BRIEF REVIEW OF THE “ALLAH” CONTROVERSY IN MALAYSIA
Posted by Francis H.H. Ngu
Summary:
Following a brief review of the current crises arising from a controversial Government ban on the use of the term ALLAH by non-Muslims, and ensuing court proceedings, this article quotes several responses from leaders in Sabah and Sarawak in addition. The spirit and letter of the Malaysia Agreement should not be forgotten in order to have full perspective in the debate. Possible repercussions in international relations and image are outlined, with particular reference to Indonesia. The article proposes major steps to restoring inter-religious harmony, beyond judicial decisions. In conclusion, writer appeals to a return to shared core values of all major religions.
A word for GOD – has created national controversy
There has not in my memory of recent history anywhere in the world where the word used to refer to God has given rise to such national controversy and attracted international attention. Against the backdrop of social change and political tension, Malaysia has gained an unenviable World First, a national passion promoted under the Mahathir regime.
An Arabic word
Close on the heels of the 50th Anniversary of the Malayan Independence, a ban was gazetted by the Government for non-Muslims on Malaysia to use the term Allah in reference to God. The Government move was rather perplexing, saying that use of the Arabic word might offend the sensitivities of Muslims who make up 60% of Malaysia’s 28 million population.
Ban overturned
The ban was however overturned in court on December 31st, 2009, enraging certain sections of Muslims aligned to the ruling UMNO party. The High Court said it was the constitutional right for the Catholic newspaper, the Herald, to use the word “Allah”. The Herald had faced the prospect of indefinite ban from publication for using the term Allah.
Implicit and Explicit encouragement
Protesters against the court ruling have apparently received implicit and explicit encouragement from statements of a few Federal Government Ministers and the decision of the Home Ministry to appeal against the High Court ruling. The Home Minister has in a rare departure from previous practice, granted permit for a mammoth demonstration by protestors; it has always been the contention by Malaysian Government that public demonstrations are “not our culture” and threaten public order. However, on the eve of the large demonstration, the PM, the Home Minister and the Police (IGP) are reportedly making some conflicting and rather confusing statements.
Stay of execution
The controversy is thus set to escalate. If of any help, the court has granted a government application for stay of execution of the High Court ruling pending the outcome of the Appeal by the Home Ministry, this consented to by the Catholic side.
Ownership for God is wrong
For one, the former prime minister, Mahathir, said that the word Allah belongs to the Muslims, whereas the current PM is notably “uncommitted” on the matter. In sharp contrast, Mahathir’s activist daughter, Marina, says “It is not about God belonging to you, rather YOU belong to God.” She says that the constant battle for ownership of God is in quite wrong.
It is generally the contention of Government and some others that sections of the Muslim population in Malaysia would be easily confused over the usage of “Allah” by non-Muslims, insinuating that churches have used this as an excuse to convert Muslims out of their faith.
Tun Mahathir views
Mahathir further said that the term Allah may be used in such a way that could inflame the anger of Muslims, or in his own words, “they may use it on banners or write something that might not reflect Islam”, a statement condemned by Dr. Lim Teck Ghee et al. as wholly unworthy of the former PM.
TG Lim – Centre for Policy Initiative Website
TG Lim, in 2 separate articles at the Centre for Policy Initiatives website, reported in some detail the mass mobilization against the High Court ruling that has already spread to cyberspace in quite an alarming way in tandem with inciteful and intimidating articles in an UMNO controlled newspaper.
UMNO digging itself into hard line position
In a strident rebuke head on, an UMNO veteran, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah says,” Umno is digging itself into an intolerant hardline position that has no parallel that I know of in the Muslim world.– and the government it leads is taking up policy lines based on “sensitivities” rather than principle. The issue appears to be more about racial sentiment than religious, let alone constitutional principles.– A nation is made up of citizens bound by a shared conception of justice and not of mobs extracting satisfaction for politicised emotional states.–Malaysia is a federation of sovereign entities, –it has come to be run habitually as a unitary state. We have to learn again how to be a federation.”(Concerns about federalism in the context of the “Allah debate” is also echoed by Sabah and Sarawak political leaders quoted later.)
Bible Translation
“The Bible has been using Allah for hundreds of years, ever since they translated the Bible into Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia. In fact, we have copies of a Bahasa-translated Bible published 200 years ago that used Allah”, says RPKamarudin. This being so, and surely for the 50 years of Malayan Independence, there has not been a significant exodus of Malaysian Muslims to embrace Christianity as this is legally not possible in Malaysia, in spite of constitutional provisions of religious freedom.
RPK says
RPK says further, “The word ‘Allah’ existed before the word ‘Muslim’ or ‘Islam’.— Muhammad the son of Abdullah –(or) ‘Muhammad the son of the Servant of Allah’ long before the Revelation when he ‘became’ a Muslim.” How do the Muslims (meaning Malays) explain this if they say that Allah belongs to the Muslims?” Thus RPK deduces that the term Allah would have been used by Pagan Arabs before the time of Prophet Mohammed, Praise be to His Name.
UMNO Dirty Political scheming
Those aligned to the Federal Opposition, Pakatan Rakyat, generally believe that the gazetted ban on non-Muslim use of “Allah” is a concoction of the UMNO-led Federal Government to project its Islamic image to Malay Muslims, and politically out-manoeuvre the Islamist PAS in the opposition Pakatan (Alliance). It is perceived that in face of the ban and the following controversy, the Malay Muslim base of PAS and possibly Parti KeAdilan Rakyat, would be eroded to the advantage of UMNO.
Pakatan Rakyat supported court ruling
Pakatan Rakyat parties have come out in consistent support of the High Court ruling, based on fundamental Islamic teachings.
The Leader of the Federal Opposition, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had also quoted an influential world Islamic cleric, Sheihk Dr.Yusof Al Qaradawi, as saying that there is no problem with Christians referring to God as Allah.
Tok Guru Nik Aziz, the PAS Menteri Besar of Kelantan had before the court ruling said that he did not oppose the Catholic Herald using the word ALLAH.
PAS Statement
PAS issued a statement in prompt agreement with the High court: “it is consistent with the federal Constitution and Islamic principles”and that “based on Islamic principles, the use of the word Allah by the people of the Abrahamic faiths such as Christianity and Judaism, is acceptable” .–“PAS strongly objects to any aggressive and provocative approach that can lead to tension in society,” it is quoted.
