Al-Arqam is a
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n-based Islamic religious sect, founded by
Ashaari Mohammad
Haji Ashaari Mohammad (30 October 1937 – 13 May 2010) was the leader of the Malaysian-based Islamic religious sect Al-Arqam. The sect was banned by in Malaysia by the federal government on 21 October 1994. He and other Al-Arqam members wer ...
. The sect was banned by the Malaysian
federal government on 21 October 1994. More than 5 Al-Arqam members including Ashaari Mohammad (leader of movement) were arrested under
Internal Security Act Internal Security Act may refer to:
* Internal Security Act 1960, former Malaysian law
*Internal Security Act (Singapore)
* McCarran Internal Security Act, a United States federal law
*Suppression of Communism Act, 1950, a South African law, rename ...
(ISA) in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
and were flown back to Malaysia to be detained.
The sect is associated with the Global Ikhwan group of companies. Since the banning of Al-Arqam, a number of activities sponsored by the group have been attracted widespread media attention and criticism, including the ''Ikhwan Polygamy Club'' and the ''
Obedient Wives Club,'' which have been seen as attempts to revive Al-Arqam.
Two books written by Khadijah Aam, Ashaari Mohammad's wife, have been banned on religious grounds, including the claim that Ashaari Mohammad had been empowered by Allah with supernatural powers.
Origins
The movement, also known as Darul Arqam, started life as a relatively small group that withdrew into its own fairly remote peasant-style, self-contained community that practised strict adherence to an Islamic code and developed a home-based economy.
In 1968, when Ashaari, who was an ex-government religious teacher, commenced a low profile ''halaqah'' (study group circle) at
Kampung Datuk Keramat, a Malay suburb of
Kuala Lumpur
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.
Initially, the group was better known as the Rumah Putih (white house) since the house where they met was painted white.
In the initial two years of its existence, the group received negative and sometimes apprehensive public response as the members stood out in their attire of white robes.
At one stage, the group was accused by its neighbourhood of being ''dakwah songsang'' which meant deviating from orthodox Islamic teachings and hence to be confronted.
Yet the group grew and was attracting an increasing number of young Malays.
On 28 February 1971, the group decided to change its name to Darul Arqam, in memory of a companion to Prophet Muhammad,
Arqam ibn Abi Arqam, who allowed his house in Makkah to be used as the early meeting place for Muslims.
Ashaari and his followers attempted to join other
dakwah
Dawah ( ar, دعوة, lit=invitation, ) is the act of inviting or calling people to embrace Islam. The plural is ''da‘wāt'' (دَعْوات) or ''da‘awāt'' (دَعَوات).
Etymology
The English term ''Dawah'' derives from the Arabic ...
groups such as the
Jamaat al-tabligh and ABIM.
They attempted to join the former but withdrew due to methodological and philosophical differences.
Later they joined
ABIM of which they enjoyed a cordial and friendly relationship.
For instance, Ashaari himself was even offered a post as ABIM chief in
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
of which he declined.
He was later appointed ABIM chief of the dakwah bureau in the same state.
Sungai Penchala
1975 marked a new and significant chapter in Al-Arqam's history when the movement moved to a new and permanent premise in five-hectare land at
Kampung Sungai Penchala
Kampung Sungai Penchala is a small Malay village in the Segambut constituency in northwestern Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with the postcode 60000 KUALA LUMPUR, lying along the Federal Territory–Selangor border. This village is next to Taman Tun Dr ...
, twenty kilometres northeast of downtown
Kuala Lumpur
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closed north from
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail is a nearly half a decade old mid sized township in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Situated on the border of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, it is within the vicinity of relatively newer townships including Bandar Utama Damansara, ...
.
The Arqam village at Sungai Penchala did not only become the main base but also became a model of an ideal Islamic village.
The five-hectare land encompassed a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
, a lecture hall, dormitories, offices, a school, houses and shops.
The movement's dakwah mission became more organised and were subsequently augmented by the publication of books, magazines, newspapers, and production of audio-visual materials.
