One of the ,most distinct difference one could observe in Kota Bharu,the Islamic City as compared to other cities in Malaysia is its Blessing Friday.
It has been established in the past for more than twenty years ,Friday is then becoming a Family Day.People from all walks of life gathered at "Medan Ilmu", Jalan Dato Pati as early as 7.15 am to attend a series of "Kuliah Agama" (Islamic Teachings)
The gathering began as early as at 7.15 am
This weekly event is carried out continously throughout the years diregard of weather conditions (except for flood and official state ceremonies.).
Kids are accompnied by their parents
Two kuliah (lectures) are delivered .The first begins at 8.30 am and the second at 9.30 am and both lectures collecticely last for two consecutive hours.
People from all walks of life
The first lecture is usually delivered by several wellknown religious personalities,each taking their weekly term and the second lecture (he most sought publicly) is delivered by Yang Amat Berhormat Dato Menteri Besar Kelantan (Chief of state) Tuan Guru Dato Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
Greeting Tok Guru Nik Abd.Aziz on his arrival
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Cars parked at any available space
And at another parking lot
An article of this historic event in the city is written by a columnist ,Amir Muhammad ,as published in the Star dated 24th june 2009 .entitled: The Pulp Friction ;Tomyam and theocracy.
"I RECENTLY attended a ‘live’ talk by Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, even though there was no byelection in sight. It was on a Kota Baru street on a Friday morning.
He spoke for almost an hour but thousands of people stayed put. It’s a weekly ritual known as sekolah atas tembok, which in this context translates to mean ‘school on the street’ rather than ‘school on a concrete wall’. He didn’t have to raise his voice;
The hugh crowd at the end of the day
He added;
"the 78-year-old is a skilled orator who makes people want to stay quieter in case they miss something.
The keen listeners
He made them laugh, make them nod and kept them keen. I initially thought this book was a collection of speeches by the Pas Spiritual Adviser and Kelantan Menteri Besar, but it’s rather different. His actual words consist mainly of 29 things that he has said.
Each saying is then placed at the beginning of each chapter as an aphorism; a well of wisdom, as it were, which the editor then draws upon. Some of the homely wit then becomes dissipated in favour of literal explication.
His gift is his ability to talk about politics and religion (and he belongs firmly in the camp of those who do not ostensibly separate between the two) in images that are rooted in everyday lived experience. Take this: “When our wife cooks tomyam, she doesn’t create the salt, carrot, chicken, or water; she merely arranges these existing ingredients into a pot.”
This isn’t some sexist attempt to discredit the poor woman’s cooking. It relates to how people must always be conscious that everything around us is on loan from the Creator. And so tomyam gets placed in its theocratic context.
There are few politicians who’ve had not only the Tok Guru’s staying power but enduring appeal. (Take a look at the upper echelons of, say, the MIC, to see that ‘staying power’ and ‘enduring appeal’ don’t always go together). "
Hoping and wishing for blessing from Allah
and Amir Muhammad continues
"Speaking of “worldly titles”: his humble lifestyle is a big reason for his popularity, but there’s something more. Anyone who has been to a boarding school can see how Kelantan Malay guys would always band together and create almost an autonomous entity.
It’s not for nothing that the only local film title of recent years to actually reference a State happens to be Budak Kelantan – and this is a State with no cinemas! This desire to be seen as different also extends to politics. Be that as it may, an interesting creative tension emerges when you realise that, in his speeches and this book, Nik Aziz rejects the idea of communal separation on the basis of ethnicity or locality.
Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy), for example, is an assabiyah (tribalist) concept, and contemptible because of that. What I mean by creative tension is that this universality is consciously articulated in a vernacular that is local (Kelantanese) and proudly so.''
A member of "Badan Amal",a helping hand.
Nik Aziz has never seemed to be a mere politician, but the embodiment of a certain hope, a certain dignity.
That’s why politicians from the other side of the fence who go and promise to bless the State with “development” seem hilariously off the mark. People there already feel quite blessed."
