Ariffin Mohammed
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| “ | I was appointed as the representative of the Government of Heaven to monitor the conditions of the world for peace and no dispute with each other, whether it be Muslims, Christians, Buddhists or Hindus. | „ |
| ~ Ayah Pin |
Ariffin Mohammed or also known as Ayah Pin (born Ariffin bin Mohammed; 22 June 1941 – 22 April 2016) (Ayah is a common honorific meaning "father") was the cult leader and founder of Kerajaan Langit (English: Sky Kingdom), a sect founded by him in Malaysia. His movement had a commune based in Besut, Terengganu, that was demolished by the Malaysian government in August 2005. He claimed to have direct contact with the heavens and was believed by his followers to be the reincarnation of Jesus, Buddha, Shiva, and Muhammad. Devotees of Sky Kingdom believe that one day, Ayah Pin will return as the Imam Mahdi. His followers considered him the king of the sky, and the supreme object of devotion for all religions.
Biography edit
Ariffin was born in 22 July 1941 into a Muslim Malay family in Beris Kubor Besar, Bachok, Kelantan. In 1953, Ariffin became seriously ill and he alleged that an angel had visited him. Twenty years later the angel returned and Ariffin began his spiritual career. Whether Ariffin was the founder is unclear; during this phase he may have been a follower of Hassan (also known as Hassan Anak Rimau), apparently another claimant to divinity.
Act of Villainy & Controversies edit
Sky Kingdom edit
Around the mid-1980s, the Sky Kingdom commune was formed on its present site in Besut. Some reports state that the office of Islamic Affairs declared the group to be deviant at this time. In 1995, Sky Kingdom's signature building projects began, as per divine revelation. Two years later, Local Religious Affairs council (Malay: Jawatankuasa Fatwa Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Melayu Terengganu) issued a fatwa against the group. Around this time, four adherents were arrested for renouncing Islam, but they were later freed on grounds that as ex-Muslims Malaysia's sharia court no longer enjoys jurisdiction over them.
Sky Kingdom (Malay: Kerajaan Langit) is the name of the religious commune and sect founded by Ariffin Mohammed in Malaysia. The commune, based in Besut, Terengganu, was demolished by the government of Malaysia in August 2005. As of 2006, Ariffin Mohamed was residing in exile in Narathiwat, Thailand. Eighteen members of the Sky Kingdom commune remain at the mercy of the Malaysia's Higher Shariah Court, with 40 having received leniency upon renouncing the group.
Sky Kingdom attracted worldwide mass media attention in mid-2005, over concerns about efforts by the Malaysian government to suppress its followers as apostates from Islam. The controversy brought to light the issue of whether sharia law superseded the right to religious freedom under Article 11 of the Constitution of Malaysia. This attention was coupled with considerable bemusement over followers' central objects of veneration, which include a large cream-coloured teapot, prompting local and foreign media to dub the sect as the "teapot cult".
The 6-acre (2.4 ha), 33-building complex was located near the village of Kampung Batu 13, Hulu Besut, in the Besut district in northern Terengganu (some 400 km north of Kuala Lumpur and 20 km from Jerteh). Sky Kingdom had existed on the site since the mid-1980s, though the group itself dates back to the late 1970s. Before the commune was demolished, the group supported itself through rubber tapping, religious tourism, and confectionery production.
A Muslim by birth, Ariffin claims to have direct contact with the heavens and is believed by his followers to be the reincarnation of Jesus, Buddha, Shiva, and Muhammad. Devotees of Sky Kingdom believe that one day, Ayah Pin will return as the Imam Mahdi. His followers consider him the king of the sky, and the supreme object of devotion for all religions.
A major emphasis of the Sky Kingdom religion is ecumenical dialogue and inter-religious harmony. People of different religious backgrounds have joined. Ayah Pin has visited several Hindu temples and the group once hosted a visit by a Christian group, a rare move by Malaysian standards.
Ayah Pin accepts the existence of angels, as well as a class of Malaysian forest fairies, called Orang Bunian. The Sky Kingdom also emphasizes the importance of spiritual healing as well as dream interpretation.
Ayah Pin used to conduct "sessions" on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings. According to a witness, the sessions began with a special ritual whereby followers would usher Ayah Pin from the main building to a concrete boat in the compound in which he would lie. His followers would then start chanting for him until 4:00 am. After this ritual, a lengthy question-and-answer period would take place, with Ayah Pin seated on a dais facing an audience. Hymns would also be sung during the session.
The commune features some structures which are symbolic of the group's ideology. Some notable symbols include a two-story high cream coloured teapot with a similarly-sized blue vase, costing RM 45 million. The teapot is said to symbolise the purity of water and "love pouring from heaven". It is the earthly model of a celestial prototype. According to Ayah Pin, it was inspired by the dreams of one of his followers, and reflects a similar vessel in the sky which God uses to shower his blessings on mankind. Followers who visit the commune for the first time have to drink "holy water" from the vase which is "perpetually" filled by the teapot.
Another notable feature in the compound is an equally large yellow umbrella, which offers "a place for people to take shelter beneath God." It is said that this can also be associated with the nine planets in Hinduism."
Other symbols present include an ornamental fishing boat, identified with Noah's Ark, and a crescent moon icon symbolising people without a religion, including the Orang Asli (indigenous peoples of peninsular Malaysia) and the aforementioned Orang Bunian.