LEARNING ISLAM THE CHINESE WAY

By

Yamin Cheng

What is learning? Learning, in my view, is a journey of self-discovery about what it means to be human. As human beings, we are at once and at the same time a person with four selves - a personal or individual self, i.e. a self that we call it our own; a collective self or a self by which we share in common with other human beings; a transcendent self or a self that extends beyond our human world; and a relational self or a self by which we derive our personal consciousness through our contacts with other human beings, with the world of plants and animals, and with what is beyond these worlds.

To learn is to seek about how we are related to all that is relevant to our existence, and about how we are relevant to all that is related to us. The Ta Hsueh, in this regard, is a good companion and starting point for this journey, a journey that takes us into our relationship with others, and others in their relationship with us, in the endeavour to realize the essence of our human existence, which is Tian Ren He Yi, Harmony of Heaven and Human.

The 大 學 or TA HSUEH is a short text with a profound description about the steps one should follow to realize the ideal human being and human society. Ta Hsueh can mean, on the one hand, Adult Learning. It can also mean learning to be a great person. This is the meaning adopted here.

For Malaysian Chinese Muslims, the Ta Hsueh can be a useful guide to understand Islam in a uniquely Chinese way as its contents are surprisingly, Islamic in every sense of it.

My translation of the text below is undertaken against the background of the Confucian thought of the Song and Ming dynasties ( 宋明道学理学家思想), as well as the hikmah school of thought in Islam (伊斯兰心启家思想).

(1) 大 學 之 道 ， 在 明 明 德 ， 在 親 民 ， 在 止 於 至 善 ．

(2) 知 止 而 后 有 定 ， 定 而 后 能 靜 ， 靜 而 后 能 安 ， 安 而 后 能 慮 ， 慮 而 后 能 得 ． 物 有 本 末 ， 事 有 終 始 ， 知 所 先 後 ， 則 近 道 矣 ．

(3) 古 之 欲 明 明 德 於 天 下 者 ， 先 治 其 國 ； 欲 治 其 國 者 ， 先 齊 其 家 ； 欲 齊 其 家 者 ， 先 脩 其 身 ； 欲 脩 其 身 者 ， 先 正 其 心； 欲 正 其 心 者 ， 先 誠 其 意 ； 欲 誠 其 意 者 ， 先 致 其 知 ； 致 知 在 格 物 ． 物 格 而 后 知 至 ， 知 至 而 后 意 誠 ， 意 誠 而 后 心 正 ， 心 正 而 后 身 脩 ， 身 脩 而 后 家 齊 ， 家 齊 而 后 國 治 ， 國 治 而 后 天 下 平 ．

(4) 自 天 子 以 至 於 庶 人 ， 壹 是 皆 以 脩 身 為 本 ． 其 本 亂 而 末 治 者 否 矣 ， 其 所 厚 者 薄 ， 而 其 所 薄 者 厚 ， 未 之 有 也！

(1) The way of learning so that one may attain greatness (as a human being) lies in the following:

(i) It lies in bringing into light what are already the illuminating virtues in the heart

(ii) It lies in oneness of heart with the people

(iii) It lies in firmly abiding in the highest good

(2) Only when one knows he has abide firmly (in the highest good), can he have constancy (of the heart); when one has constancy, only then is he able to be serene; when one is serene, only then can he be at peace with himself; when one is at peace with himself, only then is he able to reflect; when one is able to reflect, only then is he able to arrive at things.

Things have principles and purposes, or functions; affairs have endings and beginnings i.e. destinations and intentions; in knowing what comes first and what comes after, namely, the sequence of things, one has modelled himself on the Way.

(3) In times of old, those desiring to bring to light the illuminating virtues in the hearts of the people, first put the country in order; in desiring to put the country in order, they made sure their family is in consonance; in wishing to bring consonance in their family, they cultivate their persons to be upright humans; in order to cultivate their persons, they regulate their hearts until the hearts do not waver; in order that their hearts do not waver, they made their intentions sincere; in order that their intentions are sincere, they refine their sense of knowing; refining the sense of knowing lies in seeking out the realities of things.

When the realities of things are known, one’s knowledge becomes insightful; when one knows things insightfully, one can make one’s intentions sincere; when one’s intentions have become sincere, one’s heart can become rectified; when one’s heart is rectified, one’s personality can be cultivated; when one’s personality is cultivated, one can bring harmony into one’s family; when one’s family is in harmony, one’s country can be put in order; when one’s country is in order, peace will prevail in one’s society.

