Tag: asatizahs

Commentary: Government Funded Madrasah possible only if Asatizahs function beyond the Muslim community

I am all for the idea that there be a Madrasah that is funded by our government but I think we fall short of one thing. The GOALS and ASPIRATIONS got to change from the ones we have now which is to produce “Khalifah-Fil-Ard”. No commercial value as compared to saying being the True Leader with Dignity, Honor and Respect. Same thing but it holds different bearing when you put it across differently.

Those missionary schools produce so called “intellectual” individuals who serve the society as lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, accountants, army generals, pilots, nurses, etc. So until we can market Madrasah graduates to be like that or else once again it has a different bearing in the eyes of the government. To them – You produce Asatizah for your own Muslim needs. So it makes no sense for them to pay for people who only functions for the Muslim community.

For example, I have heard of Christian Judges in courtrooms who called upon other Christians within the Ministry (building) to gather and they held prayers during lunch.

So the thing is, religion is for them but the government will want individuals who are by their level of intellect be able to work and do things for the society at large. If Asatizah? Serve the Chinese or Indian or Eurasians community in what way?

Until the Madrasah is ready to produce such dynamic all-rounder individuals, I don’t see a Government funded Madrasah being a reality. Why? For a start … Can we compromise on the idea that the Institution of Madrasah is there to produce Asatizah as The Next Corp Gen of Khalifahs? We are too static in our thoughts. Madrasah means must be “Pelapis Ulamak”. Let’s just see near us. Even many parents out there still think and perceive the Madrasah path means … Asatizah path only. That’s it. So those who are not into being over religiously inclined will shun away.

And then let us look at how these “POPULARLY GOOD” schools get parents involvement by volunteering before enrolment dates. That alone will set the tongue wagging and spread words on how Madrasah had evolved. Do we have that incorporated now? Still with the “ENTRANCE TESTS” which is good but not good enough marketing strategy.

That branding really got to change. But before a change can be proposed, I want to take a step back and look at what happened to 2015 P6 batches Ustaz … The newspaper article appeared about some students switching to National Schools and we have criticism flying everywhere …. “If the best students are away elsewhere then who is best enough to lead?” Hahahaha.

All those mindsets got to go and got to change. Really a tall order and a long wayyyyyyyy to go. But do count me in on this mission. I will volunteer in any capacity I can to make this dream a reality. But I mulut laser Ustaz … I will say what needs to be said because I believe to change is not easy and not for the weaklings.

So with that … May Allah SWT grant Singaporean Muslims the strength to change this in the future. Insha Allah. Ameen.

Credit: Mohammed Nafis

March 5, 2019
ARS is not good for Singaporean Muslims

Three simple reasons:

1. The aim has been all along about control. The need to control the asatizahs or religious teachers in Singapore and regulate their teachings and numbers. especially now when there are more and more “bad” representation of Muslims around the world. To be fair, shouldn’t this regulation be implemented for the other religions in Singapore too?

2. For example, there is an asatizah who has years of experience teaching children how to read the Quran on a daily basis (her livelihood). Problem is that she does not meet the requirement to register for the ARS. And due to health issues and old age, there really is not a chance that she is going to consider getting certified. So will this mean that she will lose her source of income because she is not ARS-certified? True recognition does not come from the government but from us attaining the ijazah and our sincerity to teach.

3. Like it or not, radical or misguided teaching can still happen in singapore. An asatizah who is qualified and ARS-certified can still teach you the wrong things! So what measures are MUIS putting in place to tackle such “legitimate” asatizahs?

Kak Sham

Reader’s contribution

December 30, 2016
Singapore In The Anti-IS Coalition: A Missed Opportunity

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

I’ve debated whether to post this.

Decided I should.

In the last few weeks, there was an issue that was extremely important for the Muslim community here to address. Yet as a whole, we did not. For whatever reasons.

I refer to PM Lee’s announcement that the SG govt was considering joining the ‘coalition of the bombing’.

