Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Of This One Big Man

Tonight I went outside, then suddenly I remember about this one elderly man. He is not so old. I think he is in his 30’s.

I stepped out from my imarah which is an Arabic word for building and I looked around. It has been a habit to look for that ammu which also an Arabic word we use to call an elderly man. He has a big body, wide shoulder, shaved beard and usually he wears worn out brown sweater with a black turban wrapped around his head.

However, he was not around tonight.

He usually cycles his bike every night along my street but tonight he was not. That one time I came back from a tuition class, I saw him stopped his bicycle at the roadside and quickly dig into a bunch of rubbish at one spot just beside the road.

Let me picture this to you. In Egypt, there is no concept of recycling nor separating rubbish and throwing them away into diferent different kind of dustbins or whatnots. It only needs one person to put their plastic of rubbish in a spot, then another people will follow and throw away theirs, exactly at the same place. That’s why sometimes the rubbish got messed up really bad here. But who cares? Nobody really cares because they are taught to coexist and live in rubbish since young.

So, this ammu dig into the messed up rubbish in front of my imarah. It was not a one time I see this ammu doing what he did. Almost every time I walk along the street at night, he does the same. And he carries along with him a huge somewhat-like-mengkuang bag (if you guys ever went to pick up durian in the farm, then you guys may know how this bag looks like) behind his back. So, imagine this sort of picture of him cycling and carrying round that huge mengkuang bag.

Yesterday also, I walked home from a tuition class. I spotted him at the other end of the road while my house is located at the other end, like 500m from where the ammu was. Still the ammu did his job looking for boxes or maybe glass bottles and aluminium cans; anything that can be sold.

Halfway of my walking along that street, the ammu intercepted me with his bicycle, but I realized that his mengkuang bag was not full like always. So I thought, it’s okay ammu, the night is still early. You still have a long time to search for more.

After several steps, I reached my building. Then, my eyes caught that ammu standing in front of the building, opposite mine. He spoke with the intercom and I can clearly hear what he was saying.

Zibaleh?” He asked for a rubbish from person beyond the intercom.

The moment I heard that he was asking for a rubbish, I was saying this to myself “Really? Till that extend?” 

I stood still for a while and trying to confirm what I just heard. It was really happening.

What happened yesterday really shows us what a f***ed up place Egypt is. The rich continue to feed their greediness non-stop, while the poor try to survive just for another night.

To think of the ammu, as far as I know, he is a good man. Even though I can see hardships through his wrinkled forehead, I also can see kindness in him especially when he smiling back at me. Even sometimes I raise up my hand to greet him from afar. Always, he will reply that with his sweet smile.

Before this, I brought back home an extra wrap of rice with fried chicken. Coincidently, that ammu was there, so I told him to take the rice but he refused it nicely after I insisted quite hard, I think.

Maybe, it is a nature of someone who is sincerely working hard for a living, that he would never simply accept someone’s gift. Or maybe he wants to take care of his pride. Or also, and I think this is somewhat a reasonable reason, maybe he does not want to bring back home a food or a gift for one only, considering that there are few members of his family in the house.

He tries to be just and nice to his family, perhaps.

Rayu Sang Pencinta


Dingin malam yang menusuk tulang,
Selalu ku rebahkan badan penuh selesa,
Menutup hari penuh keringat dan penat,
Hari yang terisi durja seperti biasa,
Namun malam ni,,
Rebahku kerana kecewa,
Pabila khabarmu disunting kumbang ku ketahui,
Luluh rasa hati ini,
Janjimu bak manis madu lama dahulu,
Kau tinggalkan aku sendirian,
Memaut erat janji yang sama-sama kita patri,
Biarlah malam ini berlalu sekadar mimpi,
Bangunku nanti mahu kau bersamaku di sisi.

So, I made this malay version poem (absolutely no english version..no confident yet maa) and dedicate this to one of my seniors who lately going through hard times accepting his break up with someone which I don't even know her name.

