Involvement in ISIS 'haram' - Mufti

The move taken by a number of Malaysian citizens to join the terror organisation, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is inappropriate and haram (forbidden) to be pursued.

Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria said this in response to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's concerns over the conflict in Iraq and Syria, as well as the involvement of militant activities which had affected the stability of those countries.

"They (ISIS followers) are not categorised as martyrs because the organisation fights against and kills their fellow Muslim brothers. It is a domestic rebel movement.

"As such, Malaysian citizens who join the organisation with the intention to fulfill the obligation of jihad will find that it is a vain effort as ISIS' principles contravene the principles of Islam, hence making it haram in Islam," Harussani told Bernama when contacted.

Meanwhile, Kelantan Mufti Datuk Muhammad Shukri said Muslims in Malaysia should first try to gain better understanding on the meaning of jihad.

"Is it jihad if we simply fight each other, with strong determination and serious intention?

"Yes, we are required to fulfil our obligations of jihad, but the question now is whether we are joining the right organisation?" he said.

Muhammad said the decision to fulfil the obligation of jihad must be made based on the principles of Islam.

"As Muslims, we cannot simply fight and kill each other, but if the fight is not a contravention of the Islamic law and principles, then the intention to participate in such a fight is right.

"As such, I would like to advise those who want to join such a fight to study and monitor the organisation first and be extra careful not to participate in any organisations that contravene Islamic principles," he said.

The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Government and International Studies of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Assoc Prof Ahmad Marthada Mohamed said there was no need for Malaysian citizens to join the fight bandied about by ISIS as it was purely geopolitical.

"ISIS is not actually upholding the true Islamic principles, they are fighting to establish a government or the Islamic state in Iraq and Syria, hence making it more of a political agenda than a religious agenda," he said.

As such, he said it was hoped that the government could give more explanation to the people on ISIS, especially about its fight, causes and objectives that contravened the principles of Islam, so that the participation of Malaysian citizens in the organisation, directly or indirectly, could be reduced.

Besides, he said, the government should also combat all movements that were trying to recruit Malaysians as terrorists because Isis had also been detected to have expanded their activities to the people at the grassroots.

"Stern action must be taken against those who organise the recruitment, we can do this because we have law on this and because the problem has been deemed threatening," he said.

Dean of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Prof Emeritus Datuk Mahmood Zuhdi Abdul Majid, on the other hand, stressed that the obligation of jihad differed from one country or province to another.

Hence, he proposed for Malaysia to have an Islamic jurisprudence as the fatwa (edict) issued by the international ulama might be apt for one country, but not in the context of other countries.

As such, he said the edict issued by the middle eastern ulama might be suitable to be implemented in certain middle eastern countries, but not in Malaysia as Malaysia had different sets of approach in solving problems.

Prior to this, a news portal had reported that a family of four, comprising the parents, their 18-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son, became the first Malaysian family to join ISIS, along with 30 other Malaysian citizens.

Last Saturday, Najib, in a joint press conference with his Australian counterpart, Tony Abbott, had said Malaysia would work together with the international community to combat the militant organisation and its influence.

This is because ISIS does not represent Islam, is a misnomer and does not do justice to Islam, he said.