tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81416982024-03-24T02:19:46.667+08:00Light of EminenceIhsanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985185701772977402noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141698.post-66266973132855719752010-08-13T13:41:00.001+08:002010-08-13T13:44:12.065+08:00<strong>Biography of Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji</strong><br /><em>(author unknown but may Allah bless him or her)<br /></em><br /><strong>Placeof Birth</strong><br />Surakarta (Solo), CentralJava, Indonesia<br /><br /><strong>Dateof Birth</strong><br />18 August 1922 (24 Zulhijjah 1340H)<br /><br /><strong>Childhood History</strong><br />In 1927, at the age of five, he travelled with hisparents to Singaporeand lived with the Solo community at the Jalan Sultan area known as PasirGembur.<br /><br />Later, his family moved to Rengat (Sumatra). (He returned to Singaporeand became a citizen.)<br /><br /><strong>Education<br /></strong>In February 1937, he furthered his studies in Singaporeat the Aljunied Islamic School. He finished his education in 1944 during theJapanese Occupation.<br /><br /><strong>Career</strong><br />From May 1966 to end October 1970, he became areligious teacher at the Hassanal Bolkiah ArabSecondary School in Bandar Seri Begawan, BruneiDarussalam. Ahmad Sonhadji and his family returned to Singapore thereafter.<br /><br />In August 1971, he took up a post as senior teacherat the Aljunied Islamic School. He was appointed as principal of theinstitution from February 1973 to end March 1980, when he retired. In September1980, he took up the post as the Imam (prayer leader) of Masjid Muhajirin.Previously, he was also a volunteer Imam at Masjid Al-Huda for 10 years. In March 1985, he was invited to be an advisor to the principal of the AljuniedIslamic School.<br /><br /><strong>Initiatives<br /></strong>During the Japanese Occupation in 1942, he leftSingapore for Rengat (Riau) to establish a madrasah,the Perguruan Agama Islam Rengat(PAIR), together with his teacher, Ustaz Haji Marzuki bin Haji Shamsuddin.He returned to Singaporeto continue his studies for a year, before becoming a trainee teacher foranother year. Upon the end of the Occupation in August 1945, he ended his stintas a trainee teacher.<br /><br />In early 1946, he set up the Madrasah Bustanul 'Arifin in Coronation Road, Singapore.After teaching for four months at MadrasahBustanul 'Arifin, he resigned to resume teaching at Madrasah Al-Junied during the day. He also offered privatereligious classes, known as Al-MadrasahAl-Diniah, at his home in the evenings.<br /><br />Talents<br />Involvementin Organisations<br /><br />1)TheIslamic Religious Council of Singapore(Muis):<br />He was a member ofthe Muis Council and had actively contributed in various workgroups constitutedunder Muis to deal with the community's religious issues. One of his keycontributions was through the Fatwa Committee, of which he had been a membersince 1975. He had always been a progressive and forward looking scholar, andhis ideas and thoughts were pivotal to advance many issues deliberated by theFatwa Committee such as organ donation and the inclusion of Muslims under HOTA,waqaf development, zakat administration, determination of the beginning of theIslamic calendar through mathematical calculations and discussions on Newater. He was stillteaching at Muhajirin Mosque, even in his late 80s.<br /><br />2)Associationof Islamic Scholars and Teachers (PERGAS)<br /><br />He was one of the early activists of PERGAS wherehe was elected as the secretary of the Educational Department. He was laterappointed as its Vice Chairperson and subsequently as advisor.<br /><br />Books<br />Ustaz Sonhadji had authored many books and his best-known work is thetranslation and interpretation of the Qur'an into the Malay language. It tookhim more than 25 years to complete this task and it has subsequently beenrepublished many times. His instructional book on performing the prayer hasalso been republished many times and is used by the majority of Muslims in Singapore.It has also been translated into other languages such as Korean and Sinhalese.