Muddy Junction

MUD Manifesto Part 1

2006-02-16T11:46:00.000+08:00

The objective of this manifesto is to outline steps that need to be taken by MUDs "to help Islam be Islam".

The above statement embraces the assumption that today, Islam is often misportrayed, misunderstood, mispractised. This, the writer asserts, comes from the fact that 'Islam', and its general perception, has beeen hijacked and abused by those of a more extreme persuasion, and those who are adamant on villifying the very word for psychological, economical and religio-sociological gains and objectives. This can be clearly seen from the recent (current?) uproar over the 'Cartoons of the Prophet' incident, the reaction to Hamas taking majority in the recent Palestinian elections, and closer to home, the issue of burial for certain Muslims who had their 'Islamness' questioned which lead to post-earthly (or should we say earthy) repercussions.

The purpose here is not to be preachy. Rather, as earlier blogs explained, Muddy Junction strives to serve as a confluence of knowledge, opinions and references, which would lead to a personal decision-support system in performing 'ijtihad' or individual reasoning. In order to effectively communicate constructive and informed opinions/reasonings, which is evidently sorely lacking, its foundations and basis has to be firm. Consequently, access to the right medium for communication is key.

In that light, what is of paramount importance is this:

Islam needs the right platform/s for communication.

Many may say 'Huh? Well, that is obvious'. But do we have them? Is Islam fairly represented and portrayed? Do we have mouthpieces that have the ability to reach the masses, especially the oft-referred 'silent majority' (which may be refered to as the 'Ho-Hum Club'), many of which would probably fall under the MUD category? Do we strive to be heard, and heard right? Do we meaningfully do anything about the wrongs what are being said?

It would not be a great stretch to assert that the above be answered in the negative. To say that Islam has bad press worldwide would be a grave understatement. Media blackouts on opinions other than those aligned to controllers of the press are dormant. But maybe before we even speak of a platform, what about the ability to communicate?

Malaysians have earned notoriety when it comes to participation in global online forums/newsgroups, which had resulted in them being banned from various platforms of internet-based dicussion. Being a self-confessed abstainer of 'teh tarik debating' that many Muslims here undertake, I was pleasantly surprised of late by some level-headed discussions found on local blogs, the aforementioned Aisehman being a current favourite after a short hiatus. It has to be taken into account, however, that in order to communicate effectively, the target audience and the optimal mode of communication has to be considered. While the written form may arguably be considered historically the most powerful catalyst of thought-change, current methods/medium/platforms/form have to be considered. The MTV/Akademi Fantasia/American Idol/'Dark' Metal/'Female Siblings in Islam'/MP3 Generation's attention require the right medium. After all, as said by Marshall McLuhan, 'The medium is the message'.

That said, the basis of the communication needs to be solid. Using the Quranic verse of 'Let there be no compulsion in religion' (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256) to conveniently justify a stand or perspective, as is often done by a MUD-like organisation, without taking the rest of the Quran or Hadeeth as a basis gives scant acknowledgement to the ability of the MUD to think and use his/her 'aql'. The desire to reach the Truth should always the need to justify. Only then is a MUD's heart open to the true path of Allah.

Looking at the above, there are 3 main points that need to be addressed:

1. The foundations of knowledge, or ability to seek knowledge, has to be strengthened.

2. The ability to reason and discuss, with knowledge, has to be honed.

3. The ability to communicate in the right medium to the right audience, need to be nurtured.

The next posting will discuss the writer's opinion on the 'hows' regarding the above.

Over and out.

MUD Manifesto Part 0.5

2006-02-14T09:48:00.000+08:00

Moving by increments, this manifesto. Many single steps, one before another.

This very day marks the secularistic Lovers Day ritual. It is interesting to note that, according to my favourite communal reference Wikipedia, St. Valentine has a rather fuzzy past, mentioned only as one of three martyred saints of ancient Rome. It was originally celebrated as a saints day in the church calendar until 1969, when Papal housekeeping pushed St. Valentines Day out, citing that his status was due to legend and less to history (whose story?) as the prime reason.

More importantly to MUDs, the recent 31st January marked the Islamic New Year, signalled by the beginning of the Awal Muharram month. This calendar was introduced by the second Caliph Umar Al-Khattab r.a. in 638CE, with the year of Hijrah starting at 622CE when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) migrated (hijra) from Mecca to Madinah, escaping prosecution from the former and establishing a city-state in the latter. It may be interesting to note that the Islamic calendar does not mark the birth of its most notable character, nore does it coincide with victories of war. Rather, the event was one of "sacrifice for the cause of Truth and for the preservation of the Revelation" (http://fisher.osu.edu/~muhanna_1/hijri-intro.html)

This MUD is trying out his own Hijrah - from complacence to regularity for this blog, Insha'Allah. Also, to share his journey in rediscovering and comprehending Solat, Du'a as well as social occurences in Islam. And true to his urbane roots, to use management theory, contemporary music, thought-provoking & cotton candy movies and any and every source of knowledge in the quest to assimilate Islam into himself, and him to Islam.

Stay tuned.

MUD Manifesto Part 0

2006-01-30T00:22:00.000+08:00

The Rooster gives way to the Dog.

However much this may seem to allude to a punchline of a fauna-related tale, it is not; tis merely a point in time where the Chinese calendar morphs into another year, albeit a canine one (a tiny fact to note is that this writer was born at the borderline between the year of the Monkey and Goat, and it may be convincingly argued that the characteristics of the aforementioned two be anthropomorphised by him). Ever one to cede to junctions as significant triggers of events, it may be bizzarely appropriate of the writer to resurrect an almost-forgotten intent of this blog: the MUD Manifesto.

For those who may be, at this stage, unfamiliar with the term MUD, it refers to the target audience of this pseudo-blog: Muslims of Urban Descent (the earliest posts are about this). Why a manifesto for MUDs? Well, the writer felt that in order to tackle the numerous and unabated assaults, the constant confusion and misunderstandings, the well-meaning but often misplaced commentaries (hmm, may this be one of them?) on that thing called Islam, a fresh and targeted form of communique may be quintessential in carrying the right message, carried via a capsule that enlightens and cajoles the MUD to do one thing: THINK. Think about Islam in a contextual manner, even conceptual need be, should it help in the process of understanding.

Just who does the writer THINK HE is to carry that very torch? Err, uhm... well, he hope that his rants and raves would be a catalyst of thought, especially when that thought leads to a MUD having a desire to both objectively and subjectively discover, for his or herself, what Islam is, how it affects him or her, and what he or she, ultimately, should DO about it. This blog is a sharing of thoughts of one who is on such a journey, not an expert by any measure; his efforts are purely initiated with the hope of triggering other thoughts. However, if the thinking does not lead to action, then the writer would have ultimately failed.

In mitigating the aforementioned failure, a practical manifesto (if there is such a thing) need be produced. So here goes. Now where did I put that "Manifesto for Dummies" PDF file.....

Yikes. More to come.

Of Yuletide & Birth Times

2005-12-22T11:16:00.000+08:00

3 days to the Christmas Celebrations, moving towards the end of the calendar year and the school holidays (and time where the idiot box espouses better movie choices). Year end tends to be a time of retrospection, looking back at what has happened in the past year. The writer, however, is curious about Christmas itself, wanting to dig beyond the current capitalistic connotations and its unavoidable visualisations in the various cathederals of commerce (shopping centres for the uninitiated). What better than to turn to the penultimate democratisation of information sources, Wikipedia.

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. The date 25 December apparently was derived from the celebration of Saturnalia, where Romans honoured their ancient god of agriculture, Saturn. This festival started from 17 December and lasted for 7 days, which includes winter solsitice on 25 December. Celebrations, which included the exchanging of gifts, postponement of businesses and much feasting, tended to continue till the new year. According to Isaac Asimov in his "Guide to the Bible", "[C]onverts could join Christianity without giving up their Saturnalian happiness. It was only necessary for them to joyfully greet the birth of the Son rather than the Sun."

