Meet 3SG Jagrnjeet Singh, a regular Infantry specialist who just graduated from the 15/13 Specialist Cadet Course. As a junior commander, he is looking forward to leading his men and giving them a positive time in the SAF. He elaborated, “I am in this not for the money but for my passion. I want to give a different experience to my men and show them that there is much more to National Service than the two years. Having been a trooper before in 4 SIR, I understand how troopers feel and want to make a positive impact on their time in NS”. Very inspiring words, 3SG Singh! — with Jagrnjeet Singh Sidhu.
During my 4th ICT, I have a corporal posted into my unit. He’s a Muslim with facial hair just like our Sikh friend in this picture. Not trying to stir any racial/religion issue here. But upon in pro, he was asked to rid of his facial hair without any second chances.
In Islam, Muslim men are encouraged to keep beards. But how is it that our dear Sikh brothers are allowed to keep facial hairs but our Muslim brothers are not allowed. This shows that the SAF is cultivating double standards.
The organization is being biased towards Muslim practising their rights in the SAF. As a Muslim, I am upset that after 40years of developing Asia’s best army, this MAJOR issue has yet to be ironed out.
Also, the serviceman has a letter from MUIS to allow him to wear track pants instead of the standard issue PT shorts. Sadly, he was not allowed to perform his IPPT due to his attire. Reasons were compromise of safety/possible heat injuries etc. We all know that it can be done but they just want to suppress our rights.
Harap maaf kerana mengguna bahasa english. Serviceman tersebut adalah FCruz. Saya adalah CSM beliau.
Authored by Izzat
EDITOR’S NOTE
Followers of the Sikh religion are allowed to keep beard, and wear a turban while still donning military uniform. They do not need special permission in the SAF.
MINDEF explained the allowance for Sikhs was passed down from British colonial times.
What is your view on this beard issue and what do you think is the best way to resolve this matter?
Here are the compiled comments by Matt Loe who strongly defended Subway Singapore’s decision not to go halal:
Why does every restaurant be halal? if there is a difference in taste with halal, then the non-muslims should be allowed to enjoy also. so anyone who wants their food halal and can’t find it in Singapore, then go up the border where everything is halal, remember Singapore is a multi-race country, for sure, but it is not a muslim one and shouldn’t have to make everything halal just to please a certain percentage of the population. Plus, there are healthy veggie options, not every meal has to be a meat one!
and YES, it will TASTE DIFFERENT… as well as cost a lot to get done. So i support Subway Singapore’s decision on this matter!
** the funny thing about this whole episode here is this… **
1. why do you want to eat in a food outlet that serves foods that you cannot or are not allowed to consume??
2. why should a food outlet that is famous for it’s products, including the very ones that you are not able to consume, be forced or begged to change it’s menu items just so that you can also eat there??
3. why can’t you see how selfish you are being, acting in this manner?? because if it were changed for you, then the others who enjoyed the special menu that they are known for, are going to miss out…
4. it is very simple… if you have an issue with a certain item, then choose another item!!
5. it is very simple again… if you are not allowed to consume products in a food outlet that is not certified to your standards, then choose another outlet!!
6. it is very unreasonable to demand an outlet to be changed just so that one can follow a particular belief system. that is your own choice. just like ppl who choose to be vegetarian, there are those that choose to consume particular foods. if you cannot eat meat or are not allowed to eat particular foods, then it is not the fault of the outlet. it is your particular issue.
7. i have never seen a meat serving outlet forced to go meat free just to suit a vegetarian’s choice. meaning all meat becomes meat free. i am sure a lot of vegetarians would like more alternatives to choose from, but there are only a couple. instead a choice must be made to choose a suitable outlet. this is an example, because you want all the meat changed just to suit your own taste and beliefs. this means that the
animals to be eaten are killed to your standards and a little sticker goes on the menu along with a certificate on the wall.
8. the taste WILL be different. maybe not for you, but for all the regulars who loved the menu just as it was….
9. the way the animal is slaughtered is unethical for a LOT of people.
10. for a meat eater, turkey does NOT taste better than pork. and i really have to ask, how would you know that it does?? for the real thing, there is no substitute. so stop saying that there can or should be.
11. if you wouldn’t change your outlets when asked, why should others change theirs?? a lot of ppl do not like halal but this would never be changed now would it…to please those that don’t like the taste, or the preparation? the coin has TWO sides to it.
Ps. i am not against anybody here, or anywhere, i am not promoting any kind of ‘hate’ speech either. however, i can see here that some are very rude when they don’t get their own way. this is just discussion only. and FYI, i do not consume any pork, beef, or any seafood items as my choice. I am against ANY outlet being changed from it’s original menu items when it doesn’t need to be just to suit a few.