Instead of addressing the issue – the elephant in the room in my view – they chose to address the dog issue.

The situation is akin to what happened in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War and the setting up of a US airbase in Dahran. Instead of addressing the issue, the ‘establishment ulema’ there chose to focus their attention to a Muslimah who – heaven forbid – decided to drive. Aparently that’s far more impt than the issue of an entire airbase being situated very near to Islam’s holiest shrines. But I digress.

Let’s recap. After Minister Shanmugam posting something on IS on his FB, suddenly so many establishment asatizahs start falling all over themselves to condemn IS. Not in their name, they chorused dutifully. The asatiahs were from RSIS and MUIS. The big guns, so to speak. Then The head of PERGAS gave an interview on national TV, condemning in no uncertain terms IS and again chorusing ‘not in our name’.

Don’t get me wrong. I do not support IS. Im saying these acts do not happen in a vacuum. US atrocities, the bombing of entire Muslim villages by drones, the killing of many Muslims attending a wedding feast, CIA and Mosad complicity in the genesis of IS…. all these are conveniently left out of the narrative.

Then there’s the woeful episode of the black flags. Asatizahs began writing articles, questioning the authenticity of the hadith on Khurasan and the black flags. Firstly, it was done in a rather lop-sided manner. Eg, in a particular chain that was quoted by both Imam Tirmidhi and Imam Ahmad, it was said that Imam Tirmidhi considered the chain weak. But what did Imam Ahmad say about it? Next, two places were mentioned: Khoorasan and Jerusalam. There are other ahadith about a Muslim army liberating Jerusalem, and the hadith is muttafaqqun alaih – of the highest possible authenticity. This was not mentioned. Also, there appears to be numerous chains of the hadith. And these chains could strengthen one another, making it collectively sahih. Not to mention these ahadith appear in the canonical six collections of ahadith – collectively the most authentic we have.

Then the ED of PERGAS saw fit to talk to BH about it not being right to purchase the flag, as it would make non Muslims uncomfortable. Truly, that’s a preposterous statement. Should we then censor the Quran? After all, the end of Bakarah is a doa for Allah azzawajal to Grant us victory agst the non Believers? That’s juz one eg out of many.

We are told we should have husnu zhon. But shouldn’t these asatizahs have husno zhon on the Muslims who had purchased the flags, without realising its bigger implications? Should the asatizahs not contact these people personally and advise them to remove it from FB? To my knowledge this wasn’t done. And our brothers were hauled up by the authorities and have to answer for their deeds, with all the attendant worry the family had to go thru.

Now, after the govt announced that they would join the ‘coalition of the bombing’ and the issue has become fait accompli, some among the asatizahs are voicing out their displeasure. A little too late no? Or is it an attempt to recover lost legitimacy, since there has been voices ‘encouraging’ out estab asatizahs to join the jihad?

Final word. Late for Jumuah. We hope our pol leaders and estab asatizahs enjoy their paychecks and coming EOY bonus. If u r MUIS staff, bear in mind it comes from the Fitrah fund.

A reminder these things come with strings attached.

We hope and pray there will not be hell to pay.

Gotta go for now. I’m not done yet. will dress our own complicity in this.

Wallahualam. Barakallahufeek.

Authored by Syed Danial on 7 Nov 2011.

November 12, 2014
WEAR WHITE ON TAUBAHCALL DAY: 1st Day of Ramadhan – 28 June 2014

Ustaz Noor Deros

Assalamualaikum wr wb,

Bismillah, walhamdulillah, the blessed month of Ramadan is just around the corner, if Allah wills, it will descend on the night of 28th of June around 7pm+.

We ask Allah that He allow us to be among those who will be blessed with His pardon & mercy in that month of rahmah and maghfirah. Amin.

