Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamualaikum wbt.
1. I am always fascinated by the fact that we mankind are very much limited with knowledge. It is far from being the same like the quantity of water in the ocean.
2. Nonetheless, even ocean, if likened to knowledge, has limits. Hence the sandy beach.
3. But when we think of our knowledge as maybe only a drop of water, God's knowledge is not even only the ocean, lest we forget.
Say: "If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid."
Surah Al-Kahf, aayat no. 109
4. It is said that one who gains knowledge will start to feel arrogant. Then he gains more knowledge, and starts to feel humble. Then he gains even more knowledge, and begins to realize that he knows nothing.
5. I am writing this article as a brief commentary to an open letter by Mr Ravinder (MR) to Datuk Ridhuan Tee (DRT) which concerns Islam and the entire ummah in its general sense (I believe so, not to exaggerate).
7. One would agree with me that the series of questions written by MR has very much to do with the concept of justice in Islam.
8. Nevertheless what is also interesting is to carefully analyse one of the things he pointed out in the article.
9. On his sixth question, he explicitly (and precisely) argues that had there been more than one God, they (the Gods) will fight between each other! Indeed this is already mentioned in the Quran more than 14 hundred years ago in Surah Al-Mu'minun, aayat no. 91.
10. I don't think MR is a Muslim (please correct me if my fact is wrong), but it is something huge (on his part as a non-Muslim) to agree to the concept of monotheism in Islam, that there is no God but only One God, whose name is Allah (not a name Muslims nor anybody give, but revealed by Allah Himself).
11. Though there are 2 more religions other than Islam that claim to be monotheistic, Islam however makes it explicit and strongly emphasized that not only God is One, He doesn't beget neither begotten and that He does not appear to be in three persons, as believed by the Christians.
12. Now, as to the problems of injustice by God, we Muslims believe that if He is unjust, then He can't be a God in the first place. In fact, it is a blatant injustice to think that God is unjust.
13. For instance, MR questioned that if God were to punish non-Muslims in Hell, why create non-Muslims in the first place?
14. The answer to this question will cover and address many other questions also in the article.
15. Islam teaches us that Allah has created every baby born to be pure, and therefore, effectively a Muslim, even if he was born into a non-Muslim family.
16. What this means is simple. If a baby from a non-Muslim family dies before reaching an age that he can consciously and freely choose to be or not to be a Muslim, then he will die as a Muslim.
17. So those who ask question to God, should now ask themselves this question. If you already know that God will punish non-Muslims in Hellfire, why on earth now do you want to remain a non-Muslim?
18. In other words, God gives us the free will.
19. Let's consider a very simple analogy. Yes, God has created fire to be hot and destructive. But you have the free will (by permission of God) to use your intellect not to burn yourself with the fire. If you jump into the fire and die, will you then blame God?
20. I'll address 2 more main questions from the article, then I'll wrap up and finish.
21. On the issue raised that one who becomes a Muslim will then become a Malay, that is simply a misunderstanding.
22. Islam has very much affected the way the Malays think and the way the Malays lead their life to an extent that it's very difficult to separate between Islam and Malay (in Malaysia).
23. Undoubtedly, it has done the same to people from many different parts of the world too, proving how 'compatible' Islam is with every human being, regardless of their background, skin color and origin.
24. However, Islam never says that one has to change his blood if he were to become a Muslim.
25. Instead, Islam with its flexibility and universality does acknowledge certain parts of variety in religious practice that conforms to factors such as the place where one lives.
26. There is no doubt that in Malaysia, most Muslims are the Malays. Hence, it seems as if the Islamic culture is constructed in a way that is very closely related to the culture of the Malays. One simple example would be the way the Muslims dress. As if a Muslim is one who adorns himself with Baju Melayu or Baju Kurung traditionally worn by the Malays.
27. This is a fact to acknowledge. However one should avoid going to an extreme to say that this is the only option.
28. I personally believe, in reality, if a Muslim Chinese for instance were to wear Baju Melayu or Baju Kurung, he is still a Chinese by blood. And it is not wrong for him to wear other than Baju Melayu, the same way it's not wrong for him to wear Baju Melayu.