(4) From the Son of Heaven i.e. Emperor right down to the ordinary people, each and every person made self-cultivation the root of their human engendering. If the root is in disorder, regulation of things can never happen. It is never the case that one who is a person of substance takes things lightly and behaves petty, and one who is petty and takes things lightly is a person of substance.

Universalising Islam in Malaysia

Hew Wai Weng, Ph.D

Early this year, I attended a Chinese New Year open house, organised jointly by the Hidayah Center (a dakwah [preaching] institution under IKRAM, a Muslim organisation) and the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MACMA), with sponsorship from the Islamic Council of Selangor (MAIS, Majlis Agama Islam Selangor) and Mohd Chan Restaurant. Alongside a small exhibition about Islam in Mandarin and English, there were various cultural activities during the open house, such as Chinese traditional music performance, lion dances and Chinese calligraphy competition.

Indeed, in the last few years, as a way of disseminating Islamic message among non-Muslim Chinese, there is a growing trend of accommodating Chinese cultural elements in the Islamic preaching in Malaysia. Chinese-style mosques, Chinese Muslim preachers, Chinese halal restaurants and Chinese New Year celebrations are among the creative forms to promote the universality of Islam and to show that ‘there can be a Chinese way of being Muslim’.

Chinese Muslims are minorities in Malaysia, in which only 1 percent of ethnic Chinese are Muslims. In the past, ethnic Chinese who became Muslims were assumed to lose their Chinese cultural identity and become ‘Malay’. The recent emergence of Chinese Muslim cultural identities, which combine both Chinese cultural symbols and Islamic messages have challenged this widely held perception that ‘Chineseness’ and Islam are incompatible.

Unlike conventional dakwah activities, which aim at strengthening the faith of Muslims, Chinese Muslims dakwah movements aim to universalise Islam and invite non-Muslims to get closer to the Islamic faith. Differentiating Chinese ‘cultural’ traditions (budaya) from religious rituals (agama), Chinese Muslim leaders argue that Chinese culture does not contradict with Islamic principles. Instead, it can facilitate the spread of Islamic messages, which I call here ‘dakwah pendekatan budaya’ (preaching by using [Chinese] culture) or ‘cultural dakwah’.

Statements such as, ‘Chinese New Year does not belong to any religion and that it is a cultural event shared by all Chinese’ are commonly used by Chinese Muslims to justify their celebrations. A common belief in this school of thought is that many Chinese in Malaysia hesitate to become Muslim, because they are afraid of losing their Chinese cultural identity after conversion to Islam. By holding public Chinese New Year Celebrations, this group would like to diminish such worry, with the hope that more Chinese will convert to Islam, or at least get closer to Islam.

Many Muslim leaders endorse these celebrations, as long as such activities do not contain non-Islamic elements, such as deity worship and the consumption of non-halal food, for example pork and alcohol. They see Chinese New Year activities such as wearing red, giving ang pao and lion dance as cultural practices that do not contradict Islamic teachings. They also think get-together events, such as mutual visits, reunion dinners and open houses, fit well with Islamic values, and view these activities as promoting ‘silaturahim’ (maintaining good relationships).

Since 2010, working together with the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MACMA), IKRAM has held various Chinese New Year Open House celebrations. IKRAM is a Muslim organisation in Malaysia, consisting primarily of well-educated, urban-based, middle-class and reformist-minded Malay Muslims. In 2013, the Selangor branch of IKRAM organised Chinese New Year celebrations in nine locations in Selangor: eight small open houses at different districts, all held at Chinese halal restaurants; and a grand one in a Chinese school. Remarkably, one of the key sponsors was the state-controlled Islamic Council of Selangor (MAIS, Majlis Agama Islam Selangor). I joined some of these celebrations, which were well attended by Malay and Chinese Muslims, as well as non-Muslim Chinese.

