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The Sun
5 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Aidiladha in Cambodia: A Humbling Reflection on Faith and Privilege
PHNOM PENH: On the morning of Aidiladha, I woke up in Kampot to an unfamiliar stillness. No Adhan, no soul-lifting congregational Eid Takbeer, no festive sounds in the air. Nothing to indicate that this is one of the biggest holidays in the Islamic calendar. Back home in Malaysia, the day would begin with those familiar echoes from mosques and surau, a comforting constant we rarely pause to appreciate. From my hotel window, the city lay quiet. No crowds in colourful 'baju Melayu' or women in their prayer clothing or 'telekung' heading to the mosque. It felt strange, even lonely, and for the first time, I missed what I had always assumed would be there. That silence made something clear to me. Back home, we often speak as though Islam is under siege. But here in Cambodia, Muslims practise quietly, with fewer resources, far less visibility, with no complaint. The contrast was humbling. The truth is, we have it good and we don't always realise it. This is what the Bank Rakyat Kembara Qurban Kemboja 2025 initiative, a three-day programme aimed at reaching underserved Muslim communities for the annual sacrificial ritual (Qurban), did to me. It was more than a charity mission - it was a quiet, powerful eye-opener. RESILIENCE FORGED THROUGH FAITH AND COMMUNITY In the outskirts of Kampot at Kampung Trapeng Pinh, our group of 21 volunteers, including seven media practitioners, witnessed the qurban of 10 cows, with the meat distributed to the Muslim community in neighbouring villages. We arrived there by tuk-tuk to perform the Aidiladha prayer and were greeted with warm smiles and heartfelt hospitality. What surprised me most was seeing them performing their wudhu (ablution) in a nearby lake, which was a strange sight for me. Their mosque, Masjid Ar-Rahman, was small and simple, making even our smallest surau back home feel grand. Yet, within those humble walls, faith and devotion filled every corner, proving that true spirituality needs no grandeur. Here, I met the local Imam Abdossomad Abdullah, an ustaz and co-founder of Maahad Al-Rabbani, a madrasah he has spent over ten years helping to establish. His mission has been to encourage the local community of around 5,000 villagers to strengthen Islamic teachings among the younger generation. 'We built this Maahad ourselves, with donations from the villagers, the majority of whom are Muslims. Now, we have over 80 students aged between six and 17 who come from families of fishermen and farmers,' he said. Hearing his story made me reflect on how, back home in Malaysia, the government, particularly at the state level, actively supports Islamic education, including private institutions. In Selangor, for example, they even have Tahfiz Legalisation Programme, which ensures safer, more structured learning environments for students in religious schools. In contrast, these Cambodian madrasahs thrive purely on perseverance and faith. MAAHAD IMAM AS-SHAFIEE: ANOTHER TESTAMENT TO PERSEVERANCE Our journey continued to Kampung Keh, where Maahad Imam As-Shafiee stood proudly, a far cry from the wooden hut it once was. Tucked between modest wooden homes and open fields, the maahad, which has evolved from a wooden hut to a three-block compound, stood as a proud symbol of community spirit and helping hands from Malaysia through Yayasan As-Syafiee. It is now home to 280 young Cambodian Muslims eager to change their lives through education. However, the success story did not come without challenges. One of the educators, Ustaz Badri Ibrahim, recalled how they once relied on wells to reduce monthly water bills that could reach USD300 to USD400, which is widely used as an alternate currency for the local Riel. This was just 15 years ago, a stark reminder of how recent and real those struggles still are. 'The government helps, but unlike in Malaysia, we don't have a specific institution that supervises or oversees our progress and development,' he said. Yayasan As-Syafiee Malaysia chairman Mohd Zamerey Abdul Razak shared that during his visit to Cambodia 15 years ago, he realised that education was the key for the Muslim minority communities to uplift their lives. Moved by this, he gathered friends and like-minded individuals who were willing to support the cause and banded together to help establish the madrasah. 