Have We Perverted the Meaning of “Rahmatan lil ‘alameen”?

“I was made victorious by the winds of as-Saba’ and ‘Aad were destroyed by the winds of ad-Daboor” [Sahih Muslim]

This was what the prophet Muhammad s.a.w. (peace be upon him) said after the miraculous victory of the Muslims in the Battle of Al-Ahzab (The Confederates), a battle in which they were vastly outnumbered by a combination of forces inside and outside the city of Madinah.

With no hope of a military victory, a sandstorm the likes of which many had not seen in their lifetime suddenly swept in and forced the retreat of the army surrounding the Muslim city. The battle was over with less than 10 casualties on the side of the Muslims.

But none of the disbelievers died in that retreat.
Why were the disbelievers not destroyed completely by Allah? After all they were clearly enemies of Islam - opponents on the battlefield, ready to kill the Muslims!
Why did Allah not send the wind of ad-Daboor, with which He had destroyed previous stubbornly unbelieving nations?
Why, instead, did He send the more merciful wind of as-Saba’?

Ulama’ comment that this is because of the rahmah (mercy) that the prophet s.a.w. felt towards his enemies, that they would one day enter into Islam.
And sure enough, in a few years the majority of that army which surrounded Madinah, ready to kill the Muslims off, had themselves become Muslims. And today, a millennium  and a half later, their descendants are also Muslims.

This is one of the many examples of the rahmah of the prophet s.a.w. (another famous example being the mercy he showed towards the people of Ta’if, who stoned him for his da’wah. Today the descendants of those people of Ta’if are Muslims).

In other words, the prophet Muhammad s.a.w. truly deserves the title Allah bestowed upon him in the Qur’an - “rahmatan lil ‘alameen” [Surah Al-Anbiya’: 107]
(Translated very roughly to English as “a mercy to all the worlds”.)

Yet today there are quarters who claim that when we promote an inclusive image of Islam in which Muslims are willing to engage with those of other worldviews and to discuss and debate in a healthy manner as a way to show the beauty of this deen, we have somehow perverted the meaning of “rahmatan lil ‘alameen”.

How narrow-minded those accusations are!
After all, did the prophet s.a.w. himself not show a willingness to engage with those around him throughout his life, Muslim or not? Indeed, never did he force the conversion of others to his Message, preferring to let them see the Truth with their own hearts and minds.
Such was rahmatan lil ‘alameen.

Yes, I am aware that there are those out there who abuse the meaning of rahmatan lil ‘alameen, and use the phrase to promote a blind pluralism in which all religions are equally correct with Islam.
That is indeed a perversion, because Allah says very clearly:

“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allah, then indeed, Allah is swift in [taking] account.” [Surah Ali Imran: 19]

And thus, it is upon Muslims to believe so.

But at the same time, let us not go to the opposite extreme and deny the right of other religions to exist. Believe it or not, the existence of religions other than Islam is an ayat (sign) of Allah:

“And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers? And it is not for a soul to believe except by permission of Allah, and He will place defilement upon those who will not use reason.” [Surah Yunus: 99-100]

Put simply:
Islam does not recognise the TRUTH of other religions,
but it recognises the EXISTENCE of other religions
(and the RIGHT for human beings to choose what to believe).

To me, one of the signs of the truth of the prophet s.a.w. was his vision. Although he was born and raised in the middle of the Arabian desert, he had a mission which traverses the space and time he was in.
His Message was not limited to his tribe or race, in a society which was bitterly tribalistic; nor was it limited by time, traversing generations and millennia.

He wanted everyone to receive, and to accept, the Truth - to have as many people and peoples as possible to enter heaven, not limit heaven only for his tribe or race.

That’s the sort of fighters for Islam that Malaysia (and the world) needs today. Those who can see past racial sentiments and lead the way to a better future for all. To offer the God-given solutions within Islam to everyone.
To thus follow in the footsteps of our prophet s.a.w.

Contrast that to the noisy voices in Malaysia today who claim to fight for Islam but limit their fight to the rights of one race only.
In the process they become arrogant, and mock those of a different race to themselves with the excuse of upholding Islam.
How contradictory that is to the ayat:

“O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.“ [Surah Al-Hujurat: 11]

Who, then, is perverting the message of rahmatan lil ‘alameen?

Ice Cream

Many kids stared as I ate a cheap RM1 ice cream at a local shopping mall yesterday.

It reminded me of the time when I was that old and would do anything for the ability to have ice cream anytime I want. Of course, at that age I didn’t have the money nor the means to go to the ice cream shop as often as I wished.

Yesterday I realised how much I now take that freedom for granted - at this age I no longer appreciate the ability to buy ice cream so easily because I’m too busy chasing ‘more important’ things.