Yet, it seems that there is another group of people who are also looking forward to that day. That very same date and time (5pm-7pm) was chosen by the PINK DOT activists (Lesbian,Gay,Bisexuals & Transexual activists and symphatisers) to organise their biggest event ever. They will come together in thousands to make a call to the Singaporean society to accept LGBT individuals (of course together with their lifestyle) without any kind of discrimination, intolerance nor judgement.

It is important to note here that it is through such nuanced events that the idea, philosophy and lifestyle of LGBT is subtly promoted and normalised, most of the time through the call to accept the VEHICLE (the LGBT individuals).

Oh Muslims! The gates of heavens and mercy will be opened in Ramadan, we do not want It to be blocked by our sins and our inaction towards munkar.

Muslims and straight-minded human beings must stand up and state our stand clearly.

No, not even as a response to this or that party, what more a reaction, but as an education first and foremost to our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters out there who still think that the LGBT lifestyle is a personal right and that the Quranic and Prophetic guidance on the LGBT issue is boundlessly flexible and ever-open to “progressive” interpretations.

For the sake of our collective spiritual, mental, emotional, social & physical health we have to MAKE CLEAR WHAT IS EVIL AND PROHIBIT IT. Be it through a small one time event or mega ones, collectively or group based. Whats important is that it must be continuous and ever present.

This is of course not a new call nor a unique one, this is just another of that small yet continuous calls. We have to keep them coming.

PERGAS have stated our stand, may Allah reward them for that, and I believe that MUIS already have something wise and farsighted in mind, many of us are waiting for that something with good opinion, but waiting is just another excuse to avoid commitment and responsibility, no, waiting is not enough, we, the people on the ground have the right and responsibility to do and say something.

———————

SUGGESTIONS :

In my discussions with many muslims about this issue I managed to gather some good suggestions, these are some of them :

– Organise an easy, simple, yet clear and easily viral event such as WEAR WHITE DAY ON THE FIRST OF RAMADAN.

Together with this, all/some of the mosque in Singapore – on the first of ramadan especially – should deliver a clear call to taubah, explaining the concept of fitrah, freedom & sexuality in Islam.

In my opinion, this is the most viable, I and my friends will take this on, you are invited to lend a hand. Please contact me if you are interested.

– Veterans and experienced Mega Maulid/Islamic Events organisers especially the lead and crowdpulling asatizahs should come together and organise a mega program on the first of ramadan, maybe a mega terawih session in a stadium. FOR THE LOVE OF THE PROPHET S.A.W. We will give our support.

– Short videos stating our stand on this issue as Muslims living in Singapore. (This is a must)

– Continuous series of talks and seminars on Islam and the LGBT. (Such programs have started, but we need more of it)

– Talks on Islamic Worldview/ Islamic View of Existence. (This is the most important)

Oh Muslims! Our amal ma’ruf nahi munkar is never and should never be restricted to only Muslims. If your non-muslim neighbour tries to kill an innocent life in front of you what do you do? Harm should not be restricted to physical, for we muslims strongly believe in the reality of spiritual harm.

Oh Muslims! We have been fighting about petty issues for too long, Isn’t it high time for us to come together for something that is common between us?

Come come! Let us all together make taubah!

Scholars should make taubah of their muteness and inaction!

Those who have fallen into the pit of LGBT lifestyle should make taubah of their transgression!

Those of us who think that we are clean and are guarenteed salvation because we are religious, should make the most istighfar! For that is the worse kind of delusion!

Welcome! Welcome oh ye month of Maghfirah!

Zulfikar Shariff Walid J. Abdullah Syed Danial Khairul AR Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied Mohamed Saiddhin Gene Sha Muhammad Azry Azmi Abdul Samad

Source: Ustaz Noor Deros

EDITOR’S NOTE

In full honesty, Rilek1Corner has to applaud these Singapore Muslims who have come together to educate the public. This is perhaps the first time in a long time that the Muslim community have witnessed how a small group of dynamic individuals are able to move a community. Hopefully, there will be more of such efforts so that both our Malay and Muslim can also move forward in tandem with rest.

Yet another history in the making.

June 2, 2014