ARS Newsletter | Issue 37

ISSUE 37

ISSUE 37 IN THIS ISSUE Dearest Asatizah, Summary of fatwa on tudung for Muslim women in uniformed groups

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullah wa barakatuh,

~ Bersamamu turns two

~ Perubahan kriteria MABIMS bagi penentuan awal bulan

~ Book Review The four models from the Prophetic guidance on

Over the past few years, Muis has held various engagements with the Muslim community on the issue of tudung. I have personally spoken with many asatizah and consulted them. A shared sentiment is that there seemed to be a lack of clarity on how to guide the community to navigate this issue, and more importantly, what is the religious guidance for the officers who are unable to fulfil some religious needs at work.

coexistence with others

~ Kod etika asatizah

CONTENT ARS Office

For the officers involved, this can be a very complex personal dilemma. At heart is the issue of how Muslims can practice their faith and make adjustments as permitted by the faith where appropriate and necessary. Where there is a lack of guidance, some may feel that their faith is compromised. This could even lead to the blaming and guilting of Muslims for choosing jobs or placing themselves in situations where their faith cannot be fully practised.

ARS Secretariat Office of Mufti

GUEST WRITER Ustaz Firdaus Yahya Ustaz Ahmad Syaakir Nor Razak

GRAPHIC Redhaee Azman

EDITOR Ustaz Dr Muhammad Haniff Hassan Ustazah Dr Sukarti Asmoin

Yet, we also know that Islam is a religion full of blessings, mercy and compassion (rahmah). It looks into the circumstances we face, and seeks to facilitate our lives and provides solutions to our challenges. This spirit of Islam is not drawn from rules and laws alone, but from its principles and values. This approach allows us to engage constructively with our social realities and empower us to contribute to the community, society and nation.

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This spirit of Islam is our key guidance in formulating fatwas on complex issues that our community faces. With the feedback from various consultations, the Fatwa Committee has developed the fatwa on the wearing of tudung for healthcare professionals and other uniformed officers in the public service.

The Fatwa Committee and Asatizah play a vital role in guiding the community in matters of our religious life. Although the fatwa is about tudung, at the heart of it is our understanding of Islam in a multi-cultural and plural society like Singapore.

Guiding our community in making the right choices is our shared responsibility and we can all play our part. However, in order to be able to do so in our increasingly complex world, our Asatizah must first have a good grasp and understanding of the circumstances of our lived realities.

It is only with an adequate understanding can Asatizah then effectively apply the maqasid, principles and values from the rich dynamism of our religion to effectively seek for solutions that could address the needs of our community, and to educate them appropriately.

When we fail to educate, we leave them in confusion and lacking in confidence to overcome the challenges today.

Muis and Office of Mufti will continue to support your effort and work to shape the religious life of our community.

Stay well and may you remain blessed always.

Wassalam.

Mufti Dr Nazirudin Nasir

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oleh Mufti Dr Nazirudin Nasir Kita berada dalam era yang kacau dan cepat berubah, di mana tuntutan untuk membuat penyesuaian sering disuarakan. Tanpa penyesuaian, kita mudah tertewas dengan perubahan pesat dan tidak mampu mengatasi cabaran mendatang.

Ramai yang sebenarnya telah menyahut seruan untuk membuat penyesuaian dalam beberapa aspek kehidupan mereka. Sebagai contoh, penggunaan teknologi digital untuk berkomunikasi dan bertemu di alam maya seperti Zoom apabila pandemik melanda.

Namun, masih terdapat keraguan apabila penyesuaian yang diperlukan menyentuh kehidupan keagamaan. Ada yang bertanggapan bahawa membuat penyesuaian adalah tanda kelemahan.

Bagi mereka, ia mencerminkan sikap mudah mengalah dan kurang tegas di dalam mempertahankan tradisi, budaya ataupun pengamalan agama yang sudah lama dilaksanakan.

Ia adalah ideologi yang merbahaya dan membawa kemudaratan tatkala nyawa dan keselamatan umat manusia terancam.

Bahkan, pemikiran sedemikian adalah tanda kelemahan dan ketandusan pemahaman agama yang tidak berpijak di bumi nyata dan dipandu fakta yang jelas.

