Best Kept Secret

One of my reverted Muslim friends is going to publish his reversion story at local magazine. Almost every Malay magazine attach along with reverted Muslim stories for inspiration purpose. I gave him an advice that he may tell the reporter anything but not your secret. Especially if the secret involved his family dignity, problematic challenges and dilemma. Also, I advised him to write an email reply instead of face to face interview as for avoid miscommunication happen.

MR. Red Hat's Collection

If you ever wonder why I call my friend Ah Hong as “Mr Red Hat”, in fact he does have whole lots of hats! Everyone has their own hobby in collecting special item like coins, stamps, key chain and so on… So I would like to present his collections, please share your thought about it!

Kindly click "Read more" to view photo gallery.

Free Books : A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam (Mandarin)

伊斯兰简明指南

I am posting books "A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam" to anyone who needed. This is printed in Chinese language. Very suitable for non muslim to have a brief introduction about Islam along with science statement and al-Quran verse.

If you are interested, kindly contact me via email : lifemualaf@gmail.com (While stock last)

Revisit Bookshop

广州伊斯兰古迹研究

I have a dream.

I dream that whenever I walk into any local bookshop, I may buy at least a Chinese language Islamic book. But the fact turn out to be none, you can’t even get an al-Quran in Chinese translation. Perhaps it’s due to the market problem or so called “Sensitivity and Religion Freedom”.

“Everyone has their right to preserve their own religion.” Civilian yell out.

Coming Soon, InshaAllah

Sharing Is Caring : Friends Of Y

http://friendsofwahida.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/friends.of.y

Friends of Y adalah sekumpulan rakan rakan yang berganding bahu untuk membantu rakan kami, Wahida Mohamed (lebih dikenali sebagai Y di kalangan rakan2), yang mengidap penyakit kanser. Kami juga berharap dapat membantu rakan2 yang lain, terutama pesakit2 kanser and keluarga pesakit kanser melalui perkongsian maklumat, titipan doa dan kata2 semangat, dan juga pengumpulan dana kebajikan. Sertai usaha kami. Segala bantuan dalam bentuk apa sekali pun, walau hanya ingatan dan doa, amat kami alu-alukan. Allah sahaja yang dapat membalas.

----

Friends of Y is a group of friends that came together to provide support for Wahida Mohamed or affectionately known as Y among her friends. Y has been affected by cancer in 2008. After a series of aggressive treatments and surgery, she was subsequently declared free of cancer.

In early 2013, the cancer cells came back and spread to other parts of her body, including her brain. Friends of Y came together to develop and share ideas, in a non-judgmental and caring environment. Friends of Y also aim to plan, run and manage fundraising activities to assist Y in any way we can, including the cost of treatments.

Why join a support group like Friends of Y?

People with cancer often feel alone, scared, isolated and unsupported when they are diagnosed with cancer.

People caring for people with cancer (i.e. spouse, partners, children, family members) quite often feel scared, helpless and unsupported too.

Sometimes someone to listen is all that is needed. By joining a support group like Friends of Y, we can share important information about cancer, raise awareness that leads to specific actions, share inspiring stories, show we care about Y (or anyone else, who is a cancer warrior).

Adik (14), Y, Zul dan Syafiq (17) semasa Aidilfitri Sept. 17, 2012

Why join a support group like Friends of Y?

We say, "WHY NOT?".

The Lantern Festival ( Chap Goh Meh )

历正月十五元宵节，又称为“上元节”（the Lantern Festival），春灯节，是中国汉族民俗传统节日。正月是农历的元月，古人称夜为“宵”，而十五日又是一年中第一个月圆之夜，所以称正月十五为元宵 节。又称为小正月、元夕或灯节，是春节之后的第一个重要节日。中国幅员辽阔，历史悠久，所以关于元宵节的习俗在全国各地也不尽相同，其中吃元宵、赏花灯、 舞龙、舞狮子等是元宵节几项重要民间习俗。

According to Chinese Calendar, The Lantern Festival (Chap Goh Meh) is celebrated on15th day of First month Chinese Calendar. Also called as "Yuan Xiao Jie" （元宵节) . Local Malaysian prefer to call it "Chap Goh Meh" which is in Hokkien language, "The Fifteenth Night". Lantern Festival is one of the origin custom from China "Han" ethnic traditional festivals. 15th day of first month CNY also remarks the first "Full Moon" (As we knew, chinese calendar is emphasize a lot with the Moon phases). China has large territory and historical festival, so every district have their different custom to celebrate this festival. Few of the important custom like eating Festival Lunch together, watching lantern, dragon dance and lion dance.

Chinese New Year Drama Starring Razali & Yeo Wee Kiat

I know Yeo Wee Kiat personally.
University student who love to share and talk a lot. As contrary of me, quiet and a bit shy perhaps. I do admit of being a quiet person, as my primary school teacher gave me a lovely testimony in my academic record : Ng is a very quiet student, whenever I ask him question he always remain silent.

The teacher even asked my parent : Do your son have any "disorder" or "abnormal behavior".

No, I'm not mentally disorder as what claimed by my teacher.
I do believe my brain cell Hijrah from "communication room" into "non-verbal communication room". My character turns me into books and blog matters.

Everyone have their ability to spread the message of Islam.
Mine is Silent.

In the name of Allah, The Glorified and the Exalted

Bismillah

How do we understand al-Quran?
The answer is we understand  each al-Quran verse by looking for explanation from one another al-Quran verse.

