OPINIONS: REGARDING DOGS AND MALAYS - Part 1

The Sunda Observer

SUNDA STRAITS - Recently, the country erupted into an eventually violent debate surrounding the touching of dogs.
While no blood has been spilled as yet, the threats to the lives of the organizers, especially Syed Azmi and many participants are still ongoing.
*Update (October 31) - Syed Azmi's explanation regarding the event's intentions and how the whole thing got out of hand, in his own words.*

Amidst the flurry of nonsensical overreactions that garnered the attention of the media from around the world, TSO keenly noticed that there came out a massive outpouring of support for the organizers, even from the ranks of those who didn't support the 'I Want to Touch a Dog' event held October 19.

Recognizing that dwelling on negativity will not affect positive change, we shall then focus on rational and weighted opinions presented during this very loud and public debate. There will be more presented by TSO in due course.

One of those that fit the criteria is a historical retelling of an event in Malayan history, of Kelantan circa 1937, that is so well-written, it was also translated by a Facebook user (reproduced here with permission) to be enjoyed by a wider audience.

TSO will publish this work by Tuan Amidi bin Abdul Rahman, President of the Malaysian Islamic Youth Brigade (ABIM), as published through the news portal, Astro Awani on October 23, followed by the translation.

Enjoy reading:

Photo caption: 'Gambar ini diambil selepas perbicaraan tentang masalah najis anjing. Yang duduk disebelah kanan sekali ialah Haji Wan Musa, Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Kelantan, Yang Mulia Haji Abas Taha Kadi Besar Singapura dan Haji Nik Mohd Sadiqi Haji Wan Musa.

Yang berdiri disebelah kanan sekali ialah Yang Mulia Tengku Chik, Yang Mulia Doktor Burhanuddin al-Helmi, Yang Berhormat Dato' Sri DiRaja Kelantan dan Nik Mahmud.

[This photo was taken after the discussion on the problem with dog impurity. Seated from rightmost are Haji Wan Musa, YTM Prince of Kelantan, YM Haji Abas Taha Singapore Grand Jurist Islamica, and Haji Mohd Sadiqi Haji Wan Musa.

Standing from rightmost are YM Tengku Chik, YM Dr. Burhanuddin al-Helmi, Yang Berhormat Dato' Sri DiRaja Kelantan and Nik Mahmud.]'

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AA - Program 'I Want to Touch a Dog' merupakan program ulangan.

KUALA LUMPUR: Program ‘I Want To Touch A Dog’ merupakan program ulangan.

Satu perdebatan berkaitan dengan perihal jilatan anjing telah berlaku di negeri Kelantan pada tahun 1937. Perselisihan pandangan atau pendapat ini bermula dengan Hj. Nik Abdullah b. Hj. Wan Musa, seorang ulama muda ketika itu yang kemudiannya diteruskan oleh ayahandanya Hj. Wan Musa b. Hj.Abdul Samad yang pernah menjadi Mufti Kelantan dari 1908 hingga 1916.

Perbezaan ini bermula dari tahun 1936, apabila Hj. Nik Abdullah dipanggil oleh raja Kelantan ketika itu YM Tengku Ibrahim ibnu Sultan Muhammad IV ke istana bagi meminta pandangannya berkaitan hasrat baginda untuk memelihara anjing. Hj. Nik Abdullah menjawab jika ada keperluan seperti menjaga keselamatan maka ia adalah diharuskan.

Berkaitan perihal jilatan anjing pula beliau memberikan dua pandangan menurut mazhab Maliki dan Mazhab Syafie.

Beliau menyatakan jika terdapat lebih dari satu pandangan maka diperbolehkan untuk umat Islam beramal dengan mana-mana pandangan tersebut. Pandangan ini sampai kepada Hj. Ibrahim b. Hj. Yusof yang merupakan Mufti Kelantan ketika itu.

Beliau tidak bersetuju dengan pandangan yang dikemukakan oleh Hj. Nik Abdullah yang mahukan agar rakyat Kelantan beramal menurut Imam Syafie dan disokong oleh beberapa ulama’ lain seperti Hj. Ahmad Mahir b. Hj Ismail, Hj. Abdullah Tahir b. Hj. Ahmad dan lain-lain lagi. Umur Hj. Nik Abdullah tidak panjang. Beliau meninggal tak lama selepas itu.