But to console someone who recently broke his heart surely not as easy as it seems. You have to deal with someone's feeling and also when you just knew about the girl and the relationship thingy, like at that moment he told you the story between them, you don't have much to say to make the man feels great again.

However I tried, and I think he moved on already.

Lastly, a piece of advice here, never let anyone destroy you. It's okay to feel down and sad or even cry, but make sure this happens so quick. Figure yourself out from the misery and get yourself straight.

Find your new strength from the guy above. He would never left you alone anymore. Trust Him ;)

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Politic & Disapointment

A tiny insight from me regarding the current political condition in Malaysia. We can see there is some of us who wage a war against corruption and power abuse. We also are rejoiced by the news about the new opposition block in Malaysia (this is me being sarcastic, okay). Hence, these what make Malaysia politic interesting. Always stay tune til the end because every politician will not stick to what they say now and things are viable to change anytime, anywhere.

1. People against scandals of Mr Najib Abdul Razak

Early this month we can see a coalition formed between each and every one who wants DS Najib Tun Abdul Razak to resign as the Prime Minister of Malaysia with some public figures in UMNO, Pakatan Harapan, Parti Sosialis Malaysia and several NGOs attended the event to sign the petition.

58 people who are considered as ‘Wakil Rakyat’ even stated themselves not as representatives from any political party but instead, referring themselves as individuals who care enough to not letting this country being destroyed by people in power today.

Concern with the stability of current condition in Malaysia, politically and economically, all of them came up and spoke for most of Malaysian that this country had enough of the scandals lingering the current PM, including 1MDB, the former AG fired from his office and the interference of executive power in free government agencies such as SPRM and PAC.

The key figure in this ‘coalition’ is apparently to be Tun Dr Mahathir, which is the former Prime Minister of Malaysia.

However, regarding many efforts put by many people to the success of the ‘coalition’ which we called ‘Citizen Declaration’, it seems that the ‘coalition’ is not offering any solution afterwards. After the PM is sacked out from the office, who will replace the vacancy? This was not answered by Tun M in the post-declaration’s PC.

2. Collaboration PAS-IKATAN

In the past Citizen Declaration event, there is not a single figure of PAS attended it. For a while, PAS was being silent in the political arena after the recent post Muktamar issue that led PAS and DAP to disengage from Pakatan Rakyat. Both were arguing about the issue of Hudud.

After some time, a group of several PAS figures made a decision to jump out from PAS and forming a movement called Gerakan Harapan Baharu which later led to the formation of Parti Amanah Negara (PAN).

The story gets interesting when PKR-PAN-DAP forms a coalition named Pakatan Harapan, after a short time which is to replace the former Pakatan Rakyat and carry out the similar consensus they had been agreed on previously. Meanwhile, PAS was said that it was willing to stand alone in the arena in order to get Hudud Law to be implemented in Malaysia, firstly to be done in Kelantan.

A few days before, I heard a rumour saying that PAS already made another opposition coalition with another party. However on that time, I did not take it so seriously because the news headline I was reviewing was from Utusan.

But later, the rumour was confirmed by various sources in the internet with a video of the press conference on PAS and its new ally, IKATAN, released by SuaraTV, Antara Pos and even Astro Awani in the Youtube.

In its new coalition with IKATAN, there are 3 contract that they are both agreed on. To quote from PAS press statement by Nasruddin Hassan:

5. PAS - IKATAN akan terus komited untuk:

a) menghentikan politik perkauman, politik dendam, politik tindas dan politik pilih bulu.
b) menyuburkan politik hubung baik (politik enggagement), politik penyelesaian dan politik rundingan.
c) menolak ekstrimisme dan diktatorship dalam kepimpinan.

To see and analyse the contract, there is not a significant different point which contradict the former Pakatan Rakyat consensus. Also, there is not a point regarding Hudud that is put in the contract between PAS-IKATAN. How can PAS be so sure that IKATAN will support the perjuangan of Hudud until the end? As far as I know, even IKATAN is mainly supported by mostly western-educated liberals and inherit the idea of nationbuilding from Tunku Abdul Rahman which was obviously want Malysia to be a secular country.

