Beg to Differ from Dr. Syed Tawfik Ali Al-Attas

By Mohammad Radzwill bin Abdullah

I never missed Dr. Syed Tawfik Ali Al-Attas (the Director General of Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia) writings in Mingguan Malaysia. I regard him as the most prominent Islamic Scholar in Malaysia.However his recent composition on the word of ALLAH is a little bit of track from the academic point of view. I believe most of us especially Malaysian Muslim didn’t know the history and culture of this Middle East religion and other religions that born at that place. And most of us never take Prophet Muhammad as a human being who led a community that was once widely corrupted and make it into an organised loving and critical thinking community.

There are 3 known religion nowadays that were born in Middle East; Judaism, Christian and Islam. And these 3 religions bearing some similar elements, which is been revealed in Aramaic language to the Semitic people.

And as we know the most basic thing about religion is regarding the Supreme Being a.k.a. God. And what most extraordinary about this Semitic religions is about the nameless God.

To know who ALLAH is or who is GOD, we need to study the origin and culture of Arabs and Arabic, Jews and Hebrews. This is because they are inter-related very closely.

Firstly we must agree that Arabs and Jews (Middle Eastern people) are related (from the Prophet Abraham) and their language (Arabic and Hebrews) came from the same root which is Aramaic. They bear the same resemblance, they have the same skin, they circumcised, the woman wear clad, they have call of prayer, they wash before pray, they praise people when meet and so on and so forth.

Secondly as I said above as they are the same, their language and their culture are the same. Same goes of their recognition for God. And we must know that it is not their culture (Middle Eastern people) of branding and name calling. They just interested to know what is about or what is it used for.

This shown in Ex 3:13-22 (Hebrews’ Bible); Moses is not asking “what should I call you;” rather, he is asking “who are you; what are you like; what have you done.” That is clear from God’s response. God replies that He is eternal, that He is the God of our ancestors, that He has seen our affliction and will redeem us from bondage.

Same goes to Islam, we know God (ALLAH) from his explanation of his characteristics (99 names of Asma ul Husna). God explain that he is The Gracious (noun; Arabic: Al-Rahman), The Merciful (noun; Arabic: Al-Rahim), The Living (noun; Arabic: Al-Hayyu), The Self-Subsisting, Eternal (noun; Arabic: Al-Qayyum).

The root word is a verb with an additional prefix of ‘Al-‘ to become noun. And if you realised the word ALLAH is not part and parcel of Asma ul Husna because it does not contain any characteristic in it.

Come back to Judaism’s naming of GOD before I touch on ALLAH. In Judaism, their scholars also have difficulties in explaining the name of GOD outside the Jewish communities. This is because people outside the Middle Eastern continent want to know what the name of Jewish God.

3 most words appear in Hebrew’s Bible when referring to God: –

AHYH (Alif, Ha, Ya, Ha) = I will be, I am

Elohim (Alif, Lam, Ha, Mim) = God

YHWH (Ya, Ha, Waw, Ha) = Lord

The usage is like this: –

Ohh my YHWH, Elohim the one and only = Oh my Lord, God the one and only.

Elohim means GOD (just like that), in English speaking countries they will translate to the word ‘God’, in Arabs speaking countries they will translate to the word ‘Allah’ and to Malay speaking countries, it should be ‘Sang Tuhan’.

And this resembles to Arabic words for God: –

ALLAH (Alif, Lam, Lam, Ha with a ‘sabdu’ and Alif sign on top) = The God

Rabb (Ro, Ba) = Master, Lord

The word ALLAH originally come from the alphabet ‘Alif’, ‘Lam’, ‘Alif’, ‘Lam’, ‘Ha’ (AL – ALH). Alif, Lam (AL) is a prefix for ‘The’. Example Al-Madrasah (The school) or Al-Jazeerah (The Island).

Alif, Lam, Ha (pronounce as ILAH) means GOD. So the word Alif, Lam, Alif, Lam, Ha means The God.

Evidence – Look at live telecast of Terawikh prayer from the Masjidil Haram Mekah. The English translation for ALLAH is GOD. They didn’t remain it as ALLAH but they changed it to GOD. The English translation was prepared by the Mosque itself.

The writing of ALLAH was originally written as AL ILAH then changed to ALLAH with a ‘sabdu and alif’ sign on top.

So originally the phrase of shahadah was wrote “La ILAH ha illa AL ILAH” though the pronunciation is still “La ILAH ha illa ALLAH”. Only a couple of years after the death of Muhammad they change the writing into “LA ILAH ha illa ALLAH” to accommodate non-Arabic people to easily read the BOOK (Quran).

