''Cukok Tongkol'' - the Baweanese delicacy

''Cukok Tongkol'' - Tuna fish

Generally, Singaporean Baweanese enjoy eating ''Cukok Tongkol''. ''Cukok'' is a Baweanese word for fish and ''Tongkol'' refers to ''Tuna''. The Tuna fish is associated with the Baweanese people due to their passion eating the fish, turning it into a delicacy in their daily meals. This is a well-known fact among the people living in the Malay community. Some Baweanese take pride of this fact for they can be easily identified as a ''Boyan'' living among the other Indonesian ethnic groups in this community.

Like any other Singaporean Baweanese, I love to eat ''Cukok Tongkol'' which can be cooked into variety of dishes. My mother often cook dishes such as ''Celok Tongkol'', ''Semur Tongkol'', ''Penteng Tongkol'', ''Samble Tomes Tongkol'', ''Tomes Tongkol''. They are my favorite dishes eaten with white rice. Yummy!

''Samble Tomes Tongkol'' (Baweanese version of the Malay Asam Pedas dish)

''Celok Tongkol'' - the pride of Baweanese delicacy

''Penteng Tongkol'' (Baweanese version of the Malay Pindang dish)

During my childhood days in the 1960s and 1970s while living in Pondok Kelompang Gubuk, I remember helping my grandmother to grill the Tuna fish. To go with it, she would prepare black sauce mixed with fresh pounded chilli, thinly sliced onion and lime juice. In other occasion, she would prepare ''Buja Cappi'' – pounded fresh chilli with salt mixed with lime juice. ''Buja'' is the Baweanese word for salt while ''Cappi'' is the Baweanse word for chilli.

Sliced Tuna

Green vegetables coconut soup

Tuna fish can also be sliced thinly and marinated with salted tumeric powder paste before deep fried. Fried Tuna can be eaten with white rice and green vegetables coconut soup. My grandmother used to prepare ''Pencek-Pencek'' - boiled eggs mashed with chilli shrimp paste (sambal belacan) and green sour mango shredded very thinly, to make the meal appealing. In other occasion, she would steam ''Paes Tongkol'' - thinly sliced boiled Tuna fish with dried chilli paste mixed with tamarind juice, sugar and salt wrapped in banana leaves. Hmmm! I miss very much eating my grandmother's cooking!

Celebration of Shawal in Singapore

Eid in Shawal

The celebration of Eid in Singapore during the month of Shawal is very colourful. For many Singaporeans Baweanese, it is the time for visiting relatives and friends, exchanging information, catching up with each other or remembering the old good times. Like any other Singaporean Muslims, their homes are filled with colourful decorations and plenty of food for everyone. Traditional dishes and home-made cookies are alway ready for the guests.

Eid-ul-Fitr 1990

Shawal is a joyous month of giving and receiving. The poor, the elderly and the little ones are always happy during this month, receiving green packets filled with cash. Smiles and laughters are always on their faces. It is always the same every year! Especially the children, they are the ones who lighten up the celebration of Eid through the years, decades after decades. Photographs of Eid capturing the moments of happiness show this is true!

Eid-ul-Fitr 1991

Eid-ul-Fitr 1992

Eid-ul-Fitr 1993

Eid-ul-Fitr 1994

Eid-ul-Fitr 1995

Eid-ul-Fitr 1996

Eid-ul-Fitr 1997

Eid-ul-Fitr 1998

Eid-ul-Fitr 1999

On The Last Day of Ramadhan

(Ramadhan at Makkah in the year 2000 - while at Jabal Uhud)

Today is 30th Ramadhan 1429 Hijrah, the last day of fasting. I recalled the year 2000 in which, during this time I spent Ramadhan in Makkah and celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr there. It was the most satisfying and memorable Ramadhan I ever celebrated in my entire life. I wished I could repeat that same kind of Ramadhan or better than that somewhere in the future, Insha'Allah. It seems to me time passes very fast that it is now almost ten years since I last spent my Ramadhan in the holy land of Makkah.

(Celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr in Mekkah - Umrah Ramadhan Trip 2000)

I felt that this year Ramadhan was too fast. I was unable to perform as much ibadah as I had planned. With my husband out-station most of the time, the mosque was beyond my reached. I was always busy attending my six year old son and there were only two of us on the dininig table during Iftar, the breaking of fast. I even barely finish with the preparation for the Eid. There are still lots of work to be done at home. The sofa cover need to be changed, the clean curtains need to be hanged, the ingredients for tomorrow's early morning cooking need to be prepared tonight and most importantly the cooking for the last Iftar with my family, need to be done.

