Reading novels are day-dreaming? Baca novel berkhayal?

Few days ago, I have found a disturbing notion from a man of intellectual stating that reading novels are nothing more than dreaming. He used 'berkhayal'. In the Malaysian context, the word 'berkhayal' is often used to refer day-dream, hallucinating, or in a major crime of heavy drugs. This word is used to refer a negative portion of imagination.

I couldn't agree more (if);
If the novels are purely belletristic, unsophisticated, no moral values of all sort, then it benefits almost nothing to the reader, when all it offers is plain sensuous imagination to feed our lust and desire.

But in defense of novels and all other didactic writings, the notion has served injustice. The undivided negative bias towards books creates unnecessary rejection from the mass onto the intellectual diverse the didactic writings have.

Hence, here are 2 benefits of didactic writings to readers;

1. It builds up the creative imagination.
In this prospect, creative imagination gives room for our mind. This is the opposite of sensuous imagination that feeds emotions which deceive the safeguard of our nafs. Creative imagination, however, does feed our emotion but not to the extent of leading us to do unwanted physical or emotional reactions.

2. It gets you into critical point and gives you solution
We can always choose to read for leisure. But as readers, we always want something more. A critical point is a space for intellectual discussion. When you read something, there's something more to it but what is it? Often when I read, I find myself the question concerning my life. "Why did he do that?", "How could she do this!?", "What now?". And often too, these questions reflect the questions in my mind. When it reaches the mutual agreement between you and the author through these questions, we need answers. The book now has the responsibility to give answer through the stories. The answer is important. It either create solutions or creates more problems. Hence, that's why authors need to project good ideas in their writings.
"A book that kills should not be published."

These are my two points of view. Reading novels can always be beneficial and it doesn't necessarily leads us to 'berkhayal', day-dream, or hallucinating. All we need is a good book.

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Nafs - Nafs (نَفْس) is an Arabic word occurring in the Qur'an and means self, psyche ego or soul.
Belletristic - having a purely aesthetic function
Didactic - intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

Midnight's Crisis

How fascinating midnight, for I was indeed in my timely motion, thinking of what I be in another 10 years. Time of time - just another sour taste of life with no subtle slot to find, with the least of intelligent, itself and acknowledging his stance. And so I too was here, taking thinking tools to create a versatile and profound foundation of me, trying to lose anxiety and fear.

"What am I for?"

"Why am I like this?"

"Where will I be?"

"How will I be?"

"Who will I be?"

Strike 2, a glazing from a dimming light had knocked me off these questions. Wait! This I found quite interesting. If I could be knocked off, I too could go back to where I was. Speaking existentially, the question of where will I be, with it, here I am! and I will be in my dream too! Then, I took my blessing disguise to create myself in an empty and free dream. Free of reality, I guess so.

I saw myself in there. I was sitting, of fresh but sullen dreamland, quite cozy, oh catly cozy. Yes! I thought I should have a thousand of cats. Then, came them, a thousand of cats, wiggling tails at me, how surreal. One sat on my dreamland and I asked him, while I pet him, of how lucky he being a cat! With a mind like mine, I had no regards of being a human. I was afraid of this, I hated that, oh I liked this one, but I can't have it - because people hated it. So, I had none of what I want then? I thought so. But you? You're just a cat. Let a human lay his hands on you and pet you as if there's no jungle of notes to discover! As if, as if there's no river of doubts to clean! No midnight's crisis! You're free from these questions!

And he looked at me. Like a panther with black veils but almost like a lion, angry one. He said,

"Have you not been eating good spicy chicken shawarma at Farouq? Kid, I've been trying to find good foods for my kittens since yesterday. Think again."

Oh, you witty mindful cat. I am sorry.

by AmirullahZul
2.30 pm
Saturday, 14 May 2016

Dingin Malam Ini

Dingin malam ini
saat ketahuan detik akhirnya
jarak tinggal sejenak kelip mata.

Dingin malam ini
bukan dingin menyenangkan
tapi membunuh ruang dimensi.

Dingin malam ini
hanya mampu aku cari
jauh terlihat dalam cerminan dimensi
saat hangat kamu hilang dari dakapku.

by AmirullahZul
12.15 am
Sun, Mei 8 2016

Rangga, Cinta, dan Kita

"Lebih mudah menyintai semua orang dari melupakan seseorang." (Rangga, 2016) #AADC2

Rangga, Cinta, dan Kita

Adakalanya Rangga,
cermin kritisnya tanpa Cinta
Tapi hatinya selamanya menyintai.

Adakalanya Cinta,
jahat menampar sang pujangga
tapi hatinya masih menyintai.

Adakalanya cerita yang berbeda itu
ada masanya terdinding menjarak,
dan sadisnya Kita alpa
yang punya kata yang sama
hanya kerna Cinta dan Rangga
bukan Kita lagi.

Tapi aku masih pasti dengan Kita,
walau bukan detiknya lagi,
aku yakin, ruang untuk Kita
masih ada.

by AmirullahZul
2.00 am
Fri, 6 May 2016

A Tale of A Demon Whisper

Speak to me none or 

Speak thou to my demon

Speak not of what we both for but

Speak for what we shall burn next

Speak as long as they speaketh 

Speak as we silent them unbreathed

Or if thou canst not, I shall whisper to thee

how to speak to my demon, my angel.

by AmirullahZul

6.30pm

Sun, May 1 2016