Reviews on Malaysia Reverted Muslim Gathering @ Ipoh 8 Jan 2011

hehe we weren't attend kusus pra perkahwinan..

For detailed progress of gathering please read :
Malaysia Reverted Muslim Gathering by Firdaus Wong Wai Hung.

Honestly, this is not an easy task for me to write a review about Muslim Reverts Gathering 8/01/11 at Macma Ipoh, especially I was stick with the gathering barely one and a half hour then left earlier at 2.30pm for my personal job. The gathering is organized and lead by Bro Firdaus Wong who create Reverts Club at Facebook. The gathering was held up successfully alhamdulilah, however I do have personal opinion about Pros and Cons in this first time ever “Experimental Gathering” .

(I am not a talkative person, this is my declaration to those who thinks why I was so silent in gathering. I think twice before I talk and I don’t like to talk too much meaningless chit-chat. You may assume I am a weirdo but that’s my character since I was born at 1985.)

First of all, I would like to thanks Mrs Marlina Wong from MACMA HQ for given us green light on using their Ipoh Branch Macma, Tuan Pengerusi Macma Ipoh Dato’ Dr Fadzley Cheah, Mr. Hafiz Ng Naib Pengerusi Macma Ipoh, Mr. Firdaus Wong as Muslim Reverts Club FB page creator, and every attendant from Kuala Lumpur, Pangkor and Macma Members from Ipoh.

KL convoys have reached Macma safely on 12.00pm alhamdulilah, after having lunch and brief introduction by Mr. Hafiz Ng then our discussion and experience sharing is started at 1.00PM. However I was left at 2.30 pm so the rest story I would let Firdaus Wong to explain more about it and let me just give my little review on our small gathering.

If your aim in gathering is want to gain more islamic knowledge or improve your Fardu Ain/Kifayah, this is definitely not your place. We don’t have ustaz or Imam in our discussion. Most of the attendant don’t have any official qualification in Islamic studies, so you must be have a very “strong heart” to stand different kinds of amateur opinion and views from reverts which may makes you feels uncomfortable.

Of course, you may ask WHY? Why you guys gathering are so fussy and misleading? Are you going to play around with Hukum Allah SWT? No, of course we are not daring to challenge every sunnahtullah. Also we are not any form of Ajaran Sesat… But this kind of “Speak your mind out” gathering may be helpful to some serious muslim in dakwah. For underground muslim, they barely have any friends to share about their feeling, doubt and worries. Within this gathering we may give them a warm feeling that “You are never alone”. Also we may know what’s the underground muslim problems, how are they striving to keep their Iman silently. Also they may know some new friends who is same status like them, giving encouragement and support to each other in the future.

Another purpose is for born Muslim realize what’s bother reverts actually in context of Islam? What’s their misunderstanding about Islam and how muslim can help reverts? This is a voice that never heard in public, at least reverts won’t simply open their mouth and tell you their problems as a muallaf. This can be a real battlefield for pendakwah to find out the exact problem in muallaf community, it’s not some kind of assumption paperwork or so called “General Research”. The environment that everyone was sitting in round circle makes them feel safe to speak our just about anything in their mind, especially our gathering place is stay in closed door room.

About Cons…

Please bear in mind, no matter anything that we are feel not sure about it in Islam, or Hukum-hukum Allah SWT.. Please ask ustaz that’s already expert in Islam knowledge just like what stated in surah Al Baqarah ayat 168 - 170:

Wahai sekalian manusia! Makanlah dari apa yang ada di bumi, yang halal lagi baik, dan janganlah kamu ikut jejak langkah Syaitan; kerana sesungguhnya Syaitan itu ialah musuh yang terang nyata bagi kamu. Ia hanya menyuruh kamu melakukan kejahatan dan perkara yang keji, dan menyuruh kamu berkata dusta terhadap Allah, apa yang kamu tidak ketahui. Dan apabila dikatakan kepada mereka: Turutlah apa yang telah diturunkan oleh Allah, mereka menjawab: (tidak), bahkan kami hanya menurut apa yang kami dapati datuk nenek kami lakukannya. Patutkah (diikut) sekalipun datuk neneknya itu tidak faham suatu apapun, dan tidak mendapat petunjuk?

