The Preview Incorporated established in July 2002 by Haji Mokhtar Stork is a non-profit making service. The goals and objectives of the site is to introduced society to another point of view. Basically, I am a SUFI with a different point of view. Disclaimer Notice: Articles presented do not necessarily represent the views of Mokhtar Stork.

PIRATED version by Indonesian Publisher

My A-Z Guide to the Qur’an which was published in 1999 by Marshall Cavendish of Singapore (in red) was pirated and reproduced in the Indonesian language around the same time (in green). The pirated version is published by PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Kompas Gramedia Building, Blok 1 Lantai 5, Jl. Palmerah Barat 29-37, Jakarta 10270. Their website is www.gramediapustakautama.com

I was informed at the time (1999) by my publisher that Indonesia is not a signatory to the Geneva Copyright Convention and as such could not do nothing much about the situation even if they took legal action in Indonesia.

This immoral publisher has created the impression that they acquired permission from me and from my publisher to publish this book in Bahasa Indonesia (Malay). Every word has been duplicated creating the impression that they are the original copyright holders of the book! The best immoral joke is that neither me or my publisher receives any royalties. I guess it’s a business where everyone take other for a ride to earl unlawful wealth or legal unlawful wealth!

From a legal, moral, religious perspective they fulfill the Qur’anic definition ‘of being corrupters of the earth’ and most certainly will abide in Hell. Some have already passed on to that destination.

p.s. Recently my publisher sent me a response to my letter to them about ownership of my material….not interesting at all. In truth, everything stinks! [HMStork]

Salams…ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present my manifesto for Candidates in the coming elections:

1. Singapore has a good approach to selecting candidate for elections. It is based on education qualification, intelligence, character, credibility etc. Political parties in Malaysia should adopt this strategy.

2. One hawker when speaking to a well-known politician said, “Dato, we like you but please “jangan pilih katak lompat!” (meaning: “Do not select jumping frogs!”). All parties should adhere to this rule when proposing candidates. Please don’t select people with bad track records for popularity sake. They will let you down by hopping here and there like frogs! Some who are chosen for the next round are already hopping around. They are unreliable and untrustworthy.

3. If you believe in God, please don’t waste your time “polishing ball bearings” to get votes and to become popular. Short term gains are always long-term losses. Be honest, true, realistic and practical. Deliver promises rather than have huge billboards informing the public of how good your party is and how much you have done. The answer in Singapore over political gratitude is: “You have been paid to do the job!” In the past society had to be thankful and grateful….not today.

4. The worst thing a party can do is to threaten society, instill fear and harp on race and religion. Please don’t waste your time. We live in an age of technological advancement…not everyone is stupid.

5. Rural folk are good simple people. They may not be up to date with what’s currently going on, but they all know what RM50.00 will buy them now.

6 So wake up to reality; live up to expectations; no need to roll up sleeves to enter the arena….just do an honest day’s work! The people need you and it is they who put you in office.

I can confidently say that Palestinian-Statehood-Membership at the UN will be vetoed. When this takes place it reveals TWO MAJOR features.

The FIRST, the Arab-Islamic-Muslim World needs to quit supporting America over terrorism. Terrorism is the result of American Foreign Policy; its continued support of Israel. Arab-Islamic-Muslim nations, like the Palestinians, should think about giving up living on American handouts (which are anyhow less than the Israelis) and build up their own reliability and confidence. The hand that receives has no honour or dignity. The Egyptians, Libyans and other liberated Arab nations should recover their honour and dignity. Everyone should have good diplomatic-business relations with America but never go beyond this, because once this barrier is breached, they (US) will never let go. This currently takes place in Bahrain, Yemen etc, where it is legalised to kill opponents who do not serve American-Western interest. The Arab-Islamic-Muslim World needs to have good relations with the US but nothing more beyond this. They should quit being puppets living on handouts.

The SECOND feature is that both RUSSIA and CHINA serve their own interest, and when it comes to Muslims and Islam, they collude with US-Western interest. They NEVER serve Muslim interest. So there is a lot of wheeling and dealing behind the scenes with a lot 'puppetry shows' on the side, when it fact there has been a trade-off (between the US-Russia-China), thus enabling each to handle Muslims/Muslim majorities and Muslim states within and around the globe. Kamal Nasser of Egypt, paid the price for relying on Communist Russian support. The Russians sold them out. The Arab-Islamic-Muslim World leadership needs to realise that adopting double-standards is a two-edged sword. Gadhafi was used by the CIA to interrogate/torture terrorist suspects. He went along with the deal only to find himself out of business by the very people who supported him!

