Monday, August 24, 2009

Because God is both summer and winter

BIGOTRY (prejudice, racism, intolerance, bias, narrow-mindedness, chauvinism)

Life is not an effort to attain, it is a celebration. Heraclitus says, “Bigotry is the sacred disease.”

Whenever a person becomes religious, this disease is possible. Whenever one becomes religious, one becomes vulnerable to this disease, bigotry. It is very difficult to find a religious man and not bigoted.

It happened: I saw Mulla Nasaruddin drinking in a bar and asked, “Nasaruddin, what are you doing? Just yesterday you told me that you have left drinking and you have become an absolute teetotaler, so what are you doing?”

Nasaruddin said, “ Yes I am an absolute teetotaler – but not a bigoted one.”

Whatsoever you are, remain flexible. Don’t create a fixed frame around you, remain moving and flowing. Sometimes one has to go out of the discipline also. Life is bigger than your discipline and sometimes one has to go completely against one’s own rules – because God is both summer and winter.

Don’t be a victim of bigotry. Be religious but don’t be a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian. Let the whole earth be your church, let the whole existence be your temple. And when the whole God is available, why be satisfied with a fragment? Why say Christian, why say Hindu? When you can be a human being, why choose labels? Drop all labels and drop all beliefs.

From the book: Meeting with People, Chapter on Heraclitus by Osho

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Why I Didnt Celebrate Valentines day and Practice Yoga

Why I Didnt Celebrate Valentines day and Practice Yoga
Posted by: sheikhkl
Source: http://blog.thestar.com.my/permalink.asp?id=21364


Saint Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine.

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine Until 1969, the Catholic Church formally recognized eleven Valentine's Days. The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome..

Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been killed during the persecution of Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino).[

So even some relate it to the the final note a Valentine to his lover before he is excuted " From Your Valentine", Its actually the day the Valentines are honoured for their matrydom.

So , thats why its Fatwa haram for muslims and I dont celebrate Saint Valentine's Day. So sorry mini, bshan and friends... no flower from me.

YOGA

Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs its practices.

Majlis Fatwa passed a fatwa, which is legally non-binding, only for Muslims only and does not effect the non-muslims unlike Hudud, against Muslims practicing yoga, saying it had elements of "Hindu spiritual teachings" and could lead to blasphemy and is therefore haraam. The fatwa states that yoga practiced only as physical exercise is permissible, but prohibits the chanting of religious mantras, and states that teachings such as uniting of a human with God is not consistent with Islamic philosophy.

Some of the people doesnt even know what AUM means of imply to , which AUM is always chanted in YOGA.

Aum or it symbol ॐ is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist religions. It is placed at the beginning of most Hindu texts as a sacred exclamation to be uttered at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas or previously to any prayer or mantra and also is said in the beginning of any puja (religious ritual). The Mandukya Upanishad is entirely devoted to the explanation of the syllable.

So, thats why they came out with Fatwa Haram to practise YOGA as a whole. I opt for praying five times a day and sit khyusuk and do zikrullah. My mind , body and soul will be very strong and healthy.

Comments
sheikhkl : I would be traumatised if you were to even wish me Happy Valentine's Day, let alone sending me flowers :)

I think people who merely greet their loved ones with "I Love YOU"s the whole year through are more sincere than any chocolates or flowers or diamond rings can be ( haha .. I guess I'm too poor to afford all these so I'm being sour grapes .. kekeke ). Valentine's Day is over-commercialised these days and I think St Valentine himself is turning in his grave knowing what a mockery a celebration in his name has turned out to be.