<br /><br />The Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji Mohamad Collection at Singapore's National Library comprises more than1,000 publications in Jawi, Arabic and Malay, on Islam and the development ofIslam in Singapore and Southeast Asia and more than 500 manuscripts which are onloan. The manuscripts include notes of his sermons and interpretation of theQur'an for which he is most respected for in the region of Southeast Asia.<br /><br />Family<br />He is survived by a wife and ten children (ninedaughters and a son).<br /><br />ConcludingRemarks<br />Many of his students have become important and respectedreligious leaders of the Muslim community in Singapore,Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. They include Singapore'sMufti, Syed Isa Semait and former Chief Officer of Brunei Darussalam Ministryof Religious Affairs, Pehin Haji Mohd Zain Haji Serudin.Ihsanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985185701772977402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141698.post-19763362773376007442008-09-27T11:38:00.000+08:002009-09-27T11:39:31.644+08:00<strong>Shaykh Zakaria Bin Omar Bagharib</strong><br /><br />Shaykh Zakaria Bin Omar Bagharib (1936-2009)<br />The authorized representative or wakil in Singapore, for Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil Al-Haqqani Al-Qubrusi An-Naqshbandi (qs)<br /><br />Prepared by Noor Mohamed<br />Minor editions by Mohamed Nassir<br />============================<br />O the brilliance of the moon!<br />Even shinier than that golden spoon!<br />Glad tidings! O what a boon!<br />Whirling and dancing to the soul’s tune!<br /><br />O that rare unique star!<br />Shaykh Nazim’s Singapore car!<br />At times strange and bizarre!<br />The best we have seen here so far!<br /><br />O Lord! Grant him good health and long-life,<br />And strengthen his will to survive,<br />We are bees in need of this hive!<br />A conduit of spiritual honey for life.<br /><br />LAA ILAAHA ILL-ALLAH<br />LAA ILAAHA ILL-ALLAH<br />LAA ILAAHA ILL-ALLAH<br />MUHAMMAD RASUL-ALLAH<br /><br />Author: Unknown<br />==========================<br /><br />His Family<br />Born as Zakaria Bin Omar Bagharib on 19th March 1936 to an Arab family of 12 siblings (6 boys and 6 girls), whose roots were from Tarim, Yemen (Hadramawt). He was the youngest.<br /><br />His late father, Allahyarham Sheikh Omar bin Abdullah Bagharib (may Allah bless his soul), had been serving the community as Imam of Masjid Khadijah, situated at Geylang Road, for 32 years. Being a contemporary of Syed Muhammad Bin Salim Al-Attas (may Allah bless his soul), Sheikh Omar played a major role in the development of the famous Masjid Ba’alawi located at Lewis Road off Bukit Timah Road.<br /><br />The Family Tree of Shaykh Zakaria connects up to a 5th generation Wali Qutb (cardinal saint) whose name is identical to that of Sheikh Zakaria’s late father, Sheikh Omar Bin Abdullah Bagharib, Sahibul Kanziyah As-Siddiqiyyah al-Kubra. He had been blessed by Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala with a sufi maqam (spiritual station) in the same level as that of Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, the first Caliph of Islam. This was related by Allahyarham Sheikh Umar Al-Khatib to Shaykh Zakaria Bagharib.<br /><br />Shaykh Zakaria lived with his wife Ummi Aishah Bte Omar Said Makarim, to whom he had been happily married for the past 51 years. They are blessed with 5 children (4 girls and a boy), Sabah, Shirin, - the eldest daughter, Gusti Sabah - the 2nd daughter, 3rd son - Omar, 4th daughter - Thuraiya and his youngest daughter - Aiman.<br /><br />Education and Career<br />He had his early secular education in the Geylang, Telok Kurau and Kota Raja Schools in Singapore including 4 years of Islamic Education at the Al-Khairiah Islamic School (Madrasah Al-Khairiah Al-Islamiah), which still exist today at 152 Still Road.