GEORGETOWN: Islamic parties are human creations and are not inherently sacred or divine, thus they do not bind a Muslim, said Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor.
Therefore, he added, it is not a sin, let alone an act of disbelief, for any Muslim to not support an Islamic party or vote for another party.
Wan Salim stated that it is only undue fanaticism that drives someone to equate human creations with divine creations.
"Any individual or group can claim to champion Islam.
"But this claim must be clearly demonstrated in the realities of life. It must be remembered that Islam will not stand on slogans alone; it is established through the practice of a prosperous and virtuous life for the people, alongside good, clean and efficient governance of state.
"On the contrary, Islam can be established wisely without proclaiming it to the public, such as by implementing social justice, distributing welfare, eradicating poverty, combating corruption and vices and so on," he said in a statement here today.
Earlier, Berita Harian reported that Kelantan menteri besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud denied his claim of labelling two BN and PH representatives in Kelantan as opposing the values championed by Islam.
Instead, the Meranti state assemblyman emphasised that in his referred speech, he only mentioned the values of Islam and not of them going against Islam as alleged by the two involved representatives.
Wan Salim emphasised the importance of internalising all Islamic teachings in the governance of the country and the lives of its citizens. He said that in a diverse country like Malaysia, vocalising the fight to uphold Islam might not be wise, but what's important is for Muslims to practice Islamic teachings themselves, which will automatically make Islam stronger and more established in the country.
"It is necessary to distinguish between Islam and Islamic parties, where Islam is a sacred mission based on divine revelation.
"Every Muslim is obligated to be bound by their religion (Islam) in terms of faith and practice, by obeying all the laws stipulated in the Quran and Sunnah. On the other hand, an Islamic party is merely a human creation as a platform to champion Islam or implement all teachings through governance," he further explained.