In a measured response a day after the PAS statement, an official spokesman of Parti Keadilan Rakyat says “the wish of the non-Muslims to call their God Allah is a positive turn of events and should respectably be recognized. — There is no necessity for any faction in society to take advantage of the current circumstances and turn the dispute into a narrow political propaganda.”
What is 1 Malaysia?
But far-reaching political ramifications are unavoidable. “– the political and economic costs for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration will linger for much longer— a significant setback to the central theme of his new administration — the “1 Malaysia” policy which is designed to bring the country’s multiracial and multi-religious communities together, “ a Straits Times article quite accurately describes the political fall out.
It is clear that 1Malaysia mantra is also taking direct hits, in Sabah and Sarawak as much, or even more than in KL. Over 40% of the people of Sarawak are Christians, and a roughly similar proportion in Sabah, the majority being indigenous peoples.
1Malaysia will face a severe predicament as the Appeal Court is widely expected to reverse the High Court decision. In appeasing an arguably large Muslim constituency in Peninsular Malaysia, such a court reversal would adversely affect the Christians in Sabah and Sarawak. Both sides of the political divide will undoubtedly interpret the electoral significance of the issue on both sides of the South China Sea.
It is a Bahasa Malaysia word now
A senior Sabah Christian member of the Cabinet, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, made an oblique comment favouring the continued use of the term “Allah”, suggesting that the use of “Allah” follows from the widespread use of the Malaysian national language. “The Sabah communities have always used Bahasa Melayu as it is the regional lingua franca and Christianity has been in Sabah since 1881,” the Plantations Industry and Commodities minister is quoted as saying.
Respect the ruling
In Sarawak, the sole KeAdilan State legislator, Dominique Ng (Padungan), has called on government to respect the ruling. Ng, a Buddhist himself, asks the government to explain why it may not now release all of the confiscated religious articles to the churches and individuals concerned. He refers to the reported confiscation in Kuching on September 15th 2009 —of 15,000 imported copies of Bibles bearing the word ALLAH, and quoted other instances of confiscation of Christian articles. (Writer: In view of the stay of execution of the High Court ruling, the ban obviously remains in force.)
Ng said, “–that leading Muslim clerics and so many Malaysian Muslims are so religiously principled in their stand in sharing the use of the term ALLAH, is indeed a defining moment in Malaysian communal relations. — the Barisan National would be well advised to embrace rather than resist through another court challenge and thus seeming to encourage other acts stoking social tension.”
Litmus Test for Malaysia
“ This is indeed a litmus test of 1Malaysia. The Prime Minister should let Malaysians be ONE in the belief of God and Allah, a ONENESS which will be promoted using a shared term ALLAH, blessed be His Name ! ”
Rights under the Constitution
“ Sarawak Government should —reassure all Sarawak Christians of their rights under the Malaysia Constitution and the Spirit of the Malaysia Agreement,” says Ng. Under the Malaysia Agreement in 1963, Sarawak and Sabah people have greater space for religious freedom in spite of Islam being constitutionally defined as national religion.
Sarawak KeAdilan chairman, Baru Bian, declared that there “is no place for religious extremists and religious bigots in this country, as we are a nation of varied religious beliefs and practices. –Cobbold Commission Report clearly recorded that ‘freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion’ should be guaranteed– that ‘Sarawak should be a secular state. This is the reason I believe that today Sarawak remains as such without any official state religion.”
Dr. John Brian Anthony of Sarawak, wrote on his blog, “For Sabah and Sarawak we are watching UMNO reaction carefully. We fully understood PAS and PKR stance on the issue now. UMNO should be able to manage their response in the most sensitive manner to the feeling of non- Muslim too.” “As natives of Sabah and Sarawak, as “pribumi” of Malaysia with Christianity as our religion we can also exercise our rights to organize protest over ABIM / PKPIM protest. But where will this road lead us to?” he retorted, referring to planned protest demonstrations in KL against the High Court ruling.
Glory be to God
This writer had written in his blog in April 2009, a related article “Sugguh Besar Allahku” based on an Indonesian hymn bearing that title translated as “Glory be to God.”
I wrote further, “–an Iban (Dayak) showed me the the first lines of the Genesis in the Iban bible where clearly the word Allah was used from the very beginning that the Iban Bible was published (add: about a century ago). — the implications of such a legal ban on the word Allah, for Christians in Malaysia using the local language Bible. Enormous distress, to say the least.” Thus the majority of the indigenous Christians, not knowledgeable in English or Chinese, would not have any Bible which they can use, this an intolerable infringement on their constitutional rights on freedom of worship.
Importation of Bahasa Indonesia Bible Banned
I further pointed out that an Indonesian Christian would be banned from bringing the Indonesian language Bible into Malaysia for personal use or as gift to a Malaysian Christian friend, and for that matter any other Arab Christian carrying an Arabic Bible into Mallaysia.
Malaysia battered image
The international relations repercussions from the ban should be anticipated. The battered image of Malaysia overseas will be dealt more blows in both the Western and the Islamic countries. Malaysia would be singularly out of step with the rest of the Muslim world, often described as Ummah, by banning non-Muslims from using the term Allah; this a highly arrogant move against learned and authoritative Muslim sources locally and overseas.
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) commends the landmark ruling
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) commends the landmark ruling by a Malaysian Court on December 31, 2009, that affirms the religious freedom of Malaysian Christians. –“We call on the Malaysian government to uphold the religious freedom of Christians and to let the court ruling stand. We also urge Muslim NGOs to respect Islamic teachings and long-held Islamic traditions, and to withdraw their opposition to the use of the word “Allah” by their Christian compatriots,” its statement reads.
Malaysian authorities have clearly ignored the scenario that the gazetted ban may have extended repercussions beyond its own Christian and Muslim citizenry.
Widely reported in the world media
News of the controversy is already widely reported by the media worldwide. “Prime Minister Najib Razak called the A-word controversy a “sensitive issue” — What a disappointment for a man who ran for office promising to create “One Malaysia,” writes the Wall Street Journal.
Significant damage may also result from the controversy in relations with the Indonesian people; Indonesia is the largest Muslim nation, with growing clout on the regional stage given historical, cultural and geo-political realities. Imported Malay language Bibles are from Indonesia; banning implies that what is acceptable to Islam in Indonesia is not to the government of Malaysia. What this arrogance would do to the recently bruised relations with the major ASEAN partner remains to be seen. Other ASEAN neighbours would surely not welcome any unnecessary strain on inter-state relations by a quirk issue.
There has to be a way out of this serious impasse threatening harmony, beyond the decisions of civil courts.
