Semester Break and Books!

Assalamualaikum,

It has been almost 2 weeks since I last posted my writing here. Having sort of writer’s block whatsoever. I just would like to share several books that I’ve bought and read throughout this semester break. Well, it’s such a frenzy that I’ve used up almost RM300 just to buy 6 books to distance myself from boredom ‘syndrome’ at home(which I’m really prone to.. hehe) and of course to improve myself as a muslim.

Let me list them here:

1. The Ethical Philosophy of Al-Ghazali – Prof Umarudin - Philosophy

2. Alchemy of Happiness(Kimiya e saadat) – Al-Ghazali(translated by Claude Field) - Philosophy

3. Siddharta – Herman Hesse - Novel

4. Tawassul – Isa Kamari - Novel

5. Bila Tuhan Berbicara – Faisal Tehrani - Novel

6. Magnet Cinta – Zamri Mohamad – Motivation

As a technical student, I’d never expect to go in depth on those subjects. But, I don’t know why I always buy that kind of books rather than technical one (technical book is too expensive though… haha). Perhaps my soul is ‘hungry’. Hungry in the sense that lacking some knowledge to help me think and face this hard yet beautiful life accordingly.

Yeah, something that we Malay-Muslim lacked of is thinking. No wonder the West calls us lazy. We are lazy to think! We’d rather listen to music, laughing 24 hours per day. All of that dry our value as a Muslim. Maybe this would give something for us to ponder.

Well, actually after only one week of break, I’d just finished 2 books which are Siddharta and Tawassul. Currently, I’m reading Alchemy of Happiness.

For Siddharta, It’s actually a story on a young lad who’s in journey to find his inner self. There’s a time when he’s on top and also there’s a time when he falls. What I really love is the element of thinking which is embedded along. The main character, Siddharta, continuously think on what to do and evaluate on what he had done. It draws me to be himself, put me in his shoes. Quite interesting. In addition, the writer uses a very philosophical approach to describe the journey. It’s not a surprise since Herman Hesse was a 1948 Nobel Prize Winner. Very nice!

While in Tawassul, I would say it’s a copy of Sirah of Prophet Muhammad but with different version. I mean with different setting and different character. I think Isa Kamari want us to realize on what we had done so far that contaminate our own religion. We want all non-muslims to understand that Islam is not a so and so kind of religion yet our deed explains another way around. So, perhaps he want us to think from non-muslim perspective to bring concern to the ummah. It’s somehow so touching.

What’s more interesting is that I’ve got the invitation card to be in the launching of ‘Malays: Their Problems and Future’ in KL.. huhu.. what a surprise! So, let’s read! Till then, see ya! Wassalam