As for Ban-Ki-moon, the UN Secretary, I am of the view (as with past Secretary Generals), that he ought to take a trip to the MOON, to refresh his conscience in isolation. He is good at appealing and supporting all kinds of actions serving western interest...calling on the world community over Syria; approving resolutions at the UN but doing NOTHING EFFECTIVELY over the Palestinians. Continuous threats are made to send all western opponents to the Hague, but when the Palestinians are bombed to smithereens....even a UN Report can finally end up being discarded. The same applies to the boarding and killing of Turkish relief workers sending humanitarian supplies to Palestine. Where was Ban-Ki-moon? Most probably on Mars!

Israelis continue to call for direct negotiation but refuse to halt building Jewish settlements. They claim they want peace and a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem. Their solution is an arid Palestinian State without Jerusalem. Who can accept this? It is indeed a joke when we hear Obama, Blair, and the French president calling for a negotiated settlement.

While waiting for a vote to take place at the UN, tremendous pressure will be brought down upon the Palestinians to accept a negotiated settlement. Other countries supporting the Palestinian bid will be forced to withholds their support....just to make the Palestinian bid fail, and if that does not work out, the US will them veto it.

Even if the Palestinians succeed in their bid at the UN, the Israelis will not budge and no one can make them do so. So what we have is total hypocrisy and double standards at the UN and the world community....where resolutions can be passed only to serve American-western interest...where those not in favour are killed at random or taken to the Hague, while those supporting western interest can continue doing business (killing) as usual.

Palestinian leadership has nothing more to lose. It has already lost everything believing in the devil. The worst is that will may not receive any more US-Western aid, which all the while has been dished out to serve Israeli interest - not global peace! So what? The Palestinians might as well go without anything rather than be enslaved through handouts. At least, it will prove to the Arab-Islamic-Muslim World that when it comes to them they are on their own, and as such, should never allow themselves in any way to become puppets of western-asian imperialism. This includes Russia and China. All Arab-Islamic-Muslim leaders should take a good look at themselves. They should review their stand and involvement in the campaign against terrorism. Why should they support one who stabs them in the back!

The US and its Western allies are definitely on the way out when it comes to denying the Palestinians statehood. Continuous vetoes and unjust unyielding support for Israel through American Foreign Policy, clearly proves why there is so much hatred against US-Western nations. Whatever it does in the Middle East (Libya, Syria, Egypt etc) will only help these people along their path to their approach to life, not American-Western interest.

All Muslim nations and Muslims must return to the moderate, practical path of Islam. They need to quit all this hype about JIHAD and TERRORISM. They need to take a good look at themselves; their character and behaviour; honesty and credibility - before they can embark on reforms to achieve success. These nations should quit being used. They should uphold the truth and refer all situations to their people. Let not poverty and fear be the cause of subjugation, because being enslaved the way we are now is nothing short of humiliation.

The FIVE Pillars or FIVE Fundamental of Islam form the basis or foundation of Islam. The first of these is the SHAHADAH or Declaration of Faith, which acknowledges that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger. This Shahadah is reinstated not less than NINE times a day to place us on track. This is then followed by SOLAT (Prayer). The Prophet (s.a.w.) said that whosoever establishes prayer, establishes religion. We are commanded in the Qur'an to establish prayer and to seek 'khushuu' (closeness to Allah in prayer; to enjoy concentration in prayer). So it's not just a matter of establishing Prayer in a physical sense but also in a spiritual sense. In truth, Solat is the only occasion that enables a person comes into the presence of Allah. The moment you raise your hands and utter "Allahu Akbar" the veil between you and your Lord is removed. You are ushered into His presence to receive of his gifts (forgiveness, blessings, rewards etc). It is indeed a great loss to those who do not pray and it is also a loss to those who do not enjoy khushuu' in their prayers. The Prophet (s.a.w.) has said that some people obtain completeness in prayer, other half, and others quarter etc. Think about it because most of us perform our prayer in a ritualistic manner.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) also said that when you recite the FATIHAH, every sentence is responded to by Allah, which clearly show us the need to enjoy and to know what we are reciting, so that the act of worship bears testimony to what Allah has revealed and His response (in Fatihah).