Chinese cultural elements and Islamic messages are strategically combined in such events. Let me describe one of these celebrations in detail. On 24th February 2013, the 15th day of Chinese New Year, more than one thousand people attended a grand Chinese New Year open house in the Chee Wen Chinese primary school in Subang Jaya. The organisers had chosen a Chinese school and not a mosque to hold this event, hoping that more Chinese would join without hesitation. Invited guest speakers included leaders from Chinese organisations, Islamic NGOS, and Hui Muslims working in Malaysia. There were three hosts for the event: one of them was of mixed Chinese-Malay parentage and the other two were Hui Muslim studying in Malaysia. Most of those involved in organising the event were – both Chinese and Malay Muslims – wore red. Halal Chinese dishes with a localised twist, including a 100-feet yee sang (a popular Chinese New Year dish in Malaysia) were served. The food was sponsored by Mohd Chan Restaurant, a Chinese halal restaurant.

Inside the hall, there were decorations of Chinese lanterns and Chinese calligraphy that read: ‘Allah is the Greatest’ and ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ in Mandarin. Various entertainment programs, including Chinese traditional music performance and lion dances were staged. There were also screening of videos, introducing Islamic teachings and sharing experiences of Chinese converts. MACMA Selangor also held a small exhibition about Islam in Mandarin and English. Qur’an, Islamic books and leaflets in Mandarin and English were available for free. Some volunteers also approached the non-Muslim Chinese who attended, asking their views on Islam and sharing the Islamic messages with them, in a subtle and indirect way.

The chairman of IKRAM Selangor Hassanuddin Mohd Yunus explains,

Islam is a universal religion. In the past, we have only conducted dakwah among Malay Muslims. This is our mistake. We have made Islam a Malay religion, which contradicts the universal value of Islam. We should share the beauty of Islam with ethnic Chinese, who are mostly non-Muslims. And the best way to spread Islamic messages to ethnic Chinese is by using cultural approaches. Chinese New Year is a cultural event, not a religious one. Therefore, we organise Chinese New Year open houses. We serve yee sang (a Chinese Malaysian dish). We give ang pao (red envelope with money). We want to show that Islam and Chinese culture are compatible. Masuk Islam itu bukan Masuk Melayu (convert to Islam is not equal to convert to ethnic Malay).’ (Interview, Hassanudin Yunus, 24 February 2013)

In Seremban (a small town, an hour-drive away from Kuala Lumpur), there was also a Chinese New Year dinner celebration inside the Al-Saadah Complex. The Seremban Al-Saadah Complex is a newly-completed Chinese-style mosque in Malaysia, initiated and sponsored by the Islamic Council of Negeri Sembilan (MAINS, Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan). Its architectural design was inspired by the Great Mosque of Xi An, in mainland China. Various Chinese features dominated both the exterior and interior design of the mosque complex, such as the Chinese-designed entrance gate, the Chinese garden, the courtyard and pavilion, the red pagoda-shaped minaret, red lanterns and Chinese calligraphy.

This mosque complex hosts various activities, such as religious talks, Mandarin classes, conversion ceremonies and cultural festivals. Remarkably, during the Idul Adha celebrations in 2011 and 2012, Chinese Muslim religious teachers presented their sermons in Mandarin (with translation in Malay on LCD screen) inside the mosque. Moreover, the mosque invited an Imam from mainland China to serve the mosque. The mosque committee is also planning to hold regular Friday sermons in Mandarin, beginning from the mid of 2013. If this plan comes true, the Al-Saadah complex might be the first mosque in post-independent Malaysia which conducts Friday sermons in Mandarin regularly.

In the past, it was quite difficult to imagine that a Muslim organisation would organise a Chinese New Year open house or an Islamic authority building a Chinese-style mosque simply because of the pervasive perception of Islam as the symbolic marker of Malay identity. Yet today, not only Chinese Muslims, but many Malay Muslims are enthusiastic in preaching Islam through the use of Chinese cultural symbols and practices.

What are the factors that have contributed to this emergence of cultural dakwah in contemporary Malaysia?

First, there is a growing expression of Chinese Muslim cultural identity among Chinese converts. In the past, many Chinese converted to Islam because of intermarriage or for economic reasons. Many of them came from lower middle-class background, were less educated and did not speak Mandarin. Therefore they were more easily assimilated into the Malay community. Today, there is an increasing number of urban middle-class and Mandarin speaking converts. They become Muslims out of religious interest and take their new religion seriously. They also prefer to maintain their Chinese identity. They see their Chinese culture as an important asset and a preaching strategy, which could facilitate them to share the Islamic message among non-Muslim Chinese. In addition, the recent influx of Hui migrants and students in Malaysia has also given confidence to local Chinese Muslims to cultivate their unique identity.

