JazakALlah to brother Roslan SMS for highlighting this article...
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Love for Islam comes first
Comment by MEHRUN SIRAJ
I grew up in the minority Muslim community of secular Singapore. My
teacher father and social worker mother were both social activists and leaders
of the community. I consider myself fortunate that because of my mixed
parentage, my religious education was a combination of the traditional method
of learning about Islam and the broader approach of a convert. So we had
an Ustazah coming to the house to teach us to read the Quran and perform the
Solat in the right manner. My mothers family was strict about performing the
five daily prayers right on time and in carrying out all the other obligations
imposed on Muslims. My better understanding of the religion, however,
came from my father who was the epitome of Islamic ideals. He emphasized the
values that Islam expected of its followers integrity, diligence, patience,
compassion, charity, and the importance of amanah what we are entrusted with
and our duties to discharge that trust in accordance with
Allahs teachings. I learnt and absolutely believe that the Quran is
the Word of God, meant as a guide to mankind for all times and for all places.
To me, the Quran is the anchor that prevents the ship of society from being
buffeted by the winds of change in human behaviour resulting from a refusal to
obey Gods prescriptions for human conduct. From my constant reading of
a paperback copy of Pickthalls translation of the Quran while I was growing
up, I was able to quote in English, verses which were to help me through lifes
difficult times. Sadly, despite several forays into intensive Arabic courses, I
am still unable to quote the Arabic text. Surrounded as I was by people
who personified Islamic values, it was inevitable that I develop a strong
faith. The first test of my faith was when the question of marriage came up. I
had been dating a Hindu classmate and under Islamic Law a Muslim woman can only
marry a Muslim man. For a valid Muslim
marriage, my intended had to convert to Islam. Perhaps this is why many of my
Muslim friends will not date non-Muslim men to avoid this difficult
situation. Our situation was made even more difficult because we were presented
with a choice. We were in Singapore and the Womens Charter allows a
civil marriage between a Muslim and a non-Muslim. Such a marriage would be
valid by Singapore law but not according to Islam. The Islamic Law on
capacity to marry is codified from verse 2:221 of the Quran: Do not marry
unbelieving women until they believe ? Nor marry your girls to
unbelievers until they believe ? Abdullah Yusuf Alis commentary of
this verse explains: If religion is at all a real influence in life to both
parties or to either party, a difference in this vital matter must affect the
lives of both more profoundly than differences of birth, race, language or
position in life. It is therefore only right that the parties to be married
should have the same spiritual outlook. If two persons love each other, their
outlook in the highest things of life must be the same. That is the
traditional view. There are those who advocate an amendment to the law,
arguing that the Quran should be interpreted contextually relate the text to
its socio-historical context and then relate it to the present. I have
done that with the verse above but I am unable to identify the change in
society that justifies a shift from the traditional interpretation. The
argument that women today are better educated, economically independent and
more mobile does not rebut Abdullah Yusuf Alis explanation. Has anyone
studied mixed marriages where only the wife is Muslim? What is the effect on
the spirituality of the woman, the upbringing of the children and the general
pattern of their lives? Such studies would be more relevant for
consideration than the other reasons that have been advanced. For
example, we are told that other Muslim countries have made the changes and
their action hailed as a progressive step forward in guaranteeing Human Rights
for Muslim women. Shouldnt we think about the impact of such changes before
blindly following them? I hear the call to amend the relevant domestic
laws so that women can have equal rights with men in relation to the family and
thus enable Malaysia to withdraw her reservation to Article 16 of the UN
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Muslims can subscribe to the theory of the universality of Human Rights but
only to the extent that it does not conflict with clearly stated principles in
the Quran. We cannot reject Quranic verses just to bring ourselves in line with
UN Conventions and the practice in other parts of the world. Should the
fear of being labelled backward push us into reforming our Islamic laws?
Shouldnt the fear of incurring Allahs wrath be a
more important consideration in our deliberations? Thirty five years
ago, I could not see any reason for going against the Word of God, whatever the
law of the land provided, and today, I am still unable to find the
justification for rejecting the Quranic injunction. So what does one do
when the person one loves refuses to convert to Islam? My advice to everyone in
that situation has always been the same break up and go your separate ways. I
have been asked how I can be so heartless when Islam itself is not heartless.
Unfortunately, I have not found any verse that says it is all right to go
against the teachings of the Quran for the sake of someone you love. No matter
how much we may love a fellow human being, we must love Allah even more. And
that, I guess, is the bottom line how much do we love our God? Those
who believe know that Allah will give them what is best for them, even if it is
not what they want. For me, it was a happy ending.
The only love in my life had been attracted to Islam from his school days in
Penang when he watched Anwar Fazals family going to the mosque for Friday
prayers in their furry Pakistani caps (as he called them). His knowledge and
belief increased as he read all the books on Islam in my fathers vast
collection during the six years of our courtship, so when the time came, we had
an akad nikah in secular Singapore.
Now retired, the writer has served as a Professor, an Advocate and Solicitor, a
Consultant for UN agencies, a Commissioner of Human Rights and an NGO activist.
Panduan untuk bakal pengantin & sudah berkahwin.. cara utk mengawal kewangan,
meningkatkan dana kewangan utk berkahwin & sesudah berkahwin, berbelanja secara
berhemah.. insha ALlah
layari laman web>> http://www.maskahwin.com/index.php?ref=delete
untuk keterangan lanjut
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