Anyway, I think I have all the Valentine wishes I needed for this year - from my mom, my sister, my ex-gf and a banker :)

But I do hope everyone else had a great Valentine's Day nonetheless :)
By miniaturz, 15-Feb-2009

so? do u think i care?
By benjy8769, 15-Feb-2009

Thanks Sheikhkl, we have been misunderstood of what your kind are professing, you truely deserved an alternative lifestyle of your own. However, I hope the same is practise by the children of the past and present political top brass who messed up the educational system of Malaysia but quietly sent their children to study overseas, I hope they accept the truth that you believed in because like their parents they seem to live their life by telling lies and supported by a diehard like you who willing to accept their lie of them being the factors of stability and others are all devilish. Now I smell the same propagandas of our colonial master.
By tommcruise, 15-Feb-2009 benjy

You wrote, you cared
By matricx, 15-Feb-2009

Benjo.... benjo If you dont care why you write comment. You care to comment la that yu dont care.

To my dear mini, all along i thought u are one who wear 'mini' skirt , drive a 'mini' minor, have a 'minnie mouse' doll at home . but when you wrote 'ex-gf'.. wow.... St Valentine would turn upside down in his grave if i wish u Happy Valentine Day... even I didnt celebrate the V day.

So, to benjo... i dont care if u dont care if i care... this not for u.
By sheikhkl, 15-Feb-2009

But I think it is ok for everyone (including Muslims) to celebrate this special day with someone they loved, be it his wife/ husband or mom/dad. I don't think anyone in this world take Valnetine's Day as a religious worship day anyway.

Of course I agree that, we should show love and affection to our loved ones everyday and not on this single day of the year itself. But, living in a hectic live where people are too busy with their career climbing agenda, it's really hard to find quality time. When 14th Feb every year was coined to be a special day for a showcase of love and affection, why not? This is where and when both side of the couple will spend real quality time together and cherish the special day.
By ahtow, 15-Feb-2009

Your last sentence is very sriking! "I opt for praying five times a day and sit khyusuk and do zikrullah. My mind, body and soul will be very strong and healthy".

Don't say your mind, body and soul will be very strong and healthy. You pray five times a day, sit khyusuk and do zikrullah everyday, and, I hope, you are very strong and healthy. You should be, don't you? Will be is not certain, sometimes, it is not going to be!
By milbil, 15-Feb-2009

So Muslims who celebrate Valentine Day and practice Yoga are weak in the mind? Is that what you're implying?
By chewkc65, 15-Feb-2009

Yoga cannot practice. Valentine's Day cannot celebrate. But bomoh can consult?
By klyong2502, 16-Feb-2009

Mr Chew, if a Muslim celebrate Valentine day and practice 'Yoga with chants of mantra', I believe they did that because they dont know thats haram in Islam. Its not like drinking alcohol or adultery, which all Muslim know its haram. This is still new for some. Still , some Muslims drinks. But in Islam , if our fellow muslims dont know , we must tell them. thats what we called fatwa. If they still insist of doing it, well thats another chapter. You can come to my sermon at the Masjid Negara every friday at 5am and I will xplain.
But dont putarbelit my words ok. I didnt say whoever practice Yoga and celebrate valentine are weak in mind. But for Muslims to do that, its not about weak mind, but its about doing something against your faith.

Put it this way. Its ok and very good for our health to practice the movement or exercise of Yoga excl the chants ( for muslims). You can call it Yoga, Toga, Boga, Soga or even BOTA. Its ok.

We can also make 14th February a day to celebrate with you wife or lover or concubines as a ' Hari Kasih Sayang' or Love Day . Just like we celebrate 31st August Merdeka day. or was it 16 September?? But we cant celebrate St Valentine's Day.

And to my friend 'milbil', thanks for pointing out my mistake. My faith is strong. There are ways to define will be. I thought 'will' means 'surely'.

To dearest tommcruise, tell u that Nicole kidman is much much prettier and sexier than that skinny who's her name... larry holmes..eeekkkk wrong.... Katie holmes right.
By sheikhkl, 16-Feb-2009

Well, that's what we need. A group who think they were given the authority by God to single out what is right and what is wrong and all that stupid people without brains follow blindly. Thanks to people like sheikhkl, these blindfolding groups will prevail.