Subway is Subway – sumthing can’t eat, then too bad !!! you can’t change a whole restaurant just cos u can’t eat a few tems on the menu – r u kidding me??!! LOVE it or LEAVE it…
What is your take on this matter? Do you want Subway Singapore to go halal or do you think our non-Muslim friends should continue to enjoy their non-halal meats and sauces?
1. Rokok menjejaskan akal (mental)
2. Rokok membahayakan kesihatan fizikal
3. Rokok membahayakan keselamatan diri dan orang lain.
4. Rokok membahayakan keturunan
5. Rokok mengganggu manusia lain.
6. Rokok menimbulkan akhlak buruk
7. Rokok mensia-siakan waktu hidup
8. Rokok bercanggah dengan maruah Islam
9. Rokok membazirkan harta (wang)
10.Rokok mengandungi dadah (nikotin dan arak)
Ada yang bertanya saya, setelah kita ketahui pandangan Majlis Fatwa Eropah (European Council for Fatwas and Research), European Fiqh Council, dan Persidangan Fekah Perubatan di Morocco 1997 dan lain-lain tidak mengharamkan istihalah khinzir yang terdapat bahan perubatan, makanan dan gunaan yang lain, sementara al-Fiqh al-Islamiy berpusat di Jedah pada keputusan tahun 1986 dan sebahagian pembesar ulama Arab Saudi pula mengharamkan gelatin khinzir yang terdapat dalam bahan perubatan dan makanan, apakah pendirian yang wajar kita ambil?
Saya ingin rumuskan seperti berikut;
1. Pada asasnya, istihalah yang telah menukar sesuatu bahan najis kepada bahan yang lain seperti bangkai kepada abu, mayat yang sudah menjadi tanah, arak kepada cuka, baja najis kepada pokok yang subur dan seumpamanya diiktiraf dalam Fekah Islam sejak dahulu. Cumanya, ada mazhab yang menyempitkan asas istihalah ini seperti Syafi’yyah dan Hanabilah (Hanbali). Ada pula yang meluaskannya seperti Hanafiyyah dan Zahiriyyah juga Malikiyyah. Tokoh-tokoh muhaqqiqin (penganalisis) seperti al-Imam Abu Bakr Ibn al-‘Arabi, Ibn Taimiyyah, Ibn Qayyim, al-Syaukani, Sadiq Hasan Khan dan lain-lain menyokong dan meneguhkan hujah bahawa peroses istihalah boleh menukar najis kepada bahan yang bersih.
2. Disebabkan umat Islam tidak menjadi pengeluar, kita asyik menjadi pengguna, maka bahan berasal khinzir tersebar begitu luas dalam pelbagai aspek kehidupan manusia; makanan, perubatan, bahan kecantikan dan lain-lain. Kehidupan manusia, termasuk umat Islam terpaksa berkait dengan bahan-bahan yang berasal dari sumber bahan yang haram. Fatwa dalam hal ini sudah pasti diperlukan.
3. Maka, fatwa tentang hal ini dikeluarkan oleh ulama termasuk yang membabit isu istihalah. Berikut teks kesimpulan fatwa Majlis Fatwa Eropah (European Council for Fatwas and Research) yang mengizinkan bahan yang berasal haram tapi telah berubah melalui proses, begitu juga alcohol yang sedikit yang terdapat dalam makanan tertentu yang tiada kesan:
Fatwa (34)
Q) The ingredients of some foods contain items which are denoted by the letter “E” and a string of numbers. We were told that this denotes items manufactured from Lard or Pork bone and marrow. If this is true, what is the Shari’a ruling on such foods?
A) The items which carry the letter “E” and a string of numbers are additives. Additives are more than 350 compounds, and could be either preservatives, colouring, flavourings, sweeteners, etc. These are divided into four groups according to their origin:
First: compounds of artificial chemical origin.
Second: compounds of vegetal origin
Third: compounds of animal origin
Fourth: compounds dissolved in Alcohol
The ruling on all these compounds is that they do not affect the status of these foods being Halal, due to the following:
The first and second groups are Halal because they originate from a permissible origin and no harm comes from using these items.
The third group is also Halal, because the animal origin does not remain the same during the process of manufacturing. In fact it is transformed radically from its original form to a new clean and pure form through a process called “chemical transformation”. This transformation also affects the legal ruling on such ingredients. Therefore, if the original form was unclean or Haram, the chemical transformation changed it to another ingredient which requires a new ruling. For instance, if alcohol changed and was transformed to vinegar, then it does not remain Haram, but carries a new ruling according to the nature of the new product, which is Halal.
