Ex-Perlis mufti hails Penang as trendsetter
Terence NettoPublished: Apr 15, 2010 3:23 AM | Updated: Apr 15, 2010 3:58 AM
Despite a determined effort by Penang state religious department to stop him, Islamic preacher and ex-Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin went on to discourse at the Masjid Jamik in Jelutong earlier this week.
Despite a determined effort by Penang state religious department to stop him, Islamic preacher and ex-Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin went on to discourse at the Masjid Jamik in Jelutong earlier this week.
What was more his ‘kuliah maghrib’ only ended two-and-a-half hours after it had begun, its length an indicator of its appeal for a packed congregation that included Penang state exco Abdul Malik Abul Kassim.
Afterwards Malik went on to inquire of the Penang Religious Affairs Department why it had sent, in his words, “a strongly worded” letter to the mosque committee demanding to know why they had gone ahead to invite Asri when the department had expressed demurral over the whole matter.
“I can’t see why the department should want to disallow an invitation to a preacher of his calibre,” commented Malik.
“I consider myself fortunate to have attended his talk and listened to its content,” he added.
Apparently, there was much for a Penangite to be glad about Asri’s discourse.
The talk, after prayers began at 7.30pm, lasted an hour but the question-and-answer session went on for another 90 minutes.
Asri reminded Penangites that the island had in the course of its history been receptive to ground breaking leaders and innovative ideas.
Sweet music
He cited the example of Sheikh al-Hadi, a religious leader of the early 20th century whom he said found more receptivity to his preaching on Penang island than he did in the rest of the Peninsula.
Similarly, he said the Indonesian religious leader, Hamka, gained a warmer reception in Penang in a similar period when he espoused societal rejuvenation through fresh application of Islamic tenets.
In the same vein, Asri said the Malay independence fighter, Burhanuddin al-Helmy, who was PAS president from the mid-1950s till his death in 1967, struck a more responsive chord in Penang than he did elsewhere on the Peninsula.
Asri urged Penangites to continue with their tradition of receptivity to innovative ideas and interpretations, contending that this feature had made the state a harbinger for the advancement of the rest of the country in the religious, political and economic fields.
That was sweet music to the ears of his audience and for the officials who stiffened their spines against federal frowning on a preacher considered faintly risque.
What was more his ‘kuliah maghrib’ only ended two-and-a-half hours after it had begun, its length an indicator of its appeal for a packed congregation that included Penang state exco Abdul Malik Abul Kassim.
Afterwards Malik went on to inquire of the Penang Religious Affairs Department why it had sent, in his words, “a strongly worded” letter to the mosque committee demanding to know why they had gone ahead to invite Asri when the department had expressed demurral over the whole matter.“I can’t see why the department should want to disallow an invitation to a preacher of his calibre,” commented Malik.
“I consider myself fortunate to have attended his talk and listened to its content,” he added.
Apparently, there was much for a Penangite to be glad about Asri’s discourse.
The talk, after prayers began at 7.30pm, lasted an hour but the question-and-answer session went on for another 90 minutes.
Asri reminded Penangites that the island had in the course of its history been receptive to ground breaking leaders and innovative ideas.
Sweet music
He cited the example of Sheikh al-Hadi, a religious leader of the early 20th century whom he said found more receptivity to his preaching on Penang island than he did in the rest of the Peninsula.
Similarly, he said the Indonesian religious leader, Hamka, gained a warmer reception in Penang in a similar period when he espoused societal rejuvenation through fresh application of Islamic tenets.
In the same vein, Asri said the Malay independence fighter, Burhanuddin al-Helmy, who was PAS president from the mid-1950s till his death in 1967, struck a more responsive chord in Penang than he did elsewhere on the Peninsula.
Asri urged Penangites to continue with their tradition of receptivity to innovative ideas and interpretations, contending that this feature had made the state a harbinger for the advancement of the rest of the country in the religious, political and economic fields.
That was sweet music to the ears of his audience and for the officials who stiffened their spines against federal frowning on a preacher considered faintly risque.
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