Today is the first day of a blessed Ramadhan. Another opportunity for us as Muslims to maximize the benefits and wonder of the month. However, my thoughts today is not gonna be on Ramadhan, but something related to it.

I was told by a friend that an Imam in Ampang has been arrested because he is not the imam assigned by JAIS to lead the prayers for that particular mosque. And when I read malaysiakini.com today, there it was, in the main news' stories.

I am so appalled by such a thing. Firstly because this is the kind of issue that repelled non-Muslims to our religion and secondly, is it really legal in the actual rule of syariah to only have a certain person to be an imam? If it is, somebody... PLEASE POINT IT OUT TO ME the source of such ruling! I might not be mighty religious and I am so not a political-driven person neither am I want to stir any peace. But for the love of God, this is really in contrast to the Islam that I want to be part of.

I learnt in school that anybody can be an imam as long as they are abled bodied, sane, can recite Al-Quran properly and is preferably the better or wiser of them. But there shouldn't be a fixed figure because obviously, with a fixed figure, it would be like a job when being an imam is not supposed to be like a job (correct me if I'm wrong). Anybody who meets the requirement can be one. They can rotate being the imam or the muezzin/bilal. So, why is it happening the way it is in Malaysia?

I am not saying or claiming that appointing a fixed imam might be wrong according to Islamic syariah(rule). What I am saying is, does taking legal action for a mosque to not have an appointed imam is legal to the Islamic syariah??

I know that the government will justify the action by saying that the mosque's admin did anti-govt stuff. Yeah, yeah. Who else here haven't heard about those stuff. For me, let me simply put it as tiresome, cumbersome and CHILDLIKE. Hello!! People!! Wake up!! Let's not comment that too much or I might get in trouble. I am not anti-government. I just think that we, all of us, need to be able to take criticism only then we would be able to improve. Being so uptight about every single non-positive comment about you or your institution simply shows a level of insecurity that is beyond healthy level and shows that they couldn't handle the pressure of others. Consequently, a ___ who is uptight is _____ and _____.

In the same time, I have to agree that some of the things said during some of these so called anyti-govt events might sound a lil bit harsh. Yet, it is the same for both sides, govt, or anti-govt(for those who loveeee to use that words. Can't a person be intelectually stimulating and love debate and love to question without being an anti-govt in Malaysia. It's ironic that we then wonder why we are a sad pathetic race and nation). But sadly, that is the cultural aspect of religion that we made up along the way. Who where haven't heard a sermons that are so passionate with fiery intonation and amazingly, being given out with the same intonation. Hah! I found it funny that these ustaz(s) always have the same pattern of speech making. Hihihihi.. :D

Oh well.. I am cold and typing is getting harder. We'll do this next time....