'Then, we organised a Qurban campaign, we got 60 cows, we came and did it here because we wanted to go into the villages and see the reality of their lives because we believe that only education can change their future,' he said. Since then, some students have been accepted into the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), with one even doing an internship at Wisma Putra, a proof of education's transformative power. The contrast with Malaysia is striking as Cambodian madrasahs often start with limited resources, relying on community donations and determination. Back home, Islamic education benefits from structured systems, state oversight, funding, better infrastructure, technology, and a developed curriculum. LIFE ON TONLE SAP: STRUGGLES OF THE RIVER-BOUND COMMUNITY On the final day, we proceeded to Kampung Swai Relom in Kandal province, where the Bank Rakyat Kembara Qurban Kemboja programme reached out to 150 Muslim families who call their boats home, offering support and compassion to a community bound closely to the river. They live aboard narrow 10-metre boats, earning a living as fishermen and needing permission from landowners and local authorities just to dock. As members of the Cham community, their lives remain shaped by history, rooted in displacement, and caught in cycles that are hard to escape. The once-nomadic lifestyle of this community, moving from riverbank to riverbank, is now changing as they settle in one location here in Swai Relom with houses and even a mosque built through contributions from caring non-governmental organisations and individuals. Out of curiosity, I asked our local tour guide about zakat, and he replied that it is not like Malaysia, where zakat is institutionalised. Here in Cambodia, zakat is privately given, often in small amounts, he said. With Muslims forming only two per cent of the population, it is hard for it to reach all poverty-stricken families. In Malaysia, the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) recently allocated RM6.5 million in zakat aid to 6,500 registered asnaf in Labuan alone. A REFLECTION THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE What struck me most was the quiet dignity of Combodia's Muslim community, grounded in faith, family and a strong sense of togetherness. In Malaysia, we benefit from air-conditioned mosques, subsidised haj programmes and round-the-clock Islamic content as well as full-time officers managing every level of religious affairs. We wear our faith freely and hold Quran recitations in stadiums and express our beliefs openly. These privileges are extraordinary, yet we often forget how rare they truly are elsewhere. This isn't to say we shouldn't protect our values. But perhaps, we can do it without fearmongering, without casting fellow citizens as threats or assuming the worst of others. Instead, let us move forward with gratitude, grace and the quiet strength I witnessed in Cambodia.
The Sun
5 days ago
- General
- The Sun
A quiet Aidiladha in Cambodia , a loud reminder of faith
PHNOM PENH: On the morning of Aidiladha, I woke up in Kampot to an unfamiliar stillness. No Adhan, no soul-lifting congregational Eid Takbeer, no festive sounds in the air. Nothing to indicate that this is one of the biggest holidays in the Islamic calendar. Back home in Malaysia, the day would begin with those familiar echoes from mosques and surau, a comforting constant we rarely pause to appreciate. From my hotel window, the city lay quiet. No crowds in colourful 'baju Melayu' or women in their prayer clothing or 'telekung' heading to the mosque. It felt strange, even lonely, and for the first time, I missed what I had always assumed would be there. That silence made something clear to me. Back home, we often speak as though Islam is under siege. But here in Cambodia, Muslims practise quietly, with fewer resources, far less visibility, with no complaint. The contrast was humbling. The truth is, we have it good and we don't always realise it. This is what the Bank Rakyat Kembara Qurban Kemboja 2025 initiative, a three-day programme aimed at reaching underserved Muslim communities for the annual sacrificial ritual (Qurban), did to me. It was more than a charity mission - it was a quiet, powerful eye-opener. In the outskirts of Kampot at Kampung Trapeng Pinh, our group of 21 volunteers, including seven media practitioners, witnessed the qurban of 10 cows, with the meat distributed to the Muslim community in neighbouring villages. We arrived there by tuk-tuk to perform the Aidiladha prayer and were greeted with warm smiles and heartfelt hospitality. What surprised me most was seeing them performing their wudhu (ablution) in a nearby lake, which was a strange sight for me. Their mosque, Masjid Ar-Rahman, was small and simple, making even our smallest surau back home feel grand. Yet, within those humble walls, faith and devotion filled every corner, proving that true spirituality needs no grandeur. Here, I met the local Imam Abdossomad Abdullah, an ustaz and co-founder of Maahad Al-Rabbani, a madrasah he has spent over ten years helping to establish. His mission has been to encourage the local community of around 5,000 villagers to strengthen Islamic teachings among the younger generation. 