Maszlee Malik PhD
Musa Mohd Nordin FRCPCH
Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF)
‘If your Lord so willed, He could have made mankind one people. (al-Qur’an 11:118)
But, He created them in diverse forms to dwell in His kingdom. God created the different sexes and ethnic groups among mankind (30:22) that they might know and understand each other (49:13).
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (li ta’Arafu)”. (al-Qur’an 49:13)
The famous Tunisian Islamic scholar, Tahir Ibn Ashur in his commentary of this verse, mentioned that the import of piety after emphasizing the pluralistic nature of humankind was to educate mankind the true meaning of humility and mutual recognition through the practice of mutually knowing each other (Ibn Ashur, Tahir (no date), al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir, Tunis: Dar Suhnun, 10/259).
Islam commands the believers to embrace diversity because it is part of the law of nature (Sunnatullah) that He created. It acknowledges the plurality of religions and allows the adherents of all religions the plurality of laws to govern their lives within the aegis of their religious beliefs and principles (see al-Quran: 8:72–5; 35:32; 4:95; 60:8–9).
The call of Islam is not towards the homogenisation of society into one culture, identity or faith but the observation and practise of good conduct and civility so as to ensure that diversity will nurture peace and the common good. The Qur’ān proclaims that differences among human beings will remain (see al-Quran: 11:118–19). Hence, it is neither possible, nor commanded, to make everyone believe in one faith (see al-Quran: 10:99).
Peaceful co-existence with the other and mutual respect is a fundamental teaching of Islam. This is manifested through Islam’s commands to respect other faiths, to avoid interfering in matters concerning other religions (see al-Quran: 109:1–6), prohibitions against any form of compulsion and coercion in faith (see al-Quran: 2:256, 272; 10:99) and rebuking or insulting other faiths (see al-Quran: 6:108).
Peaceful co-existence and harmonious cohesion with other religious communities has been well documented in Islamic history since the Prophet (pbuh) began his call to Islam in Makkah and unfolded one of the greatest political documents in human history, Sahifah al-Madinah or the constitution of Madinah (622 AD). This treatise embraced 20 major principles including Unity, Diversity, Conduct, Fighting Injustice, Search or Striving for Peace, Freedom of Religion and the Rule of Law.
Another illustrious model was the La Convivencia (co-existence) in Andalusia during the Islamic rule in Spain. The spirit of mutual respect and recognition did not only flourish the Islamic civilisation, but also enhanced the Christian and Jewish intellectual and cultural environment (Pagden, Anthony (2008). Worlds at War: The 2,500-Year Struggle between East & West. New York: Oxford University Press: 153-54).
Therefore, mutual respect (tasamuh) and recognition (tafahum) of other believers and their beliefs are sacred and sine qua non to ensure a harmonious and peaceful world community.
On the contrary, religious hegemony and intolerance in a pluralistic society will invariably result in conflict and will only frustrate the claim that Islam is a religion of compassion, peace and freedom.
Embracing and respecting diversity, loving and cultivating it, is a source of enrichment and beauty, an essential element of our human experience.
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, (pbuh) said:
“O humankind! Your Lord is one Lord, and you have one father. All of you are from Adam, and Adam is from dust. The noblest of you is the most God-fearing. No Arab has any superiority over a non-Arab, no non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab, no black person has any superiority over a white person, and no white person has any superiority over a black person – superiority is only through piety.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhî)
In the above mentioned final sermon during his farewell pilgrimage (khutbah al-wida’), Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mainstreamed and highlighted the principle of human equality and dignity.
Instead of directing his message exclusively to the Muslim community, the Prophet (pbuh) preceded with a universal appeal to mankind by asserting the principle of equality. This important principle and guidance implies that he is not self-centred nor concerned only about the Muslim community’s interest and affairs, but rather his deliverance as “the mercy for all mankind” as stated in the Qur’an (3: 110).
Toynbee (1948: 205) regarded the Islamic notion of human equality as “one of the outstanding achievements of Islam” in which according to him, “in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue”. (Toynbee, Arnold (1948). Civilization on Trial. New York: Oxford University Press: 205).
