They Are Ill, Hungry And Thirsty

On The Day Of Resurrection:

"Son of Adam, I fell ill and you did not visit ME."
"Ya ALLAH, how shall I visit YOU when YOU are RABBUL 'Aalamiin, LORD of the worlds?"

"Did you not know that My servant so-and-so had fallen ill? 

Why didn't you visited him not? 

If you did, You would have found ME with him." 

"Son of Adam, I asked you for food and you did not feed ME."

"Ya ALLAH, how shall I feed You when You are RABBUL 'Aalamiin, LORD of the worlds?"

"Did you not know that My servant so-and-so asked you for food? 

Why didn't you feed him? 

If you did, you would surely have found the reward for doing so with ME." 

"Son of Adam, I asked you to give ME a drink and you did not give ME." 

"Ya ALLAH, how shall I give a drink when You are RABBUL 'Aalamiin, LORD of the worlds?"

"My servant so-and-so asked you to give him a drink and you did not give him a drink. 

If you did, you would have surely found ME." 

- Hadith Qudsi. 

The Wise Man's Donkey

A farmer took some grains to grind at the mill.
After grinding, he loaded the heavy grains on his donkey and started his journey home.

Nearing his best friend's house, a wise man, the donkey began limping and dropped to the ground.
The farmer knocked on the wise man's door, asking the wise man to loan him his (wise man) donkey, for it to carry his load for the rest of the journey.

The wise man treated his donkey well.
He made a promise to the animal, never to mistreat it.
So he told the farmer that he did not have any donkey.

As soon as it was said, the animal's bray was heard.
The farmer overheard the braying, and insisted on borrowing the wise man's donkey.

The wise man was angry, and scolded his good friend.
"Don't you know that donkey is the most stupid animal on earth?
Everybody knows I am a wise man. They listen to me.
We have been friends for fifty years, but you don't listen to me.
You listen to the donkey."

Another Vehicle Was Stolen

I am always grateful that everyday, around 1 to 2pm, there is always a Balai Polis Bergerak, sort of mobile police post, passing by my house.
The policemen on wheels usually make their rounds, around the neighbourhood, while most people are indoors having their lunch, or taking their afternoon nap.

The owner of the provision shop in front of my house was twice robbed of their earnings.
The second time, his hand was severed, almost totally chopped off by the robbers.
Since then, the shophouse was always grilled.

A 24-hour restaurant at the corner of the street was also robbed.
Although the sign 'Restoran Kassim' is still displayed, it has since shifted its business to a nearby shophouse along a busy road.

My children had their motorcycles being stolen too, but not at home.

My son had his bike stolen at the parking lot of Giant Plentong.
Earlier on, when he was still studying, his bike was stolen in the gated compound of his friend's house in Shah Alam, in the month of Ramadhan.
Someone, using machinery, lifted it out of the compound during sahur time.

My daughter then sent her motorcycle to his brother, as he needed it more than her.
She had once had her bike stolen too, while parking at the U surau where she is still studying today.

****** 

This evening around 6.30, while I was transfering a plant to a bigger pot, a worried looking man was seen frantically running up and down the road.
With a flimsy paper, like a delivery invoice or quotation, in his hand, I assumed he was looking for the right address.
I kept seeing him walking neither here nor there, but at the extreme opposite side of the road where I was.

When it was 7, about time that I retreated, he suddenly walked in front of me.
He knew I was observing him all these while.

"Lori saya kena curi." 
Then he hurriedly ran and walked away.

His lorry was stolen.
All I can say to myself, pity that deliveryman and lorry driver, for wanting to earn an honest living...                 

Wasn't It 'Abdullah Al-Mubarak During The Haj?

Turkish descendent 'Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak, born 118 years after hijrah, was entering Kufa in Iraq.

On his way to Makkatul Mukarramah to perform his haj, he saw an old woman sitting on a rubbish-heap plucking a duck.
It occurred to him that it was indeed a carrion, dead and rotting, not fit for her consumption.
He stopped his mule, and asked the woman if the duck is slaughtered or already dead.