'We built this Maahad ourselves, with donations from the villagers, the majority of whom are Muslims. Now, we have over 80 students aged between six and 17 who come from families of fishermen and farmers,' he said. Hearing his story made me reflect on how, back home in Malaysia, the government, particularly at the state level, actively supports Islamic education, including private institutions. In Selangor, for example, they even have Tahfiz Legalisation Programme, which ensures safer, more structured learning environments for students in religious schools. In contrast, these Cambodian madrasahs thrive purely on perseverance and faith. MAAHAD IMAM AS-SHAFIEE: ANOTHER TESTAMENT TO PERSEVERANCE Our journey continued to Kampung Keh, where Maahad Imam As-Shafiee stood proudly, a far cry from the wooden hut it once was. Tucked between modest wooden homes and open fields, the maahad, which has evolved from a wooden hut to a three-block compound, stood as a proud symbol of community spirit and helping hands from Malaysia through Yayasan As-Syafiee. It is now home to 280 young Cambodian Muslims eager to change their lives through education. However, the success story did not come without challenges. One of the educators, Ustaz Badri Ibrahim, recalled how they once relied on wells to reduce monthly water bills that could reach USD300 to USD400, which is widely used as an alternate currency for the local Riel. This was just 15 years ago, a stark reminder of how recent and real those struggles still are. 'The government helps, but unlike in Malaysia, we don't have a specific institution that supervises or oversees our progress and development,' he said. Yayasan As-Syafiee Malaysia chairman Mohd Zamerey Abdul Razak shared that during his visit to Cambodia 15 years ago, he realised that education was the key for the Muslim minority communities to uplift their lives. Moved by this, he gathered friends and like-minded individuals who were willing to support the cause and banded together to help establish the madrasah. 'Then, we organised a Qurban campaign, we got 60 cows, we came and did it here because we wanted to go into the villages and see the reality of their lives because we believe that only education can change their future,' he said. Since then, some students have been accepted into the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), with one even doing an internship at Wisma Putra, a proof of education's transformative power. The contrast with Malaysia is striking as Cambodian madrasahs often start with limited resources, relying on community donations and determination. Back home, Islamic education benefits from structured systems, state oversight, funding, better infrastructure, technology, and a developed curriculum. LIFE ON TONLE SAP: STRUGGLES OF THE RIVER-BOUND COMMUNITY On the final day, we proceeded to Kampung Swai Relom in Kandal province, where the Bank Rakyat Kembara Qurban Kemboja programme reached out to 150 Muslim families who call their boats home, offering support and compassion to a community bound closely to the river. They live aboard narrow 10-metre boats, earning a living as fishermen and needing permission from landowners and local authorities just to dock. As members of the Cham community, their lives remain shaped by history, rooted in displacement, and caught in cycles that are hard to escape. The once-nomadic lifestyle of this community, moving from riverbank to riverbank, is now changing as they settle in one location here in Swai Relom with houses and even a mosque built through contributions from caring non-governmental organisations and individuals. Out of curiosity, I asked our local tour guide about zakat, and he replied that it is not like Malaysia, where zakat is institutionalised. Here in Cambodia, zakat is privately given, often in small amounts, he said. With Muslims forming only two per cent of the population, it is hard for it to reach all poverty-stricken families. In Malaysia, the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) recently allocated RM6.5 million in zakat aid to 6,500 registered asnaf in Labuan alone. A REFLECTION THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE What struck me most was the quiet dignity of Combodia's Muslim community, grounded in faith, family and a strong sense of togetherness. In Malaysia, we benefit from air-conditioned mosques, subsidised haj programmes and round-the-clock Islamic content as well as full-time officers managing every level of religious affairs. We wear our faith freely and hold Quran recitations in stadiums and express our beliefs openly. These privileges are extraordinary, yet we often forget how rare they truly are elsewhere. This isn't to say we shouldn't protect our values. But perhaps, we can do it without fearmongering, without casting fellow citizens as threats or assuming the worst of others. Instead, let us move forward with gratitude, grace and the quiet strength I witnessed in Cambodia.
