Meet the family: Faiz

Mohd Faiz was born on 1st of July 1982 in a town named Kajang in Selangor. I don’t know what my folks were doing in Kajang at that time but I’m guessing they’re not there just for the satay ha ha!

In 1985 (I think) Faiz along with the rest of my siblings moved to Pasir Mas in Kelantan after mom and dad had to go separate ways due to some irreconcilable differences. Faiz is somewhat similar to Izni, well behaved, obedient and rarely gets himself into trouble (unlike me!). But later as we grew up, I sometimes had a few arguments with Faiz and we would literally fight physically but only for 2 or 3 times during our childhood. Nevertheless, we love each other very much now that we’re all grown up and all. In fact I can’t remember the last time we fought (it’s been so long).



As usual Faiz also went to the fine SRK Sultan Ibrahim (2) primary school about a kilometer away from where we lived. Then he went to an all boys boarding school in Kota Bharu called Sultan Ismail College (SIC). At school Faiz was this athletic and active kid who would join various sports like rugby, track & field, silat among others. That's why more than half the medals that my grandma kept back home are his (I got none).

After school Faiz enrolled into a matriculation programme somewhere in Seremban before he changed his mind after one semester and got into UiTM Shah Alam instead to pursue a diploma in electronics or something.


Before getting into UiTM, Faiz was just an ordinary guy you know, looking up to his sister and brother as a role model, doing ordinary teenage stuff. But his 2 years stint at UiTM changed his life forever…

" I thought we had a deal Faiz, I’m gonna be the lead singer/guitarist for our rock band and you on bass/back up vocals and we’re gonna get so famous and hot and we’ll go for gigs, concerts and world tour and stuff and the all the girls will throw their bras and panties on the stage and we’ll like have so much fun dude!!! "

I guess that’s never gonna happen now. While in Shah Alam, Faiz mixed with a totally different type of crowd altogether. Before long he was a full-fledged member of the tabligh movement, going out with his friends for 3, 7 or 40 days to bring spiritual awakening to the world's Muslims. So like in 6 months he was a totally different man, the way he dress, his personal appearance, the way he talks, it’s like suddenly I’ve got myself a brand new brother! My family was concerned of course at first but they learned to accept and respect his choice eventually cause he did changed for the better. They were just a little worried that he’ll go fight along side the Taliban or something ha ha!

I, being the cool brother as I am, got no problem at all with his sudden change. Of course he tried like a dozen time already to drag me to join him but so far I managed to hang on to my rock music, Liverpool FC, Linda and my other worldly possessions. I think he’d given up all hope on me right now :)

Anyway I liked the new Faiz just fine. He’s like the religious authority in the family right now and if we ever need to ask anything about Islam & religion, he’s the man. At least mom and dad can be rest assured that they’ve got one good kid to pray for them later u know. Not that the rest of us isn’t going to do that but you know what I mean right?

Faiz is seldom at home now that he has other more important priorities in his life. Based from his Tabligh World Headquarters in Sri Petaling, Faiz is always out and about all over the country spreading the words of Islam for 3 days at least or 40 days or more in his free time. He’s been to like every state in Malaysia and 2 years ago he went to Bangladesh, India and Pakistan for 4 months to do his thing. Hearing his experience and the trouble he went through just make me ashamed of myself. While I’m living it up here at home, he went through hellish train rides, walk by door to door to people’s homes whom half of them can’t even speak English, sleep out at mosques and being at the mercy of perfect strangers for his daily meals all for the name of Islam. I had to respect you for that bro, hats up!

After his last world tour, Faiz is back in the country doing odd jobs like selling goat’s milk and delivering suspicious looking boxes (well, he never told us what’s inside!). But I’m pretty sure he’s not involved in any criminal activities, surely.. it's Faiz we're talking about here man! And in December last year, he got himself into UPSI, a teacher’s training institution in Tanjung Malim, Perak. Looks like all my siblings are into the teaching profession except me! I can’t imagine myself being a teacher ever. I’m completely terrified talking in public let alone teaching stuff to people. Well, somebody got to be the computer expert in the family right? :)

When asked about his marriage plan, Faiz said he’s gonna buy a van so that he can easily carry all ten of his kids and they will all be boys and carry on his tabligh works with him! Aw, how sweet!! I can’t recall him having girlfriends before and the longest he talked to a girl on the phone is like 10 minutes in the past 5 years. You’ll have to be better than that bro if you ever gonna achieve than 10 kids target!