finally got my grade back for my field notes assignment! but i am not happy with my marks. i know that 68/100 is a decent mark but still… it was just field notes!!! how could i have screwed it up?? maybe i am being too hard on myself since i was not even sure about what i was supposed to do. the feedback suggests that i did not do enough to tie my observations together. i guess this must be true as i was concerned about doing too much in 1000 words. i guess i should have not hold back!

Netusha,

This is a very good set of field notes because it makes a sufficient number of relevant observations that cluster around the question of “mukmin” (faithfulness, perhaps). However, it starts off with observations that seem a little disconnected, such as the architecture of the building and the area. Still, the quality of the observations that do cluster around faithfulness are very good.

nonetheless, i had a great time working on this assignment. i actually enjoyed visiting the bookstore one more time, but this time to collect as many observations as i could. it gave me the opportunity to have a greater appreciation of pustaka mukmin and its role in shaping the hybrid landscape of masjid india, kuala lumpur.

On the 22nd of March, I visited a bookstore named Pustaka Mukmin (KL) Sdn. Bhd. located in Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) street, Kuala Lumpur. As seen in Figure 1, the facade of the building has been painted a lighter shade of magenta and navy blue accents. Many of the shophouses in TAR street were built before World War 2 and thus, the facade of the bookstore is very consistent with elements of neo-classical architecture such as a Palladian-inspired parapet, window frames and the Renaissance-inspired ornate dome (Ho, Hasan & Noordin, 2005).

Pustaka Mukmin is located on a street with persisting historical roots, better known as Jalan TAR, it remains a popular shopping area. Flanked by buildings of similar pre-war architecture, these shophouses have been transformed into modern retailers selling a wide range of products, especially fabrics and textiles.

The signboard on the first floor states “PEMBORONG BUKU AGAMA” above its name, which means “wholesaler of religious books”. The signboard on the second floor of the building states “KEDAI BUKU DAN ALAT TULIS” which means, “book and stationary store”. It is coupled with the logo of Oxford Fajar, the Malaysian branch of Oxford University Press. This was probably done to advertise the bookstore’s collection of the company’s publications and attract a prestigious reputation among its patrons.

Etymology and history of Pustaka Mukmin

According to Pustaka Mukmin’s owner, an Indian Muslim man named Haji Ishak, the bookstore is a family business that was established in 1970. He explained to me that the bookstore attempts to cater to all sorts of readers as a means of maintaining the business. “Whatever people would like read, we will order. It is good for business”, he said in a soft-spoken tone. Haji Ishak mentioned that they pride on their extensive networks with publishing houses of Islamic texts outside Malaysia, including countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and India.

A particularly interesting aspect of the bookstore begins with the name itself. On one hand, according to the 2nd edition of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP)’s Malay language dictionary, the word pustaka originates from Sanskrit and can be defined as the following: (a) a compilation of papers that are bounded together; (b) a book that contains predictions of the future; (c) library and (d) a place that stores reading materials (PRPM, 2017a). On the other hand, the word mukmin originates from Arabic term for “believer” or “faithful Muslim”  as stated in the holy Quran (PRPM, 2017b). However, as described by practicing Muslims I have encountered, mukmin is often used to refer to men and women who are distinguished from other Muslims due to having complete submission to Allah.

Observations and conversations in Pustaka Mukmin

Upon entering Pustaka Mukmin, I first noticed the large banner of neon-red fonts contrasted against black, at the back of the bookstore’s ground floor. It states “BUKU AGAMA DAPAT HARGA BORONG & RUNCIT” which translates to “religious books at wholesale and retail price”. Such emphasis might indicate the desire to make Islamic texts more affordable and therefore, more encouraging for the surrounding Muslim community to cultivate a holistic Islamic way of life. This is further reinforced by an extensive array of supplements that were prominently displayed at the front of the store (see Figure 2). Some products included honey, herbs, arabic gum, henna hair dye, kohl eyeliner and zamzam water. When I asked Haji Ishak about where they were acquired from, he mentioned that they were purchased from third party agencies that imported these products from various parts of India and the Middle East. Other items that featured near the entrance of the bookstore include tasbih (prayer beads), rehal (book rest for the Quran), nasheed (vocal music) albums, audio lectures by preachers and skullcaps.

Examples of religious books that were put on display include on Islamic jurisprudence, commentaries on the Quran and hadiths as well as Islamic history and philosophy. However, these were not the only type of books to dominate the shelves of Pustaka Mukmin. In fact, there were also books that aim to address mental health from an Islamic perspective, motivational and lifestyle books authored by Islamic preachers, Malay language romance novels, biographies of political activists such as Malcom X and Malala Yousafzai, commentaries on Malaysian politics and conspiracy theories that were inclined to anti-Semitism. Most of the books available were in Malay, but there was also at least three to four shelves were for books in English.

Haji Ishak mentioned that patrons of the bookstores are not just locals, but also come from Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iraq. Fortunately, I managed to speak to a group of young Singaporean Malay girls (Figure 3). One of them said she frequently visited the bookstore several times when she was much younger. When asked what compelled her to come back to Pustaka Mukmin in particular, she mentioned that she appreciated the wide range and variety of books that were available. “In Singapore, due to restrictions on the circulation of books, there are very limited choices in obtaining Islamic texts”, she added. In spite of the bookstore mostly catering to Malay-language readers, she was convinced that Pustaka Mukmin offered more options for translations of the Holy Quran from Arabic to English, as shown in Figure 4.

A room of a mukmin’s own

The purpose for an establishment like Pustaka Mukmin might be in aiding preparation for the Hajj. This is seen in the range of books in Figure 5, that includes a well-acclaimed meditation on the enigmatic experiences of the pilgrimage to Mecca by Iranian scholar, Ali Shariati.

Pustaka Mukmin can be regarded site that is constituted by manifold Muslim networks in a transnational religious economy. The goods available at Pustaka Mukmin are acquired through trade relations that extend beyond the boundaries of Malaysia. Consequently, the richness and diversity that encompasses Pustaka Mukmin makes it a site of multiple interactions and scales as several interlocutors, from Haji Ishak himself, to import agencies and publishing houses abroad. As a result, this amalgamation formed a localized environment that promotes a mukmin’s lifestyle.

References

1 Ho, Hasan & Noordin (2005). An Influence Of Colonial Architecture To Building Styles And Motifs In Colonial Cities In Malaysia. Malaysia Design Archive, https://www.malaysiadesignarchive.org/an-influence-of-colonial-architecture-to-building-styles-and-motifs-in-colonial-cities-in-malaysia/?print=pdf, date accessed 26/03/19.
2 Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (2017a). “Carian Umum – Maklumat Kata – pustaka”, http://prpm.dbp.gov.my/cari1?keyword=pustaka, date accessed 24/03/19.
3 Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (2017b). “Carian Umum – Maklumat Kata – mukmin”, http://prpm.dbp.gov.my/Cari1?keyword=mukmin, date accessed 24/03/19.