(Eid-ul-Fitr in Mekkah - Dec 2000)

About thirty-five years ago, during my childhood, it was my late grandma, my mum and aunties who were the ones who used to be very busy preparing for Raya Day. While the adults were busy with the house-chores, my cousins, siblings and I were happily playing at the back lane behind our home, Pondok Kelompang Gubuk, until the last few minutes before Iftar. We were called in, minutes before the azan for sholat Maghrib (the sholat after sunset), one of the daily five prayers. By this time, the foods for Iftar were all ready laid on the dining table. The adults got to enjoy their meals at the dining table while the children picked their choice of foods on a plate and had their meals on the ''Ambin'' (a huge working table) in the kitchen.

(Map of South-East Asia... The Nusantara Region known as Malay Archipelago)

During this night, the azan was followed by ''Takbir'' denoting the dawn of Eid-ul-Fitr. After Iftar, it was time for sholat Maghrib and my granddad used to be the Imam. Moments after that, he would ''Takbir''. I used to be happy and excited to hear the ''Takbir'' because I was looking forward for tomorrow's morning break. To me it means no more hard work in the kitchen, helping my grandma with the pealing of potatoes skin and washing lots of ''loyang'', the mould for making ''kueh''.

(Kueh-Kueh in Banana Leaf... Desserts of the Nusantara)

Every Ramadhan during the 60s and 70s, my grandma used to rent a stall situated at the back lane just in front of the old Tekka Market. At this back lane, I used to help my mum selling ''kueh-kueh'', desserts prepared for breaking the fast. Among the ''kueh-kueh'' sold at my grandma's stall were Kueh Bakar, Kueh Putri Salat, Kueh Kosuee, Kueh Rangair and Agar-Agar.

(Kueh-Kueh... Desserts of the Nusantara Region)

Unlike my childhood days, as an adult I am always not as keen as before to meet the day on 1st Shawal. It is an obligation for every Muslims to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr as well as Eid-ul-Adha in which, fasting is not allowed during these two Eids. However, I am always sad to leave Ramadhan and always supplicate for Almighty Allah to give me more chances in the future to celebrate Ramadhan again. May Almighty Allah give us the chance to meet Ramadhan again, in good health, in the years to come. Aameen.

To my Muslim readers all over the world, wishing all of you ''Eid Mubarak'' and to my husband, mother, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces, cousins, uncles, aunties, relatives and friends in Singapore and Malaysia, ''Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, Ma'af Zahir Batin''.

The Revelation Process of Al-Qur'an

The revelation process of the the Qur'an came in three stages. In the first stage, the whole content of the Qur’an was transferred, all at one time, to a place of ultimate custody of Almighty Allah called Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz. The time of the transportation and the place it came from, only known to Allah, the Most High.

“Nay! This is a Glorious Qur’an, (inscribed) in Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz.” [Translation of Surah Al-Buruj 85:21-22]

Then in the second stage, the entire content of the Qur’an was transferred down, all at one time, from Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz to Baitul I’zzah (a place in the lowest heaven) during ''Lailat-ul-Qadr'' which literally means, ''The Night of Decree''. According to many schools of philosophy, ''Night” means darkness, emptiness, hollowness as well as nothingness and upon the dawn of the day, a light makes everything crystal-clear. In a similar way, humanity was in total darkness and the revelation of the Qur’an had changed this darkness into light through its clear-cut guidance that made absolute distinctions between the right and the wrong.

Indeed, the Qur’an had changed many lives and the first person to have his life changed was a man named Muhammad ibn Abdullah. After the first revelation of the Qur'an on this earth, he embarked into a journey of Prophethood to perform the duty in conveying the message of the Qur’an, not only to his own people but also to the whole of humanity. During the last twenty-three years of his life as the Seal Prophet of Almighty Allah, the Qur’an was revealed to him, piece-by-piece. This is the third and final stage of the process whereby the Qur’an was revealed into this world, on this earth, to the human race in which the first revelation took place in the cave Hira. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) was taught to recite the first revealed surah, Surah Al-’Alaq (The Clot), by Angel Gabriel who came down to this world to carry out the duty of bringing down this first revelation on this earth.

''Lailat-ul-Qadr'' is a Grandeur Night, a night better and more worthy than a thousand months deserves to be found and the only way to be certain of finding it is to spend all the ten nights in sincere worship of Allah, the Most High. Through his traditions, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him), the beloved Prophet of Islam, had shown Muslims the best way to utilize this great night.

