The recent and still on-going conundrum surrounding the term ‘Allah’ is mind boggling.

On the one side it has been that this word has been used by Christian Arabs, Christians Indonesians, Christian Malaysians especially in Sabah and Sarawak, and by the Sikhs to mean God. If we look even cursorily there can be many more cultures and communities all over the world using Allah to mean God.

On the other side we have the narrow Malay-Muslim mind with the thinking that this word only refers to the Muslim God Allah Almighty.

To the Malay mind Allah is a virtual name of his monotheistic God. Abdullah Mohd Zin, minister in the prime minister’s department and quoting on the authority of the prime minister himself, puts it thus: ‘it has long been the practice of this country that the word Allah refers to God according to the Muslim faith’.

There can be some confusion here for while the former stance relates to God describing an entity of transcendence, the latter refers more to it being His Name. This confusion can easily flare into conflict as it has done in this round of serious debate.

I have been studying the Malay mindset for quite a while and am now at the final preparations of publishing a book on it, with the tentative title ‘Visiting the Malay Mindset’.

I have some ideas this subject, which on this particular case I’d share my views on the subject in question.

Alternative meanings

To me the fact of the matter is that the re-iteration that ‘Allah’ can have at least three alternative meanings:

i . Allah as the name of the Malay-Muslim God. This has been the Malay perception all these while and are comfortable with it.

ii . It is the word for God in Arabic, which therefore is commonly used by non-Muslim Arabs. Arabs have been known to use it since the time of Abraham or Nabi Ibrahim (about 19th century BC) to the time Islam came into existence (at the seventh century AD).

iii . It is also the word for God used by non-Muslim and non-Arab cultures, although borrowing it from Arabic. This is where our East Malaysian fellow citizens come into the picture, as well as the Sikhs.

The generic Malay mind however is not privy to elaborate and extensive conceptualisation and deep theoretical constructs, so his understanding has been confined solely to alternative (i) above.

The rest of the world especially the advanced First World subscribe to alternatives (ii) and (iii).

The Malay mind has absolutely no idea that alternatives (ii) and (iii) can ever be possible. Until recently that is with the present outpouring conundrum.

To the Malay mind too, he is right and Very Right with his alternative (i) view. Others with their alternatives (ii) and (iii) views therefore are wrong, and Very Wrong.

Ninety-nine names

Let’s have a closer look at the facts of the matter once more. The fact is that all Muslims are taught and aware that Tuhan or God of Islam has ninety-nine names, most if not all of them indicating the superlative attributes of Allah.

I mention some of them: Al-Rahman (the Most Loving), Al-Rahim (the Most Kind), Al-Ghani (Rich and Infinite), Al-Muhyi (Giver of life), Al-Alim (Knower of all things), Al-Kalimah (the Producer of speech).

Some other names of God are inconsistent with the superlative virtues and are thus not so flattering, like Al-Halim (the utterly forbearing one) and Al-Qabid (He who Takes Away). Our ulamas might be able to shed some light here.

The most important point is that ‘Al-Lah’ is not in this list, proof enough that this term is not the name of God Almighty; proof enough that only the Malay mindset seems to think it is so.

Now that the Malay is exposed to two other possible alternative meanings to the word ‘Allah’, he is confused, for this revelation is a virtual frontal attack to his concept of truth, and to his perspective of the status quo.

In this case I make the very well known point that the Malay-dominated government will do everything in its power to pacify Malay religious sensitivity, by equating the phrase ‘Malay sensitivity’ with ‘right’ and ‘truth’.

To the government therefore all Malay sensitivities are right and the truth, and are to be protected at all times and even at all costs. Malay sensitivity is to be protected here, thus the directive issued by the Minister above.

The government’s move to spare the Malay mind from further confusion is to me not a wise thing to do in the long term. To do so would tantamount to sweeping the problem under the carpet.

By doing so the Malay mind will never ever learn that there can be the three possible ways of understanding the word ‘Allah’ with him privy to only one. The Malay mind will never be aware of his intellectual deficiency, from this experience, and will continue to think erroneously along alternative (i) when the rest of the world is thinking along alternatives (ii) and (iii).

Maintaining the status quo

With this government directive issued, publications like the Herald are to use ‘Tuhan’ instead of ‘Allah’ in their articles.

Non-Muslims are furthermore not to use ‘Allah’ but ‘Tuhan’ whenever they have occasion to utter the concept of god in their daily affairs, including when in their non-Islamic prayers.

The Malay-led government has been able to re-establish the status quo. So in this country ‘Allah’ is to remain as the virtual name of God, well within the context of the Malay-Muslim understanding of it. It is thus reserved for the exclusive use of Muslims only.

I would have gone along with the government’s decree and decision on this case. To paraphrase the prime minister, peace and stability is preferred over Malay confusion.

But I find it not so easy humour and accept Malay confusion, which to me is more of intellectual deficiency, in the name of peace and stability. To me it is suppressing truth and truth has a way of hitting out when it gets out of the suppression.

The Malay must therefore be taught the truth. It is the only way he can come out be able to join the ranks of the technically and intellectually advanced communities he so desperately wished to do for so long.

The crux of the matter is that the government’s way of protecting the Malay confusion would only mean he shall never be able to get out of the status quo, not that he ever wants to anyway.

When can he then be able to intellectually join the ranks of the advanced countries (which includes the joining the advanced mindset this ranking requires)? When pertinent issues such as this is not addressed but swept away, the time may never come.

This leaves me with another nagging point. If the rest of the world is wrong, why are the Malays still trying to join the international community of advanced nations, complete with their advanced mindset, and to wit, invariably saying that ‘Allah’ means ‘God’, that is, any god?

Are the Malays not wishing to join hands with the blasphemous and apostate rest of the world?

Well, I did say at the very start that this case is mind boggling.