People of Sabah and Sarawak
The people in Sabah and Sarawak may arguably be exempted from the ban on the basis of the Malaysia Agreement, but this would be a 2Malaysia solution, surely welcome by Sabah and Sarawak Christians but perhaps unacceptable nationally.
Writer believes it is the duty of responsible government to work on a couple of fronts:
1. Political. The crises is widely believed to have political partisan origin. The partners, other than UMNO, in the 13 party BN (national front) coalition should have their voices heard on the issue, however feeble, especially the BN partners in Sabah and Sarawak. Federal BN rules by virtue of support of BN partners in Sabah and Sarawak, so the leverage by the latter may not be that weak! The folly of the ban should be admitted.
There should be an all- party (including Pakatan) round-table to desist from further using the issue to partisan political advantage, but this contingent on the following.
2. Community. Rather than holding mass demonstrations, community confidence-building forums should by held, organized by government and civil society.
3. Inter-Religious Dialogue. This is perhaps the most crucial in influencing positive or negative development in other areas. Top religious leaders of Muslim, Christian churches, perhaps other religions, should sit and agree to a joint position which will guide community, political parties, government and perhaps courts.
Lawyer Azril Mohd Amin, writing at Malaysia Insider, called for mediation as an instrument of conflict resolution, this synonymous with the above dialogue proposal.
Dialogue
” The Catholic Church –has expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue with the Muslim clergy and find an amicable solution to the Allah row currently threatening—“ reports MKini news-portal. This is a reassuring development which writer hope and believe the Islamic clergy will respond favourably to, in genuine and respected Islamic traditions .
Concluding this review, and lest it be forgotten, may I share with readers :
“The great faiths, and would one dare to say scientific non-theist faith, are Divine gifts to humanity, different in form to suit different cultures, at different times of history. They are however very similar in substance, in the shared core values of love and humanity, and they should be universally shared in the globalised confluence of digital age civilisation.
That apparent differences in faiths may not lead god-created communities, and indeed the entire world, to self-destruction in nuclear-age conflicts, but that the shared universal values be the driving force bonding humankind, divinity and divine-created Planet Earth.” (Being Easter reflections April 2009 on my blog.)
May God Allah be praised!
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Can PAS remain steadfast?
JAN 8 – There is no denying the fact that the controversial Allah issue has the propensity to causing turbulence, even if some may deem it a non-issue. Hence to say that the now infamous High Court’s ruling on usage of “Allah” is a potential time bomb threatening the country’s social fabric, is indeed an understatement!
When this writer came into the meeting room for the PAS Central Political Bureau in the PAS headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut on Monday night, January 4, that thought haunted him.
Worse still there are many others most willing to jump into the ‘siege-mentality’ bandwagon. Expectedly the ruling had triggered a deluge of Malay-Muslim into angry protestors, mostly perceived as Umno-backed groups. They have threatened to hold mass demonstrations although a stay of execution filed by the Home Ministry has been granted. The 1-Malaysia-PM most irresponsibly and regrettably has consented to that and his Home Minister most willing to be his best lap-dog.
Understandably, this writer’s anxiety in attending the PAS’ Central Political Bureau was beyond description. He was surer of what he didn’t want, as what he wanted has been made known earlier and has somewhat already ruffled feathers in the party.
The calamity that may befall PAS flew in the face. He feared that PAS might joined hands with the rest of the disgruntled to oppose the High Court decision and insisting that Allah is exclusively the God of the Muslims, hence outlawing others its usage.
He feared that PAS will be trapped in the machination of Umno and that would be the end of “PAS for All”. While it is admittedly true that PAS is in acute need of the Malay-Muslims votes all the more now than before, PAS must not succumb to the temptation of appeasing Malay-Muslims constituency merely for votes, much worse, hands in gloves with its political nemesis, Umno. The signs of late, are not to be taken frivolously.
Regardless, he wanted the decision of ‘permissibility of the usage of the name of Allah’ be firstly based on principles and later to be contextualized to the political and social realities of the Malaysian demography ie the plural and mixed make-up of our society.
The writer fully understood that the debate is as acrimonious and as precarious as PAS’ available options. But by God’s grace and guidance, Alhamdulillah, PAS’ stance on the issue is now clear and unequivocal. He surely couldn’t narrate of what really happened in the 3 hours discussion behind closed doors. His only fear now is, ‘Can PAS remain Steadfast’ on that stance, come what may?
He now outlines the gist of the consensus. Firstly, to clarify the position of permissibility based on the provision of the Quran and its exegesis and secondly, to contextualise its application given the plural and complex multi-cultural make-up of our society. It essentially addresses an issue or policy of a government from the perspective of maintaining Maslahah Ammah or Public Interest and avoidance of Mafsadah or Disorders and Inconveniences.
The Quran has, in no uncertain terms, documented that the community during the advent of the final prophet, Muhammad (may peace be upon him) had similarly used the word “Allah”.
Allah says in the Holy Quran: “If you ask them, who it is that created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say, “Allah”. Say: “Praise be to Allah”. But most of them understand not.
(Luqman, Chapter 31; Verse 25)
Theologically (from the perspective of Faith or Aqidah), even though the idol-worshippers of Mecca accepted Allah as Rabb (God), it is only in the domain of Allah as al-Rububiyah or Allah as the Creator and Sustainer. In the complete Islamic faith, Allah is not only the Sustainer and Creator (Tauhid Rububiyah) but as well the Law-Giver and Sovereign (Tauhid Uluhiyah), besides a myriad other attributes only worthy of the Most High. They nonetheless recognise and believe in Allah only as a Sustainer.
More explicitly of the other Abrahamic religions, the mention of the word Allah is seen in the verse in the Chapter of Hajj (Pilgrimage) verse: 40. Allah says:
“Had not Allah Check and Balance the aggression and excesses of one set or group of people by means of another, there would surely have been destruction of monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of Allah is commemorated in abundance….” (Hajj, Chapter 22, verse 40).
From numerous other verses, it is abundantly clear, argued the ulama of exegesis (tafseer) that the name of Allah is not an exclusive right of the Muslims. Al-Qurtubi, an expert in exegesis of the Quran, concluded that in verse 40 above, Allah is not only commemorated in mosques but as well in the others places of worship of the Abrahamic faiths namely Christianity and Judaism.
It would be imperative to note of the jurisdiction of two of the most outstanding contemporary scholars in the Muslim world, namely Sheikh Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Sheikh Dr. Wahbah Az- Zuhaili who recently visited Malaysia, concerning this issue. Both were recipients of the award “Tokoh Ma’al Hijrah”, in 1431H and 1429H respectively.