Ayahnya yang merupakan bekas Mufti Kelantan, meyakini kebenaran pandangan anaknya bertindak mempertahankan pandangan anaknya dalam kuliah-kuliah pengajian yang dikendalikannya.

Pertelingkahan ini berpanjangan dan semakin membesar dalam masyarakat sehingga menarik perhatian Sultan Kelantan ketika itu iaitu DYMM Sultan Ismail ibni al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad IV.

Baginda memanggil kedua-dua belah pihak ke Istana Jahar untuk mendapatkan persepakatan dan seterusnya menghentikan polemik yang sedang hangat dalam masyarakat Kelantan. Usaha baginda menemui jalan buntu dan gagal mendapat persepakatan pihak-pihak yang berselisih pandangan. Masyarakat terus dengan polemik berkaitan perihal jilatan anjing ini.

Usaha pihak istana tidak terhenti disitu, YM Tengku Ibrahim merancang untuk membuat satu perdebatan berkaitan hal ini yang melibatkan lebih ramai ulama’ di Istana Sri Cemerlang. 

Perdebatan itu turut melibatkan Hj. Abas Taha (Kadi Besar Singapura) dan Dr. Burhanudin al-Helmi (S/U majlis Ulama’ Singapura), yang menyebelahi Hj. Wan Musa.

Sultan Ismail bertindak sebagai hakim. Namun seperti sebelumnya, Sultan Ismail tidak dapat membuat keputusan dan menyerahkan kepada rakyat untuk beramal dengan mana-mana pandangan yang diperdebatkan. Sekembalinya dari perdebatan itu Hj. Abas Taha menulis satu kitab yang berjudul Risalah Penting, yang mengumpulkan pandangan ulama’ yang menyokong pendapatnya termasuklah Mufti Mesir seperti yang dicatatkan Maulana al-Sheikh al-Marori.

Tidak cukup setakat itu, Raja Kelantan, Tengku Ibrahim turut menghantar tiga soalan kepada Sheikh al-Azhar ketika itu Syed Mohd. Mustapha al-Maraghi, yang menyokong pendapat Hj. Nik Abdullah. Jawapan tersebut telah diterima pada 1 April 1937.

Jelas dicatatkan dalam sejarah, orang Melayu telah berbincang berkaitan hal ini kira-kira 90 tahun yang lalu. Oleh itu hasrat saudara Syed Azmi al-Habshi selaku penganjur program ‘I Want to Touch A Dog’ tidak lebih dari sekadar mengulang kisah lama.

Jika mahu diukur dari sudut keupayaan dan potensi terhadap impak menukar persepsi orang Melayu khususnya terhadap makhluk Allah yang kita namakan sebagai anjing, jelas perdebatan tahun 1937 jauh lebih berupaya kerana melibatkan istana dan kelompok ulama’ berpengaruh.

Natijahnya, tiada pun keluarga Hj. Nik Abdullah yang memelihara anjing sehingga kini dan masyarakat Melayu terus kekal sebagaimana asalnya. Oleh itu, ia merupakan polemik yang sia-sia dan tidak membawa perubahan dalam masyarakat.

Begitu juga dengan ulama’ Melayu dahulu, tidak pula melabelkan Haji Nik Abdullah dan ayahandanya Hj. Wan Musa sebagai tokoh liberalis kerana perbezaan pandangan feqah dalam hal ini. Mereka boleh berlapang dada kerana itulah sikap yang dituntut kepada seorang ulama’.

Jika perdebatan ini diperpanjang, maka kekeliruan akan bertambah teruk. Pertembungan akan semakin parah sehingga boleh menjejaskan kesatuan umat Islam di Malaysia.

Jika ia berpunca dari kekeliruan, kejahilan dan salah tanggapan, maka yang diperlukan adalah pendidikan dan penjelasan, bukan kutukan dan sindiran yang menyakitkan hati. Kembalilah kita kepada asas kesejahteraan ummah iaitu dakwah. Sejahterakan Malaysia Dengan Dakwah.

AMIDI BIN ABDUL MANAN ialah Presiden, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia.

--- TRANSLATION ---

[AA - The 'Saya Ingin Sentuh Anjing' Program is a repeat program.

KUALA LUMPUR: The 'Saya Ingin Sentuh Anjing' Program is a repeat program. A debate concerning the matter of 'dog-licks' (saliva) took place in Kelantan in the year 1937.

