When I read that letter I knew from my 30-year spiritual search that it shows the very best and truest ihsan, or human values, from the heart of the Prophet Himself. Muslims in Malaysia who have been quick to talk about vengeance and retaliation – not to mention boycotts that would do nothing but harm fellow Muslim workers – need to read this letter, for it will surely give them pause and make them think about their souls and salvation in the hereafter.
The following is from the beginning of Nazirudin’s letter:
“We read with deep sadness, worry and grief of the escalation of conflict and violence affecting Jews and Muslims in Israel and Palestine. We fear for and mourn the loss of innocent lives, young children, mothers, the elderly and the vulnerable who are trapped and victimised in this conflict.
“There is no place and no justification for any form of violence and brutality against civilians by anyone, including by Hamas, or in any retaliatory response. The right of civilians to live peacefully must be protected at all times.”
Nazirudin shows no preference for the lives and souls of Muslims or Jews, a rare attitude indeed in the world right now. I certainly can’t think of any Malay who would dare to equate the lives of two peoples of different faiths even if they have a common historical tradition of faith.
The Mufti continues: “We offer our sincerest condolences, prayers and solidarity to those whose lives were taken unjustly, to those who have been injured, and to their loved ones. May their sorrows heal and may they find peace in these troubling and challenging times.”
I have never in my entire adult life come across a Malay or a Muslim who would offer prayers for Jews, not even those whose lives were taken in conflicts. I would think that waiting for a mufti in Malaysia to utter those words would be like the Malay saying, “Seperti menunggu kucing bertanduk (like waiting for a horned cat)”.
Yet Nazirudin is only reflecting the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad: When a funeral passed by the Prophet stood up to pay respects; when a companion pointed out that the dead body was that of a Jew, the Prophet looked at his companions and remarked, “Does that body not have a soul?” Thus, the Prophet Muhammad cared for all human beings, not just Muslims.
In Malaysia’s identity politics, religion is being used as a divisive force to garner votes from one group through the manipulation of religious narratives, something that is far from the ways of the Prophet.
Nazirudin then commences to point out the commonalities in the two faiths: “This conflict has a long and complex history. Our scriptures emphasise the human need for mercy and compassion. In our respective traditions, this is an extremely important yet shared quality.”
He goes on to lament about all our souls: “We fear and weep for the sad state of the human soul in this time of unprecedented violence and suffering in the world, how hatred will be entrenched in the minds of the victims, how conflicts will be exploited to sow enmity between communities, how compassion and forgiveness will be replaced with anger and vengeance.”
It is so difficult for me to explain to Muslims, including some of my children even, the complexities surrounding the land of the Palestinians dating back thousands of years since the Israelites were forced out of Egypt, fleeing the Pharaoh and led by Moses. Muslims know this story, Christians know this story, and the Jews of course were the originators of the story of Exodus.
That complexity has been escalated by political and personal expedience that has cost an untold number of lives. Now, people on both sides of the conflict burn with hatred while humane concerns fall by the wayside.
Finally, the Mufti wrote an ending that penetrates the soul with a clear understanding of common faith, universal values, and a saddened heart contemplating hope for a reconciliation among a brotherhood of the one God that will stand against the forces of opportunistic politics and of ignorance of faith and history:
“I pray and hope that both the Jewish and Muslim communities in the conflict zones can work collectively to liberate themselves from being defined and constrained by the politics of the day and seek to live with a different model of respect, tolerance and harmony.
“May the God of Abraham restore peace and compassion in a world that desperately needs it.” Amen.Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at the Tan Sri Omar Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Studies at UCSI University. The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.
Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at the Tan Sri Omar Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Studies at UCSI University. The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.
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