As for the fourth group, these items are usually colourings and are normally used in extremely small quantities which dissolves in the final product form, which deems it an excused matter.
Therefore, any foods or drinks that contain any of these ingredients remains Halal and permissible for the Muslim’s consumption. We must also remember that our religion is a religion of ease and that we have been forbidden from making matters inconvenient and hard. Moreover, searching and investigating into such matters is not what Allah (swt) or His Messenger (ppbuh) ordered us to do.
Anggota Majlis Fatwa Eropah terdiri dari mereka yang berikut;
1. Professor Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, President of ECFR (Egypt, Qatar)
2. Judge Sheikh Faisal Maulawi, Vice-President (Lebanon)
3. Sheikh Hussein Mohammed Halawa, General Secretary (Ireland)
4. Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Jaballah (France)
5. Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Ali Al-Imam (Sudan)
6. Sheikh Mufti Ismail Kashoulfi (UK)
7. Ustadh Ahmed Kadhem Al-Rawi (UK)
8. Sheikh Ounis Qurqah (France)
9. Sheikh Rashid Al-Ghanouchi (UK)
10. Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Ibn Bayya (Saudi Arabia)
11. Sheikh Abdul Raheem Al-Taweel (Spain)
12. Judge Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Ali Salem (Mauritania)
13. Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Yusuf Al-Judai, (UK)
14. Sheikh Abdul Majeed Al-Najjar
15. Sheikh Abdullah ibn Sulayman Al-Manee’ (Saudi Arabia)
16. Sheikh Dr. Abdul Sattar Abu Ghudda (Saudi Arabia)
17. Sheikh Dr. Ajeel Al-Nashmi (Kuwait)
18. Sheikh Al-Arabi Al-Bichri (France)
19. Sheikh Dr. Issam Al-Bashir (Sudan)
20. Sheikh Ali Qaradaghi (Qatar)
21. Sheikh Dr. Suhaib Hasan Ahmed (UK)
22. Sheikh Tahir Mahdi (France)
23. Sheikh Mahboub-ul-Rahman (Norway)
24. Sheikh Muhammed Taqi Othmani (Pakistan)
25. Sheikh Muhammed Siddique (Germany)
26. Sheikh Muhammed Ali Saleh Al-Mansour (UAE)
27. Sheikh Dr. Muhammed Al-Hawari (Germany)
28. Sheikh Mahumoud Mujahed (Belguim)
29. Sheikh Dr. Mustafa Ciric (Bosnia)
30. Sheikh Nihad Abdul Quddous Ciftci (Germany)
31. Sheikh Dr. Naser Ibn Abdullah Al-Mayman (Saudi Arabia)
32. Sheikh Yusf Ibram (Switzerland)
4. Walaupun para ulama bersetuju pada asasnya proses istihalah itu, mereka kadang-kala berkhilaf pendapat tentang apakah sesuatu proses itu benar-benar merubah sifat bahan-bahan najis itu ataupun tidak. Ada bahan yang diyakini telah berubah, ada yang diandaikan tidak. Dalam soal gelatin babi umpamanya, sarjana fekah masakini berfatwa berdasarkan kepada taklimat saintis kepada mereka. Kadang-kala berlaku khilaf. Majlis Fatwa Eropah (European Council for Fatwas and Research) tadi yang terdiri dari tokoh-tokoh Islam dari Arab dan ulama Islam yang menetap di Eropah, begitu juga Europen Fiqh Council dan beberapa orang tokoh ilmuwan Islam antarabangsa menganggap telah berlaku istihalah. Sementara sebahagian ilmuwan pula menganggap proses istihalah bagi gelatin itu tidak sempurna. Maka, jadilah isu gelatin di sudut itu perkara yang syubhah.
5. Sesiapa yang mengelakkan sesuatu yang syubhat -sekalipun tidak sampai ke peringkat haram- merupakan perkara yang baik untuk diri dan agamanya. Namun, dia tidak boleh berkeras mengharamkan untuk umat Islam yang lain yang mempunyai pandangan yang berbeza. Dalam soal makan-minum, perubatan, pakaian, perhiasan, kebudayaan setiap pihak mesti mengakui keluasan fekah Islam dan mengiktiraf khilaf fekah yang berasaskan hujah. Tidak boleh hina-menghina dan bermusuhan dalam persoalan amalan peribadi yang seperti ini selagi semua pihak beramal atas dalil yang diyakininya.