When she answered the latter,
he asked, 'then why are you plucking it?'
'So that my family and I can eat it,' was her reply.

'Abdullah Al-Mubarak told her that ALLAH Subhaanahu Wa Ta'aala forbid carrion consumption in a country of abundance.
The woman kept chasing and shooing him away, for being a busybody .

After a long exchange of words, he asked the whereabout of her house.
He then left the spot, and rented a proper lodging for him to stay.

At the rented lodging, he then approached a man.
He offered the man some monetary reward if the man accompanied him to the address given by the woman that he had earlier met.

Once reaching the place, 'Abdullah Al-Mubarak requested the man to knock at the door with a stick that he had.
The woman asked who was at the door.
When 'Abdullah asked her to open the door, she partially opened it.
He insisted that she opened it wide, all the way.

He got off his mule and hit it with the stick that he had.
The mule went into the house.
Then he said to the woman that the mule with all the provision on it, money and clothes are all hers.
For this world and the Next.

'Abdullah Al-Mubarak stayed behind.
He did not proceed to Makkatul Mukarramah, until the haj season ended.
He returned home when all pilgrims had returned after performing their haj.

****** 

Some of his country folks went to greet him.
They congratulated him for accomplishing his haj.

He told them that he was down with illness and did not go on haj.
But one of them said,
"Subhaanallaah!
Did I not leave my goods with you, while we were at Mina on our way to 'Arafah?"

Another person said the same thing.
He turned to them saying, he did not know what they were saying.
Once again, for himself, he did not go on haj that year.

*** 'Abdullah Al-Mubarak dreamt that someone was telling him,
''Abdullah, rejoice! for ALLAH has accepted your sodaqah.
HE sent an Angel in your form, performing the haj for you.'"

Chasing The Truth

 
Chasing the truth: Anti-graft activists (left to right) Ronald Rofiandri, Apung Widadi and Roy Salam present their findings on irregularities at several House of Representatives’ renovation projects during a press conference at the Indonesian Corruption Watch office in Jakarta on Sunday. (JP/ Jerry Adiguna) 

Source: The Jakarta Post - Sunday January 15, 2012

Placenta, Anyone?

As appeared in Saturday's Star,

the above 35-year old accounts manager Mandy Chong, from Petaling Jaya, had in May last year, paid RM8,180 for four injections.
An assistant administered the injections, not a doctor, on her buttocks with what the beauty centre she went to, claimed to be sheep placenta from New Zealand.
The beauty centre spoke highly of the product during her treatment.

But when the injected area started swelling, she could not bear the pain.
She then went to a specialist hospital and discovered they had actually injected silicone.
She had to spend over RM15,000, double the amount she paid the beauty centre, to rectify the damage caused by the beauty procedure.

Since October last year, she had made six attempts to contact the beauty centre for a refund but was ignored.
She had been unable to work for over a month after the operation, as she is still suffering from pain.
She fears further side effects as doctors said the silicone has entered her bloodstream and there may be long-term effects.

In response, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, in cautioning the public against going for such treatments.
He said, the ministry’s National Phar­maceutical Control Bureau had not approved the use of any injectable placenta products.
As of now, only 31 oral health supplement products that contain placenta, 3 from deer and 28 from sheep, are registered with the bureau.
None of them are injectable.

******

It is known that not too long ago, the rich used to go to Switzerland to have US$20,000 placenta injections.

Placenta, found in the inside layer of the womb, helps foetus get its food.
Because of its nutritious qualities, placenta is hailed as an excellent skin healer, stimulating cell renewal function in the body.
Cell replenishment function helps to slow down the human aging process.
The once every two years injection in Switzerland, is known to have dramatic effect, in maintaining anti-ageing benefits and enhancing quality of life.

When used for skin care products, pig and human placenta are biologically similar to the human skin.
Studies had shown that the use of human and pig placenta extracts benefit the users.
But issues have been raised where Muslim consumers are concerned.
For them, it is sheep placenta, or more commonly known as ovine placenta.