Sources differ on the actual date of the birth of Christ. The earliest evidence of celebration is from Alexandria, in about 200 CE, when Clement of Alexandria says that certain Egyptian theologians "over curiously" assign not just the year but also the actual day of Christ's birth as 25 Pachon (May 20) in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus. Other scholars maintained that Emporer Constantine (not of the Keanu Reeves persuasion) encouraged celebrations on 25 December after converting to Christianity as a common celebration for both Christians and Pagans. Scandinavians celebrate the Germanic Yule, also having origins in pagan winter solsitice celebrations.

What does the Quran say about the birth of Isa (Jesus)? Surah Al-Imran (3) pertaining this begins with birth of Maryam:

33. Allah chose Adam, Nuh (Noah), the family of Ibrahim (Abraham) and the family of 'Imran above the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of their time)

34. Offspring, one of the other, and Allah is the All-Hearer, All-Knower.

35. (Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: "O my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your Place of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.

36. Then when she delivered her [child Maryam(Mary)], she said: "O my Lord! I have delivered a female child," - and Allah knew better what she delivered - "And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam [literally means: maidservant of Allah] (Mary), and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Shaitan (Satan), the outcast.

37. So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariya (Zachariya). Every time he entered Al-Mihrab [a praying place or private room] to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam (Mary)! From where have you got this?" She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit."

38. At that time Zakariya invoked his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation."

39. Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in Al-Mihrab (saying): "Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John), confirmming (believing in) the word from Allah [i.e. the creation of 'Iesa (Jesus) a.s., the word from Allah ("Be!" and he was!)], noble, keeping away from sexual relations with women, a Prophet, from among the righteous."

40. He said: "O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren?" Allah said: "Thus Allah does what He wills."

41. He said: "O my Lord! Make a sign for me." Allah said: Your sign is that you shall not speak to mankind for three days except with signals. And remember your Lord much (by praising Him again and again), and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning".

42. And (remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you (from polytheism and disbelief), and chosen you above the women of the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns)(of her lifetime)."

43. O Maryam! "Submit yourself with obedience to your Lord (Allah, by worshipping none but Him alone) and prostate yourself, and Irkai (bow down etc.) along with Ar-Raki'un (those who bow down etc)"

44. This is a part of the news of the Ghaib (unseen) which We inspire you with (O Muhammad pbuh). You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam; nor were you with them when they disputed.

45. (Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word ("Be!" - and he was! i.e. Iesa the son of Maryam) from Him, his name will be the Messiah Iesa, the son of Maryam, held in honour in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah."

46. "He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous."

47. She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me." He said: "So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He say to it only: "Be!" - and it is.

48. And He (Allah) will teach him the Book and Al-Hikmah (i.e. the Sunah, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom etc.), (and) the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel).

49. And will make him a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): " I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you a bird out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allah's Leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you believe."

50. And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Taurat, and to make lawful to you part of which was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear Allah and obey me.

51. Truly! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is the Straight Path.

Res ipsa loquitur.

The Slow of Fasting

2005-12-04T02:03:00.000+08:00

End of the end of the month of Ramadhan today, marked by the last of 'open houses' invitations, the beginning of relatives going for Hajj, and the return of the flab to normal, nay, increased proportions.

Fasting month this year dragged on, then flew by. My Tarawikh prayers count, the highly recommended 'optional' prayers for the month, dropped lower with time; my 'Puasa Enam' or 'Six Day Fast' post-Ramadhan also dipped this year, from 4 days last year to 3. Reading of the Quran, always an ambition at the begining, was sparsely achieved. All in all, my report card this year fared not too well.

My relatives, however, seem busy. One engagement ceremony today, and two weddings in two weeks. All male first cousins at that. The tying of knots, a decade after mine. Well-wishes for them all.

A need for a refresh, that I do. A trip to the Pearl of the Orient, family in tow. A package obtained from the Red Devil's budget carrier; a bargain? Maybe, that we shall see. Recuperate to face another year. Hopefully reigniting creative juices, which hath dried of late. Ah, for a torrent of pixie dust, brain food, my kingdom for that.

Tis seem to be a rambling outlet now, this blog. I have but only thanks for those who persevere. Who knows, this mortal might just be back, soon?

Fast(ing) Updates

2005-10-03T23:05:00.000+08:00

Resuscitate.

Months upon months of procrastination, and the month of Ramadhan approaches. The busiest time for my company too approaches, as prospective investors ready for a visit in a fortnight. A close kin temporarily emigrates to a high-altitude city, not too many stone's throw away from Mecca, in the pursuit or Arabic and related spiritual gnosis. All this amid struggles to kick-start a familial business initiative, aimed at Learning for the Mind, Body and Soul. Ah, we're at the familiar junction yet again. Muddy to say the least.

Cough.

Air enters the lungs, slowly familiarising itself to dependent surroundings. Keyboard taps, staccato, then picking up a much more regular tune. Fingers walk the walk, producing the talk. Breathe.

Gulp.

That's it, back to life. Air by the lungful, channeling much required nourishment for the cerebral heart.

Resolve.

Expect more soon. Work beckons, but the mind is AWAKE. Soon.

Of Invocations and Supplications

2005-06-05T01:06:00.000+08:00

It was a normal request.

I have been approached before to read a du'a or "saying of prayer" at a certain function/occasion, though more often than not it was more of a familial affair. Most of the time the du'a was the standard post-solat/prayer category, all in arabic, and read not with much aforethought. The 'congregationary' atmosphere of a du'a was certainly pleasing, with the 'ameen' recitation at various levels, sometimes but not often cacophonic, ending with the wiping of one's palms onto one's face, almost like it has a physical cleansing action.

This was different.

The event was the wedding of a colleague. Now that in itself was not an astoundingly differentiating factor; du'a s at weddings tend to be rather similar in different ways. It was almost the rule of the thumb for it to be read by either an uncle of the bride or groom who could slip in a pertinent fact in situ, although the norm seems to be the most 'qualified' ustaz or highest-ranking religious figure one could get hold of. That meant, in most cases, the Imam of a mosque, the vernacular choice being the obvious one. The typical 'upgrade' of the neighbourhood Imam would be the Imam of the State, or even National, mosque. If there were an Imam of an International mosque, his schedule, one could expect, would be filled to the brim with wedding invitations, mostly from Malaysia.

This was more different.

Apart from the fact that I was neither the bride's nor the groom's uncle, and I was never nor am I presently an Imam of any Government-built mosque or otherwise, I was still asked. In addition, the request came with an attachment: English translation please. This, again, was not unusual. I had recited not a bilingual, but a trilingual du'a at my eldest sister's wedding (all my sisters are elders, btw). The resultant, though, was looks of "When the heck is that guy going to finish", "Are you sure that translates right" and "Here goes another guy who MUST love to hear his own voice" from the guests. I must admit, the du'a WAS three times longer due to translations, and the translations were often done by yours truly. The du'a, though, was rather memorable for me: I actually recited it whilst having a tantrum-prone not-too-light son on a warpath with legs wrapped around my left waist. It was certainly a test of endurance.

This one HAD to be different.

Being a MUD meant that one had to approach this request from a perspective of comprehension, planning and meaningful implementation. Iman is in the action. I had, in one of my spontaneous religious eruptions of knowledge-seeking, collected a number of books on du'as in both English and Malay. I had frustratingly, however, not been able to locate a rather prized possession of mine, a book called "Remembrance & Prayer" by Al-Ghazzali. Not that I had read it but have been meaning to. Well, that and the fact that I loved Al-Ghazzali's "Thematic Commentary of the Quran".

Combing through my other collections, I finally composed something. Stayed up till 4am researching the day before, and finished finally at lunchtime before the evening ceremony. The actual recitation, I would have you know, went rather smoothly, albeit via a temperamental microphone which successfully turned my performance to sound like a staccato 80's New Wave song, at times.

Just to share with all ye who read this, the du'a was as such:

1. After salaams, I quoted Surah Al-Baqarah (2:186):

"And when My servants question you concerning Me,
Then surely I am near.
I answer the call of the caller
When he calls on Me;
So let them respond to Me
And put faith in Me
That they may be on the right way".