Personally, I feel that for PAS to start all over again with IKATAN is such a loss. But it is still better than fighting the war by itself.

Even me as an outsider who observes the political scenario of the opposition on this matter, it seems that PAS is not really disagree with DAP on the technicality of Hudud implementation (as TGHH said in the PAS-IKATAN PC, Hudud is not to be implemented in the short time), but PAS is more likely to having a dominant grasp of the former opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat. Maybe it is because the demand from the members below in PAS that caused PAS to disengage itself from Pakatan Rakyat, or to be precised - to disengage from DAP.

After all, it is up to the people outside to judge what is good and what is not for our country. Perhaps, the next general election is way more closer than we think.


Forum Perdana: Mengapa Hudud?

Facebook page DrMAZA.com dated 17 March 2016

Official PAS Press Statement by Nasruddin Hassan

Press Conference PAS-IKATAN

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Oh My English!

I was quite sentap when I scrolled down my Facebook timeline and read this,



For most of the people (including me), we still write in bahasa because love it or not, it is always be our mother tongue. Personally, I think that, to start writing in English requires a bunch of new vocab. Looking at my condition right now, it seems that I don't have much of it and for that reason, I skip the option to write in English. 

Even sometimes, I got stuck halfway in making sentences because I lost that word that I used to say in bahasa and couldn't get it translated in English. So, it took me to change the whole sentence and replaced it with a new one, or to the extreme level, I shall give up on writing in English and start writing in bahasa instead. Haha.

But maybe (and Inshaallah) after this, I will start writing in English. That is one way to gain new vocabs, right? Make sure to have a dictionary by your side.

And for any mistake that I will be doing regarding my English grammar in the future, I would like to apologize in advance if that brings any of you inconvenience. 

For Grammar Nazis out there, please torch me out of the darkness of stupidity if I do wrong or at least don't bash me, okay? Hoho.

To think of it, what could go wrong if I start sharing my views on life and write it down in English? And what can turn bad if everyone can access what I want to say? Because to have an effective communication is by understanding each other.

Anyway, writing and speaking in English does not make me less Malay and Malaysian after all. So, keep calm everybody (and to me too, don't be feared easily by what people may say about you).


Thursday, March 10, 2016

Random

Aku mempunyai satu soalan yang tiba-tiba muncul dalam kepala sewaktu aku berada di dalam bilik air. Aku pun tak pasti lah godaan syaitan mana yang sengaja meniimbulkan never-ending question waktu dalam bilik air ini. Nak buatkan aku berlama-lama dalam bilik air barangkali.

Persoalan ini asalnya persoalan biasa sahaja. “Kenapa orang Arab boleh kencing merata tepi jalan dan orang Melayu tak berbuat perkara yang sama?”

Menariknya, persoalan ini timbul setelah beberapa hari kejadian ‘ammu’ teksi berhenti tepi jalan untuk menyelesaikan hajat beliau.

Waktu itu aku dah lambat pergi lecture @ muhadharah (alamak..serius aku lupa perkataan ‘lecture’ dalam BM!). Tengah-tengah dalam perjalanan, si ammu driver teksi berhenti tepi jalan sambil membawa sebotol air yang masih berisi sedikit air.

Waktu itu juga aku dah memaki dalam hati. Aku dah lambat. “What the h*** mamat ni?!”

Lama kemudian, aku bermenung di hadapan cermin bilik air, aku tanyakan pada diri sendiri; “Kenapa jadi macam itu?”

“Apa beza masyarakat Melayu daripada mereka yang menyebabkan perkara yang sama tidak berlaku?”

Kalaulah masyarakat Melayu dan Arab berlainan agama, mungkin agama merupakan salah satu faktornya.

Tetapi realitinya bukan begitu. Kedua-duanya Muslim.

