Saturday, December 31, 2011

The Roots: a Tanjung Rambutan Getaway










Since returning from Bintulu, I have enjoyed finding undiscovered places to travel as a holiday destination. Doing the commercial holiday no longer excited me after visiting Bosnia, Bario@Sarawak and Cambodia.

My recent trip brought me to Tanjung Rambutan, Perak, which is infamous for it's HAPPY HOSPITAL (Hospital Bahagia). This hospital treats mentally challenged patients.

My friends and I booked a 3 Day 2 Night stay at The Roots. The Roots is an eco-friendly resort. Why I chose a getaway at The Roots:

1) You had a choice of staying in the durian tree house
2) The resort is eco-friendly in its infrastructure and services. Patrons are encouraged to only eat what they can finish
3) The resort is built adjacent to the Kinta River which can be seen from your tree house
4) The resort is built and surrounded by mangosteen, rambutan and duku trees (apart from durian trees). You are allowed to pick the fruits for personal consumption.
5) They have a pool!
6) They have foosball, badminton, volleyball, and basketball facilities
7) You can visit the aboriginal settlements nearby
8) You can walk up to the Family Farm where you can ride and feed the horse for RM 5!!

Previously The Roots was only open to International Schools, but it was recently open to the public.

Our tree house has 2 single beds, and 2 bunk beds. In total it can fit 6 people. There is a clean and state of the art western toilet, equipped with minibar and kettle facilities. It's really good for nature lovers and not for people who can't stand the outdoors.

We were fortunate to book via Groupon where the room rate was RM 138 per night for 2 people covering breakfast, lunch and dinner. What a steal!

Even if not available on Groupon, if you get the room at that rate with breakfast, you can drive down to the nearest town which is 3 min away and have your meals there.

We made friends with the owner of The Roots, and we also made friends with Mr Raj who owns Family Farm. We had an instant liking to Samurai, the horse we rode. We came back the next day with carrots to feed Samurai. Mr Raj wanted to bring us horse riding near the river the next time we came. Definitely making a second trip soon!


Sunday, December 18, 2011

Prayer of the Oppressed- translated by Hamza Yusuf Hanson





I bought the book for a dear friend’s birthday present and forgot to get one for myself. After borrowing and reading it, I’m glad I got it. The book is not available in Malaysia, so I had to get it shipped from the US.

This prayer was written by Imam Muhammad b. Nasir al-Dar’i. Hamza Yusuf has translated and introduced it to the world. The prayer is widely recited in Morocco, where Imam Muhammad is from, but its miracles resulting from the prayer is widespread. Hamza Yusuf has also accounted for a miracle which happened when he recited the prayer.



"If a man is slain unjustly, his heir shall be entitled to satisfaction. But let him not carry his vengeance to excess, for his victim is sure to be assisted and avenged." Qur'an, 17:33


"Limit your hostility toward your enemy, for one day he may become your beloved."- Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.


The book discusses the following:


The Cycle of Oppression:


Oppression is largely driven by power and wealth. Then there is hate and resentment. Hate comes from the oppressor who justifies his actions, and the oppressed who feels helpless and powerless; builds resentment which continues the cycle of oppression.



3 options available to the oppressor and oppressed to end the cycle:


1) Oppressor uses the defense mechanism which is denial


2) Oppressor stops committing the wrong


3) Individuals restraining him from his tyranny and liberating him with compassion



The Nature of the Tyrant


The Quran describes the tyrant as "deft, dumb and blind" which refers to the spiritual essence of the tyrant. Tyrants surround themselves with sycophants because they cannot bear to hear the truth. The more his power increases, the less he tolerates dissent.


As human beings, it is only through others that we can truly see ourselves, hear ourselves and speak to ourselves. Self-obsession does not allow a tyrant to reflect on himself.


This lack of vision afflicts the oppressor's heart.


"It is not the eyes that go blind, but the hearts within the breasts that go blind." Qur'an (22:46)


The tyrant is a sociopath, an individual who functions in society with a concern for his own gratification, even if it is gained through the pain of others. He does not feel their pain, as he believes they (the oppressed) do not exist as conscious creatures.


Only calamity which will bring the tyrant to his knees, lays him low, and humbles him, causing him to self-reflect the reality of his inner self. In gaining self knowledge we are able to gain remorse, and through remorse, we are granted entry into the kingdom of heaven.



Other Excerpts:


"In these troubled times, rife with oppression, many Muslims have been praying for God's victory over their enemies, and those prayers seem to go unanswered. What many do not grasp, however, is that the One called upon is merciful, and so He will not grant to those He loves a victory over their enemies if in that material victory is their spiritual defeat."


"What is true of any man is true of all men; the only difference is in the degree to which it is true."


"God's privation is itself a gift, for He withholds not from want but from wisdom"


"If one lives in light, one does not obsess about the shadows."


"Herein lies the irony of ironies: from Him, to Him, and for Him is the stuff of our souls, and until we realise that fully in our entire being, the world will continue to brutalise us. Its gruesome nature will continue to overwhelm and confound us until we see it for what it is: a shadow, present only because of the absence of His light in our hearts."



Breaking the Cycle (most important to all of us):


1) The oppressed must acknowledge that rulers often times reflect the people they rule.


2) Self-purification. When we become a people of introspection and judge ourselves before we quickly judge those over us, only then will we be able to transform our condition.


3) If we are to help others, we cannot wish them ill. In recognizing that the oppressor also needs help, we can see him as a trial from God, and not as an independent agent acting independently of God's Will. Cursing, hating or wishing ill is the anti-thesis of the prophetic guidance, which calls for mercy. Mercy does not mean resistance or to suffer in silence. Mercy is the understanding that an enemy may verily turn into a friend.


4) Forgiveness. We cannot expect God to forgive us when we are unwilling to forgive others. In forgiving others, we are implicitly recognizing that they are reflections of ourselves. It does not mean that we forego justice or retribution (which we should pursue), but by looking at our own wrongs, we begin to be less judgmental.


These are just some of the many things discussed in the book but I took a few of them for sharing. I would personally recommend you read this book and share it with your family and friends who are either oppressed or an oppressor.


If you have an oppressing trait as I do, we can use this to work on improving ourselves.


Hope this benefits you as much as it did me :-)