Di manakah berlakunya kesilapan dan apakah punca kelemahan sedemikian? Saya berpandangan ianya berkait dengan pendidikan dan pemahaman agama yang tidak mengambil pendekatan holistik lagi menyeluruh. Agama bukan hanya berkaitan hukum bagi perbuatan manusia semata-mata.

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Ia mempunyai matlamat dan tujuan yang jauh lebih besar dan penting. Saya merujuk kepada sejarah Islam dan para Nabi dan Rasul dalam memahami sikap dan pendekatan mereka di dalam kehidupan. Ini adalah kerana mereka pelopor pembaruan dan pendukung penyesuaian.

Di dalam bahasa hari ini, mereka bersifat inovatif dan progresif di zaman mereka. Mereka tidak mempertahankan budaya dan gaya kehidupan masyarakat di atas hujah ia telah lama berakar, jika ianya mengancam kehidupan yang aman dan bahagia seperti yang dimaksudkan risalah agama.

Bahkan, mereka sering ditentang oleh masyarakat sendiri kerana membuat pembaharuan seperti menentang kezaliman yang berleluasa, memperjuangkan hak golongan miskin dan lemah, serta mengelakkan kemudaratan yang tersebar luas.

Begitu juga terpampang cara dan pendekatan Nabi Muhammad SAW yang sangat prihatin dengan kesan dan implikasi sesuatu hukum dan amalan ke atas masyarakat.

Bahkan banyak hukum agama yang kita warisi dan amalkan hari ini adalah hasil penyesuaian rapi dan teliti Baginda SAW. Kadangkala, Nabi saw meninggalkan sesuatu amalan, walaupun ia baik, kerana ia boleh menimbulkan kesukaran sekiranya amalan tersebut dijadikan sebagai suatu kewajipan.

Sebagai contoh, Baginda SAW mengelakkan dari menunaikan solat tarawih dengan berjemaah kerana khuatir ia diwajibkan ke atas umatnya. Begitu juga Baginda SAW akur dengan kelebihan bersiwak (membersihkan gigi dan mulut) tetapi tidak menjadikannya satu kewajipan sebelum setiap solat kerana ia akan membebankan umatnya. Tanggungjawab kita adalah untuk mengikut panduan Nabi Muhammad SAW, bukan mendatangkan risalah yang baru.

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Kita diamanahkan untuk memelihara agama dan menterjemahkan ajarannya dengan sebaik dan setepat mungkin, agar maksud dan tujuan asal pengamalan agama dapat dicapai. Oleh kerana itu, kita perlukan pelbagai alat yang dapat membantu kita menghadapi situasi kehidupan yang amat rumit dan rencam. Ini agar kita mencapai dengan tepat apa yang dihasratkan.

Sebarang bentuk penyesuaian memerlukan prinsip-prinsip dan nilai-nilai yang tertentu, kerana ia tidak seharusnya dilaksanakan hanya untuk mengikut arus perubahan semata-mata. Walaupun ajaran agama sememangnya telah jelas lagi nyata, ulama silam tetap berusaha untuk meneliti semua hukum-hukum agama demi memahami apakah maksud dan matlamat syariat yang sebenar. Mereka memikirkan sama ada syariat ini memerintah dan melarang hanya untuk menguji dan menilai siapa yang taat dan siapa yang ingkar, ataupun terdapat sebab dan matlamat besar yang ingin dicapai untuk kebaikan manusia itu sendiri?

Perbincangan ini amat panjang, namun dapat diringkaskan bahawa syariat Islam bertujuan mencapai keadilan, rahmat, kebaikan dan kebijaksanaan.

Hukum dan amalan agama bertujuan mencapai matlamat sedemikian.

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Ulama seperti Syatibi dan Ibn Qayyim membincangkan matlamat syariat ini agar agama dapat terus mekar dan berkembang dalam setiap suasana dan keadaan. Ini menjadi dasar bagi memikirkan situasi-situasi mendatang dan membantu kita mencari huraian yang sesuai. Malah, matlamat ini merupakan satu bentuk sandaran bagi penyesuaian yang perlu kita laksanakan.

