It's Allah, not Nik Aziz, who determines rewards for prayers

Young Scholars Secretariat (Ilmu) working committee chairman Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya said Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat does not have any right to say that prayers by Umno members will not be rewarded by Allah.

Fathul Bari when contacted by The Mole on Thursday said: “If it is true that he (Nik Aziz) had made the statement, who is he to determine it?”

“In Islam it has been stated that only Allah will decide on one’s good or bad deeds. The matter of His rewards or punishment, it is not up for us to determine that,” he added.

It was reported that Nik Aziz in a talk had said that a prayer by Umno members will not be rewarded as the party has rejected Islamic principles.

The Pas spiritual leader also reportedly claimed that Umno has rejected Islam because it prioritises nationalism and rejected Islamic principles in governing the nation.

Commenting on this Fathul Bari said: “Nik Aziz should simply stop from making baseless accusation and judging others.”

“If he believes in upholding the Islamic principles, as an ulama he should tell Umno specifically on what they do wrong and how to improve the situation. What good does it bring by blaming others?” he asked.

“Do not use religion as a tool to promote politics of hatred,” said Fathul Bari.

A blog post at The Flying Kick described Nik Aziz's statement as similar to the practice of the Khawarij (an Islamic sect) which labels anyone who opposes their teachings as infidels.

Another Islamic scholar Ismail Mina Ahmad said Nik Aziz should prove why prayers from Umno members will not be accepted.

“He needs to state his reasons. He cannot simply claim that Umno has been rejecting Islamic principles when everyone knows that Umno has never compromised on matters pertaining to Islam,” Ismail said.

“Umno did not accept liberalism and pluralism as well as the teaching of Shiite in Islam. The same cannot be said about Pas,” he added.

Ismail also questioned whether Nik Aziz’s statement indirectly implicates that Umno members are infidels.

“In Islam only prayers by infidels will not be accepted. So is he suggesting that Umno members are one?”

“Secondly, does it mean that he feels that prayers by Umno members did not follow the Islamic rules?” asked Ismail.

The president of Pertubuhan Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia (MUAFAKAT) described Nik Aziz’s remarks as irresponsible as it will only cause disunity among Muslims.

“His statement can be seen as a heavy accusation. I urge him to explain what he actually meant by it,” Ismail added.