Placenta usage strictly for the rich?
It used to be.
But today, the usage are for people of all ages and races.
There are plenty of placenta-based natural skin care products, from wrinkle creams and facemasks.
Users claimed it produce wonders for the skin.

******

Can the placenta be eaten? No? Yes?

Once, a father, after visiting his wife in hospital, brought home his baby's placenta meant to wash and bury it. Local culture greatly believe that the placenta needs proper burial.
But, his grown up daughter thought her father had bought organ of an animal.
Without giving much thought to it, she boiled, fry and cook for the family.
When the father asked where she bought the meat from, only then they realised they were eating the baby's 'friend'.

In April 2006, 43-year-old Tom Cruise told a magazine that he was going to eat his baby (Suri)'s placenta. 27-year old Katie Holmes was about to deliver their baby anytime.

In 1998, chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall fried a placenta with shallots and garlic.
He served it to the baby’s parents, along with other 20 guests.

During my earlier days in JB, a sister admitted that whenever she delivered her babies, their placentas would be buried.
But their umbical cords were cooked together with porridge, for their (at least ten) children's meal.
No rivalry, she said.
But as I see it now, after the mother had passed away, all of them are no different from other children who did not consume umbical cords of their siblings.

Of Clay And Polong

I had, on many occasions, told Tina*, to 'berbakti pada tanah', do some good to the earth that we step on everyday. 

'Macamana?' she asked, 

'Macam tanam pokok, cabut rumput, sapu, bersihkan halaman rumah.'

'Kenapa?' she was curious at my suggestion.

'Kita ada interaction dan buat baik pada makhluk TUHAN yang tak pernah buat dosa, dia do'akan kita. 
Makhluk yang tidak ada dosa, do'anya cepat makbul.'

******

My curiosity with the soil arose when I was in Bantul, Indonesia, after an earthquake.
After the sun had set, some traumatic old man and woman, barefooted, would climb up higher ground to spend their nights, sleeping among the graves.

Their close interaction with mother nature, walking barefooted, pricked the inside of me.
No wonder all of them are slim, no one store excess body fat in their bodies, unlike my civil servant relatives, whose sandals and slippers kind of creating that 'modern looking societies' - excesses in the body.

Mother earth will extract the 'unwanted' and toxin trapped in us.
That's the reason why in religion, we are needed to use clay, 'tanah liat', when in contact with 'najis mughallazah'.

Many written articles I've came across, about those cancer suffers who has had their miracle cure, when they  spend their time doing gardening, sitting or lying on open fields...

******

Last Christmas, Tina's family was out.
Her mother brought her sister's family from Perak, picnicing  at Desaru.

Tina called, asking me to accompany her.
She was being followed by polong the night before.

To entertain that family from Perak, they all went to Danga Bay for dinner.
Her uncle was smoking his cigarette.
Somehow, a stray polong, disowned by its owner, followed the trail of the cigarette smoke.

It aimed Tina amongst all, in her uncle's company.
Since many of the creature's friends are in Tina's body, the weakest among all, it followed her home.

Polong owned by someone, is said to be fed with blood.
But the strayed ones, I'm not sure.

Tina was possessed at 1am, and was sent to seek for a cure at that wee hour.
I've been blogging a lot about Tina, sincerely not to shame her, but to share the first time experience of being in an entirely different world.
Things happened are all an eye opener for me, realising the vastness of GOD's creation.
The realisation in me, being handicapped, with almost nil knowledge of HIS, makes the need in me more, to study more of his other beings.

******

The healer took some clay and rub on Tina, who was still under possession.
She scolded him, saying she's made of fire, and nothing will make her compromising herself with the dirty soil.

When the real Tina came around, she was asked to 'mandi selut', cover herself with clay, or any clean earth, it does not matter.

The topic of 'berbakti pada tanah', doing good to the earth we step everyday, now make sense to Tina.
But whenever she was covered with soil, there is an usual great resistance from the inside of her, always fighting with her inner self, often she found herself grasping to breathe.

Praying for the day when all those unseen beings will go away.    

