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A Book Review on Aishah: the Beloved of Mohammed

Before I begin to give my opinion about this book, please allow me to briefly introduce a little story about the author of this biography of Aishah R.A.
Nabia Abbott was born in Turkey on 1897 and died in 1981. Nabia Abbott was taken by her family across the Middle East to India, and later on she lived in Iraq and in the Unite States of America. Apart from that, she became the first woman faculty member of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in 1933.


Aishah R.A. was a daughter of Umm Ruman and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, Prophet’s right-hand man as well as the 1st Caliph of Muslims community. She was the beloved wife of the Prophet after Khadijah’s death. After Khadijah’s death, the Prophet decided to marry Sawdah bint Zam’ah-the follower of the Prophet and Aishah-the daughter of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq as an advice from Khawlah bint Hakim. At the beginning, the little girl Aishah doesn’t know to whom she will be married with. Until then, when she was playing with her friends in a playground, came a group of women who then washed her face. And at the age of not more than ten years old, Aishah became the Prophet’s wife. Due to Aishah’s age, when coming home the Prophet would see his wife busy playing with her toys and sometimes playing with her friends.

All in all, as Aishah growing older, Prophet has married Hafsah-the daughter of Umar ibn Al-Khattab, and many others. This situation was indeed, creating jealousy among the Prophet’s wives especially the little Aishah, she said that “when the Messenger of Allah married Umm Salamah, I was extremely sad and jealous”.

Later on, the dignity of Aishah was tested on the way back from the expedition against the Banu al-Mustaliq. “The affair of the slander” was the name of the bad episode directed to the beloved wife of the Prophet and Safwan ibn al-Mu’attal that was created by Abdullah ibn Ubayy. This slander remained unsettled and it creates the young Aishah to cry because nobody believe in her, and so does the Prophet who was in fact has doubts of her virtue and never visited her in Aishah’s house. The months have passed, what Aishah can do is just praying to Allah so that the truth will come out. Furthermore, revealed Surah An-Nur 11-16 to prove that Aishah was innocent.

All Muslims community knew that Aishah was his favourite and due to this reason Muslims community had decided to send any gifts they had for the Prophet on Aishah’s “day”. Among the reason on why she became the beloved wife of Prophet was because, whenever she wanted to visits her father, she will ask Prophet’ permission first. Prophet once said to Aishah: “O Aishah, may Allah reward you well, I am not the source of joy to you that you are to me”. When he Prophet was sick, it was she who takes care of him and nurtured him well, she has put the comfort of the Prophet as her priority. Prophet’s love to Aishah can be seen when he asked each of his wives and tried to figure out when does Aishah’s “turn” will took place because he felt that the illness was killing him badly. Aishah was on her eighteen years old when the Prophet breathed his last in her arms and was buried in Aishah’s house as requested by him.

After her father died, it was her to establish herself as a major factor of the politics. Aishah was entrusted by the welfare of her family because she was capable of doing it and an energetic woman. Aishah, the Mother of the Believers has turned her energies and talents and dominated the political situation in the Muslims world. She breathed her last on Tuesday; the seventeenth of Ramadhan in the age of sixty-four and requested to be buried with the rest of Prophet’s departed wives.

Phillippines

I think dexter presentation was alrite. Although he sounded a little nervous, he delivered his information better than I expected. I think next time dexter need to structure his points accordingly because I felt his information was scattered around.
I would have like it if he have spoken more about Abu Sayyaf group and the Muslim minorities in the South part of Phillippines.

From my own reading , I have found out that Abu Sayyaf means bearers of Sword in Arabic and many people believe it is closely link to Osama bin laden which I found it to be untrue. In addition, I discovered Abu Sayyaf is former led by Abdurajak Janjalani, a Philippine Muslim who fought in the international Islamist brigade in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation but now it is led by Khadaffy Janjalani after his brother Abdurajak Janjalani died.

I dont see these Muslim minority freedom fighters as a terrorists although they may have kidnapped twenty people, including three Americans, at one of Philippine exclusive resort and demanded ransom payments in 2002. I just think they just want the world to acknowledge them by commiting these crimes.They stand for the rights of Muslim in Phillippines by seeking for independence from the government of Phillippines although it is done through the brutal ways.

