To The Doctor Or To The Bomoh?

For almost 2 days, Affandi couldn't decide on how to help his mother. The nature of the problem was grave, at least it seemed to me. His mother had recently re-married and 2 days ago had fallen in the toilet at her rental unit which she now shares with her new but former husband. Her place is not far from our home, maybe 5 minutes drive or so. Why couldn't Affandi decide and just take his mother to hospital? I found out that the big problem was his parents and siblings believe in bomoh, more than they have faith in western trained doctors at hospitals. Why? I will explain the reasons why ...

The Malay community is looked after well by its many bomoh. Bomoh is the first that comes to mind, not doctors. Never doctors! Not under any circumstance will the Malays think of doctors first! In Affandi's mother's case, the bomoh was found after contacting 2 people, his elder sister and a male cousin. The elder sister does not take any hospital medications and has no trust in such western medicines. The male cousin suffered from some chronic sprain and often goes to this particular bomoh.

Who is this bomoh? The word bomoh is arguably very sensitive and almost controversial. It is never mentioned when I am around! The word bomoh is hushed and silenced when I am around. So I am actually oblivious to anything that has to deal with bomoh. But this time, I have had enough of the bomoh tricks and I asked Affandi to seriously tell me why he took his mother to see a bomoh.

It was hard on him to explain to me. But Affandi narrated his account with much reluctance and holding back a lot of what he didn't want me to know about bomoh. According to Affandi, this male bomoh is not a bomoh! I was stunned! Try to understand that! If he is not a bomoh, then what is he? I had to probe Affandi and asked him the nature of this supposedly 'bomoh' man he took his mother to.

From Affandi's account, I see that this 'not bomoh man' is actually just a Quran reader. He reads Quran, that's all. I was happy with that. But he is such a good Quran reader than he has been bestowed special healing powers, that of healing bones. I was so intriuged by this new story and find. So I begged Affandi to tell me a bit more of this Quran reader's practice. It seems he only needs to press on the supposedly broken bone or painful spot and read a special verse and the pain disappears like magic! There is little residual pain and the patient walks away fine. I was even more thrilled so I went on to ask, "What verse did he read from the Quran?" Affandi said he read a verse about the bones that were gathered and thrown far beyond the hills and the birds came back flying! At that instant I remembered reading a verse in the Quran but I couldn't recall which particular verse. So, I still need to find that verse and write it here for you later, insyaAllah. That's all about the art of healing bone pain using a verse from the Quran. So he wasn't actually a bomoh, just a Quran reader and healer.

Affandi went on to mention that this healer also sells honey, of the good kind. Good genuine honey costs RM240 a bottle but Affandi managed to get 2 bottles for RM40 each. They look just like the other honey bottles we have at home.

I have seen and been to see a female bomoh once after a lot of coaxing. I don't know why, but Affandi trusts traditional healers more than I do. I have my reservation.

Here is the verse from the Quran on  page 44, second surah: Surah Baqarah, Ayat 260:

Dan (ingatlah) ketika Ibrahim berkata, "Ya Tuhanku, perlihatkanlah kepadaku bagaimana Engkau menghidupkan orang mati." Allah berfirman, "Belum percayakah engkau?" Dia (Ibrahim) menjawab, "Aku percaya tetapi agar hatiku tenang (mantap)." Dia (Allah) berfirman, "Kalau begitu ambillah empat ekor burung, lalu cincanglah olehmu kemudian letakkan  di atas masing-masing bukit satu bahagian, kemudian panggillah mereka, nescaya mereka datang kepadamu dengan segera." Ketahuilah bahawa Allah Maha Perkasa, Maha Bijaksana.

From: http://www.usc.edu/org/cmje/religious-texts/quran/verses/002-qmt.php

002.260
YUSUF ALI: When Abraham said: "Show me, Lord, how You will raise the dead, " He replied: "Have you no faith?" He said "Yes, but just to reassure my heart." Allah said, "Take four birds, draw them to you, and cut their bodies to pieces. Scatter them over the mountain-tops, then call them back. They will come swiftly to you. Know that Allah is Mighty, Wise."

PICKTHAL: And when Abraham said (unto his Lord): My Lord! Show me how Thou givest life to the dead, He said: Dost thou not believe? Abraham said: Yea, but (I ask) in order that my heart may be at ease. (His Lord) said: Take four of the birds and cause them to incline unto thee, then place a part of them on each hill, then call them, they will come to thee in haste, and know that Allah is Mighty, Wise.

SHAKIR: And when Ibrahim said: My Lord! show me how Thou givest life to the dead, He said: What! and do you not believe? He said: Yes, but that my heart may be at ease. He said: Then take four of the birds, then train them to follow you, then place on every mountain a part of them, then call them, they will come to you flying; and know that Allah is Mighty, Wise.

The practice of the Malay bomoh

 Bomoh means doctor and is also a verb, meaning to treat.

This post is about the scene of a Malay doctor (bomoh) driving out evil spirits from an adult male. The venue is either the patient's or the bomoh's home and the living-room is preferred. The adult male is dressed in Malay dress called baju Melayu which comprises a white top (baju Melayu) and a cotton cloth (kain sarung or kain pelikat). The patient lies down on the carpet or vinyl covered floor. A pillow is used for the head. No particular direction is fixed. A fan provides good ventilation as most Malay homes are hot especially if the procedure is done in the afternoon. Many such procedures are done at night when it is much cooler inside the house, usually after the last prayer for the night (solat isya').

The bomoh beckons the evil spirits (jin), curse them/it and asked them/it to leave the patient's body through the legs. The spirits dwell in the abdomen (perut) and the shoulder (bahu). The bomoh says these words "Hei makhluk yang Allah laknat, keluar kamu dari tubuh pesakit" which translates to "Hey you whom Allah cursed, get lost from this body". He repeats these lines several times and also tells which legs (kaki) to exit from, whether the right (sebelah kanan) or left leg (sebelah kiri). The movements of the evil spirits can be observed in the abdomen, shoulder, thigh and legs. He firmly shouts "Keluar ikut perut" (come out from the abdomen) and "keluar ikut bahu" (come out from the shoulder). The call subtly shifts to "Hei makhluk dilaknat Allah" (whom Allah has cursed).

The Malays have a lot of faith in their bomohs. Bomoh is a thriving business among Malay communities in West Malaysia. Almost every Malay community has a few bomohs is its vicinity. The video below may have been filmed half way through as usually the start is quite elaborate with supplications (baca doa). The closing itself is considered successful after the evil spirits are caught or trapped in bottles which are then disposed off in a body of water, either in a river or at the sea. In this respect, casting off evil spirits at sea/river shares many similarities with other belief systems and Asian religions. Though varied communities, the Malays are largely of Muslim faith today but a large part of the traditional and cultural beliefs are derived from the vestiges of Hinduism which once dominated this region for centuries.

For many who have not witnessed such a scene first hand, it maybe hard to believe or accept that eveil spirits do indeed leave the ill/sick body. I have not seen the actual procedure myself as females are not allowed to watch males being treated. But I guess this video will suffice to convey the information about how a bomoh conducts his session. Most bomohs will not allow any filming when they conduct sessions. Whether the bomoh or pesakit (patient) fakes it is left to you to decide. You be the judge. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMwnCzJaQo&NR=1



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