Abang Haji Derani Shafie

Beberapa bulan dulu saya ada menceritakan mengenai seorang senior saya saya di sekolah seperti ini http://maarofkassim.blogspot.com/2008/09/it-takes-teacher.html.

Tadi saya berjumpa dengan abang Haji Derani Shafie di hari perkahwinan anak lelakinya Mohd. Farid. Lihatlah betapa segaknya dia walau pun sudah berusia 64 tahun. Dia sekarang sudah bersara terus.

Melayan jemputan
Lagi melayan jemputan

Kedua-dua jemputan ini ialah dari sekolah yang sama. Di kiri junior saya Dr. Abd. Rahman Omar. Di kanan ialah Professor Dr. Samad Hadi yang senior setahun dari Abang Derani.

Bila penceramah tidak membuktikan fakta - Bahagian 2

Saya dihantar dokumen ini oleh seorang junior saya di sekolah yang digelar Bob setelah terbaca pos saya. Jelaslah diantara kelebihan Hari Jumaat tidak termasuk nikah kahwin. Jadi penceramah yang saya katakan itu memang mengada-ada.

Terima kasih, Bob.

Kelebihan Hari Jumaat

Imam Al-Ghazzali berkata bahawa Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. bersabda yang bermaksud sebaik-baik hari yang terbit padanya matahari adalah hari Jumaat. Pada hari itu dijadikan Adam a.s. dan pada hari Jumaatlah terjadinya kiamat. "Sesungguhnya hari Jumaat adalah penghulu segala hari dan semulia-mulia hari di sisi Allah."

Imam Al-Ghazzali menambah bahawa Kaab Al-Ahbar (seorang tabien dan ulama Yahudi yang memeluk ugama Islam pada zaman Saiyidina Abu Bakar) berkata burung-burung dan haiwan apabila bertemu satu sama lain pada hari Jumaat mengucapkan "Selamat, selamat hari yang baik". Imam Al-Ghazzali juga berkata malam Jumaat mempunyai banyak kelebihan dan disunnahkan pada mereka yg mempunyai isteri bersatu pd malam itu.

Doa Antara Dua Khutbah.
Kebanyakan ulama berpendapat waktunya adalah antara dua khutbah, iaitu pd saat imam sedang duduk setelah khutbah pertama sebelum beliau bangun utuk khutbah kedua. Saat inilah saat yang paling dimustajabkan doa.

Sedekah Pada Hari Jumaat.
Bersedekah membeawa pahala yang besar. Ia menjauhkan bala, menjauhkan penyakit dan mendekatkan diri kepada Allah. Apalagi jika dilakukan pada hari Jumaat.

Mati Pada Malam Jumaat.
Hadis nabi "Tidak seorang muslim yg mati pada hari Jumaat atau pada malam Jumaat kecuali diselamatkan Allah daripada fitnah kubur".

Kelebihan Menunaikan Sembahyang Jumaat.
Nabi bersabda "Barangsiapa yg dapat menunaikan sembahyang Jumaat maka baginya disisi Allah pahala seratus orang yg mati syahid. Dan barangsiapa meninggalkan sembahyang Jumaat sebanyak 3 kali tanpa darurat, maka Allah akan mengecap hatinya".

Ibadah Hari Jumaat.
Perjalanan ke masjid - adalah sunnah mengambil jln yg jauh tetapi apabila pulang sunnah ambil jln yang dekat - Imam Al-Ghazzali.

Selawat.
Sabda nabi "Banyakkanlah berselawat ke atasku pd hari Jumaat kerana sesungguhnya ia adalah hari saksi (hari Jumaat) disaksikan oleh para malaikat.

Mandi dan Pakaian.
Sunnah pada hari Jumaat memakai pakaian yang bersih, baru dan berwarna putih.

Memotong Kuku.
Ibn Masud berkata "Mereka yg memotong kuku pd hari Jumaat, Allah akan sembuhkan dia dari segala penyakit dan berikannya keselamatan.

