Islam - Misunderstood or Deliberate?

For those who read the Quran, in the search of knowledge and love, they would discover that, Islam as connoted by the Holy Prophet and parlayed in simplistic language as proferred in the Quran itself is full of love and passion for mankind. The Quran is complete and every words are relevant in the understanding of human logics without the need of any other instruments and without the need to add adjectives and verbs, and it becomes harmful when attempts to interpret them in a selective interpretative language so as to differentiate the human races and divide the society into two groups: semper fidelis and infidels. Worse off, it had been construed as a religion that belongs in absolution to that segment of society, in exclusiveness, and paraded as a weapon to destroy those others who differed with their views of interpretation.

However, it is soothing to know that there are a new cadre of Muslim Ulamas who choose to read the Quran and interpret them in literal language that resembles the true meaning of love of mankind and with the passion to enlightened the others about the very love enunciated by the Holy Prophet that brought the message of Allah to the people.

It is heartening to note that NST had expounded the views of two muftis who are young and knowledgeable in the content and context of Islam. I would like to share the various points of contention raised in the interviews herein:

Mufti Dr. Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, 35:

The differences between Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia is primarily because it was based on our relations on prejudice. Non-Muslims have their own prejudice against Muslims because they don't understand Islam. There is no explanation from Muslim religious groups to them. Where there is, usually it's a scary view of the religion.

Muslim religious leaders don't think much about explaining Islam to non-Muslims but rather focus on how to contradict them.

(Dr Asri is right; however, he failed to observed the fact that Islam was made a frightening religion by the religious leaders that those that do not share the views of interpretation by the so-called Muslims preachers are called infidels and may "have to bathe in their own blood". Far more insidious and contradictory is the form of Islam propagated by a political group who are more desirous of enhancing the sanctity of political power, the power to control the legislative body and to make laws and rules that makes them above equal or more equal to others, more so in terms of material wealth and worldly possessions. They were prepared to re-interpret the verses in the Quran and anxiously seeking some phrases or enunciations in the Al Hadith that could justify their type of interpretation in order to legitimized their materialistic crave, even if it will be at cost to the society, or even destroying their own, so long as it benefit self, and enrich their own coffers, while they continually parade and portray their physical holiness to their own community who had entrusted them to lead.)

Dr Asri: "Some religious people, including me, have to read the Bible. If we don't, how would we know about the Bible? There's nothing wrong with reading the Bible."

(Similarly, those from other religion should make an effort to understand Islam by reading the Quran so that, in a way, if there are Islamic propagations and fatwas, non-Muslims will be able to understand the rational of it and at the same time, if these are interpreted widely which defeats the primary source of knowledge as enunciated in the Holy Quran, then, it could be challenged in a legitimate way by reference to the same source of doctrines and thoughts.)

On Apostates, Dr Asri said:

"The Quran never said we must kill apostates. Yes, it is said in the Hadith but the words "changing his religion" are so very general. The issue is: does that person change his religion to the extent that he endangers that Muslim society? Or he simply changed his religion that only affects his own life?" (emphasis added)

(Many Muslims failed to realised that where there is an extent of conflict between the teaching as proferred in the Quran with the writings of the Al Hadith, the words of the Quran must not be interpreted widely as to cause a detriment to others for the literal benefit of none in the society except self. The Al Hadith are scholarly writings to enhance knowledge and understandings of the Quran, not to replace it. It is the thoughts and understandings of scholars and it is to serve as a tool for Muslims who needs guidance to better understand the teachings of the Holy Prophet. However, too often, the Hadith had been used to dictate Islam and to structure Islam within the content of the Hadith to the exclusion of the Quran on the justification that it wasn't written clearly or at all. This is what made those Islamic scholars fearful or the fact that they made the society fearful of them, not fear God)

Dr Juanda Jaya, 31, deputy mufti of Sarawak.

What should be the principles of leadership in Islam?

Dr Juanda: Muslims talk about the Quran but not many really understand it. ... First, is what the Prophet said when he was ruling over Medinah, when he was head of State of a government that had non-Muslims as well. ..The Prophet set the approach to governing, when he said that whosoever hurts the non-Muslims residing under the protection of an Islamic government, then it is as if that person has hurt him. This principle contains what is almost a warning against mistreating non-Muslims. The Prophet acknowledged the rights of all to live in an Islamic country. Under an Islamic administration, non-Muslims are not second-class citizens.

Tunku Abdul Aziz: "The Malays, as the majority race, have a sacred duty to protect the weak, irrespective of race and creed and to ensure that their rights are protected."

"I despair when some Malays adopt an exclusive approach to nation-building, implying that non-Malays should remain mere on-lookers in determining the sort of Malaysia we should work towards."

"This leads me to a consideration of what it means to be a Malaysian in today's Malaysia (controlled by UMNO)."

"The idea that one can become a useful citizen of Malaysia while opting deliberately to adopt a self-imposed system of social apartheid in the mistaken belief that the other races should be avoided is a recipe guaranteed to enhance mutual suspicion and misunderstanding."

"If we sit idly by, and allow our own indifferences or, worse, those forces bent on weakening our resolve for reasons not always readily understood, then we have ourselves to blame when our international reputation takes a further beating."

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