Majalah Al-Hikmah Edisi ke 16

MA JA L AH A L - H I KMAH 38 Malaysia, as dated from the former leadership, was accustomed to the spirit of living together and the variety of different languages, cultures, and faiths that have made up “One Malaysia.” Therefore, the idea of “plural” is innate from the very beginning of Malaysian history. Osman Bakar explains that this essential value had been nurtured and developed even before the independence days of Malaysia. Nevertheless, as the society was succumbing to the idea of a plural society, some religious representatives were tempted with the idea of “religious pluralism,” which was so rampant in the West, followed by its neighboring country Indonesia; Malaysia is finally challenged to accommodate such a crucial value. In consequence, Malaysia, which has been consistent in portraying a plural landscape in its political and religious background, is further requested to experience the values that apparently look similar yet are very alien to its culture and norms. Haslina Ibrahim, for instance, persistently proclaims that religious pluralism brings misunderstanding and religious disputes. Some scholars may use the term “religious pluralism” interchangeably to indicate a mere plurality of religions, while others might use it to indicate a philosophical value that advocates equality of the religious truths. This is contrary to Malaysia’s Muhibah values (harmony) that are embedded in its multi-racial approach. At the same time, scholars attempted to bring forward universal values among different religious groups as keywords to religious harmony. Among them is the value of living in moderation. Moderation aims for a balanced, holistic approach and provides the society with key values such as respect, mutual understanding, love, and care towards one another. In Islam, this resembles the core principles of wasatiyyah . God highlights fundamentally the word “ ummatan wasatan, ” characterized as a balanced and just society. These values consist of kindness, a spirit of love for each other, understanding, respect, justice, andmanymore. The concept of moderation in the Qur'an refers to an approach that avoids extremism, fanaticism, and exaggeration in dealing with religious issues. Moderation has also been discussed and described by other religious communities as one of the important values that we Malaysians have been living with. The following paragraphs will demonstrate Muhibah from the perspective of different scholars and important figures in Malaysia that could pave the way for a peaceful and harmonious Malaysian society. Muhibah Values: TheMalaysian Identity Most of the interviewed individuals believed that the Malaysian concept of Muhibah deserves recognition. Local scholars, such as Haslina Ibrahim, Yusri