Second, there is increasing number of urban middle-class Malay Muslims who no longer rely on government assistance and who do not view Islam from an ethnicised perspective. In the past, generally, Malay Muslim organisations were not keen to preach Islam to non-Muslim Chinese. Certain groups were worried that when a Chinese converts to Islam, he or she can then obtain Bumiputra status and enjoy the extensive economic benefits associated with the status (which in reality, is not always the case). These groups also viewed Islam as their core identity marker, hence if a Chinese becomes a Muslim, he or she should also become a Malay. However, such perceptions have diminished in these recent years. Today, many middle-class Malay Muslims are well educated and do not depend on government assistance to make ends meet. They do not see Islam as a ‘Malay religion’, but a religion for all mankind. They state that Islam teaches Muslims against asabiyah (clanism/tribalism). They refer to Quranic verses and Hadith texts to highlight the universality of Islam.

Islam is highly controlled by the state in Malaysia. Some religious authorities even regulated the mosque architecture. Although there is not much public resistance towards these various forms of religious control, there are growing demands for diversity within Islamic expressions among urban Muslim youth. They do not want to see all the mosques built in similar pan-Islamic architecture, thus they support the construction of Chinese-style mosques. They do not want to just eat Malay food, thus they visit Chinese halal restaurants. However, it is uncertain whether this support for diverse cultural expressions of Islam will also lead to the greater pluralisation of Islamic discourses.

Certainly, cultural dakwah is a means for Malay Muslim organisations to expand their ‘faith market’ beyond their own ethnic group. Perhaps, it is also a reaction to the perceived threat of ‘Christianisation’ among Malay Muslims. In the last few years, some religious authorities have warned Muslims against the wave of ‘Christianisation’. In 2012, the Religious Office of Selangor (JAIS, Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor) even raided a church activity, which allegedly attempted to convert some Malay Muslims to Christianity. At the same time, some religious authorities have begun to sponsor the establishment of Chinese-style mosques and the celebration of Chinese New Year, as a way to disseminate Islamic messages to non-Muslim Chinese.

In Malaysia today, we are witnessing not only the emergence of ‘cultural dakwah’, but also ‘political dakwah’, ‘street dakwah’, ‘digital dakwah’, ‘food dakwah’ and so on. Recently, the Islamic party, PAS, has put focus not on its ‘Islamic state’ agenda, but on a ‘welfare state’, together with the slogan, ‘PAS for All’ to broaden its electoral support. In the last election, for the first time, there were non-Muslim candidates running under the PAS banner. There is also an increasing support of non-Muslims towards the Islamic party. During the last election campaigns, many non-Muslim Chinese publicly campaigned for PAS to the extent that some even put up the PAS logo as the display picture of their Facebook pages. Several PAS strategists welcomed this support of non-Muslims and see this as a form of ‘political dakwah’, which means spreading the Islamic messages through political engagement.

In the last ten years, there has also been a mushrooming of Chinese halal restaurants in Malaysia. Mohammad Chan Halal Restaurant and Sharin Low Seafood Restaurant are the two most successful cases. Both Mohammad Chan and Sharin Low do not see contradictions between making profit and preaching Islam. Sharin Low notes that he ‘berniaga sambil beribadah’ (does business while worshiping). All these dakwah methods share similar criteria – indirect, friendly and adaptive. Such attempts certainly could improve the perceptions of non-Muslims towards Islam, yet it is uncertain whether these efforts will convince more non-Muslims to become Muslim.

Amidst the concern of an increasingly puritan Islam or ‘Arabisation of Islam’ that is hostile to ethnic traditions, ‘cultural dakwah’ which promotes hybrid forms of Islamic manifestation reaffirms the cultural inclusivity of Islam in Malaysia. Indeed, the successful stories of Chinese-style mosques, halal restaurants and Chinese New Year celebrations show that many Malay Muslims no longer equal Islam to a Malay religion. There are also various transnational dimensions of ‘cultural dakwah’, such as building mosque with reference to the design of old mosques in mainland China, and inviting a Hui Muslim from China to become an Imam in Malaysia.