Walaupun perempuan tidak diwajibkan utk sembahyang Jumaat tapi, amalan-amalan yg dianjurkan boleh dilakukan agar sama-sama mendapat ganjarannya, insyaallah.

Bila penceramah tidak membuktikan fakta.

Saya tertarik dengan pos ini dari seorang penulis blog yang sama-sama menjadi ahli Muslim Bloggers Alliance seperti ini http://pukullima.blogspot.com/2008/11/cane-for-wife.html. Ini mengingatkan saya kepada pengalaman saya beberapa tahun dulu.

Rumah saya dahulu cuma terletak lebih kurang seratus meter dari sebuah surau sementara. Sekarang surau itu suah ditutup oleh kerana sebuah masjid qariah telah dibina di kawasan perumahan ini.

Oleh kerana jarak yang dekat biasanya saya akan balik ke rumah selepas solat Maghrib dan datang semula untuk solat Isya'. Saya akan menunggu hanya jika ada apa-apa ceramah yang ingin saya dengar.

Pada suatu hari apabila saya datang semula ke surau untuk solat Isya' saya dapati seorang penceramah sedang berada di penghujung ceramahnya. Saya juga dapat menangkap apakah yang diceramahkannya. Yang diceramahkannya ialah 'Kelebihan Hari Jumaat'.

Beliau menghabiskan ceramahnya dengan ayat-ayat berikut: "Itulah kita disini cuti Hari Ahad, jadi kita nikah pun Hari Ahad. Tidak macam negeri (saya tak mahu sebut nama negerinya) yang cuti Hari Jumaat. Jadi mereka nikah pada Hari Jumaat. Oleh itu nikah mereka lagi berkat".

Macam mana nak diukur sama ada nikah tu lebih berkat atau tidak? Bagi saya yang kurang arif dalam agama ini senang sahaja. Kalau nikah tu tak berakhir dengan perceraian berkatlah ia. Kalau bercerai tak berkatlah.

Saya dinikahkan pada Hari Sabtu. Sampai sekarang saya mempunya isteri yang seorang itulah. Oleh kerana tidak ada tanda-tanda yang kami akan bercerai saya fikir pernikahan kami mendapat berkat.

Tetapi di negeri yang cuti Hari Jumaat itu saya sendiri telah terbaca statistik yang menunjukkan kadar percerainya lebih tinggi dari negeri saya Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus. Macam mana pula penceramah itu mengatakan pernikahan dalam negeri itu lebih berkat dari negeri saya. Tidak tahulah saya jika cerai berai tidak termasuk dalam pengukuran berkat atau tidak satu pernikahan itu.

Tetapi jika cerai berai termasuk dalam ukuran berkat atau tidaknya perkahwinan ini menjadi contoh di mana penceramah-penceramah agama tidak meneliti fakta-fakta sebelum menyampakian ceramahnya. Saya tidak mempertikaikan kelebihan Hari Jumaat tetapi kalau sesiapa hendak membuktikannya buktikanlah dengan bukti-bukti yang nyata.

Malangnya kebiasaan ceramah adalah berbentuk monolog dan bukan dialog. Oleh itu pendengar tidak diberi peluang untuk menanyakan adakah penceramah mempunyai bukti terhadap komen tambahan mereka. Jika pendengar terdiri dari golongan yang intelek dan sering membaca bahan-bahan dari akhbar, majalah atau internet tak apa juga. Kata orang masuk telinga kiri keluar telinga kanan.

Yang membahayakan ialah jika pendengar terdiri dari yang mentah fikiran. Mereka akan menganggap apa yang diceramahkan oleh penceramah adalah benar belaka. Jika penceramah mendedah satu yang dikatakan tidak betul golongan pendengar ini akan terasa bertanggung jawab untuk membetulkannya.

Why is it so hard to do?

I remember during my bachelor days when I was working in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan. I was staying in a government quarters. Except for weekend visits by my friend Ong I was staying alone.

