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Noor Saada

Conclusion

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THE challenge for the ulama is how to move forward with wasatiyyah or moderation. Perhaps we should consider a number of consensus (ijma’) documents by eminent Islamic scholars and political leaders in the Muslim world. Within the Muslim community and in view of other religious minorities, the local ulama and umara need to consider the “Amman Message”. Across the larger Filipino community, they need to consider “A Common Word Between Us and You”. As we relate with non-Muslim minorities, we need to consider the “Marrakesh Declaration”.

Point 4 – Understanding communal relations – Abodes of Peace, War, Covenant and beyond

Today, majority of Islamic scholars agree upon a classification into three. Shaikh Dr Yusuf Al-Qaradawi says, on Al-Shari’ah Wal-Hayah (Islamic Law and Life), Al-Jazeera Channel, dated Tuesday February 6th 2001, made clear these categories:

  • Dar Al-Islam: The abode of Islam, the Muslim nations.
  • Dar Al-Harb: The abode of war, those that have declared war against Muslim nations.
  • Dar Al-’Ahd: The abode of covenant, the countries that have diplomatic agreements and covenants with the Muslim nations.

Ulama associated with the the Moro liberation movement defined our state of affairs as one with the third category and point to the peace agreements that have been signed so far and and ongoing peace processes in trying to imagine and construct selfule ourselves. The importance of honoring agreements is aticulated in the Qur’an, examples would be verses 4 and 7 of chapter 9: Al Tawbah.

Another point ulama need to consider is the New Mardin Declaration that revisited the fatwa of Ibn Taymiyyah and whose views on this division goes beyond the traditional three abodes.

Our Ulama therefore need to help the Moros journey through this legal nuance. Who has the authority to say we are in a particular category? How should Muslims, individually and collectively, behave under this category? What are our rights and responsibilities?

Point 5 – Addressing ‘Amni” (peace, security) and “Khawf” (fear)

The verse 83, chapter 4: Al Nisa’ of the Qur’an, reminds us about how to treat information about security or fear and to whom these information should be referred to. This is the great burden of those in authority.

Thus, the Ulama need to go beyond and outside their comfortable zones of ‘madrasah’ and ‘masjid’. There is a growing number of extremist and terrorist groups misusing Islam by preaching hate, division and killing. The world is judging Islam by their action, not by the teachings of Islam.

In addressing peace and security, and eliminating fear, for the best interest of Islam and Muslim, how can the Ulama approach this security problem? Is it wrong to work with government to promote peace and security in Muslim community? How they lead in addressing the divide, i.e. skepticism, stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination?

In building “Aman” (peace, order and security), how should the Muslim community in general, and ulama in particular respond to the challenge of peace, order and security? Who or which sector do we need to work with and how? What should be our short-term and long-term priorities?

Point 6 – Rasulullah SAW as our model

For the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) words and deeds in unison serve as the role model for us. In the Qur’an, he is viewed as “uswatun hasanah” (good model) in verse 21, chapter 33: Al Ahzab; as a “rahmah” (mercy) in verse 107, chapter 21: Al Anbiyah; that his example is not extreme and excessive, his model is not harshness and exclusion; and his message is love, not hate.

The challenge for ulama is how can they best promote the Sunnah of Rasulullah SAW as good model and mercy to the larger community?

These are just six points highlighting the role, influence and often the untapped power of the Ulama in the Moro community. In closing, yes it should be noted that there is the general challenge of uniting Islamic altrusim with local reality. There is no question about the profundity of Islamic altruism. The question is how do we make the altruism a beginning reality in the Moro community, of respect for diversity within, in our relationship with non-Moro minorities within our community and the larger Filipino community and the world.

This is for the ulama to lead, to articulate and to model. Aleem Mujahid quoted a hadith that says, if two groups of people will be good, the rest of the community will be good. They are the ulama and the umara. We pray for our ulama and our umara.

(Noor Saada is a Tausug of mixed ancestry – born in Jolo, Sulu, grew up in Tawi-tawi, studied in Zamboanga and worked in Davao, Makati and Cotabato. He is a development worker and peace advocate, former assistant regional secretary of the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, currently working as an independent consultant and is a member of an insider-mediation group that aims to promote intra-Moro dialogue.-Mindanews)

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