With Sadness... Let Them Go....

He is a man whose name is so important in the history of Islam. He is the man who raised, protected and loved our Prophet like no other. In times of hardship, he is the shoulder to cry on. He is the man who knew the Prophet more than other man. He raised him, shower him with love more than his own children and witnessed of how this child grown to be a noble man.

If there was a man that the Prophet wanted most as Muslim, Abu Talib is that man.

Yet, it crush his heart when Abu Talib refused to do so. And openly declare that he will ask for forgiveness on his behalf till told to do otherwise.

And Allah revealed to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and to us as Muslims

“Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way..” (Al-Qasas : 56)

Many Muslims know this tragic story. And not an inch of the history of the Prophet goes without us to learn something. He is our guide, our leader and our Imam.

In this verse, Allah teaches us one fundamental lesson. That the Iman, the Hidayah, belongs to him and not to anyone else, including his Prophet. And what more to say, us, ordinary Muslims?

Allah teaches us that how hard we try to convince other people to follow the way of Islam, or to remain in one, the Iman or Faith will never belong to us at our disposal, but it is His, the Almighty prerogative alone can determine who will remain in Islam or not.

I read with sadness when I come across Haris’s blog. Truly, when one of us choose to leave the folk, it sadden the Ummah. We welcome anyone in Islam and we are happy if we are of many.

However how we may wish, still it is the prerogative of Allah to determine who will be among the Ummah, and who will be not.

I am not anti-Ulama. I am against Ulama who distort facts and who used religion for worldly gain. I am against Ulama who wishes to control the mind of Muslims with intention of gaining more influence and power. I am against Ulama who propagate that Islam can inflict pain who dare to go against Islam-as I say-tion (Note: This is Haris’s quote)

Many Ulama claim that apostates deserved death penalty. Islamists in Malaysia, in trying to soften their hard image, is contend, for the time being, of throwing them in jail and imposing heavy fines. They are contend to making their life as miserable as possible.

These people claimed that this in accordance of Islam. If it is so, then why Allah explicitly revealed to us that Faith is his prerogative, and only he can choose whom he wished to bestowed upon?

If this is his prerogative, let Allah then judge them in the hereafter.

And the Islamists, while ignoring the Surah Al-Qasas : 56 really fond of quoting hadiths to support their claim. They conveniently forget that Hadith comes second AFTER the Quran. And ironically, there are no single verses in the holy Quran that prescribe any punishment for apostates in this world.

No, you shall not lie anymore dear Ulama. Not anymore.

While quoting hadiths to justify their barbaric action, they conveniently forget to tell you in detail of the political condition related to that particular hadith .

I can tell you this, many of said Hadiths are during the time when there are calls for Jihad. The enemy are amassing. It was a state of emergency. It is a life and death situation. Every able bodied Muslims are needed to defend the city.

Imagine this, Malaysia are at war. The King has declared that every able citizens are now drafted into the army. And we have one or two who suddenly declare to others that they renounce the Malaysian citizenship and defy the order of the King.

But it is not the same now dear Muslims. We are living in peaceful time. We are not at war with anyone else. And Malaysia is not even an Islamic State. It is, like it or not, based on secular Westminster model drafted by the Brits.

If this is a secular state, and we are living in peaceful time, why the need to invoke an ‘emergency order’, invoked 1500 years ago?. Can’t we refer back to the Quran and learn the basis on what Iman is all about?

To Lina Joy and Kamariah, I must say this. I am sadden to see you all go. When I am sad, I read the Quran. And Allah told me that this is his decision that these happen. And I accept Allah’s verdict.

Muslims,

We have to let them go. Let them go in peace. I know it is sad to see them go. But we have to do what is right. We have to tell the Jabatan Agama and the Syariah Court to stop playing God. They have no right to do so.

We must rise and say it loud. We must prevent injustice done in the name of our religion. I have said this before and I am going to say it again, are we going to blame the Jews and the Christians again when Islam gets a bad name from a bunch of power hungry religious fanatics?

Let them go in peace. Let's get justice for them. Let’s read the Quran;

“Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way..” (Al-Qasas : 56)