Doc Ahmad Hajiri

From an American-built lighthouse to a Tausug-built Masjid. The search for the missing “Eye-Fall tower” did not take me long to finish for three reasons:  I already know where to look for it (the wharf in Jolo);  The people in that community are pretty friendly; and  The Sulu National Museum gave me all the answers.  What I just did then is visit the place and confirm the site where it still stands now, talk with the people around, link the stories and tadaa! Mission accomplished! And so, ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present to you all, the Sulu Parula (Parola), then and now… The Sulu Parula (Parola) and the  Block House This is one of the oldest photos linked to our missing structure: the Sulu lighthouse, commonly known to the locals as the “Parula”. This photo of a building IS NOT the actual parula, but actually the "office" of the coast guards known to most as the “Block House”. This photo can also be found in one of th...

==This is an old version of the "Meet Ahmad" Page.=== updated May 10, 2015 Ahmad is a proud (yet humble)young Muslim Tausug. He was born in the small, small town of Jolo in the far, far island of Sulu. (Trivia: of all 5 siblings, he was the only one born in their humble home) He loves books, and pens, and papers (he claims that he cannot live without them). He loves to write (even though he's not really good at it). He loves to read stories (and pretend he can write one someday). He loves to share stories too (and jokes, but they are all too corny). He loves to shoot photos (even though he don't have his own camera). He loves Tausug Food (and anything Halal). He loves the sea (it's part of his life). He loves to swim (just the regular freestyle swims, I swear!). He also loves to travel (and climb mountains :) He loves to dream (oh, the endless and impossible dreams). He loves to sleep. (Even though... Yeah, he really loves to sleep)....

Bismillah Years back when I was still in High school and studying in one of the Madáris ( Madrasah : Islamic Schools) in Jolo, Sulu, there was this peculiar masjid nearby. When our morning classes ends at 11 AM, me and my classmates would go to a nearby kadday (small Tausug restaurants), eat our lunch together then hastily come to this masjid called Masjid Shariful Hashim in Jambatan (Sea Port) to pray Zhuhur. The masjid itself is just a simple building that you see in most masjids in Jolo, no intricate designs outside, with metal roofs and wooden domes (and the usual moon-and-star). A set of wooden stairs lead to the second storey reserved for women who wanted to pray in the masjid. What I meant when I said this masjid is “peculiar” or “odd”, is this octagonal room inside the masjid.  At first I thought that room was just a separate room designed by the architect of the masjid, or something like a storage room. But what really made me scratch my head is its loc...

(kiyasulat sin pila bulan na in limabay yaun...) Bismillah. Sin pila bulan na in limabay yaun (agun hangka tahun na maray’) ha wala’ pa aku timagna’ nag-iskul ha UP Med, awn jimatu hambuuk parakála mabilang ku hambuuk pangadjian káku’ ha hál sin halga’ sin kabuhi’ iban sin kamatay. Ini in suysuy hayadtu: “Hambuuk adlaw landu’ mapasu’ in suga diy ha tiyanggi sin sambuwangan (Zamboanga) .  Awn piyakawa’ káku’ sin nakura’ namu’ ha upis (office) sin mataas-suga yadtu hangkan didtu na aku ha tiyanggi sambilk imaun iban nag-Zuhur.  Amun sung na aku magbalik, harap na aku pa parádahan jiyp awn larak-larak sasakatan (biya’ Van sadtu, sa’ wayruun na silikan. Halu’ na ba bang iyanun). Bukun malayu’ ha sasakatan larak yadtu ha higad dán, awn isab kiyta’ ku manga tau nagpupuwn-puwn bihán (maray’ manga magdaragang yadtu katan). Biya’ awn naghilu-hala’ ridtu; awn kunu’ piyunung lawng sin magdaragang siga namumuwkut ha higad dán iban dagangan niya. Sa’ wayruun na aku na...

[Bahagian hika-ruwa. Bassaha naa in bahagian nakauna dayndiy: Pagburus: bahagian 1 ]           Ha lawm sin siyam bulan jumati ini katán. Mataud pa dugaing indaginis ngiy’ parasahn bang in babai nagbuburus sa’ wala’ natu’ na siyabbut dayndiy. Yan in pagtikdag sin anak ha lawm tiyan, in hapdus niya di’ agun mabista. Sa’ sandalan da sin Ina’ ta. Yan in bug-at sin bata’ yaun ha lawm tiyan niya, kahunitan na siya agun manaw. Sa’ sandalan da sin Ina’ ta. Yan in ngiy’ parasahan sin baran. Sandalan nila ra. Sampay dumatung in sangput pag-anak amun wayruun na sumibu’ sin sakit niya. Allahu Akbar! in hunit sin mag-anak di’ hikasipat in sakit niya (Alhamdulillah biháun, awn na manga anesthesia; sa’ ha wala’ pa in manga modern facilities wayruun hipag-ubat kanila). Bihadtu na in sakit biya’ da kaw iyuturan lima. Sa unu? Siyandalan nila ra. Ha pagbugsak ta pa sikaan, hat kakitaan in anak nila yaun na nagkukulihik nagtatangis, maka-uyum pa sila. Malawa’ katan in sakit ...