Such is human nature - as we grow older we are in a continuous chase for the ‘ice cream’ of that particular phase in life - good exam results, a job, a car, a house, a wife, a good retirement, a good place to die.

Perhaps, once in a while, we should just take the time to sit down and appreciate what we have instead of being constantly fixated on what we don’t just yet.

And hey, have some ice cream while you’re at it ✌🏻

[14:7]

Let’s Look into the Mirror when Driving

Lets look into the mirror when driving.

Malaysian traffic is my nemesis -
avoiding potholes, motorists refusing to give way, dodging motorcycles and 16-wheel lorries alike..
after a few hours on the road I find myself exhausted not only physically, mentally and emotionally, but also spiritually.
No joke - in this month of Ramadhan, driving in Malaysia is truly a test of sabr and iman.

Let’s look into the mirror when driving.

Yet, after a while, it dawned on me that I am committing the same mistakes as the drivers around me - if not worse.
I too cut lines, block others from joining the lane, park inappropriately.
What was it which prevented me from being aware of my own mistakes in the first place?
Stress?
A sense of entitlement?
A sort of superiority complex?
Perhaps the main issue is not actually the misdemeanour of other drivers; rather it is my reaction towards them.
In that sense my fellow motorists are a mirror, reflecting the diseases of my own heart.

Let’s look into the mirror when driving.

In this new Malaysia there is a new confidence among Malaysians to ‘muhasabah’ those in authority - ie to hold them to account for their wrongdoings. Such confidence is indeed a positive change for this country.
But let us remember that muhasabah first and foremost is to be directed towards oneself - towards one’s own heart and actions.

Let’s look into the mirror when driving.
Not only on Malaysian roads, but in life in general.

#ramadhanmubarak #malaysiabaru #malaysiamenujunegararahmah

The Malaysian Spring

SubhanAllah walhamdulillah wastaghfirullah..
Malaysian grew up before our eyes yesterday!

But the journey is far from over..and even in our celebration, we can take steps towards a more mature democracy.

Despite the historic nature of this election, it cannot be denied that it was (and still is) marred by the same diseases of the past:
petty name-calling and labelling, racism, an inability to agree to disagree - just to name a few.
No side in this election was immune from such diseases.

We as a people have to strive for an Independence, a Merdeka, from such characteristics;
to have adaab (etiquette) in democracy.

A good place to start would be to distance ourselves from blind partisanship; meaning, that the party I support  is absolutely right and everybody else is absolutely wrong.

Let us instead recognise that in this new Malaysian Spring, the flowers which will bloom shall be in the form of diverse political views - often in competition and disagreement, but altogether a sign of a healthy garden.

Let those flowers bloom, do not crush them.
We may disagree with the views of other Malaysians - find them repulsive, even stupid.
But it is only if we can agree to disagree in a mature manner, to respect others’ right to hold an opinion we don’t agree with, that this new Malaysia can be a better one.
Let us realise that those you disagree with are fellow Malaysians. Often, family and friends. Accept them as human beings, and treat them as you expect to be treated.

This doesn’t mean you should keep your views quietly to yourself. The freedom to express one’s views, after all, is a sign of a healthy democracy.
So go ahead and try to convince others. Discuss. Debate, even.
But realise that the worst argument is to tell others, emotionally, to “shut up”;
that just shows how weak your own stand is.

Stay cool.
Show good akhlaq.
Have adaab.


P.s. Congratulations, Malaysia.
Truly I am especially proud today to be Malaysian. If one day I am blessed to have children and grandchildren, I will surely tell them of the day our country achieved her 2nd Merdeka, InsyaAllah!



#MalaysiaMenujuNegaraRahmah

Dear sir

Dear sir,

I am a Malaysian citizen studying in the UK. I have lived here for 6 years now.

In that time, I have voted 3 times here - because Commonwealth citizens are allowed to vote in UK elections, and it is good citizenship to exercise the right to vote.

So far in the UK I have voted in a city council election, an European Parliament election and the Brexit referendum.

I am registered to vote as a postal voter for the Malaysian GE14. But it is the 8th of May and my ballot paper has yet to arrive.

Dear sir,

Isn’t it tragic that I, a citizen of Malaysia, finds it much easier to exercise my RIGHT to vote in a FOREIGN land than in my own country?

Dear sir,

Isn’t it tragic that the best case scenario is that the Election Commission is just too incompetent to allow postal voters to vote,

and that the worst case scenario is that the EC is in some way or other purposely denying us the Malaysian diaspora our right?

And isn’t it tragic, dear sir, that when these concerns are brought to you, you answer with a reply so dismissive that it borders on the idiotic?

That you tell us to not “get excited”, with the justification that we are too insignificant in number to decide this election?

