01 November 2011

1-11-11- One and the Only One


Today is an odd day, a truly rare one at that. It happened a century ago, in 1911, and will only be here again in another century, in 2111. And I know this, today, happens only once in my life time. Many of my friends, even those who were a few years younger, have left us and they never lived to see one. I think we ( meant for my Muslim visitors ), who have the opportunity to experience today, say ‘Allahu Akbar. Walahul Hamd ), and for our loved ones, who never lived to see one date like today, we offer them Alfatihah instead.

_________________________


And last week was very unlike any other week. The two of us at Nuri received two very special and distinguished couples, two bloggers, GuiKP and Cat-from-Sydney. GiuKP came with his family and Cat-from-Sydney just like a honey-mooning couple.

To me it was not just a get-to-know-you occasions to meet these learned people with varied, very varied experiences. They are doing things bigger that what I have ever done, one deeply involved in higher education and the second in charity work. Conversations with these very special visitors are an eye opener – how much one can do in education, on one hand, and on charity work, the other.

To me blogging is immaterial as far as these visitors are concerned. What they have been doing is what I can never hope to do.

Makcik and Pakcik appreciate the trouble they took to locate our home, giving us the pleasure of knowing them, and leaving us hoping that that they should not wait for another 1-1-11 to be at Nuri again.

These learned visitors are doing just what I believe in:

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

24 comments:

mamasita said...

Salam Tuan Haji..thanks so much.I didn't realise it until you pointed out..thank you.
Selamat Hari Raya Haji to you and your family.
May Allah SWT Bless Us All with good health, happiness and a strong sense of religiousness, always..Ameen.

GUiKP said...

Pak Cik Hassan,
Thank you for remembering us on this special day 1-1-11. Two of my PhD students are now in UMT, to present their research work there. I'm sure they will benefit from the exchanging of ideas with other like-minded people who congregate there. It is a delight to spend time with both of you in your palace of light NURI. We cannot wait to make a return visit and try the "Batu Rakit-Besut" stretch. Now that you mention CAT, isn't it more than coincidental that all three of us know Allahyarham Ustaz Abdul Malek (Sydney) quite well?

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Dear Pakcik,
It was our pleasure too...what was planned to be just a quick visit became a long one... You were the epitome of a Malaysian host, taking out the food one by one. You can't get that anywhere else on earth, only in Malaysia. We wish the children were there too but since we visited on a school day, oh...well...perhaps next time. As mentioned by GUiKP, it is more than coincidental that we got to know arwah Ustaz Malek well. In our case, just for five years, but we were close neighbours. purrr...meow!

Al-Manar said...

Mamasita,

But of course I wish you and all your loved ones the - disertai dengan salam kemaafan.

Al-Manar said...

GuiKP,

It is indeed a small world. And our paths did cross each other almost thrirty years ago.

Can I repeat my request that you spare some time for your interesting blog. The blogger I respect from USM has also ceased updating her blog, busy with her work and expanding family.

Zendra-Maria said...

Salam Pakcik

My late father was one of those destined not to see today's date. But he was fortunate to come across 4.4.44, the date he had chosen to marry my mother when he was almost 22 years of age and she a few weeks shy of 17. That date sequence will reappear in 33 years time and if I am granted by Allah to live till 91 and still be of sound mind, I may get to celebrate their centennial then :))

My Salams to Kak Salmah and wishing you both Eid Mubarak.

Al-Manar said...

C-f-S,

As it was such a brief visit it was not too difficult to show our best. But your surprise visit was a rare treat in this part of the world.

I have been wondering what made you choose the Last Lecture as a gift for me. It is a wonderful book and I thank you.

I did tell you that it was only a few days ago I happened to open a file and saw Arwah Ustaz Malek's last letter to me.With it he sent the negative of a black-and-white picture of a group of us in school 60 years ago. I keep wondering now why he did that. Alfatihah for him.

ninotaziz said...

Alhamdulillah...

Al-Manar said...

Zendra,

Eid Mubarak to you and Red Apha too. Tak datang beraya di Manir? Kalau datang jangan lupa singgah ya?

You will make it to 91 insya Allah.

Al-Manar said...

Ninot,

Alhamdulillah.

But you promised. Don't forget.

Wan Sharif said...

Glad to know people have been visiting house of (my)light..
Selamat menyambut idiladha, will be back in Terang Ganu for few days ..too few to create a slot to cross sungai Terang Ganu..
Semuga kita berjumpa lagi di Kkalang Marang ..di lain waktu ;))

rohaizahabas said...

May I call you Pakcik...

Selamat Hari Raya Haji buat pakcik sekeluarga. Semuga pakcik sekeluarga dalam kesihatan yang baik dan di rahmati Allah hendak nya..

Maaf kan saya kalau ada terkasar bahasa...

Anonymous said...

Salams Tuan,
My neice akad nikah is next week 11.11.11 Friday.Congratulations to the couple.
Selamat Hari Raya to Tuan Haji n family in Trengganu.Love reading yr blog.

wawa

Al-Manar said...

Ayah Wang,

Being around KL you have met these people and many more.So let me enjoy my small share of social life.

Hope to see you again before the year end.

Al-Manar said...

EZZA,

Of course I am old enough to be called Pakcik. If you do not believe come over and see for yourself! Of late I told my new group of Form one that Pakcik is 102. But they also have to call me Pakcik nevertheless - rightly it should be Tokcik for them.

Al-Manar said...

WAWA,

What a wonderful day that will be for your niece. 11/11 is my favourite Poppy Day. This year it will be the first Poppy Day of its kind.

By the way, address me as Pakcik, not Tuan Hj which sounds distinguish and old! If the wedding is in KT I would like to be nvited. And identify yourself to Pakcik one day. You see my email address on my profile page.

Kama At-Tarawis said...

glad to know you have been visited upon by these good folks ..how i wish i am there too dropping by. insyaallah i will try to make it the next time we go dungun way... we hv unfinished business in dungun but it's so hard to get everyone together in one place, and in this case, arwah mak's rumah pusaka in kg sura. insyaallah pakcik, satu hari in the not too distant future saya sampai..

kaykuala said...

Dear Pak Cik,
An great day! Apparently many tied the knot on that day!

Hank

Al-Manar said...

Kama AT,

Hjh, kalau dah ada niat tu insya Allah sampailah. Kita orang sini tak hairanlah nampak ombak.

Selamat Hari Raya Qurban.

Al-Manar said...

Hank, you are very right. We had a couple to attend. Maalumlah hari baik bulan baik.

Cheqna said...

Assalamualaikum PakCik,

it seemed that the brick was thrown at C-f-s's car much earlier, hehe..so glad that she could make it (and sent me sms this morning b'cos i missed her blog entry (and yours as well))

Will be back for Aidil Adha for few days starting from tomorrow, insyaAllah will try to make it this time, thou pls don't throw the brick..going to use my sister's car :-)

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to you and mak cik.

Al-Manar said...

Just drop by any day, not necessarily hari raya. Please check with your family if indeed 'Din Foreman' operating a workshop near Pengkalan Maras is one of your relatives. He is in his early 50, I guess.

Anonymous said...

Shouldn't it be 1-11-11? or am I missing something.

Al-Manar said...

C-f-S

Even smarter and more observant than I thought!. I wrote it on 1st Nov. So it has to be 1.11. I will have it edited - after the event.