And We have certainly created you, [O Mankind], 

and given you [human] form. 

Then We said to the angels, 

"Prostrate to Adam"; 

so they prostrated, 

except for Iblees. 

He was not of those who prostrated. 

[ Allah ] said, 

"What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" 

[Satan] said, 

"I am better than him. 

You created me from fire and created him from clay." 

- Al-A'raf: 11 - 12

Snake No More

There is a TNB's transformer room - Bilik Jana Kuasa - sprawled behind my kitchen.

In front of it, is a big ketapang, catappa, or almond tree.
Under that shady tree, it used to be a dumping ground - A real eye sore.

Few weeks before last year's Ramadhan, several men erected a new fencing around the transformer room. They gave the room a new coat of paint.
They needed water supply for their work, and got it from my place.

I seek their permission, and took that opportunity to clear the dumping ground under the ketapang tree.
I planted several tapioca plants and placed potted roselle around the tree.
Neighbours and public had been told, they are free to pluck the tapioca leaves,

and the roselle flowers.
The plants are all meant for everybody's use.

****** 

Laila*, whose father's restaurant is facing the tree, came to me, asking why I took the effort to clear the dumping ground around the tree.
A real eye sore, my answer.

"Don't you know, it's the house of a very big snake?" She asked.
"Is it?" I wasn't aware of it.

She said, that shady tree was once naked, without even a single leaf.
Mysterious wind kept blowing all of the leaves, into her father's restaurant - Not any of her neighbours shops and offices.

The mystery began to unfold when one day, Laila saw a very big snake.
It twirled its long body, round and round the tree trunk, from the ground, to the topmost of it.

The hissing snake kept blowing all the leaves into one direction - The restaurant.                               

That Flesh Eater, Now Dead

There is an empty house behind Tina*'s in-law's house.
She 'saw', beyond description (she said), a horrible looking woman.
With long messy hair, she was sitting at the edge of the roof, with let loose and swinging legs, while enjoying eating a foetus deliciously.
Blood was all over her hands and mouth.
While describing that, Tina suddenly vomited, 'seeing' the eerie scenario while she was under therapy.

Ustaz then recited some verses, to which she said, the woman's long messy hair all stood up straight.
It's body swayed a little.
Tina thought it was going to fall from the roof top.

But no.
It flew away to a nearby cluster of bamboo trees.
Under that bamboo trees, villagers used to bury or discard their 'unwanted' belongings.

Once reaching the bamboo trees, the horrible looking woman perched on the tree top.
This time, it ate the carcass of a dead bird.
Tina vomited again, 'watching' the never seen before sight.

****** 

Once reaching Tina's in-law's house, she stood at the doorway, watching what Ustaz was going to do.
As usual, he threw generous amount of salt all around it.

Tina's legs went soft, aching all over.
She fainted again and again...                    

Acknowledgement From The Grave

We gathered at my eldest sister's place for breakfast last Saturday, 31st December, 2011.
My daughter, her husband and their 10-month baby, flew in from Subang, that very morning to join in the birthday celebration of her cousin.
After zohor, they were sent to the airport to catch their 3pm flight home.

All those while, my brother-in-law did not get out from his bed, even when his and my siblings with their families, gathered together at his house.
He had been on the bed for the past few days.

"Lain kali, bawak pergi hospital," 
my auntie sound my eldest sister.

"Tak pe, dah tak de lain kali lagi."
I told my auntie.

The next morning, 1st January, 2012, Nora*, who is with my mother, called to say my brother-in-law had passed away at 8am.

My brother-in-law, who has only a son, loves my daughter as his own.
He himself, would stock the fridge with my daughter's favourite food, whenever she's in Singapore.
He was a very proud parent on my daughter's wedding day, as it was celebrated at his house too, beside Johor Bahru and Putra Jaya.

******

When my sister, my daughter and I attended a wedding in Shah Alam around 3 years ago, it was during that time that we knew, my sister's late principle's grandson is attending UM as my daughter.
My sister knew her late principle's family well.