The promoters of ‘cultural dakwah’ differentiate ‘ethnic practices’ from ‘religious ritual’ to preach Islam by using Chinese cultural approaches. By doing so, they make Islam appear more universal and inclusive. However, such ‘culture-religion’ distinction has limitations and can be problematic, especially when it comes to defending contentious practices. For example, the notion of a ‘culture-religion’ distinction might be convincing enough to justify the Chinese New Year ‘cultural’ celebration, yet it is inadequate to defend Muslims practicing yoga (which some Islamic authorities in Malaysia deem to contain Hindu elements and are therefore un-Islamic), and to protect the rights of Christians to use the term ‘Allah’ in the Bible. In other words, while many promoters of ‘cultural dakwah’ accept cultural diversity, provided it falls within specified ‘orthodox’ boundaries, yet they might hesitate to cross religious boundaries, observe non-Islamic rituals and endorse alternative interpretations of Islam.

*Hew Wai Weng is a research fellow at Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin.

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2013/08/23/universalising-islam-in-malaysia/

CONFUCIANISM AND ISLAM

By

Yamin Cheng

Chinese life is unthinkable without Confucianism. Confucianism is the name given to the teachings of Confucius, the Latinized name of Kung Fu Tzu, or Master Kung, who lived in the 6th century BCE. From the time of the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) until today, Confucianism has formed the flesh and blood of Chinese thought, culture, and civilization. It is a remarkable coincidence that the teachings of Confucianism are, on the most part, commensurate with the teachings of Islam so that a Chinese who becomes a Muslim need not abandon his Chinese roots in Confucianism even as he takes on the Muslim identity. One can even go the distance to say that, because of this coincidence of worldviews, a Chinese who is faithful to his Confucian roots is already a ‘Muslim’ in many ways even before he enters Islam.

Wang Yang Ming, a 16th century Confucian scholar, said, with regard to the Confucian view of the world:

‘A great man is one who feels that he belongs to a unity which includes the universe and the different kinds of beings…..When a man sees a child about to fall into a well, he has the instinct of commiseration (same feeling as the child in that situation). This is his sense of human-heartedness, and it is this which makes him and the child one. Still, someone may say that man and a child constitute a unity only because they belong to the same species.

However, when a man sees trembling and frightened birds and animals and hears their cries, he has a sense of pity for them. It is this which makes him one with them. Or someone may say that this unity exists only because birds and animals in common with men have feeling and sense. Nevertheless, even when a man beholds falling trees, he knows pity- and it is this which makes him one with the plants.

Someone may say again that this unity is derived from the fact that plants, like men, are living organisms. In answer to this, we may point out that even when a man sees stones and bricks being broken up, he feels pity. This constitutes his oneness with physical objects. This sense of oneness with the universe is a gift of nature and is conferred by heaven. It is in itself bright and intelligent.’

This view of the world, where everything is connected to everything else in a shared feeling for one another - between humans, and between humans and the animals, plants, and stones - is called 天人合一 / Tian Ren He Yi, or ‘Harmony between Heaven and Human,’ the heart of the Confucian worldview.

In the Confucian worldview, the person is never detached from his family, his community or society, and from Nature and Heaven. He is an individual self, a relational self, and a collective self, all at once. In other words, when a person sees himself, he also sees his community or society, Nature, and Heaven, all at the same time. Therefore, before he does something, he is always aware that whatever he is going to do, it will have implications on these other ‘mirror aspects or selves’ of him. He shares the same mind and sentiments with them. He is them and they are him.

The family is the centerpiece of the Confucian world. It is through the family that a good human being, a responsible social member, and a loyal citizen, are produced. When Confucius was asked why he did not participate in government since he spoke often of the importance of government, he said, ‘Filial piety. Be filial to your parents and dutiful to your brothers, and you will be contributing to government. These virtues surely constitute taking part in government, so why should only a particular activity be regarded as taking part in government?’

The relationship between parents and children is the most important relationship in the family. Concerning this, Mencius, the second most important scholar after Confucius, said:

What is the most important duty? One’s duty towards one’s parents. There are many duties one should discharge, but the fulfillment of one’s duty towards one’s parents is the most basic.

Because of the utmost significance of the parents and children relationship, Mencius makes it the benchmark of the ruler’s behavior. If the ruler can show filial piety towards his parents, then he can be a true ruler. Thus, in Mencius’ view, because parents and children form the crux of human relationship, its proper execution should be exemplified in the ruler himself. If the ruler can carry out his filial duty to his parents, then he is fit to be a ruler. And if he can demonstrate his filial duty to his parents, he will be the model par excellence for his people to do the same. When everyone in society practices filial duty, then there will be peace and harmony in society, and religion would have achieved its objective in the social system.