Ini berbeza dengan polar pemikiran bahawa agama itu sangat tegar dan sukar, serta menolak sebarang penyesuaian ketika menghadapi situasi yang baru, dengan hujah bahawa agama sudah jelas dan sempurna. Sedangkan kejelasan dan kesempurnaan agama terletak pada kesyumulan prinsip, nilai, matlamat dan hukum yang tidak patut dipisahkan kerana setiap daripadanya amat bergantung pada satu sama lain.

Kekhuatiran dan keraguan tentang penyesuaian timbul apabila kita gagal memerhatikan hubungan rapat di antara semua aspek agama dan kehidupan.

Ibarat kenderaan yang membantu kita mendaki gunung, jika rosak satu bahagian kerana tumpuan kita hanya pada bahagian lain, bukan sahaja gunung gagal dijelajahi, tetapi kita tergelincir dan jatuh membahayakan diri dan orang lain.

Saya ingin mengajak masyarakat Islam Singapura untuk sama-sama memahami keindahan agama dengan pandangan yang menyeluruh, meneliti matlamat syariat dengan sempuran, serta menerima penyesuaian yang berprinsip dan berpandukan nilai-nilai agama tatkala diperlukan.

Ini dapat menjadikan penyesuaian lambang kekuatan dan daya tahan keagamaan, bukan kelemahan.

Dengannya, kita dapat terus membina keyakinan bukan sahaja untuk mengatasi cabaran, tetapi mencorak arus masa hadapan.

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LATEST FATWA BACKGROUND At the recent National Day Rally, Prime Minister announced healthcare workers will be allowed to put on the tudung if they wish to. Following the announcement, Muis received requests for guidance on the specifics of this religious obligation, both for nurses in situations where they might be unable to fully comply with the religious requirement due to operational reasons, as well as for other uniformed services where tudung is not allowed.

The Fatwa Committee has issued a guidance (fatwa) for Muslim women who wish to put on the tudung in the context of jobs that require a uniform.

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE FATWA This fatwa is principles-based, and is designed to empower Muslims instead of simply issuing a blanket general prescription. It aims to guide Muslim women to carefully consider their unique situation and empower them with the principles and values of Islam that will enable them to make balanced and right choices for themselves.

The fatwa situates the issue of the wearing of tudung in the workplace in the larger context of observing the teachings of Islam within a unique socio-religious environment, and subject to prevailing work and uniform policies.

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The fatwa also explicitly recognises the important role that women play in society and in the workforce.

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KEY PRINCIPLES IN THE FATWA Islam requires Muslims to maintain modesty and prescribes a certain dress code in public to this end.

Islam encourages Muslims to play an active part and contributing in various ways to each community’s economic and social foundations.

Following the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, in pursuit of the higher aims of peaceful and harmonious co-existence, the Prophet himself made measured and appropriate adjustments in ways that reinforce the values, principles and objectives of Islam.

The wearing of tudung is neither an obstacle for Muslim women to actively contribute towards nation building, or to be dedicated work professionals, nor a religious symbol that divides society or weakens its social fabric.

Muslims are encouraged to strive to the best of their abilities to follow the teachings of Islam. However, there may be extenuating circumstances that prevent one from fully complying with some teachings in certain situations.

GUIDELINES FOR WOMEN IN UNIFORMED WORK In the context of the religious duty to put on tudung for Muslim women, the fatwa recognises that there could be other legitimate factors and considerations which are of (more) critical importance, and this should be considered when choosing to make adjustments to the way religious obligations are observed in the workplace.

For nurses, these factors include personal and patients’ safety and care, such as reducing the risk of infection by observing the bare below elbow “BBE” policy and the replacement of tudung in certain clinical contexts.1 For other uniformed services, the need to secure a stable and meaningful livelihood for oneself and/or one’s dependants, and contributing to the wellbeing, stability and prosperity of the country, are legitimate considerations for Muslim women to continue with their work in those services.

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In Islamic jurisprudence, these constitute essential (ḍarūriyyāt) needs that contribute towards the stability of life. It is important for us to understand these different categories to determine which takes priority when decisions need to be made. When choosing between responsibilities and the necessities of life, something that is a ḍarūriyyāt (essentials) ought to be prioritised above something that is ḥājiyyāt (necessities), and so on and so forth. This assessment should be carried out by the individual who encounters such circumstances.

