Apostacy News

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Throughout current issues that we had followed these few years, we could see many riddah (apostacy) cases happened in Malaysia. Last few years, we heard about an old folk Malay lady from Perlis died as a Buddhist. She had been a Buddhist since she was kidnapped to Thailand by a Thai man.

When she returned home, she was already married to a Buddhist man. Her children were initiated as Buddhists in Thai Buddhist Monastery and she remains non-committal to Islamic faith although being urged to return by her family member. Ironically the lady was a native from the village of my brother in law in Panggas Village but buried in Kok Khlang. These villages are the village with Thai speaking people. They can speak in both Malay and Thai because of the bordering situation with Southern Thailand province of Satun and Songkhla.

Other previous news was about a Malay lady converted to Christianity called Lina Joy and she is now living in unknown place in Sabah. I am not really sure if she won the case to retain her status as Malay but being a Christian because in Malaysia, Malay and Islam is incorporated as an inseparable identity by the Constitution. Sometimes I feel like Malay is a religion rather than a national identity inspired by the identification of nation-state of European countries concept.

As for me, I am comfortable with myself as a Muslim and a Bumiputera of Kedah state in Malaysia without having to steal others' ethnicity identity to be a life member of a political party. I did not get any scholarship or aid from the stolen identity. Instead it had made me astray from the path of Allah when I thought that my ancestors were native Buddhist and Hindus when I have problem to befit into the society during my childhood time. People do not accept me because I do not really look like a Malay and did not behave like one. The matter of racial identity is not a big deal, Allah is more important for now and for ever. 

The recent one that I heard is yesterday in Malaysian National News (BERNAMA) where a 19 years old Malay boy admitted that he had changed his faith to Christianity. He had already attended Christian mass in the church and rituals since early December 2010.

The boy was detained and ordered by the judge of Syari’ah Court to be referred to the mosque in his learning institution for 6 months. He must report his attendance to the mosque every week to the religious office and supervised by the Imaam of the mosque at his Learning Institution in Terengganu. The proceeding for the boy case is done by the Deputy Syari’ie Prosecutor, Mr. Mohd Zaini Sulaiman according to Section 102(3) Islamic Religious Council Enactment and Kelantanese Malay Customs 1994 after the boy was detained in remand in Pangkalan Chepa once being refered by his family to the state religious office. The boy had appealed to the Court not to place him in the ‘Aqidah Rehabilitation Center in Kuala Kubu Baru because he is still a student.   

I had been thinking alone in my room about ‘aqidah issue in the past few weeks and this news suddenly popped out like yesterday and discussing about it through my intercourse with those respective kids in the Jama’at-e-Tabligh.

I actually do not think that we should blame anyone whether the boy or the missionaries in this issue. I personally believe that parents should first know their responsibility to bring up their children together into remembering Allah and following the sunnah or the tradition of rasulullah (saw).

This is what happened when parents neglected their children. Even in a religious family, if the parents do not care about their children and just focusing on their own rituals and ‘ibadah, the same thing would also happen. This issue of ‘aqidah is actually more to the issue of identity. Through my personal experience observing, people who are known as Malays had been very stern in protecting their identity with Islam as the shield of the duniaa benefits. For me, when looking through this angle, it just reflects the surface and not from the inner that would beaming outward. It is not about the acceptance of Allah and His messenger as the source of guidance in their life. But the superficial protection of their worldly benefits which they believe could protect them. Now I am wondering, in this matter, where is our pure Tawheed (monotheism only to Allah)?  

It is undeniably important to have our identity or at least know about our background. I also feel comfortable after I know what I am now although with few hardships contacting people of the first villages and consulting elders in family assembly where they are so fond to be known as 'Malays.' Compared to before when I was a boy who has a crisis in his identity, I do not really care about political matters now. It is normal for kids because kids do not really understand what happens around them. Everything in our life is inter-connected to each other. We could not have anything in separate.

As for parental issue, Islam had taught us since the very beginning before a person should get married he or she must acquire themselves with parental knowledge and the responsibility that they have to bear when getting married. It is not only about channeling the lust and passion through a legal relationship between a man and a woman.

It is about responsibility to the soul that would be issued by a married couple. What would the future child (soul) be when they are born? Are they going to be a good sons or daughters? Obedient to the God and the teachings transmitted through Muhammad (s.a.w)? Are they going to be obedient toward their parents and respecting them? How would the parents or the married couple behave? I had seen many couples registering for the marriage seminar conducted at mosque and other licensed institutions but what do they cultivate from that few hours or perhaps few days seminars?

