Pagaruyung Kingdom 1500-1825

There were many kingdoms in our history. One of them was the Pagaruyung Kingdom. Pagaruyung is also spelled as Pagarruyung, Pagar Ruyung, and was also known as Malayapura and Malayupura. At least one of the early Malay doctors' ancestors were traced to the Pagaruyung Kingdom - Dr Megat Khas bin Megat Omar. Dr Raja Ahmad Noordin bin Raja Shahbudin's ancestors were traced to the Siak Sultanate, a subgroup of the Pagaruyung Sultanate that was formed following the Padri war that occurred in West Sumatera at the height of the Dutch invasion there.

What is the Pagaruyung Kingdom?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagaruyung_Kingdom

Spread of Islam in South-east Asia was between 1200 and 1600.
Samudera Pasai Sultanate existed between 1267 and 1521.
Majapahit Kingdom existed between 1293 and 1500.
Malacca Sultanate existed between 1400 and 1511.
Cirebon Sultanate existed between 1445 and 1677.
Demak Sultanate existed between 1475 and 1548.
Aceh Sultanate existed between 1496 and 1903.
Pagaruyung Kingdom existed between 1500 and 1825.

The Pagaruyung Palace was where the Minangkabau kings once lived. The wooden palace was razed to the ground 3 times. The palace was re-built after each fire. At the time of the Dutch conquest of West Sumatra (after the third fire), there was hardly any remains of Pagaruyung Palace - just the palace grounds remained.

Why was the Pagaruyung Palace burned? Why did they burn down Pagaruyung Palace? Was it arson? Was is because of some family feud? Was it because of differences in ideologies of the rulers? What happened in Pagaruyung Palace history?

Minangkabau tradition upholds female domination and rights to family heirlooms and possessions, including land rights. The Minangkabau tradition is deemed as 'unIslamic' when it comes to inheritance. When the 'padri' of Islam (actually daie or preachers of Islam) came to Pagaruyung Palace from Aceh to spread Islam, not all the Pagaruyung royal household accepted Islam. After much rift on the differences in the lifestyles and traditions (Minangkabau vs. Islam), Pagaruyung Palace household was split. The ones who remained (victors) continued their Minangkabau tradition. The ones who sided Islam (losers) denounced their royal titles and left the palace; they moved south to the fishing ports and sailed to Malaya. They wandered to Perak and Pahang and had families in various parts of Malaya.

Stamford Raffles came into the picture when the Dutch ordered him to see the troubles at Pagaruyung. There was nothing on site since the palace was already gone and the royal household was split.

What is there today at Pagaruyung?

A triple-storey Pagaruyung Palace was constructed on the old site. However, lightning struck and it was razed to the ground. Another replica palace stands on the old palace site for tourists to view. The place is now Pagaruyung village in Tanjung Emas subdistrict, perched in the highlands of Tanah Datar regency, and the nearest town is Batusangkar in Indonesia.

The Pagaruyung Palace royal household in West Sumatra has ceased to exist. However, lineages of the fragmented royal families of the Pagaruyung Palace and the latter Siak Sultanate can be traced in Malaysia - in Perak, Pahang and Malacca. These link to the famous Nakhoda who first opened Penang island (before Captain Francis Light) and founded Masjid Batu Uban in Kampung Melayu Batu Uban in 1734, and his brother-in-law, Datuk Jenaton who defended Kedah against Siamese attack in the late 1800s, and was given a large track of land, on which stands the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) main campus in Penang, and the adjacent Minden Heights housing scheme.

Hadramaut, Yemen

Yemen is Yaman in Malay. Hadramaut is spelled many ways - Hadramaut, Hadramawt, Hadramout, etc. The people of Hadramaut are Hadrami or Hadromi. Some Malays have used the term Al-Yamani as a suffix in their names to indicate that their ancestors hailed from Hadramaut. I am not a student of Arabic but I hear the soothing and welcoming words "Ahlan wa sahlan ... min Yamani, mu barrokah Hadramaut" from one of the tourism promotional videos. The opening words alone tell us of a background of a very different culture from what we are used to (western culture), of a highly cultured people and civilisation, that which is careful about what is said, and that touches the hearts. That is Hadramaut.

Why is Hadramaut important?

Hadramaut is important for many things in our human civilisation. There are many things discussed and buzzed about Hadramaut. Two ancient cities of Hadramaut are of note - Tarim and Seyoun (Seioun and other spellings).

The Quran (Surah Hud) also mentions of the ancient peoples who once lived there and then disappeared. The expansive graves at Tarim have appeared in a history documentary on the National Geographic (on ASTRO). The documentary mentioned and showed that Nabi Hud (Hood) a.s. and Nabi Salleh a.s. are buried here.

Hadramaut is the centre of higher learning, for almost everything. Hadramaut is what science and medicine are about. It is from a peaceful mind that thinks, the peaceful life of the Hadromi, that the mind can grasp new knowledge and man comes to accept his surroundings as provided to him by the Supreme Creator. That peaceful mind is the source of a lot of knowledge, and the Hadromi people have traveled far and wide to spread their knowledge, not only of Islam, but everything they knew.

Hadramaut has never been acknowledged to be of any significance in the universities of the west. Westerners failed to know that Hadramaut is the source of a lot of knowledge we have today. Hadromis are responsible for the spread of real knowledge of our existence. Medicine is only a small part of the much larger and infinite store of knowledge that man needs.

