Dear Mr. Malaysian Mufti, is your theology without anthropology and philosophy?
In Islam, the word “Allah” is generic and one can choose to use 99 other names … but the use of it by this “denomination of Malaysian Christians” for that one denotative-connotative word they are familiar with is their right; as they have understood what god means, historically and culturally.
A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE
Dr Azly Rahman
I am interested in discussing this opinion below, as reported by the Malaysia’ new agency Bernama, recently:
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“Muslims will become INFIDELS if they let others use ‘Allah’ “
Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria today reminded Muslims in the country that they will become infidels if they allow non-Muslims to use the word ‘Allah’.
He explained that if the Muslims allowed the word Allah to be used by non-Muslims, it meant that they condoned the acts of the non-Muslims to associate Allah with lesser beings.
“Thus, this consent also makes us (Muslims) to be infidels. We must be united in defending our faith,” he told reporters after the official opening of the Damara Care and Herbs Sdn Bhd office in Ipoh today.
“We cannot accept and compromise with those who associate Allah with lesser beings,” he said.
He called on the parties concerned to stop suggesting the use of the word ‘Allah’ in the Malay version of the Bible because this would challenge the patience of Muslims in the country.
Two weeks ago, Johor Islamic Affairs Council adviser Nooh Gadut said those who allow the abuse of the word ‘Allah’ can be considered as apostates and should repent immediately. – Bernama
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I suppose Mr. Mufti has not studied anthropology nor philosophy of religion enough to know that names/concepts of “god” evolve with the development of philology and linguistic sociology, and that the even in Christianity too these names used to denote “god” varies from culture to culture depending fundamentally on the countless “denominatons” of Christianity and variants of Catholicism framed cross-culturally, globally.
I suppose if the learned Mr. Mufti had ventured beyond the study of Islamic theology, history, philology, and even the evolution of ecumenical studies specifically on the topic of the history of the idea of “god”, he would not have made that statement too generalizing to be accepted by those who could think critically, but too appealing and dangerous to be agreed upon by those who understands religion as “rites and rituals” only.
In Islam, the word “Allah” is generic and one can choose to use 99 other names … but the use of it by this “denomination of Malaysian Christians” for that one denotative-connotative word they are familair with is their right; as they have understood what god means, historically and culturally.
What then is this continued controversy about? I hope these kinds of “pre-fatwas” are not tied to the demands of political idiocy.
I suggest we move on Mr. Mufti.
Humbly I submit this: We ought to have other muftis start reading anthropology, philosophy, or even transcultural history of religion in order to frame our religious dialogues kaleidoscopically.
And in leisurely calling Muslims who agree to the Christian use of “Allah” as “infidels”, what are you saying about those world’s Christians in the Middle East that have used that term meaningfully?
The essential question remains: do Malaysians need opinions like yours as decrees — any longer — to move foward peacefully inter-religiously? Already we have a history of religious violence as a consequence of political idiocy: cowhead being dragged on the streets unashamedly, head of pigs thrown into suraus in a game of political conspiracy, a church being burned in the capital city, and now fascist-religious groups calling for the Christian Bible to be burned in an act of even desperate lunacy.
We can do better than these as a nation, Mr. Mufti.The greatest enemy, to me say is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge. In this case, I would say the greatest enemy is sel-imposed hegemony — due to the lack of the will to study philosophy.
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