Membership and structure
Al-Arqam was an urban based movement and its membership was heavily drawn from educated
Malays.
There was no official membership as members need not fill a form or pay a fee for one can be accepted into the fold as long as one subscribed to the rules of Islamic teachings, participated in the movement's programs and sacrificed oneself for the sake of religion, one automatically became an Arqam member.
Hence, it is very difficult to give an accurate estimation of the membership numbers although it was estimated that prior to its ban the group had between 10,000 and 12,000 members excluding sympathies and associate members.
It was also estimated that the movement had as many as 200,000 sympathizers.
Many of those who joined the group were from peasant origins but it also attracted support from middle-class urban Malays, including those from the government service.
Al-Arqam's organisational structure was called the Majlis Syuyukh.
The administration was headed by Amir Muhammadiah, who was Ashaari himself whom in turn, was assisted by two deputies called Amir Representative One and Amir Representative Two.
His three sons, Fakrul Razi (Amir's Representative 2), Mohd Nizamuddin (Assistant Representative of Principal Amir 1), Mohd Nasrullah (Deputy Amir 2) and his son-in-law Khairul Anuar Ujang (Vice Principal Amir 2) were securely placed in important positions.
Arqamnomics
The movement was perhaps famous for its approach to economics. Arqamomics refers to Al-Arqam approach to the economy – an approach that embraces Islamic philosophies, theories and practices.
The three principles undergirding Arqamnomics were not to seek excessive profits or accumulate wealth, an
Islamic economy were based on human energy, natural resources, expertise, knowledge, economic thinking, effort, consistency and prayers and finally, an economy free from
riba
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supp ...
(
interest
In finance and economics, interest is payment from a borrower or deposit-taking financial institution to a lender or depositor of an amount above repayment of the principal sum (that is, the amount borrowed), at a particular rate. It is distin ...
),
monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...
, forbidden sources, unpaid
loan
In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...
,
fraud and deception.
The movement attempted to build a chain of business activities locally and abroad and it was considered successful in integrating its principles in almost every aspect of its economic activities.
Al-Arqam's main emphasis was on producing
halal
''Halal'' (; ar, حلال, ) is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the Quran, the word ''halal'' is contrasted with '' haram'' (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification k ...
(permissible) food which was managed by its Department of Economic Affairs.
For almost 16 years from 1977 to 1994, Al-Arqam's economic activities were centred on the fardu kifayah economy which included halal food and beverages, retail outlets such as mini markets, groceries and book shops and a distribution centre.
The Arqam Group of Companies was officially launched in 1993, the movement expanded its economic activities to include commercial and strategic interests. Its technology industry, managed by the Science and Technology Department, ventured into the advanced technology by establishing Spectra Technology, a company which provided maintenance service to oil companies such as
Esso Production,
Shell Oil Refinery,
Petronas Group of Companies and also a semi-government state utility company,
Tenaga Nasional Berhad
Tenaga Nasional Berhad (, abbreviated as TNB; TENAGA, ), also known as Tenaga Nasional or simply Tenaga, is the Malaysian multinational electricity company and is the only electric utility company in Peninsular Malaysia and also the largest p ...
.
Arqam's Department of Agriculture acquired of land to set up its Agricultural Complex Training Centre at Batu Hampar, Manjung,
Perak.
The Department also owned a paddy field in
Penang and a plantation in
Sabah
Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory o ...
. It land assets were valued at RM 8.9 million whereas the value of its vehicle and machinery equipment reached RM 3.7 million.
The movement also operated businesses and own properties in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
, the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
and
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
.
In Indonesia, the movement set up soya and shoe factories at
Tasikmalaya
en, Neaty City
, nickname = nl, Delhi Van Java en, Delhi of Java
, image_skyline =
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Clockwise from the top: Great Mosque of Tasi ...
, hairdressing saloon and grocery stores in
Jakarta and
Medan
Medan (; English: ) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, as well as a regional hub and financial centre of Sumatra. According to the National Development Planning Agency, Medan is one of the four mai ...
and in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
, the movement ran a chain of grocery shops.