There are institutions of learning. The main one is Darul Mustafa. Many young men go to study there. Learning is in small groups, like what we do today, which is the best way to learn in the face-to-face learning mode. The teacher is perched slightly higher than the students who sit around him, this, to enable knowledge to transcend easily, which we have it reversed and which results in many failures of our modern learning system. Students are not seated on chairs but on soft carpets. There is a separate learning institution for women. There is a separate institution for syari'ah.

What is most special is the way the Hadromi men live their lives. There is buying and selling at the local markets - trading cattle and grains. There is dancing at night and tea is served in the open cool night with mats spread for everyone. The young and old men smile a lot; smiling itself is advocated for health and social reasons, but not laughing, which actually darkens the heart - something that the rest of the world believes is good for health.

I think it is high time, that we all take a good look at what Hadramaut had done for generations before us and how we can take up Hadramaut and place it high among the cities we already know. We cannot simply forget Hadramaut.

YouTube videos:
Hadramaut video 1
Hadramaut video 2
Tarim, Hadramaut video 3

Masjid An-Nur Bandar Hilir, Melaka

I'm writing again on a famous old mosque in Malacca which my forefathers laid down. The details are from a man named Mahadhir Mohamad. I don't know him, but he has knowledge of my family and ascendants. Here's the story ...

Masjid An-Nur Bandar Hilir, Melaka was founded by a Javanese man named Dato' Shahbudin bin Haji Mohd Amin. He was from Cheribon, Tanah Jawa, that's as much as the plaque says ... The mosque was built in 1820 (much later than its contemporaries at Tengkera in Malacca and Batu Uban in Penang).

Note: Cheribon (English) is now Cirebon (Indonesian).

Masjid An nur
Bandar Hilir Melaka
Dibina pada tahun 1820
Pengasas
Dato' Shahbudin bin Mohd Amin
Berasal dari Cheribon
Tanah Jawa

Founder's plaque.
Photo from Mahadhir Mohamad.

The mosque was first a family home in Banda Hilir. Religious activities then led it to first become a madrasah, and later, a mosque. Dato' Shahbudin passed away and is buried at Tanah Perkuburan Islam, Jalan Panjang (also called Lorong Panjang) in Malacca. The cemetery is some distance from the mosque. His grave and gravepost are painted yellow. The gravepost has a blue metal plate that reads:

Makam Datuk Shahbudin bin Hj Mohd Amin
Pengasas Masjid Annur Bandar Hilir Melaka

Makam Datuk Shahbudin at Tanah Perkuburan Islam, Jalan Panjang, Malacca. Photo from Mahadhir Mohamad.

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There were several imams who were placed in charge of the mosque at Banda Hilir in Malacca. A modern yellow plaque with blue words lists the names of the imams, but no dates are available on record. Thus, the exact terms that they served are unknown.

Senarai Nama Imam
Lembaga Masjid An-Nur
Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka

1. Tn Hj Ashari bin Mohd Salleh
2. Tn Hj Mohd Shariff bin Ismail
3. Tn Hj Mohd Nordin bin Ismail
4. Tn Hj Ahmad bin Awal
5. Tn Hj Jaafar bin Hj Ashari
6. Tn Ustaz Ibrahim bin Hj Hashim
7. Tn Hj Halim bin Hj Ali
8. Tn Hj Osman bin Majid

List of Imams.
Photo from Mahadhir Mohamad.

I have filled in the approximate dates for the first 3 imams (the terms that they served), based on my research. As far as I know from my late father, the imams were related (semua imam Masjid Bandar Hilir bersaudara). However, Mahadhir Mohamad said only the first 5 imams were related, and were also related to Mahadhir Mohamad and me. The last 3 imams were appointed and were not related to the first 5 imams.

Hj Mohd Sharif bin Ismail was my paternal great grandfather - I have his Will (Wasiat). According to my father, his grandfather Hj Mohd Sharif died aged 38. Hj Mohd Sharif had 3 sibs - himself was the eldest, bearded Hj Mohd Nordin @ King George VI (middle brother) and Zainal @ Tok Zainal Klang (youngest brother) lived in Klang and was a private tutor to Sultan Abdul Samad of Selangor.

I supposed the dates can be worked out based on the birth and death certificates of the imams mentioned. Some people/relatives today may still remember them.

1. Tn Hj Ashari bin Mohd Salleh, circa 1820-
2. Tn Hj Mohd Shariff bin Ismail, circa 1860-1912
3. Tn Hj Mohd Nordin bin Ismail, circa early 1900s; circa 1912-?

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In 1960, there was a request from the villagers of Kampong Banda Hilir for a replacement of a 'Sidang Kampong' who retired at 60, but was not replaced. Here is the article published in the newspaper on 16 April 1960:

Melaka, Juma'at.-Pendudok2 di kariah Kampong Banda Hilir yang berhampiran dengan bandar, telah merayu kepada kerajaan negeri supaya mengadakan seorang sidang untuk menjadi Ketua Kampong mereka bagi menggantikan Sidang Tua yang telah diberhentikan oleh kerajaan bahru2 ini.
Keputusan menghantar rayuan ini telah dibuat oleh penduduk2 di kampung itu kelmarin.
Inche Nasir bin Awal, Sidang dari kariah Kampung Bandar Hilir itu telah diberhentikan baharu2 ini oleh Kerajaan kerana beliau telah berumur lebih dari 60 tahun.
Menurut Peraturan bahru Kerajaan, sidang2 yang telah berhenti kerana sebab2 umur tua, tidak akan diganti. 

