ISLAM’S MESSAGE OF CIVILISATIONAL COEXISTENCE

Quranic principle of Wasatiyyah must be promoted to combat extremism

WHEN Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman opposed the Asean chairman’s statement on the Rohingya crisis, eyebrows were raised, for it was a rarity for a bloc which prides itself on consensus.

The minister’s statement that “Malaysia would like to disassociate itself from the chairman’s statement as we are of the view that it is a misrepresentation of the reality of the situation” highlights the imbalances of Muslim and non-Muslim actions and plights. The right-wing extremism of Islamophobia has been left to fester unchecked, and there exists a feeling of injustice on the disproportionate coverage of terror attacks allegedly committed by Muslims compared to that of non-Muslims.

Such imbalances have been noted in the past, and exist still. Former journalist Peter Manning, in his book entitled Us and Them, said that in more than 60 per cent of cases, the words ‘violent’, ‘death’, ‘attack’, ‘kill’, ‘suicide’ or ‘gunmen’ were in close proximity to the words ‘Arab’, ‘Palestinian’, ‘Muslim’ or ‘Islam’.

Rightly or wrongly, these imbalances must be addressed, and it must come from both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, through the application of wasatiyyah, or moderation. The principle of wasatiyyah does not only negate religious and violent extremism, but also cultivates the spirit of peaceful coexistence. To Muslims, the necessity of revitalising and promoting wasatiyyah in the modern context is immense, considering that the image of Islam and its basis as a peaceful religion advocating religious tolerance is being distorted, even by fellow Muslims who are misguided in their understanding of the religion.

It is worth mentioning a hadith which says, “When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen”, and how the Quran and another hadith speak of the alwasatiyyah principle in the best of terms, never indicating the need for compromising on values.

The renowned Quranic interpreter, Ibn Kathir, propounds that the concept of ummatan wasatha is conditional upon the ummah’s commitment to moderation and the truth, for the “testimonies of extremists and transgressors of justice in Islam” are excluded.

The relevance of the above indicates the need for Islam, its foundation and fundamental premise of actions to be based on true knowledge and wisdom of assessing one’s contextual surroundings. In the scenario of the present, religious extremism visibly stems from two factors. The first is the underlying dissatisfaction that arises from political and social injustices, both valid and perceived, and the second from ignorance and a blind crusade to correct the above without proper reasoning and context.

What Islamic State and the like have done is anathema, an antithesis to the teachings of the Prophet, managing only to tear down remnants of co-existence. The Christians — and this serves as a testimony to the beauty of Islam — were able to worship God in their churches for centuries prior. They were not afraid of their Muslim brethren, for there existed trust between them. Alas, it has now been replaced by mistrust, which could take decades to repair, if at all.

A similar situation exists in the context of this region, where the effects of the acts committed by the 969 movement in Myanmar require addressing lest decades of peaceful Buddhist-Muslim relations are affected, as does the blind fanaticism of the Maute group in Marawi, the Philippines. These actions have only served to erect barriers of hate and mistrust.

Condemnation of extremist acts must come without fear or favour. Extremists are present in all faiths and cultures, so much so that they are their own worst enemies. Be it for Muslims or nonMuslims, there is a vital need and urgency to return to the roots of true religious teachings, given that the value of moderation is a value that lies at the very heart of all religions and great cultures of the world. Thus, the promotion of moderation among various faiths in the world is most pertinent. Wasatiyyah allows for the highlighting of the true spirit of religious coexistence.

Islam, in its proper form, is the message of civilisational coexistence, the confident navigation of the perils and tribulations that life affords mankind, in that fellow Muslims are brothers in faith while non-Muslims are brothers in humanity. It is the message of the pursuit of justice and peace.

This is arguably something that most can clearly reconcile with, for we believe moderation does not mean utter compromise or manifest neglect; rather, it means having the confidence and right balance to bring justice to its rightful place. Many fail to make the distinction that being moderate does not mean being timid, lacking courage or grit to stand up for principles. Moderation is simply a matter of survival. Muslim and Christian leaders dining at the third buka puasa organised by Muslim non-profit organisation Global Unity Network and Christians for Peace and Harmony in

Shah Alam in June. The event was held to promote interfaith unity.

For example, over-consumption leads to depletion of natural resources, thus making prudence a moderate value. In the context of today’s socio-politics, violent extremism and its ilk must be countered by the mobilisation of society’s broad and, at times, silent middle ground — those who stand for decency, fairness, prudence, civility and restraint, without ever disregarding truth and justice.

Wasatiyyah implies the pursuit of excellence, and of Islam as a holistic way of life through practices of moderation, excellence and justice. Staying upon the path of wasatiyyah requires the pursuit of knowledge and excellence, in order to dispense justice while acting in moderation and thus combating extremism.

In this regard, we urge for the appreciation and grasping of the following, a Quranic verse: “O People of the Scripture, do not exceed limits in your religion beyond the truth and do not follow the inclinations of a people who had gone astray before and misled many and have strayed from the soundness of the way”.

So, too, this hadith: “The Prophet said: ‘Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the nights’.”