Then as fate want it to be, although both are still students until now, wedding preparation was made for them within a short time frame.
My son-in-law is about to complete his Master, and my daughter, by pass it, is now doing her PhD.

For these, I am forever thankful to my daughter's parents-in-law.
They support them in persuing their studies.

The mother, a professor at a local U, renders her full support for their goals.
She had underwent that family live living oversea as student.
So, she understands well, how both of them are living their lives now.

They were in Singapore again the next day, 1st January, 2012, when they heard about my brother-in-law.

******

My eldest sister called last Thursday.
She said, she was still on her 'sajadah', when the late Ustaz Taha ( here and here ) appeared, offering her gift.

She asked him what it was, to which he said,  
"Kan saya baru dapat cucu." 

He just has had a grandchild. 

Yes, my daughter is his grandchild-in-law.
Her grandmother-in-law is Ustaz's sister, the late Ustazah Sa'adah Suhaimi.

Al-Faatihah.

*** Marriage Consent From The The Grave here

The Not-So-Real Asatizah At Work

"Kenapa ustazah tak tunjuk saya rumah kosong ni dari awal?" 
I kept my silence to his question.

Ustaz was upset that the empty house, with rubbish strewn all around, is the dwelling place of many unseen beings.
"Mari masuk sini, ustazah. 
Saya tunjuk mana tempat dia duduk."

The sun had settle down.
It was already dark, so I did not go beyond the front door with a big basin of salt in my hands.

"Tina pengsan lagi."
Tina's mother came to tell the condition of her frequent fainting daughter.
She lugged along another big bundle of salt.

After Ustaz did his work at the common big dumping bin placed not far from the entry into the house,
"Ada lagi satu rumah kosong sebelah dengan dapur."

Hearing that, he looked at the reduced salt supply and said, let the father do the same thing to that house.

******

I had told Ustaz many times, I am no ustazah.
Just a family friend who sees and shows support when another family being tested.
I feel out of place to be called ustazah, but he insisted calling me so.

******

I had, on many occasions, watching Tina being 'ruqyah' by Ustaz.
Although Al-Qur'an is in his heart, I was needed to check on his recitation.
He recited not from quotes of verses from the Qur'an, but the whole Surah, even if it is the 286 verses of the Al-Baqarah at one go.

His speed?
Faster than movement of my eyes to check the prints on the Qur'an.

******

Yasin used to be my daily Surah before I proceed to continue my reading during my free days.
Ustaz told me to continue Yasin with the first page of the next chapter, As-Saffaat.
When I asked him why, he said, just do as I told you.
If you ask again, I'll add more to your reading.
I stopped there and then.

****** 

I was supposed to follow Tina's family travelling northwards, back to their hometown, on the third week of December.
Ustaz wants Tina to lead a normal life once again.
She will pinpoint places where she often saw during her 'ruqyah' session.

Since my daughter was in Singapore and there were many weddings, I went downwards instead.

****** 

In Penang, Ustaz needed someone to check on his recitation.

Ustaz is not a real Ustaz.
I just called him so, as he has, and is imparting knowledge to me.
Whoever I get his or her knowledge from, they are my Teachers.
For that, I am forever grateful.
Al-Faatihah to these people after my prayers.

He did not attend any formal education institution, as I was told.
It is just that, he feels compelled to assist others in need.
He has been doing so for the past 60 years, just like his ancestors from Hadramaut, in Yemen.
It is in his blood.
He often check on Tina whenever he passed by Johor Bahru on his way to Singapore.

****** 

As he put it, others looked down on him, upon knowing of his educational background.
He was advised to be extra careful with his recitation and tajwid.
He said, about 5 or 6 'hafiz' who had studied in 'pondok' in Kedah was invited to witness what this Arab will be doing and reciting.

When the 'ruqyah' session started, these 'hafiz' took him lightly, because of his educational background, compared to them.
He is just another outsider trying to outwit Tina's family and those around him.

But when he continuously reciting one Surah after another at lightning speed, people began to come forward, volunteering to be scanned too...