Without any hesitation they concurred unequivocally that the usage of the word Allah has never been the monopoly of the Islamic creed. It is a terminology shared with the adherents of the Abrahamic faith. Islam identifies itself with the People of the Book as the ‘Abrahamic family’ within the Semitic Tradition (Hanifiyyah), the tradition of Abraham who is recognised as the father of the three Semitic religions.
The Quran is even more explicit in reminding that Muslims worship the same Almighty Allah recognized by Christians. The Qur’an commands Muslims to declare that the God they worship and the one worshiped by the followers of revealed books, including Christians, is one: “… and say: “We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him do we submit”.
(Al-Ankabut, Chapter 29: verse 46).
While it is true that they do not believe in the attributes of Allah as totally prescribed in Islam, the above reminder is nonetheless made by Allah that their God is One and the same. This is despite the fact that Christianity and Judaism are totally different Abrahamic religions in terms of articles of faith and convictions.
Hence, based on Islamic principles, Quranic text and exegesis, the use of the word Allah by the people of the other Abrahamic faiths such as Christianity and Judaism, is permissible. This is PAS’s stance as pronounced by the President.
The answer is in the definitive “Yes”. It’s truly a non-issue if only we refer to the Quran, as also exemplified by revered Ulama.
Having clarified the principle position of permissibility, the tougher question to address is the application of the principle ie in what and under what circumstances is it permissible, given the complex and plural multi-religio-racial make-up of our Malaysian society.
Incidentally, the discussion could be equally addressed from the perspective of the Federal Constitution (FC). Firstly, the Article 3(1) of the FC which assures Islam as the official religion of the Federation and other religions can be practiced in peace and harmony amply provides for the case of Catholic Church. Article 11 (1) equally provides for fundamental right of all religion to profess and practice religion of their choice.
In the propagation of the religion of the Catholic Christians, they are limited by the provision of Article 11 (4), which prohibits the propagation of Christianity to Muslims and Article 11 (5) which stipulates that the public order must be maintained.
The Catholic Herald has reassured Malaysians that the Church was not on any campaign to convert Muslims as emphasised by father Lawrence Andrew.
“There are allegations we’re trying to convert Muslims. “We’re not doing that”, he told the Malaysian Insider.
In this regard, PAS has again stressed the usage of “Allah” must not be misused or abused or it will affect racial and religious harmony in the country.
“As a responsible Islamic body, PAS is ready to explain this issue to all parties in order to ensure a harmonious environment that is based on the principles of fairness, such as is guaranteed in the Constitution and by Islam itself,” PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said in a statement issued after the three-hour long discussion.
In this regard, the former Mufti of Perlis has also stressed the need to have clear guidelines. He said that the word “Allah” could only be used to refer to the one true God and not to be ascribed to stones and idols.
The PAS president has also called on all parties not to politicise the matter as this could threaten the peace among the different religious groups in the country.
PAS strongly objects to any aggressive and provocative approach that can lead to tension in society.
By advocating a solution of dialogue and discourse, PAS has presented herself as an Islamist party that understands the need of a plural politics in the new landscape of national politics. This is very reassuring and consoling.
To cite Tengku Razaleigh, “In a milestone moment, PAS, the Islamic party, is holding onto the more plural and moderate position while Umno is digging itself into an intolerant hard-line position that has no parallel that I know of in the Muslim world”.
The writer now concurs with the Tengku that Umno will be spurred to more desperate attempts at fanning both narrow religious and parochial racial sentiments.
PAS must hold on to its Islamic principles to stand for “Justice for All”.
Rather than championing the exclusive usage of the name of Allah for Malay-Muslims, PAS together with her Pakatan component parties must wage an all out attack on Umno on the narrow racial approach of Malay Hegemony, perversion of power, the spread of corruption, the plunder of the nation’s wealth and the repression of the people’s rights, which are all in total contradiction with and diametrically opposed to Islam.
PAS is on the right political trajectory for now but judging by the intense challenges many would like to ask, “can PAS remain steadfast”?
Allah knows best and only time will tell. Frankly, is there a choice?
WHO IS ALLAAH?
It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with the Arabic term Allaah. Allaah is the personal name of the one true God. Nothing else can be called Allaah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to note that Allaah is the proper name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.
To a Muslim, Allaah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was asked by his contemporaries about Allaah the Almighty; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Qur’an, which is considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads:
In the name of Allaah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)): “He is Allâh, (the) One. Allâh-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks). He begets not, nor was He begotten; And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him”. (Qur’an: Chapter # 114)
Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God. He is not loving and kind. Nothing can be farther from truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Qur’an begins with the verse: “In the name of Allaah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.” In one of the sayings of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) we are told that “Allaah is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child.”
But Allaah is also Just. Hence evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment and as for the virtuous, His bounties and favors. Actually, God’s attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His sake and people oppressing and exploiting other people all their lives should not receive similar treatment from their Lord. Expecting similar treatment for them will amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negating all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this world. The following Qur’anic verses are very clear and straightforward in this respect:
“Verily, for the righteous are gardens of delight, in the presence of their Lord. So shall We treat the Muslims (believers, righteous) like the criminals? (disbelivers, eveildoers) What is the matter with you? How do you judge?” (Qur’an 68:34-36)
Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created the human beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves and get His favor through virtue and piety only.
The concepts that God rested on the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against mankind, or that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic point of view.
The unique usage of the term Allaah as a personal name of God is a reflection of Islam’s emphasis on the purity of the belief in God which is the essence of the message of all God’s messengers. Because of this, Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a deadly sin which God will never forgive, despite the fact He may forgive all other sins.
Note that what is meant above applies ONLY to those people who die in a state wherein they are associating others with God. The repentance of those who yet live is acceptable to God if He wills.
The Creator must be of a different nature from the things created because if He is of the same nature as they are, He will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, then He must be eternal. But if He is eternal, He cannot be caused, and if nothing outside Him causes Him to continue to exist, which means that He must be self-sufficient. And if He does not depend on anything for the continuance of His own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore eternal and everlasting: “He is the First and the Last.”
He is Self-Sufficient or Self-Subsistent or, to use a Qur’anic term, Al-Qayyuum. The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.
