Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : PUSAT ISLAM, KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh/Date : 02/02/94
Tajuk/Title : THE OPENING OF THE 4TH INTERNATIONAL
SEMINAR ON THE AL-QURAN
Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
Allah be praised for by His grace we are able to
gather here for the official opening of the 4th Malaysian
International Seminar on the Al-Quran. I consider this
seminar important for Malaysia's development to be in line
with the teachings of Islam.
2. Islam is a religion based principally on the teachings
provided by Al-Quran which contains guidance for every
aspect of Muslim life. It is therefore not just a holy book
the reading of which will earn us merit. If Islam is to be
a way of life then the contents of the Quran must be
correctly understood. Islam as a way of life cannot mean
the Muslims should have a miserable life and be oppressed by
others. Nor should they be dependent on non-Muslims for all
their needs.
3. While we must, as Muslims, revere the Quran, we must
accept that in order to fully understand it we need to study
also the Sunnah and the Hadith. Indeed, we need, in the
process of ijtihad, to analyse and interpret the contents.
While the Quran is never wrong, it is, however, possible
for those who study, analyse and interpret the contents of
the Quran to be wrong. It is for this reason that different
sects have emerged among the Muslims with different
interpretations of the teachings of the Quran, the Hadith
and the Sunnah of the Prophet. If one sect rejects the
interpretations of another sect it does not mean that it
rejects the Quran or Islam. It merely rejects the
interpretation of another sect, which may well be wrong.
Thus, the Sunnis generally disagree with the teachings and
interpretations of the Syiah sects and vice versa.
4. These differences in interpretation are possible
because in many instances the Quran gives general guidance
which covers every kind of situation. It is up to the
learned in religion to make the interpretations. The
teachings of the Quran are not just for the time of the
Prophet, nor are they confined to the Arabs. All Muslims,
everywhere through the ages, can seek and find guidance in
the Quran.
5. Unfortunately, there is a tendency among some sects
and some ulamas to be rigid in their interpretation and to
believe only in their own interpretations. It is such
people who cause misunderstandings among Muslims, resulting
not only in the division into sects and groups but also in
conflicts and wars. Obviously these divisions and conflicts
among Muslims are not due to the Quran. They are entirely
due to bigotry on the part of the imams and ulamas.
6. Quite often the Quran is interpreted by people
with vested interests. These people, in the furtherance of
their own objectives very often misinterpret the Quran.
Throughout the history of Islam there have been many such
people. Indeed immediately following the demise of the
Prophet s.a.w. another pretender emerged who deliberately
interpreted the teachings of the Prophet wrongly. But for
his defeat at the hands of Saidina Abu Bakar, his wrong
teachings could very well have spread among the followers of
Islam, thus misleading them.
7. Today the Muslims cannot be said to have achieved a
gracious and glorious life and civilisation. Everywhere we
look we see them oppressed and backward. They are weak and
incapable not only of defending themselves but of defending
their faith even. Some indeed have become so disillusioned
that they have either foresaken Islam or are Muslims in name
only.
8. Surely their parlous state cannot be due to their
following the teachings of the Quran. If they fail to
achieve glory and graciousness in life it cannot be due to
Islam or the Quran. But it is entirely possible for their
unfortunate situation to be due to the wrong interpretations
of the Quran. Indeed it is the only logical explanation for
the failures and weaknesses of the faithful today.
9. We know that following upon the spread of Islam among
the backward Arabs, they became a great people who mastered
all kinds of knowledge and skills which enabled them to go
forth and spread the teachings to almost the whole of the
known world then. A glorious and powerful ummah emerged
which enhanced the influence and power of Islam. Muslims
lived a gracious life, honoured and respected by everyone
and master of all the skills and knowledge known to men
then.
10. All these must have been achieved as a result of their
learning the contents of the Quran. A backward people like
the Arabs, given to much rivalry and feuding, became a
peaceful people with mastery of all the arts and sciences,
which in turn brought them universal respect. Such were the
results of the teachings contained in the Quran.
11. Why then are the Muslims of today backwards? Why are
they weak and oppressed, unable to defend the ummah or their
faith? Why are they no longer the masters of themselves?
Is it possible that the Quran which moulded the wild Arabs
into a world power for centuries after Hijrah is now
responsible for the weaknesses and miserable conditions of
the ummah? It is not possible. The Quran is the same. Not
a word has been changed. There is no such thing as a
revised Quran as there are for many other holy books. The
Quran of today is the same as in the times of the Prophet
and when it was first written and inspired the faithful.