Jadi ketua
------------
Tuan Syed Omar Al-Habshi, seorang penduduk di kariah itu yang juga menjadi salah seorang anggota Lembaga Masjid Kampong Banda Hilir memberitahu Berita Harian bahawa kira2 seribu orang penduduk di sekitar kariah kampungnya memerlukan pimpinan seorang sidang.
"Kami mahu kerajaan mengadakan seorang ganti Sidang di tempat kami untuk menjadi ketua kami sekelian. Kami menuntut pemilihan yang diadakan kelak hendaklah diadakan dengan jalan pilihan rakyat," kata Tuan Syed Omar. Taken from Berita Harian, 16 April 1960, Page 5.  PENDUDOK2 MERAYU DI-ADAKAN SIDANG KAMPONG

In May 1960, Tuan Syed Omar Al-Habshi who was a Committee member of Lembaga Masjid Banda Hilir, said the Government asked the villagers to name their Sidang. Only Encik Daim bin Mat, a Kariah Masjid Banda Hilir registered himself as the new Sidang for the 13 May 1960 elections for Sidang.

Melaka, Rabu. - Permohonan penduduk2 di kariah Masjid Kampung Bandar Hilir yang baharu2 ini merayu kepada Kerajaan supaya mengadakan seorang sidang di kampung mereka bagi menggantikan sidang tua di kampung itu yang telah diberhentikan kerana usianya lebih dari 60 tahun, telah berhasil.

Baharu2 ini Penghulu Ismail bin Abdul Latiff mengumumkan bahawa pemilihan seorang Sidang baharu di kariah itu akan diadakan pada 13 Mei ini.

Tuan Syed Omar Al-Habshi, seorang ahli Jawatankuasa Lembaga Masjid Banda Hilir memberitahu Berita Harian hari ni bahawa Kerajaan telah memberi peluang kepada penduduk2 di situ mencalunkan diri masing2 untuk jawatan itu.

Berita Harian difahamkan bahawa setakat ini hanya seorang sahaja yang telah mendaftarkan diri untuk jawatan Sidang itu.

Beliau ialah Encik Daim bin Mat seorang penduduk di kariah itu. Taken from Berita Harian, 5 May 1960, Page 2. Kampong memileh sidang sendiri

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The land surrounding Masjid Banda Hilir has been gifted to Masjid Banda Hilir by Hj Mohd Sharif bin Ismail (tanah 1 ekar diwakafkan kepada Masjid Banda Hilir). The tanah wakaf of Masjid Banda Hilir was entrusted to his middle brother (Hj Mohd Nordin bin Ismail) and later his son Rahim bin Hj Mohd Nordin, and then my late father (Hj Abdul Rashid bin Hj Mohd Yusope bin Hj Mohd Sharif bin Ismail).

Today, Masjid Bandar Hilir has about 1 acre of gifted land (tanah wakaf). The confines of this gifted land are in a land map sent to me by Mahadhir Mohamad today, 7 April 2013. However, the numerals and map numbers are unclear.

What else needs be done?

There are desperate cries to make Masjid Banda Hilir a heritage site (tapak warisan) but that hope is still facing obstacles as making heritage sites comes under Kementerian Warisan and not the Chief Minister of Malacca. Someone needs to look into this matter so that we can save this ancient mosque from possible future demolition, in the name of progress. I really hope that those of you who are residing in Malacca and near this mosque can help. I am living in Kelantan.

Once the story surrounding Masjid An-Nur Banda Hilir is complete, insyaAllah, then someone can sit down to write a book about the former house at 262-T Banda Hilir and the history of the mosque. The mosque front perimeter wall was bombed during the Japanese war and was re-built. There are photos of the people of the mosque and the reconstruction of the perimeter wall in the post-war.

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Masjid Banda Hilir was expanded in the early 1960s as published on 15 December 1962 and 11 January 1963.

Melaka, Juma'at.-Masjid Kampong Banda Hilir di pekan Melaka, akan diperbesarkan lagi bangunannya.
Tuan Syed Omar Al-Habshi, setiausaha Lembaga Masjid tersebut memberitahu Berita Harian bahawa perbelanjaan membesarkan bangunan itu dijangka akan memakan perbelanjaan sebesar $5,000/-.
Menurut beliau Pejabat Ugama Melaka memberikan bantuan sebanyak $500.00 manakala penduduk2 kampung baharu dapat mengumpulkan sebanyak $1,000/- sahaja.
Beliau menyeru seluruh penduduk2 Islam di Persekutuan supaya memberikan bantuan khairat masing2 untuk embenaan masjid itu melalui list2 derma yang sedang diperedarkan sekarang. Taken from Berita Harian, 15 December 1962, Page 8. MASJID AKAN DI-PERBESAR.

Melaka, Khamis. Masjid Jame' Banda Hilir akan diperbesarkan lagi dengan perbelanjaan $1,000.
Jawatankuasa Lembaga masjid itu telah menrima pengakuan derma sebanyak $1,000 dari ahli kariah dan $500 dari Pejabat Ugama Islam Melaka.
Baki wang yang diperlukan sedang diusahakan melalui lis2 derma. Taken from Berita Harian, 11 January 1963, Page 7. MASJID JAME' BANDA HILIR

The mosque was further renovated and expanded in 2007.

This mosque is used daily, including for Friday afternoon prayer (Solat Jumaat).

This mosque is now a heritage mosque (masjid warisan).

Panglima Mat Berani

When the Portuguese attacked Malacca, the sultan and his people defended all that they could from the Portuguese. Among the brave men of Malacca was Panglima Mat Berani, who defended the sultan and Malacca before he died a martyr (mati shahid). Panglima Mat Berani's grave is somewhere in Malacca-Muar area. He is remembered whenever the story of the Portuguese attack on Malacca in 1511 is mentioned.

