Munafiqs and Firauns Oppressing Other Muslims is the real threat?

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My deep and sincere concern is this – will munafiqs in our midst try all possible ways to deny my ubudiyah (service/worship) and compel me to stray away from the path of Islam as taught by Allah? Will they deny me the right to sincerely serve my Creator?

 I am not worried about non-Muslims trying to proselytise me, or trying to “insult Islam” or "placing" Islam under a “threat”. These are things that I can handle myself easily. 

Also, for me it is impossible, under current circumstances where Muslims are the majority and have political control for any non-Muslim to place Islam under “threat”.  I also believe in the promise of Allah that it is He who will guide whom He pleases and that it He who will safeguard the teachings of the Quran.

I actually welcome non-Muslims to try to proselytise me as it would give me an opportunity to share the wisdom of the Quran and to invite them to Allah who is the Creator of everything and everyone. I will be happy to be engaged in a discussion to seek out the Way of the Creator.

As a Muslim, I will also be equally happy to peacefully disagree with the non-Muslim and welcome him back for another discussion if he so desires.  Otherwise, being consistent with what the Quran teaches, I will let Allah decide our differences on judgement day. In the meantime, I am completely prepared to share Allah’s mercy with him as Allah so graciously bestows His mercy on me.

It is the munafiqs (hypocrites) and the extremists that worry me. For one to be a munafiq in this situation, he has to smell, sound, and look like me and even pretend to “care” for me except that he wants me to think and believe EXACTLY as he does. In effect, he wants me now to accept him as my god or as another god alongside Allah or an intermediary for me to "reach" Allah.

If I do not accept his views and his teachings, he is prepared to ostracise me, humiliate me, oppress me if he has the power and make life completely miserable for me. He will even go to the extent of declaring that I am not a Muslim and hence try to deny me my right of faith simply because I do not think and believe EXACTLY like him.

He will behave like the Firaun (Pharoah) of the Quran who will cut off the legs and hands of his subjects on opposite sides if they were to follow Moses without his permission.

The real threat to the practice of Islam has always been from within - by those who want to compel by force their understanding of Islam on other Muslims. Extremist behaviours.

It is the munafiq and the Firaun who is a threat to the peaceful practice of Islam. 

Correct me if I am wrong in my views.

Peace !

Najib's call for Unity - What Unity?

I fully support the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's call for unity recently. Everyone knows the outcome of disunity and enmity among humankind. It results in chaos and misery.

The "Islamic world" is known from almost time immemorial to be characterised by disunity and enmity. There are several reasons, among which are vested interest, sectarian differences, and intolerance of differing views.

The Middle East is a hotbed of conflicts, oppression of human and individual rights, dictatorial regimes and corruption. The Middle East is a living example that common language and religion alone cannot unite the people. A sense of humanitarian values and the willingness to adhere to basic universal values of Islam is equally necessary.

One cannot be faulted to say that the Middle East may be full of religion but largely lacking in spiritualism. So much form but little substance. Too much emphasis on form breeds hypocrisy and Allah condemns hypocrisy as a most evil trait. Let us come closer to our own home - Malaysia.

Malaysian Muslim political leaders often deliver speeches calling for unity of the ummah especially during so-called religious festivals. Any Muslim will welcome such calls. However, a call for unity which is not accompanied by consistent programs and deeds towards the call is useless. It portrays the leader as a man of form and not of substance. The leader becomes an insult to the people.

Even worse is when a leader calls for unity and yet he condones or does every act that further perpetuates disunity. This is hypocritical and despicable in the eyes of Allah.

I believe that calls for unity in Malaysia among the Muslims is not totally genuine. It is merely a political call. If it was genuine, Muslims will accept Muslim wholeheartedly in all spheres of their lives. Only recently, a christian Indian converted to Islam and the registration department found it completely important that his race column be written as "keturunan India" - is this necessary? Where is the implementation of the principle that Islam supersedes race? where is the implementation of article 160 of the Federal Constitution that this Indian Muslim is now a constitutional Malay? Why are civil servants allowed to override the clear provisions of the Constitution?

I have many experiences with converts (Chinese, Indian, Orang Asli) into Islam from other races. The convert still is treated as a non-Malay despite the constitutional guarantee that he is a Malay upon conversion and fulfillment of the article 160 of the Constitution. Further, over the years, I have come across cases where quite a number of Penang Malays who have their name changed from "bin" to "a/l" in their nric without their knowledge by the civil servants. Why is this done? Has "bin" become the domain of the Malay and where is this "ukuwaah Islamiah" that many political and religious leaders are so fond of talking about?

There are so many real life examples that I can show to prove that we are still far away from this "Islamic unity" in the country. Political leaders make speeches without serious follow ups and the ignorant civil servants do what they wish. Thereafter, everyone goes to the Friday prayers pretending that all are united.