Just about 50 meters in front of my house was a surau used by for the kampung folks staying beside my quarters. My quarters were situated right in the left-hand front corner of my working place. That made it the nearest to the surau as compared to other quarters and the kampung houses.

Months passed by but somehow, I did not go to the surau to pray. Then the fasting month of Ramadan came. Suddenly just like in all suraus in the country and perhaps in the world, the surau was receiving more attendance than normal, especially during Isya' prayers. After Isya', the congregation continued performing their Tarawikh prayers which are only performed during Ramadan.

So I thought why not take this opportunity to go to the surau? On my first day, I found a few members of my staff were already there. They were also staying in government quarters behind mine. So it was normal that I talked to them before the Azan calling for prayers was recited.

Suddenly a kampung folk who had never seen my face before asked: "Who are you?". Before I could answer, one of my staff members who was a driver answered "He is one of us", and added "Do you know where his house is? Right there!", pointing to my quarters. So it was an embarrassment of sorts for me. Of all the people in the surau, I was the one staying nearest to it. But only now did I manage to enter it.

When I was performing my Haj last year every pilgrim would make it his or her priority to pray in either the Nabawi Masjid in Madinah or the Masjidil Haram in Makkah. We would walk hundreds of metres to both Masjids to perform our obligatory prayers. If not we would be praying in the hotel suraus.

After performing all the Haj obligations we had a post mortem gathering in the hotel surau. Our religious teacher Ustaz Ali said he hoped our habit of going to the surau or masjid for prayers would continue when we return home.

So among the first things I did when I returned home was to repair my ten-year-old bicycle which was not used for more than a year. I regard this as killing two birds with one stone. I am able to perform my prayers with a congregation at my surau. At the same time, I can do a little exercise by cycling to the surau instead of riding my scooter or driving my car.

The surau is a temporary one. The surau committee rents a double-storey link house for this purpose before a permanent one is built. Nevertheless, except during Isya' prayers in the fasting month, the attendance is always not full. I know of people who stay just a few metres away from the surau but I had never seen their faces in it. It reminded me of my bachelor days in Kelantan.

For these people, I wonder why is it so hard for them to go to the surau?

Danial Berkhatan

Cucu saya Danial dikhatankan tengah hari tadi. Ini lah gambar-gambar Danial menunaikan satu perintah agama Islam. Malam tadi saya telah mengajak kawan-kawan saya di surau untuk membaca Yasin dan membaca doa selamat untuk Danial.

Dengan kain yang akan dipakai nanti.

Neneknya memberi Danial minum air bacaan Yasin yang dibaca oleh kumpulan surau saya malam tadi. Cawan itu saya bawa balik dari Makkah.

Ibu dan ayahnya yang mempunyai tugas masing-masing pada paginya bertemu Danial di Klinik.

Danial bermain dengan adiknya Fahim di ruang menunggu klinik sebelum dipanggil masuk.

Danial tak menunjukkan tanda-tanda resah atau gelisah.

Sekarang Danial sudah dipanggil dan dengan gembira dia memakai kain.

Sambil dibantu oleh ayahnya.

Lepas ini Danial masuk ke dalam klinik diiringi oleh saya dan anak saya Halimi. Halimi melihat sendiri apa yang dilakukan oleh doktor kepada anaknya, sedangkan saya memandang ke arah lain. Ini mengingatkan saya semasa Halimi berkhatan dulu. Saya juga melihat setiap perbuatan doktor kepadanya. Tetapi entah kenapa kali ini saya gementar sedikit. Sebelum mula doktor membaca sedikit ayat Quran dan meminta Danial mengikutnya.

Untuk menghormati doktor saya tidak mengambil apa-apa gambar didalam bilik rawatan.

Sudah selesai. Danial diminta menunggu di bilik doktor sementara doktor mengkhatankan seorang kanak-kanak lain. Maaf gambar ditapis sedikit.

Sekarang Danial berehat sebentar di rumah saya sebelum dibawa pulang ke rumah ayahnya.

Dia diberi alat kawalan Astro untuk melihat mana-mana program TV yang dia suka.

