Brunei is careful not to get caught up in worshipping modern-style moderation as it can lead to a breakdown in faith, said State Mufti Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned while adding that “religious moderation is present in Islam”.
He said this during a visit from a research team of Walisongo University Semarang, Indonesia comprising leader Professor Dr Muslich Shabir, team member Maskur Rosyed and research collaborator Dr Haji Harapandi Dahri to the State Mufti’s Office yesterday.
The team is conducting a research in ‘Religious Moderation in Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam: Philosophical and Maqasid Al-Shari’ah Approaches’.
The state mufti said Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) revealed that “the best thing is in the middle. He said in Al-Quran, Allah the Almighty made us an intermediate people qualified to give guidance to mankind about what is right and what is wrong”.
The state mufti added, “Sometimes people go astray, lose their way, lose their purpose. Perspective slips on instinct, so moderation is ‘legalising the way’ created by intellectuals without regard to naqal. Then various approaches were born.
“Muslims should have a lot of tolerance to live with shared tradition, art and culture shared, other people in the form of our religious ways. Muslims are encouraged to join in the name of moderation: Other people wear traditional clothes, we Muslims also wear them in the name of moderation.
“In short, whatever other people do, it is clear that Muslims are encouraged to join in. This is not considered wrong, and there is a reminder from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): “Whoever resembles a people, then, he is one of them.” – Azlan Othman
