“This is the Book; In it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear God” (Qur’an, 2:2)
For Muslims who are not familiar with this verse, this is the second verse from al-Baqarah. This verse talks about the Quran as a guidance for those who fear God, and serves as part of the epistemological parameters for the Quran. In other words, if you say you live on the path of Allah, you should heed to this verse. If you say you uphold Islam, this is the verse you should not veer from this. Furthermore, God said:
“…Nothing have We omitted from the Book…” Qur’an, 6:38
For 20 years, the so-called Islamist government in Kelantan have been raping the jungles of Lojing, and most recently the land given to DAP duo, Ngeh Koo Ham and Nga Kor Ming. (read here for more.)
The so-called Islamist government of Kedah managed to outdo Kelantan in a short five years. Pedu Lake where I used to go back in the 1990s is now hardly recognisable. Blatant uncontrolled logging have stripped the virgin jungle bare! And this is definitely unIslamic.
As the unquestionable guidance for mankind, the Quran mentions about the role of man as the guardian of God’s Earth:
“It is He who has made you (His) vicegerents, inheritors of the earth: He has raised you in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He has given you: for your Lord is quick in punishment: yet He is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” Qur’an, 6:165
But this does not mean that man’s vicegerency does not come unobserved:
“Then We made you heirs in the land after them, to see how you would behave!” Qur’an, 10:14
Obviously, the government of the states of Kedah and Kelantan have misbehaved. The two state governments, led by members of an Islamist party, seem to prefer selling their soul for filthy lucre than to uphold the Words of God Himself as they portray themselves to the masses.
Looking at the pictures of Lojing and Pedu above, what justification do you think the two states’ government have to cause such damage? Pedu is so far away from civilisation, and so is Lojing, that it would be incomprehensible that such a magnitude of destruction was done in the name of development. As believing God’s Messengers and His Prophets is part of the six Pillars of Islamic Faith, Muhammad (pbuh) saying below should serve as a reminder not just to the two states’ government, but also to ALL Muslims who support them without question:
“He who cuts a lote-tree [without justification], God will send him to Hellfire.” (At-Tirmidhi #5239
On the eve of the Chinese New Year, Mukhriz Mahathir led a group of people to protest the destruction of the Pedu ecology and the mismanagement of natural resources by the Kedah state government.
Mukhriz reminded the 10,000 who congregated at the water catchment site that the Kedah state government had plundered the area for personal economic gains with little regard for the environment and how it would affect the people of the state. He then led them in a tree-planting effort to help revive the plundered land. Even legendary singer, Zainal Abidin, known for his support for the environment, was there to lend his support.
This is the kind of effort that Muslims should support, one that preserves God’s Earth as required in the Quran. Islam encourages the planting of trees. When done intentionally for the sake of God, they are considered and rewarded as acts of worshipping. Jaber reported that the Prophet [S.A.A.S] said:
“No Muslim, who plants a shoot, except that whatever is eaten or stolen from it, or anyone obtains the least thing from it, is considered [like paying] almsgiving on his behalf until the Day of Judgment.”(Muslim)
Remember Allah’s warning:
“But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down …” Qur’an, 20:124
The million-dollar question now emerges for the Muslims who have been supporting PAS:
Should you support the one upholding acts favoured by Allah and Muhammad, or will you continue to support the ones who use Allah and Muhammad for their own interests?
SeaDemon Says 