Narrated Abu Hurairah (r.a.): The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, ''Whoever observed Sawn (fast) in the month of Ramadhan with sincere faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, than all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the Salat (prayers) in the night of Qadr with sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven.'' [Reported by Imam Bukhari, Sahih Al-Bukhari H 2014]

Narrated Aishah (r.a.): With the start the last ten days of Ramadhan, the Prophet (s.a.w.) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work hard) and used to keep awake all the night and perform Salat (prayer) and also used to keep his family awake for the Salat (prayer).'' [Reported by Imam Bukhari, Sahih Al-Bukhari H.2024]

Clearly ''Lailat-ul-Qadr'' is a special gift from Almighty Allah to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) and his followers. Hence, Muslims who did not celebrate Ramadhan to the fullest, particularly on the last ten nights, through constant performance of the daily sholat, proper fasting and performing other form of ibadah such as Sholat Taraweeh, Quran recitation, Dzikir, Qiyam-mul-lai, as well as giving Zakat and Charity, are among those who had given-up a valuable opportunity to perform good deeds, the savings for the life in the hereafter, that enable them to earn abundance of rewarding returns from Almighty Allah within thirty days i.e. in just a period of one month.

Indeed, ''Lailat-ul-Qadr'' is the unique characteristic of the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him). Although the followers of the earlier prophets had fasting prescribed for them, only the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) is granted the supreme distinction of having this Grandeur Night during Ramadhan, the holy fasting month of the Muslim Calendar.

About the Night named ''Lailat-ul-Qadr''

(A copy of Written Al-Qur'an)

The night named ''Lailat-ul-Qadr'' is a Majestic Night due to the revelation of the Qur'an. It was later on divinely sent to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) throughout the last twenty-three years of his life as a Prophet. Verse 97:1-5 of Surah Al-Qadr and verse 44:1-4 of Surah Ad-Dukhan clearly stated that the Qur’an was revealed at night while verse 2:185 of Surah Al-Baqarah stated that the night was in the month of Ramadhan and that the Qur'an was sent as guidance not only for the Arabs, nor was it sent for the Muslims only, but rather for all mankind.

“Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’an) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree). And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is? The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Ruh by Allah’s Permission with all Decrees. There is peace until the appearance of dawn.” [Translation of Surah Al-Qadr 97:1-5]

“By the Qur’an that makes things clear. We sent this Qur’an down on a blessed night. Verily, we are ever warning (mankind). There (in that night) is cleared every matter of occurrences (like deaths, birth etc).” [Translation of Surah Ad-Dukhan 44:1-4]

“…The month of Ramadhan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for people, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong)….” [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:185]

In verse 97:1-5 of Surah Al-Qadr, it is clearly stated that ''Lailat-ul-Qadr'' is a night that is better than the nights of a thousand months. Interestingly, it should be noted that one thousand months is equal to eighty-three years and four months. Hence in another words, the worship during this night is better than the worship over eighty years of continuous submission to Almighty Allah i.e. the worship that took place during this night is better than a very large number of nights.

According to traditions, Ibn-Hatm narrated from Mujahid that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) related to his companions the case of a person from the Israelites who continuously worshipped for eighty years without a break. Similarly, Ibn Jareer narrated from Mujahid that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said that a person from Israelites used to worship during the night and go for fighting in the path of Almighty Allah during the day. He did it for eighty years without a break.

Hence, the revelation in Surah Al-Qadr verse 97:1-5 that revealed the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months, is sending a message to inform mankind that the worship during ''Lailat-ul-Qadr'' is better than the eighty continuous years of worship performed by the particular person from Israelites mentioned above.

The Night of ''Tujoh Leko''

(Ramadhan at Bussorah Street)

My mother used to tell me that my sister, Nora, was born on ''Malam Tujoh Leko''. As I understand it, ''Malam'' is a Malay word for night and ''Tujoh'' is a Malay word for the number seven. However I honestly do not have the slightest idea of the meaning on the word ''Leko''. When I was a little girl, I did remember asking my mother the meaning of the phrase. She told me ''Malam Tujoh Leko'' describes the night before the dawn of the twenty-seventh day of Ramadhan. During that time, I did not understand my mother's explanation. As I grew up and learned about Islam, I gradually began to understand more about my religion.

According to Islam, the ''Azan'' (calling for prayers) for ''Sholat Maghrib'' (Maghrib prayers) at about 7.00 p.m. (Singapore time) denotes the beginning of a new day. Hence, on the night of the date 26th Ramadhan is the beginning of the twenty-seventh day of the fasting month. Yesterday night was the night of ''Tujoh Leko''. Recalling the time I used to live in Pondok Kelompang Gubuk, during this night, the phrase ''Malam Tujoh Leko'' was almost on the lips of everyone living in the same pondok with my family. It seems to me that they regarded this night to be very special because they were extremely excited doing strange things that I could not comprehend at that time. I found their behaviours to be very peculiar during this night. They used to stay up late as if it was a night meant not for sleeping.

When I reached my adulthood, after completing a formal education in Islamic studies, only then I realized that the night of ''Tujoh Leko'' was actually associated with the night known as ''Lailat-ul-Qadr''. Upon the dawn of this realization, the question that always lingers in my mind was answered. I concluded the reason behind the expression seen on my Mum's face beaming with smile of happiness, every time she mentioned about the night my sister was born, was all this while due to the thought that she had gave birth to a daughter on ''Lailat-ul-Qadr'', a special night bestowed to the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) by Almighty Allah.