Socio-religious activities
Al-Arqam was focused on missionary activities and they were pursued domestically and internationally.
Their missionary activities were performed in the form of religious discourse or talk which members or sympathizers of the movement would organise the religious discourse in their house.
They would invite the people in the neighbourhood to attend it.
Al-Arqam's base at Sungai Pencala would be another place to stage such religious discourses.
The main attraction of Arqam's religious talks was it leaders' ability, especially Ashaari, to deliver lectures which attracted thousands of people all over Peninsular Malaysia.
Arqam's missionary activities also expanded abroad as one of their goals was to open as many branches as possible.
According to Muhammad Syukri Salleh (1995), Al-Arqam branches were set up with largely indigenous membership around the world especially in Southeast Asia and Europe.
As technology improved, Al-Arqam's religious lectures were recorded and distributed by the movement's two companies – Tele-Video Arqam and Audio-Video-Arqam.
Its cassettes and videos were sold in the thousands and prior to the ban, Al-Arqam
nasyid
A nasheed (Arabic: singular ', plural ', meaning: "chants") is a work of vocal music, partially coincident with hymns, that is either sung '' a cappella'' or with instruments, according to a particular style or tradition within Islam.
Nashee ...
(religious songs) group, Nada Murni, were regularly screened on the government-controlled television and radio station-
Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).
With regards to the print media, Al-Arqam's official newspaper was first published in July 1977 in the Jawi script with the circulation of 25,000.
All these media activities were administered by the movement's Department of Information.
Education was another important aspect of Al-Arqam's social activities.
Administered by its Department of Guidance and Education, Al-Arqam's primary and secondary schools drew controversies as they were not formally registered with the state and had a different syllabus from the official national curriculum.
It only emphasised on religious education. In 1994, the movement had 257 schools throughout Malaysia with an enrolment of 9541 students and 696 teachers.
The movement also set up its own 'university' at Pekan Baru, Indonesia.
Al-Arqam's social welfare model was premised on the concept of maasy (equality of income distribution based on needs).
In this socialist-style arrangement, all members regardless of occupation received a salary based on needs.
The nature of the job and qualification were not a factor in determining one's salary as the movement's maasy concept was based on the needs of the person concerned.
For example, an electrician with five children would receive a higher income than a doctor with no children.
Ashaari himself articulated that the movement was trying to maintain the ''ukhwah Islamiah'' (a bond of brotherhood) which aimed to distribute resources to the underprivileged and needy.
Challenges to the state
In 1986, the religious authorities was alarmed by Ashaari's book Aurad which claimed that Prophet Muhammad and the four caliphs not only could be met in a dream but also could be confronted physically and consciously in the real world.
The government's
Islamic Developmental Department (JAKIM) argued that some facts and arguments were misleading and could jeopardise the beliefs of the Malaysian Muslims.
The National Fatwa Committee proscribed the book in 1998.
The ban turned into a political controversy when Ashaari refused to abide by it and challenged the decision.
Ashaari decided to leave the country when the issue was debated between the religious establishments and the mainstream media.
There was a tug-of-war between Al-Arqam and JAKIM as the foreign-based Ashaari challenged the religious authority to prove that he was wrong.
Although he was based abroad, several of Ashaari's books were published and circulated in Malaysia by Al-Arqam to defend the movement's position.
The movement also presented an official clarification from Islamic scholars to justify their claim and amongst the scholars were the former Mufti of Brunei, a lecturer in Islamic Studies from
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
The National University of Malaysia ( ms, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, abbreviated as UKM) is a public university located in Bandar Baru Bangi, Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Its teaching hospital, Universiti Kebangsaan Malays ...
and several religious leaders from the pondok and madrasah systems.