Sintesis dan analisis berkenaan tabiat itu akhirnya membawa aku kepada persoalan budaya. Sememangnya jelas, budaya kita dan mereka jauh berbeza. Masyarakat Melayu pemalu. Lain pula dengan masyarakat Arab. Mereka kisah apa kalau orang nak kata.

Mengimbas suatu masa, ketika aku dan ahli rumah berjalan kaki setengah jam ke pasaraya yang sedikit jauh. Dalam perjalanan pulang, kami berhenti sebentar ke kedai buku tepi jalan. Asalnya aku mahu membeli satu buku kanak-kanak berbahasa arab untuk mengisi masa lapang membaca dan menterjemah. Tetapi akhirnya kami menghabiskan masa berborak dengan pemilik kedai buku, Khaled, berkenaan politik Mesir dan sedikit tentang budaya masyarakat Arab.

Khaled bertanya, apa perkara yang kami tidak suka di Mesir.

Jujur kami jawab, tentang sampah adalah satu perkara yang paling tidak boleh kami terima dengan akal. Seolah-olah komuniti di sini tidak pernah menghiraukan pencemaran bau dan mata yang berlaku setiap hari.

Kata Khaled, mentaliti masyarakat di sini sangat ajaib. Walaupun kau seorang yang tidak membuang sampah merata-rata, kawan kau akan tolong buangkan sampah kau di mana-mana yang dia suka

“What are you doing?”

I’m keeping my trash so after I find one rubbish bin, I will throw this away.

“Why are you doing that?”

What’s the problem with what I’m doing?

“Noo. Are you saying that you’re any better than me because you’re not throwing away your trash?”

….

“Let me throw that away for you!”

Mereka tahu bahawa mereka bersalah membuang sampah merata-rata, tetapi mereka merasa selesa kerana ramai lagi yang membuat perkara yang sama.

Akhirnya kita tahu, wujud perkaitan di antara budaya dan mentaliti.

Oleh kerana itu, mentaliti yang dibentuk sejak kecil adalah esensi penting pembentukan masyarakat madani (bertamadun). Bagaimana membentuk mentaliti kelas pertama?

Acuannya adalah sistem pendidikan awal.

Soal pendidikan pula tidak pernah menjadi semudah ABC. Selain mendidik kemahiran berfikir, kemahiran tatasusila dan akhlak juga merupakan komponen penting. Natijah daripada penguasaan kesemua aspek pendidikan secara menyeluruh itu jugalah yang membentuk budaya kita.

Bagi aku secara peribadi, pendidikan moral dan akhlak itu perlu berlaku sedari kecil, bahkan perlu bermula dari rumah. Tanggungjawab mendidik anak kecil itu merupakan tanggungjawab bersama ibu dan bapa.

Kalau kita merenung kembali sistem kekeluargaan orang tua kita, kita dapat melihat beberapa perkara. Si bapa tugasnya mencari rezeki, dan apabila pulang ke rumah, tugas bapa adalah mengajar asas ilmu agama. Sebagai contoh, mengajar anak-anaknya mengaji al-Quran atau menghafal sifat Allah yang 20.

Sementara si bapa mencari rezeki pada waktu pagi, si ibu pula mendidik anak dengan etika dan akhlak terpuji. Didodoinya anak kecil dengan selawat sehingga anak itu ketiduran. Apabila terjatuh dan si anak melukakan kaki mereka, ibu datang sebagai doktor dan pada masa yang sama bertindak sebagai guru - menyuruh anak belajar dan tidak mengulangi kesalahan yang sama.

Hebat sangat tugas ibu ini. Kalau diminta menjadi chef, sekelip mata sahaja ditunaikan permintaan kita. Doktor juga boleh. Paling-paling kurang, si ibu boleh menyapu antiseptik pada luka atau menyelesaikan misi ‘earwax retrieval’. Menjadi guru juga dia. Menjadi tukang cerita juga dia. Menjadi kaunselor juga dia.


