Datuk Dr. Mahfodz Mohamad, the chief of the Dewan Ulama of the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) had recently stated that the Penang State Government has recognized the establishment of the Transgender LGBT Committee. However, the statement was denied by Mr. Lim Guan Eng, the Chief Minister of Penang and said that it is a ‘fitnah’ against the State Government. In a press conference, Mr. Lim Guan Eng has denied that the State Government under his leadership recognizes the LGBT Committee and said that the committee set up was an individual initiative of a member of the Penang State Assembly. On the same note, the father of the Penang Chief Minister, who is also the Democratic Action Party (DAP) adviser, Mr. Lim Kit Siang (LKS) has issued a statement to remind that the act of ‘fitnah’ is worse than killing. The statement was issued because there had been claims that the party will allow the Zionist State of ‘Israel’ to build a military base in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan if they managed to capture Putrajaya. In a press conference, Lim Kit Siang said, ‘According to the Quran, ‘fitnah’ is a crime worse than murder’. Lim Kit Siang’s statement, seemingly trying to ‘teach’ the Muslims on the contents of the Quran has caused a variety of response from many parties.
Comment:
In the Malay language, the word ‘fitnah’ is used to mean ‘slander’. The use of the word ‘fitnah’ is particularly widespread in writing or even in everyday conversations of Malay speakers. However, in the discussion of Islamic thought, the meaning of ‘fitnah’ contained in the Quran is different from the meaning of ‘fitnah’ in the context of the Malay language. The meaning of word ‘fitnah’ in the Quran may be clarified via the ayah below:
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ ۖ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ ۖ وَصَدٌّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَكُفْرٌ بِهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَنْ دِينِكُمْ إِنِ اسْتَطَاعُوا ۚ وَمَنْ يَرْتَدِدْ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
“They ask you about the sacred month – about fighting therein. Say, “Fighting therein is great [sin], but averting [people] from the way of Allah and disbelief in Him and [preventing access to] al-Masjid al-Haram and the expulsion of its people therefrom are greater [evil] in the sight of Allah. And fitnah is greater than killing.” And they will continue to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they are able. And whoever of you reverts from his religion [to disbelief] and dies while he is a disbeliever – for those, their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein eternally.”
(Al-Baqarah: 217)
Asbabun Nuzul (cause for revelation) of this verse is associated with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ who sent a troop led by Abdullah bin Jahshy to spy on the movements the Quraish of Makkah to Nakhlah (a valley on the outskirts of Makkah) in the month of Rajab in the second year Hijri. A fight ensued and the Muslims ended up killing a number of the enemy men. Because this happened in the sacred months, the Muslims were placed in a very uncomfortable position.
Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir explained that the meaning ofوَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ “and fitnah is greater than killing” is, ‘… they have previously pressed (intimidated) the Muslims in matters of religion until they managed to return some to disbelief after faith; this act was a greater sin in the sight of Allah than killing’. The word ‘fitnah’ in this verse carries the meaning of disbelief, polytheism and stopping others from enjoining the way of Allah which also includes expelling Muslims from their homes, confiscating their property and harming or interfering in the practice of Islam. Hence Allah سبحانه وتعالى in this ayah is in fact saying that the persecution by the ignorant Quraish against Muslims at that time was far worse compared to fighting in the sacred months.
Hence, the meaning of the word ‘fitnah’ in the Malay language, which means defamation or slander, is totally different from the meaning of ‘fitnah’ in Islam. Clearly LKS has got it wrong, in fact, it would be wise to remind him that it is him and his party that are guilty of ‘fitnah’. They are certainly guilty of carrying out various attacks against the Sharia by attacking and supporting criticism against the hudud law, dabbling into the issue of child custody in Islam, pressuring the authorities to withdraw aid to religious schools and many other issues related to Islam. These are among examples of ‘fitnah’ perpetrated by LKS and the gang within the meaning of the Quranic ayah mentioned above. These ‘fitnah’, perpetrated by the non-Muslims in Malaysia against the Muslims and the tenets of Islam is the outcome of the implementation of the corrupt secular-democratic system and the glorification of the idea of freedom in this country. The viciousness of the non-Muslims in attacking Islam and their misinterpretations of Sharia is a manifestation of ignorance and hatred that exist in their hearts against the Muslims and Islam. Despite punctuating their attacks with a ‘sympathetic’ attitudes and claiming that they are ‘championing’ the fate of the oppressed, they could never be able to hide their glowing hatred towards the Muslims and Islam.
Dr. Mohammad – Malaysia