KUDOS TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST FOUND ISLAM

By – Hesmel Faznee Faisal

Salam, to fellow bloggers and readers of this self proclaimed blog (sic).

We as Muslims have becoming more and more of a self-centred society whose concern was to only practising the fardhu ain and more often than not have overlooked or neglected the importance of fardhu kifayah.

I wish to quote a verse from the Quran;

Q:9:60:- Charities shall go to the poor, the needy, the workers who collect them, the new converts; to free the slaves, to those burdened by sudden expenses, in the cause of God, and to the travelling alien. Such is God’s commandment. God is Omniscient, Most Wise.

Notice on the bold sentences; the new converts.

I would have not be writing this so called “article”, if not for an incident I had came across recently.

I was enjoying my lunch in one of the mamak bistros in KL when one Chinese man came and sat in front of my table. I hardly noticed his presence as I was raptly enjoying my food. Only when he greeted me with a salam, I had to stop munching my food and reply back his salam.

I was thinking to myself (As typical Malaysians, we like to have a preoccupied insight towards others!), either this guy is trying to sell me a product or was just trying to be nice and wanted to have a chat with me. Obviously he chose the wrong occasion as nobody in their rightful would like to be disturbed while having their meal!

I asked him if I could lend him a hand when I saw him carrying a big luggage. He just smiled at me and asked if I care to buy him a drink. Again, as a conscious Muslim who can’t bear to watch another fellow Muslim suffering from the hunger pang, I obliged and asked him to sit with me.

As he sat, without asking, he told me about his story. Apparently, this young Chinese man had just embraced Islam a couple of months ago and has been disowned by his own family as a result of him converting to Islam.

He had just arrived in Kuala Lumpur a few days earlier with high hopes that KL will able to provide him a better job and opportunity. His assumption was wrong, apparently. He had been stranded in KL with no money, a job or relatives whom he can seek for help.

Whilst in KL, he had to seek shelter at the bus stop and was depending on charity from anyone who would be kind enough to provide him food or money. He also told me that he had been going to JAWI (For the ignorant ones, it is Jab. Agama Islam Wilayah!) and PERKIM (An agency that is responsible for taking care the welfare of  the new converts) to seek financial assistance but have been denied the request from both departments.

The reason of the rejection, according to the officers there was very simple. This poor fellow did not converted here in Kuala Lumpur (He had found his “right path” in Perlis) thus will not be able to receive any assistance from JAWI nor PERKIM!

He explained to them that as his family has disowned (For having found the right path!) him and he had no place to go, he is penniless and do not have anyone else whom he can depend on. 

To add salt to the wound, the authorities explained to him the policy and procedure for a new convert to receive any financial assistance. According to the policy, they must first register with the welfare department in whichever places they are residing and only then will they be able to receive it.

As I was listening to his story (and enjoying my delicious meal comprises of fish curry, beef and chicken at the same time!) I began to have strong doubts. Where did all the alms gone to or how has it been spent? And why must the authorities make life so difficult for our new brothers and sisters?

I hope someone can come up with a very good and concrete answer on the matter above. The muallaf that I had accidently bumped into was among the isolated cases that need to be highlighted by the “responsible” authorities.

There is no point whatsoever in preaching if we can’t even solve this problem and there is also not worth mentioned about being nice to people (I am making a reference especially to those who are very sensitive on the plight of the Palestinians) when they can’t even lend to our new brothers and sister who are really bad in need.

We have seen a number of events organized either by some Muslim brotherhood association or a media conglomerate in raising funds for the people of Gaza or elsewhere in the Arab Gulf; but we hardly see any organization who has the initiative to organize a fund raising ceremony, in plight for our new brothers and sisters.

Let us not forget; charity begins not in Palestine, Iraq or elsewhere but at home.

Kita Kan Tersesat Pabila Malam Menjemput Bulan Semula Ke Sangkar Waktu – The Salam Connection. 

photo courtesy from - http://www.islamfortoday.com/muslimstoday.htm