29. Ultimately, one who forces a Chinese or Indian Muslim to wear what the Muslim Malay wears is not doing the right thing. Similarly, one can not say that those non-Malay Muslims who wear any Malay traditional clothes is now becoming a Malay!
30. That's unfair and may have originated from a sick heart, if not arrogance. Wal 'iyaa zubillah.
31. The last point to make here is on the absurdity of MR's claim that God is partial (pilih kasih) if He only loves people who profess a certain religion.
32. Look. This is not a question of love from a mother to her different children who decide to choose different flavors of ice cream. Of course the mother should love all the children despite their different preference for ice cream flavors.
33. When it comes to religion though, it's totally a different issue. If one of the children, not only hates his mother, but also claims that he comes from another mother and that his real mother doesn't even exist in the first place, than the real mother has all the right not to love such an ungrateful child!
34. Similarly, in matters of religion, one has to carefully make comparison between their concepts of God.
35. When one religion believes in One only true God, and the other believing in not only other God but many Gods, both religions can't be correct! It's impossible for blue to be the same with green.
36. So the blame is not on God. The blame is on one who arrogantly denies truth in the first place. And of course I as a Muslim believes that Islam is the only accepted religion and if you beg to differ, then you, just like me, have the responsibility to prove your case.
37. That is however a completely different issue to discuss at length here.
38. The main point is that, it is rational to accept the fact that only one religion is true and accepted by God, if the religion itself, differs significantly in its fundamental teachings.
39. In other words, 2 plus 2 can't be other number than 4. As simple as that.
40. To conclude, I would like to invite all of us the Muslims to struggle (jihad) on learning 'ilm (knowledge).
41. We should not let this world distract us, if we realize that we are all travelers or wayfarers who seek life on earth no other than to know Allah better.
42. Our destination is there. This is only a journey.
43. The moment we understand the importance of knowledge, we will then appreciate the importance of education. This is what we have to extensively address in this age of trials and tribulations.
44. Be inspired by the knowledge of God.
12. Now, as to the problems of injustice by God, we Muslims believe that if He is unjust, then He can't be a God in the first place. In fact, it is a blatant injustice to think that God is unjust.
13. For instance, MR questioned that if God were to punish non-Muslims in Hell, why create non-Muslims in the first place?
14. The answer to this question will cover and address many other questions also in the article.
15. Islam teaches us that Allah has created every baby born to be pure, and therefore, effectively a Muslim, even if he was born into a non-Muslim family.
16. What this means is simple. If a baby from a non-Muslim family dies before reaching an age that he can consciously and freely choose to be or not to be a Muslim, then he will die as a Muslim.
17. So those who ask question to God, should now ask themselves this question. If you already know that God will punish non-Muslims in Hellfire, why on earth now do you want to remain a non-Muslim?
18. In other words, God gives us the free will.
19. Let's consider a very simple analogy. Yes, God has created fire to be hot and destructive. But you have the free will (by permission of God) to use your intellect not to burn yourself with the fire. If you jump into the fire and die, will you then blame God?
20. I'll address 2 more main questions from the article, then I'll wrap up and finish.
21. On the issue raised that one who becomes a Muslim will then become a Malay, that is simply a misunderstanding.
22. Islam has very much affected the way the Malays think and the way the Malays lead their life to an extent that it's very difficult to separate between Islam and Malay (in Malaysia).
23. Undoubtedly, it has done the same to people from many different parts of the world too, proving how 'compatible' Islam is with every human being, regardless of their background, skin color and origin.
24. However, Islam never says that one has to change his blood if he were to become a Muslim.
25. Instead, Islam with its flexibility and universality does acknowledge certain parts of variety in religious practice that conforms to factors such as the place where one lives.
26. There is no doubt that in Malaysia, most Muslims are the Malays. Hence, it seems as if the Islamic culture is constructed in a way that is very closely related to the culture of the Malays. One simple example would be the way the Muslims dress. As if a Muslim is one who adorns himself with Baju Melayu or Baju Kurung traditionally worn by the Malays.
27. This is a fact to acknowledge. However one should avoid going to an extreme to say that this is the only option.
28. I personally believe, in reality, if a Muslim Chinese for instance were to wear Baju Melayu or Baju Kurung, he is still a Chinese by blood. And it is not wrong for him to wear other than Baju Melayu, the same way it's not wrong for him to wear Baju Melayu.