Good luck to you, sheikh!
By carlitoz, 16-Feb-2009

syeikhkl, Islamic Law is Islam. You cannot separate Islamic Law from Islam.
By soondar, 16-Feb-2009

Haram because bad for 'health', right? then should have a fatwa to stop smoking... bad for your health and also very bad for non-smokers...
By darkblues, 16-Feb-2009

It is a shame that religious and cultural practices have been violated and commercialised to the extent that they lose all their meaning. It is becoming fashionable now to spend hundreds buying a big bunch of roses and chocolates, erect posters and all sots of gimmics to declare one's love for their mate.

Such open declaration of one's love in public may be the norm in western countries but it is certainly not an Asian or Malaysian culture. Many will say that Malaysians are cold and do not know how to show love to their spouses compared to the westerners who shower them with sweet and intimate talk all the time. But the irony is that the divorce rate of these westerners are very much higher. Something must be right about old fashioned love in the heart and genuine care and concern for one another - minus the roses and chocolates. Anyway, everyone has the right to do whatever they feel suits them. Happy belated Valentine.
By ngguanhuah, 16-Feb-2009

Hello Sheikhkl, if this the way of life you want, so be it.
Look around you, a seed is growing to become a tree, everything is moving forward, growing, expanding. Tell me which is going backward?
By soh6299, 16-Feb-2009

"praying five times a day and sit khyusuk and do zikrullah. My mind , body and soul will be very strong and healthy."

I'm surprised with they way your posting "behaves" especially after doing all the things that you have mentioned above. By the way, don’t waste your time explaining about AUM as you know nuts about it. Go and study about your religion first and try to understand that first because the problem with your kind of people is that, you don’t have your own brains to think and justify the reality of life as humans, the difference between mankind and religion. I believe the Prophet himself doesn’t behave like you people and therefore, look back into the things that he has done during his time as your guide and take him as your “GURU”. Nowadays it’s funny that the believers had to be advised by some human clerics when the Quran itself has been referred as total and complete guide to mankind in order to survive in both material and spiritual world. Go and get a life man, by the way I think your sermons are good enough for people with your kind of mentality and therefore stop wasting your time inviting others to join in. When you talk about religion, think first if you really deserve to have one as a human.
By super_structure, 16-Feb-2009

Valentine's day is comercialized money making day. Does by giving gifts really show the love for partner? My parents havent been giving gifts for a very long time but still they love each other. Better think twice before you spend your money. But then again, for my dearest Muslim friends, its your choice on how to live your life because at the end of the day all your practises will be judge accordingly.
By e11e, 16-Feb-2009

It's really up to that couple of they want to celebrate Valentine's in style or treat it as just another ordinary day. To look at it in a more positive way, it's a lot better to show some love even if it's sickly sweet, even if it's commercialized like every other "special days", and that includes Christmas, the Eid, Diwali, CNY, Yom Kippur and etc (and yes they are all commercialized now, okay... get over it already!)... but look, at least it's a lot better than chucking bombs at fellow mankind or shouting racist propaganda.

There's no need to get all superior with your holier-than-thou because that's what this post is really about, isn't it? To blow your own trumpet and suffocate us with your condescending attitude. Very cavalier of you, I'm sure.

I guess I can take the hint and go off and do my own things that by your standards is not Islamic enough. But you know what? It makes me happy and it doesn't hurt other people or annoy them.

So you get your martyred butt out of here and go preach to someone else who may actually give a damn. Someone who might actually worship you and kiss your feet that are too good for the lowly us, o' you saintly one.
By monadc, 16-Feb-2009

religion is just a guidance to our life, but our brain is smart enough to differentiate what is relevant to believe and what is not. Unless you have a disfunctional brain.
By huimyn, 16-Feb-2009

Hey SheikhKL...I, just like darkblues, am very interested to know about why smoking is not Haram by the fatwa. I have actually post this question to my Muslim friends before, and the answer I got is "the effects from smoking is much slower than alcohol"...but my question is, it is still detrimental right? not only to yourself, but worse still to other especially non-smokers (as opposed to alcohol).

I would appreciate your feedback on this as I see that you seem to have an answer for most of the things in the world.

Also I am with super_structure. You have NO idea what AUM is all about. Merely copy-ing and pasting from the internet doesnt make it right my friend.