Few days after he returned to Batu Pahat, I called him.
He was still without voice.
Too many 'ruqyahing' those in Penang.                                                

Working Holiday In New Zealand

The couple in their 20s, are both medical students.
The wife is presently attached with one of the government's hospital in KL.

An independent only child who hailed from Kedah, the husband, after his secondary education, went to Italy to work for few years.
He took the opportunity to backpack and travelled all over Europe.
When he felt he managed to put aside enough fund for his parents and his education, he returned to Malaysia  furthering his education.
He is focused to become a specialist in heart surgery.

Now married, he had given a hard thought.
He decided to take leave from his study to finance and to let his wife finish with her study.
He will then continue where he had left.

The first time the couple spent their night at my place was during the recent Ramadhan.
They then went to New Zealand Immigration Office the next day at Ngee Ann City, only to be told that no more 2010's quota left for working holiday. 
The husband wants to make enough $ for their parents and educations.

He wasted no time, this time around.
They were at Takashimaya yesterday, when visa application was available a day earlier.

They returned to my place with great relief, thanking GOD, things went smoothly.
He will be in NewZealand, InsyaALLAH, in February.

He is no son nor relative of mine, just another person HE sent to me.

Those interested, here's the link:
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday/malaysiaworkingholidayscheme.htm.

Good Luck.     

The Salt, Clorox, And A Ball Of Fire

It had been 2 months since I last visited this space.
I had not been going on silent mode though.
In fact, still full gear, but in another space, most of the time.

Few nights ago, at around 10pm, I spotted a big ball of fire flying across the night sky in Pelantik area, in Majidee.
My husband said it is a low flying aeroplane.
But with that flaming red-orange fire around it?

Despite his claim, he stopped at the roadside.
We both gazed up, witnessing the ball of fire flying southwards.
I recited Aayatul Kursi and kept repeating the last verse.
The size of the ball of fire was reduced considerably before it finally vanished.
We then headed home.

It was the first time I witnessed such incident.
I wonder what the ball of fire is, really???

******

Earlier, Ustaz was showing me what the toilets, the left and right empty houses, and garbage bins had to do with Tina*.
She kept fainting whenever Ustaz threw generous amount of salt and poured clorox to these areas.

After Tina* was her usual self again, Ustaz then asked me to recite any Surahs from the Qur'an for her.
I chose Ar-Rahman as I placed my right palm on her head.
Goodness, no adverse reaction from her.
The salt and clorox had helped to improve her condition tremendously.
Otherwise, her breathing, her facial reaction... She was not herself...

Before we left Tina*'s house, Ustaz asked me to read out aloud the translation of Surah Al-Jinn to about the ten of us.
Is the Surah really has to do with the ball of fire?

72.1: Say, [O Muhammad], 

"It has been revealed to me that 

a group of the jinn listened and said, 

'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an. 

72.2: It guides to the right course, 

and we have believed in it. 

And we will never associate with our Lord anyone. 

72.3: And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness of our Lord; 

He has not taken a wife or a son  

72.4: And that our foolish one has been saying about Allah 

an excessive transgression. 

72.5: And we had thought that mankind and the jinn 

would never speak about Allah a lie. 

72.6: And there were men from mankind 

who sought refuge in men from the jinn, 

so they [only] increased them in burden. 

72.7: And they had thought, 

as you thought, 

that Allah would never send anyone [as a messenger].  

72.8: And we have sought [to reach] the heaven 

but found it filled with powerful guards 

and burning flames.

72.9: And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, 

but whoever listens now 

will find a burning flame lying in wait for him. 

72.10: And we do not know [therefore] 

whether evil is intended for those on earth 

or whether their Lord intends for them a right course.

72.11: And among us are the righteous, 

and among us are [others] not so; 

we were [of] divided ways. 

72.12: And we have become certain that 

we will never cause failure to Allah upon earth, 

nor can we escape Him by flight.

72.13: And when we heard the guidance, 

we believed in it. 

And whoever believes in his Lord 

will not fear deprivation or burden. 

Source: Al-Jinn 1 - 13