The banning of the book Aurad was the beginning of a series of allegations against the movement. Accusations were also made on the widespread malpractice by the movements. According to a publication by Kedah Islamic Affairs Department, the alleged un-Islamic practices included the claim of Prophet Muhammad's attendance at the movement's spiritual healing service, Ashaari's claim that he could identify which member would go to heaven and Ashaari could act as the middle man to communicate with Syeikh Muhammad As-Suhaimi and in turn, the Syeikh can communicate with Prophet Muhammad. The authorities were most concerned with his ability to disseminate the idea that he was the great iman and had the ability to use magical power against the people opposing him.
To strengthen his position in the movement and to win the admiration and respect from members of Al-Arqam, Ashaari made indirect self-proclamations that he was the direct descendant of Prophet Mohammed through the Bani Tamin tribe and his followers should address him as Syeikh Abuya Iman Ashaari Muhammad At-Tamini.
The absolute loyalty paid to Ashaari by his followers meant the leader was given a free hand to chart the social and religious discourse of the movement.
The authorities were also particularly concerned by Ashaari's alleged interpretation of the Quran that a man was initially allowed to have two, then three and finally four wives.
This was compared with the establishment's interpretation that a man was allowed to marry more than one wife only when the man was materially and physically stable and the man must love all his wives equally.
Ashaari himself had four wives and reportedly fathered nearly forty children.
The movement was also accused of performing marriages without the approval from the state Islamic affairs department.
It has been claimed that Ashaari planned to form an Islamic government in Malaysia.
The plan, according to close associates of Ashaari, was conceived from Ashaari's claims that he had regular contact with Mohammad and according to Ashaari, the prophet advised him on the eventual arrival of the Mahdi in Makkah with a caliph from Malaysia.
Ashaari saw himself as the caliph in the region's empire and divided the administration of the region into Malaysia 1 and Malaysia 2.
Malaysia 1 would comprise Peninsula Malaysia and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak and Malaysia 2 covered Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines and Singapore.
Ashaari himself created further political controversy with his claim that the Prophet and himself also discussed Malaysian politics, forecasting the eventual downfall of the
Mahathir government within six months to six years.
He also predicted if Malaysians go to a referendum, he would be more popular than the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
himself.
However, Ashaari denied harnessing his movement toward anti-government activities and argued that everything he did was politics and all he wanted was to see a Malaysian society which loves God and is always mindful of the hereafter.
To add more complexities into the issue, some UMNO politicians were involved in the movement and as a result, the ruling party decided to conduct an investigation on several party leaders and members who were known to be Al-Arqam sympathizers. One MP, Tamrin Ghafar who is a son of former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister
Ghafar Baba
Tun Abdul Ghafar bin Baba ( ms, عبدالغفار بن باب, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 18 February 1925 – 23 April 2006) was a Malaysian politician who served as 6th Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1986 to 1993.
Li ...
, admitted he was a member of the group.
From the UMNO-led government's point of view, these revelations proved that the movement was able to penetrate into the core of the Malaysian political system and garnered considerable sympathy inside the establishment.
The government itself estimated that about 7000 civil servants were involved in the movement itself and after assessing the situation, the government decided to take action against the movement before the situation became beyond the authorities' control. Thus in 1994, the National Fatwa Committee issued a religious decree against the organisation, citing the organisation as 'deviant' and 'deviationist'.
Possible existence of a revolutionary army
The movement's apparent radicalism first alarmed the authorities when nineteen Malaysian students of Al-Arqam were arrested in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
for being allegedly associating with Islamic extremist groups in Egypt and further evidence revealed that the movement was preparing for armed rebellion.
The plan was revealed by former member Abdul Aziz Wahab who was also an ex-Malaysian Navy Assistant Chief. According to the plan, Ashaari planned to stage a coup d'état in the country and Abdul Aziz Wahab would be appointed the Minister of Defence if their plan succeeded.
Abdul Aziz Wahab developed misgivings about the plan when Ashaari suddenly decided to go for the umrah to Mecca and he suspected should the plan fail, he would become the scapegoat while Ashaari escaped. Thus he decided to disclose the evidence to the police.
The authorities also disclosed that the movement had set up a 313-strong army called Tentera Badar believed to be trained in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
.