Review on Road to Mecca , book written by Muhammad Asad

Review and Analysis on the “Road to Mecca”
The “Road to Mecca” was written by Muhammad Asad mainly talked about his background, the people he met through his traveling, his conversion to Islam and his thoughts against Zionist movement. It is an inspiring book that reflected upon the life of Muslim convert who chose to work and live within Muslim society in order to move toward Islamic direction.
Muhammad Asad or Leopold Weiss was borned in July 1900 in town of Lvov (Lemberg) in Eastern Galicia part of Hasburg Empire which is now known as Ukraine. He is the descendent of a pious Jewish family that he noted his parental grandfather was a barrister who had strong Judaism values. However, his parents was not interested in religion which may have caused him to developed what he called “supercilious feeling” toward Judaism which he emphasized that he was against the Hebrew bible and Talmud moral perceptions because they were only focusing on the ritual aspects of the religion and God of Hebrew was only favoring the chosen Jewish nation.
He received the first discovery of Islam and Zionism when he invited his uncle in Jerusalem. He discovered Zionism was mistreating the Arab after occupying their land in most of Palestine.He published a book called “Frankfurter Zeitung” that sided Muslim and Arab nationalism in opposition to the British biasness in giving the Zionists land at the centre of Palestine and gradually allowing Zionists to take over most of Palestine. He traveled to many Middle Eastern countries for two years in completing the book. On his trip he met Shaykh Mustafa Al-Maraghi who was a theologian at Al-Azhar who gave him insightful impression about Islam. He learnt that Islam is not like what it was interpreted by the Western critics.
After his trip he moved back to Frankfurter and studied Islamic studies .Soon after that he converted to Islam after he felt Islam was the right religion for him. Later, he went for pilgrimage in Mecca and ended up staying there for six years. He mentioned he was studying religion in Medina while involving with politic in Riyadh. In addition, the late King Ibn Saud was close to Asad because the King wanted Asad to write documentation to the European continent as well as of becoming the secret agent to chalestine mission to Kuwait in detecting the fund that Faysal Al-Dawish a Saudi Rebel was receiving in buying guns.
Throughout his times in Saudi, he stated his disappointment toward the late King Ibn Saud due to the King lack of efforts in wanting to become the leader of the Islamic revivals and toward the establishing of progressive Islamic society in Saudi Arabia. He explained that the King was just a King who only cared about his luxurious life and ignorant his social responsibility toward his Islamic nation. Due to his great disappointment toward the King, he later on migrated to India, Turkestan, China and Indonesia in engaging himself in Islamic discussion.
I think this book is good book for Muslim to read because it creates awareness to us about the lack of understanding on the real gist of Islam which are facing by the Muslim nowadays and in the past. He stated that if he met the Muslim before understanding the real Islamic teaching, he would not have converted based on observing the practices of Muslim contemporary. We should ponder on his statement.

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Book review: Tun Ghafar Baba

By: 0628513 MOHD FAZLI SHAMSUDDIN

Quoted from: Alias Mohamed. (1993) Ghafar- A Biography. Petaling Jaya: Pelanduk Publication.

The late Tun Ghafar Baba was an unpretentious man, simple and very ordinary. It was very ordinariness that makes him stand out as being different. Unlike many others in public life, Ghafar has not sought a title or been anxious to give them to others. When he was Chief Minister of Malacca, he spoke out against moves to have the Governor, Tun Leong Yew Koh, award state honours and decorations on his birthday. It was then just two years after Merdeka. Those who deserved to be honoured, he argued, would have the opportunity of being honoured by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. His reasoning was simple and direct: “The giving of one’s service to the public should properly be to derive the satisfaction of having served the interest of humanity”.
Getting to the root of the master is Ghafar’s style of leadership. He is true grassroots leader who believes that charity begins at home. He says that nothing excites him anymore after living in this world for more than 68 years. What is achievement? He has reduced it to a very simple formula; he only wants satisfaction through doing his bit for the people –especially the have-nots. Being born into poverty and having known it from the time he was very young, Ghafar is the champion of the poor.

