Небесное Царство: Малазийская секта и ее основатель Ая Пина

Former sect based in Besut, Malaysia
a former sect based in Besut

Sky Kingdom was a Malaysian religious commune and sect founded by Ariffin Mohammed, also known as Ayah Pin. The commune, based in Besut, Terengganu, was demolished by the government of Malaysia in August 2005. As of 2006, Ayah Pin was residing in exile in Narathiwat, Thailand, just over the border from Kelantan. 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 The controversy brought to light the issue of whether sharia law superseded the right to religious freedom under Article 11 of the Constitution of Malaysia.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,

The , 33 building complex was located near the village of Kampung Batu 13, Hulu Besut, in the Besut district in northern Terengganu (some 400 km northeast of Kuala Lumpur and 20 km south of 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.

The Malaysian government has described the "teapot cult" of Sky Kingdom as one of 22 "heretical" Islamic "sects" or "cults" in Malaysia, which altogether have an estimated 22,800 adherents. Most estimates of the numbers of followers of Sky Kingdom put them at several thousand, though this number would heavily depend on the criteria used for inclusion. As few as 25 now live on the commune, down from about 120 prior to the demolitions. Followers are mostly Malays but also include Africans, Indians, and British believers. One adherent is from New Zealand. Besides Malaysia, members are also said to be located in Singapore and Bali.

A Muslim by birth, Ariffin, also known as Ayah Pin, 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. 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 at 3.00am 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 5:00 am. The followers would gather around a giant teapot structure and chant "I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout" until 5.00am after which they would head off in groups of three to the next ritual. At this point, two of the three would grip the arms and legs of the oldest person in the group and pull them. This symbolises the Malaysian drink called teh tarik and after half an hour of gentle pulling, they will drink the urine of the that person who was pulled to consume the teh tarik. 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 Sky Kingdom commune was featured in a documentary titled Massacre Survivors: Malaysia's Secret Sect produced by SBS News and distributed by Journeyman Pictures. The documentary's video can be seen on Journeyman's YouTube channel. The documentary later become an internet meme in Malaysia.