by Zan Azlee
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 28, 2011
OCT 28 — “Hudud needs to be implemented by force!”
I was shocked to hear an academician, Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, utter those words at a recent Islamic forum on hudud.
According to the academician who teaches at the National Defence University, time is running out and it looks like the non-Muslims will never accept hudud and Islam.
As a Muslim myself, I felt ashamed and embarrassed by what he said at such a public forum.
First of all, I would like to ask one vital question. If non-Muslims are not willing to accept hudud or Islam, why question their reasoning for it?
The non-Muslims would have made their decision based on what they have seen, heard and observed. Can you blame them if what they’ve seen has been all negative?
So, maybe what he should have said, instead of using force, look within and solve the internal problems before you start preaching outside.
Any educated individual who has even a little bit of learned experience, Muslim or non-Muslim, will tell you that Islam is not, and never was, a religion of force.
Free will and compulsion is something that is stressed upon in the religion and is stated all over the Quran.
Surah Al Baqarah states that:
“There is no compulsion in religion. Certainly, right has become clearly distinct from wrong.”
And this is reaffirmed in Surah Al Ghashiyya:
“(Muhammad), preach, you are only a preacher. You do not have full control over them.”
And again in Surah Qaf:
“We know best what they say and you (Muhammad) cannot compel them. Remind, by way of the Quran, those who have fear of My warnings.”
He also, during the forum, said that hudud is the law of God and that is one of the reasons why it should be implemented even by force.
Here, I would like to take the opportunity to remind him that these laws are men’s attempt to understand God’s decree in a particular context, and hence are man-made.
Hudud and syariah rules are really just opinions of jurists from a long time ago (mainly the Abbasid period). This is known as fiqh, or jurisprudence.
The laws that are being planned to be implemented today consist of what were made during this long gone period, which did not even resemble our modern society today.
And the problems that arise are exactly the kind that we see today. We see it as something archaic, medieval and barbaric.
Our society today has evolved way beyond the 8th century of the Abbasid period. And it is only natural to expect the laws to also evolve.
Which brings me to the Islamic concept of Khilafat which decrees that a government needs to be ruled by the free choice of the people.
And Shura, which means that anything that is to be implemented in a certain society needs to be done with the consultation of the people.
Surah Al Shura states:
“Those who listen to their Lord, and establish regular prayer; who conduct their affairs by mutual consultation; who spend out of what we bestow on them for sustenance, [are praised].”
“The blame is only against those who oppress men with wrong doing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice: for such there will be a penalty grievous.”
And again in Surah Al Imran:
“So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].”
For someone with numerous academic qualifications and a member of several Islamic consultative organisations and agencies, he must surely know this.
Then, in his rant, he goes on to say that it was never the intention of God to have in existence a multiracial country and that each country is intended for a specific race.
By then, I just gave up in exasperation and concluded that no one could actually take the words of this man seriously. Thank God for that!
Quote : “By then, I just gave up in exasperation and concluded that no one could actually take the words of this man seriously. Thank God for that!”
You are unfortunately wrong. The past 2 years have shown us that there are more religious and racial bigots in Malaysia than we dare imagine.
the fellow is not fit to wear the title of prof. does not understand that it needs 2/3 majority in parliament to effect change of constitution to have hudud in effect
he fail to justify why the need is so great to use force to justify hudud…why the extreme measure? we are not fighting a war so why the loud but hollow noises
if his political master think this is the way to win votes, I think this will oly led to Malaysia’s destruction
silence of 1Malaysia Najib is defeaning….the CNY, Deepavali & Christmas greetings from BN administration sounds like cheap lies to me
He’s just a convert and he thinks that he knows everything about Islam ? A true Muslim would never have done or said the things that this Chinaman did. Yes, underneath all that bravado exhibited by his rhetoric, he’s still a Chinaman.
He’s a disgrace to his university, to his original race and to his religion. That about sums up Ridhuan Tee Abdullah.
This stupid guy Ridzuan Tee should have been born a Malay instead of a Chinese.He feels inferior to the Malay Muslims,that is why whenever he opens his big mouth he is always babbling against the non Muslims.If this convert is ashamed of being a Chinese Muslim,then soaked himself in black tar and become a Mamak.
This idiot just wants to be more Malay than the Malays themselves!
Ridzuan Tee is speaking through his nose that even shame Muslims.
Implement Islamic Law (Hudud) by force on Non-Muslims? Is this not a seditious statement?
Please forgive Ridhuan. He is just another pawn from UMNO, and he needs to speak up when necessary to maintain his rice bowl. He needs to go a little bit more extreme in his speech to make known to the Malay-Muslim community, because he feels inferior, worrying that they still do not accept him as a pure Muslim (well, he is not a Malay anyway); at the same time because of his fiery speech all the time, fanning religious issues and condemning non-Muslims all the time, he is not accepted by the Chinese race. Hence, he is neither here nor there. He lives in his own world.
Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah must respect the country’s constitution.
//the fellow is not fit to wear the title of prof. //
What’s so great about Ah Tee becoming a professor?
I bet he can’t for his life solve a simple SPM calculus problem or balance a chemical equation. He can’t explain the difference between meiosis and mitosis. There are millions of malaysians more intelligent than him.
This is the worst kind. Being a convert, he has to prove himself to be more Islamic and more worthy if he’s to be heard and believed.
Can we also force Christianity or buddhism on tee as well?
He called Ridhuan Tee an academician? His title is professor of ‘National Defense’ – that is no academic title – its completely politic. Just because he is paid by a school controlled politicians don’t make him an academician.
Ridhuan Tee is a very familar Chinese creature. He IS everything wrong Chinese – Wu Sangui, the people betrayed Sun Yat Sen, the people that sold out to the Mongols and Manchurians, the people that sold out to the Japanese. We have long history of Ridhuan Tee is Chinese history. They all end up in miserable state in the end..
And why is this IDIOT becoming a mouthpiece for UMNO? Has he been granted membership and recognized as a MALAY? If so, why then did OMAR ONG YOKE LIN not been admitted as a member of UMNO when he was alive?
Tee was talking to a Malay Muslim audience on ‘hudud’. He is a Chinese Muslim convert. Does that not mean anything to you guys? He was trying too hard to drive home a point and to be accepted as one of them. He should know that his speech would be reported and read by other folks.
He is working hard for his 72 virgins waiting (they say) for him at the Gates of Paradise.