Jadi, persoalan yang dibangkitkan pada awal entri ini secara ringkasnya membawa kita kepada satu jawapan yang menjadi tunjang kepada pembentukan budaya dan mentaliti – iaitu pendidikan awal yang menyeluruh dan sejati.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Jaulah Fayoum dan Maqam di Cairo

Lepas ke Coptic Cairo pada 5hb Feb, lusanya (7hb Feb) aku ikut trip PCM ke Fayoum dan Cairo (lagi sekali). PCM ni abbr. untuk PERUBATAN Cawangan Mansurah. Trip ni sebenarnya khas untuk akhawat, tapi well, aku pun mengada nak ikut sekali. So the cost I have to pay is by being an AJK. AJK TUgas-tugas Khas la untuk angkat-angkat barang.

Jadi, sepanjang perjalanan nak dikatakan banyak sangat dugaan tapi yang paling penting ibrah dari setiap tempat yang dapat aku ziarah.

Aku cadang tak mahu tulis panjang-panjang. Aci tak kalau aku selit gambar je? Nanti kau orang bacalah caption bawah gambar tu.

Untuk ringkasan trip ini, di Fayoum kami pergi ke Buhaira Qarun (tasik Qarun) dan Wadi Rayyan (lembah Rayyan). Sekejap je di Fayoum. Mungkin lebih kurang 6 jam. Banyak lagi tempat yang tak sempat nak lawat.

Di Cairo pula, lawatan kami bertemakan ziarah maqam-maqam keturunan Nabi dan tokoh-tokoh Islam.

Ok, last tulisan aku sebelum kita tengok gambar. Aku suka sangat lawatan ini sebab seolah-olah kau boleh temukan jiwa sepanjang rehlah atau jaulah atau trip ini. Bukan kosong-kosong pergi ke satu tempat. Perasaan melawat maqam dan tempat bersejarah yang mempunyai sejarah Islam seakan menampar diri aku (so hard).

Nak kata, aku yang selama ni lalai sangat dengan dunia, boleh meremang bulu roma memikirkan, ‘Oh hinanya aku berbanding manusia-manusia yang telah pergi ini’. Menangis juga dalam hati teringat darjat yang tak seberapa.


Mungkin kalau ada sesiapa yang berkeinginan melawat maqam-maqam ini, betulkan niat untuk memperbaiki diri. InshaAllah dipermudahkan jalan mendapat ‘tamparan’ sebegini, bahkan mungkin lagi kuat daripada apa yang aku dapat.

Buhaira Qarun (Tasik Qarun). Masyarakat tempatan mengaitkan tasik ini dengan kisah Qarun dan sepupunya Nabi Musa. Namun, dikatakan tasik ini dan wujud lama sebelum zaman Nabi Musa. Suatu ketika, firaun apatah-namanya-tak-ingat mengalirkan air dari Sungai Nil ke sini dan jadi lah tasik sehingga sekarang. Luas tasik lebih kurang 40km persegi.  
DI lembah Rayyan. Di sini sahaja terdapat 2 lagi tasik yang tidak bersambung antara satu sama lain. Ajaibnya, tasik-tasik ni wujud di tengah-tengah padang pasir. Sememangnya dataran Fayoum ini berada pada titik yang terendah membolehkan kawasannya diairi untuk pertanian.

Shalalat Wadi Rayyan. Air terjun di lembah Rayyan. Satunya-satunya air terjun di Mesir. Ada yang kata air terjun ini terjadi semulajadi, tetapi ada juga yang kata ini air terjun buatan. Wallahua'alam. Just enjoy the view.

Malu nak letak gambar besar-besar. Orang kata mata aku sepet, tapi sebenarnya silau je tu. Hoho.

Masjid Amr Al-As pada waktu malam. Kali kedua aku pergi tapi lepas ni memang kena pergi lagi sebab tak sempat tengok tiang tempat Imam Syafie bersandar ketika mengajar pengajian di masjid ini.

