A Catholic view on Islam and Muslims in Malaysia

Selena Tay, Harakah Daily

I have always wanted to know more about Islam because I have heard that Islam is the Final Revelation. The phrase ‘Final Revelation’ is mysterious, intriguing and powerful. All along I have been hesitant because until recently I have met only two types of Muslims:
1. those who say that my religion is wrong; and
2. those who keep urging me to convert to Islam.

Call it Divine Providence (or what we Catholics like to describe’s as God’s ‘mysterious ways’), during a DAP Budget Forum in October 2009, I met someone from PAS whose calm and gentle demeanor encouraged me to find out more about Islam from him.

Strangely though, he has never talked about Islam to me and that is what makes me want to know more about Islam.

Now this person’s motto is ‘never fear to engage and never engage out of fear’. At last, I found someone with whom some sensible and intellectual discussion can be held.

What I learnt from him and his wife (a very nice lady whom I also got to know) is written here below, not as a theological treatise, but as solely my perspective on Islam.

First and foremost is that Islam is more than just fasting, giving of alms or zakat, praying five times a day and going on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Islam is all in all. It is a way of life and therefore it permeates a Muslim’s thinking and behaviour 24/7.

‘Weekend Muslims’

One is not only a Muslim on Fridays. Those are called ‘Friday Muslims’. In Catholicism, we also have Catholics who are not really practitioners of the faith but attend Church on Sundays. We call them ‘Sunday Catholics’.

Islam being a complete way of life is more than just a belief system packaged with certain rites and rituals of worship. Islam governs life individually in a family unit and collectively as a nation. It is more than just a personal belief between the individual and his Creator.

It must encompass the believer’s life in his home, office and society at large. Islam must exist in the Muslim’s soul, spirit and manner: in how he interacts with his family members, relatives, friends, office colleagueas, authorities, and so on.

In all things, the Muslim must be true to the practice of his faith and must not go against the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith (the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him).

For example, it is forbidden for a Muslim to accept bribes. If a Muslim accepts a bribe, then he is going against the teachings of the Qur’an. Simply put, this means he is not a good Muslim. Even if he prays 50 times a day, it still does not wash off the fact that he has broken the commandment of God. Likewise, a Catholic who goes to Church on Sundays but bullies the maid on Mondays is not practising the faith at all. He is only engaging in a Sunday ritual.

I have noticed that the members of the largest party in the ruling coalition who happen to be Muslims are not exemplary Muslims. They have a knack of telling lies and indulging in falsehood and this extends to the media controlled by them.

In Islam, it is forbidden to spread lies and slander. Therefore it is truly baffling how members of this ruling party can go on telling lies with impunity and step into the mosque on Fridays. I can only conclude that they have no fear of God at all.

The ‘Muslim’ leaders of this country have continuously implemented policies that burden the rakyat and strangle the poor and the oppressed. Hence the soon-to-be implemented GST, also stands for ‘Go Strangulate Them’ (‘them’ refers to the rakyat), besides being the Goods and Services Tax. They are not practising Islamic principles of governance as exemplified by Caliph Umar Abdul Aziz.

Islamic governance and administration is fair and just to all and it cares most for those who are downtrodden but it’s a pity that the Muslim leaders of this country have succumbed to the evils of capitalism.

Non-Muslims must not look to the Muslim leaders of the ruling coalition as exemplary Muslims. The values that they practice are not Islamic values. Instead they practice capitalistic values which is survival of the fittest, the dog-eat-dog law of the jungle.

Islam is a religion of compassion and benevolence. I long for the day that a good and upright Muslim leader who truly practices Islamic values to govern this nation in a just and equitable manner according to the precepts of Islam. That can only come about if the Muslim population of this country truly adheres to the teachings of Islam and vote in such a God-fearing leader.