Dogmatic

We saw a lecturer for afar.

‘Assalamualaikum’, my friend greeted the lecturer.  

She smiled and we returned that smile. I bowed a bit as well as a sign of my respect.

‘Hei kamu. Kamu batch mane ni? Kelas ape?’

‘Emm. Tesl. Marjon’

‘Oh… Saye tak mengajar kamu kan? Kamu kenape tak bagi salam?’ she cried while pointing towards me.

At that time, I was dumbfounded and absolutely lost for words.

‘Lain kali, bile nampak lecturer, bagilah salam’, in a rather condescending tone.

For those of you who do not know, the purpose of giving salaam is to avoid arrogance within ourselves. That is why sometimes in the airport you can see Muslims greet each other as if they are acquaintances. We are brothers and sisters anyways.

In fact, it has been narrated from Ibn Umar, that the Holy Prophet said, "He who speaks without firstly giving salaam, then do not answer him ( to what he has to say)".

In the lecturer's case, then, I shouldn't have paid attention to her in the first place. The world has become so fucked up ain’t it if the higher up expects the ‘insignificant ones’ to initiate salaam? Absolutely defeating the purpose of giving salaam. In my defense, it was not my intention to disrespect the lecturer.

In this country, most of the time people have the knowledge; they just do not have the brain to process them.I bet she knew giving salaam is encouraged but just too noble! to make the first move. I was the arrogant one? Okay, baiklah, Puan. 

P/S: Or maybe because I despise being reprimanded by someone I call stranger! 

Servant

The community here is having a gotong-royong and a small feast. 

Why? To welcome a certain Yg Bhormat tomorrow. Haha. Let us laugh berjemaah.

As I drove passed the road, I could see a sign written, “DILARANG MEMBUANG SAMPAH DI KAWASAN PRASEKOLAH”. I could not help but wonder, ‘so it’s wrong to throw rubbish around the kindergarten area but not the housing area… Okay okay. I get it.’

The residents had a meeting to discuss, what to clean? What to cook? What do we need to show? And what do we need to hide? 

Why? Why hide? Just show her the leaking pipes, the horrible sewage system, the disgusting drainage system.

Why does she want to visit?

Owh… Because she received a complaint from the Health Ministry saying that the kindergarten is too dirty and unfit for schooling.

Then why approved the kindergarten site in the first place?

Oooo… Only now when the kindergarten is done, all the problems arise.

Oooo okay. Okay. Okay. Okay!

Since okay is the only word allowed for us to say 

The residents are so hyped to get this place clean before her arrival; the authority namely the Guru Besar is so concerned that The Bhormat might be upset with even trivial things. 

That is just our culture,

WE WORK TO IMPRESS, NOT BECAUSE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY ITSELF or as Islam taught us, as a way to worship Him. 

Yang Menurut Perintah,

Servant.