I had a fun time chatting with a handsome sixth former this morning.
"Teacher ahh, you chinese or malay ahh?he asked in his broken English.
"I'm Chinese".
"Then why ahh.. you wear tudung ooh?"
"I am a Chinese muslim.. chinese but my religion is Islam. I wear tudung because my God name Allah orders all women who pray to Allah must wear the tudung." I explained in the simplest most logical way I could to help him understand.
"Then why your mother's name is a chinese name, not binti abdullah like your name?" He had seen my particulars in a form which I left on my table.
"That's because she is a chinese Buddhist like you maaah.. she pray to kwan yin mahh".
"Then why you a Islam?"
"I change my religion from Buddhist to Islam.. because I believe in what Islam teach. I don't like Buddhist teaching."
"Oh can ahh like that?"
"Can laa.. if you like Islam you also can become a Muslim mahh."
"Then your father's name is Abdullah ahh?"
I smiled.
"No, my father's name is Yeoh @@.. he is also a Buddhist."
"Then why you don't put binti your father's name? Why binti Abdullah?"
"That's because in Penang, anyone who become a Muslim like me must have a bin or binti Abdullah. It's a rule to show we are Muslims who are not born in Malay families. We are not Malay even after we become Muslims."
"Oh.. why Abdullah and not other name?"
"Abdullah means servant of Allah in Arab language."
"Why cannot put other name meh?"
"Can but it's the standard rule. Like you, why must you wear white pants to school? Not grey or blue pants?"
"I form 6 mahh".
"That's why la.. I have binti Abdullah because I am a convert to Islam.I become Muslim when I was already working".
"Then cannot put your father's name hoor?"
"Got mahh.. I have my surname Yeoh.. also part of my father's name maa. "
"Yeah hoorr.."
Hehehee.. to be frank I'm glad to be a binti Abdullah because my father will be very angry to have a muslim walking about with binti his own name. He still doesn't want people to know that his daughter is now a Muslim.
Assalamualaikum sis :)
ReplyDeleteRasa kelakar bila nak explain kat org lain kenapa dan mengapa
Tapi sebagai orang Islam memang kita patut tahu bagaimana cara nak explain tu dengan cara yang mudah utk org faham :)
Syazana, Waalaikumussalam. Hehe, memang mencabar untuk kita turun ke tahap pemahaman golongan yang kurang arif dalam berbahasa melayu dan inggeris sambil menerangkan konsep Islam kepada mereka. Tanpa berceramah seperti ustaz di masjid. Tak boleh guna istilah bahasa arab sebab mereka akan menjauhkan diri. Tak boleh cakap dalam bahasa rasmi sebab akan wujud jurang dan mereka akan bosan bertanya. Cuba gunakan analog yang mudah dan galakkan soakan seterusnya.
ReplyDeleteexplaining to others in simple words are challenging... :)
ReplyDeleteSalam Aliya,
ReplyDeleteSetuju tu dengan cara Aliya jelaskan kepada anak muda itu, mengikut tahap mereka, barulah mereka faham. Memang tujuannya pun untuk beri mereka faham!
Assalamualaikum Sis Aliya,
ReplyDeleteI am a silent reader of your blog and I just reverted today in Penang religious office HQ
Nowadays Penang allows new reverts to use any name, and whether we want our names to be with or without bin/binti Abdullah is fine.
I guess not much people knows this yet but i think is good to share.
By the way, the religious officer mentioned to me the current revert cards ( paper laminated with plastics) lack security, his tone was like not satisfy with the current card, and i kept silent....
I think they are going towards electronics cards soon by 2014 or 2015, hopefully they are...
Assalamualaikum,
ReplyDeleteI am a Malaysian living in Chicago. I live in America, so I got questioned frequently about why I am covering my head, and the reason Muslims have to cover our heads.
I also got questioned frequently about why my last name is different from my husband's last name and my children's last names. They don't understand why we don't have last (family) name and that our fathers' names are used as our last names instead. I have to explain that in our country we have bin/binti (which we don't include in our name in our American ID because it creates more confusion and doesn't serve a purpose if included). I am so used to explaining them now, it got easier.
People, especially children are intrigue by my appearance, but they have the purest curiosity and intention, so I have to explain to the them using the simplest explanation I can think of.
I really like your explanation. Simple and easy to understand.
seronok baca kisah sis Aliya...btw...Assalamualaikum...semoga ini dapat merapatkan silaturrahim antara kita...jumpe blog ni sebab tengag google pantang semasa pregnant..heheh..
ReplyDeletesalam sis,
ReplyDeletelove reading your posts here.. i wish to explain to any non-muslims like this..simple and make sense! huhu thanks for sharing
Salam sis,
ReplyDeleteI have recently converted to Islam, i can maintained my full chinese name with binti abdullah. Was wondering if u know whether i have to change my name in the IC & the status of religion? Im getting married in this month, is that possible i use my Kad Akuan Islam for akad nikah first, then only i change my IC particulars? Appreciate your help.
Thanks!
salam nice post my sister
ReplyDeletesebenarnya tak binti abdullah pon takpa......dulu umar alkhattab masuk islam tak ubah pon nama dia Umar bin Abdullah......Abu Sufian masuk masuk islam tak tukar bin pon.....sepatutnya boleh bin atau bintikan ayah kandung.......tapi nama islam kena ada bagi org islam lain senang nak cam sesorang tu dah revert.....contohnya mcam.....see yew soon..yang mana nama kita tukarlah nama ke nama islam....nama keluarga dan nama ayah tak payah tukarlah....tapi apa leh buat dah undang2 mmg camtu.....lagipon undang 2 tu dah lama dah....
ReplyDeletetak tukar nama pon boleh....contoh sorang cina muslim yang tak tukar nama ialah...Ann Wang Seng.....tapi kebanyakan org dah tahu dia muslim.....pandangan sya.....kalau nak tukar nama....tukar nama sendiri sudahlah supaya bagi orang lain tahu awak tu muslim.....nama bapa dan nama keluarga tak tukar takpa.....
ReplyDeletepencerahan yg ringkas tapi tuntas...steady cikgu aliya..
ReplyDeletesemoga dipermudahkan Allah segala urusan cikgu..
seronok baca
ReplyDelete