However, Al-Arqam fiercely denied the allegations in a letter which highlighted that the accusation of the armed group being trained in Thailand implied that Thailand was supporting such an army and would undermine Thai-Malaysian relations. The letter also stated there was no physical evidence of this claim. The Thai government, through its Ambassador to Malaysia categorically denied the existence of the alleged army.
Yet the Malaysian government countered the denials by revealing confessions from an Al-Arqam member Irshadi Abdullah who stated that he and several other Arqam members were among the first to undergo commando training.
In an unusual twist, a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Hamid Othman later admitted that the Army of Badar did not exist in physical terms but rather it was a psychological game inculcated in the mind of the movement's members to believe it actually existed.
The Malaysian government was able to convince the public of the danger posed by the movement by labelling Al-Arqam as a militant group and was actively exposing the deviant activities and teachings via the government-controlled media.
It was labelled a
cult and was compared with the
David Koresh
David Koresh (; born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was an American cult leader who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect and offshoot of the Davidian Se ...
group.
Arrest of Leaders
Finally, in September 1994, eighteen leaders were detained under the
Internal Security Act (Malaysia)
The Internal Security Act 1960 ( ms, Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri 1960, abbreviated ISA) was a preventive detention law in force in Malaysia. The legislation was enacted after the Federation of Malaya gained independence from Britain in 195 ...
. Ashaari himself was arrested by Thai authorities and returned to Malaysia.
The leader was not arrested but was under house arrest and held incommunicado to all except for immediate family members.
Ashaari would spend the next ten years in
Labuan
Labuan (), officially the Federal Territory of Labuan ( ms, Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan), is a Federal Territory of Malaysia. Its territory includes and six smaller islands, off the coast of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. Labuan's capita ...
, a small island just off
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...
.
["Malaysia detains 100 people trying to revive teachings of banned sect" (26 November 2006). Associated Press.] The commune settlements were all closed and all former members prohibited from 'intermingling' to revive the movement.
Outside Malaysia, the movement survived, including a large contingent of followers who moved to Singapore to build and operate a center in an area called the Malay Village in
Geylang
Geylang is a planning area and township located on the eastern fringe of the Central Region of Singapore, bordering Hougang and Toa Payoh in the north, Marine Parade in the south, Bedok in the east, and Kallang in the west.
Geylang is perha ...
.
Ashaari himself blamed
Anwar Ibrahim for the repressive measures taken against Al-Arqam and predicted that the Deputy Prime Minister would pay a political price for this.
Attempts at Revival
According to governmental and news reports, it was believed that former members might be trying at reviving the movement via the 'Rufuqa' corporation. This group was founded by Ashaari in Rawang in spite of being under close surveillance by the state. It had 80 businesses under its wing in Malaysia: mini markets, cafeterias, herbal products, tourism, advertising, furniture, clinics, electronic and multimedia, childcare centres and publishing.
["Malaysia: Heretical Islamic cult returns". (5 December 2006). ''Spero News''.] According to a former member Sheikh Hussein Sheikh Omar, most of the group's businesses are not profitable and they exist to recruit new members to revive Al-Arqam.
He also mentioned that employees were not paid salaries but rather channel the earnings to the leaders for a place in heaven.
In November 2006, the Malaysian government raided the upper floor of a bakery and arrested more than 100 people believed to be attempting to revive Al-Arqam.
The authorities subsequently outlawed the group in December the same year.
["Malaysia cracks down on Islamic sect" (22 December 2006). ''TVNZ'', New Zealand.] Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said that legal action would be taken against anyone who tried to re-establish the Al-Arqam.
See also
*
Ashaari Mohammad
Haji Ashaari Mohammad (30 October 1937 – 13 May 2010) was the leader of the Malaysian-based Islamic religious sect Al-Arqam. The sect was banned by in Malaysia by the federal government on 21 October 1994. He and other Al-Arqam members wer ...
*
Obedient Wives Club
References
{{Reflist, 33em
Islam in Malaysia
Islamic branches
Islamic fundamentalism
1994 disestablishments in Malaysia