<br /><br />Later, he undertook 3 years of full-time study at The Sultan Idris Training College (SITC) and thereafter, studied law at the University of Singapore from 1961 to 1965. In 1966, he was offered a teaching job and served as lecturer at the Teachers’ Training College in Paterson Road. Two of his students today are prominent figures in Singapore. They are Hj Yatiman Yusof – a former Member of Parliament, and Hj Ma’arof Salleh – former President of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).<br /><br />He furthered his education at The Concordia University in Montreal Canada from 1972-1976, where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, majoring in Accountancy and Business Administration. He commenced his Masters Degree but had to end it prematurely because of extenuating circumstances.<br /><br />For nineteen years, Shaykh Zakaria also learnt intensively various Islamic sciences like Arabic language, Arabic grammar, Tasawwuf (Islamic spirituality), fiqh (jurisprudence), hadith (Prophetic traditions) and Qur’anic tafsir (exegesis) under the tutelage of arguably the most eminent of Islamic scholars in Singapore, Sheikh Umar Al-Khatib (may Allah bless his soul) (1908-1997).<br /><br />Shaykh Zakaria taught the Islamic sciences at private centres and the Darul Arqam (The Muslim Converts’ Association of Singapore) and was among their popular teachers.<br /><br />Shaykh Zakaria was fluent in the languages of English, Malay, Arabic, and spoke a little bit of French.<br /><br />Spiritual Path<br />He traveled in the year 1990 and had the good fortune to meet the 40th Master of the Esteemed Naqshbandi Sufi Order, Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil Al-Haqqani al-Qubrusi in his hometown in Lefke, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). In 1994, he met Shaykh Nazim’s deputy, Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani in Kuala Lumpur, who informed Shaykh Zakaria that Prophet Muhammad salallahu alaihi wasallam had given permission for him to pledge allegiance to the Prophet through Shaykh Nazim, and to be Shaykh Nazim’s representative in Singapore. Shaykh Zakaria was overwhelmed with tears of joy upon hearing it.<br /><br />Shaykh Zakaria then commenced the regular Naqshbandi dhikr with a small group of about 2-3 persons. And the group steadily grew larger and larger. Today there is a regular attendance of about 150 to 200 people who attends the Naqshbandi weekly dhikr at Masjid Kg Siglap and Masjid Hajah Fatimah (first Thursday of each month).<br /><br />Spiritual Blessing<br />Shaykh Zakaria Bagharib was fortunate to have been in contact with many holy personalities and saints since he was very young. In 1942, a sufi master, Mawlana Abdul Aleem Siddique, was in Singapore on a missionary visit. Mawlana Abdul Aleem Siddique appointed Shaykh Zakaria’s father, Sheikh Omar Bagharib as his khalifah (representative) for the Qadiri tariqah (spiritual order). Once at the age of 6, Shaykh Zakaria was in the presence of Mawlana Abdul Aleem Siddique and was personally spoon-fed by Mawlana Abdul Aleem with a local delicacy called ‘suji’ and along with his barakah or spiritual blessings.<br />Today, the Abdul Aleem Siddique Mosque stands at No. 90 Lorong K Telok Kurau, in memory of this sacred figure, who although had an Indian background, but was of Arab descent with a noble lineage directly to Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him).<br /><br />The late founder of Singapore’s Ba’alwie Mosque, Syed Muhammad bin Salim Al-Attas (may Allah bless his soul) was very fond of the young Shaykh Zakaria and used to affectionately call him, “Ya Afrit, ta’al, ta’al” meaning “O Afrit (mischievous jinn), come here.”<br /><br />His Seclusion<br />In the year 2004, during the month of Rajab, Shaykh Zakaria was especially selected by Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, amongst twenty other Naqshbandis to perform seclusion in Bogor, Cikreteg, located on a mountain. There were many seclusion chambers there, specially built for khalwat (seclusion).<br /><br />Shaykh Zakaria (the only Singaporean) and nineteen other khalwatis were scheduled to do seclusion for 40 days. They were all under the care and guidance of Mawlana Shaykh Hisham, under the authority of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim. The khalwatis had to adhere strictly to the rules of seclusion, like:<br /><br />1. To bathe before performing each fard (obligatory) prayer – i.e. 5 times daily.