Ini menyebabkan Fahim merajuk melihat abangnya diberi perhatian oleh setiap orang.

Visit to the Old Palace at Seri Menanti

Seremban was the venue for the National Toilet Expo and Forum (NATEF) held at the Klana Resort on 11th to 13th November 2008. Most of my deparment's staff were busy. The few which were not included me. I was not given a task at all, thanks to my boss' goodwill. Just for a token he asked me to bring the forum members for a visit to the Old Palace at Seri Menanti, Kuala Pilah which is now turned into a Royal Museum. He knows that I like to travel so this job is perfect for me.

Before that we stopped to visit this toilet at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium at Paroi. This toilet was built in 2004 for the SUKMA games at the stadium.

I can't resist to take a photo of this chicken shit flower or bunga tahi ayam. Any knows why this flower is called such?

Now we have reached the Old Palace. This Palace was the residence of Tuanku Muhammad ibni Tuanku Antah. Tuanku Muhammad is the grandfather of our present Yang Di Pertuan Besar, Tuanku Jaafar. Is was built between 1902 and 1908 by two carpenters. Later this month the Palace will be exactly 100 years old. You can find further details aout this palace here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seri_Menanti_Old_Palace
and here http://www.holidaycityflash.com/malaysia/seri_menanti.htm.


Receptions first. The man with the tie is the Mayor of Kuching Selatan. Kuala Pilah cakes are real delicacies. I love the kuih kuaci.

Briefing by a Museum official. He said said this building is to be preserved by UNESCO because it is the tallest bulding in the world built without the use of nails.

View from the top floor. The late Tuanku Muhammad used to have the same view from here. There are rain clouds at the top left corner.

Another view.

On the way back we stopped at Ulu Bendul recreational park. Although it was a weekday there were visitors. I hope the authorities maintain this resort as it is. This one of the few natural beauties of Negeri Sembilan.

Happily playing in the water.

I am happy that the construction of the new Seremban - Kuala Pilah expressway does not affect this recreational park. If you pass along the old road from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur you can see that the construction of the Kajang - Seremban Highway is destroying the Galla Recreational Park at Bukit Mantin.

This clear water at Ulu Bendul is a tributary of the Muar River.

Diterima menjadi ahli Muslim Bloggers Alliance

Saya merasa berbesar hati kerana diterima menjadi ahli Muslim Bloggers Alliance. Mengikut moderator forum ini sebab utama saya diterima ialah kerana pos-pos saya yang menceritakan pengalaman saya mengerjakan Haji.

Sebenarnya moderator forum ini pernah menjadi tetamu rancangan 'Blog' di TV1 RTM. Baru semalam saya melihat rakaman program tersebut. Mengikut moderator ramai blogger yang memohon untuk menjadi ahli Alliance atau Perikatan ini tetapi telah melalui penapisan. Nampaknya saya lulus dalam penapisan ini.

Oleh kerana pos Mengerjakan Haji saya menjadi sebab utama saya diterima saya telah meneliti semula pos-pos saya itu dan membuat beberapa pengemaskinian. Di samping itu saya juga bersyukur apabila melihat kepada maklum balas melalui Feedjit pos-pos Mengerjakan Haji saya itulah yang sering dituntun oleh pembaca.

Sunset

Sunset, originally uploaded by maarofkassim.

Test

Another General Meeting

Two days ago I attended my secondary school's former students' association annual general meeting at Putrajaya. Under the association's constitution our office bearers serve two year terms. Since the last office bearers' elections were held only last year there are no elections this time around. See my story just two posts before this one.

Since this association is run voluntarily there were no campaigns done prior to our biannual office bearers' elections. In fact the same bunch of office bearers had been reelected over and over again. I can honestly say that there are members who are afraid to attend the annual general meetings for fear of being elected as office bearers.

The association also did not have much money. In fact our treaurer did not have much to do. We also have our own golf and bowling committees and they manage their own finances.