BBC News
18-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Northampton Town FC hosts first-ever Iftar event during Ramadan
A football club has hosted an Iftar event for the first time in its 128-year Town Football Club opened Sixfields Stadium to members of the county's 14 mosques on Monday, offering them a space to pray and share a is the name given to the meal eaten after sunset during Ramadan, when many Muslims abstain from food and drink during daylight Santos, the club's fan engagement officer said: "This is about bringing communities together. This is the first official [Iftar], and, hopefully, it's the first of many." During the event, guests stood by the pitch with prayers held on the stadium concourse. The initiative was led by Raff Miah from the Northamptonshire FA, who wanted to recognise Miah wants the event to be even bigger next year: "Ultimately, we want to go out on to the pitch and do the call to prayer, the Adhan." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Saudi Press
18-03-2025
- General
- Saudi Press
Ten Minarets Resound with Call to Prayer at the Prophet's Mosque
Madinah, March 18, 2025, SPA -- The ten minarets of the Prophet's Mosque stand as an iconic Islamic landmark and historical heritage site, impressing visitors and worshippers with their grandeur and Islamic identity. During the time of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and his rightly guided caliphs, the mosque had no minarets. Instead, the call to prayer was made from an elevated place. Bilal ibn Rabah used to call the Fajr (dawn) prayer from the rooftop of a house belonging to a woman from the Banu Najjar tribe. The need to call the Adhan from a high place led Muslims to move it from the mosque's ground level to the rooftops of nearby houses, then to the roof of the Prophet's Mosque with added elevation, and eventually to the construction of minarets at varying heights. As the expansions of the Prophet's Mosque continued, the late King Abdulaziz Al Saud carried out the first improvements between 1370 and 1375 AH. During this period, he retained the two minarets on the southern side of the mosque and removed the other three, replacing them with two new minarets at the northern corners, each standing 70 meters tall and consisting of four stories. The first story is square-shaped, extending above the mosque's roof and ending with muqarnas supporting a square balcony. The second story is octagonal, adorned with arches and triangular finishes, topped with muqarnas and a balcony. The third story is cylindrical, decorated with colored bands and muqarnas supporting a circular balcony. The fourth level is also cylindrical, featuring columns supporting arches that end in triangular shapes, crowned with muqarnas and a final balcony above. Between 1406 AH and 1414 AH, six additional minarets were built, each standing 104 meters tall, bringing the total to ten. These minarets were designed to harmonize with those from the first Saudi expansion, with four positioned on the northern side, one at the southeastern corner of the expansion, and another at its southwestern corner. Each minaret consists of five stories. The first story is square-shaped. The second story is octagonal, with a diameter of 5.5 meters, covered in colored artificial stone. Each side features three white marble columns topped with arches that end in triangular shapes, with wooden windows between them. Muqarnas support an octagonal balcony. The third story is cylindrical, measuring 5 meters in diameter and 18 meters in height, painted dark gray and adorned with twelve prominent, wavy bands ending in muqarnas that support a circular balcony. The fourth is also cylindrical, with a diameter of 4.5 meters and a height of 15 meters. It features eight arches resting on white marble columns, topped with muqarnas supporting another circular balcony. The fifth story starts as a polygonal cylinder and ends with a serrated crown supporting a conical upper section, followed by an onion-shaped dome carrying a 6.7-meter-high, 4.5-ton bronze crescent, plated with 14-carat gold. -- SPA01:13 Local Time 22:13 GMT0016
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Andi Bernadee faces "consequences" from "suhur service" joke
7 Mar - Andi Bernadee is not going to reprimand fans who did not get the joke after they urged him to provide them the service of waking them up for suhur during Ramadan just as he had "advertised". The whole issue sparked recently, when the singer decided to post an "advertisement" for a non-existent service called "Kejut Sahur Package Premium & Homemade", where he will supposedly wake fans up so they can have a meal before dawn during Ramadan. The supposed "package" includes a "Normal" service (RM10), "Waking You Up Baby Version" (RM50) as well as "Waking You Up Three Minutes Before Adhan" (RM2). Despite it being an apparent joke, Andi admitted in a recent interview that many people sent him messages to enquire for more information. "Those who know me, know that I was just joking. But a lot of people think I was being serious to the extent that they asked for a phone number and QR Code. I didn't respond because it was my own fault, so I have to just bear the consequences," he said. At the same time, the singer dismissed the idea that he was just looking for attention on social media to promote his new Eid song. "I was just trying to have fun with my fans. It's been a while since I post any content, so I was just doing that," he said. (Photo Source: Andi IG)
