Religious minister: Political support does not guarantee a place in heaven

 Differences in political support should not lead to punitive or condescending attitudes towards others, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan.

He said this was especially so when salvation in the hereafter was linked to membership in, or support for, any political organisation.

He said the determination of heaven and hell was the absolute right of Allah SWT and could not be guaranteed by any individual, leader, or political organisation.

Zulkifli said support for any political organisation was not a measure of attaining Allah SWT’s pleasure, as faith, piety, and righteous deeds based on the Quran and Sunnah were the primary foundations.

“The attitude of claiming one’s group is definitively pure while others are excluded from the mercy of Allah SWT is a form of self-praise and ghuluw (extremism), which is strictly prohibited in Islam,” he said in a Facebook post.

Zulkifli said political parties were merely wasilah, or intermediaries, in human endeavours and were not exempt from weaknesses and ijtihad (independent reasoning).

They could not be equated with religion or used as an absolute measure of a person’s standing before Allah SWT, he added.

He urged all parties to mature their political culture by making justice, the well-being of the ummah (Muslim community) and good character as core principles, rather than exploiting religious sentiments for political gain.

“Engage in mature and ethical politics based on justice and the well-being of the ummah, without compromising the values of faith and ukhuwah Islamiah (Islamic brotherhood),” he said, urging society to distinguish between religion as a guide to life and political parties as platforms for human endeavour.

The statement came in response to media reports yesterday quoting PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan as saying that supporting PAS and its Islamic-based struggles could be a path to heaven.

Takiyuddin was reported to have said that those who joined PAS and fought for Islam had the opportunity to earn the reward of heaven, while describing those who died defending Islam as martyrs.

- Bernama