This is about to change. One of our members who had become a succesfull businessman pledged to donate a tidy sum of money to the association. This prompted our President to suggest that in future we might experience campaigning among our members to to hold office. He referred to his experience as a politician. When there is nothing to fight for everyone is reluctant to hold office. But when there is something big for grabs we would see intense fighting just to be elected to hold office.

It did not take long for my President's words to be proven true. Hardly fifteen hours after he uttered those words there were fracas at the Seremban UMNO Division annual general meeting. I saw on TV and read on the newspapers that fists were swung and chairs thrown. Some of the faces I saw are of persons known to me.

This happened at an elite golf club named after our state ruler. They say that golf is a gentleman's game. I never heard of golfers fighting on the runways. Surely they don't fight in their club house. I am sure now that the golf club commitee members will think twice in letting their club house to be used by political parties for their functions.

What a contrast to my association's annual general meeting which was held at a place similar to the one in Seremban. The only difference being in Putrajaya the place is a hotel cum golf club while in Seremban it is only a golf club.

The political party members fought simply because there were many things to fight for. To be elected for divisional party posts means the winners will have strong grounds to be awarded contracts by the main party provided they are still in power. When the nation's General Elections comes they would be among the first to be considered as candidates. If they win here they will bear the title of Yang Berhormat.

But if the main party is not in power or in other words in the opposition we would see a situation just like a school's fomer students association. Members have to be coaxed just to stand as office bearers.

What I don't want to see is fists swinging and chairs flying during my school's former students association annual general meeting.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Mesyuarat Agung Persatuan Murid-Murid Tua

Semalam 8 November 2008 saya telah menghadiri Mesyuarat Agung Persatuan Murid-Murid Tua sekolah saya yang dinamakan SDARA. Saya telah lama tidak menghadiri mesyuarat agung ini. Pada tahun lepas (2007) saya tidak dapat bersama oleh kerana sibuk menguruskan pemergian saya ke Tanah Suci untuk Mengerjakan Haji.

Mesyuarat diadakan di IOI Palm Garden Hotel, Putrajaya. Tidak ada pemilihan pegawai-pegawai tertinggi kali ini. Oleh itu kehadiran tidaklah ramai.

Ahli-ahli Jawatankuasa.


Yang berbaju putih itu ialah Datuk Dr. Latiff Ahmad, Yang di Pertua kami. Datuk datang lewat kerana menghadiri mesyuarat UMNO terlebih dahulu.

Membuka cermin mata untuk membaca sesuatu. Gunakan cermin mata multi-focal seperti saya, Datuk.

Setiausaha Agung, Kolonel Bersara Razak menerangkan sesuatu. Razak ialah junior saya setahun.

Sebahagian ahli-ahli yang hadir. Sejuk bilik ini.

Seorang ahli memberi pendapat.

Datuk Halim. Ada tiga orang Datuk yang hadir.

Lagi gambar hadirin.

Lepas bermesyuarat kami dijamu dengan Teh Tinggi. High Tea lah! Sebuah khemah didirikan di luar untuk kami.

Ada juga yang memilih untuk makan di dalam.

Yang jauh membawa isteri dan anak dan menginap di hotel ini. Yang berbaju batik ialah Ibrahim, Timbalan Yang di Pertua kami. Dia sebaya dengan saya. Berasal dari Rembau dan sekarang menetap di Seremban seperti saya.

Kolonel Razak lega mesyuarat dah selesai.

Dr. Khairun Nazar (DKN) tak tinggal dengan kamera DSLRnya.

Satu lagi pandangan di luar.

Dan lagi.

Yang tengah itu Musiran, junior saya satu tahun, berasal dari Sg. Buluh, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan. Sekarang menetap di Putrajaya.

Bond berbaju orange.

Dr. S. Vijayaratnam

Yesterday the nation was shocked by news of the sudden death of Dr. S. Vijayaratnam, Vice-President of the Gerakan political party.

Since I am staying in Seremban I knew Dr. Vijay quite well. A few years ago he was appointed as a Seremban Municipal Councillor for a brief period. After that he was appointed as a Senator at Federal Level and became a Deputy Minister.