2. Du'a structures start with the Bismillah (Starting endeavours in the name of Allah), Exaltations to Allah, Blessings to Muhammad (peace be upon him), the body of the du'a, Blessings to Muhammad (peace be upon him) and closing with Exaltations to Allah. It normally ends with a wish for Allah to accept that du'a.

3. So the dua started with Exaltations to Allah and Blessings to Muhammamd pbuh.

4. Then Surah Al-Isra' (The Journey by Night) (17:24):

"My Lord! Bestow on them (my parents)
Thy Mercy even as they
Cherished me in childhood".

5. Then Surah Al-Imran (The Family of Imran) (3:8)

"Our Lord! (they say)
Let not our hearts deviate
Now after Thou hath guided us
But grant us mercy
From Thine own Presence;
For Thou art the Grantor
Of bounties without measure"

6. Then Surah Ya-Sin (36:83)

"So glory to Him
In Whose hands is
The dominion of all things
And to Him will you
Be all brought back"

7. Ya Allah,
May you bless the newlyweds,
And allow us,
The guests and wellwishers,
To wish them,
As cited in the Hadeeth reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim:
"May Allah bless (your spouse) for you
and may He bless you
and join you in a happy union"

8. Then Surah Al-Baqarah (2:201)

"Our Lord! Give us
Goodness in this world
and goodness in the hereafter
and defend us
from the torment
of the Fire"

9. And the du'a was ended with Blessings for Muhammad pbuh, and Exaltations to Allah.

10. Ameen.

Over and Out.

The Third Junction Crossed

2005-05-31T18:16:00.000+08:00

A father again.

After starting a new job and moving my abode, I have finally reached the third junction: on 29th May, at 12.40pm, I am a proud father of a 3.06kg and 43cm long baby girl, who is as yet unnamed. 26 hours since the first contractions appeared, the miraculous Act of Allah brought a writhing, pink and somewhat pouty bundle into this world. Alhamdulillah!

True to the age of ICT, the birth was followed by a flurry of SMS'es to kin and kindred alike, often with congratulatory replies and visits. The author also uncharacteristically splurged at Mothercare, buying pink-hued garments and a plethora of matching socks! All in 8 minutes too...

Now comes the naming; both of us have been looking throught the standard and non-standard Islamic names books and have just about settled on one. Getting a consensus between spouses may not be an easy task, but an important one. Such are shared resposibilites.

And from a birth of a child to a birth of a family: I have been invited to recite the du'a at my colleague's (well, I do report to her though so 'boss's'?) wedding, no less! Wading through the numerous du'a books in both English and Malay has proven an enriching endeavour, as to the concept, nature and process of du'a. This shall be shared, Insha'Allah, in a time not too distant (I have to improve time between postings!). Till then, Wassalam.

Site Alive!

2005-05-16T00:07:00.000+08:00

I am happy.

There has been postings on my website (http://www.muddyjunction.com) and there are discussions! There are postings almost every day! At the very least I know that I now have an audience of at least 4 readers (oops, I included myself that time).

I am happy.

Tis been a month since I moved into our new home (signalled by the appearance of my landlord collecting rent!). More excursions to Ikea, and generous furniturial (is there such a word?) contributions by close kins, and a living room that is finally settling down (curtains, carpets and all!)

I am happy.

Dr. Mashitah, speaking at Dewan Rakyat, was speaking against Amina Wadud and her outrageous actions of late (there is some sense in the world after all). Seemingly supportive organisations of Amina Wadud (who incidentally was lecturing before at UIA?) like Sisters in Islam are being put under scrutiny. Good.

Not so happy.

The IFC issue: its formation is still on 'postponed' status. If Interfaith dialogue was the proposal, there need not be any Commission. More on this a little later.

L8tr.

Back on Track

2005-04-27T11:41:00.000+08:00

The junction is behind me.

Three usually rather cataclysmic junctions in one's life I have crossed, or am about to, in the last month. The upheaval of one's abode, which has brought me back into the muddy estuarial confines of Kuala Lumpur, having been a resident of that pioneering suburb Petaling Jaya for the last half decade. "Balik kampung", my soul-mate claimed, as Damansara Heights was where I had spent most of my growing years, albeit under the wings, both paternal and maternal.

The second junction was my new vocation, into which I have settled. Armed with an iBook G4 (a homecoming of sorts too, being a longtime Mac user in years yonder) and an SDSL 2Mb line (yeah!!), the newly renovated rectangular space sports an open layout and huge windows (definitely a plus there). A 24-hour mamak just outside and two 7-Elevens a stone's throw away doesn't hurt either, as long hours seem the norm.

The third junction still being crossed, as my expectant soulmate would be due in June. A semi-traumatic and strangely euphoric combination of emotions about moving into a bigger place, in the preggies condition. At least less F1 morning experience of tearing down the Sprint Highway to get the kids to school on time. School busses are now the order of the day.

All tools in place, now just need to get the juices going again.

Muddy Junction is officially back on track.

Gnosis

Murky Crossroads

2005-03-24T07:40:00.000+08:00

I have reached a muddy junction.

This is the last two days of work with my present employer, as I leave the relatively comfortable cocoon of familiarity, within the piano nobile of the world's loftiest twin constructs of vocation, to swap for a less familiar surrounding within "Hill of Stars" (Bukit Bintang to most MUDs). A scant consolation is that the infamous melting pot of all things IT (Low Yat Plaza and Imbi Plaza) is now a stone's throw away, with a possibility of a quick visit every lunchtime.

I have reached a muddy junction.

A decision to further the cause of Islam (via the spread of Islamic knowledge) by means within one's expertise, sits on the precipice; time has come for money to be invested, which inadvertently makes one pause. Especially when the livelyhood of not only oneself, but also others, is involved.

I have reached a muddy junction.

Ah, the advent of life! As the Love of My Life nears birthing, and yet is often adversely affected from the health perspective by the process, one can only provide love, comfort and support, as the alternative is enraging helplessness.

But then, such is life, and I embrace it as such. Did Confucious not once wish, "May you live in interesting times?" Did Thoreau not want "to live deliberately"? The junction may be muddy, even murky, but hey, what else could a MUD expect?

This MUD would have it no other way. As Groo, Sergio Aragones' bumbling comic warrior, would have yelled: "Into the fray!"

And into the fray I go....!

Gnosis

Blogging: Perilious?

2005-03-08T13:20:00.000+08:00

Bloggers, beware!! It is not safe anymore, go hide under the blankets, go back into the woodworks. Bloggers are not only not to be seen, they are not even to be heard!

What, may you ask, brought this about? Some local and global developments in the blogosphere. Right here in Muddy Junction, Jeff Ooi, arguably Malaysia's most prominent blogger (Screenshots) was last month probed by the Malaysian police for a negative posting on Islam Hadhari by an external contributor. Globally, Apple's quest to unearth the sources of leakages, which appeared on Powerpage, Apple Insider and Think Secret prior to Steve Jobs' announcements seems to be going forward. Even earlier, Google employee Mark Jen was booted out after writing about his company on his blog 99zeros. Also, as reported in the earlier post, the imminent demise of Aiseh, Man blog. Is this the future trend on blogging, a worldwide crackdown?

Time, fortunately, has shown otherwise. Jeff Ooi continues blogging, and is still an intruiging alternative channel of views. The government has thankfully been busy organising a multitude of channels to explain the concept of Islam Hadhari, as the public (and that includes yours truly) is not well informed of the concept. The Apple saga will drag on, with issues of Freedom of Expression and Confidentiality (interestingly dependent on whether a blog would qualify as part of the recognised "Media Establishment" and if so is protected from revealing their sources). Apple, in turn, has split their stock, which has risen fourfold over the last year, making my colleague (who got some stock just before the split) rather happy. Mark Jens has just started working at Plaxo (he was approached by Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo - hey, any of you want to offer me a job? ;)). So all is not lost.

Principles 3 and 4 of Islam Hadhari are about "Rakyat berjiwa merdeka" (A free and independent people) and "Penguasaan ilmu pengetahuan" (Mastery of knowledge). The more people talk and discuss about Islam in a constructive manner, the better (as it would be with all subjects, eh?).