When I first started out writing books, I was keen to be known rather than what my right were. As a result of this I was taken for a 'legal' ride through fine type in the form of a contract which robs my of my material. I am still unable to regain the rights to an unpublished Malay version. All I do is earn a very small percentage from sales, while my publisher Marshall Cavendish (formerly Times Editions) enjoys good returns. I can't do anything about this situation and even if I could I would have to go through their designated procedures which will cost me money. In the meantime my books: A-Z Guide to Ahadith and A-Z Guide to the Qur'an get reprinted. I do hope the public and writers will ponder about the morality of this situation. [Haji Mokhtar Stork]

Most people end up dying in this fashion due to the way they lead their lives, simply because they are obsessed with themselves, power, greed, corruption, injustice etc.

'DIVINE PUNISHMENT'

TOKYO'S outspoken conservative governor Shintaro Ishihara apologised for describing Japan's deadly earthquake and tsunami as 'divine punishment'. Franking speaking I don't think he was wrong. However, he forgot to relate the issue to the killing of God's creatures just to satisfy human consumption! [HMStork]

Almarhom Hadrat Shahidullah Faridi, my first spiritual guide, said that one should not be hasty in joining a sufi order. Instead, one should observe whether the shaykh complies with the Qur’an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). One should also view whether there has been any significant progress in those who follow him. If there has not been any improvement whatsoever, then probably the shaykh does not have the capacity to transform others.

2. Shaykhs exist in a variety of forms. The first type strictly adheres to the Qur’an and Sunnah, while the second incorporates mystical approaches not observed by the Prophet (s.a.w.), but are not in conflict with the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the third, appears outwardly to be Islamic, but alongside it incantations from other religions are used, as well as believing and disbelieving jinns, spirits etc. Such practices are prohibited in Islam because they lead to shirk (idolatry).

3. The purpose of becoming a disciple is to improve otherwise it is a waste of time. One goes to a university to acquire a degree. Likewise, one comes under the tutelage of a spiritual guide to achieve an objective. You do not want to join a circus, going from one place to another, eating and drinking. This is not the goal of a disciple. You also do not want to end up being an idiot thinking that only your shaykh and your tariqah (sufi order) is the best or superior. The goal is always Allah, while the approach towards that goal may differ from one sufi order to the other.

4. Defining the role of a shaykh is important because there are many imposters claiming to be shaykhs and khalifahs. Today, many tariqahs have become commercialised, business orientated, handed down rather than acquired through the blessings of Allah. It has more to do with patronage and fringe benefits, rather than spiritual development in the real sense. Traditionally, sufi saints owned nothing. All their needs were taken care of by Allah. They NEVER patronised royalty, the rich or the powerful. If at all they did, it was to advise them concerning Allah’s Path.

5. Hadrat Shahidullah Faridi said that like the four seasons, shaykhs come in different flavours, therefore, seeking one in accordance with one’s nature is important. For example, if you are a jovial person, it will not suit you to have a stern spiritual guide.

6. The shaykh merely acts as a pivot, a guide, in the development process of a murid, and though it is essential to have a spiritual guide, a lot depends to a great extent on the effort of the individual. The shaykh is not God. There are occasions when his guidance proves fruitful and there are times when they do not produce any results. This does not mean that he is useless. It merely reflects who is in charge i.e. Allah.

7. Sufi circles consider obedience to the shaykh as being comparable to obedience to the Prophet (s.a.w.). This is fine if you have a truly devoted and dedicated spiritual guide who enjoys kashf (the unveiling) and not some materialistic commercialised manipulator.

8. Generally, you are told that once you take bai’ah with a sufi shaykh, he becomes your spiritual guide for life. You cannot become a murid of another shaykh after your shaykh has departed. But what happens if you became a murid of an imposter? Would this relationship be valid for life? The answer is ‘No!’

According to Shaykh Izrarur-Haq, he had first taken bai’ah at Golrah Sahrif, Islamabad, Pakistan, under the Chistiyah sufi order but was later perfected by a shaykh of the Chisti Qalandriah sufi order. According to him, his shaykh said that he still remained a murid of his first shaykh. His shaykh also said that he was merely completing the process undertaken by his first shaykh. So, there is nothing wrong with this approach. It is similar to switching universities and having your credits carried forward.