12. Yet the people of the Quran of today are different
from the people of the Quran in the early years of Islam.
13. The only possible reason for the difference in the
achievements of the faithful believers lies in the numerous
interpretations of the Quran by many different scholars and
teachers. The Quran is for all times. It gives guidance
for the different ages. It cannot, therefore, be absolutely
specific. Thus, the Muslims were exhorted to have horses
and swords ready for their defence. Instructions on how to
breed and rear horses or forge swords are not given.
Obviously Muslims must learn how elsewhere.
14. Equally obvious is that this refers to the early
period of Islam when horses and swords were the principal
requirements of defence. No mention was made of bows and
arrows, camels and foot soldiers, armours of iron and
leather. But the fact that these have not been specifically
mentioned did not mean that the armies of Islam should not
have them. If they were required for defence in that
period, then the Muslims must have them. And we know that
the Muslim armies had all these defence equipment.
15. By the same token the same verse on preparations for
defence by Muslims in this day and age should be interpreted
within the context of modern warfare. Swords and horses are
of no use. This does not mean that the Quran is out of date
or irrelevant. The defence needs now must involve
strategies and weapons of modern defence. Only the most
dogmatic interpreters of the Quran would insist that we
prepare horses and swords. It is these kind of people who
make the Quran irrelevant and obstruct the progress of the
Muslims to master all the arts, sciences and technologies of
modern warfare. That they have not mastered all these is
because the teachers of Islam are more interested in
esoteric issues which are not critical to the welfare and
strength of the Muslim. They would debate endlessly on
these issues and they would split up and weaken the Muslims
because of them. But they ignore such important verses on
defence for example. It is these people who miss the
message of the Quran to the detriment of the Muslim ummah.
16. The Quran should not be interpreted literally. To do
so would be to limit the vasts lesson that are contained in
it for the Muslim ummah and for humanity. To do so would
make the Quran misleading and out of date. And the Quran is
far from being misleading or out of date. It is the
interpreters who are misleading, lacking in knowledge and
out of date.
17. It is no longer possible to confine the interpretation
of the teachings of the Quran to the religious scholars
only. The problems of today require that scholars of other
disciplines be also involved in the interpretations. The
progress in medical science, genetics, space explorations,
commerce and industry require deep knowledge in these
subjects in order to relate to the teachings of the Quran.
If they are not, then there is a grave danger of the Quran
being regarded by some Muslims as irrelevant. The
non-Muslims might even ridicule it.
18. It is necessary now to go back to the Quran and
disregard the interpretations made by some of the ulamas
after the period of Islamic glory. There is evidence to
show that some of these ulamas were more interested in
preserving their influence over the Ottoman Government than
they were in making correct interpretation. Thus seeing
that the Christian Churches had lost their influence after
the separation of the Church from the State, they condemned
the learning of non-religious subjects in the hope that
those with such knowledge do not emerge to displace them.
All such learnings were condemned as secular and proscribed.
As a result Muslims who used to lead the world in the arts
and the sciences began to lag behind non-Muslims.
Eventually almost every Muslim country fell under the rule
of Western imperialist. Clearly the interpretations of
these ulamas were self-serving. Unfortunately their
teachings are still largely accepted today.
19. The only way out is to go back to the Quran and
reinterprete it correctly. The interpretations must be in
the interest of Islam and the Muslims. They must take into
consideration the current situation. They must not be made
to serve the interest of those who interprete them or of
any individual or group or political factions.
20. This Seminar on the Quran must be motivated by and
directed to making the Quran the guiding light of the
Muslims. As the Quran served the early Muslims and made
them a glorious people, so will it bring back that glory to
the modern Muslims. But first we have to interprete its
teachings correctly in the context of a world that has
changed radically.
21. This seminar is therefore useful if not crucial in
order to bring the Quran back to the mainstream of our
thinking and our approach to the problems of the Muslims
today and in the future. I hope that you will not miss the
opportunity to help sustain the faith in the teachings of
the Quran.
22. May Allah bless you all and may this seminar be a
resounding success.
23. On this note, in the name of Allah, the most Gracious
and the most Merciful, I declare this Seminar officially
open.
Wabillahitaufik walhidayah, wassalamu'alaikum
warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
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