To answer whether is ALLAH is owned by Muslim only, as whether ELOHIM owned by Judaism only. The answer is no, it is owned by the Middle Eastern people. When the religion has spread outside the Middle East continent, they have to use their own language such as GOD (for English) or Tuhan (for Malay).

And there is also a misleading statement by Dr. Syed Alwi on Jesus as God. I believe Christian has stated clearly that only LORD is the GOD. We can get it from the 1st Christian’s commandments: –

‘Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

On the issue of Trinity, none of us can explain it very well including the Vatican people.

The 2nd misstatement by Dr. Syed is on the phrase “There is no ALLAH but ALLAH”, there is no such phrase, as the correct phrase should be “No ILAH except ALLAH”. The English translation is “No God except The God”, for Malay language we can translate into “Tiada Tuhan melainkan Si Tuhan” or “Tiada Tuhan melainkan Sang Tuhan” or just “Tiada Tuhan melainkan Tuhan”.

To answer whether is there any Proper Noun for GOD in Semitic religions?
The answer is no. The Semitic religions named God as The God.

To answer who have been using the word ALLAH besides Islam?
The answer is everyone who speaks Arabic regardless his/her religion. Sikh also uses the word ALLAH in his scriptures.

To answer whether the word Syurga and Neraka is originally from Islam or Arabs?
The answer is no. Syurga and Neraka originally from Sanskrit word; Svargah and Narakah that is found in Hindu Scripture. Quran use the word Jannah and Jahannam.

To answer whether the Malaysian Christians should used the world ALLAH, BAITULLAH and SOLAT?
The answer is no. Even the Malaysian Muslim should use proper Malay Language that is Tuhan, Rumah Tuhan and sembahyang.

Conclusion

Since Islam or Christian came from Middle East. We must learn the Middle East language and culture. We must know how to differentiate between Muhammad’s Moral Teaching and the Middle East culture. Not everything that sounds Arabs is Islam.

1105 040108 Seasons’ Greetings

This should be my 1st entry or it should be my 2nd entry (my 1st was suppose to be about  Christmas). However since I start wordpressing quite late, and the issue of GOD is more urgent and need more attention, this has become my second entry.

 The last holiday season was the best ever. I took leave from Hari Raya Haji till New Year, that would constitute around 13 days (nearly 2 weeks). I celebrated Raya Haji at Kampung (hometown). And came back on Sunday for not to miss the Christmas celebration in KL.

Yes Christmas this year was joyful than ever. I hear again all the Christmas Carols that have been missed for a long while. The “Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la, la-la-la-la “, or the song “Santa Claus is coming to town” or “Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle all the way”, when I walked down the Bukit Bintang Road from Lot Ten to Starhill to Pavilion.

 I remember when I was a small kid. All those christmas songs were aired in the national television and I can sang along. And on the Christmas day my family will go to one of our neighbour house down the Sukiman Sahlan Street (Lian Seng Garden, Kluang, Johore) for lunch. They are Portugese, they will made an open house every year and all the nearby neighbourhood will get together on Christmas day.

Christian are not an alien to me, my mother tought me the English name for the angels, such as Gabriel, Micheal, Raphael; the English name for the prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isac, Ishmael, Jesus, David, Jacob and so on. She even tought me that the Christian’s world are devided into Catholics and Protestants.

My primary school which is Sekolah Tunku Mahmood 1 was the most pluralise primary school in Kluang. Half of the pupil in my class  were non-muslim. I remember one day my friend Jennifer Sebastian gave me a bible. I read a couple of line talking about love to God and love to neighbour (it is their 2 greatest commandments).

We mixed around, talk about everything and laugh on everything IN BAHASA MALAYSIA. At that time non-malay can converse in BAHASA MALAYSIA very well in Malay slang. 

That was before…. 😦 things change, environment change, people change. I went to boarding school, our family moved out from the neighbourhood. Now, my Chinese friends have become more Chinese, my Indian friends have become more Indian and my family has become more like Arabs people. The old Malay liberal tradition has gone.

🙂 New Year’s Eve was not been ignored just like that. My friends and I celebrate from 11pm till dawn. We jump from one party to another party. We countdown at Darby Park, then went clubbing and end at private function Chilling Party.

Of all that happened and happening around us, I still love the old tradition song; Auld Lang Syne…..

