SURIA CATERING

Last week, I watched a downloaded clip of lectures from Dr. Zakir Naik entitled "Muhammad in Various Religious Scriptures". From the quality and the surrounding of the lectures, the clips might have been done around 80's to 90's. In that lectures, he (Dr. Zakir Naik) made a clarification on the issue of whether a non-muslim whom wanted to embrace Islam should be called a "converter" or a "reverter" to Islam. I have to say that the delivery speech done by him was awesome and should provide a crystal clear explaination on Islam..(To be continued)

Should Islam be called or be considered as a kind of religion? If it is to, then it will be no difference as compare to other semitic and non-semitic religions throughout the world practically. My opinion is that Islam is not just a religion, it is more than that. Why? Because religion in many interpretations and practical prespectives provides chances of separation between spritual "affairs" and world "affairs". A simple explaination can be a businessman who finds difficulties in his works go to the church to have a moment of relaxation by making prayers and etc. On works, he has had "Riba"(Interest), bribes, alcohols and many other common things that lots of people are being participated nowadays, without realizing (or maybe they just neglect it) that all of those things go against the teaching of their religions (Bible). This situation is due to the fact that most people (excluding atheist and freethinker) only practice their respectives religious ritual when they are in condition of depression that any entertainment elements (Music, alcoholism, free sex etc) could not fulfill the requirement for their "anti-depression" condition. So, it can be seen that most people, though become a believer of certain faith, think that a religion will became important only when they have problems. Of course this is only one of plenty more examples that provides indication on how religions are being separated from world affairs. Some nations/people even misundestood the concept between cultures and religious practices like in many chinese peoples.

When I was a working as a teacher, I had a conversation with my chinese students which practice Buddhism, and I was surprised to be told that they don’t even know exactly what they have just been doing especially on their ritual practices. And things get more “interesting” when some of them were confused of whether they are practicing Buddhism or taoism. They are blindly following what their parents had been doing! And I asked them, what about your parents?Did they also understand what they have been doing?The replies shocked me for the second times – their parents said it was a traditions inherited from their ancestors. An example of misunderstanding between religious and cultural practices has been proven! And yet the dicussion on misconception between cultural and relgious practices will be done in other specific topics.

To simplify and for the basis of work ease, let’s be straighforward to the answer for the topics - what makes Islam differ from other faiths? Islam, with means peace and submission to god the almighty, involves assimilation of religious faith and practices into world affairs. In fact, based on Islamic teaching, it is imposibble and ridicolous to separate the Islam with life. So Islam should be called as Ad-deen (Addin) which means “the way of life”rather than a kind of religion. When all the teaching are being assimilated and became a way to have a live, the separation is impossible to occur. But there is a question, it is possible for other religions to also became Addin? The answer is NO. Why? Because all of the teachings are not as complete as in Islam. Furthermore, the scriptures of final revelation to humankind (The Holy Quran) provide the most complete and relevant guidence to all humankind to live the life that have blessings from god. Comparalative religion studies on the respectives scriptures can provide proof and asnwers to non-muslim in great details..

I specially dedicate this column to for those who:

• have little or no knowledge about Islam
• want to know Islam just for additional information
• hate Islam for any reasons
  
• criticize Islam based on information they get from media
• feel that Islamic law (shari'a) is barbaric, outdated, ridiculous
• have good understanding about Islam but still refuse to embrace it
• are practicing atheism and any other major religions in the world

..any others who want to know what they have been misunderstood about Islam