That you have missed the point entirely?

That the question at hand, sir, is NOT our “insignificant numbers”, rather it is our RIGHT to take part in our democracy. 

It is a tragedy compounded with irony when an official ELECTED through a democratic process doesn’t seem to understand the basics of democracy.

What’s more a member of cabinet, a DEPUTY MINISTER? 

Dear sir,

Your advice to us postal voters to not “get excited” has been duly noted.

In reply I advice you to not “get excited” for a post in the Cabinet post-GE 14.

Regards,

The insignificant 0.1%

#getexcited

Islam and Politics

There are two extreme ends of the spectrum when it comes to the role of Islam in politics:

On one extreme is the view that Islam and politics must be kept entirely separate.
As a result, the principles of Islam are not allowed to contribute to the discourse of ethics in administration, good governance, adaab in democracy.
This leads to dichotomy, and a road to ruin.

On the other extreme is the view that Islam in its entirety is political in nature.
As a result the health of the spiritual heart is overlooked, akhlaq (character) deteriorates, those who do not agree with my political stance is ‘less Muslim’.
This leads to disunity, and a road to ruin.

It is better, in my humble opinion, to take the middle path;
to learn that Islam and politics is inseparable, but Islam rises ABOVE politics - and encompasses so much more as a way of life.
That there is room for not just a Muslim voice in politics, but there should be room for multiple Muslim voices to exist - offering differing solutions to political issues, and room for discussion in a climate of maturity.

Shall we not take that path?


#MalaysiaMenujuNegaraRahmah

A Democracy in it’s Infancy

At a voter registration centre in Afghanistan today, a bomb went off; among those killed, children.
It is a symbolic situation - a democracy in its infancy struggling to mature in a climate of violence.

In Malaysia, Alhamdulillah, we have been spared such violence - but our democracy has also seemed to find it hard to mature.


I have been warned by those around me to be careful when talking about politics.
To not criticise those in power too openly.
After all, I am a government-sponsored student -
not the wisest thing to do, is it, to bite the hand which feeds you?

Largely this advice has come from well-meaning people, from family and friends.

But with all due respect, and with no intention to shame or embarrass, I humbly assert that it is this very mindset which has held democracy back in Malaysia.
An unwillingness to challenge authority in fear of the ‘bad things’ which can happen to ME, is the very thing that has led to ‘bad things’ happening to ALL OF US -
the kleptocratic mess we find our country in today.

This self-censorship kills the freedom of expression necessary to hold our representatives in government to account.

And yes - they are OUR representatives. They work for us, NOT the other way around.

The allowance I receive is from the PEOPLE of Malaysia, NOT the government’s.
Is it not, then, even more of a responsibility for me to speak out against a government oppressing my people?
Is it not selfish of me to sit down quietly and let the corruption of my government be?


Yes, I realise that in saying this I may come across as a naively idealistic young kid.
But perhaps it is because I am young that I have so much to lose with a corrupt government in power.
It is because I’m so idealistic that I can speak with a clear conscience, no strings attached.

So I shall speak.
And in my own small insignificant way, I shall hold to account those in power.

As Afghans die in a bomb blast seeking their democracy,
we in Malaysia cannot let our democracy die quietly.

Rise up and speak.



P.s. if you are afraid of speaking up because of the government, perhaps its time you get a new government.

Saad and Ayyan

Two 10-year-old boys meekly approached me, wearing sheepish grins. 

“Assalamualaikum..”

“Yes?”

“We want to apologise about yesterday..”

Yesterday as the two boys entered the masjid, they saw me and whispered (audibly) to each other: 

“Chang Ching Chong is here” 

- alluding to my Oriental appearance.

Fighting the temptation to give them a piece of my mind there and then, I instead kept my cool and approached the man who brought the two boys to the masjid.

I asked him who they were - he said they were his son and nephew. Aged 10.

I told him what they called me, and reminded him that racism is wrong in Islam.

Visibly embarrassed, he told me he will handle it.

I asked him not to scold them - they are only young and didn’t know better. But they DO need to be told that what they did was wrong.

After salah, I approached the family of three as they were leaving the masjid.

“I just want to say that what you did today was very brave - apologising.

Not many grown-ups are able to do that.”

They grinned. A bit more proudly this time.

Saad and Ayyan, you are growing up in a world full of prejudice and hate. Already some of it has tainted you.

But as long as you retain the courage to admit your mistakes and apologise, there still is hope.

(And we adults can learn a thing or two on that too)

The people’s ‘tidak kisah’ attitude 

       leads to 

                  ignorance;

which provides fertile ground for

                       kleptocracy, 

            cronyism, and 

blind fanaticism.

the apathy of the rakyat = the corruption of her politicians