There may be hope, then, for MUDs after all.

Gnosis

Of Deaths and Rebirths

2005-03-06T11:43:00.000+08:00

Many moon-angles have been experienced since the last posting, and many a reason there be for that. Tis the season of deaths and rebirths, and this blog is undergoing one too.

On the matter of deaths: Nothing has been written here about the traumatic tsunami that engulfed countless irreplacable lives, but that does not mean that their passing has not been mourned. So cataclysmic was the tragedy, so quick, so absolute. A grim reminder indeed of our mortality, our frail existence which bears introspection.

On the end-tails of the tsunami tragedy comes the rebirth of the human spirit in giving aid in donations of items of sustenance as well as time and sweat, the resilience of the survivors, and the many miracles of surviving artefact (masjid left standing etc.) Time to restart and improve, a MUD imperative.

The passing of another blog also litters this death section, a voice of critique that does not insult but enriches (that being rare enough as it is.) This month marks the last publishing of Aiseh, Man (http://www.aisehman.org/), a social commentary that is often peppered with insightful inputs from various other individuals. May Mr. Aisehman find his peace.

Its announced demise has reignited my urgency to write, if only to an audience of a minimum one (yes, I do read my own blogs! Part of my hedonistic vice!). This rebirth extends to the topics that muddyjunction will cover - from a mainly socio-religious outlook to one that also embraces the arts and technology, all of which forms this author's passion. The format of this blog would also attempt to appear more blog-like, having shorter spaces between postings and shorter pieces (unless, of course, the rambling bug bites!)

This blog on blogspot will also serve as a publishing tool for my website, http://www.muddyjunction.com/, which also caters for other-than-rambling purposes, including where my students download their notes, where my family shares thoughts (coming soon) etc., and not all will be made public. Blogger is still an amazing publishing tool for thoughts, and I have recently discovered 4 ways to post to it. Some sharing on those techniques later in here.

Another rebirth is that of my alma mater which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. No, not the one up north but one right smack in Muddy Junction or Kuala Lumpur, namely St. John's Institution. The school field was turned into a centenary food-court with the Regent of Perak officiating the close of celebrations. It maybe also marked the death (or at least comatose-inducing) of my youth, seeing that the performances that followed the closure were teen breakdancing and reprisals of "Elite" hits. Man, how I am past my prime (my kids seemed to enjoy the bellowing music, although its continuance over Maghrib time did not go down well with my wife and I).

Finally, death and rebirth of my vocation: from a Strategic Business IT Consultant with my current employers (due to expire the end of this month) to the pioneering yet volatile world of venture capital and consulting, in a start-up nonetheless! One hopes to be refreshed, revitalised, a phoenix rising from the ashes. Well, to find out, keep reading.

Gnosis

That Question of Belief

2005-02-03T17:14:00.000+08:00

It may be somewhat coincidental that I am writing this an hour away from my 37th birthday. Many moons ago on 23rd January I was brought into this world, with a reassuringly high probability kicking and screaming, at the General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur (now lovingly termed GH). Procreative process that gave way to formative process, enacted even in this very minute, ad continuum. It also marks, almost to the minute, a week since the writer was asked to comment on the dynamics between agnosticism, atheism and Islam at the ethereal platform of a Yahoo Messenger chatroom.

Now taking on such a subject could be described as an ever so slightly-gargantuan task, requiring meticulously painstaking background research whilst treading carefully on spectacularly transparent molecule-thickness glass, all the while avoiding making the slightest ripple. On the other hand, one could confidently march on opining at will, sticking up the middle finger at any opposing views (which often seems the more tempting route). This writer has wrested with the subject, hoping to find clues on getting an answer that leans closer to the truth, and has procrastinated committing thought to virtual parchment for a good seven days (and all this after haven't written anything worthwhile in over a month!). Well, what's another paragraph to add before launching into the subject, as the "haven't yet read enough" visa expires. There.

many under the Muslim guise believe without submitting, worship without comprehending and 'practise' Islam without putting it into practice

The three subjects have, in this writer's opinion, a rather holistic relationship. If one were to define atheism as the outright denial of the existence of God or any Supreme Being, agnosticism is then the hand-wringer of decision making,asserting (or nervously so) that there is no sure way to prove there is a God, or is skeptical of such an Existence. One says "nada", the other, err, non-commitally orates a wobbly 'maybe' but hey, the door ain't closed. This writer would even go further to posit that the second instance is somewhat reflective of the many facets or states of belief that plague many of those who call themselves Muslims. This bears some explanation.

The word 'Islam' means submission to Allah, God Almighty. Consequently the term 'Muslim' is a reference to he/she who submits to the will of/worships Allah. This submit/worship relationship is absolute in principle, implying that it resides in the opposite extreme domain of the former discussed 'states'. In reality, this is rarely ever so; many under the Muslim guise believe without submitting, worship without comprehending and 'practise' Islam without putting it into practice. Why does this happen?

To understand this phenomena, it might be useful to revisit the two 'a's, atheism and agnosticism. Glossing over historical minutae, one could argue that the history of belief could be surmised within a paragraph (albeit a long one). Popular historical interpretation (read Western version of history) would have us believe that belief in the vernacular cultures started from various forms of paganism eg the worship of the elements, trees and the sun gave way to named gods and godlike concepts observable in Mayan and Greco-Roman civilisations. The advent of the three 'book' religions, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam introduced a more holistic religious outlook often not confined to ethnicity or nation-states (Judaism being somewhat of an exception). Christianity then took a central role in world history, controlling both church and state (HIStory referring to Caucasians only, it seems) which was referred to as the Medieval, or even Dark Ages. Then came the Renaissance, a rebirth and rethinking of the role of belief and faith within society. Loathing the restrictive governing of the papal Churchdom, the western man initiated the division of Church and State, the Sacred and the Profane. This was further exacerbated during the Enlightenment, the age of Reason where science began to take its on gnostic role, banishing the sacred to a purely ritualistic role. Many could argue that this holds true even today.

It may be interesting to note that throughout the history of the 'revealed' religions or the big three, paganism was rampant, hardly with a trace of atheism nor agnosticism. The communities' belief tend to be attributed to many gods, and dissent more often than not in the form of Superior Idolatry or 'my god is beter than your god. Only when the divorce between belief and worldly business was undertaken did agnosticism and atheism blossom.

The lamentable state that Islam is in today stems from several factors that we may have observed above:
i) The reduction of Islam (for a present-day Muslim) to its ritualistic/sacred mantle that has little to do/bears little relevance to his or her daily life ala Post-Enlightenment
ii) The reluctance of change to affect the abovementioned state which holds many Muslims in their current state of stupor; probably cause by secularism's most efective weapon - comfort
iii) The lack of questioning mind that still entrenches itself in the Quran and Sunnah and negates taqlid (blind imitation)

How do we reverse this? Stay tuned. More 'manifesto' imminent.

Gnosis

A Rather Hairy Issue

2004-12-16T18:12:00.000+08:00

"He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man."
Much Ado About Nothing act. 2, sc. 1, William Shakespeare

Many postmodern writings deal with the issue of identity, be it from a societal, national or individual perspective. In defining a MUD, this writer had, in earlier articles, described probable behavioural characteristics in identification. However,living in a visual and cultural world, physical appearance also plays a quintissential factor. Is looking like a Muslim important to a MUD?

The impact of visual appearance in the formation of one's identity is of undeniable importance. That said, it is not the domain of this article to address trends in fashion in relation to the Islamic identity; rather it is focused on the presence or absence of a feature central to a male MUD's identity that transcends the short term. In other words, to beard or not to beard is the question.

At this juncture, the writer would like to share his own journey regarding the consideration of facial hair. At various points in time, the writer had experimented growing a first a moustache, then a beard, with varying success. Without launching a full-blown scientific inquiry, the writer had attributed the difficulty of cultivating lush folicle growth to genetics - the earlier attempts at a moustache made one look like an ancient Chinese judicial officer where growth occured only on either side on the upper lip, resulting in what Malaysians refer to as 'misai apek'! Beard cultivation attempts were also only slightly successful, with the scraggly folicles slowly growing, despersed throughout the chin, like a crop plantation experiencing drought. With perseverence, a respectable combination was finally achieved, after much goading and careful pruning.