All of these came from the education that the child or soul received since their souls were to be sent by Allah to the womb of their mother to the age where they achieve their maturity. Of course guidance comes from Allah and it is Allah’s right to choose whom He wants to be guided and leaves behind who He does not want to be guided but imaan is also acquired through efforts as what had been decreed. Efforts to implant imaan in the heart of children are not a short term process but it takes such a long time and patience.

The issue of imaan and ihsaan do not only being the concern for the riddah (apostacy) case. But it is also being a concern when we see our youngsters behave in front of us. Last mid night I went to a mamak restaurant near my hostel to have my supper and dinner. I could see young kids, I suppose that they are Malays and Malays must be Muslim, they were kissing each other in front of people in the restaurant in front of others without any shame. I guess they are just around 15 years old or might be older from their feature and appearance. Also from the jargon and the way they talk to each other. When we see this, what is the implication of ihsaan in an individual and society? 

So, how do we measure our imaan (faith) my beloved brothers and sisters in faith? Is it from the identification of our race? Our ethnicity? Our identity card that stated our religious identity as Muslim and from our Islamic sound names? Or in side of our heart?

If the boy who admits himself as a Christian was detained and later being left behind after six months without any support and care from his parents, siblings, and friends, what will happen to him although he does not attend church meetings anymore? When we are going to die, will Allah look at our identity card, or look at whether we are Malays or not to determine what is our ‘real’ imaan? Will Allah check all of these in our documents? Or will Allah check it with our imaan and 'amaal? I began to understand this when I compare it with what I had heard from the Tabligh lectures and the tasawwuf kitaab. Also making cross check with basic faith. Before this I did not understand all of these although I learned about this in Islamic Education in schools be it primary education or secondary.

As what I had already analyzed and still going through it without feeling tired of it, the religion or deen is based from three basic things. Imaan, ‘Ibadah, and Ihsaan. Ihsaan is related to our behavior and attitude in front of God. These three basic things are inseparable elements of religion. From these three, the Syariah (Way) and the Ummah (Nation) are developed, my dear brothers and sisters.

I am not sure whether I put my points clear because I am not good in words but I am trying to brought this issue as an advice for every one of us who believes in Allah and His messenger (s.a.w). It includes myself without exception and may we be saved from His torments because we do not know how terrible His torments are when we lie to Him. When we try to cheat Him by saying that we have the faith to Him with our dirty lips while we behave a munafiq (hypocrite) and performing differently from what we had proclaimed, na’uzubillahu min dzaalik (may He prevents it)…

I am so afraid of myself ya Allah please save me, save my brothers and my sisters that I love so much. Brothers and sisters in faith are important than my own soul :’(

Brothers and sisters let us chant the kalimah syahadah everytime. It is not a sin to chant it everywhere in our heart. It is not only to be chanted once when a muallaf reverting to Islam and then being left behind. If it is not important after being known as a Muslim then, Allah would not prescribe us the five times obligatory daily prayers where the syahadah (faith proclamation) is included in two tasyahuds (proclamation) of each prayers except the Fajr prayer with only one tasyahud. We always take this matter easy.

Syahadah is very important and the first pillar in the five pillars of Islam. It is the key for syafa'at (salvation). It is related to the first and second pillars of the pillars of Imaan. When we leave obligatory salaat (prayers), then are we really a Muslim in that day? This is also a warning to myself. God would surely torment me with full torments in hell each time I miss my salaat :’((((((((((

Ya Allah my Lord, we seek Your protection from the torment of qubr (in grave), we seek your protection the jahannam (hell). Allah my Lord we seek protection from the slander of the life and death. Allah we seek protection from the slander of the al-Masih Dajjal. Allah my Lord we seek protection from the root of sins and the maghram (debt). O Allah please do not deflect our heart after You had guide us. Bless us with Your boundless Grace. Indeed You are the Greatest Grantor, aaminn!!!!        

Integrating Our Understanding of Imaan, Religion and Ihsaan

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

I remember when I took STPM (A-Level) before proceeding to this university for a non-related degree, I had took a paper on Syariah Islamiah. In the beginning, I was actually registered by the education office in Science Stream because last time I took SPM (O-Level) in technical stream. 

They sent me letter once I finished my National Service Program, my name was chosen randomly in computer I guess. I do not feel comfortable anymore to continue studies with anything related to the thing which is not my responsibility after few bad experiences hitting my nose. I begin to learn about qada' and qadar (divine good and evil pre-destiny) after few experiences. 

