MALAYSIANS KINI For someone who has memorised the Quran, Wan Ji Wan Hussin does not look like a typical Muslim scholar.

But he certainly has the perfect resume for it. A ‘hafiz’- one who had learnt the Quran by heart - at the tender age of 13, he studied at the Lubuk Tapah religious school in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, before continuing his studies in Karachi, Pakistan.

An alumni of the prestigious al-Azhar University, the father of four holds a degree in syariah law and just passed his viva voce (verbal defence of the thesis) for his master’s programme in maqasid shariah (foundational goals of shariah) from Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK).

His credentials certainly make him your typical Muslim preacher but his detention by the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) for delivering a religious talk without a permit and his case under the Sedition Act for purportedly insulting the Selangor sultan, certainly set him apart from his peers.

Speak to him and you would further realise that the 34 year old is definitely far from ordinary.

The soft-spoken and bespectacled man is unapologetic when it comes to his cutting remarks against muftis, the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, as well as religious institutions.

Critics of the Kelantan-born, Kuala Lumpur-bred, on the other hand, have branded his lectures as ‘deviant’, but the preacher simply dismisses these as ‘normal’, having come from those who do not like what he says.

Here is his story, in his own words.

PEOPLE DON’T LIKE ME BECAUSE I ALWAYS CRITICISE RELIGIOUS FIGURES. My views are different from those of religious figures in the country. I say (in) Malaysia because in other countries, (my views) are not strange. For example, I have said that the non-Muslims must be given the right to state their views.

STATEMENTS FROM MUFTIS ARE RARELY SCHOLARLY IN NATURE. Although I don't deny there are those who are scholarly - like Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, Federal Territories mufti Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri, and Penang mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor; these muftis are scholarly when they speak.

But there are those like Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria. We don't know whether he has knowledge or otherwise but his statements aren't scholarly. Maybe he has the knowledge, but when he speaks, it doesn't show as such. It becomes a problem if a mufti doesn’t speak with knowledge. If normal people can speak accordingly, muftis should be more scholarly. The statements of muftis must also be free from political bias. Having a political bias is just unhealthy; a mufti must be free from party politics.

RELIGIOUS DEPARTMENTS HAVE FAILED TO PROJECT A GOOD IMAGE OF ISLAM. This can be seen in the khalwat (close proximity) raid issue. I may be hated because I point out these things. I was told that when there are meetings between mosques and religious departments, my name is always mentioned. I have no other intention except for the good of the religion. The image of Islam needs to be fixed. They (religious departments) have successfully destroyed Islam. I am trying to change what they have destroyed so that Islam will have a better image.

MY REMARKS ON THE ISSUE OF TOUCHING DOGS LED ME TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH JAIS AND THE SELANGOR MUFTI. (But) not one school of thought (in Islam) states that touching a dog is haram (forbidden). There are schools of thought that say it’s compulsory for one to wash their hands after touching a dog, but not a single one says that it’s haram to touch dogs.

The Shafi`i school of thought says one must wash up to seven times, with the (water in the) first wash (mixed) with earth, while the Maliki school of thought states that one does not even have to wash afterwards; it is just that the Prophet encouraged one to do so.

THOSE WHO SAY WE CAN’T FOLLOW OTHER SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT HAVE LIED IN THE NAME OF RELIGION. We can't say that we can only practice one school of thought; we have already practiced many elements from other schools of thought. Paying zakat fitrah (charity to the poor at the end of the fasting month) using cash is under the Hanafi school of thought and not the Shafi`i school of thought, so we have used the Hanafi school of thought without us realising it.

As for the concept of exploring land, we have used the Hanafi school of thought, too, because we need to obtain the permission of the government first before obtaining a particular piece of land. According to the Shafi`i school of thought, we don't need to ask for the government’s permission first.

Those who say we can’t follow other schools of thought, like (minister in charge of Islamic affairs) Jamil Khir Baharom - that minister has lied in the name of religion. He also said that the offence of qazaf (making false accusation) only applies to zina (illicit sex) and not sodomy – that statement is wrong. The Shafi`i school of thought states that the offence of falsely accusing someone, includes both zina and sodomy.

