An open conversation about Islam

I was busy playing with my two-year-old nephew the other day when I overheard a very interesting conversation between his two grandmothers - my mum and my brother's mother-in-law.

"You punya masjid tak boleh pakai speaker lagi (Your mosque is not allowed to use loudspeakers anymore)," said Aunty Lau, pointing to an article in her copy of Sin Chew Daily.

"Betul ka (Really)?" Mum asked as she put on her reading glasses and stood behind Aunty Lau, snooping at the Chinese daily.

"Tengok la (There)," Aunty Lau referred to the article where the sultan of Selangor had issued a decree prohibiting mosques and suraus in the state from using loudspeakers to broadcast religious talks. "Sultan sudah cakap tak boleh kacau orang lain (The sultan has already said other people should not be disturbed)."

As Mum browsed through her handphone, trying to read the article in a language she understood, Aunty Lau asked me, "Your house is also very close to the mosque. Good for you it won't be as noisy."

"I am not so sure about that, Aunty. In the past, every time there's been a religious talk at night, I'd call the Seapark police station. But after a few days, it gets noisy again," I explained.

"Wah, you call police ah? Did they help?" Aunty Lau was intrigued.

"If we have problems, of course we have to contact the police, Aunty. And they are also very kind, they'd always send their officers to the mosque and request them to lower the volume of the speakers," I said, much to her disbelief.

"I heard Muslims like it if the mosque is loud, is it true?" Aunty Lau asked Mum.

"According to Islam, we should never cause inconvenience to others. If the sound from speakers in mosques are so loud that it disturbs people sleeping, resting or if they are unwell, that is already wrong," Mum explained.

"Correct," Aunty Lau pouted, agreeing.

"When we pray, it is between us and God. If it disturbs others, that is not right," Mum said.

Different perceptions

Aunty Lau appeared confused. "Why is your version of Islam different from others?"

I continued entertaining my nephew while observing both of them.

"There is only one version of Islam. But it is the Muslims who perceive things differently," Mum replied.

"How can that be? One religion should have one way to pray. How can some people pray loudly and others pray softly?"

"What to do, different people have their own different set of beliefs. We cannot control what others think, but we can always think for ourselves what is right and wrong," Mum replied.

Aunty Lau nodded slowly, trying to digest Mum's reply.

"Islam is a religion that promotes understanding and respect. If the speaker volume is set high, where are the understanding and respect?" Mum explained further.

"I agree with everything you said. But why don't all Muslims think as such? If your religion really promotes everything you mentioned, all Muslims should follow it, right?" asked Aunty Lau.

I understood Aunty Lau's series of questions. Having fanatics, extremists, conservatives, moderates and liberals claiming to be guided by one single book can be quite confusing.

At the same time, I also understood Mum's struggle to explain the matter to Aunty Lau. It is not an easy task to shift blame from others for perceiving matters differently at their end, for there can be many factors contributing to a person's belief system.

After some thinking, Mum said, "We all believe in one Creator but we give Him different names, right? It's similar - there is only one version of Islam, but Muslims tend to form their own beliefs based on their own perception."

"If everyone shared your opinion, that would be good. People of different races live here - Malays, Chinese and Indians. We have to be understanding enough not to trouble others.

"The Malays should not trouble the Chinese and Indians, and the Chinese and Indians should not trouble the Malays. If we can achieve that, everyone will be happy," Aunty Lau said.

"You are absolutely right," said Mum.

After six years of being related to each other, it was nice to see Mum and Aunty Lau having an open conversation about Islam. I surely hope this won't be the end of such conversations, because there are so many misperceptions about Islam which have to be cleared, especially among those close to us.

I believe if all right-minded Muslims reached out to our non-Muslim friends, neighbours and colleagues, clearing up all the confusions and misperceptions associated with Islam, we would build a better, more understanding society for the next generation.

Hopefully, my little nephew who is of Chinese-Indian Muslim parentage will grow up in a much more understanding, respectful, accepting and loving environment. Insya Allah.

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FA ABDUL is a passionate storyteller, a growing media trainer, an aspiring playwright, a regular director, a struggling producer, a self-acclaimed photographer, an expert Facebooker, a lazy blogger, a part-time queen and a full-time vainpot.- Mkini