It is also important to ensure that Muslim women who can wear the tudung if the uniform policies permit should do so on their own volition and without any form of coercion.

CLOSING The recent announcement of the policy to allow the wearing of the tudung in the healthcare sector is a testament of the confidence in Muslim women healthcare professionals as important members of the profession who will discharge care for patients professionally, impartially and without bias or prejudice.

Muslims make appropriate adjustments in ways that reinforce the values, principles and objectives of Islam, the fatwa also calls on Muslims to deepen relations between the different communities, so that religious appearances and symbols do not impede efforts to strengthen our social cohesion. We must remain guided by the Prophetic example as we strive to address our challenges and contribute to the betterment and well-being of our society.

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1 Majority of the scholars are of the opinion that the arms are part of the aurat of a woman. In the Maliki madhab (legal school), the arms are a lesser part of the aurat, and should the arms be exposed during prayers, there is no need for an individual to repeat one’s prayers, should one run out of time to do so. In the Hanafi madhab, there are two opinions. The common view argues that the arms form part of the aurat that are required to be covered whether in prayer or outside of it. The second opinion states that it forms part of the aurat during prayers only. In addition to the above, the Hanafi jurist al-Sarakhsī cited opinions of scholars permitting the revealing of arms when women are carrying out tasks which necessitate it. The Arabic text is as follows: .‫َو ُذ ِكَر ِفي َجاِم ِع اْلَبَراِم َكِة َع ْن َأِبي ُيوُس َف َأَّنُه ُيَباُح الَّنَظ ُر إىَل ِذ َراَع ْي َه ا َأْيًض ا َأِلَّنَه ا ِفي اْلَخْبِز َو َغ ْس ِل الِّثَي اِب ُتْب َت ىَل ِبِإْبَداِء ِذ َراَع ْي َه ا َأْيًض ا‬ Al-Sarakhsī, Al-Mabsūṭ, (Beirūt: Dār al-Ma‛rifah, 1978), 10:153. See also, Al-Mawsū‛ah al-Fiqhiyyah, (Kuwait: Maṭābi‛ .Dār al-Ṣafwah, 1994) 31:44-45; Ibn al-Humām, Sharḥ Fatḥ al-Qadīr, (Beirūt: Dār al-Kutub al-‛Ilmiyyah, 2003), 1:267

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Bersamamu celebrated its 2nd Anniversary milestone through an online event broadcasted live on the M³ Facebook page.

Co-organised by Muis and the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM), in partnership with M³ and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), this event acknowledges the efforts of the team of Kadi and Naib Kadi who have successfully built and sustained rapport with the couples that they have solemnised.

Through Bersamamu, support for marriages in its formative years have been strengthened to improve the quality and longevity of marriages with a stable foundation for family life.

This early support is essential in helping newly married couples settle into their marriage so that they can move into parenthood with ease and focus their attention to other important aspects of building their families, such as early childhood development for their children.

Watch the event and the forum titled “Rumahku Syurgaku” here: https://fb.watch/8P4xmewftB/

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HAZITASA ASNEL

oleh Ustaz Dr Firdaus Yahya Penentuan awal bulan dengan melihat anak bulan tidak bermula dengan syariat Islam. Ia sebenarnya dimulakan oleh orang-orang Babilon yang tinggal di kawasan selatan Iraq sekitar 4000 tahun dahulu.

Apabila orang-orang Yahudi ditawan oleh raja Nebuchadnezzar II selama 50 tahun di Babilon sekitar 2000 tahun dahulu, mereka belajar banyak perkara dari tamadun tersebut. Antaranya ialah penentuan awal bulan dengan melihat anak bulan.

Apabila mereka dibebaskan dan kembali ke tanah air mereka di Palestin 50 tahun kemudian, mereka menggunakan kaedah tersebut untuk memulakan bulan baru. Kaedah ini kemudian diambil oleh orang-orang Arab dan menjadi teras kepada penentuan awal bulan untuk masyarakat Arab.