Non-Muslim can't use "Allah" name and it's against freedom of speech? 
The answer already given by Allah The Glorified and the Exalted in al-Quran more than 1400 years ago before Malaysian debate this issue.

First of all, Allah s.w.t. already explain about Himself that none of the creation is looks like Him. As stated clearly in al-Quran, Surat Al-'Ikhlāş (The Sincerity) :

Say, "He is Allah , [who is] One, Allah , the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent."

The exclusiveness of "Allah" name?
Those people at the prophet time already argue about the name of god, when they being asked who is their god? They immediately said "Allah", but then they worship hundred idols that placed around Kaabah. Clearly contradicts what the real meaning of "Allah" which mean "One God". As stated in al-Quran:

And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and earth?" they would surely say, " Allah ." Say, "[All] praise is [due] to Allah "; but most of them do not know.

 (Surat Luqmān (Luqman) 31:25)

Allah s.w.t. more than just a name to behold. Allah s.w.t. isn't idolatry to be worshiped. This is clearly stated in al-Quran for servant's mindset that when they asked who is the Creator of Universe? They answer "Allah". But then, at the same time they praise to the idolatry for the faulty they made although they claim god is Allah.

This is pointless to say which religion have the right to use "Allah" in Torah or Bible. Everyone has the right to talk about "Allah", and most importantly we are not talking about "Name", we are talking about the "Awareness" of knowing who is our Creator (Surat Al-'Ikhlāş ).

Mourn Over Reverted Muslim Chai Jian Xiong （蔡健雄)

Chinese article written by Brother Esa Yap and translated

A Chinese Muslimin, had commit suicide by hanged himself inside Police Station's office that placed at Pekan Nanas, Pontian district, Johor. The deceased aged 29 years, embraced Islam last year. According to his colleagues, Chai Jian Xiong （蔡健雄) embraced Islam due to close relationship with a girl. Chai Jian Xiong seems to be worried over their relationship, also claimed had an argument with girlfriend last wednesday, hence go and back between Melaka state and Pekan Nanas few times.

A Rescued Mosque In Kuala Kangsar, Perak

The Ihsaniah Iskandariah Mosque was first built in 1936, funded by the late Almarhum Paduka Seri Sultan Iskandar Shah, the 30th Sultan of Perak.

Its design and decoration were inspired by and based on the architecture of Istana Kenangan in Bukit Chandan. The mosque is broadly cube-shaped and has a flat roof. The walls, made of kelarai (woven bamboo) in a diamond motif, were produced by local villagers. It is the only mosque in Malaysia (and possibly in the world) to have woven bamboo walls.

Life In A Maze

Play this Maze before reading

Link : 迷宫人生 Life In A Maze Translated Article
This article is also available in Chinese at Blog Esa Yap @ Mini Documenatary Magazine.

When I was a kid, I used to be attending tuition class. I started my first tuition class at standard 3, studied English and Bahasa Malaysia course. My native language is Chinese language, so it would be lousy to learn an unfamiliar language at childhood times. My attention and interest flew to nowhere while teacher was teaching us. Day dreaming and remain silent as always, as if there weren’t any serious tuition class I ever attend.

Mrs. Lee was my teacher, she has a long straight hair and oval shape face, and the spectacles make her eyelid looks heavier. Mrs. Lee always smiling at her students while teaching us, no matter how hard to make us memorize some simple vocabulary or English grammar, she putted every effort to make us squeeze out our brain cells.

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The Long Forgotten Path

According to the Book "Malaysian Chinese : An Inclusive Society", author Rosey Wang Ma mentioned this in her article "The Chinese Muslims" :

The Chinese Muslims, though small in number, form a very distinct and unorthodox group in Malaysian society. In a country where ethnicity and religion are so entwined, these people are of the ethnicity of one community - the Chinese, while professing the religion of another - the Malays. For many, this situation has an implication on the social and political identity of the convert. The question often raised is: "By embracing Islam, or in more popular terms, by converting (read to Islam, in the whole context in this chapter), how much of Chineseness can one retain, and how much of Malayness should one adopt? 

Many people would think; should this even be an issue? However, in practical life, this does sometime create a dilemma. What does he/she write in the box asking for "bangsa" (Race) in all forms, official and unofficial? He will not write Malay, because he is not; but if he writes Chinese, he is assumed not to be Muslim. 

Crunching Tomatoes

From my previous article Chinese Calligraphy By Imam Haji Abdul Hakim , I mentioned about Mazlan and his friends who studying at Beijing. I know them through Mr. Red Hat who studied there. At the moment they were organizing Chinese Calligraphy shows, they were showing a short film named as "Tomato 1.0" on stage. I was standing quite far away from the projector screen so merely could see their short film.

One day I was try to search their video on youtube, alhamdulillah I found their video that sounds like computer software. Their videos are quite simple, but the message regarding being better Muslim and taking care of brotherhood are so strong that able to move audience's heart.

Today I just noticed they release a "Tomato 2.0" version, so I would like to share with everyone their effort in doing this short film. Unlike any other famous "Gangnam" parody, these videos are original script written along with Islamic values.
                                
Please support Malaysian Muslim productions.  : )
May Allah SWT bless their effort to spread the message of Islam.

Tomato 1.0 

Tomato 2.0

Share the beauty of Islam