Dua or Parents

Text 

And say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small." (Quran 17:24)

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SLEEPING AND WAKING, LIVING AND DYING

SLEEPING AND WAKING, LIVING AND DYING

By

Yamin Cheng

Sleeping and waking are two activities of life that we all do. Night is the time we go to bed, let our body takes a good rest, and hope for sweet dreams to visit us. Morning is the time we get up from bed, get ourselves fresh with a quick shower, take a light breakfast, and go to work, or do the things we are supposed to do. Early to bed and early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy, and wise. So goes a saying. Is it?

For many of us today, our time is mostly occupied with making a living. Our mind is mostly occupied with the thought of how we could afford a home, pay for our car, feed our family, take care of our parents, pay our medical bills, prepare a good life for our children, and hopefully, we can retire with some money to spare. When we go to bed, our mind is occupied with these concerns, and when we wake up, our mind is also occupied with the same concerns. What if, some day we go to bed and do not wake up anymore? What is going to happen to our home, our car, our family, our parents, our medical bills, and our children, when we are no longer around to be their breadwinner?

For some of us, our time is mostly occupied with making more and more of what we already have. We may already have a home, but we want a more comfortable home, or one more home, and if possible, many more homes. We may already have a car, but we want a better or have another car, if possible. We not only want to be able to feed our family, but to be able to give them the best of food. We not only want to take care of our parents, but also to make sure they can go holidaying around the world. We not only want a medical treatment, but we want to receive the best medical treatment in a very good hospital. We not only want a good life for our children, but we want the best life for them by sending them to the best colleges or universities in the world. When we go to bed, our mind is occupied with these concerns, and when we wake up, our mind is also occupied with the same concerns. What if, some day we go to bed and do not wake up anymore? What is going to happen to our homes, our cars, our family, our parents, our medical bills, and our children, when we are no longer around to afford these luxuries of life?

For a Muslim, sleeping and waking connects him to a deeper meaning of existence. A Muslim is one who is aware that every moment of his life is a moment he continues to live, and he is aware that it is also a moment that he could die. As such, we are told by our beloved Prophet Muhammad to work for this life as if we are going to live for a thousand years, but at the same time, to work for the next life as if we are going to die the next day. For a Muslim, every moment of his life is a time by which he strives very hard to make his next moment in life a worthwhile cause for living. Simultaneously, he makes sure that every moment which he takes to make his worldly life a worthwhile and satisfying one, is also a moment of a good and virtuous life - whether it is for now, later, or the hereafter.

A Muslim therefore is one who before going to bed would say ‘Bismikallahumma, amutu, wa ahya,’ (meaning ‘In your name, O Allah, I die, and I live’). Alternately, this can be read as ‘In your name, O Allah, I lapse into lifelessness (sleep), and I come again into life (waking up).’ Similarly, upon getting up from bed, he would say ‘Alhamdulillahi, allazi, ahyana, ba’da ma amatana, wa ilaihi al-nushur,’ (meaning ‘All praises are due to Allah, who brings us back to life, after having made us died, and to Him is the resurrection’). Alternately, this can be read as ‘All praises are due to Allah, who brings us into life (waking), after having made us lapsed into lifelessness (sleep), and again brings us into life (waking again).’

These two utterances are called du’a, or supplication. These utterances are reminders to a Muslim that sleeping is likened to death, and waking is likened to life. Thus, a Muslim, before sleeping, would ponder upon the possibility of ‘what if’ he doesn’t wake up anymore. And he would ponder, upon waking up, what he is to do with his life.

The two du’a put a Muslim in touch with God, so that as he goes to sleep, and as he wakes up from sleep, he will ponder over whether his life has made a change for the better, has remained stagnant, or has dwindled into decay that he doesn’t know where he is heading in life.

The Muslim, upon waking up from sleep, says ‘‘Alhamdulillahi, allazi, ahyana, ba’da ma amatana, wa ilaihi al-nushur.’ When he utters this du’a, he reconnects with God. As he reconnects with God, he remembers that it is God who gave him sleep, and it is God who woke him up. It is God who puts him into lifelessness, and it is God who brings him into life. So what is the point of ‘coming back to life?’