The disagreement began when Hj. Nik Abdullah b. Hj. Wan Musa, a young ulama at the time and later continued on by his own father, who had been a Mufti of Kelantan between the years 1908 and 1916.

This schism started in 1936, when Hj. Nik Abdullah was called upon by the then Prince of Kelantan, YM Tengku Ibrahim ibnu Sultan Muhammad IV to the Palace in order to seek the former's views on the Highness' desire to rear a dog. Hj. Nik Abdullah answered that if the need arises, such as security, then it is deemed 'a non-meritable recommendation'.

Concerning the matter of dog-licks, he referred to two viewpoints according to the Maliki and Shafie schools of thought.

He stated that as there are more than one viewpoint, then it is alright for Muslims to take a leaf from either of them. This opinion reached the ears of Hj. Ibrahim b. Hj. Yusof whom at that time was the Mufti of Kelantan.

He disagreed with the viewpoint that had been put forward by Hj. Nik Abdullah and was keen to encourage Kelantanese (Muslims) to keep worship according to the teachings of Imam Shafie, along with the support of several other ulamas, such as Hj. Ahmad Mahir b. Hj. Ismail, Hj. Abdullah Tahir b. Hj. Ahmad and others. Hj. Nik Abdullah wasn't blessed with a long life. He passed away not long after.

His father, who was the Mufti of Kelantan is adamant that his son had been correct and acted to defend his son's position through educational classes that he conducted himself.

This schism lasted for quite a while and it grew within society, so much so that it attracted the attention of the then Sultan of Kelantan, DYMM Sultan Ismail ibni al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad IV.

His Majesty called upon both sides to Istana Jahar to gain a consensus and halt the polemic that is hotting up in Kelantan society. The efforts put forth by His Majesty met with an impasse, and failed to garner any consensus between the parties in dispute. The community continues to be divided concerning dog saliva.

The Palace's efforts didn't end there, as YM Tengku Ibrahim had planned a public debate concerning this matter to include many more ulamas at Istana Sri Cemerlang.

The debate also involved Hj. Abas Taha (Singapore Grand Jurist Islamica) and Dr. Burhanudin al-Helmi (Singapore Ulama Assembly Secretary), who sided with Hj. Wan Musa.

Sultan Ismail acted as the Arbitrator. However, as before, Sultan Ismail weren't able to come to a definite conclusion and thus left it to His rakyat to make their worship according to either side of the debate. Returning from the event, Hj. Abas Taha wrote a tome that he titled, Important Message, that assembled all the testimonial opinions of the ulama that supported his point of view, the ranks of which include the Mufti of Egypt, as per stated by Maulana al-Sheikh al-Marori.

Not stopping there, the Prince of Kelantan, Tengku Ibrahim followed up by despatching three questions to the then Sheikh of al-Azhar, Syed Mohd. Mustapha al-Marathi, who weighed in on Hj. Nik Abdullah's side. The replies came in on the 1st of April 1937.

It is clearly stated in history, that the Malay people had had a discussion concerning this matter about 90 years before. Thus, the intention of brother Syed Azmi al-Habshi as the organizer of the 'Saya Ingin Sentuh Anjing' Program is nothing more than a repeat case in history.

If we were to measure from the angle of the capacity and potential to impact and change the perception of the Malays specifically concerning this creature of Allah we call the dog, it is clear that the debate in 1937 was far more successful because it involved the Palace and the ranks of influential ulamas.

The point here is, amongst the family of Hj. Nik Abdullah, none of them ever took to rearing dogs, and Malay society remained as it were. Thus, it really is a wasteful polemic that affected no change whatsoever to society.

And likewise with the Malay ulamas of yore, they never labeled Haji Nik Abdullah and his father Hj. Wan Musa as 'liberalist' icons just because of the differences in their takes on Islamic jurisprudence concerning this matter. They were able to keep their hearts open because this is the attitude demanded of an ulama.

If the debate festers on, then the confusion will worsen. The clashes will become more severe to a point that it could negatively affect the unity of the Muslims in Malaysia.

If that is caused by confusion, ignorance and misapprehension, then what is needed would be education and explanation, not insults and cynicism that aims to cause heartaches. Let us return to the basis of the peaceful populace, that is (true) evangelism. Harmonize Malaysia through (True) Evangelism.

AMIDI BIN ABDUL MANAN is the President of Malaysian Islamic Youth Brigade.]

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