me. Ma's resoluteness was most profound. It has made Ma a beacon of hope for her children especially during trying times when everyone has long given up hope.

Despite her very rudimentary education, Ma had managed to turn us all into "people"- being successful in our own ways. In me, Ma has imbued a deep sense of commitment and responsibility to protect and to love those me loved most.

Me recollections of Ma during me formative years were very sketchy. All that could be remembered was Ma a very hard working mom - both inside and outside of the house. Never the one to give up easily, she would even do a man's job if that was what needed to feed her children.

Ma never tires bringing up all the nine of us siblings - may Allah has mercy and blessed her soul - al-Fatiha..ameen.