Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Posted: 11 Sep 2013 06:56 PM PDT

Hence do we now blame Allah or blame Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for the recent increase in the price of petrol? Najib is powerless and would not be able to increase the price of petrol if Allah does not will it. Hence, also, do we hold protest demonstrations against the government or do we hold protest demonstrations against Allah?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

"Insha-Allah", the Muslims will normally utter, when someone says something. The English will say, "Touch wood".

'Touch wood' is a very un-Christian thing to say. This is a custom from the pre-Christianity days when people believed that devils lived in trees. And if you say something -- such as: let us hope it does not rain today -- the devil will make sure it rains just to dampen your plans. So you 'touch wood' to stroke the devil as a way of pacifying it so that the devil does not create mischief.

I remember when we were kids and whenever we said something we completed that statement with 'touch wood' and then touched the head of the chap closest to us. Why? Well, figure that one out. Hint: the Malays will say 'kayu' (wood) and touch your head whenever you say something silly.

'Insha-Allah' means 'Allah willing' or 'with the will of Allah'. Muslims believe that nothing happens without Allah's will or the will of Allah.

In fact, one Malay-Muslim scholar even said two days ago that the increase in the price of petrol is the will of Allah. This means unless Allah allows it then there would be no increase in the price of petrol.

Going by the opinion of this Malay-Muslim scholar, the culprit in the increase in the price of petrol is Allah and not Najib. Najib could have done nothing without the will of Allah. Hence Najib is innocent of the 'crime' of increasing the price of petrol.

Yes, if you are a 'true believer', then, as this Malay-Muslim scholar said, nothing happens without the will of Allah. Man can propose but God disposes, as they say. Hence, while we plot and plan, only Allah can determine the outcome of whatever we plot and plan.

"And when those who disbelieved devised plans against you that they might confine you or slay you or drive you away; and they devised plans and Allah too had arranged a plan; and Allah is the best of planners" -- verse 30, chapter 8 (sūrat l-anfāl) of the Qur'an.

If this is so, how about when we plot and plan other things? We plot and plan to kill someone. But because Allah does not permit what we plotted and planned, what we tried to do will fail. Only if Allah allows it will it succeed. So can we be punished for the evil deed when it would not have happened unless Allah allows it?

What about when Muslims leave Islam? I have asked scholars as to why -- if Islam is the true religion -- did Allah create us as Muslims and non-Muslims? Why did Allah not create all of us as Muslims?

The reply they gave me is that Allah will open our heart to the truth. Only when Allah opens our heart will we follow the true religion of Islam. If Allah does not open our heart then we will never see Islam as the true religion.

Going by this response this would mean Allah decides who shall become a Muslim and who shall not become a Muslim. Allah chooses those who shall be Muslims and those who shall be non-Muslims. And if Allah wants you to become a Muslim then He will 'open your heart' and if not He will keep your heart closed.

Muslims believe that only Islam is the true religion and all those who follow other religions are following false religions. Muslims also believe that only Muslims will go to heaven while non-Muslims will never enter heaven.

Based on this doctrine, is it fair that Allah wills only some people (20% of the world) to become Muslims and the rest (80% of the world) to remain non-Muslims and then sends 80% of the people to hell when they became non-Muslims not out of choice but because of the will of Allah?

Then we come to the subject of free choice. Does free choice exist in Islam? Some say yes. So, if free choice exists, how would this work with the will of Allah when Allah wills whatever happens and free choice will not come into play?

Theology and religious doctrine is a complex subject is it not? The more you ponder and seek answers the more contradictory everything appears. And if I were to leave Islam and become a Christian is this the will of Allah or free choice? If Allah does not will it can I even leave Islam in the first place?

Anyway, that is not really what I want to discuss today. I want to talk about something else but in my usual cheong hei manner I talk about other things before I come to the real subject matter.

What I want to talk about is the Allah word. The government appears to be playing up the Allah word to the hilt. And people like you and I wonder why the government appears to have a death wish by playing up such a sensitive issue. Will this issue not hurt Umno, especially when it comes to the support of the non-Malays or non-Muslims?

Maybe yes and maybe no. If Umno has decided that it has lost the support of the non-Malays anyway then there is no loss. Even if they do not play up the Allah word issue the non-Malays are still not going to support Umno anyway. So what has Umno got to lose?

However, Umno can place PAS and PKR between a rock and a hard place. If PAS and PKR agree that Bibles should not use the Allah word they will lose the support of the non-Malay opposition supporters. And if PAS and PKR agree that Bibles should be allowed to use the Allah word they will lose the support of the Malay opposition supporters.

Worse still, if PAS and PKR keep quiet and do not take a stand they will lose the support of both the Malay and non-Malay opposition supporters because the silence would be deafening.

Do you think they really care whether the Bible does or does not use the Allah word? Most Malays are not concerned and in fact were not even aware that Bibles printed in Bahasa Malaysia were using the Allah word. If the Christians and those in government had kept quiet, Bibles could have continued to use the Allah word without anyone being the wiser because Malay-Muslims never read the Bible anyway (so how would they know?).

But then the Allah word is a very good political platform to stand on. Umno can raise this issue knowing that Pakatan Rakyat would be hard-pressed to take a position on the matter. If Pakatan Rakyat takes one position it is in trouble and if it takes the other position it is also in trouble. And if DAP, PKR and PAS take 'independent' positions it will also spell trouble because then it will be clear that Pakatan Rakyat is divided on the matter.

But then, you may ask, what about the Christians from Sabah and Sarawak? These two East Malaysian states are Barisan Nasional's 'fixed deposits' and there are many Christians there. Would this not jeopardise Barisan Nasional's support in East Malaysia?

Well, Bibles in East Malaysia are allowed to use the Allah word. Only in West Malaysia is this matter being contested. Hence Umno believes that the support from the East Malaysian Christians will not suffer while the support from the Christians in West Malaysia is lost anyway and therefore does not matter.

It is yet to be proven whether this is a sound political strategy or whether Umno has blundered big time. We will, of course, know soon enough once the Sarawak state elections are held in two-and-a-half years time or so, which will be two years ahead of the next general election. Then we can see whether Umno is a fool or a genius.

Maybe they can say that this is the will of Allah. If Allah wills it then Bibles can use the Allah word and if Allah does not will it then Bibles will not be able to use the Allah word. Then Allah and not Umno were to be blamed for this.

Don't you just love how the will of Allah works? It helps you to 'wash your hands' and shift the blame of your decisions to some higher power.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Khamis, 12 September 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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