Who was Panglima Mat Berani?

The story of Panglima Mat Berani is narrated in a blog operated by Hafez J Malim at http://indahrasajmalim.blogspot.com/2013/02/menjejaki-makam-panglima-mat-berani.html

Malay Dress (1)

What do the Malay people wear? It is hard to say. It depends where they are and what occasion they are attending.

MALE APPAREL

Kain pelikat

For daily wear, the male Malay wears a loose short sleeve shirt and a kain pelikat. The kain pelikat (pulikat, pulicat) is an Indian cloth and is sewn to make a sarung (sarong). It is tied at the waist and tucked over the navel to form a snug rolled band. Young boys start using the kain pelikat (boys' size) since age 6 when they first start performing the daily prayers. Teenage boys wear an intermediate size kain pelikat. Adults wear the usual standard size kain pelikat. There are cheap and expensive cotton kain pelikat. The usual brands available are Gajah Duduk and Gajah Bola, which are made in Indonesia. Many people buy new kain pelikat during the festive season - Aidilfitri and Aidiladha. The kain pelikat can be worn as sarung or as kain sampin. In Kelantan, the men wear baju Melayu cekak musang with kain pelikat as sarung. In elaborate Malay dress, the kain pelikat becomes kain sampin. On other occasions, the kain sampin is the usual small half sarung made of expensive songket.

Songkok

Songkok is a plain black headgear. Boys and men wear songkok to the mosque or a Malay function. Today, there are various coloured songkok and headbands to match the baju Melayu (Malay dress). Some wear them with brooches, especially for weddings. A Malay man is thought to appear most handsome when he is properly dressed in baju Melayu and wears a black songkok.

Baju Melayu

Baju Melayu is the Malay dress. For males, this is a 2-piece attire, consisting of a long sleeve top plus a pair of loose pants. The top resembles a Chinese male shirt. There are 2 types of tops - with and without a collar. The top with a collar is called cekak musang (the fox neck) and the one without a collar is called teluk belanga (bay pot). The usual top has a collar, 3 pockets and a front opening with 5 buttons. There is no collar for the Johor version of the baju Melayu as it is forbidden for Johor males to wear the baju Melayu cekak musang because it is reserved for Johor royalties. However, males of other states prefer to wear the baju Melayu cekak musang.

Kain sampin

The kain sampin is a small tube-like cloth like a sarung that is worn to cover the male abdomen. This can be a kain pelikat, or a light brocade material or songket. Since Muslim males do not wear items of gold, silver threads are used for brocade materials.

Cincin

Many Malay males wear a ring or two. The ring is made of silver and not gold. The stone can be a machined-polished wood or a gemstone. Such rings are sold freely at five-foot pavements and walkways and at night markets. Some are cheap and some are quite expensive. Many males rings are custom made. Some buy the gemstones in Saudi Arabia when they go for Umrah or Hajj. Malay males are proud of the rings they wear and often are willing to tell stories about the rings that they own.

Memakai cincin merupakan salah satu sunah Rasulullah SAW. Baginda suka memakai cincin. Hadis daripada Anas bin Malek : “Adalah cincin Nabi SAW dipakai pada tangan ini (dan dia menunjukkan kepada kelingking jari kiri).”-(Riwayat Muslim).

Ini bermakna HARAM bagi lelaki memakai emas, SUNAT bagi lelaki memakai perak dan HARUS baginya memakai platinum. Bagaimanapun, memakai cincin perak bagi orang lelaki adalah sunnah kerana Rasulullah SAW memakainya dan dengan memakai cincin mengikut cara yang dilakukan oleh Baginda akan beroleh pahala. InsyaAllah.

More on rings here.

Other items

Malay males do not wear a necklace as it is an item of femaleness and represents the softies (the ladies). Some carry a cane (tongkat) to follow Sunnah (Tradition of the Prophet SAW). Some wear a cloth or shawl on the shoulder to follow Sunnah. Many wear turbans to follow Sunnah. Many wear celak (eye liner) to follow Sunnah. Many will lightly dab a perfume to follow Sunnah. Certain scents are preferred. Some will stick a miswak (root of the peelu tree) in the mouth to clean the teeth to follow Sunnah. They swallow the saliva along with the salts and don't get gum disease or dental carries. They also carry a small comb to follow Sunnah. They always keep the hair neatly combed.

Memakai Rida'/Shawl (selendang di atas bahu) merupakan Sunnah kekasih kita yang tercinta, sayyidil habib sayyidina Muhammad S.A.W.

More on shawl here.

Footwear

Since Malaysia and Singapore are very hot and humid, males wear Japanese slippers or sandals. Some wear chapal to go for prayers at the mosque. Some wear socks and closed shoes to work in air-conditioned offices. Boys at schools and universities do suffer from athlete's foot.

Muzium Islam Kelantan

We visited Muzium Islam Kelantan for the first time on 30 March 2013, after we left Prof. Datuk Mafauzy bin Mohamed's wedding reception party for his first son (Dr Mustaqim Mafauzy) at Hotel Grandriverview. We parked right in front of the muzium, which is beside the Muhammadi mosque in Kota Bharu. The muzium is a light green old wooden building, formerly the house of one of the Malay nobility. The muzium display is housed on 2 storeys. The groundfloor has an old mimbar, incense burners, medicine bowls, history of Islam in the region and wooden wall calligraphy. The upper floor houses several displays including cave findings, traditional Malay musical instruments, textiles, pottery, gold ornaments and findings from shipwrecks of the region.

Entrance to Muzium Islam Kelantan.