Apabila Islam disyariatkan, Allah SWT mengekalkan kaedah penentuan awal bulan ini. Firman-Nya yang bermaksud: “Mereka bertanya kepada engkau (wahai Muhammad) berkenaan anak bulan. Katakanlah, ia adalah sebagai tanda bagi masa dan (permulaan bagi bulan) haji.” (Surah al-Baqarah, 189) Rasulullah S.A.W. menguatkan lagi penggunaan kaedah ini sebagai penentuan awal bulan dalam banyak hadith baginda S.A.W. Antaranya ialah hadis yang diriwayatkan oleh Abdullah bin Umar r.a yang terdapat dalam kitab Sahih Al-Bukhari dan Sahih Muslim. Rasulullah S.A.W. bersabda yang bermaksud: "Sesungguhnya Allah telah jadikan anak bulan sebagai tanda bagi masa. Maka jika kamu melihatnya, mulakanlah puasa. Dan jika kamu melihatnya, berhentilah puasa. Jika terhalang daripada melihatnya, maka tentukan kedudukannya. Dan ketahuilah bahawa bulan tidak boleh melebihi 30 hari. " ISSUE 37

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Keizinan yang diberikan oleh Rasulullah SAW. dalam menentukan kewujudan anak bulan jika tidak dapat melihatnya merupakan satu rahmah bagi negaranegara yang kaki langitnya tidak sentiasa cerah atau ufuk baratnya tidak terbentang luas, seperti negara Singapura.

Keizinan ini yang memacu para penyelidik dan pakar astronomi untuk mengkaji lebih mendalam pergerakan bulan, membangunkan kaedah perkiraan yang lebih jitu dan teknik pencerapan yang semakin canggih. Ilmu ini penting untuk membantu ahli astronomi menentukan kewujudan anak bulan apabila tidak dapat melihatnya kerana terhalang dengan objek di langit seperti awan dan kabus.

Mereka kemudian menggunakan ilmu tersebut untuk mengumpulkan data pencerapan anak bulan untuk sekian tempoh yang lama di banyak kawasan di dunia. Hasil daripada data ini kemudian digunakan untuk membangunkan kriteria bagi anak bulan yang paling muda.

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Al-Khawarizmi, al-Battani, Ibn Yunus dan al-Biruni merupakan antara cendekiawan Islam terulung dalam membangunkan kriteria pencerapan anak bulan.

Usaha seperti ini diteruskan oleh ahli astronomi di kawasan Nusantara kita. Hasil daripada data yang terkumpul oleh para pencerap anak bulan di Indonesia dari tahun-tahun 60an sehingga 80an digunakan untuk membangunkan kriteria anak bulan termuda yang boleh dicerap. Kriteria ini dinamakan Kriteria MABIMS. Kriteria penentuan anak bulan di peringkat negara-negara MABIMS MABIMS adalah singkatan bagi Menteri Agama Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapura. Ia adalah pertemuan tidak rasmi para menteri keempat-empat negara tersebut yang bertanggung-jawab atas masyarakat Islam dalam menyelaraskan urusan-urusan keagamaan masyarakat Islam keempat-empat negara tersebut.

Maka antara yang diselaraskan pada tahun 1992 ialah penggunaan kriteria bersepadu bagi penentuan awal bulan sekiranya anak bulan tidak berhasil dicerap.

Kriteria MABIMS ini menggunakan tiga parameter. Anak bulan dianggap wujud dan boleh dicerap sekiranya tidak terhalang jika ketinggiannya melebihi 2 darjah dari atas ufuk barat ketika matahari tenggelam dan perbezaan antara matahari dan anak bulan melebihi 3 darjah. Akan tetapi, jika umur anak bulan itu melebihi 8 jam maka ia dianggap sudah wujud tanpa ambil kira parameter ketinggian dan sudut perbezaan.

Umur anak bulan dihitung bermula dari waktu bulan dan matahari selari dengan bumi (ijtimak) hingga waktu tenggelam matahari pada hari ke 29.

Kriteria ini yang digunapakai oleh Singapura semenjak ia dirasmikan oleh MABIMS pada tahun 1992 hingga tahun ini. Namun, usaha membaiki kriteria tersebut berterusan. Maka pada tahun 2016, pakar astronomi dan ahli agama dari keempat-empat negara tersebut telah bersetuju untuk memperkemas kriteria MABIMS

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Kriteria MABIMS yang baru ini hanya memerlukan dua parameter ketika matahari tenggelam pada hari ke-29, ketinggian anak bulan dan sudut perbezaan antara matahari dan bulan.