However, no one knows the exact night of Lailat-ul-Qadr. Not even Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him). Some say it is the twenty-seventh of the month and others say it varies from year to year, but always among the last ten days of Ramadhan. What is clear is that it falls on one of the nights during the last ten days of the fasting month. In a Hadith narrated by Aishah (r.a.), Imam Bukhari reported that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) said; ''Search for the night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadhan.''. Hence, it can be concluded that ''Lailat-ul-Qadr'' is once in a year, every year, in one of the nights during the last ten days in the month of Ramadhan.

So, what is ''Lailat-ul-Qadr'' all about? Why is it so special that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) had instructed his Ummah to seek for it. The whole episode on the greatness of this one night which has been described with several descriptions such as ''The Night of Power'', ''The Night of Destiny'', ''The Night of Decree'', ''The Night of Grandeur'', ''The Night of Majesty'' and ''Honourable Night'', interest me a lot. It was even intoxicating to me, when the lecturer who once taught me on the subject Qur’an and Hadith during my course of study said to the class that, “Lailat-ul-Qadr'', the Night of Power, is better than the nights in a thousand months. At that moment, my thoughts were demanding for logical explanations to the queries in my mind about this night that was projected to be very powerful.

During that period of time, I simply could not comprehend the greatness of this one night to be better than all the other nights. How was it possible for a single night to be better than the nights of a thousand months? What is so special about ''Lailat-ul-Qadr''? What made that night superior than every other night in a thousand months? My questions were answered as I listened attentively to my lecturer as he explained to the class about what happened on that one night, the night that was named ''Lailat-ul-Qadr''. At the end of the lecture, everything became crystal clear to me and I finally fully understood the significance of this Majestic Night!

Marriage in Islam

Generally, many people d0 not realize that marriage is a binding contract between two individual of different gender that binds all the actions committed by the couple throughout the life span of the marriage contract itself. In Islam, marriage is a scared matrimonial life contract between a man and a woman to live together as husband and wife with blessing from Almighty Allah.

Like any other contracts, a marriage contract is an agreement between two parties having common objectives aiming to achieve one common goal. It is automatically terminated upon the death of one party. In addition to this, in an Islamic matrimony, the marriage can be terminated through divorce. However this is not preferred unless it is unavoidable. Divorce is labeled as ''the most hated of permitted things'' in Islam.

Islam encourages adult Muslims to develop a good family structure through a system concerning marriage laid out under the Islamic Family Institutions prescribed by Shari'ah. It forbids marital relationships without wedlock because it can produce abundance of illegitimate children which is a very disturbing issue. Islam also condones but discourages Muslims to be married followed by divorce many times. Muslim men are encouraged to marry needy women and have large families. They are allowed to marry legally a maximum of four wives at one time under acceptable circumstances. Polygamous marriage in Islam is strictly controlled and governed by the Shari'ah Law.

''Marry women of your choice, two or three or four, but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with them then only one or one that your right hands possess. That will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.'' (Translation of Surah An-Nisa verse 4:3)

''You will never be able to deal justly between wives however much you desire (to do so). But (if you have more than one wife) do not turn altogether away (from one), leaving her in suspense…'' (Translation of Surah An-Nisa verse 4:129)

The Quranic verse 4:3 discourages but allows a man to marry more than one wife if he could deal justly with them while verse 4:129 highlighted that a man is unable to deal justly between wives which Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) himself, the greatest Prophet of all, unable to qualify as one, without Allah's help and guidance. No mere man of reasonable intelligence could handle such situation as what the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) had gone through. Since generally, no mere human beings can fulfil this Qur'anic requirement hence, no Muslim should really have more than one wife.

All in all, marriage in Islam constitutes all the good things such as healthy relationship, responsibility, commitment, good health, good deeds, happiness and abundance of wealth, i.e. legitimate children. Its primary objective is to preserve and continue the human race while at the same time provide protection of morals. Hence, marriage in Islam encompasses the developing of good family structure to continue respectable generations in the future. It is of no doubt that marriage relationship is good morality and happiness, creating a just and cohesive society where the needs of men and women are well taken care off. Thus, all adult Muslims are encouraged to get married in order to avoid pre-marital sexual affairs. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) had directed Muslims to get married otherwise, they are to observe patience until they get married.

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud (r.a.): Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.) said to us, ''O young men, those of you who can support a wife should marry, for it (marriage) controls the gaze and preserves one for immorality; but those who cannot should fast, for it is a means of suppressing the sexual desire.'' [(Agreed upon) – Bulugh Al-Maram compiled by Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani]