Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah has issued a reminder that the spread of slander and hatred, especially on social media, is increasingly causing division among the ummah.
He said the community is daily exposed to insulting, degrading and mocking words against those with differing views, creating a culture that runs contrary to Muslim manners and Malay customs.
“Without piety, the tongue and the fingers that type become unchecked instruments of harm,” he said when gracing the Maulidur Rasul 1447H celebration in Ipoh tonight.
Sultan Nazrin said the ummah today faces the challenge of striving for unity with the spirit of ukhuwah (kinship), grounded in harmony.
He said disputes among political factions, schools of thought and races have sparked polemics within the community.
“The ummah seems to have forgotten the counsel of Prophet Muhammad, who forbade mockery, offensive labels, suspicion, gossip, slander and passing judgment without proper inquiry.”
Sultan Nazrin said behaviour that goes beyond limits leads to division, with those lacking in manners and customs setting aside religious injunctions and cultural refinement.
“The result is harmful as religious values are distorted, traditions are neglected and the beliefs of the Muslim community, especially among the younger generation, become misguided.”
Sultan Nazrin also said the younger generation needs to be reminded of the bitter history of colonialism and the long struggle for independence.
He said the time separating independence from the present generation makes it harder for them to understand the suffering of colonisation, the meaning of freedom and the spirit of unity that once brought together people of many races and religions.
“Agreements made in the past must not be taken lightly or called into question, particularly at a time when mutual trust and respect are eroding, fanned by political rhetoric that chooses to exploit issues of race and religion,” he noted.