Ketinggian anak bulan perlu melebihi 3 darjah dan perbezaan antara matahari dan bulan perlu melebihi 6.4 darjah. Kriteria baru ini dibangunkan daripada lebih 700 data pencerapan anak bulan yang terkumpul dari seluruh dunia.

Oleh kerana kriteria MABIMS yang baru ini sudah mula diterimapakai oleh negara-negara anggota MABIMS yang lain bermula tahun hadapan, Singapura buat keputusan untuk ikut sama. Taqwim Hijrah untuk tahun 2022 Masehi yang asalnya dibangunkan mengikut kriteria lama MABIMS telah diubahsuai sedikit agar ia berlandaskan kriteria baru MABIMS.

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Book

Review

The four Models from the Prophetic Guidance on Coexistence with others

By Ustaz Ahmad Syaakir Nor Razak Prophet Muhammad is the best example to mankind. However, did he lay a foundation suitable for all time and situation, particularly in Singapore as a country of minority Muslims?

This book, The four Models from the Prophetic Guidance on Coexistence with others (‫النماذج األربعة من هدي النبي في التعايش مع‬ ‫ )اآلخرين‬is authored by the former Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh Ali Gomaa.

It presents Prophet Muhammad’s SAW interactions with different group of people in four distinct stages and states of his life.

Namely; 1. The Makkah Al-Mukarramah Model: where he was in a state of Patience and Coexistence, 2. The Habshah (Abyssinia) Model: where he was in a state of Fulfilment and Societal Engagement, 3. The first Period in Madinah Model: where he was in a state of Tolerance and Cooperation, 4. The second period in Madinah Model: where he was in a state of Justice and Awareness (of problem) before pursuing (a mandate).

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‫النماذج األربعة من هدي النبي‬ ‫في التعايش مع اآلخرين‬

This book is a great read as it highlights the prophetic wisdom in building and strengthening ties with non-Muslims, which is beautifully aligned to the principles and fundamentals of Islam.

Sheikh also coupled Islam’s approach of peace and tolerance towards humanity as well as Muslims’ obligation in adorning ourselves with clear moral values (compassion, love, justice, upholding virtues, etc.) with examples in the form narrations to demonstrate each point in their respective models.

Also, in conclusion, he outlined the main takeaways from all the models including Prophet’s policies in coexisting with others outside Madinah.

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Continue Reading

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by Ustaz Syazwan Elrani

You may have heard claims stating "In Islam, women are not loved, have no rights and are oppressed". These may be some baseless things that are being said about Muslim women. When we look at the life of Prophet Muhammad SAW, we can see that these statements could not be the truth.

Although he was sent during a time when women are widely believed to be inferior and not being given meaningful recognition, he led by example with his respectful treatment towards women.

Although Islam acknowledges that Men and Women are not the same, the Quran clearly mentions the equality of both in creation and in the sight of Allah SWT which translates: "O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and from it He created its mate (Adam & Eve), and through both, He spread countless men and women. And be mindful of Allah—in Whose Name you appeal to one another—and (honour) family ties. Surely Allah is ever Watchful over you." (Surah An-Nisa, 4:1) This article will touch on 4 beautiful ways how Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. honoured women during his lifetime.

Continue Reading

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https://blog.pergas.org.sg/wasat/

Ustaz Dr Rizhan Leman

The task of formulating fatwas is indeed a heavy and difficult responsibility. Muslim scholars, past and present, have laid down strict conditions for those who wish to undertake this task. In Singapore, this great responsibility of issuing fatwas rests on the shoulders of the Fatwa Committee.

The prominent Shafii scholar, Imam Nawawi said, “Know that ifta’ is the gravest of serious matters, a great responsibility and entails numerous virtues. This is because a mufti is the heir of the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them), and one who fulfills fard al-kifayah though he is liable to err. For this reason, scholars have said that a mufti is a signatory on behalf of God the Almighty.”

A wasatiy approach in the formulation of fatwas requires muftis and scholars to follow the following four steps.

First: Taswir Second: Takyif Third: Bayan Al-Hukm Fourth: Ifta’ Continue Reading

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