Physiological challenges were actually rather easily surmountable in comparison to emotional and cultural ones. Firstly, there was the factor of self-trepidation. The following questions arose:

How would people react to me having a beard? Would they stop being open to me?
Was I 'pious' enough to grow one? Would I not give the wrong impression if I acted wrongly when I have a beard?
Do I have to change first before growing a beard? No more watching Baywatch?
What about many 'pious'/'righteous' men who do not sport a beard? Am I saying I am better?

And so on. Unlike changing one's appearance via clothes and clothing apparel, the beard has a certain constancy to it. It was a big decision. I felt I should do it only if I was sincere in wanting it. I was, so I did.
Did I feel more "Islamic"? Maybe, but I did not know why. Did people treat me differently? Yes, less dirty jokes told in my presence, and sometimes one can feel a certain distance in conversations. However, when I continued acting as I was, things generally reverted to normal, post-aftershock.

It is, however, a MUD's duty, to know the "why". The obvious one is about identity. Most cultures and religions encourages the facial growth:

Eastern cultures including Egypt, Turkey and India, regarded the beard as a sign of wisdom, status and dignity
In the Bible, in the Book of Leviticus, it is written: "They shall not make their baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh" (Leviticus 21:5)-
All married Amish men sport a beard
In the Talmud (Holy Book of the Jews), it is mentioned "The glory of a face is its beard".
Sikhs have been commanded in their religious teachings not to cut hair from any part of their body

One may conclude that in earlier cultures, a beard was often a desirable garment for man. The shaving of the beard could be traced to several sources; in ancient Persia, the fire-worshipping Zoroastrian kings adopted the practice.It is said that the beards were common in the Greek civilisation, until Alexander the Great ordered his soldiers to shave in the 4th century BC.Peter the Great of Russia imposed tax on those who wanted to grow his beard. Why all this opposition?

We are bombarded daily by images of young, clean-shaven men who are successful in both work and social life. The beard is portrayed as the anti-thesis of success. The beard has bad press.

The writer posits that those actions were often done as a cultural exclamation mark. It became stronger when the division of the church and state was enacted in the western Renaissance period. The secular movements insisted on the differentiation between the sacred and the profane, and thus relegating the relevance of religion to ritualistic mores that have little if any effect on the economic and political reality. That weakening of the sacrosanct was further spread to the East in the efforts of Colonisation where according to Neil Postman, in his book "Conscientious Objections" argues that the British, masters of the art of Imperialism, mobilised a method of invasion that began with sending in their navy (to colonise), then their army (to stabilise), then their administrators (to control and govern) and finally their education (to colonise the subjugated minds with a secular world-view). Albert Memmi, in "The Colonizer and the Colonized" further states that the coloniser then accuses the colonised of being lazy, timid, unpunctual and inferior, which disturbs and latter as "he admires and fears his powerful accuser". And in wanting to be seen as 'progressive' and rid himself of the perceived indignant traits, the colonised then adopts the coloniser's values and believes that in order to free himself, he agrees to destroy his old self and to start imitating his masters.

Today, this form of imperialism via imitation can be seen in the active promotion of 'the beardless culture'. The emphasis today is on the youth and looking young, unlike previous traditional cultures in which a man's stature is increased through the acquisition of wisdom and the passing of age. We are bombarded daily by images of young, clean-shaven men who are successful in both work and social life. The beard is portrayed as the anti-thesis of success. The beard has bad press.

This 'conforming to the norm' would explain why this writer, living in such place with such a western-dominated cultural outlook, felt the discomfort to start sporting a beard. However, the resurgence of Islam in Malaysia over the last decade has made the bearded look more of a norm, albeit with somewhat of a 'conservative' or even 'radial' connotations. A MUD, however, ignores such considerations as it may cloud one's judgement. A MUD makes his or her case by going to the Quran and the Sunnah.

Let us first consider the opinion of the respected scholar, Yusuf al-Qardawi, from "Letting the Beard Grow, The Lawful and Prohobited in Islam" : "Perhaps of the second opinion, that it is makruh (to shave), is nearer to the truth and more moderate. ... growing a beard may be regarded as commendable but not obligatory, and accordingly, shaving it would be classified as makruh rather than haram. It is true that none of the sahabah was known to have shaved his beard. Perhaps there was no need to shave, and perhaps growing the beard was a custom among them."

The source that this writer have used for many of the information in this article is a book by Dr. Gohan Mushtaq called "Growing a Beard In the Light of the Qur'an, Sunnah and Modern Science". His argument on the last point made by Qardawi is that while the Messenger of Allah p.b.u.h. grew a beard, he commanded his followers to forsake other Arab 'customs' such as burying their daughters alive, drinking the blood of animals and drink alcohol. And to emphasise that it was not just a custom, he quoted the following hadeeth, which also deals with the issue of identity as discussed above:

The Messenger of Allah p.b.u.h. said to his companions: "Be different from the mushrikun (those who assign Allah partners); trim your moustaches and allow your beards to grow." Narrated by Ibn Umar r.a. in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim

A MUD needs to exercise ijtihad (individual reasoning), so the writer closes with a series of hadeeth and Qur'an:

"Cut your moustaches and let your beard grow. Be different from the people of the Book." Sahih Muslim

"Trim the moustache and allow the beard to grow and be different from the Magians (dualist and fire-worshippers also known as the Zoroastrians)." Narrated by Ibn Umar r.a. in Sahih Muslim

"Whoever imitates a people (nation) is one of them." Sunan Abu Dawud

"You who have iman! Enter Islam totally. Do not follow in the footsteps of Shaytan. He is an outright enemy to you." Surah al-Baqarah 2:208

[Muhammad] say [to mankind], 'If you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you..." Surah Al'Imran 3:31

Wallahu'alam. Allah knows best.

Gnosis

About Living and Simplicity Part 2

2004-12-11T03:36:00.000+08:00

We have heard how Thoreau yearned for Living via Simplicity. It may be inferred that it is only possible to "Live" if life itself is seen in a "Simple" form, away from the obscuring hodge podge that the rest of life throws at us. That in order to Live, one must first see life through a lens that allows the comprehension of that life in simple terms. In short, good life can be arrived at when life is simple or simplified.

For MUDs, Islam seems anything but simple. Not only does the inquisitive MUD have to contend with the Sunni-Shi'ite factioning, the curious dabblings with the mystical Sufism, but also internal to the Sunni (as MUDs are prone to belong to, from this MUD's perspective) are the four madzhabs with their schools of thought. As if that were not enough, the MUD is often assaulted by various jurisprudential (and otherwise) opinions by various contemporary writers on Islam, often coupled with consequential taxonomical adjectives that proposes newly discovered nuances of the faith. Little wonder MUDs are, for a grande latte portion of the time, perplexed.

The writer proposes a causal source : taqlid. For our intent and purposes, it may be translated as "blind adherence to traditional religious thought". And why is this so abhorrent to the writer? In the words of Muhammad Asad, who dealt with this subject extensively in his book "This Law of Ours and Other Essays", :

It goes without saying that this practice (taqlid) is an antithesis to a Muslim's duty of thinking and reflecting which is so unambiguously stressed in the Qur'an. Nevertheless, the practical inability of the average man or woman to form opinions on the basis of a mountain of legal material that has grown far too large for a layman's comprehension has led to a general acceptance of taqlid as a kind of "religious obligation" - and this notwithstanding the vehement rejection of this practice by some of the most brilliant minds in Islam

How many of us have accepted the words of the ustaz at face value, not daring to question, even if it were for the want of a better understanding? How many times have we felt ourselves so inadequate that we cling to opinions and interpretations of various scholars, as we see ourselves unfit or unqualified to even try comprehending Islam directly via the sources of the Qur'an and the Sunnah? How many times have we put doubt and conflict of opinions as without our reach as it is the dominion of those who are more "pious" than us? To most MUDs, probably many, many times.

