Non-Muslims have no right to question study of 40 hadiths - Mapim

SHAH ALAM - The actions of certain parties threatening to take legal action regarding the use of Imam Nawawi's 40 Hadith Appreciation Module involving Muslim teachers and students is considered as extreme provocation and is unacceptable.

Malaysia Islamic Organisations Consultative Council (Mapim) president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid criticised the actions of the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Taoist Religious Consultative Council (MCCBCHST) which objected to the study of 40 hadiths in schools stating that parties should not interfere in Islamic affairs.

He said the council did not have the right to question the efforts of the education authorities in cultivating correct Islamic knowledge and values to students based on authentic Islamic references.

“The council stated that Islam should be limited to personal affairs and official events that are purely ‘ceremonial’.

“This meant MCCBHST wanted Islam in the nation to be interpreted and implemented according to their beliefs and blessings.

“It wants to subjugate the rights of Muslim students to understand the meaning of Islam to their will, not a comprehensive Islam that covers all aspects of life,” he said in a statement on Friday.

The Education Ministry previously announced the pilot programme of Imam Nawawi's 40 Hadith Appreciation Module to be implemented in 61 Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) and 228 Sekolah Agama Bantuan Kerajaan (SABK) throughout the nation targeting Muslim teachers and students only.

Mohd Azmi said the Islamic education based on the Quran and hadith aims to educate students on good morals and integrity.

“We will take legal action because MCCBHST attempted to challenge the power of religious authorities when they claimed Islam was a religion only bound to ritual and official events only.

“They challenged the nation’s education authorities who wanted to apply Islamic references in the education system.

“The objection is clear that the council questions the position of Islam as the Federal religion,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Islamic Youth Force (Abim) president Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz urged the government through the Unity Ministry to reactivate the Committee for Harmony Among Religious Believers (Harmoni) established on Aug 14, 2020, with a more significant role.

He said other than becoming a platform to instil harmony, the committee should serve as the platform to explain government policies to all religious leaders who were seen as potentially misunderstood in the context of religious and racial differences.

“The committee also played a role in making the Malaysia Madani agenda a success in the context of inter-racial relations integrity through the application of modules and field programmes for the youth,” he said.