What is fundamentally wrong with FT Mufti Bill?

 

The issue of the Federal Territories Mufti Bill has been much discussed. We even wrote about it in our Malay post “RUU Mufti 2024: Penjurusan ke Arah Autoritarianisme Agama?”.

It was published on our portal irfront.net last month. Undoubtedly, while this issue has a direct bearing on the lives of Muslims in Malaysia, it will also indirectly affect non-Muslims since all of us are living in the same ecosystem.

The most damning aspect of this bill is its categorisation of Islam under Article 4. This article defines Ahlul Sunnah wal-Jama’ah as those who follow the aqidah (creed) of Ash-āira and Maturidia, the fiqh (jurisprudence) of Syafi’iyyya and the three other mazhab or denomination (plural mazāhib), and the tasawuf (Sufism) of al-Ghazali and al-Junaidi.

This article is the most un-Islamic of all; it tries to portray Islam as a very exclusive religion belonging solely to those who subscribe to this definition. Indeed, it is against the spirit of inclusivity Islam wherein God reminds us: Innamal mu’minūna ikhwatun – All believers are but brethren [Surah al-Hujūrat; 49:10].

This particular verse denotes that whatever their denomination, as long as one believes in the one and only God, the Prophet and the day of judgement, that person is within the fold of Islam.

Understandably, the reason for this very sectarian definition is mainly to counter the growing force of the Salafis. Who are these Salafis?

They are those who do not subscribe to any mazhab or mazāhib but instead follow a manhaj (system) of belief that is based on evidence. In Islam, it is called nass (a known or clear legal injunction).

Nass is based on the text of the Quran, or an authentic hadith (a form of oral tradition containing the purported words, actions and the silent approvals of the prophet).

In the field of medicine, this is called “evidence-based medicine”. There is no better way to practice this religion similar to what is being practised in medicine which is based on evidence.

Simply innovations

Of course, the traditionalist muftis in all states over the country - with the exception of Perlis - supported this bill since this is the way they want Muslims in Malaysia to practise their religion: to blindly follow the mazhab without questioning the nass or evidence.

Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin

Hence, many of their practices were simply innovations (bid’ah) with no basis in this religion at all. Islam became very complicated and convoluted rather than an easy religion to follow.

God declares in the Quran: “and He has laid no hardship on you in [anything that pertains to] religion” [Surah al-Hajj; 22:78].

In his commentary regarding this verse in his magnum opus “The Message of the Quran”, the erudite scholar Muhammad Asad says: “The absence of any ‘hardship’ in the religion of Islam is due to three factors:

(1) It is free of any dogma or mystical proposition which might make the Quranic doctrine difficult to understand or might even conflict with man's innate reason;

(2) It avoids all complicated rituals or system of taboos which would impose undue restrictions on man's everyday life; and

(3) It rejects all self-mortification and exaggerated asceticism, which must unavoidably conflict with man's true nature.”

Religion of jihad

Now, compare this to what the Mufti Bill is trying to achieve.

Of course, certain muftis have declared time and again that Ash-āira and Maturidiya doctrine promote wasatiya or moderation in all things. They were trying to link Salafiya to extremism and violence.

We do not deny the fact that Islam preaches peace and moderation. However, Islam is also a religion of jihad (meritorious struggle or effort).

Jihad is not an act of violence indiscriminately directed against non-Muslims, but a struggle against all kinds of evil in whatever shape or form, against any forces of tyranny or oppression.

War in Islam (qital in Arabic is only one aspect of jihad) is waged for the sake of liberty and freedom to alleviate suffering and repression. It is a noble duty and a mujahid (one who engages in jihad) is thus a noble person who offers his life for the achievement of lofty ends.

But of course, this magnificent concept has been contaminated by Islamophobes to create an Islam which is sterile and impotent. Unfortunately, some people here have become intoxicated with Western imperialists’ propaganda that tries to paint the Salafis as violent actors as reflected in the term “Salafi-Jihadi”.

Finally, we hope that the unchecked power bestowed to the Mufti under this new act is opposed by all means possible by the parliamentarians who are debating this act.

The Federal Territories Mufti Bill will not only affect the Muslims but will have a ripple effect on the non-Muslims in this country as well. - Mkini

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AHMAD FAROUK MUSA of the Islamic Renaissance Front holds a PhD in Surgery from Monash University Australia and a Masters of Medicine in Surgery from Universiti Sains Malaysia. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Islamic Studies at Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.