If we resist, we are not alone. Prominent Islamic scholar Ismail al-Faruqi even identified taqlid as one of the main problems besieging the Islamic world and described it as the:

"... fluid following of the ancestors; its characteristics are literalism, uncreativity, laziness, lethargy and a state of demobilization."
"Islamic Renaissance in Contemporary Society" by Ismail al-Faruqi, Modern Islamic Movements: Models, Problems & Prospects, edited by Muhammad Mumtaz Ali, 2000

In the same article, al-Faruqi outlines how most of the major Islamic Movements in the 20th Century has, as Asad had earlier put it, vehemently rejected the practice of taqlid. The absence of critical analysis in Islam destroys Muslims' ability to develop their mental faculties in propogating and assimilating Islam as a part of their daily life and resolve. However, the question remains: how does a MUD approach Islam to truly make it a part of his or her current being? How does a MUD simplify the perceived complexities within the faith to find, with unprecedented clarity, the siratul-mustaqim or the right and straight path?

In trying to live Islam, a MUD may do well to approach directly the two indisputable sources of Islam: the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. A Muslim does not need an intermediary to be closer to Allah, as may be prone to other known faiths. It is important for the Muslim to remember that scholars have given and will continue to offer their opinions, and they remain opinions, albeit having rather convincing arguments at times. Complexity in understanding Islam, with the preceeding comprehension, may be negated by approaching the unabrogated sources of Islamic knowledge, in its magnificent simplicity in Message. Further absorption and consequent actuation of that knowledge may be developed through ijtihad, or individual reasoning (another topic for our consumption, soon).

Should this seem monumental to comprehend the Qur'an and put into practice the prophet's Sunnah, the MUD should recall that as is stated in the Qur'an:

God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear

Qur'an, 2:286 (translation from Message of the Qur'an, Muhammad Asad)

Full belief of the above clearly shows that attainment of that Living and Simplicity in being a Muslim is an absolutely achievable task. All that remains is for the MUD to act, for:

Verily, God does not change men's condition unless they change their inner selves
Qur'an, 13:11 (translation from Message of the Qur'an, Muhammad Asad)

Then change, and achieve, Insha'Allah.

Carpe Diem. Seize the day, MUDs. Make your lives extraordinary.

Gnosis

About Living and Simplicity Part 1

2004-11-25T01:50:00.000+08:00

It was another fairly eventful day that sucked out every iota of energy from oneself, from sending mom's maid back to the agency (she misses home too much), making a stand on how I assessed my eBusiness course students to the Course Coordinator (20% complained of unfair marking) and spending a day with the family on my youngest's birthday (turns 4 today). Once all dependents have been tucked in, dancing their way to slumberland, I began to thumb the remote, sprawled on my gold and maroon couch (that's another WHOLE story by itself). I watched "Ed" on Starworld.

Now the writer has watched the show only once before, the one where Ed (Tom Cavanaugh) wore a not-so-shining armour to get Carol's (Julie Bowen) attention, and did succeed (loved the dimple story). Ed is a big city lawyer who finds a full life back at his small hometown. This particular episode screened today had two strands of thought that were insightful, which subsequently converged at the end of the episode. Firstly, Carol had her students read Henry Thoreau, in particular "Walden". Warren, one of Carol's students and Ed's pals, found Thoreau devastatingly relevant, of which a snippet is:

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived"

Thoreau wanted to get back to basics, away from the humdrum of his daily existence in Concord, Massachusetts in the 1840's and went to live in the woods for a couple of years. He did this in two ways: firstly by simplifying his materialistic life from an economic perspective of making do with less, and secondly with simplifying his spiritual outlook away from the urbane forces of capitalism, consumerism and other man-made "ism"s.

This leaning to simplicity implies a parallel approach of introspective insight, in stripping away all visible trappings and really looking at what it takes to be true to one's existence, and outward perception, in looking at the empirical manifestations of "nature" and what it has to convey, to contribute, either didactically or experientially, to the perceptive receipient.

The second strand was that of Willie Johnson, who having undergone a near-death experience, decided that now he had to live his life to the fullest, having been given a "second chance". He scaled buildings, bowled naked and rode off into the sunset on a horse, among other things. He also wrote and published a book in three days called "Do Everything".

This "do-it-before-you-die" approach differs from that of Thoreau; it seeks to inhale all that life can offer, saviour its experiences without guilt, often without the shackles of reason or restraint. It advocates living for the moment, for moments are not to be wasted on the sedentary, archaic or habitual. It venerates living, and being alive.

The episode ended with Ed ending up with two books in his hands, one by Thoreau and the other, Johnson. Thoreau postulated simplicity whilst Johnson, Carpa Diem, and Do Everything, Live! These two strands which on the outset may look contradictory, as implied by Ed was he had one book in each hand, but may really complimentary. How is this so?

The confluence can be found, ironically, from another Thoreau quote, one that may be familiar to those who have watched "Dead Poets Society". John Keating, played by Robbin Williams, had in his younger days embraced Thoreau as the society litany:

"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, To put to rout all thatwas not life and not when I had come to die Discover that I had not lived"

Thoreau wanted to live deliberately, live deep. Not simplicity for its own sake, but rather simplicity in order to discover what was actually life, and then to live it. Many beings simply exist, not live. Many listen, but do not hear. Many learn, but do not comprehend.

Simplicity and Living is not exclusive. John Keating memorably said to his students "Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." Good advice. But how does a MUD respond? Stay tuned for Part 2.

Gnosis

Now Recall: What Was That Khutbah About?

2004-11-19T18:32:00.000+08:00

Eid Mubarak and Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir dan Batin to all MUDs. The month of Ramadhan comes to a close and we have fasted 30 days in all, sunrise to sunset, abstaining from any food or water, as well as keeping the nafs or desire under circumspection, InshaAllah, Alhamdulillah. As we plod back to our cubicles, workstations and other vocational environments, often resplended with increased waistlines filled with a cornucopia of Raya tidbits, we begin to resume our pre-Ramadhan routines and rituals. Being the first Friday after Ramadhan, the writer looked forward to hearing the first Friday khutbah or sermon after having lunch for the first time in a month.

Solat Jumaat or Friday Prayers- imagine millions of mosque-going Muslims listening to a message of Islam, reinforced week in week out. Imagine a collective mass of bodies interacting, purifying, doing dzikir or rememberance of Allah, numbering from 40 (minimum number to have a Solat Jumaat) to thousands in a single mosque. Imagine unity of mind and soul in offering solat and dua (both denote prayer but in two forms), and embracing and shaking hands with brothers beside you, whether they be known to you or not. Imagine. How powerful.

Yet to many of us, MUDs especially, it was purely a ritual. In our minds, Friday Prayers is really just a symbol for the longest lunchbreak in the week, to be seen in flip-flops within being frowned upon, some time to catch forty winks, and for the women - shopping time away from the office! How many have actually listended to the khutbah, assimilated the message, and most importantly acted upon it? No, we should ask a more basic question - were you, o MUD, able to evade slumber during khutbah? Or did you have to wipe off salivical stain from your cheek, after nodding a couple of times, even onto the back of the guy in front? Did your eyes lose focus and your ears just mesh those words into unintelligible drone? Did you just wake up when the guy beside you brush against your ear when he was getting up for solat? Did your legs not have pins and needles during prayer due to too much sitting down cross legged on the floor? Did you not just wish for prayer to end quickly as your right foot hurt during the last tahiyat ?

As you could probably tell, this has come from experience of many years. But the blame, although mostly, should not rest solely on us MUDs. Many khatibs or preachers seem to talk to themselves and not address the crowd. Many a time a khutbah came across as bad public speaking, and therefore not being able to capture the crowd's attention. At other times the Public Address system obscures speech with echoes and interference, garbling the message. But when everything on the khatib's side is fine, the previous paragraph often still applies.

In true MUD fashion, two questions are asked: What should be done? What should MUDs do?