Muzium Islam Kelantan poster

Structure of the Muzium Islam Kelantan - the Rumah Limas Bungkus.

A typical long window of a Malay house

Singgora roof tiles

Wooden louvres

External links

http://www.mpkb.gov.my/

Gold Ornaments

I am attracted to the large gold bangles worn by women on their feet. In the old days, Indians and Straits Chinese wore large bangles on their feet. I don't see them anymore nowadays but only in old photos and in museums. They may look like heavy objects and which would interfere with walking. Quite the contrary, these bangles are light hollow tubes and have a hinge.

Another type of bangle is worn on the wrist or the upper arm. In the old days, women wore sarong to cover the breasts downward. The bare arms and chest were adorned with much gold ornaments such as big gold bangles and arm bands. They look stunning as worn by Tiara Jacquelina in the legendary dance drama, Puteri Gunung Ledang.

A small golden arm band and 2 large pewter bangles for the feet.

Belindan

Belindan is the grave frame. In the old days, people used wooden belindan for Muslim graves. Some belindan are plain and simple while others are ornately carved. The ornately carved belindan are from Kancanaburi in Thailand. The ornately carved wooden belindan have given way to the less ornate concrete belindan but the overall design has remained. The ornate belindan is used for the graves of nobility and Muslim scholars.

Ornate wooden Kancanaburi belindan for Muslim graves.
Photo from Muzium Islam Kelantan, 30 March 2013.

Sistem Pondok

Traditional Pondok System

The traditional educational system for learning about Islam is the sistem pondok (the hut system). In the traditional sistem pondok, there is a central building that houses the Tok Guru (the head teacher) which is surrounded by small pondok (huts or chalets) of the students. All the students go to learn from the Tok Guru and then return to rest and eat at their own huts. This has been going on since time immemorial. The pondok system is affordable and convenient for Islamic teaching. Students who graduate from the pondok system often continue their studies in Islam or Medicine in Egypt, Syria and Jordan. When they return, they work at the government hospitals or private hospitals. Almost all states in Malaysia have produced students from the pondok system who are now doctors or in allied health. Some are from the more recent Islamic schools operated by each state. The students complete Form 5 and continue to local university for 2 years before they go overseas for further degrees. These students are good and more rounded. They also become good leaders and are much prized for their honesty and sincerity as community leaders. They are not easily swayed by money, high post and corruption.

Traditional Malay pondok system for Islamic teaching.

New Pondok System

The traditional pondok system has some setbacks in terms of building safety. We have heard many fires razed many pondok and taken many innocent lives, year after year. A new move by the government is to set up more a modern and organised pondok system with a masjid as a central learning institution and surrounded by more modern housing for the students. This is a welcome move but it should be noted that if the rental rates of the huts become too expensive, poor students will not be able to afford to study at such pondok and therefore lose out altogether on all chances of learning.

A modern Malay pondok system for Islamic teaching.

Examples of pondok establishments

Some pondok establishments have received a lot of publicity while a few are not known to many. The famous ones are Pondok Terusan, Pondok Lubok Tapah and Pondok Jaal. 

Pondok Terusan is adjacent to Pasir Tumboh, at the end of a canal (terusan). It is attended by young Muslim students from Kelantan, Thailand and neighbouring regions. Elderly single men, women and couples also live here and attend daily lessons held at the mosque. An unfurnished wooden pondok rents for RM250/month and a brick unit rents for RM300/month. Clean water and electricity is supplied to all rental units. Commercial drinking water vending machines are available nearby at the shops across the road - ROS water costs 50 sen for 25 gallons. There are a few shops on site which sell packed food and freshly cooked food. Some double as a coffee shop (kedai kopi). There is a small fresh market near the mosque that sells vegetables and fruits. Life is quite relaxed at this place.

Pondok Lubok Tapah is adjacent to Pasir Mas. Its founder has passed away. It is attended by local young Muslim students. This is a true kampung setting, among the coconut trees and a lovely village scene.

Pondok Jaal is in Jertih and is attended by elderly women (above 60s). The ladies here prefer locally made products as opposed to imported products, eg locally made facial powder from the skin of the young custard apples (kulit buah nona).

More modern Islamic schools are like the one at Pulau Melaka and the Muslim orphanage at Dermit (on the way to the airport). 

The Pulau Melaka Muslim school is a modern school complex and is operated privately by the son(s) of Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz bin Nik Mat, the Menteri Besar of Kelantan. The school is open to international students. Some previous students were 4 Somali siblings from New Zealand and a Chinese female student from China. Arabic, English and Malay are taught and used at the school. The teachers comprise local ustaz and ustazah, and ustaz from Egypt and other Islamic centres of learning. The school has a website. Meals are cooked daily on site by a group of housewives and the students get 3 complete meals a day. The students here get free time for recreation in the evening - the boys usually enjoy playing football by the river.

The orphanage at Dermit runs a Muslim school for boys in a modern complex. Meal are sometimes sponsored by outsiders and generous donors. An ustaz is usually around on duty on site should a visitor drop by. Here, the boys will be fed rice and will later make doa (supplication) for the donor. On weekends, the boys are free and they sit by the staircase to play quietly in the hot afternoons.

External links
http://www.e-mosque.com.my/kenalipondok/hajiyaakub.html

Early Muslim Scholars

There were a number of early Muslim scholars in Kelantan and its vicinity. I first came to know about them from the Kelantan people when I started research on The Early Malay Doctors. I also saw some of the names being mentioned at an exhibition at Pusat Islam in Kuala Lumpur. At the time, I hadn't known who they really were and what were their contributions to society. There is very little known about them at our medical school but we had the other Muslim scholars from West Asia whose portraits now hang in our school's meeting room. I don't know why we studied about the foreign scholars but not our own Muslim scholars on our soil. They were familiar with prevailing ailments and diseases and were also good at some medical practices. Many wrote important health advice and medical notes.