<br />1. To perform daily dhikr (chants) of the names of Allah, in the hundreds of thousands, as prescribed.<br />2. To recite daily the Dalailul Khairat and thousands of salawat.<br />3. Food served daily in very small portions at the morning and evening only.<br />4. No interaction with anyone.<br /><br />During one of the days during seclusion, as recalled by Shaykh Zakaria, his ego was smashed, knocking him out for a few minutes. After regaining consciousness, he then felt a collar round his neck being pulled. As he looked up, he then saw Prophet Muhammad salallahu alaihi wasallam. He could not see the face of the Prophet (s) but he knew it was the Holy Prophet (s).<br /><br />On the 20th day of seclusion, Shaykh Hisham arrived and he saw many colourful lights. Due to the bond and affection to Shaykh Hisham, they both enjoyed each other’s presence.<br /><br />During the last day of seclusion, a strange event occurred, in that, it was dry and there was no water supply. Therefore, the khalwatis were in a dilemma, contemplating the seclusion rule that a bath is compulsory before each obligatory prayer. However, with the Will of Allah subhanahu wa ta‘ala, a heavy downpour ensued and it rained heavily, providing sufficient water supply once again.<br /><br />The khalwatis completed the whole 40-day seclusion process successfully, except for 3 individuals who could not complete the exercise.<br /><br />His Demise<br />Shaykh Zakaria Bagharib returned to Allah Almighty on Friday 25th September 2009 (6th Shawal 1430 Hijrah) at about 10 a.m. At least a thousand people prayed at his funeral prayer, conducted at Masjid Sultan (one of the biggest mosque in Singapore). He was then buried at Singapore’s Muslim cemetery at Jalan Bahar.<br /><br />Shaykh Zakaria Bagharib was an affable man, easily loved by anyone who meets him. He had a good sense of humour, although he can be very serious especially in matters of the faith. His personable character and charm has attracted many converts and born-Muslims to an appreciation of the beauty of Islam.<br /><br />He had a fulfilling life that spanned an illustrious academic teaching career, interesting business endeavours, and a religious and spiritual teaching passion.<br /><br />Shaykh Zakaria will be deeply missed by hundreds of people, especially the followers and students of the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.Ihsanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985185701772977402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141698.post-1163211937219015742005-11-11T10:01:00.001+08:002008-03-22T09:36:54.637+08:00<strong>Shaykh Umar Bagharib</strong><br />His full name is Umar bin Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Abdullah bin Umar bin Abdullah Bagharib. He was born in Tarim, Hadramaut, in Ramadan 1300 AH.<br /><br />His father was a hafiz Al-Quran and had reportedly performed his haj 35 times, most of the time by walking from Tarim to Mecca and Medina. Shaykh Umar’s mother was Shaykhah Salman binte Sheikh ‘Awad Abu Bakr Bazeghefan. According to <a href="http://theeminence.blogspot.com/2005/11/shaykh-umar-al-khatib-excerpts-from.html" target="MainFrame">Syeikh Umar bin Abdullah Al-Khatib</a>, among the students was the famous Habib Abdullah Al-Haddad.<br /><br />When he was 13 years old, Syeikh Umar Bagharib had started teaching. He then traveled to al-Qaryah to teach Syed Muhammad bin Husayn’s children for 3 years. When he was 18, he went to Al-Ajlaniyyah at the request of Habib Ahmad bin Hasan Al-Attas, to teach the children there and to be the imam of the Al-Ajlaniyyah Mosque.<br /><br />He migrated to Singapore in about 1935, he opened 3 classes for children, boys and girls, teaching them Arabic Language, Al-Quran and Fiqh. He was affectionately called Mu’allim (Teacher). He stayed in Singapore for 53 years, and became the imam of Khadijah Mosque for 33 years.