In the same vein, Gibb (1932: 379) notes that: “No other society has such a record of success uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity, and of endeavours so many and so various races of mankind.” (Gibb, Sir Hamilton A.R. (1958). Mohammedanism. Cambridge: Mentor Edition: 379).
Never before has our beloved nation witness such an excess of religious and racial strife since the bloody days of 13 May 1969. The latest fatwa (religious edict) of the Mufti of Pahang is one such gross aberration to the values of equality, diversity, mutual respect and harmony espoused by the teachings of the Quran and the authentic traditions of the prophet (pbuh). And unless this malicious abuse of religious authority is checked with an effective and just political and societal governance we are surely on the slippery slope of anarchy.
The term harbi as defined by the fuqaha (Muslim jurists) since the early writings of Muhammad bin Hasan al-Shaibani and Imam al-Awza’ie in their treatise of ‘Fiqh al-Siyar’(International Relations in Islam), implies that the person or group can be legitimately killed by Muslims due to their infidelity and aggression towards the Islamic state or community. Hence, declaring certain individuals or groups in Malaysia kafir harbi tantamounts to legitimizing the ISIS discourse and would open the floodgates of violent acts on Malaysian soil.
The classification of non-Muslim residents in the Islamic state into harbi and dhimmi is a historical issue that emerged during the classical period due to the global socio-political conditions then. States were not built on political identity as presently, but were kingdoms and empires that resort to religious and tribalistic identity as their legitimacy.
The new reality of nation-state framework and socio-politics has long been addressed by Muslim rulers and scholars alike.
In 1839, the Ottoman ruler, Sultan Abdul Majid, issued the Khatti-Sherif of Gulhane, proclaiming the principle of equality between the Muslims and the Christians. This virtually erased the classical legal status of the dhimmis (Al-Ghunaimi, Mohammad Talaat, 1968: 213)
The Muslims scholar Fathi Osman wrote;
“I do not think Muslims have any legal problem with regards to full equality with non-Muslims in rights and obligations. What emerged as the status of “dhimmis”; (non-Muslims within the Muslim state) was historically developed rather than built in the permanent laws of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Many scholars, including the Westerners, admit that the status of non-Muslims in the Muslim world during the Middle Ages, was better than what the Jews or other religious minorities received in the Christian countries in those ages.” (Human Rights in the Contemporary World . Problems for Muslims and Others. http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/private/cmje/issues/Human_Rights_in_the_Contemporary.pdf)
Many contemporary Muslim scholars, the likes of Syaikh Muhamamd Abu Zahrah, Syaikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, Syaikh Dr Yusuf Qaradawi, Syeikh Wahbah al-Zuhayli, Dr Fahmi Huwaidi and Dr Muhammad Emarah Syakh has opined that the categories of kafir harbi and kafir dhimmi are no longer relevant and applicable within the socio-political structure of the modern world today. Instead, under the framework of constitutional modern state that has been acknowledged by most Muslim prominent scholars, it should be replaced by the termMuwatin which denotes citizens, who are granted equal rights, similar to the majority Muslim population of the contemporary Islamic state.
Allah has created all human beings with honour and dignity, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and has elevated their status above His other creations. Allah says in the Quran (17:70)
“We gave honour and dignity (Karamat) to the children of Adam”
As much as we would like to be honored and shown dignity, we have to recognize the dignity and honour of others.
Unfortunately, the actions of the few in our country, which among others has inadvertently equated Islam with religious intolerance and racism, their failure to recognize the equality of man before his creator, their parochial understanding of the brotherhood of man and their blatant impingement on other religions has tarnished the image of the messenger of Allah (pbuh) as rahmatan lil alamin, mercy upon mankind.
We hope this inclusive approach helps to reassure our fellow Malaysians from other belief systems of the Islamic position on human relations in our multi religious community. Together, hand in hand in religious harmony we can build a “Better Malaysia” founded on the eternal values of justice, equality, mutual benefit (masalih mushtarakah) and the brotherhood and dignity of mankind.