Sejarah di Maqam Sayida Ruqaiya dan keturunan Nabi Muhammad. 


Gambar di maqam Sayida Ruqayya.

Maqam Ibnu Sirin. Pentafsir mimpi Islam yang terkenal. Bukunya yang paling masyhur, Tafsir Ahlam.

Maqam Sayyida Nafisah bint Hassan al-Anwar bin Zaid al-Ablaj bin Hassan bin Ali bin Abi Talib. Juga merupakan tok guru kepada Imam Muhammad bin Idris asy-Syafie.

Gambar di perkarangan Masjid Sayyida Nafisah.
Maqam Sultan Hanafi. Awalnya aku ingat ini maqam Imam Hanafi, tetapi bukan. Sultan Hanafi merupakan wali Allah yang diberi kemuliaan dalam kalangan rakyat ketika itu. Dipanggil dengan gelaran Sultan kerana sifatnya yang pemurah, alim dan masyarakat lebih mendengar kata-kata beliau berbanding sultan atau khalifah pada zamannya.

Gambar dari luar Masjid Sultan Hanafi. lepas ni boleh la try nak pergi sendiri.

Telaga Sultan Hanafi. Menurut satu riwayat, dikatakan Sultan Hanafi berangkat ke Mekah untuk menunaikan haji. Keluarganya memesan daripada beliau untuk membawa pulang air zamzam. Setelah pulang dari mengerjakan haji, ramai daripada penduduk kampungnya meminta air zamzam sehingga air zamzam itu habis. Dikhabarkan kehabisan air zamzam itu kepada keluarganya. Sultan Hanafi kemudiannya menggali telaga di belakang kawasan rumahnya dan dengan kuasa Allah, terpancut mata air dari tanah. Rasanya memang payau-payau air zamzam. Ada yang kata, air dari telaga Sultan Hanafi bersambung dengan mata air di Mekah iaitu air zamzam. Maka, beramai-ramai lah kami mengambil berkat daripada telaga Sultan Hanafi. 

Tulisan berkenaan riwayat hidup Sultan Hanafi serta kelebihan dan karamahnya.

Maqam menantu Sultan Hanafi bertentangan dengan maqam beliau.

Bergambar di dalam Citadel Salahuddin al-Ayubi. Di mesir terdapat 2 kubu Salahuddin al-Ayubi. Satu lagi bertempat di Semenanjung Sinai.

Berlatarbelakangkan Masjid Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi Juga masih di dalam kubunya.
Masjid Sultan Muhammad Ali Pasha di dalam Kubu Salahuddin.

Rekaan dalaman Masjid Muhammad Ali Pasha.

Perkarangan Masjid Muhammad Ali Pasha sebelum masuk ke dewan solat. Menara jam di sebelah kanan itu hadiah daripada Perancis sebagai tanda pembebasan Mesir daripada kolonial Perancis.

Maqam Muhammad Ali Pasha. Pakcik Arab ada kata dalam tu pun ada maqam isteri Ali Pasha, namanya Zainab. Tapi aku nampak satu je maqamnya.

Pelan kawasan dalam Kubu Salahuddin yang sekarang ini dijadikan Muzium Polis Kebangsaan.

Excavuation area. Aku tak tau apa function benda alah ini. Mungkin boleh bayangkan sendiri based on nama tempat ini kot. Hehe. 

Maqam Imam mazhab kita, Imam Muhammad bin Idris asy-Syafie. Beliau bersambung keturunan dengan keluarga Nabi Muhammad melalui al-Mutallib, bapa saudara Nabi. 'Kuniyah' yang diberikan iaitu asy-Syafie berasal daripada nama atuk beliau. Ketekunan beliau menuntut ilmu membawanya menjelajah ke pelbagai negara sehingga akhirnya ke Mesir. Di Mesir, beliau akhirnya wafat akibat penyakit buasir pada tahun 608H/1212M. 