Tok Kenali (2)

Also refer to Search 23 and MAIK

Tok Kenali

Real name: Muhammad Yusuf bin Ahmad (1868-1933)

Contributions to Kelantan: religious teacher, thinker, intelligent holy man, sage

Tok Kenali was born Muhammad Yusuf bin Ahmad in 1868. He grew up and married and had family in Kubang Kerian. Tok Kenali walked from Kubang Kerian to the Muhammadi Mosque in Kota Bharu where he taught the religion. He walked barefoot and walked fast; there were sightings of him in Kubang Kerian and he had arrived in Kota Bharu soon after that. These sightings were typical of people who were close to Allah SWT. After assisting with MAIK to make Islam a state religion and to focus life around its tenets, Tok Kenali finally died in 1933, aged 65. I figured he had died of diabetic complications, probably of advanced diabetic neuropathy as he didn't feel an injury on the sole of his foot. Tok Kenali was finally laid to rest at Tanah Perkuburan Tok Kenali, a Muslim graveyard in Kubang Kerian which was named in his honour. The graveyard is close to the water storage towers in Kubang Kerian and some distance from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). We visited Makam Tok Kenali on 5 December 2012.

We visited Muzium Islam Kelantan on 30 March 2013 and saw 2 posters on Tok Kenali and a big wall poster of the other religious teachers of Islam.

Malay House

It is well-known that Malay houses in the old days did not use any metal nails but only wooden pegs. Some of these old house still stand today and visitors can view them while passing through villages.

There is one Malay model house on display called the tiang 12. I'm uncertain what tiang 12 refers to. I took photos underneath the model house but it had more than 12 stilts. I didn't take any photos of the model interior as I don't know whether visitors can take the roof off and count how many posts there were inside the house. So, tiang 12 remains a mystery.

The roof tiles are made of thick baked clay. There are 2 sources of this clay tiles, one is Malacca and the other is Singgora in Thailand. The Malacca clay roof tiles were of high quality and were also preferred when the builders made Captain Francis Light's bungalow, Suffolk House, near Jalan Air Hitam in Penang. The Singgora roof tiles were also superior to other roof tiles at the time.

There is a small bangsal (bamboo shed) adjoining the main house at one side, usually nearest the bathing area and bathing well, and near the kitchen entrance. This shed is important for privacy and serves as a most private quarters for the house owners - this is where mating occurs. Malay couples do not mate inside the master bedroom of the main house but inside the bamboo shed. After all the children  are born and the couple no longer needs to use the shed, the shed is then demolished.

Malay families are known to have a dozen babies or so, year after year or two years apart, till the mother reaches menopause.

I don't know whether the bamboo shed is the practice of other Malay couples but that's the story narrated by my father about his parents' lifestyle. His father Walid mated with his wife Inche, in a bamboo shed adjacent to the main house and the shed was later demolished, well before I was born. I only saw the main house before it too was demolished. According to my late father, surviving aunt and uncle, it was a flimsy shed, not as good as the main house.

The main house with an open platform or verandah (anjung) attached to the central part of the house. The bamboo shed is at the rear portion of the house. 

Rear aspect of the house. The main house is at left. The bamboo shed is at right.

Malay Medical Manuscripts

There were 2 Malay medical manuscripts displayed in Muzium Islam Kelantan. The manuscripts were written in Jawi script.

 This 80-page manuscript contains medical knowledge, tip and amulets for a variety of diseases. It is written on 40 pieces of paper which is folded into 2.

This 40-page manuscript contains supplications and amulet on various types of diseases and magic spells. It is written on a bark (kulit kayu) using ink extracted the roots of plants.

Jebak

I had interviewed the late Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid bin Ismail on 11 May 2007 for his life story to write his biography. It was Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid who informed me about the jebak which he used to catch birds when he was a young boy. Even though Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid has passed on, I still remember the jebak story he told me about at the interview, which I have included in his biography. He tried his very best to describe the jebak but I still didn't know what it looked like.

I saw the jebak for the first time when I visited Muzium Islam Kelantan on 30 March 2013. It is a bird trap made from bamboo pieces strung together to make a cage. Another piece forms the front gate for the bird trap. Two big metal rings hold the gate trap to the cage. A narrow white plastic water bottle is fixed near the entrance to the jebak. Please read about the jebak in Tan Sri Dr Abdul Majid's biography.

Incense

There are reasons to burn incense. The Malays burn incense to shoo away mosquitoes that fly at dusk (waktu maghrib). They smoke the entire house and compound to kill the mosquitoes. If done correctly, there should not be any mosquitoes after dark. Still, we find people dying of malaria. But that was long ago when we were British Malaya.

Malaria is non existent today in modern Malaysia. However, haemorrhaging dengue is here to stay. Many Malays have stopped burning incense at dusk today. My grandmother burned incense but I don't, even though I went to Bukit Uhud to buy my incense. I keep the incense for teaching purposes. Will burning incense kill mosquitoes?

The Indians and Chinese also burn incense.

Incense burners

Malay Weapons

Keris

There are several weapons unique to the Malay world. The keris is already known as a weapon that is uniquely Malay. It is carried in the waist belt (bengkong) of the ruler and also the groom during a Malay wedding. The keris is often not much talked about or a range of collection open for public viewing. Even though we may have seen a few keris, the Malay keris collection is very large and varied among the Malay rulers who own them. Almost all Malay rulers have a keris that represents their kingdom or rule. Malay males have inherited the keris from their noble forefathers. My father also inherited a few Minangkabau keris from his forefathers but he went to Sumatra to return them to their rightful owners. Usually, females do not own a keris as they don't need to.