Such close similirity could also be found in the United State ,as seen in the video below;
Apart from attending lectures,family and friends gather to communicate with each other and perform their shopping spree.This blessing Friday contribute a lot to upbringing the economic and social activites of the local residents
It has been established in the past for more than twenty years ,Friday is then becoming a Family Day.People from all walks of life gathered at "Medan Ilmu", Jalan Dato Pati as early as 7.15 am to attend a series of "Kuliah Agama" (Islamic Teachings)
The gathering began as early as at 7.15 am This weekly event is carried out continously throughout the years diregard of weather conditions (except for flood and official state ceremonies.).
Kids are accompnied by their parentsTwo kuliah (lectures) are delivered .The first begins at 8.30 am and the second at 9.30 am and both lectures collecticely last for two consecutive hours.
People from all walks of lifeThe first lecture is usually delivered by several wellknown religious personalities,each taking their weekly term and the second lecture (he most sought publicly) is delivered by Yang Amat Berhormat Dato Menteri Besar Kelantan (Chief of state) Tuan Guru Dato Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
Greeting Tok Guru Nik Abd.Aziz on his arrival
<
Cars parked at any available space 
And at another parking lot An article of this historic event in the city is written by a columnist ,Amir Muhammad ,as published in the Star dated 24th june 2009 .entitled: The Pulp Friction ;Tomyam and theocracy.
"I RECENTLY attended a ‘live’ talk by Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, even though there was no byelection in sight. It was on a Kota Baru street on a Friday morning.
He spoke for almost an hour but thousands of people stayed put. It’s a weekly ritual known as sekolah atas tembok, which in this context translates to mean ‘school on the street’ rather than ‘school on a concrete wall’. He didn’t have to raise his voice;
The hugh crowd at the end of the dayHe added;
"the 78-year-old is a skilled orator who makes people want to stay quieter in case they miss something.
The keen listenersHe made them laugh, make them nod and kept them keen. I initially thought this book was a collection of speeches by the Pas Spiritual Adviser and Kelantan Menteri Besar, but it’s rather different. His actual words consist mainly of 29 things that he has said.
Each saying is then placed at the beginning of each chapter as an aphorism; a well of wisdom, as it were, which the editor then draws upon. Some of the homely wit then becomes dissipated in favour of literal explication.
His gift is his ability to talk about politics and religion (and he belongs firmly in the camp of those who do not ostensibly separate between the two) in images that are rooted in everyday lived experience. Take this: “When our wife cooks tomyam, she doesn’t create the salt, carrot, chicken, or water; she merely arranges these existing ingredients into a pot.”
This isn’t some sexist attempt to discredit the poor woman’s cooking. It relates to how people must always be conscious that everything around us is on loan from the Creator. And so tomyam gets placed in its theocratic context.
There are few politicians who’ve had not only the Tok Guru’s staying power but enduring appeal. (Take a look at the upper echelons of, say, the MIC, to see that ‘staying power’ and ‘enduring appeal’ don’t always go together). "
Hoping and wishing for blessing from Allahand Amir Muhammad continues
"Speaking of “worldly titles”: his humble lifestyle is a big reason for his popularity, but there’s something more. Anyone who has been to a boarding school can see how Kelantan Malay guys would always band together and create almost an autonomous entity.
It’s not for nothing that the only local film title of recent years to actually reference a State happens to be Budak Kelantan – and this is a State with no cinemas! This desire to be seen as different also extends to politics. Be that as it may, an interesting creative tension emerges when you realise that, in his speeches and this book, Nik Aziz rejects the idea of communal separation on the basis of ethnicity or locality.
Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy), for example, is an assabiyah (tribalist) concept, and contemptible because of that. What I mean by creative tension is that this universality is consciously articulated in a vernacular that is local (Kelantanese) and proudly so.''
A member of "Badan Amal",a helping hand.Nik Aziz has never seemed to be a mere politician, but the embodiment of a certain hope, a certain dignity.
That’s why politicians from the other side of the fence who go and promise to bless the State with “development” seem hilariously off the mark. People there already feel quite blessed."
Such close similirity could also be found in the United State ,as seen in the video below;
Apart from attending lectures,family and friends gather to communicate with each other and perform their shopping spree.This blessing Friday contribute a lot to upbringing the economic and social activites of the local residents
Petty traders at the weekly gathering
Women ,mostly dominating business
