Position Paper 2 (Sheril Aida Bt Sulainan, 0812752)

What is important to be proud of? Being Malay, Jew, Chinese or Muslim? Some say their race come first before religion. The other side of the world would rather prefer Muslim as their prior recognition. Now let us explore both sides.


The opinion that believes race come first before being a Muslim, (specifically Malay first before Islam) feels it is necessary to recognize their identity first. Al-Ghazali said that the first step is to know, evaluate and understand ourselves first as the first step to be close to the Creator. After knowing the inside out of own identity and culture, then it will lead us to think, which norm should I follow? Then we will start to search the purpose of our existence. If we know what are the elements that embraced in our culture are, then we can adapt it with the right teaching of Islam. Adjustment of culture to be aligned with Islamic teaching probably would be better, because we know the deviant elements in our culture. For instance, Malay believes that a pregnant mother should do “lenggang perut” in order to deliver their eldest child easily. Those who know this practice and the Islamic view regarding to this matter will appreciate how lucky he is to know error in his culture. Lenggang perut is a practice of doing something to the stomach of the mother.


Race comes first because this is the solid base of union among the people itself. Not every human was born as Muslim. Even though Malay are all Muslim, not all of them are truly good Muslim. Thus, it is not easy to unite them under the name of Islam. In multiracial country like Malaysia, religion is the most sensitive part. Therefore, race is the first step to stimulate people to co-operate each other, to have sense of caring to others, concern to other’s welfare and to live in harmonious. We know that we have enemies from our own ethnic. If it is not race recognition, what else can be the essence to get along with our enemies? Yes, something that make we feel belong to it, something that is not obligatory but the feeling that we are the same root of attributes and culture. I am what you are in many aspects, even though we have differences. Similar background smoothing our communication and help us to preach good values in Islam.


Those who prior Muslim over being Malay, feel that there is no vivid reason to prioritize race as Rasulullah pbuh ever said in hadith, there is no better Arab people than non Arab people, there is no better non Arab people than Arab people too. Allah sees taqwa. Here it is important to distinguish no ultimate rank to prior race as it is the only creation of Allah that we need to think of, as ibrah. Who are you before you were born in this world? You come from Allah, with no feature first, but in unseen form, which is “ruh”. In Hujurat, Allah says that He create diverse ethnic people in this world so that we will make friend, knowing each other. Let us think from this verse, do you notice that who exist first before human created with multi race? Absolutely the Creator, isn’t? Then what is the point to honour much on race matter? Isn’t we are still the same species of creation, human kind? Al-Ghazali wants us not to think only on our race. That is not what he meant. He asked us to study human, soul of human. No matter what race you are, we are governed by an ultimate power, One God. I eager said the Oneness of God to Malay because they acknowledge this.


Unity is not based on racial matter. If that so, negative form of assabiyah will emerge. If we think of the right of their own people, there will be no mechanism to help the other race. Because their perception was implanted with exceptional ideology-I concern with you because our background and attributes isn’t differ much. If racial conceptual has been corrupted, how is he or she is going to be a good Muslim after that? Does Islam teach to choose person that we want to be good to? Islam is universal. Because of Islam, many kabilah or tribes in Arab can tolerate and unite to achieve noble goal. We can see from the formation of Madinah, the friendship between Muhajirin and Ansar. We can study also, the toleration between various tribes during the golden time of Islam. Islam did not emphasize on human feature, but offer standardize belief, values, principle, privilege and punishment to all mankind without exceptionalities. There is no racial cause and effect matter that bring you to wrath or happiness from Lord. See, how being a Muslim first will create no tension in your mind to be racism.


In my opinion, I don’t want to waste my time to prior Malay over being Muslim. It is a very myopic point of view. Limited race wouldn’t help us to think more and beyond the surface. Thus, how we are going to create a large group of ideas that can lead to a better civilization? Islam knows multiracial Muslim people will encourage the synergy of each human asset, capacity, knowledge, experience and everything. It is not the problem with Islam branding to preach righteousness, but how the preacher do the preach.We only have to pick good thing from any culture from any race and ignore the harmful belief or practice. Not the race to be prioritized but the content of the values, norms and belief.