Malay first and Muslim last?

By Singa Terhormat

The Jews subscribe to the notion that there is but one God. Like Muslims, they reject any concept where God is given or has partners.

In this the Jews fulfil the greatest commandment that one shall take no other gods besides God (Tawhid).

Where however the Scripture of the Jews differ from that of the Muslims is that it subscribes to the belief that the Jews are God’s own chosen people deserving of salvation whilst all others (the Gentiles) are inferior to the Jews.

The Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) however make it clear that Almighty God abhors any form of racism or racial discrimination.

I quote here (with slight editing) portions of a khutbah (sermon) that was delivered by Sheikh Abduragmaan Alexander:

“We dare not dishonour what Allah has honoured

Subhanallah ! Glory be to Allah Almighty for creating the human being from a microscopic germ, yet placed him on this earth as His vicegerent, and favoured him above the rest of creation.

Says Allah in the Glorious Qur’an:

“We have indeed honoured the progeny of Adam” -  ( surah 17:70 )

The great Imam al-Alusi states that “all humanity are endowed with dignity, nobility and honour.” Thus every member of humanity has been honoured, not on the false premise of racial superiority or social rank, but on the basis of their humanity and having been endowed with the faculty of intellect.

To dishonour and degrade any human on the basis of race, colour or ethnicity, is to rob him of his very birthright.

Oh Muslims! Today from this platform of truth, I echo the sacred words of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) when he so categorically stated during his last sermon from the mighty plains of Arafah.

“An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab nor is a light skin person superior to a dark skin person or vice-versa….”

Hence, the Holy Prophet, in His Prophetic human rights charter, dealt a death-blow to claims of superiority on the basis of mere ethnicity and race. How sad that racism is still deeply rooted in the hearts of certain Muslims?”

To those Malays then that subscribe to the concept of Ketuanan Melayu, perhaps you should ponder over some of the questions that you may be asked as spelt out by Sheikh Abduragmaan Alexander in the remaining part of his khutbah.

“What will be your answer in the divine Supreme Court, when the charge of racism is leveled against you?

What will your answer be to the Supreme Creator when you are guilty of xenophobia?

What will be your response to the Judge of all judges for discarding His divine constitution, and making demands in your man-made constitutions that favour only members of a certain ethnic group?

I thought you knew, Allah will say, that I have ordained that every human is born free, pure and equal? Why did you turn a blind eye to my Glorious Quran?”

To these Malays I say that you are no better than the Jews whom you are so quick to despise.  You operate, so it appears, on the basis of being Malay first and, if at all you can be classified as one, on being Muslim last.

To those amongst you who have performed the umrah and haj, I say unto you:

“ Have you not learnt anything from your pilgrimage?

Have you not in performing the umrah and haj stood shoulder to shoulder with mankind made up of various ethnicity and race and together with them in the brotherhood of mankind in one movement bowed down and prostrated to your Creator?

What ails you so that you now think you are more privileged than the others when in your pilgrimage your race, colour and status is of no consequence to your Creator?

Truly, I say unto you, unless you rid yourself of the pride of racism in your hearts, you are no more deserving of paradise than the Jews of similar mind.

- The People's Parliament