Violations of Islam

***
In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

Reflection
"...Truly God loveth those who turn unto Him,
and loveth those who have care for cleanliness." (Baqarah 2:222)
***

LAST Wednesday morning (4th August) I went to a government community clinic near my house for my regular medical check up. After finishing my business I went to a canteen nearby to have my breakfast.

While enjoying my ‘lontong’ (hard boiled rice soaked in a gravy dish), I lifted my face and my eyes met a pair belonging to a veteran lady wearing a tudung sitting nearby. I smiled and she smiled back and said, “It’s nice to meet you ‘imam’ (a person who leads prayers in mosque).” I thought she had mistaken me for some one else or because of my attire.

I was taken aback by that attribution, and after a brief introduction about myself, the unknown lady continued talking: “Ustaz (dear religious teacher), I hope that you could highlight the bad influence of certain television programmes especially Astro on our teenagers. Some Hindi films are ready bad. Our girls copy dressing of their favourite stars; nowadays it is not rare to see our girls in tubes and wearing tight fitting jeans and leggings walking around town.

“Even those having tudungs, wear tight fitting clothes, some in very short sleeves T-shirts and some even bare their thighs if they are in their ‘baju kebaya.”

I am not a ‘ustaz’, only a not so knowledgeable writer. Often I had to quote from books, pamphlets and hand-outs to stress up points that I would like to raise. Not long ago during a discussion between me an ‘ustaz’ in a mosque near my house, I suggested he write an article about the violations of Islam in society so that I could publish it in this column.

I had that idea after visiting Pulau Besar di Melaka where I saw too many activities that contradicted and against the teaching of Islam. One such act was worshipping and pleading at ancient graves there. Then there were people slaughtering goats near old graves, making scarifies and after their wishes had been fulfilled.

The ‘ustaz’ agreed to the idea, but when I met him recently, he apologised, saying he tried to write the said article but after scribbling a few words, he crumbled the papers and threw them into a dustbin. “I can teach but I can’t write good article,” he admitted.

Since the request of the veteran lady I met at the clinic (to instil awareness among teenagers that following the lifestyles of people of other faith is ‘haram’) and the wrongdoings in Pulau Besar are about violations of Islam, I found this reminder from a small book (A Guide To Hajj, Umrah and Visiting The Prophet’s Mosque’ published by Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da’wah and Guidance, Kongdom of Saudi Arabia, useful and could be guidelines to us.

“Brothers and sisters Muslim, you must aware that there are matters which nullify your Islam. We will mention here the ten most common violations. Please be mindful of them.

The First
Associating partners with Allah (shirk). Allah, the Most High, says, “Truly, if anyone associate partners with Allah, Allah will forbid him the Garden and his abode will be the Fire, the wrongdoers will have no helpers.”

Calling upon the dead, asking their help, or offering them gifts or sacrifices are all forms of shirk.

The Second
Setting up intermediaries between oneself and Allah, making supplication to them, asking their intercession with Allah, and placing one’s trust in them is unbelief (kufr).

The Third
Anyone who does not consider polytheists (mushrikeen) to be unbelievers, or who has doubts concerning their unbelief, or considers their way to be correct, is himself an unbeliever (kafir).

The Fourth
Anyone who believes any guidance other than the Prophet’s guidance to be more perfect, or a decision other than the Prophet’s decision to be better, is an unbeliever. This applies to those who prefer the rule of Evil (Taghout) to the Prophet’s rule. Some examples of this are:

a). To believe that systems and laws made by human beings are better than the Shari’ah of Islam; for example, that the Islamic system is not suitable for the twentieth century; that Islam is the cause of backwardness of Muslims; or that Islam is a relationship between Allah and the Muslim, it should not interfere in other aspects of life.

b) To say that enforcing the punishment prescribed by Allah, such as cutting off the hand of a thief or stoning an adulterer, is not suitable in this day and age.

c) To believe that it is permissible to give a rule from that which Allah did not reveal in the Islamic transactions or matters of law, punishment or other affairs. Although one may not believe such rulings to be superior to the Shari’ah he is in fact affirms such a stand by declaring a thing which Allah has totally prohibited, such as adultery, drinking alcohol and usury, to be permissible. According to the consensus of Muslims, one who declares such thing to be permissible is an unbeliever (kafir).

The Fifth
Anyone who hates any part of what the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has declared to be lawful has nullified his Islam, even though he may act in accordance with it. Allah the Most High says: “Because they disliked what Allah has revealed, their deeds are brought to nothing.”

The Sixth
Anyone who ridicules any aspect of the religion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), or any of its rewards or punishments, becomes an unbeliever. Allah, the Most High says: "Say; Do you ridicule Allah, His revelations and His Messenger? Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your (profession of) faith."

The Seventh
The practice of magic included in this is causing a rift betwee a husband and a wife by turning his love for her into hatred, or tempting a person to do things he dislikes by using black arts. One who engages in such a thing or is pleased with it is outside the pale of Islam. Allah the Most High, says, "The two (angels, Harut and Marut) did not teach anyone (magic) without warning them, 'Indeed, we are a trial; then do not disbelieve).'"

The Eighth
Supporting and aiding polytheists against the Muslims. Allah, the Most High says: "The one from among you who supports them belongs to them. truly, Allah does not guide the people who do wrong."

The Ninth
Anyone who believes that some people are permitted to deviate from Shari'ah of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is unbeliever by the word of Allah, the Most High: "If anyone seeks a religion other than al-Islam it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers."

The Tenth
To turn completely away from the religion of Allah, neither learning its precepts nor acting upon it. Allah, the Most High says: "Who does greater wrong than the one who is reminded of the revelations of his Lord und turns away from them. Truly, We shall recompense the guilty," and He also says: "But those who disbelieve turn away from that about which they are warned."

It makes no difference whether such violations are committed as a joke, in seriousness or out of fear, except when they are done under compulsion. We seek refuge in Allah from such deeds as entail His wrath and severe punishment.”