The Muslim says ‘Alhamdulillah’ as he wakes up because he praises God for giving him the chance to reconnect with life, the chance to appraise the things he has done, the chance to set new resolutions for the things he is going to do, the chance to seek God’s forgiveness for any past mistakes or misdeeds, and the chance to seek God’s guidance for a better tomorrow.

“O servant of Allah! Be sensible, and make a serious effort to get to know the One you serve before death comes to you. Ask Him to supply your needs, both day and night. To put a request to Him is an act of worshipful service (ibadah), whether He gives or does not give you what you ask for. You must not harbour doubts about Him. Do not get impatient for a response, and do not get bored with asking. Put your request to Him with an attitude of humble submission and do not remonstrate with Him if you do not receive an immediate response, for He is more Aware of your best interests than you are.” 

— Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (rahimullah)

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2013 - KOTA MARUDU, SABAH

LOKASI: DEWAN KOMUNITI KOTA MARUDU, SABAH

TARIKH: 24 - 25 OGOS 2013

PERJALANAN KOTA KINABALU KE KOTA MARUDU
Dari Kota Kinabalu, kami bertolak ke Kota Marudu pula untuk kempen "Go Red for Women" dengan kerjasama PEWANIS Kota Marudu, Sabah. 
Perjalanan dari Kota Kinabalu ke Kota Marudu mengambil masa perjalanan 2 jam 13 minit dengan jarak perjalanan sejauh 119 km dengan melalui beberapa buat bandar dan pekan seperti Inanam, Telipok, Tamparuli, Tuaran dan Kota Belud. 

Sepanggar merupakan salah satu subdaerah yang terletak di tepi pantai barat bandar Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Lokasinya cukup cantik, menarik dan strategik kerana terdapat kawasan bukit di tepi pantai Teluk Sepanggar. Ahli Parlimen bagi Sepanggar (P.171) ialah Eric Enchin Majimbun dari Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP). Kawasan parlimen Sepanggar dibahagi kepada dua DUN, iaitu Karambunai (N.12) dan Inanam (N.13).

Di sini terdapat kampus induk Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) dan Pengkalan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM). Latihan simulasi kapal selam TLDM ditempatkan di kem ini. Dua buah kapal selam jenis Scorpene yang dibina di Sepanyol ditempatkan di limbungan Teluk Sepanggar. Kapal selam ini diberi nama KD Tunku Abdul Rahman dan KD Tun Razak.

 

Tamparuli merupakan sebuah bandar kecil yang terletak di Tuaran, Sabah. Kebanyakan penduduk di sini berbangsa Kadazan-Dusun. Di samping itu, terdapat juga komuniti berbangsa Cina yang berniaga di sini.

Tamparuli terkenal dengan daya tarikannya iaitu mempunyai jambatan gantung terpanjang, dengan terciptanya lagu 'Jambatan Tamparuli', yang kini menjadi lagu kegemaran bagi kaum Kadazan Dusun.

Tuaran tertelak di Daerah Pantai Barat, Barat Laut Sabah berkeluasan kira 1.116 km persegi dan mempunyai penduduk seramai 94,100 orang. Kaum terbesar di daerah ini adalah kaut Dusun diikuti dengan etnik Bajau dan Cina.

Bandar ini terkenal sebagai Bandar persinggahan yang popular kepada pelancong dan masyarakat yang berulang alik dari Kota Kinabalu ke Kota Belud, Kota Marudu dan Kudat.

Nama Tuaran dipercayai berasal dari perkataan bahasa Melayu yakni tawaran yang beerti 'jualan' atau 'tawar' atau 'diskaun' atau 'promosi'. Nama ini dipercayai berasal daripada fungsi pasar dimana para penduduk bumiputera yang datang dari perkampungan tepi bukit dan genting bukit datang ke Tuaran untuk menjual hasil tanaman mereka kepada para nelayan pantai dan masyarakat Cina pantai.

Kota Belud terletak lebih kurang 70 km dari Kota Kinabalu terkenal dengan jolokan sebagai Daerah “Koboi Timur” kerana kehebatan penduduknya menunggang kuda, kerbau dan lembu.

Nama Kota Belud berasal daripada bahasa Bajau yang iaitu “Kota” bermaksud kubu pertahanan manakala “Belud” bermaksud bukit. Maksud Kota Belud adalah Kubu Pertahanan di atas Bukit.

