Controversial Preacher Slammed For Discouraging Muslims From Helping Clean Non-Muslim Places Of Wors
A Malaysian preacher known for his controversial views was slammed by netizens over a viral TikTok video. Preacher Azhar Idrus said that Muslims should refrain from helping clean places of worship that aren’t mosques.
“Can we help wash (clean up) Hindu temples that were affected during the floods?”
Azhar Idrus could be heard chuckling before replying,
“What is there to wash? We are encouraged to wash mosques from the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW.”
He used Prophet Ibrahim’s story as a point of reference, asking the audience what happened in the story.
“Remember in Prophet Ibrahim’s story, did he help or did he demolish?”
“We can’t hit (destroy) of course, it won’t be harmonious of us as a multiracial community to do it. But there’s no need to get involved.”
Azhar Idrus then quoted the last verse from Surah Al Kafirun to strengthen his answer to the question.
“You with your own way, and me with mine.”
Netizens slammed the preacher for his views, saying that it can be divisive in a time where everyone is suffering due to the natural disaster that they’re facing.
Some said that it is out of mutual respect and they know their limits when it comes to helping out.
While there are those who seem to agree with Azhar Idrus. They defended him saying that the preacher was just doing his job explaining the do’s and don’ts of the religion.
The question came probably after a video where students of various races and religions helped clean a Hindu temple that was affected by the floods that’s been happening in Malaysia.
Students could be seen cleaning up the area surrounding the temple and not the inner areas of worship. It is clear that they understood their boundaries when it came to cleaning other religion’s places of worship.
The comments section was filled with heartwarming messages for the students. Some said that this shows the collective strength in adversity.
An apt reminder. As Muslims, we are required to be tolerant and helpful even to those who aren’t Muslims.
Regardless of your faith, it is your deeds and manners that make you.
There is no harm in helping clear debris from places of worship. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding as to what and where the students were cleaning. The inner space of worship and idols can only be cleaned by their own religious figures. In multiracial and multireligious country, everyone knows their boundaries and that helps to strengthen tolerance especially in the current situation that they’re facing right now.
At the end of the day, it boils down to your own intentions.
Reporter’s Opinions: You love courting controversies doncha? Is this how you gain traction?
I am inclined to believe that the preacher didn’t even watch the video properly. As muslims, we know our boundaries when it comes to lending a hand to other places of worship. I am sure those students know better than to do anything that will cause them to blaspheme their religion.
Being tolerant and helping others regardless of their faith has been stressed in Islam. Quoting a scripture out of context is not helping especially when the whole country is facing a natural disaster.
No one was cleaning and polishing idols and quoting that scripture implies that they did. You wanna talk about fitnah (slander) but when you implied that, aren’t you doing the same to them?
Unless you’ve seen them in action, Muslims are always reminded to think good of others. The concept of husnuzon (think positive) applies to this. At the end of the day, your deeds will be taken into account.
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