When crisis was at high, Ghafar, in his soft unassuming manner, is always at the forefront protecting and promoting the interest of the party. Known for his loyalty, Ghafar had always stood solidly behind Datuk Seri Mahathir and even stuck his neck out in supporting the Prime Minister during the nation’s so-called constitutional crisis of 1983. Ghafar remembers the crisis well. He was not in the Government when it happened. It was during his “business years”. It arose after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mahathir tabled the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill on August 1, 1983. Among others things, the Bill sought to amend Article 66 to provide that “if for any reason whatsoever a Bill, and it shall become law.” After three days of debate, the Dewan Negara gave its approval. On August 10, it was endorsed by the Dewan Negara. The King, after consultations with the other Rulers, delayed giving his assent. Then, Ghafar explained to all the Rulers after he consulted United Malay National Organization (UMNO) Supreme Council. He mentioned, “There is no intention to erode the power of the Rulers, but because we practice constitutional monarchy in Malaysia, the Rulers have to act on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Menteri Besar.” But, nothing came out after all the Rulers meet at Istana Bukit Kayangan, Shah Alam, Selangor. Furthermore, the Rulers assented to the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill on December 15 in the same year.

During the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) leadership crisis, Ghafar also acted as the mediator in the mediator in the power struggle between the Neo Yee Pan and Tan Koon Swan factions. Ghafar mentioned, “I feel duty-bound to help”, he points out. After court decided for him to be a mediator, he was happy with court decision nevertheless. Then, a Singapore newspaper wrote these event “…..the Chinese have Ali Baba, the Indian have Sai Baba and the Malays have Ghafar Baba,”

Back to the point mentioned above, there have been political within the MCA in the past, but none can match the 1984 upheaval in terms of the numbers of members it involved or the way in which it raised fundamental questions about the democratic process in the party. Many feel that the crisis began with the resignation of Datuk Lee San Choon at the heights of his power as president in April 1983. His resignation followed shortly after that of deputy president Datuk Richard Ho.

Before he resigned, he had Datuk Neo Yee Pan made deputy president and self-made millionaire Tan Koon Swan vice-president. When he resigned, Datuk Neo became acting president pending the party elections the following year. Datuk Neo appointed Datuk Mak Hon Kam acting deputy president. What followed was a bitter power struggle for the control of the MCA between the Neo Yee Pan and the Tan Koon Swan factions. For a while things remained relatively calm. But on March 19, 1984 a row over alleged “phantom” members in the MCA exploded into a serious crisis. On that day the acting president and his allies within the party stunned observers by expelling their main rival, Tan Koon Swan, and 13 of his close associates.

Soon, the fight spilled over into the courts. As a secretary-general of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, Ghaffar was stepped in. He then, realized. A long drawn-out court battle could paralyse the MCA. Since the general election was not far off, the Barisan Nasional could not afford to have one of its major parties incapacitated.

Through his mediation, the 2 factions agreed to have the membership list scrutinized and “cleaned”. A new list emerged and was computerized. This was followed by party elections which saw Tan Koon Swan catapulted into the presidency.

Ghafar was also said to be involved in mediation efforts to avert the prolongation of the March 1987 crisis in Sarawak. It began when 28 of the 48 Sarawak State Assemblymen flew to Kuala Lumpur, declared their opposition to Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and called on him to step down. Later, Tan Sri Taib and his three-party State Barisan Nasional coalition won.

Ghafar’s contribution to the country’s peace and harmony is well known. The Malaysian Institute of Management conferred him an honorary fellowship award in 1988 to show its appreciation for a man who has won national recognition as the nation’s healing hand at times of crisis. The award is the highest accolade accorded to an individual by the institute. It has conferred the award to only 10 persons over last 20 years. They are Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Hussein Onn, Tun Dr Ismail, Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz, Tun Tan Siew Sin, Tun Mohamed Suffian Hashim, Tun Ismail Mohamad Ali, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Sultan Azlan Shah.