Tapak kaki Nabi Muhammad di hadapan Maqam Imam Syafie. Tak pandai nak cerita bab ini tapi InshaAllah kalau berkesempatan aku akan cari sumber yang betul dan tulis semula di dalam blog ini. Tetapi ada riwayat yang mengatakan, Nabi Muhammad menziarahi maqam Imam Syafie pada setiap hari Jumaat, selepas waktu Asar. Wallahua'lam.

Gambar berlatarbelakangkan maqam Imam Syafie dan tiang (yang dialihkan daripada mana tah, aku tak ingat la. Maaf) yang menjadi tempat Imam Syafie bersandar semasa menyampaikan pengajian beliau.

Kubah di atas maqam Imam Syafie. Dindingnya masih ada unsur klasik lagi,

Berdekatan maqam Imam Syafie terdapat maqam Imam Zakaria al-Ansari.

Pelan yang menunjukkan tempat menarik sekitar Masjid Imam Syafie. 


Sunday, February 14, 2016

Old Cairo and Its Charms!

.

5hb Feb hari tu kami 5 orang pergi merayau kat kawasan Coptic Cairo a.k.a Old Cairo. Dalam entri sebelum ini pun aku ada tulis pasal itinerary perbelanjaan dari 4hb Feb (malam) sampai 6hb Feb (pagi).

Jadi, semua kena faham la, maksud merayau itu apa. Merayau ini main redah je. Seriously, malam sebelum 4hb hari tu aku tanya Nawi (yang pakai spec mata tu), “Jom pergi Cairo!” Asalnya memang plan nak pergi Dreampark lepas geng Timah (yang kenit) dan Najwa (yang pakai spec) balik dari Hurghada, tapi sebab ada beberapa orang cakap Dreampark tak syok, so kami tukar plan nak pergi merayau keliling Coptic Cairo.

Tapi jangan risau, Dreampark masih dalam wishlist. Cuma tunggu duit masuk poket je dulu. Sekarang ni “Ma fish fulus daa..”

Sebelum itu, aku memang pasang angan-angan nak pergi jelajah Cairo. Banyak lah tempat nak pergi. Old Cairo, Islamic Cairo, Downtown dan lain-lain. Dah buat research sikit-sikit dah pasal Cairo. Kebetulan 7hb Feb nanti, Najwa dan aku ada ikut satu trip keliling Cairo juga (mostly cover Islamic Cairo part lah). Lepas itu aku pun cadang dekat Nawi, Iqbal dan Timah untuk pergi Coptic Cairo. Okay, semua setuju!

Malam 4hb tu Nawi, Iqbal dan aku bergerak ke Cairo betul-betul lepas aku habis meeting. Nampak sangat tak puas lagi bercuti ni. Jadi, dipendekkan cerita kitorang sampai Cairo dan menginap di ARMA, Abbasiyah.

Keesokannya, Timah & Najwa yang dah memang ada di Cairo tunggu kami 3 orang di Ramsis. Dari situ, kami naik metro (subway) ke Stesen Mar Girgis. Keluar-keluar dari stesen tu memang akan nampak Coptic Museum. Bayaran masuk LE30 untuk foreign student dengan syarat bawa kerneh (student ID card). Kawasan muzium tu luas gila!! Penat pusing 2 jam lebih tak jumpa-jumpa juga exit.

Dan sempat juga buat kawan Arab yang kerja di situ. Nama dia Khaled dan aku mula-mula nak tanya la kalau-kalau dia boleh terangkan sikit tentang Kristian. Tapi tak terang banyak pun sebab dia cakap dia Muslim. Cuma kalau ada lukisan tentang Nabi Ibrahim, dia akan cakap yang dalam pengkisahan Kristian, yang diperintahkan Tuhan untuk dikorbankan bukanlah Nabi Ismail, tetapi Nabi Ishaq. So, aku jadi lah translator depa 4 orang ini. Dah habis jadi translator, aku pula yang kena layan si Khaled ni berborak. Yang lain semua laju je ke depan tinggal aku seorang. Kuasamm!