Cheers
By meesu, 16-Feb-2009

whether one likes this blog or the ensuing comments, this is nevertheless an interesting interchange of beliefs and knowledge. It is good that this topic perhaps is not discussed in public, otherwise, some may have to be invited for RM2 per day free meals with the Home Minister.
By heavearth, 16-Feb-2009

My post reads Why I did not celebrate Valentine's Day and did not practice Yoga. I wrote this because some question me when I wrote , " sorry , I didnt celebrate Valentine's Day". I think maybe most of you want to belittle my believe. Thats way I have to abide by it. And consulting to Bomoh is Syirik, most sinful act in Islam. So we cannot consult to Bomoh.

And i really think you are blind hearted and wordblind mr super, read the post again. Its says, Why I, me , sheikh, .... Not you or your kind.
I said again, why I.... and to my faith , not you or other people. I wrote this because people ask me here.
And if you says what i wrote about Aum is nuts , you should tell that to Swami Dayanand Saraswati whom i learned from.
I didnt invite others , I only invite chew. And that was only a mere say. I didnt do sermon. Infact , i m not even in Malaysia now.
So , dont be too emotional when I wrote there that I can't do what you always do according to your believe. Like Yoga. I didnt say Yoga is Wrong, not healthy or stupid. I say that according to Islam, I cannot do Yoga as I had explained up there.
Everyone has the right to do or dont do. And for you also to say that i have to "look back into the things that he ( the Prophet Muhamad S.A.W. ) has done during his time as my guide.
By sheikhkl, 16-Feb-2009

Pls respond to my question on smoking. I need to understand your belief too.
By meesu, 16-Feb-2009

sheikhkl,

I quote your words below:

"So, thats why they came out with Fatwa Haram to practise YOGA as a whole."

Who are "they" . The fatwa council? You believe them? They had to find out about this after how many decades? What were they doing till then?

All muslims don't need to be told what is halal and haram. They know it because they have brains and are not fanatic.

We respect your religion, you respect ours. Call it fair and don't have to voice out in public that what is our believe is haram for you. Seal it for now sheikhkl. Better talk political issues. You sound better protecting BN.
By carlitoz, 16-Feb-2009

I thought the RM2 free 'like dog meals' per day hv been upgrade to RM3.50 since Ms Kok complained.

1. Hevea, Since you say that i have no idea what AUM is all about, I m sorry, maybe i m wrong, maybe the Majlis fatwa is also wrong , we are humans. BUT i just need u to tell me what i wrote and learned about AUM is wrong up there.

2. I dont have all the answer in the world, I m learning. In regards to Smoking, there is actually already a Fatwa Haram gazetted by JAIS ( Selangor) already. The majority of Ulama ( Islamic Body and Scholars) have put it as MAKRUH, not HARAM. Makruh means if you dont do it, you will be rewarded , but if you do it, its not a sin but its a despicable act. We have 4 'hukum'. Wajib, Sunah, Makruh and haram. Wajib must do, dont do sinful, like Pray 5 times daily. Sunah if do get rewarded ( pahala), dont do its ok, like help super if he fall into the river. makruh if we do not sinful but its not good, very bad, if dont do get rewarded. Haram you cannot do, its sinful. Period!. Thats my faith. never question yours.
I dont agree wth your friend when he say that smoking is not haram because effects is much slower that alcohol. Thats two different cases already. Alcohol is haram not because the effect is faster than Smoking. Its haram ( very long story). As for smoking , it has to be studied again and again whats the status of 'BAD' we are talking here. The fatwa cannot be put on something that the Majlis and people still debating. Until they are satisfied that its 100% Haram, then they will give the verdict. If its just easy to give a fatwa, then, driving above 110km/hr will be Fatwa haram as is more dangerous than smoking.
By sheikhkl, 16-Feb-2009

Mr carlitoz, i didnt wrote this out of the blues. my friends in CB as me why i didnt celebrate Valentine's day. Not a word up there says that what is your believe is haram for me. Its was the people who commented WHY IS YOGA HARAM FOR MUSLIMS? all over the paper. even sisters in Islam voice their objections. Why its haram because its not my believes and sinful for me. Its not haram because its your believes. and I do believe them. I do believe that YOGA is very good for health. I respect your faith. Its brilliant. But as beers are also good to get you heated in winter, we cannot do/drink it.