I was in the Science stream in Sekolah Menengah Putrajaya Precinct 8 for my lower six. There are few teachers who thought that the school is the school for elite kids. We, the form six students out of no where suddenly coming to their excellent great school and going to taint the image of their school. One of the teacher had badly humiliating me in front of other students and teachers but I keep my patience. If I follow my evil desire, I would have her car being scratched by nails, and looking for her son to be hit at his nose but I do not want to lower myself to her level. 

 Sekolah Menengan Kebangsaan Putrajaya I Precinct 8, I was in lower 6 in this school around 2004

picture source from qimie92

She thought that having a degree from a prominent American University in Mathematics had allow her with full authority to humiliate others as people have no feeling nor fellow human like her. I do not even care what is her field of studies when she was a bachelor degree, or how great she was when she competes with American students. She might be having some mental illness I guess or the disease in her heart.  

Once she had greatly caused humiliation to me in the teachers' room, I decided to stop my form six studies in the school and in the stream because I do not want to fight her back. She is so ego, that she does not want to admit that she has no ability to teach higher level subjects while there were no other teachers except her to teach the level. I wanted to study myself and choosing something which suits my responsibility. But I never quickly enrolling myself to any other school under ministry of education supervision because I still have another year to go. I just stay idle at home and my mother began to rant about what am I going to be if I stay like that.

In the same time, I had my name being enlisted in Hajj pilgrimage together with my mother. She had applied it since a year ago when I was in form 5 (2003). At that time, I tried to kill myself by skipping meals after I did not excel well in SPM (O-Level) like other friends, and I could not jump from high building or cutting my vein because according to Buddhist Karmical law that I had listened from Buddhist monks after performing offerings and what I believed last time; I will be stucked in the Samsara realm (hell or world of another dimension) as a Prettam (Shade or Ghost).  This event happened in the end of 2003.

I intended to die without no one realize about me in my room and performing chantings of Metta Suttam (loving compassionate mantra) to make sure that I made right decision also hoping Buddha's mercy that I may be born in Phrommaviharn (the abode of Brahmas) or maybe at least if I die. I could be reincarnated again as an animal and begin the cycle slowly if I can't achieve Pari-Nibbhan (final blast) as a monk. I began to hate the world after what I had experienced, to the extend I want to enter the monastery although formally I was not a Buddhist in my identification. 

My mum realized that I didn't show up anywhere in the house nor outside the house for few days. She hit the room's door until the door opened and forced me to eat. My mother nor my family members did not notice that I was a Buddhist, because I only keep it to myself. I had done pujas (chanting mantras in Pali-Sanskrit) without no one know and very discreetly. So be careful with your children, parents. You do not know what influence had your children acquired when they mingled with people around them. Religion is not only stated in the identity card nor imaan (faith) is inherited. It is taught and maintained with knowledge, care, practices and prayers.

Back to the STPM (A-Level), I registered my name only to be an examination candidate in the Education Office in Kuala Lumpur. That was after I performed pilgrimage just after a while I stayed idle at home when I stopped from lower six in formal education system. Then, my mother said at least I should register for a formal class for important subjects like General Studies, Malay, and History.  

I registered for these classes in Kasturi Tuisyen Center there and I have to finish all of the two years syllabus in a compressed year, thanks to Mr. Kumaresan. I will always remember you for helping me with Malay paper and it is actually tough one. I still remember I cried alone in my room in the middle of the night to pass these art papers.

Kasturi Tuition Center in Kuala Lumpur where I was almost killed by two thieves while walking alone early in the morning. When they tried to force me to give them money, they had put a knife at my stomach. I kept my money in my socks and I just have RM2 in my wallet, so they just spare me away. After that I began to believe in prayers to Allah for safety when beginning journeys although it is just few cubits away from my room or house. I memorized ma'thurat and chanting them praying to Allah to protect me from His evil creatures everywhere now. I share this with everyone so that we could practice that for everyone's benefit. 

Another two subjects which are Syari'ah and Arabic I had chosen after I meditate in front of Ka'abah and performing Tawwaf (cirumambulation). It just came up to my mind after I returned to the Muassasah (foundation) in Ajyad Road. I repent there in Masjidil Haram (the respected House of God), cleansing my aqidah, focusing to Allah and began performing manasik. The journey there with my mother reminds me with some remnants of teachings that I learned in Seerah (History) where Isma'el and his mother Hajar were also there. 