Firstly, it would be wise to examine why people get sleepy at the mosque on Fridays. Often, MUDs have heavy lunches (Friday, after all, is the weekly day of celebration for Muslims, and therefore the expression "TGIF" has even more meaning in Islam!). Chicken, lamb or mutton briyani with teh-o-ais is a recipe for heavy eyelids. Moreover, after a week's toil at the keyboard or any other work-related paraphernalia, some fatigue sets in (interesting to note however, fatigue is less of a factor when MUDs go out for nocturnal recreational activites - how paradoxical). Sitting still after lunch on the floor surrounded by many brothers in the same state enhances the stupor (herd mentality?).

And therein lies the problem. Sitting still.

Upon entering a mosque, one should be offering the Tahiyyatul Masjidin prayer after taking ablution. Before khutbah, a Muslim is encouraged to socialise with his brothers or to undertake ibadah via dzhikir or tilawah (Quran recitation) in solitude. Taking wudhu' or abolution, cleansing oneself with cool running water prepares one spiritually before facing Allah subhana wa ta'ala, and proclaiming one's submission to Him. If one would dress up and be mentally prepared to meet a King, a CEO or Dignitary, one should redouble the effort before facing the Lord Almighty. In preparation of the Solat Jumaat, one should be heading for the frontmost saf or row not only in order to get more rewards (pahala) but also to be as close to the khatib as possible in order to hear him clearly.

Not just sit still, nodding from slumber.

When the khutbah commences, one should be listening intently and trying to comprehend the message. What is the core message being postulated? How can I turn it into an action that makes me a better Muslim? If there are quotes from the Quran, what is to stop one from reading from a Quranic translation in order to see the content from which it was taken? Why not take note so that one can absorb it better later? Why not actually use that PDA or PDA-phone for notes and in the process further justify its purchase even on spiritual grounds?

Not just sit still, nodding from slumber.

And during Solat Jumaat, actually read and memorise the meanings of the Do'a Iftitah, Surah Al-Fatihah and all other readings during Solat so that you understand what you are reciting. So that you understand the concept and anatomy of Solat, the symbolism of the actions, the reason for doing it. For example, regarding the recitation of Al-Fatihah, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have quoted Allah saying:

[the fruits] of prayer are shared equally between Me and My servant, and My servant will be granted what he had asked for. As he recites:"Praise be to God," God would say: "My servant has praised Me." As he recites:"The Merciful, the Compassionate," God would say: "My servant has thanked Me." As he recites: "Master of the Day of Judgement," God would say "My servant has glorified Me and surrendered to Me." As he says: "You alone we worship, and You alone we turn to for help," God would say: "This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he has asked for." And, as he says: "Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom You have favoured, not those who have incurred Your wrath, nor those who have gone astray," God would say: "This is My servant, and he will be granted his wish."

Sahih Muslim, from "A Thematic Commentary on the Quran" by Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Islamic Book Trust 2001

Not just sit still, nodding from slumber.

MUD, you have heard. So next solat, next khutbah, ACT.

Gnosis (Chief MUD)

What is Muddy Junction REALLY About?

2004-11-17T09:12:00.000+08:00

After a paltry 3 blogs, one can hardly be expected to contain letting the whole universe know about one's pseudo-literary efforts! According to the laws of nature, one would first flog it to obliging relatives as well as reporting staff just prior to performance evaluations. Yet despite the safe and sympathetic audience, a certain amount of coaxing is still necessary; moreover, these situations may elicit the most basic and incisive queries. A case in point is the seemingly innocent question of: "Well, what do you write about?"

I had thought the whole canoodle about the blog being dedicated to writing about Islam from a perspective tailored to the Urban Muslim was clear; that it was to be written from my viewpoint, my weltenschauung, as I see it, straight from the hip, and unapologetically so. And in choosing the medium of the blog, the result would be more spontaneous, more honest and more temporal, much like the evocative broad brushes of Van Gogh, the fleeting moments of Monet, or even the glimpses of nature's might of J.M.W. Turner.

However, it feels that in order to answer the question, one must give the effort more form. Vision and Mission statement, Strategic Objectives, Desired outcome, Implementation Plan and the ensuing crapola. Answering it in the aforementioned fashion would betray the very spirit in which blogs are created. If one wanted more form, the one should write a thesis, a book, or at the very least a structured series of articles. In a blog, one just writes. That said, the writer should give enough of an inkling to help the reader decide whether this blog is a keeper. Really, only time will tell, but even the most of adventurous of travellers depends on the sun to differentiate day from night. The following, in an attempt to be almost devoid of prose, tries to deliniate boundaries rather than define this blog's direction.

Muddy Junction is not a magic wand that would instantly restore the proposed balanced approach, but is perhaps a necessary drop in the ocean of required
efforts, a mere thread in supporting the true tapestry of the faith

Muddy Junction will make forays into understanding the fundamental principles of the phenomenon of Islam whilst trying to make it accessible to the urbanite Muslim or Muslim-intender. For too long has many well-intentioned but less accessible ustazs and mullahs preached ineffectually, and seek the acknowledgement of its flock without question. Too many a time has many facets of the faith been mooted to be the domain of a few, be it on questions of the shariah or Islamic Law, the decrees of the Imams of the four-school madzhabs or even the meanings of the Words of Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him. On the other hand, of late, there has been various movements that seem to be interpreting the Quran and Hadeeth to suit their more secular and contemporary outlook. This is even more disturbing to the writer.

Muddy Junction, then, can be seen as a "back-to-basics" approach. MUDs are not fundamentalists in its oft-misconstrued definition, but are more, perhaps, "basicalists". It proposes a return to the original Islamic spirit, not its verbatim manifestation nor its convenient secular anthropomorphisation. It professes the rediscovery of Islam and its contemporary relevance that sacrifices not its principles in any way. Such statements are bold and have been heard many a time but its fulfilment is scarce, if at all, especially within the reach of the Urban Muslim. Muddy Junction is not a magic wand that would instantly restore the proposed balanced approach, but is perhaps a necessary drop in the ocean of required efforts, a mere thread in supporting the true tapestry of the faith. It is an effort, a journey and an opinion, no more, no less.

If a journey such as this beckons thee, stay on. There is more to come. Why, we have only just started. We're just about to get serious. Finally.

Welcome to Muddy Junction, warts and all.

Short Story of a MUD

2004-11-12T02:07:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to a colleague of mine who shared this story - and this is my version of how I heard it. Just proof that for a MUD, it's funny how things just kinda string together...

Din (as we would call him in this story, and "Din" or "Deen" means faith, religion in Arabic) was spending his Ramadhan night reading the Quran, as many good Muslims do. Just before sitting down to begin this declaration of faith, Din received a call from his mom. The content of the call gnawed through his mind as he recited the words from Allah in the 42nd Surah entitled "Ash-Shura", meaning "Consultation". His mother had informed him of her dream, a dream in which he was bestowed a daughter. For many, this would have been a rather normal manifestation of a maternal yearning for a grandchild; in Din's case, it was a little more than that as he and his wife had been trying to conceive for over 5 years without success. They were even both pronounced biologically sound for such an undertaking. However, the labour bore fruit not.

A daughter, he smirked in an undisturbed soliloquy. A daughter indeed. Then the phone rang, shattering all thought, and Din refocused as he reached to answer it. "Sir, this is the Regional Hospital. You registered for a child with us, did you not? This is Mr. Din?" His thoughts travelled way back, sifting through threads of memory, trying to comprehend this assault on his meditational hour. Registered? register..... ah yes! That he did! Why, it was almost 2 years ago that he did inform the hospital that he would be interested in adopting a child should one become available. Yes, well... that he did. Hazy recollection gave way to affirmation. Yes.

"Would you like a daughter?" the voice continued, not waiting for an answer. A daughter, a baby girl? Well, all he had in mind was a child, not its gender. Many of his colleagues had told him that during their wives' pregnancies, some would like to know the gender of the baby being formed; others not. He had always put himself in the latter category. He would accept his "rezeki" or "rizq", his "fortune" so to speak, as Allah sees fit. He would rather know at the time of birth, to see the child physically, and have it confirmed before his eyes. The barely audible congratulatory remarks by the gynaecologist would further assist in gender ascertainment, just in case he had misread the physical signs of the newborn creature's pelvic region. That was how he had always imagined it, although less so of late, in the last couple of years.