(No offence but I decided to give my personal review too)

There are some people in gathering are trying to give their personal opinion about Hukum Allah SWT. Sort of like : “ Saya rasa cara XXX yang betul ialah…. / Sebenarnya kita boleh buat macam sekian2…. / Kawan saya kata kita boleh kalao… / Itu hanya persepsi manusia, siapa cakap itu haram?...” Also some of the statement is more focus on Tahayul especially when it’s related to specific race’s tradition. I was not able to stop it but just observing what’s everyone reaction in this situation. Denying someone statement would lead to endless argument especially I am not qualified as well in Islam Studies, at the same time I was worry that some of the members would think what some of them is telling “the right things and it seems make sense for me” but actually it’s not. Of course this situation also may makes born muslim feels disturbed because they already knows Hukum Allah SWT can’t be fooling around just like what stated at surah Al Baqarah ayat 113 :

Dan orang-orang Yahudi berkata: "Orang-orang Nasrani itu tidak mempunyai sesuatu pegangan (ugama yang benar)"; dan orang-orang Nasrani pula berkata: "Orang-orang Yahudi tidak mempunyai sesuatu pegangan (ugama yang benar)"; padahal mereka membaca Kitab Suci masing-masing (Taurat dan Injil). Demikian juga orang-orang (musyrik dari kaum Jahiliyah) yang tidak berilmu pengetahuan, mengatakan seperti yang dikatakan oleh mereka itu. Maka Allah akan menghukum (mengadili) di antara mereka pada hari Kiamat mengenai apa yang mereka berselisih padanya.

This situation is very complicated. Those who are profession in Dakwah may realize those misunderstanding statement and conflict that frustrated muallaf a lot but at the same time it can be misleading to those muallaf who are still stay at “beginner stage” no matter in Iman or Knowledge about Islam. As a little advice for you and me please ask Ustaz at nearby mosque for clearer answer if you feel frustrated in Hukum Islam.

Although we get to know muallaf friends easily at internet era, there are still lots more reverts out there in Malaysia doesn’t like online communication. They prefer to speak out their mind directly rather than learn how to login their facebook account, so by attending this gathering 30% facebook members may hear the voice of other 70% real life reverters. Perhaps I should describe it as “Discussion forum in Reality”, anyone is feeling free to give opinions without exposed their identity to unrelated outsiders.

One last challenge is attendance’s racist perception with others which is what happened on my family though. I was bringing along my malay wife and daughter in attending this gathering, apparently there are few of the members was feeling sick with us for unknown reason. However I would say I am already feel numb with people’s perception. Perhaps this multi-race gathering also become a good chance for those members learning how to get along and giving respect with different race people. 

"Steven Lai & Dato Dr. Fadzli Cheah"

What surprising me the most was attendance of Kak Mariah’s friend Mr. Steven. Few days before gathering day being held, Kak Mariah asked me whether she can bring along a christian friend or not? Mr. Steven is very hardworking in studying islamic article but still not ready to embrace Islam. I said yes it would be no problem, who knows he may get his answer in our gathering? Afterwards on that day Mr. Steven and Kak Mariah were attended gathering at 4pm, I didn’t know how was the gathering going on but from what my friend Destiny said: “I am totally impressed by Mr. Steven, he studied a lots of islamic article and even when he talks… he would use words like Alhamdulilah, Insyaallah and Allahuakbar just like any muslim. I feel so shame that Mr. Steven is not embrace Islam yet but his islamic knowledge is more than anyone in gathering”

That’s an unexpected surprise in our gathering.

I wish I was there while Mr. Steven was sharing his view about Islam, but seems like too late. From what Kak Mariah told me afterwards Mr. Steven is profession officer, Insyaallah one day Allah SWT may open his heart to accept Islam.

Bukanlah kewajipanmu menjadikan mereka mendapat petunjuk, akan tetapi Allah jualah yang memberi petunjuk kepada sesiapa yang dikehendaki-Nya.

(Surah Al Baqarah : Ayat 272)

Alhamdulilah, our gathering was successfully help up at MACMA Ipoh on 8 Jan 2011. Pengerusi Macma Dato’ Dr Fadzley Cheah also agree to give Reverts Club fully support in held up more gathering! That’s definitely very good news for us for our first attempt in this.

Every facebook members also giving lots of positive feedbacks (Except me huh?) Everyone are feels warm to talk with other reverts, this is an very rare chance for muallaf. According to Firdaus Wong next gathering will be held up at Johor or Penang, I feel impressed with his effort and aims in doing Gathering… Insyaallah our virtual reverts community may grow healthy and firm in future.

As a conclusion, I apologize if my article disturbed anyone directly or indirectly. Also congratulation to everyone who have attended gathering, Insyaallah our silaturahim may become wider in the future, Amin...