An Open Letter to Patrick Teoh
FMT LETTER: From Ahmad Hidayat Hasni Mad Isa, via e-mail
To my dear brother, Patrick Teoh
I don’t know if you will read this or not, but as a Muslim and as a
fellow Malaysian, I’m concerned with the situation that has been taking
place recently related to your controversial post on Facebook.
First of all, I’m nobody but only a student. I’m not representing any
party but only myself. I know that you have made an apology on your
Twitter and Facebook.
I’m writing this letter not to judge you, but just to clear out some points which you had mentioned earlier in your post.
I’m a Malaysian and I have a lot of non-Malaysian friends. I’m a
Muslim and I have a lot of non-Muslim friends. I’m a Malay and I have a
lot of non-Malay friends.
And what I’ve learned throughout my friendship with them is even if
there’s something that we could not agree on, that is not going to
prevent us from respecting each other.
As stated in the Quran from chapter 49, verse 13: “O mankind, indeed
We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes
that you may know one another.”
As well in chapter 60, verse 8: “Allah does not forbid you from those
who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your
homes – from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them.
Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.”
I’m disappointed with what you’ve done but that doesn’t mean I have
to spit out harsh words against you because it is not going to make
things better anyway.
In the Quran, Allah stated in chapter 3, verse 186: “You will surely
be tested in your possessions and in yourselves. And you will surely
hear from those who were given the scripture before you and from those
who associate others with Allah much abuse. But if you are patient and
fear Allah – indeed, that is of the matters [worthy] of determination.”
Even in the Quran in chapter 6, verse 108, we are not allowed to insult other religions.
“And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah , lest they
insult Allah in enmity without knowledge. Thus We have made pleasing to
every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He
will inform them about what they used to do.”
Regarding the issue that you’ve raised before, actually Kedah
government has withdrawn the guidelines and has given a green light for
the function to take place. So the matter should not be raised in the
first place, because it has been solved.
Ok. Let me make it clear, even if Kedah government still insists in
doing so, you definitely have the rights to voice out your opinion as a
citizen. But what are those have to do with individuality, praying five
times a day and covering up all women?
Just to let you know, praying five times and wearing scarf properly
to cover parts of women’s body are imposed only for Muslims. They have
nothing to do with non-Muslims and definitely non-Muslims cannot be
forced to practice them.
As a verse in Al-Quran states in chapter 2, verse 256: “There shall
be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has
become clear from the wrong.”
I would like to take the opportunity via this letter to briefly explain of the acknowledgement of Islam towards non-Muslim.
During the reign of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Medina,
non-Muslims such as Jews and Christians were considered as citizens of
Medina and their rights were protected under the Medina constitutions.
They could practice their religions and beliefs freely, and never be
hurt or discriminated.
One day, a funeral processation of a Jew passed before Prophet
Muhammad. As a sign of respect he stood up. In doing this, he showed
respect and shared in the feeling of sorrow with the Jewish family and
community.
“Why did you stand up for a Jewish funeral?” he was asked. The Prophet replied: “Is it not a human soul?”
Respecting another human is what Islam has taught us to do so.
I think what we lack today in our community is the willingness to
have dialogue between people of different views and opinions. That will
bring much more harmony and peace.
Even Prophet Muhammad himself had conducted a dialogue in the mosque
between him and the Christians from Najran (it is the area between Saudi
and Yemen in modern days).
Just to let you know, I will definitely never ask you to leave Malaysia and to live in other country because of two reasons:
A You and I have the same identity, we are
Malaysians. So why on earth would I ask you to leave? Malaysia belongs
to all of us after all.
B I would love you to stay so that I hope your
questions and misunderstandings about Islam will be answered one by one
in a beautiful way.
The writer is a student at the Jordan University of Science and Technology
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