DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Stifling of Dakwah activities in Malaysia

**GarryPaterson** · 06-06-2012, 10:15 AM

brother, actually how long have you been in Malaysia? Granted that Malaysia is far from perfect as a good Islamic country, but the efforts are massively underway, .

I'll break several of the issues you've raised into several points;

1. "They made decide to enforce the Shafi'i school on those in the country without giving thought to those who are from the Hanafi, Hambali or Maliki schools that differ in view. Based on my experience in many local villages in the country, a lot of these village people have been influenced and brainwashed into believing only the Shafi'i school (or their version of the Shafi'i) school is correct without even understanding what it I means to be following a particular school of Fiqh."

- That's inherently not true. The sharia court last year upheld a marriage done in Pakistan between a Pakistani gentleman and a Malaysian woman which was done according to Hanafi fiqh. This was documented and publicly reported, but it wasn't come as a big news as every Muslim should know that if one is from an ahlul-sunnah, then there should be no problem.

- Regarding "believing only the Shafi'i school (or their version of the Shafi'i) school is correct", that's also not correct. Muslims in Malaysia only consider ahlul-sunnah as correct. Most of the Muslims in Malaysia will refrain from takfiri as we accept that we don't know much the reason for the takfir, and also because the accused party is not given a chance to defend himself/herself. However if there's an open and clear kuffr being done, then we accept that the said person is confirm of his/her kuffr, unless of course if the said person repented and publicly declare so.

What you experience is probably an interaction with Shafi'i followers who never interact with Muslims from other madzhab. In such cases, of course they wouldn't know about the fiqh according to other madzhab as their sole reference was only Shafi'i fiqh.

2. The colonial law that you mentioned just now was originally devised to prevent the deviants like Ahmadiyya from spreading in Malaysia. Actually, local scholars publicly debated with Ahamadiyya sect in some 1920s and openly declared them as kuffr after that. Also currently there are a small rafidi group that I know in Penang that are actively trying to convert sunnis to their "sect". there was a public debate with them and uploaded to youtube for any local Muslim to watch it. But as usual if the rulers are not sincere, not from people with amanah, then they will try to use any tools available to stifle their opponents. The nationalists are actually very afraid of the Islamists influence.

Allahu'alam.

Brother Faizol,

I am actually a Malaysian by birth, but have been away from the country for a while studying. Alhamdulillah, where I was in Australia before the dakwah activity is strong and growing. However upon returning to Malaysia I find things happenning here to be far more restrictive for muslims.

I am generally worried about the trend in the country and increasing polarisation that is happening between the Islamists and the nationalists and this appears to be culminating to the point where even dakwah becomes restricted. I am not a member of Tabligh-e-jamaat FYI, I agree with their intentions but not with some of their methods (i.e leaving the families for 3-6 months sometimes and such). However, this law could even pose problems to Tabligh-e-jamaat as well as they could be viewed as unaccredited by the government especially the brothers that come from India and Pakistan to spread dakwah here. Such a law is open to abuse and in Malaysia, the government has been seen to frequently abuse laws which grant them power and selective prosecution is rampant.

I agree the nationalists are very afraid of the Islamists. Even through the short discussion I have with some of my colleagues at work during lunch and such on Islam, they sometimes are shocked and taken aback by some of my stands which are fully supported by evidences from the Quran, hadeeth and ijma' of the scholars. They find their reality being challenged and racial undertones and frequently raised by these nationalists. I haven't asked them the question, when Mahdi comes, would they take the bai'ah? Many of them don't answer. They say it won't be in my time and such. I fear for my fellow muslims here that they are being brainwashed into nationalists and this method of controlling dakwah will be used to stifle the spread of Islam so that the ruling regime will only allow their warped "nationalist version" of Islam to be the only accepted version. Even hudood is criticised here Nauzubillah.

06-06-2012, 10:15 AM	#9
GarryPaterson Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 354 Senior Member	brother, actually how long have you been in Malaysia? Granted that Malaysia is far from perfect as a good Islamic country, but the efforts are massively underway, . I'll break several of the issues you've raised into several points; 1. "They made decide to enforce the Shafi'i school on those in the country without giving thought to those who are from the Hanafi, Hambali or Maliki schools that differ in view. Based on my experience in many local villages in the country, a lot of these village people have been influenced and brainwashed into believing only the Shafi'i school (or their version of the Shafi'i) school is correct without even understanding what it I means to be following a particular school of Fiqh." - That's inherently not true. The sharia court last year upheld a marriage done in Pakistan between a Pakistani gentleman and a Malaysian woman which was done according to Hanafi fiqh. This was documented and publicly reported, but it wasn't come as a big news as every Muslim should know that if one is from an ahlul-sunnah, then there should be no problem. - Regarding "believing only the Shafi'i school (or their version of the Shafi'i) school is correct", that's also not correct. Muslims in Malaysia only consider ahlul-sunnah as correct. Most of the Muslims in Malaysia will refrain from takfiri as we accept that we don't know much the reason for the takfir, and also because the accused party is not given a chance to defend himself/herself. However if there's an open and clear kuffr being done, then we accept that the said person is confirm of his/her kuffr, unless of course if the said person repented and publicly declare so. What you experience is probably an interaction with Shafi'i followers who never interact with Muslims from other madzhab. In such cases, of course they wouldn't know about the fiqh according to other madzhab as their sole reference was only Shafi'i fiqh. 2. The colonial law that you mentioned just now was originally devised to prevent the deviants like Ahmadiyya from spreading in Malaysia. Actually, local scholars publicly debated with Ahamadiyya sect in some 1920s and openly declared them as kuffr after that. Also currently there are a small rafidi group that I know in Penang that are actively trying to convert sunnis to their "sect". there was a public debate with them and uploaded to youtube for any local Muslim to watch it. But as usual if the rulers are not sincere, not from people with amanah, then they will try to use any tools available to stifle their opponents. The nationalists are actually very afraid of the Islamists influence. Allahu'alam. Brother Faizol, I am actually a Malaysian by birth, but have been away from the country for a while studying. Alhamdulillah, where I was in Australia before the dakwah activity is strong and growing. However upon returning to Malaysia I find things happenning here to be far more restrictive for muslims. I am generally worried about the trend in the country and increasing polarisation that is happening between the Islamists and the nationalists and this appears to be culminating to the point where even dakwah becomes restricted. I am not a member of Tabligh-e-jamaat FYI, I agree with their intentions but not with some of their methods (i.e leaving the families for 3-6 months sometimes and such). However, this law could even pose problems to Tabligh-e-jamaat as well as they could be viewed as unaccredited by the government especially the brothers that come from India and Pakistan to spread dakwah here. Such a law is open to abuse and in Malaysia, the government has been seen to frequently abuse laws which grant them power and selective prosecution is rampant. I agree the nationalists are very afraid of the Islamists. Even through the short discussion I have with some of my colleagues at work during lunch and such on Islam, they sometimes are shocked and taken aback by some of my stands which are fully supported by evidences from the Quran, hadeeth and ijma' of the scholars. They find their reality being challenged and racial undertones and frequently raised by these nationalists. I haven't asked them the question, when Mahdi comes, would they take the bai'ah? Many of them don't answer. They say it won't be in my time and such. I fear for my fellow muslims here that they are being brainwashed into nationalists and this method of controlling dakwah will be used to stifle the spread of Islam so that the ruling regime will only allow their warped "nationalist version" of Islam to be the only accepted version. Even hudood is criticised here Nauzubillah.
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