Sovereign Islamic law, the responsibility of all Muslims...

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

Reflection

The Declining Day (Al-'Asr)
1. By the declining day,
2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss,
3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort 
one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance.
***

NOWADAYS (perhaps I am getting older and often seeing 'dramatic events' in our country) I had 'an uneasy feeling' each time during the weekly 'khutbah Jumaat' (Friday sermon) which at the end of it the 'khatib' (person who delivers the sermon) would engage in a 'du'a (supplication) which among others read: "Ya Allah, limpahkan rahmat dan maghfirah kepada pemimpin-pemimpin kami yang telah menjalankan hukum hakam-Mu dengan kebenaran dan keadilan..." (O Allah, give Your blessing and forgiveness to our leaders who have carried out Your laws with truth and justice...)

The 'uneasy feeling' crept inside my mind - am I going to recite 'Ameen' or not. In my mind I questioned myself - have our leaders upheld, obeyed and carried out Allah's law and with TRUTH and JUSTICE...? If they had done their part or have at least had showed their sincerely, have the spirit and had work hard towards it, insya-Allah (God Willing) my heart would 'not be confused', but if it the opposite, I could hear my heart beating hard...telling myself...please do not be a liar...who are you going to lie to? To Allah SWT?  

So dear readers, what's your attitude or actions when the 'khatib' read the 'du'a'? You recite 'Ameen' or not? As for me I am very, very confused especially after seeing and witnessing several 'dramatic events' lately. One night during a question and answer session of an 'ustaz' (religious teacher) after his weekly 'tazkirah' (lesson), I posed to him the question to which among others he answered:

"'Du'a' is an 'ibadat' (act of good deeds that would be rewarded by Allah SWT. The important thing is that we do our supplication. We ask for Allah's forgiveness, blessing, help and guidance. We asked Allah SWT to show us and our leaders His truth path; we 'du'a' that our leaders would carried our Allah's orders and stay away from what He had forbids us...well we only say our 'du'a'. 

"Even to the non-Muslim too we could say our 'du'a'; that is to ask Allah SWT to open up their hearts and minds so that they could see the truth...so we just do our 'du'a'...So continue our 'du'a' hoping that Allah SWT would open the hearts of our leaders to see the truth in putting into practice all aspects of the Islamic teaching including its hudud laws."

I was not satisfied with the 'ustaz' answer, but as 'his unlearned but obedient pupil' (well I am just a layman with a secular background) I must do my best to see the truth it what the 'ustaz' had said. Perhaps my heart 'was tainted black' (because of my sins) thus I was unable 'to digest' what the 'ustaz' had explained.

Also perhaps my understanding of the issue was not at par to what the 'ustaz' had explained; I tried to coax myself but the phrasing or wording of the 'du'a' during 'khutbah Jumaat', "telah (had) menjalankan hukum-hakam-Mu dengan kebenaran dan keadilan" keep on ringing inside my mind and again during the weekly 'sermon', I am still not sure to say 'Ameen' or not...oh it is so difficult for me! O Allah, guide me to see the truth.

Renowned Muslims scholars including PAS President, Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang again and again had stressed that only Islamic laws could give the true justice and solved human being problems and misunderstandings. He said only Syariah could do justice, thus all of us must have faith in PAS struggle to sovereign Islamic laws in the administration of our country including to propagate 'addin' that is 'Islam as a way of life'."

Lot long ago during a 'tazkirah' I heard the 'ustaz' stressed that it is the responsibility of all Muslims to do their part in uplifting 'Syariah' so that it could be upheld as law of the country. Each and every one of us must take part even the implementation of Allah's law is in the hands of rulers. 

He said Islam should be in power, not bowed to the powers of rulers as every Muslim in their 'solat' (prayers) have declared 'Inna solati, wanusuki, wamahyaya, wamamati, Lillahirabbil 'alamin' (My prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah. the Lords of the worlds). Unfortunately in our country under the Federal Constitution, the religion of Islam is placed under the power of each individual state and 'hudud' is not even mentioned.

The 'ustaz' said even Islamic laws could only be implemented by rulers of a country and not by individuals, every Muslim must have 'niat' (intention) and work hard to reach that goal. With that 'niat, hopefully Allah SWT has mercy upon us. But with 'niat' only it is not sufficient, it must be accomplice with 'du'a' and our earnest and maximum efforts.

Each of us must work hard according to our abilities and capabilities. For example an 'ustaz' must explain to his class and the public about the subject such as 'hudud' while a writer must conveyed it to his or her readers (this made me tremble; have I passed this message to you dear readers?).

"Next we must have a 'jamaah' (group of people) to reach that goal. If we do not have the will and capability to struggle for the implementation of Islamic law, at least we should support those 'jamaah' who are willing to fight for it.

"Unfortunately what we have today...not only those 'jamaah' who wanted to upheld the laws of Allah SWT were not given a helping hand but they were subjected to defamation and slandering. And there are people especially those in power who work tirelessly to put obstacle to the 'jamaah' mission.

"'Manuals' to upheld Islamic laws had been laid up by Allah SWT, but why must human beings showed 'their cleverness (ignorance?)' by not accepting His laws? Refusing Allah's law means we are not afraid of Him...if a person or a country do not wish to upheld His law, then they 'more powerful' than God because they 'have the guts to say no' to Allah SWT who created them...," said the 'ustaz'.

If our leaders kept on 'crying' (or boasting) that our country is an Islamic nation but do not (or do not wish or intent) to implement God's law, please be cautioned what had befallen to our country - last year (2014) three of our planes 'were lost', we were 'tested' with severe drought and flood and our economy is getting worse by each day. 

Crimes, sinful activities and accidents (especially on the road) are on the rise, some our politicians and those in power our even our younger generation are going astray...we 'had been punished' by Allah SWT, but have we, especially our leaders and the writer himself learned our lessons?