Malay weapons. The keris is at far left. 

Sundang

The keris sundang is a long keris with a round tip.

Keris sundang

Kapak kecil

In the early 1970s, there was a young Malay male who showed up at our front door one fine evening. My father answered the door. His face was covered with  blood and his clothes were stained with blood from a sustained head injury.

My father had let in the injured man live with us for the night. After much interrogation, it was made known to us kids that this young man had sustained severe head injuries after he was attacked with a kapak kecil (kapak kechil, kapak kecik, kapak kechik). I was made to nurse him! I didn't like the unwelcome injured visitor. We didn't have a telephone in the house then. My father went to 'work' the next day and reported him to the police. He was taken away by the police while I was in school. I didn't see him after school. It was good that he was gone but the memories of that incident remained.

The man's name was Abdul Rashid, just like my father's. What happened to him? This injured young man was a bogus doctor at GH Kota Bharu. He had tried to woo and date a Malay kampung girl from Pengkalan Chepa, a seaside village well-known for numerous kapak kecil attacks back then. The girl refused to marry him and he went to the girl's village to pick a fight with the villagers. Of course the villagers attacked him with their infamous weapon, a kapak kecil. The detailed nature of the attack was unknown but the villagers had used the girl to con him to the village. They spilled little stones on the narrow village road. He road a scooter and had fallen off from his scooter when he came to the spilled stones. The villagers then attacked him with a kapak kecil and he bled. He got away and came to our house. He found our house in Pengkalan Chepa after asking around for my father, then a lecturer at Maktab Perguruan Kota Bharu (MPKB), now Instiutut Perguruan Kota Bharu (IPKB).

At age 12, I didn't know what kapak kecil was but I was curios to find out what kind of weapon it was. I saw kapak kecil for the first time when I visited Muzium Islam Kelantan on 28 March 2013. It was displayed along with the other Malay weapons, many are deadly weapons. The kapak kecil is a small light hammer that is carried in the back pocket of a man's trousers. It is meant to knock a person on the head (katok kepala).

Badik

The badik is a curved weapon for stabbing (senjata untuk menikam). It is similar to the sickle (sabit) used to cut grass.

Sengat Pari

The Malays eat sting rays (ikan pari). The ivory is used as a weapon for stabbing called sengat pari (sting ray). Steve Irwin, in the TV serial Crocodile Hunter, died after he was accidentally pierced by a sting ray.

Kerewang

There was a big ornate weapon that I never knew and never heard about - the kerewang. The kerewang looks like it was made for a play or drama, and has ornate carvings, 'Mak Yong' designs. I don't know what they used it for but it serves to knock a person on the head (katok kepala). I have not heard about injuries sustained from a kerewang attack. I do not know where they make the kerewang.

Other Malay weapons

There are other Malay weapons which have not made their way to museums. One is the parang. In Kelantan, the parang is narrow and straight, with a bound handle made of stiff nylon rope, and an 8-in long narrow blade. In Malacca, the parang is a wide and with a curved blade, and the entire parang and handle are one moulded piece made of cast iron. Almost every Malay home will have a parang, mainly to crack open a coconut (for obtaining santan for cooking) and to clear bushes around the house or cut small stems and to chop small trees.

There have been incidences of Malay men running amok (from the Malay root verb amok and the verb mengamuk). Amok happens all of a sudden, when anger ticks a man and he turns to a killing spree, and the parang is used to chase after victims. Of course the outcome of such amok is fatal. The amok man may turn upon himself and kill himself in the end. Amok is not well researched in Malaysia. It may run in families. It probably relates to extreme uncontrollable anger that has to vent at some point. It could be due to many reasons - excessive pressure (amat tertekan), excessive jeering (banyak diejek), loss of a wife to another man (bini diambil orang), disturbing another man's wife (kacau bini orang), loss of money or land (kehilangan duit atau tanah), family feud (perkelahian antara ahli keluarga), fight with another man in the village (berkelahi dengan orang kampung), someone stole another man's possession (mencuri), etc. It could be revenge or some other causes.

Bewah Cave Dwellers

This is the first time that I heard about Bewah Cave. Bewah Cave is a limstone cave near Tasik Kenyir in Terengganu. It has fossil remains.

There was a human skeletal remains (replica) of a Bewah Cave inhabitant who was buried in foetal position, the legs were not straightened as with the Egyptian mummies.

The Bewah Cave dwellers were quite skilled and had used some of the most unique tools known in the history of man. Some of these tools were well formed (well made). They looked really good and functional.

Medical Inscription Bowls

Bowls inscribed with different Jawi scripts were used to treat diseases, disorders and problems in the Malay society. They are still being used today.

There are stone or porcelain bowls with reddish Jawi scripts, presumably written with the red ink of the za'faran stamens (saffron).

Water is poured into the inscribed bowls and verses read. The water is then poured from the inscribed bowls into cups or bottles for patients to take home for consumption.

This water from the inscribed bowls is used for many reasons which are worth studying.

Batu Bersurat Terengganu

PART 1

The Terengganu Inscription Stone is a wonderful archaeological find. It provides evidence that Islam reached Terengganu very early in Malay History - some 700 years ago. Who brought Islam to Terengganu? He was known as Sharif Muhammad al-Baghdadi.

