Dear Maldives,
The kind of grandiose, egomaniacal, demagogic display one sees in many Maldivians may appear to be a case of too much self-love. But in fact, it is not love at all. It is hate. It is sadness. It is self loathing. It is an aggressive reaction to rejection. No genuine self love there at all.
When one feels powerless to turn this hatred against another, to vent it outwardly, it is turned inward and becomes depression. Then it is seen for what it really is. Emptiness, sadness, hunger for true love, a desparate craving for a sense of genuine self dignity.
So, I would like to tell you that every Maldivian, the mentally insane, the lonely and rejected, the victim of abuse, the aggressive power hungry politician, all, each and every Maldivian is special, unique, and sacred, for one reason, YOU are deeply precious to the Creator as the pinnacle of a Creation done out of the purpose of Self-Sacrificial Love.
When I read about a young man from Velidhoo committing suicide, and about children being killed in gang warfare, I know that that the angel’s grieve for you Maldivians, because they feel how special you are.
I am sorry to get on this website and quack on and on but I have seen too much sadness in your paradise, sadness expressing itself mainly as hatred, yet I can see that underneath it is sadness. I have too much caring for your ppl, because I can see how sensitive and intelligent, how beautiful Maldivians are, and it aches my heart to see people so sacred dying. I can’t help it.
Not enough respect for the sacredness of human dignity, not enough compassion for the mentally challenged and for the victim of sexual abuse because not enough genuine self respect.
I can’t wait to meet the young man from Velidhoo who committed suicide in paradise because there he will know how sacred he really is…
Ben Plewright
All letters are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write a letter piece, please submit it to [email protected]
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Dear Ben
what you said is very true in general someone with enough competence to care, has to live in a state of depression in this country.
Also you should know according to Islamic theology committing suicide guaranty you hell, same as like commuting Kufur
My friend: "Hey there's this Aussie chap on Minivan who is married to a Maldivian and is very apologetic towards us and he even THINKS like us!"
Me: "Oh, dear God, take me now!"
@nirvana and all others... thoughts jumped into my head...
I am a Muslim I believe and try follow Qur'an and Sunnah to best of my ability...but I am not convinced that Allah would block this young man from Jannah...Because it is not the way I understand the Sunnah... Got 2 minutes here have to get this out quickly...um...
First of all... The Arabic language is very different to say English or perhaps Dhivehi, many truths in Arabic are expressed in through incredible exagguration. An Arab will proclaim, Today was worst day in universe when he has a less than average day, or... best day ever for a better than avaerage day... Or read Sunnah, it says, for some small sin a good man burned in hell and for some small good deed a bad man went to heaven... It is NOT Literal...what is being expressed is... the gravity of things, of small good and small bad is very huge Allah is both very Merciful yet very JUST... I lived with Arabs and I learnt not to take many things too literally,
Islamic Law as it came to us through the Madhab's was influenced by Christian greek influenced thought which interprets things literally. For proof that Suhaba did not interpret apply things literally, Umar bin Khattab did not cut off hand in famine as this was Istihsan, Juristic preference over hadd, opinion over what is Sunnah or Hadd...
One is not meant to take all the Sunnah literally word for word, but one must understand the meaning behind the Sunnah
Of course, suicide is a grave sin, but consider this please, our Nabi (SAW) was trying to express the depth and gravity of this sin... do you know what I mean, very serious sin so its punishment was expressed in grand, exaggurated metaphor (a lot of language used must be understood as metaphorical...)
However, to assume, to take it literally in EVERY case has this problem, it is not consistent with the Wahi 9revelation) oof Allah in the Qur'an as Arrahman Arrahim which means the MOST merciful!!! MOST merciful... not very merciful MOST mercifull..
ok, so a normally merciful liberal thinker like me would reason, Allah would forgive, and yet I am not even as Merciful as Allah because he is the MOST merciful... so if I am willing to be forgiving, though it is Allah's decision, surely Allah is able to be twenty times MORE forgiving, or must be more merciful than me,,, so impossible that he could refuse this young man...
Also, this guy was a victim of psychological murder... he did not take his own life,,, he was rejected by a cruel law which forbade him from being with one he loved, the society killed him, he was dead emotionally, psychologically because no social services good enough to help him, not enough social compassion, he was already DEAD spiritually, his will to live was already KILLED!!! so he was killed before he took his own life, SO to speak...
Therefore, he guilt is not on him, but on the society,,,,
WE as ppl who should have helped him,,, us other human beings, will be the ones held accountable for his death...
When i first became a Muslim, it was explained to me that Muslims are responsible for one another, Azabiyya, solidaaity, this purpiose of Jihad for example, and Sadaqah...
I believe, yes, suicides experience Jahannum, hell fire, BUT this man has ALLREADY experienced Jahannum BEFORE he died, his hell was the pain, the sadness...
So he has already been punished...
I am of the opinion, Allah will be Merciful to him even if he spends time in burning for a bit...
Of course, i never said suicide is righrt, it is a grave sin,,, and is punished, but in the ultimate, Allah is Merciful
I hope the boys gf and loved ones can believe in the depth of Allah's mercy deeper than the literalists who belittle the benevolent greatness of Allah...
In a manner of speaking what you said is quite right, but this isn't my non Arab opinion on this, Imam Shafii from Abdul Manaf Quraishi tribe, whom sunni muslims consider a great authority interpreted it in such manner.
But then again who knows Islam has a lot of contradiction pertaining to scholarship of sunna and hadith.