Auld Lang Syne

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
And surely I’ll buy mine !
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine^† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

1011 040108 ALLAH Tuhan Sekalian Manusia

Badanku sakit-sakit hari ini beserta bangun dengan agak lambat. Semalam adalah hari kedua aku menjalankan Personal Training (“PT”) dengan trainer aku. PT akan memastikan aku fit dan mempunyai potongan badan yang menarik. Yang berlainan di dalam program latihan (training) ini, adalah adanya sesi kickboxing. Aku telah pelajari jab, hook, dan look-up (teknik-tenik bertumbuk).

 Akhirnya aku berjaya juga membuat wordpress. Ianya agak berlainan dengan blogspot. Mungkin aku masih baru dalam wordpress lalu tidak mengetahui potensi sebenar wordpress ini.

 Pagi ini aku diberitakan dengan khabar sedih. Kabinet Barisan Nasional Kerajaan Malaysia yang dipimpin oleh Perdana Menteri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi telah mengumumkan bahawa perkataan ALLAH hanya untuk Muslim.

 Aku yang pernah bersekolah di sekolah MAAHAD dan mempelajari bahasa Arab terkejut dengan pengumuman tersebut. Ini kerana perkataan ALLAH adalah bahasa Arab untuk Tuhan (God dalam bahasa Inggeris). Kita dapat lihat, apa jua agama, anutan orang-orang Arab, tetap menggunakan perkataan ALLAH bagi Tuhan mereka.

Sila lihat tulisan saya mengenai asal-usul perkataan ALLAH di fail berikut: –

Asal Usul Perkataan ALLAH

Quran didalam bahasa Inggeris menggunakan perkataan GOD bagi ALLAH. Ini disahkan sendiri oleh Masjidil Haram Mekah. Kita dapat lihat apabila kita mengikuti siaran langsung sembahyang terawikh Masjidil Haram Mekah di TV1 dan TV9. Di bahagian bawah TV ditunjukkan alih bahasa ke Inggeris. Mereka menggunakan perkataan GOD bukanlah ALLAH. Contohnya bagi ALLAH HU AKBAR mereka mengalih bahasakan kepada GOD IS GREAT iaitu TUHAN MAHA BESAR bukanlah ALLAH is Great.

Hanya apabila ISLAM sampai ke tanah Melayu, orang-orang Melayu zaman dahulu tidak mengalih bahasakan dengan sempurna. Seharusnya mereka mengalih bahasakan perkataan ALLAH kepada TUHAN. Dan seharusnya apabila kita membuka al-Quran versi bahasa Malaysia, ayat pertama yang kita lihat adalah:

Dengan nama Tuhan yang Pemurah lagi Penyayang.

Kita harus juga mengetahui apabila kita ‘memilik hartakan’ perkataan ALLAH, penganut Hindu juga boleh ‘memilik hartakan’ perkataan SYURGA dan NERAKA. Ini kerana perkataan SYURGA dan NERAKA adalah bahasa SANSKRIT yang diguna pakai dalam KITAB SUCI HINDU. Bahasa Arab untuk konsep Syurga dan Neraka adalah JANNAH dan JAHANNAM.

Namun kita, bangsa Melayu yang berbahasa Melayu yang dulunya majoritinya beragama HINDU telah meMELAYUkan perkataan SVARGAH dan NARAKAH kerana konsep itu tidak wujud sebelum kedatangan HINDU di bumi Melayu. Apabila Islam menyerap masuk dalam budaya orang Melayu, kita masih menggunakan perkataan Syurga dan Neraka kerana konsepnya sama dengan JANNAH dan JAHANNAM.

Namun, tidak harus kita menggunakan perkataan ALLAH bagi konsep TUHAN kerana kita telah mempunyai perkataan Melayu kita sendiri iaitu TUHAN. Sila baca tulisan Arif Atan (Jabatan Pengajian Melayu, Universiti Malaya) mengenai asal-usul perkataan.

MELAYU TERKELIRU

Seharusnya Kristian, Muslim atau apa jua kepercayaan di tanah Malaysia ini menggunakan bahasa kebangsaan (Bahasa Malaysia) kita sepenuhnya iaitu menggunakan perkataan TUHAN bagi Tuhan.

 Allah adalah Tuhan sekalian manusia, bukan hanya Tuhan orang-orang Islam sahaja.

Ma rabbuka = Siapakah Tuanmu?

ALLAHhu Rabbi, ALLAHhu Ahad, ALLAHhu fatharas samawati wal ard =

 Tuhan Tuanku, Tuhan yang Satu, Tuhan pencipta langit dan bumi.