Faith

In a conversation with a very wonderful lady, whom I barely knew her before, she said

“To me, your faith is just between you and your God”

I just nodded my head and admitted that I couldn’t agree more with her. To disagree and fire her back would be very unadvisable as we just build the friendship a few minutes before she mention her opinion.

She went on and on talking about she does not prefer people to advice her on her attire, her behaviour, though some of it disobey what Islam had told, and she knows it, and so and so.

She continue about how the way Islam is practiced in this country does not really portray the faith itself and many more wonderful opinions and many new exciting point of views I explore and agree that night. They are really something to ponder.

Judging her attire, you would not even care to listen to what she says, as we, the Malays, always associate those kind of opinion, if it is from a lady, should be coming from a lady with tudung bulat with jubah and not a single powder on her face.

Back to the quotation, which, I believe, many people agree with it, including me. However, in my opinion, many people use this quotation as a shield against all the advices meant to them, whether it is about aurat, or social relationship, or men-women relationship, or many other issues under the sun.

I agree with the quotation, however, I believe many nowadays Muslims all over the world use the quotation, as a ticket to disobey God’s word.

Look, it is very easy to say that our faith is between us and God. Being Muslim, faith between u and God is the kalimah syahada;

“I bear witness that there is no other God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”

It is all between you and Him. I agree! Allah will not question your faith only because one of your Muslim brother or sister questions it. Allah looks at your heart, deep inside. It is true! And I was very happy to quote this from her, showing her sincerity with God.

Look, here is my say. If people say that their faith is just between them and God, agree with them. This shows that they still have faith in God, and they are sincere with God, and they don’t care about what others might think about them. They have freed themselves from riak!

Alhamdulillah.

However, by saying that, you also say that you believe in God, and being a Muslim, we all believe that there are no other God other than Allah. By having faith in Him, automatically, we also believe in his Words, the Holy Koran. By believing in Allah, automatically, we also believe that Muhammad is the true messenger of Allah. By believing Prophet Muhammad pbuh, we also believe in the truth of whatever he said; the hadith.

And by believing in Allah and Muhammad pbuh, we believe we have been given the Holy Koran and the Hadith as our guidance in embarking a journey called LIFE.

In this modern day, many new things happened and come out, and the world has really challenges the Muslims to stick to their faith with all the obstacles. And in such a chaotic (this word might look a bit exaggerated) situation, Islam is still applicable and is still a guidance to mankind.

However, with the advance of many things and development of technology in many areas, with people changing their way of living, with economic and social structure keep changing from time to time, the task of ensuring that our life is still on the track of the Islamic law and commandment has now become more difficult. This would refer to the situation of stating the hukum, or the status in Islamic law (whether it is allowed or not).

This hukums, is the results of the Koran and the Hadith being the guidance to mankind. However, stating a hukum, that keeps forever changing according to the situation; need us to refer back to Koran and Hadith.

The Koran and the Hadith is metaphorically to be a deep ocean full of precious pearls beneath it. The precious pearls are the guidance in deducing the hukum. However, most of us, who are just a layman, are not able to dive through this very deep ocean, to take those pearls out.

But we need the pearl!

So we went to the people who have the ability to dive into this deep ocean. The deep sea diver! You see, it is common sense. If you want to know about geology, you go to geologist. If you want to know more about anatomy, you got to anatomist.

Same goes for economy, archaeology, physic, medicine, and so on. You always go to the right person, the person with the required skills and knowledge, in order to obtain knowledge about the concerning area.

You don’t go to the mechanic to ask about medicine, you go to pharmacist instead. You don’t go to pharmacist if you want to know about economy. You go to an economist instead.

So, when you want to know what Islam says about this and that, you go to the right person. The learned man, the Muslim scholars, the ulama’ !

It makes sense!

So, follow the scholar, not your own kepale (head)!

However, justify their statement first, with all the might and ability that you have, before accepting their opinion.

May be some of their reasoning doesnt make sense and often misleading. This would require our own ability and strength in deducing the hukum.

May Allah guide you in these days.

May Allah guide you all. Amin

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