Sorry if anyone felt insulted, but that must be a misunderstanding as i had put there WHY I, AGAIN WHY I DONT CELEBRATE VALENTINES DAY AND DONT PRACTICE YOGA.
By sheikhkl, 16-Feb-2009

Hey guys, Sheikhkl can live the life he wants to live, that is clear! However, the point we try to make here and this represent Malaysian at large, we have no problem for how one wants to live their life but in return we aspect a fair treatment, after all, religious does not disrespect others only cult does.
By tommcruise, 16-Feb-2009

oh...
smoking can do and cannot do... alcohol is really forbidden... strange...

please enlighten me also... in your religion, 20 years ago I understand that Muslim cannot eat pork... but after 20 years, meaning now, Muslims here even forbids me to mention the pig, pork, khinzir word (oh by the way, I am a non Muslim)... is that a fatwa as well???

by the way, you mentioned "Its says, Why I, me , sheikh, .... Not you or your kind.
I said again, why I.... and to my faith , not you or other people.

do I smell something? discriminating maybe?
By darkblues, 16-Feb-2009

First , again I would to apologise if anybody misunderstood me with the post above and are insulted. Maybe if they read again, they wont be.

Smoking...This is a little complex to xplain to u blues. As I m not really well versed to xplain the indepth of the fatwa for smoking, the simplest way is to say that in Islam and the whole universal law, smoking is Not good. Its bad for your health and others around you. But it does no go to the limit thats its sinful, in Islam. OK bro. Someone up there ask why now came out with fatwas?? In Islam, All the do and donts are actually there in Quran and hadiths ( teaching of the Prophet). When there is an issue that need to be adressed, maybe it came in many different names and words before this, the Fatwa ( Decree) is gazetted so to strengthen the Do or Donts to whom that have doubts. The Fatwa is NOT based of what normal human being think if its Halal or haram, but based on Quran and hadith according to our faith.

In regards to pork, We cannot eat pork. Hindus have reason not to eat Beef, we have reason not to eat pork. Mentioning it is far from haram. For your muslim friends maybe its because its in us already that we cant eat pork and even to hear the word pork we dont like.

Blues wrote "by the way, you mentioned "Its says, Why I, me , sheikh, .... Not you or your kind.
I said again, why I.... and to my faith , not you or other people.

I wrote 'your kind' because super mention that i had my kind of people who according to the brilliant guy that my kind Quote"because the problem with your kind of people is that, you don’t have your own brains to think and justify the reality of life as humans, the difference between mankind and religion."
You see, thats what he thinks right but at the same time he belittle other religion. I dont take any hard feeling as I c him as naive. Discriminating?? dont think so. I m not in Power here to discriminate.
By sheikhkl, 16-Feb-2009

I said "your kind" because if you would have been a religious and pious, you wouldn’t be talking like this because it sounds that you are so “taksub”. Even the Prophet did mention that all living beings on this planet are the servants of ALLAH which I don’t dispute and therefore everyone should be understood and respected just like fellow Muslims regardless from which faith they are or whatever their racial background could be.

When the Prophet preached about fairness and equality, it was known that he is a teacher and many liked his ideas and teachings and followed them. But do you think the Government is being fair and equal towards everyone? Yet they propagate that the nation is being administered in a fair Islamic manner but many out there do not think that way. I don’t belittle your religion because it’s the followers who are having problem getting along with the times or being contemporary in today’s world. While I might not be a Muslim, I still believe that the holy book is “complete and total” and therefore we don’t need plain humans to decide the fate of the followers based on their individual ideas and thinking because the outcome will be a person like you.
By super_structure, 16-Feb-2009

smoking tarred cigarettes eventually kills the smoker. also it is money spent wastefully because the only inspiration smokers get from smoking is to smoke some more. no need to wait for other people to haram smoking.

syeikhkl, making them understand Islam is not the work of ordinary men so don't waste your time. they are just making fun of your explanations.
By soondar, 16-Feb-2009

Actually smoking is deemed "makhrukh" in Islam - permissible but frowned upon by God because of its detrimental property. I remember this from my religious class from school. The ustazah who taught me was one cool lady.

