OK... Let's start the story. This writing is made upon remembering the last meeting with my adopted father, the famous Malay writer S.H.Alattas, also known as Pak Habib. Almost a month ago, I was moved to meet him at his office in Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur to present him with my second book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal" (literally translated as "The trip to Aceh: Advocating the true faith") or BKA II published May 2007.
Pak Habib ternyata gembira apabila melihat saya. Kami sudah agak lama tidak bertemu dan bertukar cerita lalu dia menyatakan bagaimana dia suka kepada buku pertama saya "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" atau BKA I yang terbit Jun 2006.
Pak Habib was visibly happy to see me. It's been a while since we met and exchange stories and so he voiced his liking for my first book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" (literally translated as "The trip to Aceh: In search of self and meaning") or BKA I which came out June 2006.
Buku itu telah dihadiahkan kepadanya kurang sebulan selepas ia terbit. Pak Habib sempat menggunakan beberapa sedutan isi buku itu terutama berkenaan konflik Sunni-Syiah untuk dimasukkan ke dalam penulisannya sendiri lalu dia menyatakan keyakinan bahawa elok juga saya mula membuat cetakan kedua... Kerana dia yakin buku saya ada peminatnya.
The book was given as a present to him less than a month after it was published. Pak Habib had the time to use some excerpts from the book especially in the Sunni-Syiah conflict to be included in his own writings and so he expressed confidence that I should start the second print... As he is confident the book has its own fans.
Jawab saya, nantilah... Tunggu sehingga selesai ketiga-tiga siri buku "Berpetualang ke Aceh" seperti yang dirancang dahulu. Seterusnya, saya menghadiahkan buku kedua. Terus Pak Habib terpaku melihat gambar masjid lama yang tertera pada kulit buku itu...
My answer, maybe sometime... Wait until all three books under the "Berpetualang ke Aceh: series are completed as planned sometime ago. Then I gave him the second book. Immediately Pak Habib was dumbfounded upon seeing the picture of an old mosque featured on the book's cover.
"Eh... Ini sebiji macam rupa surau baru yang aku tengah buat kat rumah aku di Janda Baik," katanya teruja. Terus ditunjukkan kulit buku tersebut pada semua yang berada di pejabat.
"Eh... This looks exactly like the new praying hall I'm building at my house in Janda Baik (in Pahang)," he said excited. Immediately he showed the book cover to all present at the office.
Apa yang berlaku menyebabkan saya terfikir... Nanti bila sampai Janda Baik lagi, akan saya ambil gambar surau Pak Habib dan buat sedikit perbandingan untuk tatapan semua. Saya sampai petang semalam dan pagi tadi mengambil gambar surau itu. Nah... Inilah hasilnya...
Inilah surau Pak Habib yang terletak di bahagian hadapan kompleks rumah rehatnya di Kampung Janda Baik, Bentong, Pahang. Saya terus tergerak untuk mengambil gambar daripada sudut ini. Tak sangka pula sudut yang diambil hampir serupa dengan sudut gambar masjid lama yang diletakkan dalam buku saya... Maka hampir ia kelihatan seperti gambar di bawah ini... Sila masuk Masjid lama misteri (The mysterious old mosque) untuk keterangan lanjut...
This is Pak Habib's praying hall situated at the front of his holiday home complex in Kampung Janda Baik, Bentong, Pahang. Immediately I felt the urge to take a picture from this angle. Didn't expect the angle taken to be almost the same as the angle for the picture of the old mosque featured on my book... So it almost look like the picture below. Do enter Masjid lama misteri (The mysterious old mosque) for further explanation.
Di bawah pula adalah gambar-gambar surau Pak Habib daripada sudut-sudut lain...
Below are pictures of Pak Habib's praying hall from a different angles...
Bila dilihat daripada sudut-sudut sebegini, rasanya surau ini lebih menyerupai senibina masjid lama Sheikh Ismail di Ulu Bernam seperti yang tertera di bawah ini. Sila masuk Bangunan lama Tanjung Malim (Old buildings at Tanjung Malim ke untuk keterangan lanjut...
When seen from these angles, it feels like the praying hall is more similar to the designs of the old mosque of Sheikh Ismail in Ulu Bernam as seen below. Do enter Bangunan lama Tanjung Malim (Old buildings at Tanjung Malim for more information...