<br /><br />Shaykh Umar was the first person to give out the call to prayer (azan) at Ba'alwie Mosque in Singapore. That was during Asr, on Tuesday, 19 Zulhijjah 1372H (9 Sep 1952). He was also the one who set up the daily prayer schedule. He often gave khutbah at Ba'Alwie Mosque, which at that time, was in the Arabic language.<br /><br />Shaykh Umar Bagharib was also the first khalifah for Tariqah Qadiriyah in Singapore. His shaykh was Maulana Abdul Aleem As-Siddiqi.<br /><br />He was also the teacher of <a href="http://theeminence.blogspot.com/2005/11/shaykh-umar-al-khatib-excerpts-from.html" target="MainFrame">Shaykh Umar bin Abdullah Al-Khatib</a>. Although his son, Shaykh Zakaria bin Umar Bagharib, later became Shaykh Umar Al-Khatib’s student, Shaykh Umar’s humility obliged him to always kiss Shaykh Zakaria’s hand, as an honour to his father who was his teacher.<br /><br />He passed away in Singapore, on Monday, 24 June 1968 (28 Rabiul Awal 1388) and was buried in Bidadari Cemetary.<br /><br />May Allah bless his soul.Ihsanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985185701772977402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141698.post-1163170640437443542005-11-10T21:16:00.000+08:002007-09-01T11:41:51.625+08:00<strong>Shaykh Umar Al-Khatib</strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(excerpts from a newspaper article in 1997 and other sources)</span><br />His knowledge was as vast as the ocean yet he remained a humble man.<br /><br />That is how the friends and students - consisting of great scholars including the Mufti Syed Isa Semait, described Shaykh Omar Abdullah Alkhatib, who passed away at dawn, on 22 September 1997.<br /><br />Perhaps the community, especially the younger generation, is not familiar with this great yet humble figure. This is due to the fact that throughtout his lifetime, he declined any sort of publicity.<br /><br />"One of his extraordinary talents was his ability to memorize genealogies (ilmu nasab). He was a true alim and because of that, he was very humble. He seldom sought publicity. However, because of his knowledge, he was well-known in Arab Saudi and Yemen. People from afar came to see him to seek knowledge or to attain ijazah (license). This is his uniqueness, " said one of his students, the Mufti.<br /><br /><em>SEEKING KNOWLEDGE</em><br />His full name is As-Syaikh Umar bin Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Salem Al-Khatib. His lineage traced back to Abbad ibn Bisyr Al-Ausi Al-Ansari, a Companion of the Prophet (saw), whose tomb is at Al-Lisik, Hadramaut. He was born in Tarim, Hadramaut, on Thursday 8 Zulhijah 1326H. When he was young, he was called Alkhamis. His mother, Fetum Binte Hassan bin Ahmad Hassan, came from Dammun.<br /><br />At nine, he had memorized the whole Al-Quran in just 97 days, and had started seeking knowledge in various branches of religious knowledge from many famous scholars at his hometown. He was loved by his teachers. Among them were Habib ‘Abdallah Ibn ‘Aydarus Ibn ‘Alwi al-’Aydarus, Shaykh Abu Bakr Ibn ‘Abdallah al-Khatib, Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahim Ibn ‘Abdallah Ibn Salim al-Khatib, Habib ‘Abd ar-Rahman Ibn ‘Ubaydallah as-Saqqaf, and Habib ‘Alwi Ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahman as-Seri.<br /><br />Shaykh Umar was a master in several Islamic disciplines. He was also an expert in the Arabic language and loved to memorize Arabic poetry, which he often quoted while teaching his students. He was known for his brilliant mind. He memorized the poems of al-Mutanabbi—the full 3 volumes—in only 3 days.<br /><br />When he was 27, he was offered the position of Qadhi (judge) of Tarim, but he declined.<br /><br />He held strongly to the Al-Alawiyah tariqa. Shaykh Umar came to this region for trading in the 1930s. One of his close friends is Habib Syed Muhammad bin Salim Al-Attas.<br /><br />"He and my father got to know each other while trading in Indonesia. They boarded the same ship to Singapore and stayed here. That was in 1940. They were very close. My father often asked him to be a witness when making correspondence," said the son of Habib Muhammad, Habib Syed Hassan, in his office at Ba'alwie Mosque.