“Allaah is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth.” (Qur’an 39:62-63)
“And there isn’t a creature that crawls on earth, except that upon Allaah is its provision. He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register.” (Qur’an 11:6)
ALLAAH’S ATTRIBUTES:
If the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must also be eternal and everlasting. If this is so, then His attributes are absolute. Can there be more than one Creator with such absolute attributes? Can there be for example, two absolutely powerful Creators? A moment’s thought shows that this is not feasible.
The Qur’an summarizes this argument in the following verses: “No son (or offspring or children) did Allâh beget, nor is there any ilâh (god) along with Him; (if there had been many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have tried to overcome others! Glorified be Allâh above all that they attribute to Him!”
(Qur’an 23:91)
“Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth) gods besides Allâh, then verily both would have been ruined. Glorified be Allâh, the Lord of the Throne, (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!”
(Qur’an 21:22)
THE ONENESS OF ALLAAH:
The Qur’an reminds us of the falsity of all alleged gods. To the worshippers of man-made objects, it asks: “Do you worship what you have carved yourself?” (Qur’an 37:95)
Say (O Muhammad SAW): “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?” Say: “(It is) Allâh.” Say: “Have you then taken (for worship) Auliyâ’ (protectors, etc.) other than Him, such as have no power either for benefit or for harm to themselves?” Say: “Is the blind equal to the one who sees? Or darkness equal to light? Or do they assign to Allâh partners who created the like of His creation, so that the creation (which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them.” Say: “Allâh is the Creator of all things, He is the One, the Irresistible.” (Qur’an 13:16)
THE BELIEVER’S ATTITUDE:
In order to be a Muslim, i.e., to surrender oneself to Allaah, it is necessary to believe in the oneness of Allaah, in the sense of Him being the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher, etc. But this belief – later on called “Tawheed Ar-Rububiyyah” – is not enough. Many of the idolaters knew and believed that only the Supreme God could do all this, but that was not enough to make them Muslims. To tawheed ar-rububiyyah one must add tawheed al’uluhiyyah,
i.e., one acknowledges the fact that Allaah alone deserves to be worshipped, and thus abstains from worshipping any other deity or thing or being.
Having achieved this knowledge of the one true God, man should constantly have faith in Him, and should allow nothing to induce him to deny the truth.
When correct faith enters a person’s heart, it causes certain mental states which result in certain actions. Taken together, these mental states and actions are the proof for the true faith. Foremost among those mental states is the feeling of gratitude towards Allaah which could be said to be the essence of
‘ebadah’ (worship).
The feeling of gratitude is so important that a
non-believer is called ‘kafir’ which means ‘one who denies a truth’ and also ‘one who is ungrateful.’
A believer loves, and is grateful to Allaah for the bounties He bestows upon him, but being aware of the fact that his good deeds, whether mental or physical, are far from being proportional to divine favors, he is always anxious lest Allaah should punish him, here or in the Hereafter. He, therefore, fears Him, surrenders himself to Him and serves Him with great humility. One cannot be in such a mental state without being almost all the time mindful of Allaah. Remembering Allaah is thus the life force of faith, without which it fades and withers away.
The Qur’an promotes this feeling of gratitude by repeating the attributes of Allaah (God) very frequently. We find most of these attributes mentioned together in the following verses of the Qur’an:
“He is Allâh, than Whom there is Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the
All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. He is Allâh than Whom there is Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the King, the Holy, the One Free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allâh! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him. He is Allâh, the Creator, the Inventor of all things, the Bestower of forms. To Him belong the Best Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. (Qur’an 59:22-24)
“Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursî extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [This Verse is called
Ayat-ul-Kursî.] ” (Qur’an 2:255)
“O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allâh aught but the truth. The Messiah ‘Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allâh and His Word, (“Be!” – and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rûh) created by Him; so believe in Allâh and His Messengers. Say not: “Three (trinity)!” Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allâh is (the only) One Ilâh (God), Glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allâh is All Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.” (Qur’an 4:171)
Which religion should I & DL choose to believe in?
Choosing a religion.
Most people, at some time in their lives, would be curious about what is purpose of life other than mere survival and procreation.
For some, this curiosity develops into a personal void needing to be filled.
For many, searching the secular realm and science would not provide adequate answers to this question.
From the beginning of recorded civilization, spiritual theories have been used to explain the purpose of life, natural events, health, political power, death and the thereafter.
One of these theories is Judeo-Christianity. Its text is the Bible.
I will use the secular mathematical tool of chance and probabilities to test the reliability of the Bible.
If I predict correctly all four digits in a four–digit lottery, the likelihood of that occurring by chance is one in 10,000 because for each digit, the probability is one in ten. If I predict another four digits correctly, the likelihood of this event occurring by chance is one in 100,000,000. If I predict correctly another four digits, the probability of this occurring by chance is one in 1,000,000,000,000.
The correct prediction of a four-digit lottery three times in a row is extremely unlikely to occur by chance. It is more likely to have happened by design. This could happen if I control the process of selecting the winning numbers. This could happen if I have knowledge of the future (prescience). Where has this ability come from? One explanation is that it is from an omniscient intelligence.
I apply this argument to the prediction of future historical events. Predicting one specific historical event in the future is possible by guessing. Predicting many specific historical events in the future is very unlikely by guesswork. Predicting a series of specific historical events in a specific order is even more unlikely by guesswork.
From my reading of the Bible, the Qur’an and the Bhagavad Gita, I found that the Bible contained by far the most predictions of events recorded in secular history (click here) relative to the time of the initial writing of these texts.
The likelihood of these correct predictions occurring by chance is extremely remote. In other words, it would be almost impossible for the predictions to happen merely by coincidence. Hence it is more likely to have occurred by design.
I believe that the designer is a prescient intelligence possibly from outside the four dimensions that I exist in. I believe this prescient intelligence revealed the events of the future to various people called prophets who recorded their predictions. These predictions (prophecies) are compiled in a book called the Holy Bible.
I believe the Bible contains clues to the identity of this prescient intelligence. On re-examining the Bible I found many predictions about a man. These were fulfilled in one person called Jesus. (click here)
This is why I believe in Jesus.
Tuan Arah, WHO IS ALLAH?
Is he a creator of Heaven and earth? Is he a spirit? Does he stay in Heaven or in the sky or everywhere? Is he a powerful/almighty god?
My God has all these characteristics, you know?
The root cause of church attacking in M`ysia is the statement made by two UMNO leaders Home ministry minister and PM.that allowed a small group of mosque goers to demonstrate at Kpg. Baru Mosque at KL which aggravate the situation. All these are the work of UMNO extremist for their political agenda in order to influence court decission that the word “Allah” only for muslim. Once must know that the word “allah” is an Arabic word which mean god. I believed majority of the malays are educated and wised enough to understand UMNO is an extremist party and no place in the plural society like M`ysia. They knew that the support for UMNO now is getting less probably they will loss in the next General Election.
