Man of God v False Preacher

I totally agreed with Dr. Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin that the tauliah or state-imposed permit to preach is against Islam. His argument that the right to speak is God-given is good. This is a clear case of a religious leader becoming a target of intolerant Islamic forces, a progressive religious leader who dare to challenge the authoritarianism of Islam in Malaysia.

His arrest confirmed how confused some of our religious leaders can be. Carried to their logical conclusions, even Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) will not be able to preach for failing to meet their criteria, being illiterate and without a degree in religious studies. Utter madness! Wisdom and understanding come from the Almighty. One can obtained doctorates from religious universities but it does not mean that he will gain wisdom and understanding. He may however, gain a considerable amount of knowledge. That is all. Throughout history we noticed that the Almighty gave direct revelations to His prophets and most of them do not have any formal education. The only criteria are a great desire to seek God and His ways. The truth seekers will certainly be able to discern whether teachings are from God or from man.

As for those who called Dr. Mohd. Asri “father of Satan” be assured that they will be severely dealt with in the hereafter but I am also sure that Dr. Mohd. Asri, being a man of God, will plead on their behalf, for forgiveness, for their ignorance, for they know not what they are doing. We are told to forgive those who in their ignorance and wrong presumption persecute the innocents but in their minds are absolutely sure that they are doing the right thing for God.

I pray that the Almighty will send more people in the likes of Dr. Mohd. Asri and Zainah Anwar. I was extremely touched by her views ‘Whither Moderation’ in Sharing the Nation. May God bless them with more understanding and wisdom to counter all the religious bigots in our country.