A pseudoscientific "ideology" dubbed the New Age Movement has drawn widespread attention in Malaysia after Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Marhamah Rosli was accused of being an adherent.

The allegation resurfaced after Marhamah's old Facebook post from Sept 20, 2019, recently went viral on social media.

This Kiniguide looks at what New Age is, how it works, why it has become an issue among Muslims, and how exactly Marhamah is involved.

What is the New Age Movement?

New Age is a term referring to a collection of various unstructured beliefs, spiritual practices, and philosophies that began to spread widely in the West around the mid-20th century.

It has no specific founder, holy scripture, central leadership structure, or a central organised group.

British sociologist Paul Heelas called it "an eclectic hotchpotch of beliefs, practices, and ways of life" that shared commonalities in describing the human and universal condition and how it can be transformed.

A common set of beliefs that link various groups or practices under the New Age umbrella, such as self-transformation, mind awareness, holistic healing, and the relationship between emotion, body, and the universe.

In the present day, this is manifested in theories and practices such as the law of attraction, alternative healing using "energy" or crystals, and blending of Eastern traditions such as chakras with modern Western-based pseudosciences.

Why is New Age an issue for Muslims?

Various beliefs associated with New Age conflict with Islamic beliefs and practices.

This includes the concept that humans possess creative power, "divine energy", or can unite with God.

Likewise, the belief that human thought and emotional waves emit universal energy that determines sustenance and fate can be in conflict with the Islamic belief of divine decree and predestination, and that God provides all.

Meanwhile, alleged practices that reportedly meld New Age ideas and Islamic beliefs, such as opening the Quran at random to seek answers and as a means of divination, also contradict the faith.

What are the accusations against Marhamah?

The accusations against Marhamah stem from her alleged activities prior to becoming a deputy minister.

In particular, it concerns her alleged promotion of practices such as "quantum prayers" and New Age concepts such as a "law of vacuum" and how it can be applied to Islamic practices.

She is also alleged to have sold courses and sessions that promote quantum dreams, quantum blockage release, among others.

These allegations stem from various screenshots reportedly taken from her past Facebook postings and those of groups associated with her.

While Malaysiakini has not been able to independently find such postings, Marhamah (above) has not disputed it and has even acknowledged such posts - albeit disputing its interpretation.

Has Jakim taken any action?

The Islamic Development Department (Jakim), alongside the Federal Territory mufti and the department's panel of akidah experts, conducted a comprehensive investigation and organised a meeting with Marhamah to examine the matter from the perspective of faith and New Age ideology.

Following this, Jakim director-general Sirajuddin Suhaimee said that they put forward several actions and official rulings, including reprimands, advice, and guidance regarding the content and details of past programmes by Marhamah identified as having implications on religion and faith.

Marhamah was asked to correct and refine any approaches or content that could cause confusion in faith, while ensuring that any future religious content remains grounded in the discipline of Islamic knowledge and the views of official authorities.

At the same time, Jakim urged the public not to make hasty conclusions based on viral materials without verification or when understood out of context.

Federal Territory Mufti Ahmad Fauwaz Fadzil said his party takes any deviation from faith seriously and called on Muslims to always adhere firmly to the fatwas issued.

"Authentic faith is the pillar of the ummah's strength. Safeguarding it is a shared responsibility," he said.

How has Marhamah responded?

The senator stressed that she remains firm in adhering to the faith of Sunni Islam and rejected the New Age Movement.

Marhamah said any posts or use of terms made previously in the context of self-development were done without realising they were linked to New Age elements.

Therefore, she apologised for all the confusion that arose while emphasising her commitment to always refer to religious authorities in every administrative approach.

She also stressed that the outcome of the meeting with Jakim confirmed there was no dispute regarding her faith and cleared her of any involvement with the New Age Movement.