Don`t worry if BN government fail to bring the culprit to justice vote out BN in the next election election
“arah” has deligently detailed some Islamic principles as stated in the Quran.
Amidst, the gloom of daily reports of attacks by fanatics and anarchists, Malaysian society has thankfully moved several notches in reasoned maturity.
The courage of PAS to take a stand based on true Islamic principles is surely appreciated by Christians and non-Muslims.
The bond among the Pakatan parties would have grown so much stronger after these distressful episodes.
The tolerance and steadfastness of both Muslims and Christians in the face of evil is something to be celebrated by all.
Would it be fair for me to believe that the wisdom of PAS and true believers of Islam and Christianity have been guided at the crucial hour by God/Allah, Alhamdulilah!
Let Malaysia be at the forefront of interfaith dialogue, as I believe is happening now–towards an Asian Rennaisance which Anwar evisaged over a decade ago.
Let Peace and Goodwill breakout in this land.
Kuching.
Muslims, whatever their race or ethnicity, USE Allah because it is in the Quran. For Muslims, the Quran is the literal word of God, which is in the original language that it was revealed in – Arabic. Muslims recite the Quran in Arabic, they pray in Arabic – the usage of Arabic is a daily occurence for praticising Muslims, regardless of what thjeir native language is.
Non-Muslim Arabs using the word Allah to denote God in their Bibles does not spark controversy because Arabic is THEIR native language.
Christians, whose native language is NOT Arabic, using Allah to denote God is farcical. The usage of Allah by these people bespeaks of an intent to appeal to Muslims used to usage of Arabic word for God.
Simple as that.
Nina,
I think that you are misunderstood of word “ALLAH” In christian iban word called God is ALLAH TAALA. Nothing mentioned in Quran or Bibble to stopped anybody of different religion praying in word ” ALLAH ” or other dialect.
What/Who is God (Allah)….No body know and ever see.
Who is Nabi Muhamad / Jesus Christ……No body know and see.
Where is Heaven….Nobody know and ever see.
All religion in the world is excellent…..Trust is your heart mine and your soul….
Amen
Respon Pengunjung: Isu Kalimah Allah dan Kata Penutup
Saya ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk menjawab beberapa soalan yang ditimbulkan oleh para pengunjung berkaitan isu penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh golongan bukan Islam. Namun disebabkan kesuntukan masa, jawapan saya akan merupakan jawapan secara ringkas dan ‘straight to the point’.
SOALAN :- “Adakah Yb bersetuju dengan konsep Trinity?”
Semestinya tidak. Tetapi itulah kepercayaan agama Christian dari zaman sebelum datangnya Rasulullah (SAW) sehingga sekarang. Mereka menyatakan “Allah adalah sepertiga dari Tiga” dan ini diabadikan dalam Al-Quran (Al-Maidah ayat 73). Itu Aqeedah mereka dan walaupun kita tidak setuju, kerana kita berpegang teguh kepada konsep Tauhid, kita tidak boleh menghalang mereka dari berpegang kepadanya dan menyatakan kepercayaan mereka. Itulah kebebasan beragama yang diajar Islam kepada kita.
Pendekatan Rasulullah (SAW) ialah untuk berhujjah dengan mereka dan meberitahu mereka bahawa kepercayaan tersebut adalah salah dan oleh itu agama mereka dan ibadah mereka ditolak Allah. Usaha membetulkan kepercayaan mereka terhadap Allah adalah apa yang dinamakan ‘dakwah’. Rasulullah (SAW) tidak pernah menghalang mereka dari menggunakan perkataan Allah serta menyuruh mereka sembah Tuhan lain, iaitu dengan menggunakan kalimah selain dari Allah. Dan inilah apa yang perlu kita contohi. Bukan menghalang mereka dari menggunakan kalimah ‘Allah’ tetapi sebaliknya menjelaskan bahawa sekiranya mereka ingin Allah terima amalan mereka maka mereka mesti memahami dan meyakini bahawa Allah itu Esa dan Muhammad(SAW) adalah RasulNya.
SOALAN :- I would like to know your stand if the word ‘Allah’ is mentioned in this context; “Jesus is the son of Allah”. Please clarify.
Obviously I do not agree with the statement because as a Muslim we believe that Allah begets not nor is He begotten. However, that statement is the corner stone of the Christian faith. That is their religion and even if I do not agree I cannot prevent them from believing in their religion. It is important to note that the belief of the Christians that Jesus is the son of Allah was already present at the time of the Prophet and this is clearly mentioned in the Quran. One such ayat is found in Suran At-Taubah, verse 30 wherein Allah says,
”The Jews say: “Uzair is the son of Allah”. And the Christians say: “The Masih (Jesus) is the son of Allah”. This is what they say with their mouths, copying that which was said by the disbelievers before them..”
This saying by the Christians that “Jesus is the son of Allah” is not new. Such a belief is mentioned in the Quran and is of course rejected by the Quran.
By the Christians today stating this as their belief, it would actually confirm what the Quran teaches the Muslims about Christianity and how they have misconstrued the position of Jesus (Peace be Upon him). If the Christians do not believe in that, then obviously all the ayats of the Quran which tells us about the deviation of the Christian faith would then not be true. In other words, such a saying only confirms what the Quran states.
SOALAN :- Cuba YB terjemahkan “Jesus is the son of God”.
Tak perlu saya terjemahkan. Rujuk sahaja kepada Al-Quran Surah At-Taubah ayat 30 dan baca sendiri terjemahannya.
SOALAN :- Adakah kita menjadi Muslim dengan kita mengucap “Tiada tuhan melainkan Tuhan”?
Itulah maksud kalimah “La ilaha illa Llah”. Tiada ilah(tuhan) selain Allah (Tuhan). Perkataan ‘ilah’ membawa erti sesuatu yang dipuja dan dipuji serta ditaati kerana inginkan keredhaannya. Termasuk dalam kategori ini adalah nafsu seperti maksud firman Allah
“Tidakkah kamu lihat mereka yang menjadikan hawa nafsu mereka sebagai ilah mereka?” (Al-Furqan ayat 43).
Risalah Islam menyeru manusia untuk membebaskan diri dari pengabdian, pemujaan dan ketaatan kepada selain dari Tuhan pencipta alam. Ianya risalah yang membebaskan manusia dari pengabdian sesama manusia dan semua tuhan-tuhan palsu termasuk, tetapi tidak terhad, kepada berhala-berhala.
