Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Disappointing News

Today, something got me to watch the news.
I chose Buletin Utama TV3.
In one of its news, Buletin Utama reported that Tuan Guru Nik Aziz bribed RM300 each to 3 gentlemen who had just embraced Islam in an open event somewhere in Kelantan. These 3 gentlemen were some orang asli in Kelantan. Buletin Utama further reported that sources said that the money used (all RM900 I suppose) were taken from a taukey balak (logging boss) from Kelantan. TV3 had the cheek to say that they got it from some source. They didn’t even mention if the source is reliable or not.
The moment I heard the news, I immediately told the Bride that somehow I feel so sad for Tuan Guru. There he was, leading a group of witnesses to convert 3 orang asli (something which we all would want to be part of as the reward from Allah is just beyond your wildest imagination) and the news is reporting that he is bribing them to vote for PAS.
Amenda ni???
So instead of starting with my work, I googled “Nik Aziz sogok orang asli rm300”. There were a few results that matched what I was looking for. It was from those fanatic political blogs which you would only believe if you are a fanatic like them.
These bloggers may not know (or are just too fanatic to even consider) that when a brother embraces Islam (or how my ex-rector, Prof Kamal Hassan in IIUM puts it, reverts back to Islam), he has a right to receive alms and this right is enshrined in the Quran in Surah Taubah verse 60:
60. Alms (Zakat) are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to Truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.
Therefore, it is a common thing that reverts be given some cash to help him with his new life. On the day of the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet (pbuh) distributed the bulk of war booty (from the Tabuk war if I am not mistaken) to the Quraish in Mecca (who had just embraced Islam after The Conquest Of Mecca) and not much to the Ansar from Madinah. Ulama concluded that the Prophet’s aim was to soften the hearts of the Meccans towards Islam as they had just embraced Islam and into its fold. It is necessary for them to taste firsthand the material benefits that Islam can bring even though that is not the purpose of embracing Islam. (See Sahih Muslim Volume 5, book 58, Number 122) These bloggers had no evidence from where Tuan Guru Nik Aziz got the cash to be given to the reverts and they were certainly not among those who would give that poor old man any benefit of the doubt (Husnul Zann  or sangka baik). I am assuming that it is from the Zakat fund. Let us say that I am wrong and the money was from the taukey balak, how did they know that the money was meant to bribe the reverts to vote for PAS and not to ease their burden as reverts?
Remember: Slandering is worse than killing!
Pelik betul macam mana Orang Islam sanggup gunakan Islam sebagai propaganda politik.
Worst still is how a national television such as TV3 could cite these baseless accusations as part of its national news!!!
Gila punye kerja.
See how the media could twist a sincere act of witnessing conversion to be some fitnah about bribery?
Buletin TV3, you have truly disappointed me tonight!
Blog adjourned.

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