Of Islam Hadhari and The Madinah Treaty

Sheih's Kickdefella's posting titled "Eighty-five Malaysian and one Malay fella" made me think the whole morning and this is my feedback to his entry.

I'd love to hear what you have to say on this topic.

You can read Sheih's entry on this URL: http://kickdefella.wordpress.com/2007/02/02/sheih-on-sheih-eighty-five-malaysian-and-one-malay-fella/#comment-2206

And here goes my comment:

It’s interesting to note from Pak Lah interview with Business Week Asia’s John Defterios on Malaysian racial harmony sustainability for the future; our PM starts talking on the Islam Hadhari model in response to John's final question of the interview.

I think the main issue with Islam Hadhari is labeling. The label Hadhari makes it all confusing to general public; I have non-Muslim friends asking me whether Islam Hadhari is in the same category as Sunni, Shiah, or Wahabi; and we are already having hard time in the media on the fundamentalist-liberal labels on Islam.

Interesting point you made here on Madinah. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his famous Madinah Traeaty wrote and ratified ten agreements with the Muslims, the non-Muslim Arabs and the Jews.

I wonder whether Pak Lah or Tunku Abdul Rahman who founded this idea (under different name) might have modeled the 10 Principles of Islam Hadhari after the Madinah Treaty and putting it in the context of Malaysia.

Here’s the famous Madinah Treaty and you can compare and contrast this list with the 10 principles of Islam Hadhari and find out yourself whether Islam Hadhari is rethoric, redundant, or being used by this administration as a political mileage:

[1] “In the name of Allah (The One True God) the Compassionate, the Merciful. This is a document from Muhammad, the Prophet, governing the relation between the Believers from among the Qurayshites (i.e., Emigrants from Mecca) and Yathribites (i.e., the residents of Medina) and those who followed them and joined them and strived with them. They form one and the same community as against the rest of men.

[2] “No Believer shall oppose the client of another Believer. Whosoever is rebellious, or seeks to spread injustice, enmity or sedition among the Believers, the hand of every man shall be against him, even if he be a son of one of them. A Believer shall not kill a Believer in retaliation of an unbeliever, nor shall he help an unbeliever against a Believer.

[3] “Whosoever among the Jews follows us shall have help and equality; they shall not be injured nor shall any enemy be aided against them…. No separate peace will be made when the Believers are fighting in the way of Allah…. The Believers shall avenge the blood of one another shed in the way of Allah ….Whosoever kills a Believer wrongfully shall be liable to retaliation; all the Believers shall be against him as one man and they are bound to take action against him.

[4] “The Jews shall contribute (to the cost of war) with the Believers so long as they are at war with a common enemy. The Jews of Banu Najjar, Banu al-Harith, Banu Sa’idah, Banu Jusham, Banu al-Aws, Banu Tha’labah, Jafnah, and Banu al-Shutaybah enjoy the same rights and priviledges as the Jews of Banu Aws.

[5] “The Jews shall maintain their own religion and the Muslims theirs. Loyalty is a protection against treachery. The close friends of Jews are as themselves. None of them shall go out on a military expedition except with the permission of Muhammad, but he shall not be prevented from taking revenge for a wound.

[6] “The Jews shall be responsible for their expenses and the Believers for theirs. Each, if attacked, shall come to the assistance of the other.

[7] “The valley of Yathrib (Medina) shall be sacred and inviolable for all that join this Treaty. Strangers, under protection, shall be treated on the same ground as their protectors; but no stranger shall be taken under protection except with consent of his tribe….No woman shall be taken under protection without the consent of her family.

[8] Whatever difference or dispute between the parties to this covenant remains unsolved shall be referred to Allah and to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. Allah is the Guarantor of the piety and goodness that is embodied in this covenant. Neither the Quraysh nor their allies shall be given any protection.

[9] “The contracting parties are bound to help one another against any attack on Yathrib. If they are called to cease hostilities and to enter into peace, they shall be bound to do so in the interest of peace; and if they make a similar demand on Muslims it must be carried out except when the war is agianst their religion.

[10] “Allah approves the truth and goodwill of this covenant. This treaty shall not protect the unjust or the criminal. Whoever goes out to fight as well as whoever stays at home shall be safe and secure in this city unless he has perpetrated an injustice or commited a crime…. Allah is the protector of the good and God-fearing people.”

Comments

[manal]

haza,

Lama tak dgr citer? all i get is by reading this blog now and then.

Anyways, email me ok....few of us are already thinking of re-establish our old friendship...so PLEASE contact me.

[Sheih]

Salaam Bro Haxa,

Thanks for your posting. At some point I agreed that the problem with Islam Hadhari is the labeling.

Yesterday, Mukhriz Mahathir was asked in the conference, “How do you feel being call a fundamentalist Muslim”.
Mukhriz answered, “I am a fundamentalist muslim. I believed in the fundamental (of Islamic teaching)”

Mukhriz go on by saying, he do not agree with the label of Moderate Islam. If you are Islam, you are Islam, how can you be moderate.

Anyway, Thanks a million bro!