Hikayat Moden: Bahagian IV (Metamorfosis Pak Belalang...)

Baca Bahagian I, Bahagian II & Bahagian III di sini.
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Sejak mendapat gelaran Lebai, Lebai Pak Belalang menambah pendapatan dengan memberi ceramah. Orang ramai menjemput Lebai Pak Belalang untuk memberi ceramah di sana sini walaupun dia hanyalah habis belajar setakat Darjah Enam sahaja; hanya kerana gelaran yang diberi manusia sekeliling. Apatah lagi dia mendapat gelaran tersebut sebelum bulan puasa.

Maka banyaklah undangan-undangan ceramah yang dia terima di bulan puasa ini. Selain dapat berbuka percuma, ada bayaran sampingan sebagai cenderahati memberi ceramah. Ada juga yang memberi derma kepada Lebai Pak Belalang dengan memasukkan duit terus ke dalam akaun Bank bijaN Lebai Pak Belalang tanpa pengetahuannya. "Rezeki bulan puasa dari penderma murah hati yang tidak diketahui", kata Lebai Pak Belalang, bila orang memberi komen akan hal ini.

Locusts swarm.
Photo credit nationalgeographic.com

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Penulis juga terpaksa memberhentikan sekejap ("pause") cerita ini di bulan puasa ini; sementara penulis memeriksa dalam buku-buku agama samada adakah berdosa atau tidak mengumpat seorang karakter personaliti fiksyen di bulan puasa ini, (apakah terbatal puasa penulis?), apatah lagi yang bergelar Lebai.

Bersambung di Hikayat Moden: Bahagian V bulan hadapan selepas Raya...

Thoughts on CoVid19 Outbreak

When ordinary people give comments about religion that agamawan do not agree with, the agamawan always say, leave the religious analysis or commentary to the religious experts, since they have (supposedly) studied the religion in detail and in depth.

They would inevitably resort to their most famous and most used analogy or metaphor; when you are sick or have a health issues, you go see a doctor or medical experts; and similarly when you have a religious queries or problems, you go to the agamawan.

Well, during the CoVid19 outbreak, it was fun to see the hypocrisy of the agamawan. (It was fun because when you noticed people's hypocrisy, and just watch it without calling them out, it becomes a real life sitcom comedy).

Every agamawan scrambled to give their two cents worth on the crisis even though it is not even a religious problem but a medical ones. They insist they have the authority to close the mosques even though it should be the Health authorities. It was as if the Corona virus was a religious problem rather than a medical problem.

What is even more hypocritical is that they claim to know how to combat the virus, (and no it is not with vaccination or other medical protocol). They also claim to know why the virus spread (not surprisingly all claims of this nature inevitably blame God).

Some agamawan even experienced hysteria when it was decided to close the mosques and stop jemaah prayers. It was double hypocrisy. They do not want to listen to the medical experts, who, rightly in their own metaphor, have the expertise and authority in this matter.

Secondly, they "tunjuk alim" by exclaiming that those who agree with the mosque closure are more afraid of the virus than of God. They insinuated that they have more faith, more alim since they are not afraid of tiny weeny viruses, and those who do not go to mosques during this outbreak are weak in faith.

They and many other people berlagak alim and shared social media posts along the lines of

- "takut Tuhan, jangan takut virus", or
- "probabilities of death from Covid19 is 1% but death at anytime is 100%", or
- "Covid19 is just God's cretaure, no need to be afraid", or
- "my faith will protect me from this virus", or
- "God send this virus to punish/remind us of X or whatever".

Also, many people almost went into hysterics when Mekah was closed to pilgrims. Photos of empty Kaabah flew around and warnings that "The End of Days" is near just because Mekah is empty also made the round. It was almost funny if it were not so sad.

They wanted to tunjuk alim. What they do not realise is that they are essentially blaming God for the virus outbreak.

Well, I have some news for you.
A virus is just a virus.
They are just doing what they are supposed to do, being a parasite, and infecting people and along the way making them sick.
It is just Nature.

Or if you want a religious terminology or jargon, it is Sunnatullah.
Sunnatullah is just Laws of Nature.
And with respect to viruses, this law dictates that virus are parasitic organism that can cause diseases.
That's all.

Just because a new virus is causing a global pandemic, it does not mean Qiamat or The End of Days is near. The world economy may take a hit and be in recession, but it is far from being The End of Days. It is also not a reminder or punishment from God. Again, it is just virus being themselves.  

We human have to study them using reason and science. Learn how to manage them medically or biologically or socially.
That is what being "Khalifah" on Earth is all about (it has nothing to do with a theocratic statehood).

Super Full Moon (Latest on the astronomy news and a song based on Spanish folklore legend).

Tonight's and last month's full moon were a super full moon.
Refer to the footnote of last month's post on what is a super full moon.

Also, scientist has discovered that the Earth recently acquired a second moon.
Just a small one; albeit a temporary one, dubbed a mini moon.

Talking about the moon, we may also get another "moon" or something that looks like a moon when the star Betelgeuse goes supernova. (Betelgeuse star is part of the constellation Orion, forming the shoulder of Orion, the hunter. In the original Arabic, the name means "the armpit of the Giant"). Since Betelgeuse is relatively near to our Solar system (in astronomical terms), its explosion will be so bright that, from Earth, the supernova will shine as bright as the moon. It will look like the Earth has another moon.

For another story about the Moon, here is a song about the Moon inspired by a Spanish folklore. The Moon has a dark side and a generous side. She grants the gipsy woman her wish but asked for something selfish in return.


Hijo de la Luna (Son of the Moon).

Version by Mario Frangoulis (with English translation).

Version by Geronimo Rauch & Carlos Rivera.