Friday, August 28, 2009

Is it right to protest with a cow’s head?

This morning a friend in facebook posted a video with a heading 'morons in action'. Apparently a few men wearing ‘kopiah’ and ‘songkok’ among others were shouting some slogans (amidst a small group of malays in the background) and were seen later to join in a procession. I wondered what was it that they did which justified them to be labeled as ‘morons’. It was then that I found out that the protest occurred yesterday.

‘Some 50 residents enraged with the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple to their area staged a noisy protest with a severed cow's head this afternoon. The residents from Section 23 in Shah Alam who gathered after the Friday prayers, placed the head outside the gates of the state secretariat building for a short period before removing it’

After watching throughout the whole length of the video I also realised something else. The cow’s head was an unplanned part of the protest. A resident said that it was brought out by someone in anger.

I personally think the protest was appropriate in a way if almost 80% of Section 23 residents are Muslims (as claimed by a resident). However, this is an extremely sensitive issue and since Muslims should defend their rights, they must also keep in mind that their conduct should be as diplomatic as possible, and as peaceful as possible (considering the current condition of our country). I salute the residents’ effort in fighting for their rights. However the cow’s head part was wrong and such action should never take place anywhere ever again. I say it is wrong based on Surah Al- An’aam verse 108.

The following is taken from ‘TAFSIR IBNU KATSIR, JILID 3, PUSTAKA IMAM ASY-SYAFI’I, page 272-273’.

(6:108)Dan janganlah kamu memaki ilah-ilah mereka yang kamu ibadahi selain Allah, kerana mereka nanti akan memaki Allah dengan melampaui batas tanpa pengetahuan. Demikianlah Kami jadikan setiap ummat menganggap baik pekerjaan mereka. Kemudian kepada Rabb merekalah kembali mereka, lalu Allah memberitakan kepada mereka apa yang dahulu mereka kerjakan.

Allah s.w.t. melarang Rasul-Nya, Muhammad dan orang-orang yang beriman mencaci, ilah-ilah kaum musyrikin meskipun cacian itu mengandungi kemaslahatan, hal itu menimbulkan kerosakan yang lebih besar daripada kemaslahatan itu sendiri, yaitu balasan orang-orang musyrik dengan cacian terhadap Ilah orang-orang Mukmin, padahal Allah sw.t. adalah ‘Rabb, yang tiada Ilah (yang berhak diibadahi) selain Dia’.

Sebagaimana yang dikatakan oleh Ali Bin Abi Thalhah, dari Ibnu Abbas, mengenai ayat ini: Orang-orang musyrik itu berkata: ‘Hai Muhammad, engkau hentikan makianmu itu terhadap ilah-ilah kami, atau kami akan mencaci-maki Rabbmu.’ Lalu Allah melarang Rasulullah s.a.w. dan orang-orang Mukmin mencaci patung-patung mereka. “Kerana mereka nanti akan memaki Allah dengan melampaui batas tanpa pengetahuan”.

Abdurrazzaq mengatakan dari Ma’mar, dari Qatadah: “Dahulu kaum Muslimin mencaci berhala-berhala orang kafir, lalu orang-orang kafir mencaci-maki Allah Ta’ala secara berlebihan dan tanpa didasari dengan ilmu pengetahuan, lalu Allah menurunkan ayat : “Dan janganlah kamu memaki ilah-ilah mereka yang kamu ibadahi selain Allah, kerana mereka nanti akan memaki Allah dengan melampaui batas tanpa pengetahuan”

Hal ini menunjukkan bahawa meninggalkan kemaslahatan untuk menghindari kerosakan yang lebih parah adalah lebih diutamakan. Hal itu didasarkan pada hadith sahih bahawasanya Rasulullah bersabda:

“Dilaknat orang yang mencaci-maki orang tuanya.” Para sahabat bertanya: “Ya Rasulullah, bagaimana seseorang mencaci-maki orang tuanya?” Beliau menjawab: “Ia mencaci ayah seseorang, maka orang itu pun mencaci ayahnya. Ia mencaci ibu seseorang maka orang itu pun mencaci ibunya (atau sebagaimana yang dikatakan oleh Rasulullah s.a.w.

Firman Allah: “Demikianlah Kami jadikan setiap ummat menganggap baik pekerjaan mereka.” Maksudnya , sebagaimana Kami telah hiasi bagi orang-orang itu cinta kepada berhala-berhala mereka, fanatik terhadapnya, serta mendukungnya. Demikian pula kami hiasi setiap ummat-ummat yang sesat amal perbuatan mereka yang mereka kerjakan. Allah mempunyai hujah yang kuat dan hikmah yang sempurna atas semua yang dikehendaki dan dipilih-Nya.

“Kemudian kepada Rabb merekalah kembali mereka, lalu Allah memberitakan kepada mereka apa yang dahulu mereka kerjakan.” Maksudnya, mereka akan diberi balasan sesuai dengan amalan perbuatan tersebut, jika baik, kebaikan pula balasannya, jika buruk, keburukan pula balasanya.

In conclusion with the above information I hope it is clear that we cannot insult other religions under any circumstances. Cows are sacred to the Hindus so it is very wrong to resort to such an action. I think those involved with the protest should apologize to the Hindus and the authority should make an effort to find a better location for the temple to be built.

Finally I would like to remind myself and others that in effort to stand for Islam we have to base every single action on true knowledge otherwise we might end up causing embarrassment to Islam rather than actually fighting for it.

2 comments:

Eva said...

Slm. Thx, Hani. I would like 2 remind myself and all my Muslim friends that our actions and our words reflect not only ourselves but Islam as a whole. Petty behaviors such as this (which the Quran has clearly prohibit) will set us back a long way in making the world understand what Islam really is. Let us not make anger as the guide of our actions. :-)

dr gLoCaL said...

no need to add anything...u did mention everything...gud views..i'l link ur post thru my blog,tQ