Recently, enforcement officers from JAIS (some 35 of them) raided a bungalow in Hulu Kelang and arrested Dr Md Asri Zainal Abidin, the former Mufti of Perlis, for teaching religion without a commission from the department.
Dr Asri (or MAZA as he is more popularly known as), has long been a thorn in the sides of the other muftis for his more liberal views compared to the rest. He is so liberal that he has been labeled as a ‘Wahabbi’. The difference between Wahabbi and Sunnis are simple. Wahabbis reject what they term as bid’ah (where the malay word bedaah originated) – and bid’ah include the reading of Surah Yaasiin especially on Thursday nights, or even have a Surah Yaasiin booklet, or having the Imam to recite the do’a on behalf of the congregation, zikir after prayers etc etc.
I, for one, do not believe in sects (mazhab) as they are just schools of thoughts. One imam’s thoughts may differ to another imam’s thoughts, but if you subscribe to those thoughts, you should remember that they are not Gods that everything they say are cast in stone. Imam Shafie (whose sect Malaysians follow) say that a person’s ablution is null and void should his/her skin comes into contact with that of a person whom he/she can marry. Other imams say it will only be null and void should you feel sexually aroused when in contact.
Malaysians will then argue that among the sunnis, Shafie’s is the best. If so, why do one have to adopt the ways of other sects when going to Mecca to perform the Haj or Umrah? Why adopt an inferior way if Shafie’s is superior?
So whose Islam is right?
Now, moving towards the Sunni and Shiah (Shiite) rivalry, the Shiites claim that the Sunnis are the ones whom have digressed from the teachings of Islam. When I asked how so (to a Shiite friend), he asked me back:
“Why did the sunnis (Muawiyah) wage war against Saidina Ali, who was Muhammad’s trusted companion, and killed Muhammad’s grandchildren just because Ali deposed Muawiyah from the governorship of Syria?”
Can anyone answer this? I seriously do not know why Muawiyah, son of Abu Sufyan, the man who waged war countless of times against Muhammad, waged war against Ali, and then declared Ali’s followers as infidels?
So whose Islam is right?
That is why, I do not follow a specific mazhab. My guide is the al-Quran and aHadith an-Nabi, and whether I perform my daily prayers or not, is not anyone’s business. It is between God and I…unless you think you’re God and can pass judgment against, or label others.
Going back to Dr MAZA and Wahabbism: if they are wrong, why do we look up to Saudi Arabia as the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques? Gang-up and wage war against them, and regain control of the two mosques!
So, I ask you again, whose Islam is right in the eyes of God?
Now for JAIS, if MAZA was wrong to give a lecture without the department’s commission, tell me what was Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, the Selangor state assemblyman for Sri Andalas was doing giving lecture in a mosque? Did he have the department’s commission? Did he have the department’s permission? If not, why was he not arrested or has yet to be arrested?
Images are from My KMU Dot Net
SeaDemon Says 
hmmm…I have this to say : I look up to MAZA for his liberal view most of the time…though at times he can be very vocal. But I was not so happy that he was not playing his role as the Mufti of Perlis during the time he held the post. How is it that the King left for Hajj without the Mufti reciting doas? He was busy giving lectures all around the country instead.
For a while (when I was unemployed) I used to go for classes at the Surau. Until at one point, classes stopped after a circular was issued out by JAIS that the Ustazs/Ustazahs giving lectures there (including MAZA) are not qualified. Huh? If these people who went for Islamic studies in depth are not qualified, please tell me who is? Dr Xavier Jeyakumar???
Could it be because there is that ruling for mosques not to have post-prayers zikir and doa? I remember the mosque near Padang Katong langsung tak ada post-prayers doa because the “palace does not allow” or something.
Yes, JAIS never took action against Jeyakumar. The latter in fact once said that he opposes sekolah jenis kebangsaan because they’re too Islamic.