Editor's Note: This is the first entry in a series culled from the author's presentation at the international symsposiom on “Islam and the New Era of ASEAN Countries: Unity of Worldview towards Shared Prosperity” held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on June 4-5, 2013. 

 

Last June 4-5, I was invited by the Institut Kepahaman Malaysia (IKIM) [Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia] based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to be one of the presenters at the international symposium on “Islam and the New Era of ASEAN Countries: Unity of Worldview towards Shared Prosperity” held in IKIM Grand Hall. IKIM is a research-based organization committed in conveying knowledge through continuous academic discussions of various issues encompassing the socio-cultural, economic, political, inter-religious, and environmental as well as the scientific and technological dimensions.


The symposium was divided into three sessions:

 

Session 1: The Unity of Worldview as the Foundation of Muslim Cooperation with presenters by: Tan Sri Prof. Dr. Mohd Kamal Hassan of International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC), International Islamic University Malaysia [IIUM], Prof. Dr. M. Din Syamsuddin, president of Muhammadiyyah, Indonesia, and Dr. Mohammad Shamsuri Juhuru, Director, Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs [RIMA], Singapore.


Session II: Confronting the Current World Economic Crisis: The Approach by ASEAN Muslims and was presented by: Datuk Nik Mustapha Nik Hassan, Director General, IKIM, Mr. Achjar Iljas, Senior Adviser, Economic Council, Mohammadiyyah, Indonesia, and Prof. Dr. Mohd Nazari Ismael, Head of the Department of Business and Strategy, Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of Malaya.


Session III: Dialogue Among The Various Religions in the ASEAN Context and the presenters were: Prof. Datin Dr. Azizan Baharuddin, Deputy Director - General, IKIM, Dr. Imtiyaz Yusuf of the College of Religious Studies, Mahidol University, Thailand, and myself.

 

Below is an excerpt from my presentation entitled: "Dialogue Among the Various Religions in the ASEAN Context: The Mindanao Experience, The Philippines Context”.


ISLAM is a comprehensive religion and a complete way of life. It covers the three essential needs of human life: physical, intellectual, and spiritual, known as: ISLAM that relates to Divine law; IMAN that has something to do with belief, and IHSAN that refers to ethical standard and moral character. It includes relationship with God, with self, with environment, and with fellow human being regardless of tribes, race, and belief. In verse 49: 13 (Surah al-Hujurat) Allah, the Almighty, declare: “O mankind! We have created you from a male (Adam) and a female (Eve), and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another (not to despise, nor fight each other). Verily, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Verily Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware.”


In another verse, Almighty Allah corroborated the above verse by saying: “To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allah had willed, He would have made you one nation, but that He may test you in what He has given you; so compete in good deeds. To Allah is your return all together, then He will inform you about that in which you used to differ.”

History tells us that Muslim and Non-Muslim Communities alike in the “City State of Madinah” lived side by side. The Muslims, the Jews and the Christians in Madinah in particular were distinct and separate Ummah. Their status as such is recorded in the Wathiqah or the Constitution of Madinah. When the Muslims were persecuted by the Quraish in Makkah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told them to migrate to Abyssinia, the present Ethiopia, whose ruler was a Christian himself, King Negus. The king protected the Muslims from the cruelty of Quraish.


When Islam gained control of the Arabian Peninsula known as hijaz, non-Muslims were protected by the Islamic State. It was recorded in history that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) emphasized that it is a Muslim’s duty to safeguard the life of dhimmis (Non-Muslims living in a Muslim State), when he said: “Who hurts a Dhimmi hurts me and the one who hurts me annoys Allah”. According to Imam Muslim, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) once stated, “Whoever harms a Dhimmi, will not enter paradise”.


In this context, Islam promotes dialogue with different people especially nowadays where diversity of culture and belief is an undeniable fact. The community, the society, and the world at large are getting diverse every day. In the absence of dialogue and constant communication, peaceful coexistence is unattainable. Moreso, progress, development, and mutual respect among various religions are next to impossible. The case of Bangsamoro in the Philippines, where Muslims are minority, is not an exception. The best way to articulate Islam is through dialogue or to be specific is through interfaith and interethnic dialogue.


Why Muslims must engage in interfaith dialogue? In my humble opinion, through dialogue unnecessary argument and debate which usually hurt people and become a source of conflict can be avoided. In the Holy Qur’an Allah says in surah al-Ankabut, verse 46: “And argue not with the ‘People of the Book’ (Jews and Christians), unless it be (in a way) that is better (with good words and in good manner, inviting them to Islamic Monotheism with His Verses, except with those (of them) who do wrong; and say (to them): We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you; our Allah (God) and your ilah (God) is One (i.e. Allah), and to Him we have submitted (as Muslims).”


Another reason is that there is tolerance in Islam. Islam to some extent allows Muslims to deal with the non-Muslims with certain limitation of course. Allah mentions it in the Holy Qur’an when He says: “Allah does not forbid you to deal JUSTLY and KINDLY with those who fought not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes. Verily, Allah LOVES those who deal with equity. It is only as regards those who fought against you on account of religion, and have driven you out of your homes, and helped to drive you out, that Allah FORBIDS you to BEFRIEND them. And whosoever will befriend them, then such are the zalimun (wrong-doers-those who disobey Allah)” (al-Mumtahanah, 8-9). It means, if they harm you just because you are Muslim, you have all the right to defend yourself. This right is granted by man-made and Divine laws as well.


Furthermore, there is no coercion in Islam. As mentioned in the Holy Qur’an Allah explicitly asserts in surah al-Baqarah, verse 256, in which He says: “There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the ‘Right Path’ has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” In other words, GUIDANCE is from Allah alone. Our responsibility as Muslims is only to convey and articulate Islam in a nice and the best way we can. In Surah Yasin, 36: 17, Allah clearly emphasized: “And our duty is only to convey plainly the message.” Ours is until the ears only. From ears down to the deepest heart is the sole duty and prerogative of Allah, the Almigty.


Moreover, Muslims must remember that non-Muslims more often than not define Islam the way they see Muslims. Every Muslim serves as a mirror of what Islam is. Therefore, a Muslim must be a Muslim anywhere, everywhere, all the time. The concept of “Be a Roman when you are in Rome” is totally alien to Islam and, Islamically speaking, unacceptable in the strict sense of the word.


PART 2: Impacts of interfaith dialogue

PART 3: Interfaith dialogue: the Basilan experience

PART 4: Interfaith dialogue key to resolving the Mindanao conflict

PART 5: Interfaith dialogue means respecting other's beliefs and spirituality

PART 6: Interfaith dialogue is not debate

Coming up...

PART 7: Challenges to interfaith dialogue

 

 

Alzad Sattar is Undersecretary at DepEd-ARMM, Secretary General at Basilan Ulama Supreme and Islamic Studies Professor at Basilan State College.