Was that answer satisfactory enough for you lot?

I'm just surprised that sheikhkl or soondar couldn't explain that well.
By monadc, 16-Feb-2009

Thanks sheikh for the explaination
By jayzeg, 17-Feb-2009

No offense my fellow Muslim friends. Talking so much about fatwa, i just have a simple question. Is there any regulation on issue of fatwa(s)? Assumingly, if a Muslim leader issues a fatwa calling for the death of a person, should Muslims abide blindly? In this case, i refer to Salman Rushdie. It is a real and living situation. So if one day the worst happens when a fatwa is issued against non-Muslims, then what will happen? Genuine concern and looking for an intelligent respond.
By klyong2502, 17-Feb-2009

monadc, first, you probably would know that muslims are required in The Holy Revelations to refrain from discussing evil habits in an open forum such as this. That said, it is sufficient to say that smoking cigarettes is evil because it kills and it is wasteful.

Second, you probably would know that Islam not only teaches us the meanings of those terminologies which you so arrogantly accuse other muslims of not knowing (God forbid such misconduct), Islam also teaches muslims to enjoin good and forbid sin. You probably would also know that Islam certainly DOES NOT teach muslims to adhere to some parts of The Holy Revelations and expediently neglect the others.

Lastly, be reminded that muslims remind each other. Muslims do not ridicule each other.
By soondar, 17-Feb-2009

Excuse me? I was being arrogant? I was not the one who was patronizing the other members of this forum, my dear kind sir. I was not the one who superfluously air out my superior views and holier-than-thou attitude. I was not the one who said I am better than thou so and so.

Where does it say that we are refrained from discussing evil habits in open forums? Fellow people are keen to know why certain things are deemed impermissible in our religion. I try my best to answer. I did not mislead any of them, have I? Have I told any lies about Islam?

I'm surprised at you. Seeking and offering knowledge is also part and parcel of the jihad that is encouraged in Islam.

I was not the one who ridiculed my fellow Muslims. I question and I am just being critical. I am not the one who was being judgmental of whom I deem the better/lesser Muslim.

Have I ever come across offensive? Perhaps my sarcasm and "dry-wit" may have missed the mark on occasion, but I am pretty sure that I've managed to be civil so far.

Touchy touchy.
By monadc, 17-Feb-2009

klyong2502, muslims welcome anyone who wants to trade with them, just like the Chinese businessmen from China are doing in the Islamic countries in the African Continent. The Chinese businessmen go there, they do their business, they go home. They do not question or ridicule the ideology of the muslims there. Bottom line - trade only, no need to interfere with Islam.

If all non-muslims can conduct themselves like the Chinese businessmen from China do, then there is no need for any type of decree.

Understand that Sir (courtesy of Tony Blair) Salman Rusdie is one who has continuously ridiculed The Holy Revelations, hence the decree from the Islamic Council of Iran (not from one muslim leader as you said).

If the West and its allies can categorize Malika el Aroud as a terrorist (even though she has never launched an armed attack anywhere in the world), why can't the Islamic Council of Iran declare Salman Rushdie an enemy of Islam for writing book after book ridiculing The Holy Revelations?
By soondar, 17-Feb-2009

monadc....Thats a good piece! At least something moderate that i could appreciate...Wonder how many are there like u out there? :)
By super_structure, 17-Feb-2009

Bottom line is this: You'd have to be living under a rock for decades to not know that smoking is bad for your body, not to mention that it makes you smelly, it costs money and it can harm those who aren't smoking. We have but the one body, given IN TRUST to us by God. Do you really need a fatwa to know that you should not smoke? Are we going to live only by what JAKIM puts out, or are we going to use our common sense and strong will to keep ourselves healthy and our loved ones safe?

