this is weird but also quite charming in a way.

from malaysiakini.com

read on:

actual url: http://www3.malaysiakini.com/news/28700

Lo and behold! The Sky Kingdom

Claudia Theophilus

Jul 26, 04 4:18pm


The sight that greets visitors to Kampung Batu 13, Hulu Besut, is one
of awe and wonder. The village houses several strange gigantic
structures such as a kettle, vase, crescent moon, umbrella, half-hat
and so forth.

Kampung Batu 13 lies in a remote corner of Terengganu that borders
Kelantan, and a bus ride to Kota Baru takes less than 90 minutes from
the nearest town of Jerteh, about 20km from the village.

In this village lies the earthly ‘spiritual headquarters’ of Ariffin
Mohammad, or Ayah Pin (photo) to his followers. The man who claims to
be the reincarnation of holy figures in the world's major religions.

The village itself, about the size of three football fields, is
supposed to be a replica of what Ayah Pin, 64, calls the Sky Kingdom
(the heavenly abode). He claims that the blueprint for the
buildings came from the Sky Kingdom.

According to Ayah Pin, all human beings come from one God, and to
return to Him, humankind must be united.

Surrounding the unique structures are dilapidated wooden houses where
some 30 families, mainly followers, reside.

The gated entrance is elaborately designed with a concrete arch while
the giant structures are covered with bright coloured tiles and boast a
professional  touch.  

According to my guide, musician Rosly Abdul Samad, the structures are
estimated to cost "a few million ringgit".

Large following

“I don’t know exactly how much and I don’t know where the money comes
from. You have to ask Ayah Pin that. All I know is that he doesn’t
solicit funds from followers nor does he seek fame.

“People recognise him from their dreams and come looking for him,”
explained Rosly during our eight-hour bus journey from Kuala Lumpur to
Jerteh.

“He doesn’t teach any religion or faith. He just heals those with
troubled hearts, minds and souls by offering advice and spiritual
guidance regardless of their religious background,” he added.

Rosly said Ayah Pin has a huge following among Muslims, Christians,
Buddhists and Hindus in and outside Malaysia.

“We believe there are between 5,000 and 10,000 Malay followers while
another 30,000 are those from other ethnic groups, mostly the Orang
Asli community,” he added.

The illiterate ‘saint’ also claims to command a following in India and
the predominantly Hindu island of Bali in Indonesia.

“He transformed me. I now lead a reasonably good life with a steady
income. I’m married with two young children and am happy making music
and being around him. All we want to do is live in peace with
everybody, regardless of race or religion,” said Rosly.

Nothing wrong

The Saturday I was there, a few groups of newcomers were at the village
as well. These included Singaporeans who came after reading about the
village and Ayah Pin in a newspaper in the republic.

“We recently read about this village and the stories regarding the
followers of Ayah Pin. Out of curiosity, I decided a weekend getaway
with five friends,” said a Malay woman in her 50s who requested
anonymity.

“I wanted to see the structures and meet him in person,” added the
mother of six who operates a cafeteria.

After witnessing two gatherings led by Ayah Pin, she concluded that
there was nothing wrong with the activities.

“To me, these people are harmless. They are not infringing on anyone
else’s rights, they are not a political group or a threat to the
government.”

The woman believed that it was up to individuals to make sense of their
surroundings and use their judgement to absorb what is good.

At one point, a young Malay man sitting next to her interjected to
proclaim that Ayah Pin had changed him from being a "racist gangster".

“I used to get into fights back in KL. I was also a racist but since
coming here I no longer feel that way towards people of other races,”
he said.

A Chinese man had travelled to the village from Singapore with the hope
of having the "heaviness in his head removed".

At a gathering, attended by some 150 people, that night, Ayah Pin told
the man that he was not a bomoh and thus could not cure him but
could "help lighten the burden".

He paused for a moment and then uttered softly to the man, “You should
be feeling lighter in the head now. Tell me, am I right?” The man
looked a bit perplexed but then smiled and nodded in agreement.

“But only you can solve your own problems,” Ayah Pin added.

Interpreting dreams  
   

The gathering began after 8pm with a five-minute song in praise of Ayah
Pin. A group of men led by Rosly then accompanied Ayah Pin into the
main hall.

After the singing ended, he began prompting questions from the floor.

“Ask me on any subject and I’ll give you an answer. Ask me anything at
all.”

Ayah Pin gave his full attention to each question and depiction of
dreams before attempting to decipher them during the five-hour
question-and-answer session.

“The duration of such gatherings is not fixed. It depends on the crowd
size and the number of questions posed to Ayah Pin. But he answers
every question that is put to him,” explained one of his followers
later.

Ayah Pin was asked to decipher dreams ranging from walking through the
clouds to visions of the Egyptian pyramids.

A few related visions of a regal looking woman with long black hair.
According to Ayah Pin, the woman is a Balinese princess and appears
only in certain people’s dreams.
 
“You must remember that what you see here is a reflection of the Sky
Kingdom on Earth. God goes by many names but they all refer to one and
the same ... there are only different religions but God is only one,”
said Ayah Pin.

“I will provide answers for your troubles, both of this world and the
other world."

Throughout the session, Ayah Pin kept repeating that there was no
compulsion in religion as it was "a basic human right practised since
time immemorial".

“My job is to save the lives of humans on Earth regardless of colour
or creed, to help open their hearts and the eye of their minds to their
respective beliefs.”

The session ended well past midnight and the crowd adjourned for tea
and fellowship at an adjacent stall.

About 3am, the followers began trickling into the cluster of
structures individually or in small groups.

“Everyone prays according to what they feel is the best way to worship
God,” said Kamariah Ali, whose appeal on issues of religious freedom
was dismissed by the Federal Court last week.  

The giant structures are linked by walkways of polished tiles,
interspersed with Roman pillars and balustrades, wood and plaster
carvings lining the twists and turns of the path leading from one to
the other.

Each structure - which is at least two storeys high - has a room with
ceiling lights, table and chairs.

“Troubled minds are cleared in these rooms with the help and spiritual
guidance of the Sky Kingdom. Only those who believe can see it (the Sky
Kingdom) and me in my office up there among the clouds,” explained Ayah
Pin.

Sunday morning’s gathering was similar to that of the previous night
but with a smaller crowd. At the end of the three-hour session,
newcomers were taken by the followers to the structures for prayer and
meditation.

Temple visits

Marie P, who has been staying at the village on alternate weekends
since last October, said visiting the village has made a difference in
her life.

“Those who come here are not asked or told to leave or change their
religion. I’m still a Catholic. I’ve always been searching for the
truth. I heard about this place from my friends and decided to check it
out for myself,” she said.

Recalling bits and pieces from her past, Marie, who is in her 50s, said
she used to talk to God when she was young.

“I still do, and I find this place very peaceful for prayer regardless
of your faith.”

She said her quest for the truth had led her to Ayah Pin.

“My mother has met him but she was unable to accept his claims. To me,
he is a father figure now.”

Ayah Pin’s activities have occasionally made the news, such as reports
that his followers have been distributing video recordings of his
visits last year to Batu Caves and a makeshift temple in Setapak to the
public.
      

More recently, followers released a video recording of Ayah Pin
attending a ceremony at the 7th century Besakih Temple complex
northeast of Bali early this year. Besakih (also spelt as Besakhi) or
the Mother Temple, is Bali’s largest and most sacred Hindu shrine.

To many Ayah Pin’s saintly claims and his strange structures may border
on absurdity but to his band of followers, he is nothing short of a
divine miracle.

ends.
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