Dan sempat juga Khaled menceritakan background mazhab-mazhab Kristian di Mesir. Ada 4 mazhab terbesar di Mesir iaitu Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant dan Coptic. Masing-masing ada cara ibadat tersendiri. Kata dia lagi, semua mazhab ni tak setuju atas sifat-sifat Jesus sama ada Jesus itu manusia biasa atau merupakan figur ketuhanan. Untuk mazhab Coptic, kebiasaannya kita akan lihat lukisan Jesus sahaja, sedangkan ada mazhab lain yang akan mengukir Jesus daripada batu. Itu antara perbezaannya.

Depan tangga The Hanging Church. Expert je boleh dapat angle terbaik macam ni. Kahh!
Interior part of The Hanging Church.


Hanging Church

Selesai 2 jam lebih di sana, kami keluar dan berjalan sedikit ke sebelah kiri. Di situ terdapat The Hanging Church (Kanisa El Muallaqa). Hari tu kami pergi sesak; penuh dengan manusia. Sebaik memasuki pintu masuk, ada dua jalan menuju ke tangga gereja. Kata orang, tangga gereja mempunyai 28 anak tangga. Kenapa diberi nama The Hanging Church adalah disebabkan terdapat 2 menara zaman Romawi di bawah gereja tersebut yang seolah-olah menaikkan gereja tersebut tinggi sedikit daripada tanah. Tapi bila kami pergi, tak nampak pun menara tersebut. Hehe.

Belakang tu St George Church. Belakang photographer ni ialah Virgin Mary Church.
Sekejap je kami di The Hanging Church, kemudian kami ke St George Church. Hanya perlu berjalan kaki sedikit sahaja dan akhirnya sampai di sana. Rupanya, gereja St George ni penuh dengan sejarah, tetapi kadang-kadang diselitkan juga unsur mitos. Pada abad ke-6 Masihi, ketika itu kawasan Timur Tengah terutamanya di Libya, Palestin, Lubnan dan Mesir di bawah kekuasaan Romawi. Ketika itu juga terdapat seekor naga yang menyerang kampung-kampung. Akhirnya, datang St George dan berjaya membunuh naga tersebut. Kemudian, St George ditabalkan sebagai penguasa. Kemudian, Maharaja Rom mengarahkan agar tentera Kristian dijadikan korban untuk Tuhan-tuhan Rom.

Tetapi St George enggan menurut perintah Maharaja. George ditangkap dan diseksa di bawah gereja ini. Hmm..entah lah. Banyak sangat version yang aku dengar. Kami pun sanggup tanya orang-orang di situ untuk terangkan mengenai St George. Jadinya, dengar sahaja boleh, tapi tak perlu lah nak percaya.

Interior part of St George Church.

Ni lukisan pada kubah St George Church.

Di sekeliling St George Church tu ada Virgin Mary Church, tetapi ketika kami pergi, gereja tu tutup. Jadi, ekspedisi kami habis awal. Maka kami bergerak ke Masjid Amr Al-As, masjid tertua di benua Afrika!


Berjalan kaki dari St George Church ke Masjid Amr Al-As tu agak jauh. Kita akan melalui pasar Fustat, di mana kawasan itu pernah menjadi kem tentera Amr Al-As sewaktu ekspedisinya membuka Mesir. Kawasan dalam masjid itu Mashaallah luasnya! Tenang sangat. Kalau baring tu dah boleh tidur agaknya. Jadinya, kawasan masjid tu tempat kami recharge tenaga setelah seharian berjalan. Malam nanti katanya nak makan hotplate di Hayyu Sabie’ pula.

Bergambar di depan Pasar Fustat. Tapak lamanya ialah kem tentera Amr Al-As.
Kawasan luar Masjid Amr Al-As. Meriah hari ini sebab hari Jumaat.


Luas kan kawasannya? Boleh main kejar-kejar.