6. Selagi, umat Islam mempunyai sumber yang pasti halal, mereka sepatutnya mengelakkan sumber yang syubhah. Di Malaysia umpamanya, gelatin halal wujud dan boleh didapati, maka memulaukan yang syubhat dapat menggalakkan industry halal.
7. Umat Islam hendaklah berusaha menjadi pengeluar, bukan sekadar pengguna. Kelemahan industri umat Islam adalah punca berluasan bahan yang syubhat dan juga mungkin haram.
This is more for the converts. In coming to Islam, we still have family and friends of our prior faith. Just as we want them to respect our spiritual path, we must also respect their beliefs. It is never acceptable to condemn them because they did not find what Allah (s.w.t.) had Allotted for you. Your role is to be an example in this world, not so much in terms of knowledge, but more in terms of adab. And strive to be one of those Granted the Gift of interceding before Allah (s.w.t.) on the Day of Judgement.
It is also important that we do not tolerate disrespect of the faith of our family from the Muslims, just as we do not condone disrespect of Islam from the non-Muslims. Islam is about justice. We must be fair. And we cannot allow ourselves to be turned into performing monkeys by Muslims who feel the need to parade a convert condemning a prior spiritual path to feed their collective egos.
In every convert story, we speak and we hear about those who found Islam after study, after discovery after a epiphany. In reality, it was Allah (s.w.t.) Removing His Veil so that we could find Him.
Hakim ibn Hizam (r.a.) was a relative of Khadijah (r.a.), the wife of the Prophet (s.a.w.). He was renowned for his mercy and generosity. Before the rise of Islam, he used to buy the daughters of those families who wanted to bury them alive and graciously assumed the responsibility of taking care of them. Hakim ibn Hizam (r.a.) asked the Prophet (s.a.w.) about these good deeds which he had done prior to his declaration of faith in Islam.
The Prophet (s.a.w.) replied, “These good deeds are but the reasons that brought you the honour of being Blessed with Islam.”
Being Given Islam is a tremendous Honour. The shahadah is the Key to Paradise. Just as it is Given, it can be taken away. So we must consider why we are Muslim. And never think we are better than those who are not.
As a Muslim, I still have a great love of Catholicism. And spending time with both the Catholics and the Muslims, the Catholics are superiors to the Muslims in my eyes. If the Catholics were all Muslims and the Muslims were all Catholics, the ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w.) would not be in this sorry state.
The one thing that disgusts me about many Muslims is how they are so sure they alone are going to Heaven, or how they are full of triumphalism when someone converts as if it validates their ego. Aside from that, they do nothing for the converts. Or how they disparage the beliefs of the Christians when they only have kindergarten knowledge, but when a non-Muslim were to do that, they want to claim injury. Hypocrites.
If I were to look at the Muslims and confuse it with Islam, I would never have converted. The average Muslim is not a good example of the sunnah of the Prophet (s.a.w.). There is only affected piety, arrogance and cultural imperialism. As an ‘alim once said, “Islam is in the books and the Muslims are in the graves.” The ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w.) is dust and we are left with arrogant, self-righteous pretenders.
*Terrence Helikaon Nunis used to be Catholic and belonged to a missionary organisation. After his conversion to Islam, he sat on the board of a Muslim converts’ organisation and specialised in da’wah programmes, convert management, interfaith issues and apostasy cases. He is also an initiate of a Sufi order.
EDITOR’S NOTE
What a brave guy.
Life stories and testimonies from Muslim converts are always interesting because they come from different backgrounds and colourful cultures. Adapting to Islam can be quite challenging but all challenges bear fruits of joy at the end of sheer determination and perseverance.
People who are born into Islam have the benefit of having a foundation with their parents and family. The Qur’an is on their bookshelf, Arabic words are mixed into conversation without needing definition, and there is an environment of tradition that provides a reference point for looking at the world. A convert is experiencing the total opposite. He or she doesn’t have any sort of religious connection with their family anymore, and there is sometimes backlash from parents and extended family about the decision to become a Muslim.
Even if there’s no significant backlash, there are no blood relatives to talk to about Islam, no one to clarify things, and no family support to be offered in the entire process. All of these things can cause an immense amount of stress and disillusionment. It’s common for converts to have moments of breakdown where they feel like nobody is on their side. For those who are lucky enough to have a close friend or mentor to help them in situations like this, it’s still not the same as having family help. Converts need an exceptionally good amount of emotional support from individuals in their community to feel empowered as Muslims. This doesn’t require a full-time therapist, but just people to make them feel at home.