Nirvana, my Muslim Ikhwan, Shukrun for your help, I also have this to add about your comment about Imam Al-Shaafi...
Imam Al-Shaafi intepreted through the lens of Greek thought... The order and structure he used was in some part influenced by the thought of Aristotle, so, his thinking and interpretation were influenced by Greek literalism which is a shock because his ARABIC WAS SUBLIME...
Al-Shaafi listed authority of Islamic Sources in order of authority, most authority, Qur'an, (followed by Sunnah, Ijma, Al-Qiyas Ijtihad(direct analogy reasoning) and then only Al-Rai Ijtihad (reason based on independant thought... Now, my opinion is based on Qur'an and Sunnah without even having to stretch to being too independant or creative...
I have in front of me Kitab At-Tauhid written by Sheik-ul-Islaam Ibn Abdul-Wahabb... It is a small collection of Ayat's and Ahadith... I am sure you know that... It says, in chapter 2, the superiority of Tauhid and what it removes from sins:
Narrated Ubadah bin As-Samit (May Allah be pleased with him), that Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said:
"Whoever testifies that there is nothing worthy of worship in truth (no God) except Allah Alone, Who is without (peer or) partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, and that 'Iesa (Jesus) is the slave of Allah, His Messenger, and His Word which He bestowed in Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (created) from Him, and that Paradise & Hell-fire are realities, Allah will admit him into Paradise, whatever his deeds might be." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3252)
Whatever his deeds may be... Did you get that... I have no doubt the Young Man who suicided died praying to Allah in his heart... I have no doubt...
Now, in case you have an issue with my declaration that we are not resposible for one another...
Well, I know it says that we are not responsible for one another, but the context of that is when Prophet's own Beloved Uncle did not say Shahada, i.e. it meant we are not responsible for a persons eternal destination, that is Taqdir only, the Al-Qadar, only Allah gives the Hidaya... the guidance...
But in a social sense, in this life, we ARE responsible for each other, many Hadith and Ayat's demonstrate this...For example, Sahih Muslim and Bukhari says, "He who eats to his full whilst his Brother is Hungry is not a Muslim..."
It also says in the Hadith's that Ummah is like one Body, if one suffers all Body Suffers,
both Qur'an and Ahadith says our hearts are joined by Allah, we are Wahid, the Muwahiddun, those of Oneness...
In Qur'an, Surah 4: 75, for example, it rebukes those who refuse to J-H-D (struggle) for others. Though this J-H-D referred to Al-Qital (fighting) it says it is FOR the victims of the Zalimun (the tyrants), a struggle for the Masakin (the poor) who are desribed in both Qur'an and Ahadith as being those closest to Allah...
Here it is, Surah 4: 75, the ultimate example that we are responsible for each other... "And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, illtreated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help.” [Soorah an-Nisaa'4:75]
sorry, another important point...
I do adknowledge that Qur'an says about suicide, in Surah 4, it does say: "And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allaah is Most Merciful to you}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 29].
However, the threat of hell is not mentioned here.
When the Qur'an orders one not to kill in other chapters, it is in reference to murder of another, not suicide.
And I also adknowledge there are many Ahadith where the Prophet says that a suicide victim will go to hell. But these again, have to be interpreted through the understanding of extreme Arabic metaphor. In fact, dowload some ahadith about suicide, google it, and it will be apparent to anyone that the language is metaphorical. It talks about a person stabbing himself forever and drinking poison forever... I am surprised anyone can take these literally.
I am surprised and feel sorry for Mr Saeed, unnecessarily worrying about things that are happening here....well, i agree with Saeed on the issue he raised but why i am surprised and feel soory for him is because we all know that shop owners be it in Male', Hulhumale', Villingili or elsewhere can openly sell rotten food items like old stocks from the importer go-downs and make money...Importers can import smelly cabbage packed in gunny bags though they are so smelly...bags look like mixed with cow dungs but dumped into a lorry, get out of Customs and let the cheap laborers clean them and display for sale. FDA says they are doing their job to the best of their ability....Customs feel it's FDA's duty to decide the required standard....we don't see anyone from the Trade Ministry or Food and Drug Authority (FDA) monitoring shops if expired goods or goods unsuitable for human consumption being sold or displayed in the shops, even in the shops, teashops, cafe' or restaurants, we see unskilled laborers doing everything, including cashiers job but there is no government or non-government agency that monitors and taking action...So, Mr Saeed, why are u worrying about such issues???? take it easy and breath normally
guys, this man is a kaafar. he goes to the church every sunday according to his friends and other maldivians in perth. how dare you ostrasize other people when you are such a hypocrite ben plewright. you should burn in hell. nobody loves you. not even your own family. so if i were you, i would try to fic up my own life before i go around preaching to others.
@Wake Up,
Thankyou for displaying an open demonstration of your small minded aggressiveness for the world to see the type of small minded mentality which is holding back, no, repressing, decent, open minded Maldivians. Anyway, why be such a coward Wake UP, if you so evidently know me so well, who are you?
@Wake UP! nobody has any right calling another a kaafir. I sure as hell am no Kaafir, so you know what is said, if one calls one a kaafir, one of them is!
Where the hell do Maldivians get these fantasies from>
@Wake Up, I am sorry that I come across as angry and insulting at times, but it is my love and frustration for Maldivians I know who are, who feel oppressed by certain things that provokes my anger. If you read my stuff deeply, you would sense that actually I love and care for Maldivians. But please refrain from making false accusations.