Apabila kita memeluk agama Islam, biasanya kta mengucap dua kalimah syahadah dalam bahasa Arab. Oleh kerana perkataan Allah menjadi sinonim dengan Tuhan dalam Bahasa Malaysia, maka di kekalkan kalimah Allah apabila menterjemahkan ke Bahasa Malaysia. Maka ianya menjadi “tiada tuhan selain Allah”. Perkataan Allah adalah perkataan Bahasa Arab berasal dari ‘Al-ilah’ (Alif lam makrifah wa hakikiyyah). Ia membawa erti Tuhan yang Esa yang sebenar.
SOALAN :- Why is the Trinity wrong?
It is wrong because it ascribes to God or Allah attributes which are below Him such as having a ‘son’. A ‘son’ would be similar to Him while none is like unto Him and He has no partners in His sovereignty. It is an attempt to humanise Him and in so doing give to Him the shortcomings which are common in humans. Believing that God has sons and daughters is common in pagan religions whereas such a belief is strongly rebuked by Allah in the Quran. The ayat 30 of Surah At-Taubah being a case in point.
The Quran being the word of Allah clearly explains to those who read it that Jesus was a Prophet such as was Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon and those others named in the Torah, the Injil and the Quran. So too was Muhammad. He was the last of the Prophets, bringing with him a message for all mankind, not just the Children of Israel (Jews) or his own particular tribe or kinsman. Ascribing Divinity to Jesus was a later distortion done primarily, as I understand it, to accelerate acceptance by pagan Europeans who were used to a the concept of a God Who had children.
SOALAN :- Bagaimana dengan ayat 65 Surah Maryam yang bermaksud “Adakah engkau kenal seseorang yang senama (sama) dengan Dia?”.
Pastinya tidak. Itulah sebabnya saya tidak memberi perkataan atau nama lain untuk diguna sebagai Tuhan selain Allah. Saya tidak juga menghalang manusia dari ingin menyembah Allah. Walaupun kefahaman mereka terhadap Allah itu salah TETAPI itulah kerja dakwah dan tanggung jawab ummat Islam untuk membetulkannya. Sama seperti pada zaman Rasulullah (SAW).
Semasa Baginda dibangkitkan sebagai Rasul, orang kafir Quraisy menyembah Allah, Orang Yahudi dan Kristian juga menyembah Allah. Tetapi mereka semua mensyirikkan Allah dengan tuhan-tuhan lain atau dengan memberi kepada Allah sifat-sifat yang mustahil kepadaNya. Rasulullah (SAW) tidak menghalang mereka dari terus menggunakan kalimah Allah dan mereka, khususnya golongan ahlul kitab yang berbahasa Arab dan seakan Arab, (seperti kaum Hausar di Nigeria), terus menggunakan kalimah Allah hingga hari ini. Apa yang dilakukan Baginda ialah untuk menjelaskan sifat Tauhid Allah dari segi Rububiyyahnya, Uhlulhiyyahnya dan juga dari aspek asma’ wa sifahnya.
Terlalu banyak ayat-ayat Al-Quran dan Hadith Rasulullah (SAW) yang menjelaskan kepada kita bahawa kalimah Allah digunakan oleh orang-orang bukan Islam. Telahpun saya kemukakan beberapa kali sebelum ini di dalam dua posting yang berkaitan yang bertajuk Ismu Allah dan Isu Kalimah. Oleh itu, saya tidak berhajat untuk mengulanginya di sini.
Hakikatnya Allah adalah Tuhan semesta alam dan Tuhan kepada SEMUA manusia. Istilah Al-Quran seperti “Rabbul a’alamiin” (Tuhan semesta alam), “malikin-nas (Raja seluruh manusia), ilaahin-nas (pujaan dan tuhan seluruh manusia)” adalah di antara bukti yang jelas. Tak mungkin ummat Islam ‘memonopoli’ Allah dengan mengatakan Allah adalah Tuhan orang Islam. Manusia yang ingin menyembah Tuhan pencipta alam pada hakikatnya ingin menyembah Allah. Namun semuanya ditolak Allah kecuali penyembahan dari yang islam. Ini adalah kerana hanya Islam mengajar ummatnya supaya tidak mensyirikkanNya dan mengabdikan diri kepada hanya Dia.
SOALAN :- Apa nak saya katakan kepada anak saya bila dia bertanya “Allah mana yang kita sembah? Allah Islam atau Allah Kristian?
Allah hanya satu. Tiada ‘Allah Islam’ dan ‘Allah Kristian’. Ianya Allah yang sama, Tuhan yang sama. Hanya orang Kristian telah tersesat dengan mensyirikkan Allah dan oleh itu peribadatan mereka ditolak Allah.
Sebagai hujjah, marilah kita renungi apa yang terkandung dalam ayat 46 Surah Al-Ankabut :-
“Dan janganlah kamu berhujjah dengan orang-orang ahlal-kitab kecuali dengan cara yang terbaik. Kecuali dengan yang Zalim di kalangan mereka (tak perlu berhujjah). Dan katakan : “Kami percaya kepada wahyu yang diturunkan kepada kami dan wahyu yang diturunkan kepada kamu, tuhan kami dan tuhan kamu adalah satu dan kepadaNya kami menyerah diri (Islam)”.
Saya harap para pengunjung memikirkan maksud ayat ini dan jangan ada pula yang menafikannya. Biar pemikiran dan kefahaman kita dicorak oleh Al-Quran dan Hadith Rasulullah (SAW), bukan oleh prejudis-prejudis diri kita sendiri.
SOALAN :- Tidakkah YB khuatir akan generasi Islam yang akan datang, betapa mereka akan menjadi keliru dan murtad (wa na udzu biLlah hi min dzalik).
Sememangnya saya khuatir. Namun kekhuatiran tidak sepatutnya menguasai segala amalan kita kerana pada masa yang sama kita mesti juga mempunyai keberanaian yang berasaskan keyakinan pada bantuan dari Allah. Pasti ada sebab mengapa Allah dan RasulNya terus membenarkan kaum Musyrikin serta Ahlul-Kitab menggunakan kalimah Allah. Ianya berasaskan keyakinan bahawa Islam itu agama yang sebenar dan kebenarannya akan terserlah apabila ummat Islam sendiri menzahirkan keyakinan mereka terhadap agama mereka sendiri. Tidak seperti sekarang, memberi gambaran betapa rapuhnya iman ummat Islam sehingga dengan penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh bukan Islam maka akan runtuh hancur menjadi debu aqeedah ummat Islam.