THE POLEMICS ON ISSUES SUCH AS TOUCHING DOGS OCCUR DUE TO RACIAL SENTIMENTS. (Some) Malays have problems with the Chinese and the Chinese have dogs as pets. When one school of thought says that one has to wash after touching a dog, this had led to the increased hate against the Chinese on the basis of dogs. That’s due to racial sentiments, and this has occurred due to the political factor.

POLITICIANS ARE THE ONES WHO MAKE IT SEEM AS THOUGH MALAYS ARE THREATENED. When in fact, the situation back then is the same as it is today. It is just that what they say get recorded and then spread around. They used to say the same thing previously. Is it true that Malays are threatened? I don’t think so. It’s the Malays who hold power who feel threatened. Why is this so? Because they have committed wrongdoing; the rakyat have seen their wickedness.

I DON’T AGREE THAT ONLY ISLAM CAN BE PROPAGATED. The Federal Constitution states that, but I don't agree with it from the viewpoint of religion. Let the law practitioners debate if it’s from the law’s point of view. But as someone who studied religion, that statement is wrong. Non-Muslims should be given the right to give their views, as opposed to only the Muslims who can do so. Maybe that's why people have accused me of being ‘liberal’.

I AM FOR A GOVERNMENT THAT IS SECULAR BUT PRO-RELIGION. I don’t want the secular type of government like (Turkey’s first president) Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s, which prevented people from practicing religion but like (current Turkey President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan’s, which celebrates freedom to practice religion - a secular government which does not bar anyone from practicing their religion.

Secular countries in the West have proven how this has been good when more people convert to Islam. Muslim countries, on the other hand, kill each other, and corruption is rampant. Religion is used as a cover up to leaders’ weaknesses. We see how it is peaceful in secular countries. The non-Muslims don’t have problems with Muslims. A pro-religion secular country is the best solution.

I AM NOT IN THE KNOW ABOUT ZAKIR NAIK PURPORTEDLY SAYING THAT HE IS PRO-TERRORISM. But I, for one, am anti-terrorism, I don’t like terrorism made under the name of religion. But I don’t agree with preventing Zakir from giving his views. At the same time, I don’t agree with preventing scholars from other religions from speaking. We have to give space to those who want to speak. If we could give a stadium to Zakir (to speak), why not for the Hindus as well. If I defend Zakir’s right to give his views, after this, if a non-Muslim wants to state his or her view, we must fight for his or her right to do so.

But I’m more pro-dialogue. If possible, it shouldn’t be just Zakir speaking; if he’s talking about Islam and Christianity, we should also invite a priest and let them debate. Don’t regard the public as stupid people; let them judge for themselves.

I also don’t agree with opposing the right for people to speak and state their views. That’s why I also don’t agree that the Shiites cannot give talks because I’m sure the Sunnis won’t agree if they are not allowed to give talks in Iran.

I WAS A MEMBER OF PAS. I was even a committee member of the Selangor PAS ulama wing. However, I left the party officially during the fasting month last year, after the party’s muktamar.

I JOINED PKR BECAUSE IT IS A PARTY WHICH SHOWCASES THE COUNTRY’S SITUATION. Malaysia is a multi-religious, multi-racial country. The DAP is still seen as a Chinese-majority party while PKR is more balanced. PKR is the manifestation of Malaysia itself. This was one of the major factors why I chose to join PKR. Other factors include the many friends I have in PKR – Selangor assemblypersons Amirudin Shari, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, and lawmaker Nurul Izzah Anwar. I was given the post of chairperson of PKR Youth’s religious bureau.

As someone who was exposed to the Islamic movement since young, I have seen how such movements have failed when they become the government.

For example, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. I’m not saying (incumbent Egypt president Abdel Fattah) al-Sisi is good but we have to admit that the Muslim Brotherhood has its weaknesses; they couldn’t fulfill many things which they had promised. Islamic movements always have their polemics, for example, on the issue of hudud (Islamic criminal law).

The people don’t really want to know about such things; they want to know more about how they can feed themselves. Issues such as accountability, transparency, credibility in an administration, and problems in financial management have been excluded from the mindset of Islamic movements.