<br /><br />In Singapore, Shaykh Umar worked as a clerk in a company owned by the Al-Haddad family. Later, he started his own business at Kandahar Street.<br /><br /><em>ROHA SESSIONS</em><br />Syaikh Umar is known as an honest and humble man, always careful in his speech. He was a friendly man, but at first, he did not reveal his knowledge.<br /><br />"Perhaps one of the reasons was because there were a lot of people older than him and he showed great respect for his elders," said Habib Hassan, recalling the "roha" sessions (discussions of classical books), held by scholars at his home at Hillside Drive, Serangoon.<br /><br />"At that time, I was young. But I remember my father, he and a few great scholars such as Al-Habib Alwi bin Thahir Al-Haddad - the mufti of Johor and Shaykh Abdullah bin Shaykh Balfaqih often had discussions," he continued.<br /><br />These "roha" sessions were held after the Friday prayers. Often, the teachers from Madrasah Al-Junied would join in. After Habib Alwi and Shaykh Balfaqih passed away, only two great figures were left in the "roha" sessions - Habib Muhammad and Shaykh Umar. Shaykh Umar would take a bus from his office at Kandahar Street (behind Masjid Sultan), at about 11am, every Tuesday. The session would end just before Asar.<br /><br />Habib Syed Hassan recalled, "One incident I can never forget was when I followed my father to send Shaykh Umar back to his home. Habib Muhammad said to Shaykh Umar, 'You are alim!" Shaykh Umar replied, "No, you are alim!" And both of them repeated the same thing again and again for about ten times! Each of them regarded the other as more knowledgable. This was the noble character displayed by two great scholars, who wished for his friend to be better and higher in status than himself, in the sight of Allah (swt).<br /><br />In 1965, Shaykh Umar left for the Holy Lands (Haramain), where he stayed for some time - five years in Madinah followed by five years in Mecca. There, he held a special position, teaching at the 2 great mosques in Mecca and Medina. In Medina, he stayed at Rubat until Shaykh Abdullah ibn Muhammad Basader prepared a house for him. This was where he memorized Maqamat Al-Hariri.<br /><br />His close friend, Habib Muhammad, passed away on 26 April 1976. Before he passed away, he said that if they wanted to set up "roha" classes, only two people were truly qualified to lead it - Habib Abdul Kadir bin Ahmad Alsagoff and Shaykh Umar.<br /><br /><em>RETURN</em><br />There are many opinions as to why Shaykh Umar came back to Singapore.<br /><br />One opinion is that he was visited by relatives, friends and students at Masjidil Haram. Among his students was Ustaz Syed Abdillah Al-Jufri who met him in 1974 and Dr Imran Yusof who met him in 1975. Shaykh Umar had one son in Hadramaut and 7 children in Singapore.<br /><br />Said one community activist, Syed Ali Redha Alsagoff, "I think he loves Singapore and wants to spread knowledge here. And why not? A day before his passport expired, he came back to Singapore." Under Singapore law, a person who leaves the country for more than ten years will automatically lose his citizenship.<br /><br /><em>PAYING HIS STUDENTS</em><br />At 70, he started leading the "roha" sessions and started religious classes at his home (at Lor Marzuki and later at Jalan Daud), at Abdul Razak Mosque and at the houses of Habib Syed Ali Redha and Habib Ahmad Semait.<br /><br />"I like debating with him. His views were always one step ahead. His knowledge is vast and his analysis sharp, challenging the minds of those less knowledgable and opening their hearts," said Habib Ahmad.<br /><br />Another student said, "I have never met a person like him. In fact, scholars known as professors in this region and in the West, do not posess his unique traits. He's really a walking institution, equipped with knowledge and noble characteristics."<br /><br />Another student, Ustaz Muhammad Iqbal Abdullah, a Punjabi who reverted to Islam in 1981, and followed his classes since 1984, commented, "He was a mirror of Rasulullah's characteristics. Perhaps due to his wisdom and Allah's blessings, I was able to master Arabic in just a few years."