It was during his brief period as a Seremban Municipal Councillor that I knew him quite closely. He knew his job was to represent the tax paying public unlike some councillors who tend to be enforcers instead of being representatives. For this part he performed quite well. He never harassed us officers as to why we don't do this or that.

It was also during this brief period that I gave him an invitation card for my son's wedding. He did not come for the wedding but to my surprise a few days after the event I received a posted letter from him. Enclosed inside was his personel cheque. I forgot the amount though.

I convey my condolences to Dr. Vijay's family.

Jeriji dan tembok rumah

Pada 1 Mei 2008 saya telah poskan cerita bagaimana rumah jiran sebelah saya dimasuki pencuri kerana menggunakan jeriji yang murah seperti ini http://maarofkassim.blogspot.com/2008/05/dont-be-penny-wise-pound-foolish.html. Semalam 1 November 2008 kebetulan genap enam bulan selepas kejadian itu satu lagi rumah jiran saya dimasuki pencuri. Antara yang hilang ialah laptop dan kamera digital. Jika kejadian pertama itu berlaku di waktu malam kejadian semalam berlaku di waktu siang. Ia berlaku diantara jam sembilan pagi apabila isi rumah keluar rumah sehingga mereka balik pada tengah harinya.

Pencuri telah memboloskan diri di jeriji tingkap bilik tidur yang boleh dibengkokkan. Ini bermakna besi jeriji ialah jenis yang nipis dan murah juga sama seperti kejadian enam bulan dahulu. Reka bentuk jeriji juga tidak sesuai kerana salah satu 'lubang'nya boleh memboloskan badan manusia walau pun dalam kes ini pencuri itu sudah tentu berbadan kecil.

Faktor kedua mengapa pencuri boleh masuk pada waktu siang ialah ia dilindungi dari pandangan oleh tembok yang mengelilingi rumah berkenaan. Saya memang tidak setuju melihat tembok-tembok yang didirikan dikeliling rumah. Bagi saya ia menutup keindahan rumah berkenaan. Saya lebih suka jika rumah dikelilingi oleh pagar sahaja. Saya ada terbaca buku 'Feng Shui' Cina yang tidak menggalakkan tembok didirikan sehingga menutup tingkap rumah. Ada juga rumah yang saya lihat bukan sahaja di tutup pandangan oleh tembok, pintu pagar pun ditutup terus tanpa jaring.

Oleh itu untuk pembaca yang ingin memiliki rumah atau mengubahsuai rumah faktor jeriji dan tembok yang sesuai hendaklah dititikberatkan.

Rubbish

I just read Tun Dr. Mahathir's latest snippets and he wrote about rubbish although definitely he did not write rubbish.

I went to Fukuoka, Japan in 2004 to study about rubbish. On my way back I stopped over at Kansai Airport to catch our own Malaysian Airlines (MAS) plane home. From Fukuoka to Kansai I flew All Nippon Airlines (ANA).

I flew business class and at the ANA business class lounge I met a University Islam Malaysia (UIM) lecturer who was returning from a seminar at Kobe. When he asked about me I told him I was returning home after having gone through a training about rubbish. So he said surely I learned about incinerators too. I consider this as a positive comment from a university lecturer and I was impressed. I told him definitely I learned about incinerators and visited a few of them around Fukuoka.

Then he mentioned about seeing a big building situated just in front of his hotel in Kobe. Every day he kept wondering what it was because it looked like a combinatiom between a casino and a big theater.

So just before checking out from his hotel he asked one of his Japanese hosts what building was that? The host replied that it is an incinerator. He was really surprised because an incinerator was the last thing in his mind about the building.

I told him about the incinerators I visited. Except for the tall chimneys I never thought that they were incinerators.

In Japan the authorities arrange regular visits by students to the incinerators. So the students can see what happens to their rubbish. But ask any student here what happens to his rubbish. We will receive multiple answers.

I hope with the formation of the National Solid Waste Authority our rubbish problems can be solved.