29. Ultimately, one who forces a Chinese or Indian Muslim to wear what the Muslim Malay wears is not doing the right thing. Similarly, one can not say that those non-Malay Muslims who wear any Malay traditional clothes is now becoming a Malay!
30. That's unfair and may have originated from a sick heart, if not arrogance. Wal 'iyaa zubillah.
31. The last point to make here is on the absurdity of MR's claim that God is partial (pilih kasih) if He only loves people who profess a certain religion.
32. Look. This is not a question of love from a mother to her different children who decide to choose different flavors of ice cream. Of course the mother should love all the children despite their different preference for ice cream flavors.
33. When it comes to religion though, it's totally a different issue. If one of the children, not only hates his mother, but also claims that he comes from another mother and that his real mother doesn't even exist in the first place, than the real mother has all the right not to love such an ungrateful child!
34. Similarly, in matters of religion, one has to carefully make comparison between their concepts of God.
35. When one religion believes in One only true God, and the other believing in not only other God but many Gods, both religions can't be correct! It's impossible for blue to be the same with green.
36. So the blame is not on God. The blame is on one who arrogantly denies truth in the first place. And of course I as a Muslim believes that Islam is the only accepted religion and if you beg to differ, then you, just like me, have the responsibility to prove your case.
37. That is however a completely different issue to discuss at length here.
38. The main point is that, it is rational to accept the fact that only one religion is true and accepted by God, if the religion itself, differs significantly in its fundamental teachings.
39. In other words, 2 plus 2 can't be other number than 4. As simple as that.
40. To conclude, I would like to invite all of us the Muslims to struggle (jihad) on learning 'ilm (knowledge).
41. We should not let this world distract us, if we realize that we are all travelers or wayfarers who seek life on earth no other than to know Allah better.
42. Our destination is there. This is only a journey.
43. The moment we understand the importance of knowledge, we will then appreciate the importance of education. This is what we have to extensively address in this age of trials and tribulations.
44. Be inspired by the knowledge of God.
45. Look at the photo above. Imagine how many components are involved just to make a car.
46. But this invention is never close to the magnificent beauty of our own creation.
47. As a simple illustration, if we were to take out our blood vessels and measure its length, we will be very surprised that it is 95 000 km long, twice the distance one can make around this entire globe. And that is just in one single man!
48. Subhanallah, exalted is He.
"........Not a leaf falls but that He knows it......."
Surah Al-An'am, aayat no. 59
46. But this invention is never close to the magnificent beauty of our own creation.
47. As a simple illustration, if we were to take out our blood vessels and measure its length, we will be very surprised that it is 95 000 km long, twice the distance one can make around this entire globe. And that is just in one single man!
48. Subhanallah, exalted is He.
"........Not a leaf falls but that He knows it......."
Surah Al-An'am, aayat no. 59
49. We can't even count exactly how many trees are there on earth. Not even how many species of trees. Let alone to count the number of leaves born by trees.
50. Or even if we could, we will never be able to be aware of every single one of it when it falls. But Allah knows. Nothing can escape from the knowledge of Him the Almighty, All-Knowing.
51. Can you see how little and tiny we are in the sight of God?
52. Yet we dare not to believe in Him?
53. Hence again, I would like to call upon myself and all Muslims out there to increase our love for knowledge ('ilm).
54. And We Muslims should most importantly seek knowledge to know God with certainty (al-yaqeen). That is the most important knowledge of all.
50. Or even if we could, we will never be able to be aware of every single one of it when it falls. But Allah knows. Nothing can escape from the knowledge of Him the Almighty, All-Knowing.
51. Can you see how little and tiny we are in the sight of God?
52. Yet we dare not to believe in Him?
53. Hence again, I would like to call upon myself and all Muslims out there to increase our love for knowledge ('ilm).
54. And We Muslims should most importantly seek knowledge to know God with certainty (al-yaqeen). That is the most important knowledge of all.
55. Otherwise, we will not gain the peace (salaam) we always long for and suffer from too many uncertainties (syak) and unsolved questions.
56. We decide. To choose to swim in the ocean. Or drowned by questions.
57. Allahuaklam. Wassalamualaikum wbt.
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