I did not take any classes for both subjects Syari'ah and Arabic. I just learned it like in traditional way by visiting mosques and jotting down ulamas' lecture. Anywhere that I hear the lectures, I will jot down and keep them in my mind. I would chant again the verses they taught after the jama'ah prayers. I joined mosque's Arabic classes with some donation to support the teachers, revising again the leaflets given by the Religious, Da'awa, and Islamic Guidance Department of Saudi Arabia when I performed Hajj and revising my books when I was in form three (2002). 

But in the exam, I did not manage to do well too because I just learned everything in a year. It supposed to be in two years with proper syllabus. I passed my Arabic composition, and oral but I did not passed my Arabic literature because I did not know where to get the source for the syllabus. I also passed my Syari'ah paper. I can not continue my studies in the Middle East, but I am thankful to Allah for inspiring me to do so. God is at least merciful to His creature by teachings valuable matters to me. I feel happy in that way. I will never give up to know Him, I do not want any certificate but simply learning about Him : )

From the leaflets that I get from Hajj, I had analyzed that Islam or Syari'ah is basically consists of five components. They are Tawheed Aqeedah, 'Ibadah, Akhlaq and Tsawwuf, Mu'amalat, Munakahat, and Jinayyah. 

Tawheed or Monotheism is the Creed of a Muslim. 'Ibadah is the discipline that a Muslim undergoes to train themselves to be in the track of remembering Allah through the teachings in Quran and Sunnah, Akhlaq and Tasawwuf is for the purification of 'Aqidah because some of the characteristics described in Tasawwuf will flaw our 'Aqidah. We need to be humble in front of our Creator! Mu'amalat is the economic system performed by Islamic community. Munakahat is the way to build a Muslim and faithful family and Jinayyah is the limitations or the sentences for criminals done. Everything is inter-connected to each other. 

Aqidah of a Muslim is summarized in the Arkaanul Imaan or the Six Pillars of Faith. 'Ibadah is the 'amal (practices) concluded in the Arkaanul Islaam or the Five Pillars of Islam or Deen. Akhlaq and Tasawwuf in its basic form is Ihsaan. The preceeding Mu'amalah, Munakahat, and Jinayyat is a way to keep the nation or community in a harmonious and balanced way according to Sunnatullah.

Now, when I check back the syllabus of religious education traditionally transmitted in Arabian Peninsula, Southern Thailand, Malaysia, Indian subcontinent, and elsewhere although without any certificate or being low-estimated because religion is something that is backward and underrated but quite wonderful compared to academic education due to that people from academic line had forgotten the importance of morality and manners when talking to others. No matter when we talk to people younger than us or older than us. We have to respect every soul.

I had seen almost similar problem or maybe even worse in Saudi Arabia when I performed pilgrimage although the country is a country which executes Syari'ah Criminal Law. Most of the people treating migrant workers in a worse manner, and even they have no mercy to animals. 

The country had suppressed tasawwuf by claiming that it came from infidels teaching, but in the establishment of a religion. Not even one things could be excluded from the component because it would be a disaster to human civilization where Allah is the Generator of it. They are the elements that forming the Deen. They are mentioned in Hadis Qudsi (Holy Hadis) where it talks about Gibril (as) teaching the ummah (nation) on what is Imaan, what is Deen, and what is Ihsaan. 

I have this dream to travel to Yemen, or maybe to other places like China, India, or Iran to acquire the lessons about Quran and Sunnah leaving behind the denominations or sectarian problems. It sparks when I was in the Holy Mecca and after the experience that I had going through in this 24 years of life. 

I had mingled with the Tablighi jama'at kids, I personally love to see young kids devoting themselves to Allah. It is very rare to be seen around and good for community. Everyone talk about Allah's Greatness with others. Maybe sometimes I think that they and every one including myself need to step by step learning things and not being too carried away. But I do not feel that they did anything wrong, I would encourage them to acquire knowledge and to learn more for their practices and efforts.

Anyhow, I feel that it is a grace from Allah to the nation to have these kids just after I realize about their existence, lol. May they be blessed and being sincere in their quest. I also have my quest which is to see His Glorious appearance but I still feel I am not worthy. I need to learn more to know Him.  

Sealed with prayer, may Allah forgive us our sins, that is hidden or obvious. And I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, alone, without any partner, and that Muhammad (saw) His slave and messenger. I am pleased with Allah as my Lord. Muhammad is a messenger of Allah and Islam is my path. May He permits us to die in His path, Allah's Will :')