Let us not play with God for His wrath is unimaginable.

Peace!

The Quranic and the Chronic !

The Quranic is not a hypocrite, the Chronic is

The “Quranic” in this country has come to mean the Muslim who is well versed with the Quranic verses. It is also assumed that the Quranic will also try his very best to adhere to the teachings in the Quran.  In other words, as Allah says in the Quran, he will walk his talk.

"Grievously odious is it in the sight of God that you say that which you do not” (Quran 61:3)
 

If you tell others to be fair and just in their speech or their dealings with other human beings, the Quranic should also try to be so. Otherwise he becomes chronic! Chronic is one who has a serious and habitual suffering – in this case suffering from the disease of hypocrisy. He becomes one who has knowledge of what the Quran teaches but chooses what to follow and what not to do.  In that sense, as the Quran itself has stated, the message does not touch him. He tells others to be factual in speech while he indulges in lies, spinning and clear defamation.

Say for example an ignoramus or a jahiluun habitually partakes in spinning and lying to shape public opinion, we may not take him too seriously. That is the job of the jahiluun who wants to get some worldly pleasure or seek worldly rewards.  On the other hand, what is the position when who is supposed to be knowledgeable in the Quran does the same thing? Does he not become a hypocrite and far more dangerous than the jahiluun? I term these people “the chronic quranics”.

“When the Hypocrites come to you, they say, "We bear witness that you are indeed the Apostle of God." Yes, God knows that you are indeed His Apostle, and God bears witness that the Hypocrites are indeed liars” (Quran 63:1)

Allah calls such people as liars. They use the Quran and the Prophet as a camouflage – either to dupe their friends or to have a veneer of the knowledgeable. Their main aim is to get grandeur and honour for themselves. They are characterised by constant words of “me”, “I” and “mine”. These hypocrites will only consider their own opinion as acceptable and anyone else’s will invite their rudeness and arrogance.  Due their arrogance, they forget that it is Allah who will give honour and take away honour from mortals.

“Say "O God! Lord of Power (And Rule), You give power to whom You please, and You strip off power from whom You please: You endue with honour whom You please, and You bring low whom You please: In Your hand is all good. Verily, over all things You have power”. (Quran: 3:26)

Unlike the jahiluun the “chronic quranics”, knowingly and arrogantly put aside the teachings of the Quran to achieve their worldly pleasures. They swing like a pendulum between promoting what is stated in the Quran and behaving completely contrary to the Quran when it suits their worldly purpose.  It is as if they have their own book or kitab from which they can choose to behave as they want independent of the Quran – yet they claim to be Quranic when actually they are chronic.

“What is the matter with you? How judge you? Or have you a book through which you learn that you shall have, through it whatever you choose? Or have you Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that you shall have whatever you shall demand? Ask you of them, which of them will stand surety/guarantee for that!” (Quran: 68: 36- 40)

Ego and Arrogance – the fall of Iblis

They will have no compunction to use their little knowledge of the Quran to declare the rest of the world wrong. They wantonly and readily condemn others. Criticising others and condemning others are not the same. Criticisms are aimed at learning and discussing to exchange ideas and views. The aim is constructive. Condemning others is intended to hurt, to belittle, to insult and pander to a certain misguided sector of the population so as to be popular. The result is destructive.

In the process they even insult the prophet by insulting those who spurn the beard or the jubah and so on. All these may be done by the jahiluun but should never be done by the Quranic who is supposed to be compassionate and emphatic. The problem is the chronic quranics do not want to remember what Allah has taught in the Quran because they are overcome by their ego and arrogance. 

“Revile not you those whom they call upon besides God, lest they out of spite revile God in their ignorance. Thus have We made alluring to each people its own doings. In the end will they return to their Lord, and We shall then tell them the truth of all that they did”. (Quran 6:108)

Is it not clear that Allah says revile not? Do not use abusive language against those who may have different views from you, even if they are wrong. What is the point in calling them “stupid, dungus, idiots, etc”?  The Quranic surely must know verse 4:148? Why do you want to abuse them when they have not hurt you or your family? How does insulting anyone help if your purpose is to invite them to the path of righteousness? Everyone who claims to be Quranic must surely know the following verse:

“Invite (all) to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knows best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance”. (Quran: 16.125)

While each of us are trying to contribute to the betterment of society, there is no need for name calling or mischievous sensational writing or talking. We are fellow human beings with fallings and weaknesses. Let us never forget that when we act unjustly to others in any name, that injustice will one day visit us. The Quranic should not take any sides except the side of justice. It is in recognition of this fact that Raperas have no problems dealing with just people who may belong to any differing organisations or political parties. 

Most of us are not all bad or all good except the hypocrite and those who are habitually unjust. Those who deify or worship their own ego will be drowned by their ego as happened to Firaun.

Peace !