KEMPEN "GO RED FOR WOMEN", DEWAN KOMUNITI KOTA MARUDI, SABAH

Program berlansung di Dewan Komuniti Kota Marudu pada 24 - 25 Ogos 2013. Seramai 182 orang telah menjalani Ujian Saringan Kesihatan sepanjang program dua hari ini.

YJM telah mendapatkan bantuan jururawat dari Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah Kota Marudu untuk membantu membuat ujian saringan kesihatan. 
Semasa di sini kami menginap di Hotel Season 2 yang terletak lebih kurang 300 meter dari Dewan Komuniti Kota Marudu. 

Hotel Season 2 pada tahun 2013

Gambar Terbaru dari Internet

Hotel Season 2, Kota Marudu, Sabah (Gambar terbaru menunjukkan Bank Simpanan Nasional sudah tiada digantikan dengan Pasar Mini Speedmart).Sebelah BSN sudah ada Restoran, semasa saya menginap di Hotel ini pada 2013, restoran ini tidak ada lagi. 

Hotel Season 2

89100 Kota Marudu

Sabah

Tel : 088-662 555

Jururawat dari Pej. Kesihatan Kota Marudu turut membantu dalam kempen tersebut

UJIAN DARAH Ia dilakukan untuk mengetahui kiraan darah keseluruhan, paras gula (glukosa), kandungan lipid (kolesterol), fungsi hati dan buah pinggang.

Nasihat Kesihatan dan Pemakanan dari Jururawat Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah

 Kota Marudu

Index Jisim Badan atau BMI merujuk kepada kadar berat berbanding ketinggian, atau isipadu seseorang. Cara pengiraan Index Jisim Badan adalah.

MAJLIS MAKAN MALAM

Majlis Makan Malam dianjurkan oleh PEWANIS Kota Marudu diadakan di Dewan Komuniti Kota Marudu Sabah. 

Puan Hjh Ainon Bt Kuntom, Pengarah Yayasan Jantung Malaysia sedang memberi ucapan di Majlis Makan Malam anjuran PEWANIS Kota Marudu

KOTA MARUDU, SABAH

Kota Marudu adalah sebuah daerah yang terletak di Bahagian Kudat, Sabah. 

Marudu berasal dari bahasa salah satu kaum di Sabah iaitu orang Balanini. Ia berasal dari kata “MAIRUDU” yang bermaksud “Suatu kedudukan di situ-situ juga”. Orang Balanini yang dulu berkerja menangkap ikan sering ditanya datang dari mana , maka mereka akan menjawab “di situ juga” (merujuk kpd Kota Marudu) maka akhirnya tempat ini dikenali dengan nama Kota Marudu.

Nama Marudu atau Marudu mula dipetakan oleh seorang ahli pelayaran Belanda pada tahun 1595 yang belayar dari Brunei melalui Marudu menuju ke Palawan dan seterusnya ke Pulau Sulu.

Kota Marudu asalnya bernama Bandau. Nama ini telah digunakan sejak sebelum Negeri Sabah mencapai kemerdekaan melalui Malaysia, sehinggalah tahun 1974. Menurut legenda daerah ini, Bandau adalah terbitan daripada perkataan 'Mondou' daripada diaiek suku Momogun Rungus [Kadazandusun] yang bermaksud "ketua semua binatang buas" yang rupanya seakan-akan musang.Mondou dipercayai pada suatu masa dahulu di jumpai oleh Aki Rungsud kawasan di sepanjang Sungai Bandau.

Selesai program di Kota Marudu, keesokan harinya kami pulang semula ke Kota Kinabalu untuk urusan penghantaran balik barang-barang Pemeriksaan Kesihatan ke Kuala Lumpur melalu Pos Laju Kota Kinabalu. 

Kami tidor semalam lagi di Kota Kinabalu sebelum meneruskan penerbangan balik ke Kuala Lumpur keesokan harinya. 

Demikianlah selesainya program kami di Sabah pada tahun 2013, satu kenangan yang tak dapat saya lupakan kerana kami berada di Sabah seminggu selepas Hari Raya Aidilfitri... lagu lagu raya masih lagi berkumandang di Sabah ketika kami menjalankan program kesihatan di sini. 

Zulheimy Bin Maamor

YJM

2.11.2013 : 2.00 pm