<br /><br />Shaykh Umar was very stern and would scold students who didn't attend classes for no valid reasons. In fact, he was willing to pay the transportation fees for his students to ensure they continue attending classes. He was regarded as a father to many of his students.<br /><br />"If you truly intend to seek knowledge, he would help you without expecting anything in return," said Ustaz Syed Abdillah.<br /><br />According to Habib Hassan, Shaykh Umar, did not mind learning from his students. "There was an alim who gave a verse or "abiyat" which I recorded. When I went to Shaykh Umar's house, I mentioned the "abiyat". Shaykh Umar went into a room, and I thought he was going to take out one of his books. Actually, he went in to take a notebook so that he can record down the "abiyat"."<br /><br /><em>HIS LIFE</em><br />"Except sleep, all his free time was spent on acts of worship, reading and writing," said one of his students.<br /><br />Shaykh Umar was of moderate built, and stood at 1.75m tall. He often wore a 555-brand singlet, white shirt, checked-white cloth (kain), and white kopiah. When he went to the mosque, he would wear a white jubah.<br /><br />He ate moderately. He loved Arab honey, mutton, yoghurt (tairu) mixed with egg yolk or honey and rice with soup Hadramaut-styled.<br /><br />"He watched what he ate because he saw food as a antedote through which to gain knowledge and to perform acts of worship," said one of his students.<br /><br />His grandson, Shaykh Syed Ismail has followed his footsteps and studied in Tarim under a scholarship from Al-Wehdah. He has graduated and started teaching in Singapore.Ihsanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985185701772977402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141698.post-1162617508154455382005-05-23T11:44:00.002+08:002017-01-30T01:51:45.438+08:00<strong>Habib Nuh Al-Habsyi R.A.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAc4g6cgo_jwgGdva1axiMGbVbIFcnhZi34t_QGtNRAaoww9ZsfJ7opXuK_QJdPPXtgBtJHhswOM_rcVOzFn3-jud-hutiWBjGel4gRXuKHhmn_pM2tyINiFRpBjkmLVHQolJD/s1600-h/habib.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275401499366106994" style="WIDTH: 222px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAc4g6cgo_jwgGdva1axiMGbVbIFcnhZi34t_QGtNRAaoww9ZsfJ7opXuK_QJdPPXtgBtJHhswOM_rcVOzFn3-jud-hutiWBjGel4gRXuKHhmn_pM2tyINiFRpBjkmLVHQolJD/s320/habib.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Accounts taken from the book, Al-Alamun Naqshyi, written in Malay and translated here by me. I recommened everyone to get a copy (now it's available in English at Wardah Books in Singapore), for I believe the book, as it was intended to be, really draws you to Habib Noh r.a. This is not the full account but a summary.<br />For a full account, refer to the book 'Lambang Terukir'.<br><br />According to a report, Habib Noh bin Sayyid Mohamad bin Sayyid Ahmad Al-Habsyi was born aboard a ship in the year 1788 (1202/3 Hijri). According to Shaykh Hasan Al-Khatib, the caretaker of Maqam Habib Noh, who heard from Habib AlKhair, Habib Mohamad's wife was in labour when a huge storm hit the ship. It was a critical moment and the ship threatened to be overturned. At that time, Habib Mohamad made a nazar that if the baby arrives safely, he would name the baby "Noh" in remembrance of Prophet Noh a.s. who brought the light of mercy on his ship. Not long afterwards, Habib Noh arrived safely into this world. Habib Noh's family stayed in Kedah before moving to Pulau Pinang.<br /><br />Around 1819, Habib Noh was invited to Singapore by Habib Salim bin Abdullah Ba Sumayr. Habib Noh stayed here (in Singapore) for about 50 years. Some reports mentioned that he stayed at Kampung Kaji (next to Al-Masjid Sultan, ahem...) Habib Noh cared deeply for the poor, the weak and the orphans from among the community. The community loved him as he loved them. Often, he would be accompanied by his companions and children, except when he wished to be alone.