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| One man’s deviant is another man’s truth Posted: 04 Nov 2013 10:09 PM PST
Actually, both Sunni and Shia Muslims share most fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith. The differences between these two main sub-groups within Islam initially stemmed not from spiritual differences but from political differences. Over the centuries, however, these political differences have spawned a number of conflicting practices and positions, which have transformed into spiritual differences. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
Jamil Khir: Don't be influenced by deviant teachings (fz.com) - Muslims should be wary of the spread of deviant beliefs which could destroy traditional Islamic practices, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom. He said Muslims in Malaysia needed to follow Islamic teachings based on the Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah, in terms of faith, syariah and personality. According to Jamil Khir, the policies set were suited to the 'maqasid syariah' concept (the objectives of Islamic law), which placed preservation of religion as its main objective. "In a country, the responsibility to protect the sanctity and holiness of a religion lies on the ruler, and here, the Malaysian Government acts to carry out the principle of protecting the religion and governing the country based on maqasid syariah," he said. He was speaking at the National Maal Hijrah Celebration ceremony at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here today. He said this year's celebration, themed 'Wasatiyyah Tonggak Kesatuan Ummah' (Moderation The Pillar To Unite The People) focused on the moderate approach practised by Prophet Muhammad, and Malaysia was a Muslim country that had long practised the principles of moderation. Jamil Khir said the principles were contained in the teachings of Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah since Islam first came to the country; and the religion spread without force, war, fight or any difficult method. "Instead, Islamic teachings were delivered by missionaries with moderation so that it can be accepted by all levels of society." He said complete national unity could not be achieved without 'ijmak' (consensus of syariah experts) in religious principles, in addition to never-ending polemic which in the end, brought losses to all parties. Jamil Khir added that 'hijrah' not only referred to changing for the better, but also related to sensitivity, creativity and innovation of matters for implementation. ***************************************************** First of all, what does Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah mean? Ahl or ahli means 'member of', 'the people of', 'those in the group', 'belonging to', etc. Hence ahli PAS would mean member of or belonging to PAS. Sunnah means the traditions or actions of Prophet Muhammad. Jamaah means 'the congregation', 'the party' or 'the group'. Hence those who are in the congregation of the tradition of Prophet Muhammad -- meaning members of the Sunnah -- are called Sunnis. Now, Sunni Islam is the branch of Islam that accepts the first four caliphs as rightful successors of Prophet Muhammad. And that is why those who reject the first three Caliphs and instead accept only Ali, the Fourth Caliph, is not a Sunni but a Shia (which is short for Shiatu Ali -- or congregation, group, followers, faction, party, etc., of Ali). Now, what is the difference between Shia and Sunni Islam? Actually, both Sunni and Shia Muslims share most fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith. The differences between these two main sub-groups within Islam initially stemmed not from spiritual differences but from political differences. Over the centuries, however, these political differences have spawned a number of conflicting practices and positions, which have transformed into spiritual differences. The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Jamil Khir Baharom, warned Malaysian Muslims today to be wary of the spread of deviant beliefs which, he said, could destroy traditional Islamic practices. And this is where the confusion begins to set in. When Jamil said 'deviant beliefs' could destroy 'traditional Islamic practices', what does he mean here? What 'beliefs' and what 'practices' is he talking about? This is the part that needs further explanation. Both Sunnis and Shias share the same fundamental beliefs as far as doctrine goes. They may, however, disagree whether Ali should have been the Fourth Caliph -- after Abu Bakar, Umar and Usman -- or whether he should have been the First Caliph -- ahead of Abu Bakar, Umar and Usman. This has been the great Sunni-Shia divide for 1,381 years since Prophet Muhammad died on Monday, 8th June 632. Both Sunnis and Shias accept Allah as God and Muhammad as the last Prophet. They do not, however, agree on who should have been the successor to Prophet Muhammad. And when Ali eventually became the Caliph (the word Caliph means successor) in 656, the anti-Ali faction opposed his appointment and this triggered the first civil war that was fought between Muslims and Muslims. And the Sunnis and Shias have been fighting ever since not over matters of doctrine but over the issue of succession. I remember when I went to Mekah in 1982 there was a fatal stabbing incident. Four Iranians had attacked one of the mosque guards when he confronted them over what he considered an act of heresy. It seems the Iranians had uttered the proclamation of faith -- 'La Ilaha IllAllah Muhammad-Ur-RasulAllah' (There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God) -- but had added 'Khomeini Akbar' (Komeini is great) at the end of that proclamation of faith. I found out about this incident because I was detained at the airport as I tried to leave the country. The police thought I was an Iranian trying to escape using a Malaysian passport since I looked Iranian and not a bit like the many Malays in our group. The Sunni-Shia rivalry is still strong until today, as I had personally discovered. Many Sunnis consider the Shias as deviants, and vice versa. This is not unlike the Protestant-Catholic divide of 500 years ago when the Puritans killed the Anglicans and the Anglicans killed the Catholics and the Catholics killed anyone and everyone who was not Catholic because each considered all the others as heretics and apostates. At the end of the day, who are the deviants and who are the true followers of the faith? I suppose only God knows that answer. Malaysian law says that Malaysians born into a Muslim family may not leave Islam. Malaysian law also says that Malaysian Muslims must follow the Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah. That is well and fine. In short Malaysian law says Malaysian Muslims may not become Christians or follow Shia Islam. That is all that Malaysian law says. So, if you remain a Muslim and belong to the Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah, who is Jamil Khir Baharom to decide whether you are a deviant or not? Malaysian law does not stipulate what you should and should not believe in your heart. It just says you should not become a Christian or a Shia. The rest should be up to you to decide. Let me put it this way. During the Prophet's time they used kayu sugi to clean their teeth (see below). Let's say you don't believe that this is hygienic and instead believe that you should brush your teeth with Colgate. That means you are not following the Prophet's Sunnah or example. So will this make you a deviant? Just a simple question; so give me a simple answer.
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