I WILL ONLY BE INTERESTED TO GO FURTHER INTO POLITICS WHEN THERE IS ‘POLITIK BERILMU’ (INFORMED POLITICS). I’m more interested in such kind of politics. I don’t like politics for the sake of toppling a person. Informed politics is when an idea needs to be debated. I wish to see how the opposition party can attend a programme organised by the government, and vice versa. Then both quarters make their own judgments. Because the country’s politics is not like that today. I have yet to have big dreams in politics.

MY WIFE IS STILL A PAS MEMBER. I believe in freedom of choice; I won’t force her to leave PAS. This has never been a big issue. I believe that a person must do whatever they believe in. Even though I have left PAS, my wife still teaches at a Pasti (PAS pre-school).

I DID NOT JOIN PARTI AMANAH NEGARA BECAUSE I NO LONGER BELIEVE IN ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS. Some people think that I joined PKR because Amanah was yet to be established at the time. Actually, I don’t believe in the politics of Islamic movements. I’m scared that the same thing will be repeated, such as the culture of 'mengkafirkan' others (calling others disbelievers).

This doesn’t happen in Malaysia only. It has happened to the Muslim Brotherhood, to the al-Nahda in Tunisia, and the Jamaati Islami in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Amanah, today may not have problems but that doesn’t mean it’ll last until the next 10 years; maybe the same thing will recur. Today, they say DAP is their friend but we can’t push aside the possibility that they may be like PAS, calling DAP ‘kafirs’.

WE SHOULD MOVE AWAY FROM THE FRAMEWORK OF ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS and go to the concept of justice. That’s why I joined PKR. I’m not saying that PKR is all good; they are not that good but compared to other parties, PKR is leading. I’m just worried that Amanah will repeat what PAS had done; that’s why I didn’t join Amanah.

I believe, however, that Amanah’s chances are good. They may not win in the coming election, but they will in the next one. This is because those who advanced PAS then are now in Amanah. The people in PAS now were never the ones who advanced PAS. (PAS president) Abdul Hadi Awang (photo) only made people inclined to Islam but not to the advancement of PAS.

Those who developed PAS were thinkers like (Amanah leaders) Mohamad Sabu, Dzulkefly Ahmad, and Khalid Samad. Hadi does not have the advantage in terms of politics. People say he used to be great, but do we go ‘wow’ when he speaks? I don’t deny that his religious knowledge is good, but he won elections because PAS’ political style is religion-popular; that’s why people like Hadi is the president.

WHAT I DO ON A FULL-TIME BASIS IS BEING INVOLVED IN SCHOLARLY DISCUSSIONS. I established a movement called the al-Syatibi school of thought, which focuses on discussions on heavy matters. The programme is called ‘lepak maqasid’; we hold the programme at coffee shops and mamak eateries. The programme, started two years ago, was made together with people who like to discuss about heavy scholarly matters. We always discuss about philosophy and we invite anyone who is willing to join us.

We have invited university lecturers to the programme and we also invite those who are not known as scholars but they do read voraciously and they write heavy stuff on Facebook – people like Benz Ali, Megat Hanis. The programme, available for view on YouTube, sees these people talk about religion and even politics. We have invited Amanah leader Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

I don’t believe in the concept of religion solving everything. I believe religion must be integrated with other fields of knowledge. Sometimes, I see there are doctors who are more religious than religious teachers. So I don’t think my children should be religious teachers. They can be doctors and lawyers. As long as they are religious, they will be greater than a religious teacher.

Religion is not something that one obtains from reading the Quran and hadith (sayings and deeds of the Prophet). I think someone who doesn’t read the Quran and hadith is more noble than someone who reads the Quran but has no values.

I HAVE WRITTEN 13 BOOKS. They are mostly not so controversial. Other books considered radical are like ‘Ulama yang Bukan Pewaris Nabi’ (Scholars who are not the Prophet’s successors). My latest book is ‘Aku Bukan Kafir’ (I’m not a non-believer). The book talks about how thinking will increase one’s iman (faith). Some say that thinking makes a person leave the religion but I think those who don’t think are the ones who do.

MALAYSIANS KINI is a series on Malaysians you should know.

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