<br /><br />Among his honourable habits was to distribute food to the poor. Often, he would enter the shops and take some sweets or money which was then distributed to the poor. The shopkeepers didn't mind at all. He frequently gave advice to the community. He urged his companions to always show compassion, to increase their religious knowledge and to be consistent in learning the Al-Quran. Among his advice was "Let there not be any spite or ill-will among you and let there not be even a bit of greediness among you."<br /><br />Habib Noh r.a. often woke up at night to perform prayers till dawn. He often visited the graves of the Muslims in the middle of the night to read Quranic verses till dawn. Habib Noh later moved to Marang Road, near Masjid Temenggong. He would often khalwat (remain in solitude for zikrullah) atop Mount Palmer, which was then a thick jungle facing the vast sea. The peaceful setting was perhaps a way for him to get closer to Allah (swt).<br /><br />A friend of his, Hj Muhd Salleh wished to set up a small mosque for the convenience of the Habib, but Habib Noh ra passed on to the next world before his friend's intention was fulfilled. The small mosque was still built, but it was later demolished. In replacement, the Hj Muhd Salleh mosque was built at the foot of Mount Palmer, for the convenience of the guests who came to visit the Habib.<br /><br /><strong>Among the miracles granted...</strong><br /><em>Story 1</em><br />One night, Habib Noh RA was resting when he heard the continuous cries of a child, from his neighbour's house. Habib Noh RA got up and went to his neighbour's house. He gave Salaam and entered the neighbour's house, upon which, he saw the father of the child crying. He asked the mother of the child about this. The mother answered, "Habib, my child is crying because he wants to drink milk but I do not have the money to buy it. My husband is crying because he's too overwhelmed when he heard the child crying." Habib Noh RA then requested for some drinking water. The mother gave him some water in a coconut husk. Habib Noh RA read a few verses and a while later, the water turned into milk and the milk was given to the child.<br /><br /><em>Story 2</em><br />One day, a group of people visited Habib Noh RA. They waited for him as he prayed Asar.<br /><br />Soon, Habib Noh RA came out to meet his visitors. While he was greeting the second person in the group, he observed the man's face and said, "It's better for you to leave now because your mom is facing her last moments, and is dying." The man rushed home accompanied by Habib Noh RA. When they arrived, the man's mother had just passed away.<br /><br /><em>Story 3</em><br />Once there was an Arab trader who was a follower of Habib Noh RA. One day, he invited the Habib RA to his home for a farewell supplications (du'a selamat) as he was going back to Yemen on some business. The trader made preparations for his journey. According to his plans, he would leave immediately after the farewell supplications, and would head down to Keppel where a ship was awaiting. At that time, there would only be a few ships which set sail to Yemen in one week.<br /><br />Something strange happened. When the Habib RA arrived, he sat on the trader's luggage while making the farewell supplications. This had never happened before. Habib Noh RA made a very long supplication, until even the trader became restless, as his ship was set to sail soon. As a sign of respect to the Habib RA, nobody dared say anything. Finally, the Habib RA ended his supplication. By then, the ship on which the trader was supposed to be in, had already left the port. The guests started eating but nobody said anything or questioned the Habib RA. The trader had missed his ship. A week later, they heard the news that the ship on which the trader was supposed to be in had sunk at the Indian Ocean, and everyone on the ship died. That's when they realised the reason behind the Habib's behaviour.<br /><br /><em>Story 4</em><br />During World War II, a Japanese plane dropped a bomb which landed on the roof of the maqam. The building surrounding the maqam was completely ruined, even the entrance to the maqam was shattered. Habib AlKhair (the entrusted caretaker) was slightly hurt. By Allah's Will, the maqam remained untouched.Ihsanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985185701772977402noreply@blogger.com1