Replica of the Terengganu Inscription Stone
More on Terengganu Inscription Stone in Wikipedia

PART 2

I happened to pass by Hulu Terengganu where the Terengganu Inscription Stone was initially discovered and unearthed from the river. The area is a flood plain and low-lying.

Hulu Terengganu where the Terengganu Inscription Stone was discovered. This view was taken from my car (while in motion) while crossing the bridge. The river can be seen beneath the signboard.

The area surrounding the river and flood plain is built-up and much higher. There is dual carriage-way on the bridge that stretches over the river. It is hard to stop on the bridge to get a good photograph of the river and flood plain. There is a road-sign that gives the direction to the location of the Terengganu Inscription Stone. But I did not go down that path as the tiny road led farther away from the highway and I was on my way to Kuantan for a function. I thought of visiting the Terengganu Inscription Stone site on the way back but I had taken another route home and therefore did not have the chance to visit the place to find out more. I have planned to return some other time, insya Allah.

PART 3

Stone inscription is common everywhere in this region - the Malay World. However, in Malaysia, there is one inscription stone that stands out above the rest which we have seen so far. This is the Terengganu Inscription Stone. It is charcoal black with white Jawi inscriptions, much like using white chalk to write on a blackboard.

It was discovered in Hulu Terengganu in the 14th Century, in 1303, as stated by Prof. Syed Naguib Al-Attas as cited in The Genius of Malay Civilisation (Asmah Haji Omar 2003:50).

The stone tells of Islamic regulations and provides an early evidence of Islam in Terengganu and the vicinity. Many have not seen the Stone but have heard about it. I saw the replica Stone for the first time at Muzium Islam in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The real stone is at Muzium Negeri Terengganu.

This is a black stone cut into an irregular pedestal with 4 flat surfaces. It has an unusual geometry - much like a tall columnar headgear. There is Jawi writing on each rough cut surface. Since this is a replica stone, the Jawi inscription appears 'pasted' on the surface and not cut into the stone surface. The real stone has Jawi inscriptions inscribed into the stone surface (dipahat) and the stone has the original granite surface, like that of the usual batu tumbuk and batu giling. It is also known as Batu Berukir Terengganu as the Jawi inscriptions are inscribed or carved onto the stone surface.


Reference:
Asmah Haji Omar (ed.). 2003. The Genius of Malay Civilisation. A publication of the Institute of Malay Civilisation, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjong Malim, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia.


PART 4

The following are photographs of the replica Terengganu Inscription Stone, which I took when I visited Muzium Islam in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

Surface 1

Surface 2

Surface 3

Surface 4

Update from Anonymous:
This is a replica of the real stone. The real stone is in the Muzium Negeri Terengganu. Here's the link to the museum http://museum.terengganu.gov.my/.


PART 5

The Terengganu Inscription Stone was written by a clergy known as Sharif Muhammad al-Baghdadi, whose real name is Muhammad bin Abdullah. His grave is located in Kg Jenagor in Kuala Brang, Ulu Terengganu.

He is descended from Nabi Muhammad SAW from his father via Saidina Hasan and from his mother via Saidina Husin. He is therefore, an Ahlul Bait.

He was said to have abdicated the throne in Baghdad and went to Makkah, then Hadramaut in Yemen, before coming to Ulu Terengganu.

In Ulu Terengganu, he preached Islam and established an Islamic Government, which replaced the existing Hindu Government. Many Hindus converted to Islam under his guidance. He established an administrative centre named Kota Tamir on a 300-acre plot.

• Sharif Muhammad al-Baghdadi was succeeded by his son Syarif Abdul Qahar bin Syarif Muhammad (Tok Paloh).
• Tok Paloh in turn was succeeded by his son Syarif Abdullah bin Syarif Abdul Qahar (Tok Pauh).
• Tok Pauh was in turn succeeded by his son Syarif Abdul Malik @ Syeikh Abdul Malik (Tok Pulau Manis).

All three men who were descended from Sharif Muhammad al-Baghdadi were regarded as Wali Allah and have their respective karomah.

Tok Pulau Manis was the most outstanding of the descendants of Sharif Muhammad al-Baghdadi. He established Kota Pulau Manis and an Islamic institution of learning, which was famous in the Malay World at the time.

http://hanputra.blogspot.my/2011/10/sharif-muhammad-al-baghdadi.html?m=1


PART 6

Tok Pulau Manis's daughter, Siti Zubaidah bt Abdul Malik, married to Tun Zainal @ Tun Jenal, who later became the ruler of Tanjung Baru in Ulu Terengganu, and became known as Sultan Zainal Abidin I. This started the Terengganu Sultanate.

Sultan Zainal Abidin I was the first ruler of Terengganu, who ruled from 1725 to 1733. He was succeeded by Sultan Mansur Shah I (1733-1793).

• 1725–1733: Zainal Abidin I
• 1733–1793: Mansur Shah I
• 1793–1808: Zainal Abidin II

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terengganu_Sultanate

Pokok Bunga Emas

The pokok bunga emas is an artificial ornamental tree made with gold or golden leaves, trunk, branches and flowers. Either all the parts are made of gold or are painted golden. The golden ornamental tree was used by the Kelantan to pay to the Siamese Kingdom in return for protection from warring Malay states or quarters.

Kelantan was a rich gold producer that once supplied gold to other neighbouring states. Kelantan started paying gold to Siam since 1817, for 92 years, every 3 years, and 30 times. That enslavement ended with the signing of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 (Bangkok Treaty of 1909), following which Kelantan was handed over to British Malaya. Siam and Britain have been allies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Siamese_Treaty_of_1909

Pokok bunga emas