Muhibbah…. What Muhibbah?

I have been tagged by cakapaje to write on Muhibbah. I have not really given much thought on Muhibbah, as actually I am a product of a mixed marriage, so in a sense I have Muhibbah in me :)

But I do recall my school days, where there is absolutely no thought of what race we were, we all mixed around without any care in the world. I remembered my best friend then was a Chinese, he was my friend because of the fact that he sat next to me in class.

We all played sports, football, badminton and others together. We went to each other houses and they came to mine.

During Hari Raya friends will come to the house, I always look forward to going to my Chinese friends house, for no other reason than to collect ang pows and to my Indian friends for the Indian sweets. Back then we had no problem with eating and drinking at friends house (nothing haram of course).

Fast forward to the present day, Malays seems to have developed a very conservative and insular approach to Islam, where everything to do with non-muslims are not allowed. I know Malays friends who forbid their children to be friends with non-muslims. If they were to go to non-muslim houses they will not eat or drink because to them the utensils used are not clean.

Our national schools too have become Malays schools where more than 95% are Malays, with Chinese and Indians going to Chinese and Tamil schools. If as children we do not integrate, how do we expect them to mix comfortably as adults. Our politicians too are very much to blame, both the Barisan Nasional component parties and also the opposition parties always uses the race card at every opportunity. To them (maybe it is true) that is the way to attract votes.

We continue to be identified with our race, For some reason Malaysians seems to be very preoccupied with race. Every time I am introduced to a new person, the first question they will ask me is where are you from, or what race am I. Some would also ask how long I have been a Muslim.

Every form that I have filled would ask for the race. Even recently I wanted to subscribe to a business magazine, there was a column for race, which I think is a totally irrelevant question, but then this is Malaysia.

We cannot have the Muhibbah spirit, if we continue to be suspicious of the other races. I will have to conclude that we are more prejudice now than we are years ago. Just look at the universities, they are definitely not mixing around.

However, having said all this I really don’t know what the solution is. Perhaps it is best that we turn to the Quran as the Quran does provide the answer.

In Surah Al-Hujurat, Surah 49, verse 13, it says:

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full Knowledge and is well-acquainted (with all things).


Well there you have it, ALLAH MADE US INTO DIFFERENT NATIONS AND TRIBES (RACES) SO THAT WE MAY KNOW EACH OTHER. There is nothing more clearer than that, so fellow Muslims please take heed.