God requires us to be healthy. He has given us guidelines... take care of ourselves, don't ingest anything intoxicating or potentially dangerous. That would then cover anything that is damaging to our health and others.

We need to start living by principles and not the little details.
By staceyb, 17-Feb-2009

Fatwa were pronounced by distinguished scholars to provide guidance to other scholars, judges and citizens on how subtle points of Islamic law should be understood, interpreted or applied. There were strict rules on who is eligible to issue a valid fatwa and who could not, as well as on the conditions the fatwa must satisfy to be valid.

1. The fatwa is in line with relevant legal proofs, deduced from Qur'anic verses and ahadith; provided the hadith was not later abrogated by Muhammad.
2. It is issued by a person (or a board) having due knowledge and sincerity of heart;
3. It is free from individual opportunism, and not depending on political servitude;
4. It is adequate with the needs of the contemporary world.

Fatwa is to eliminate any ambiguity as people can have different understanding from one sentence. Furthermore Quran and Hadith are originally in arabic, so fully understanding of arabic is required.

In Malaysia,Fatwa is issued by board of scholars called Majlis Fatwa. And the states have their own board too.

Smoking was pronounced 'makruh' as it was seen as wasteful and not productive. But recent scholars, and Majlis Fatwa pronounced it Haram because it is now confirmed to be hazardous to your health (But to my knowledge,only KL gazetted it).

Since smoking (yoga, and valentine's day) is not specifically mentioned in Quran and Hadith, Fatwa is needed to eliminate any ambiguity of its practice.

As for relationship between Muslim and non-Muslims, there are a lot of Hadith on this. But the problem is that it is not included in the formal religious teaching syllabus in Malaysia, thus not many Muslims in Malaysia really knows about it, plus the propaganda of divide and conquer, most people have misconception.
By zulshah1, 17-Feb-2009

monadc, Q.S.4:148 and related literature from the Keeper of the Two Mosques.
By soondar, 17-Feb-2009

Reading all the comments, I am indeed impressed that such a "sensitive" topic can be debated by both Muslims and non-Muslims in such a rational manner without offending one another. This proves that freedom to express ones' views is very much alive and such discussions and sharing should be encouraged. I myself have learnt quite a bit about haram-halal and fatwah and this knowledge would certainly help prevent me from offending my Muslim brethen as I understand their religion more.

Our church had a forum a few months ago whereby Muslim religious gave talks to our Catholic parishioners. The atmosphere was relaxing and all parties were very comfortable with one another. I am all for such inter-religious dialogs so that we can understand each others' religions - this I believe will lead to more respect for one another.
By ngguanhuah, 17-Feb-2009

Soondar, thanks.

You know, in all fairness, I think it's admirable that both you and sheikhkl go all out professing your love for your faith. You and I may not agree on many things, but yeah.
By monadc, 17-Feb-2009

ngguanhuah, I think in return the church must organize a forum in one of the mosques, and the i can assure you will end up having your meal in Kamunting.....
By super_structure, 17-Feb-2009

super_structure : haha .. good point you have there! LOL
By miniaturz, 17-Feb-2009

when one person starts to say 'your kind' and 'my kind'... isnt that already a discrimination of different kind? =)
By darkblues, 18-Feb-2009

Basically in short, Valentines is just another one of those commercial gimmick to make quick buck....

You dont need a special day to celebrate love....

Love is the basic in any relationship...it should be celebrated and uttered everyday....

And regarding religion...well every religion has its own underlying principles on who they view human and god.

Therefore, the practise of religion is ones own interests and right.

Dont bring something that is personal to public...

If you practise religion than be with it and do what it says. DOnt by a hypocrate....

If you dot practise religion so be it.

I respect both regardless what you practise....

Be a good samaritan first before you think you belong to a particular regligion
By SuaraRakyat, 23-Feb-2009