During that night before Eid, Nora woke up in the middle of her sleep. She saw that her parents were cooking and cleaning. Being a curious girl, she went out to find out. Pada malam Aidil Fitri itu, Nora terjaga dari tidur. Dia melihat bahawa ayah dan ibunya sedang memasak dan mengemas. Kerana sifat melitnya, dia pergi menyiasat.

This thoughtful and wide-ranging open access volume explores the forces and issues shaping and defining contemporary identities and everyday life in Brunei Darussalam. It is a subject that until now has received comparatively limited attention from mainstream social scientists working on Southeast Asian societies. The volume helps remedy that deficit by detailing the ways in which religion, gender, place, ethnicity, nation-state formation, migration and economic activity work their way into and reflect in the lives of ordinary Bruneians. In a first of its kind, all the lead authors of the chapter contributions are local Bruneian scholars, and the editors skilfully bring the study of Brunei into the fold of the sociology of everyday life from multiple disciplinary directions. By engaging local scholars to document everyday concerns that matter to them, the volume presents a collage of distinct but interrelated case studies that have been previously undocumented or relatively underappreciated. These interior portrayals render new angles of vision, scale and nuance to our understandings of Brunei often overlooked by mainstream inquiry. Each in its own way speaks to how structures and institutions express themselves through complex processes to influence the lives of inhabitants. Academic scholars, university students and others interested in the study of contemporary Brunei Darussalam will find this volume an invaluable resource for unravelling its diversity and textures. At the same time, it hopefully stimulates critical reflection on positionality, hierarchies of knowledge production, cultural diversity and the ways in which we approach the social science study of Brunei. ‘I wish to commend the editors for bringing this volume to fruition. It is an important book in the context of Southeast Asian sociology and even more important for the development of our social, geographical, cultural and historical knowledge of Brunei.’ —Victor T. King, University of Leeds

After helping her mother, Nora was ready to go out with her father to the night bazaar. At the bazaar, Nora got to see the colorful stalls and festive lights during the night before Eid. Setelah membantu ibunya, Nora bersiap sedia untuk keluar dengan ayahnya untuk ke pasar malam. Di pasar malam itu, Nora menikmati suasana gerai-gerai yang beraneka warna dan lampu-lampu hiasan pada malam Aidil Fitri itu.

The Glorious Qur'an is God's divine book of guidance for all mankind. And The Contemporary Qur'an is an English translation of the Glorious Qur'an written in simple modern English for the reading pleasure of everyone who understands English. This translation is named The Contemporary Qur'an for three main reasons. Firstly because the Qur'an is always relevant at all times, hence it must be read and understood in the context of how its message can be related with and applied to the modern and contemporary setting that we live in today. Secondly because the passages are translated contextually instead of literally to bring out their meaning clearer and more accurately. And finally because wherever applicable, the interpretation takes into account of relevant historical and scientific facts that have only been made available by recent advancements in science and technology. Other than helping Muslims and new converts to gain better understanding of the meaning of God's literal words, The Contemporary Qur'an also strives to address the most fundamental question asked by non-Muslims about the Qur'an and Islam, which typically is: "How do you prove that the Qur'an is truly God's words and how can I be convinced that Islam is the true religion to follow?" The following approaches were taken to address this question: 1. In the book's Foreword section, I discussed about my own experience in seeking the truth and how I applied simple logic to show that Islam stands out from the other religions. 2. Through irrefutable historical and scientific evidence that have been proven by recent advancements in science and technology, I impressed on how impossible it is for the Qur'an to be authored by a mortal, especially so for someone who lived in the 7th century; and I also briefly explained how its linguistic beauty is a miracle that can never be rivaled until the end of time. 3. I also showed passages from the Qur'an that Islam is a truly universal religion for all which transcends race and ethnicity as it places very high emphasis on social justice for all. There is no racial supremacy in Islam. Everyone is equal in the sight of God and will be solely judged by their true faith and piety towards Him and the good deeds that they do. A true religion must have this universal feature because everyone is equal before his/her Creator. God cannot be God if He practices racial discrimination. 4. Through my footnotes on certain selected verses, I endeavored to make non-Muslims see that there is actually nothing wrong with Islam even though many of its followers and nations are besieged with woeful conditions mired by corruption and disunity. The problem is not with Islam, but with Muslims themselves who taint its beauty with their ignorance and over-emphasis on rituals that are not authentically prescribed by Islam but are instead "products" of culture and tradition that have been blindly inherited from earlier generations. Because of this, they become occupied with many unprescribed acts of worship until they unwittingly neglect the more important social responsibilities that have been commanded by God to address, such as the pursuit for quality education and equality before the law. Even worse, some tarnish and betray Islam simply because of their hypocrisy that is brought out from their insatiable greed for worldly gains. In summary, the Qur'an is truly a book of divine guidance for mankind which should not be ignored as it addresses the real concerns and challenges faced by every society at all times. And The Contemporary Qur'an is truly special in its own distinctive way which sets it apart from other English Qur'an translations as it aims to help us see Islam as a well balanced religion in living a blessed life in this world and emerge victorious in the next life to come if its true concept and teachings are properly understood and adhered to.

The Singapore shophouse is an architectural gem a particular building form that is unique to the island. This book traces its development from rudimentary shophouse through various incarnations of decorative style Neoclassical, Chinese Baroque, Jubilee-style, Edwardian, Rococo, Tropical Modern all the while commenting on the various influences that fueled its evolution. Each individual feature of the shophouse is examined, as is its change from rudimentary out-of-China structure to sophisticated dwelling house. Numerous examples of shophouse interiors today complete the odyssey showcasing Shophouse as Temple, Clan House, Home, Boutique Hotel, Shop, Restaurant Coffeeshop and more, we see how these heritage buildings continue to be relevant in the era of the skyscraper and shopping mall.