Masjid : Untuk keredaanMu jua...

1. Sultan Selangor reminded all to avoid using the masjids for negative demonstrations and HRH also hope that the masjids shall not be used as political arena.
2. MB Selangor said that he had no problems complying to the order issued by HRH.
   
3. However, it shall be duly noted that in prayers, a Muslim recite this "...my prayers, my deeds, my life and in death is for Allah, the one God"
   

   What it basically means is that as a Muslim, the whole life including our social, community, family. rules and laws are encompass in Islam and that includes politics. Of course politics is not confined to elections and the running of country but also in other aspects of our life.
   

4. That is the main difference between Islam and secularism. Islam is a way of life whereelse secularism differentiates the state from theology. As such the masjids is a community centre acting as a solat hall, a community centre for meetings, a place to gain knowledge, a library, a "hostel" for travellers, information centre, collection centres for zakat (be it property, income or fitrah).
   

5. In short, a masjid is a Muslim one-stop centre. Therefore, it is not entirely correct to stop politics from being discussed in masjids because one of the definition of politics is "the total complex of relations between people living in a society". It simply means that politics is aprt and parcel of human life and is not limited to "the art or science of government"
   

6. If that is the case, then what are Muslims looking for in masjids? Simple question therefore simple answer. Keredhaan Allah. Sometimes it is difficult to explain but you will experience inner peace when your body blends with the soul.

7. Try solat in jemaah and you will the difference. And you just can't do that in the comfort of your own abode. Not impossible but extremely difficult! You just get that level of concentration when you are praying alone, not with the disturbances and noises...

8. Back to our posting - Masjid IS the one-stop centre of Muslim activities. Yet, I truly supported HRH's call that it should not be use for negative demonstrations. The big question - what is negative demonstrations?

9. They say that "a man's meat is another man's poison". What is negative to some is positive to others and vice versa. Then, if that is the case - who amongst us is qualified to categorise what is positive and what is negative demonstrations? If gatherings against a foreign nation is negative, then are we saying that those who took offence against Israel's bombings in Palestine are negative demonstrators? I bet, if that is so, a whole lot of Muslim NGOs' will rise and demand otherwise...

10. It seems that a more definitive and comprehensive categorisation is in order. And who is best amongst us to catalogue the positive from negative demonstrations?Will it be HRH, Mahathir, Perkasa, UMNO, PKR, PAS, DAP? Any one of them or a combination of their expertise?

11. I say that as a 53-year old nation, the people should be given the liberty to demonstrate. The community is sufficiently well-informed to differentiate what is positive and what is negative. What is positive today may turns out to be negative tomorrow, it's a matter of perception and who the society look at it.

12. As we must be able to let the society to dictate what a masjid should be, we must also allow the community to do self-check or "muhasabah". We learn through experiments and experience or we can choose the path as prescribed by Him. Surely the Creator knows what is best for his creations...

13. HRH has well intentions especially after taking into account the many demonstrations held in the capital. We have demonstrations against Australia, USA, Israel, Holland, UK and all these demonstrations are either government-sanctioned or NGO-organised. We have local demonstrations too and as said earlier, it all depends on perception.

14. Thus, it is indeed most important for the demonstration organisers to be accountable for what they preach. We need an independent third party to study and catgorise a demonstrations.
    

15. To me, HRH should allow the society to demonstrate up to a level as long as there is no damage in property and do not de-stabilise Malaysia. From thereon, let's take a step at a time...Surely, we will be there...
    

    
    

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...