I became murid of Shahidullah Faridi of the Chisti Sabriyah sufi order. When he passed away, I came under the guidance of Capt. Wahid Buksh Rabanni of the same sufi order. He too passed away. Twenty-six later, I am now under the tutorship of Izrarur-Haq of the Chisti Qalandriya sufi order. This according to Shaykh Izrarur-Haq is in keeping with Sufi traditions. Hadrat Syed Pir Meher Ali Shah has stated that if a murid excelled beyond his shaykh, then his shaykh should hand him over to a greater shaykh. [Mihr-e-Minir, Biography of Hadrat Syed Pir Meher Ali Shah]

After listening to another round by Tony Blair, the former PM of Britain, before a board of enquiry, I am of the view that both Blair and Bush should be sent to the Hague on criminal charges for starting the war in Iraq without valid evidence and approval from the U.N. They should be also charged for genocide, the killing of thousands, the death of Saddam Hussein and the destruction of Iraq. On the whole Western leaders are known to act on their own accord when it suits them, especially when it comes to sending leaders who they don't favour for judgement at Hague, but when it comes to their own actions they get away with impunity. These double standards must end. Its not a matter of just British soldiers being killed but what about the people of Iraq and the war?

One of the most common mistakes people make when they identify the Qur'an with the Bible is to view prophets in the same identical context. We do view ISA (a.s.) in translation as JESUS (a.s.)....that is as far as it goes. However, if you examine both these personalities they differ greatly in the Qur'an and the Bible. Likewise, the INJIL is not the GOSPEL. None of the books mentioned in the Qur'an exists nor do they form the OLD TESTAMENT or NEW TESTAMENT. Some similarities may exist but the differences are great. The word NABI stands for Prophet and not APOSTLE. The word RASUL stands for Messenger. The Arabic alphabet for Qur'an begins with QAF not KAF.....so why KORAN and not QUR'AN.

The problem today, everyone wants to behave as if he or she is a scholar. They come up with all kinds of notions and ideas that have no foundation in Islam. They also come up with Islamic perceptions based on their own independent thinking. This is how religious extremism and fanaticism develops through negative rigidity. Claims are made by respective religious followers who have not even studied their history and evolution of their own religions.

Similar to a new computer, it is important for a Muslim to establish a database on Islam in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sayings of the Prophet (s.a.w.), after which he may then compare this information with what is being expressed concerning Islam as well as other religious views and opinions in relation to Islam. The mainframe of Islam has to be maintained at all times, however, one can upgrade and update information concerning Islam within that framework to suit current situations and environments. We currently live in a world that is no different in terms of conflict and solutions as we did when Islam first extended its boundaries from Medina to the rest of the Arabian Peninsular. Like Imam Ghazali and many other scholars, they were able to adapt to change and come up with solutions. A similar situation exists with us. Its not a matter of being dogmatic about issues or rigid in our views, but an issue of updating our approach within the framework of Islam to resolve current issues

Its high time Muslims got out of their coconut shell and adopted a wider perspective of life. This does not represent 'Western liberalism' but rather looking at new way of adaptation without loosing the spirit of Islam in accordance with varying situations. To do this one does not sacrifice morals and values but rather adopt a more realistic practical harmonious approach which depends to a great extent on realisation, appreciation and willing acceptance rather than ritualistic dogmatic imposition. Numbers mean nothing....its the quality that counts...its the character, personality and responsibility within the individual that makes a great difference. It the ability to reason; to accept and to acknowledge mistakes, and then to improve upon them that makes a difference, instead of being a bigot....a case of sour grapes...or a person who keeps sweeping the dust under the carpet....pretending that all is well....a hypocrite who serves neither Allah or the community but his own selfish greedy interest! [HMStork]

If you look at a donkey and a zebra, they look alike, the only difference is that one had stripes and the other does not. The zebra has the right to roam freely and to do what it likes on vast open plains, while the donkey is subdued and put to work. The zebra's freedom exposes it to being attacked and devoured by other animals. The donkey in turn leads a relatively subdued life but enjoy security.

Humankind is no different. Those who speak about freedom and what to live their lives like gays, lesbians, perverts, extremists and whatever you have listed under freedom of rights and speech can be compared to zebras, while those like most Muslim leaders prefer beings donkeys, submitting themselves to 'His Master's Voice' just to remain in office.

You have the choice of being either a zebra or donkey. If you want some other choice then you have to take a good look at yourself, because to be different you have to decide which type of stripes you want to acquire or what time of cross breed of a donkey you want to turn out to be. [HMStork]