"Mr. Din?" Here he had the fact thrust upon him, a baby, a daughter no less. Confirmation of gender was beyond doubt as it came from the hospital but a baby? Now? The call by his mother came flooding back. She had seen this? Why hadn't he? He steadied himself, suddenly realising that he had half gotten up, and the knees were buckling, rebelling. Sit down. One thing at a time.

In his usual systematic fashion, Din had told the hospital that he would call back shortly. This, he reasoned to himself, was the only logical outcome at this point in time; he had to call his wife, his mother, his.... who else? He had to get his bearings. He had to think this through properly. This was Ramadhan, the holiest month in Islam where Muslims all over the world fast from dawn to dusk. He was reciting the Quran, and he decided to continue, to finish the surah he was reading before making any more calls and sorting things out. Yes, that sounded like a plan.

He readied himself, starting with "Bismillah", the precedent to all undertakings of a Muslim. "In the name of Allah..." he started and suddenly stopped, startled. He could not believe the words he was about to read. But it was there, right there in front of him, clear as daylight. The 49th ayat reads " God's alone is the dominion over the heavens and the earth. He creates whatever He wills; He bestows the gift of female offsping on whomever He wills,..."

The child was with her new parents starting yesterday, after being cleared by the hospital of a mild lung infection. Thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

Gnosis

The New MUD

2004-11-02T16:19:00.000+08:00

When the term "mud" is mentioned in the realms of cyberspace, it is normally associated with "Multi User Dungeons" or a networked Role Playing Game (RPG) played over the Internet. Nay, this be not it; MUD in this case refers to an idea of a collection of like-minded individuals who share an urban background and outlook, and are in search of understanding and actualising their faith, either chosen or inherited, that in turn has a singular physical cubic directional reference point when submitting themselves to the Maker.

Yes, I am referring to the term "Muslims of Urban Descent" (MUD). Now before you, o reader, attempt to mud-sling this acronym as a farcical muslim yuppie excuse to have food together, consider this: In my almost quad-decade existence, never have I found any writings, preachings or slanderings that were specifically targeted at Urban Muslims. And why, at this point in time, am I seeking some form of autonomy and identity for this definitely undowntrodden slice of society by needing to name and clothe it for the world to acknowledge? Why indeed am I spending some minutes after office hours, in a state of fast or 'sawm' during the Holy month of Ramadhan, giving form to this entity that has never existed before?

MUDs are just those who are brave enough to admit they don't know a
lot, and even braver, to want to know a lot more and actually do something
about it

The reason is none other than my belief that in order for communication, in any form, to be effective, it has to be measured, tailored, clothed and presented in a way that the target audience may access, comprehend and assimilate it. Analogies and allegories have to be pertinent and evocative to the receiver, otherwise the attempt may prove futile, or even worse, misconstrued. In order to address Urbanite Muslims, one must first examine its multitudinal facets which often oscillate between states of being. In the attempt to define its character, one must first accept that it often escapes any form of stable definition, although several general constituent criteria may be established.

The following presents a tapestry of ingredients that may typify a MUD:

was born, bred, converted or is thinking about embracing Islam
was born, bred, resides or vocates in an urban setting
has 'practised' Islam at varying degrees at different times and environments
has an inkling about this faith of Islam but is often confused about what it all means
has the desire to move to the right direction, or at least take nibbles at it, with the possibility of feasting later

As you can see, the term "Descent" in MUD is interpreted rather widely, but many a man have been guilty of fudging at least one part of an acronym. It does, after all, fit within the 'Muddy Junction' context...

In addition, being an urbanite, a MUD often:

watches TV and movies and listens to musics on CDs and on the radio and sometimes wonders about the 'halal' (permitted in Islam) and 'haram'-ness (the opposite) of it all
many a time, does NOT look down when passing by a member of the opposite sex, especially when deemed rather attractive (for others, the MUD often justifies...)
wears clothes that are sometimes subdued, at other times loud and attention-seeking, and at some almost inexplicable moments just really let their hair down

And the list goes on; you get the idea. The balance of being an irreverent urbanite and a paradise-seeking Muslim is never an easy one. The reconciliation of identity is an effort that a MUD often balances on a daily basis in order to maintain his or her sanity. However, at this point, it would be timely to point out that MUD does not cover ALL urban Muslims, many of which may be considered very good Muslims. MUDs are just those who are brave enough to admit they don't know a lot, and even braver, to want to know a lot more and actually do something about it.

In the following posts, the writer will attempt to address core issues that keep a MUD semi-conscious before finally dozing off at night, often with audible secretions of air via the nostrils. The intent is to inform and address MUDs concerns with well, being a MUD. Questions are welcome, and the writer will contact various authorities and comb through printed sources for its answers, and in true Islamic tradition, invite sincere discussions on it.

With that, to MUDs, wassalam and be good. To others, hey, isn't it time you were a MUD?

Sword of Gnosis

Rebirth of the Paradise-Seeking Technophile

2004-09-26T22:04:00.000+08:00

Four years since the dotcom crash...

My technophiliac tendencies had been deteriorating since then. Holding a PDA, let alone beaming business cards had become majorly passe. I had, however, maintained hooks into that e-commerce era: I had been reborn as an eBusiness Consultant, albeit one who had been through its "School of Hard Knocks". Three years later, and those latent wired genes began to re-emerge...

What better way to celebrate this Renaissance than to start a blog! I had been thinking taking the plunge many a time, but had timorously made excuses: Wasn't the blog fad over? Weren't everyone saying that blogs were really about information overload on steroids? Wasn't this like how PageMaker had suddenly given birth to bona fide layout artists? But hey, wasn't this the reason that I first came to the web anyway - tirelessly using SlipPPP to make countless dial-up attempts on the Powerbook 140 before the Gates of Heaven opened to the sound of hardware handshaking... Revving up Mosaic 1.0 and starting a homepage at Geocities, resplendent with repurposed animated GIFs, using nothing less than Groo and Bone gifs ... the reason was because you could, and you could in an environment that you were able to shape.

And what better to name it than Muddy Junction? A long-forgotten web project kept in stasis, taking its name from my alma mater. Yes, I was born kicking and screaming, at 2.30am at none other than the revered General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, recently renamed HKL. One can not help feeling that in one's veins doth the muddy lifeblood of the two rivers, Sungai Gombak and Sungai Kelang, courses through one's veins simply by being born in its vicinity. For was it not at that juncture Kuala Lumpur was founded, and was later to be established as a hodge-podge of trading nooks with Tin as its main trade? That it was, and much more...

Technophile? Well, staying up nights trying to set up Maxis GPRS on my Sony Ericsson T610 might serve as an entree; but the real qualifier was setting that up to work with my Tungsten T3 via Bluetooth, all while multi-surfing the Klang Valley Palm User Group (http://www.kvpug.org) and PalmX (http://www.palmx.org) websites for step-by-step instructions, and still failing! In between, one was busy using VCDGear to convert .dat files from VCDs to .mpg so that Kinoma Producer could port it over to the T3 on my spanking new Apacer 1Gb SD card!

But Paradise-Seeking Technophile? After leafing through Kevin Kelly, Negroponte and almost literally Erik Davis' "Techgnosis", I have mixed feelings for the term. But after recently completing Ziauddin Sardar's excellent "Desperately Seeking Paradise; Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim", even my oft-chameleon-like spiritual side became resurgent! Which in turn, peels another layer off "mud" in muddy junction, revealing its zietgeist as "Muslims of Urban Descent" rather than merely being your regular downstream city-sludge. But that's another thread to take up at another time...

I congratulate you for still reading. A last epistimological effort needed to round up this session.

What's in a name? Muddy Junction is the context, and Gnosis is the name. Tis a transliteration of the name given by my uncle, "Saifuddin" which translates to "Sword of Life, Religion, Faith..." but was most elqouently put by Titus Burkhardt as "Sword of Gnosis". Gnosis equals Faith, Religion, Life and all that and more... so Gnosis be the name I bear.

Welcome to Gnosis' World.