Maaf. Tetapi itulah gambaran yang diberikan, samada sedar ataupun tidak. Pada hakikatnya kekhuatiran itu berasaskan maklumat dari mereka-mereka yang sendiri lemah dalam keimanan mereka. Takut, khuatir dan ingin terus berada di bawah tempurung dan zon keselesaan mereka. Berdasarkan maklumat yang sebenar, dari Sabah dan Sarawak, ianya tiada masalah. Seperti kata pepatah, alah bisa tegal biasa.
Dalam satu perbincangan seorang wakil Sabah menyatakan di Sabah dulu hanya 38% Muslim. Sekarang sudah 56% walaupun ummat Kristian menggunakan kalimah Allah semenjak sebelum Merdeka. Yang ‘murtad’ mengikut beliau adalah yang muallaf. Ada yang keluar masuk Islam 3, 4 kali. Setiap kali masuk dapat imbuhan.
Begitu juga di Sarawak. Dahulunya 15% yang beragama Islam sekarang sudah menjadi 35%. Mengikut maklumat yang saya perolehi semasa di Kuching tempoh hari, majoriti Islam di Sarawak sekarang bukan orang Melayu tetapi keturunan Dayak.
Pada hakikatnya penggunaan kalimah ‘Allah’ oleh orang Kristian akan mendorong ummat Islam memahami dengan lebih jelas lagi siapa Allah dari kaca mata Islam dan bagaimana ianya berbeza dengan fahaman orang Kristian. Ummat Islam tidak boleh leka dengan hanya mengatakan “kami sembah Allah” tanpa menyedari apa yang dimaksudkan dengan kalimah tersebut.
Kedua, ia akan memudahkan usaha dakwah terhadap golongan ahlul-kitab dan sekiranya kita yakin dengan kebenaran hujjah kita, maka tiada masalah bagi kita menangani usaha mereka untuk mempertahankan kefahaman mereka terhadap kalimah Allah itu sendiri.
Itu sahajalah yang saya ingin nukilkan berhubung persoalan ini. Yang tidak mahu bersetuju akan terus tidak bersetuju. Yang ingin mendengar dan menilai, insyaAllah akan Allah bimbingkan kepada yang lebih diRedhaiNya.
Selepas ini kita kembali sambung kepada isu penyelewengan UMNO/BN.
WaLlahu ‘Alam
KHALID SAMAD
Does the Word of God approve of addressing God as “Allah”?
We acknowledge that Allah has been used in Bahasa Malaysia/ Indonesia Bible for hundreds of years, but it does not mean that God approve of its use for Him. Does the Word of God tell us not to use Allah for God? Of course you cannot find a single commandment in the Bible that says: “You shall not use Allah to address your God,” but there are principles in the Word of God that tell us God does not like to be called Allah.
Principles in God’s precious Word make His Word relevant and applicable today. Let us look at an example of a principle. Where does it say in the Bible one must not be late for worshipping God on the Lord’s Day? If a church is gathered to the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Himself is present in their midst, though unseen. He says, in Matthew 18.29: “For where two or three are gathered together in (Greek eis, unto) My Name, there am I (or, I AM) in the midst of them.” The Lord Himself set an example of punctuality: “And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.” (Luke 22.14) That is a principle on punctuality.
The Bible says the Lord Jesus Christ is God Who “became flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only Begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John’s Gospel 1.14) Those who do not believe that He was God manifest in flesh do not know God at all. The Lord answered those who doubted He was God, “Ye neither know Me, nor My Father: if ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also.” (John 8.19) So the God Who is mentioned in the Bible is not the God of other people’s religions or beliefs, because they do not believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their God and Saviour. This is an important distinction.
Are there principles in the Word of God that tell us we cannot address God as Allah or any other names that people use to address their gods? For example, the Chinese call their gods or deities “shen,” [?] and this shen is also used in the Chinese Bible for God. Is it right? See the article posted on Scribd: “The God of the Bible is a Chinese god.” (www.scribd.com/doc/…/The-God-of-the-Bible-is-a-Chinese-god) There are principles in the Word of God that tell us God should not be addressed as Allah.
The principle of hallowing God’s Name
God does want His people to distinguish and differentiate Him from what other people worship in their religions. In Matthew 6.9 and Luke 11.2, the Lord wants His people to hallow God’s Name: “Hallowed be Thy Name.”
The word “hallowed” comes from the Greek hagiazo meaning “to make holy” (from hagios, “holy”), signifies to set apart for God, to sanctify, to make a person or thing the opposite of koinos, ‘common;’ it is translated “Hallowed,” with reference to the Name of God the Father in the Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6.9; Luke11.2.” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words) The Chinese pray to the Chinese gods and call them shen, why should believers of God and the Lord Jesus Christ call Him shen as those who worship Chinese gods? They are not hallowing Him. They are making Him common with the Chinese gods! They are bringing God down to the level of the Chinese gods and making Him god! The Muslims consider Allah as the supreme divine name which they consider as unique for their creator. It does not hallow God’s Name to use Allah for Him in Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia Bible. It should use another name, perhaps, the name Tuhan. Those who translated the Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia Bible long ago did not know of this principle in the Word of God. Had they known, they would not have used Allah for God.
2. The principle of sanctifying God
God does want us to set Him apart, or distinguish Him from gods. Look at the following scriptures:
Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD. (Ezekiel 38.23)
Sanctify the LORD of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. (Isaiah 8:.13)
The word “sanctify” comes from the Hebrew k?dhash and is equivalent to the New Testament Greek verb hagia?z?. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, k?dhash has the “underlying idea of the separateness of holy nature or holy use,” that is, the setting apart for God only. Where is the ‘separateness’ or setting God apart from Allah when the name is used by Muslims and by those who are God’s people?
3. God is profaned
Let it be known the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ is neither the Allah in Islam nor the shen in Chinese religions. Let this distinction be made in the Bible, in writing, singing, prayer and worship. Without this distinction, God is profaned, common with other gods and religions. In the Hebrew Old Testament, “profane” comes from the Hebrew chalal, and has the sense of “for common use” (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia). We can apply this principle to pronouns for God. Note that we begin the pronouns for God (He, Him, His, Thy, etc) with a capital letter for distinction to show they do not refer to man. And God is not man.
Jangan gado2..nanti terjaaaadi seperti Perang Salib lagi.