The Al Arqam organisation founded by Ustaz Ashaari Mohammad came into my notice when while eating in a restaurant, a boy no more than age of 16years politely asked me if I wanted to buy their magazine.
As I like to read and having nothing to read at that time, I decided to buy the magazine.Expensive I thought when told of its price but decided anyway to buy it.
The first thing I noticed was that the quality of the magazine is very good. The prints are somewhat small but the information and the research of its articles is amazing. At that time we have a lot of magazines (still have even now) that print rumors, hearsay and biased towards a certain political group.
Since then I bought every edition of the magazine. I also became interested in the Al Arqam and its way of propagating Islam. I bought some of his books(Uztaz Ashaari) and followed the organization through the normal media and their magazine. I did not go to the headquarters's though I think I should now. My work kept me busy but I tried some of his ideas on educating people, how people can be motivated and how to run organisation.
There were some stories circulating around him and the organisation, some good but most are bad. Stories about him driving in a mercedes while his followers is working their asses off in the street, the stories about Al Arqam women constantly changing husbands and many others. These stories does not seem to destroy the organisation. In fact the organisation becomes stronger by the day and perhaps this fact made Ashaari bold enough to declare that the Aurad Muhammadiah is the path taken by the Al Arqam organisation. He also believed that perhaps he is the best person to run the country.
There is a theory regarding the prime minister of Malaysia follows the alphabet in the name Rahman, the first Prime Minister which is called the R.A.H.M.A.N theory. At that time the Prime Minister of Malaysia was Tun Mahathir and there were suggestions from some of his ardent supporters that perhaps the A after the M in the RAHMAN theory is Ashaari.
Since then suddenly Al Arqam is seen as a potential threat to some people.In August 1994, the Aurad Muhammadiah the path taken by the Al Arqam was declared as deviant and banned by the government of Malaysia.In September 1994,he was arrested under the I.S.A (Internal Security Act) and then put under restricted residence in Rawang and Labuan.In 2004 he was freed.
The organisation he left behind evolved into a business organisation and the people behind the organisation have assimilated into the Malaysian culture life.
If there is an organisation that have made the difference in the malay islamic culture, Al Arqam is the one. Starting with 12 people including the founder, the organisation have managed to change the scenario in Malaysia where in 1968 when the organisation had started, you did not see any tudung being worn by the muslim ladies.The scenario begins to change in the 70s and the 80s when the awareness on the Muslim way of life was beginning to take roots by the movement activities with the slogan Bergembiralah dengan syariah Islam ( be happy with the Islamic syariah).
Nowadays you would see a lot of muslim ladies wearing tudung as soon as they reached child bearing age. Muslims are more aware and even more keen to learn the religion. Not that all these is due to Al Arqam but if Al Arqam did not started its unique ways of educating the Muslims, I believe things would be much different.
For me the passing of Ustaz Ashaari Mohammad is a great loss. From him I learn a lot on the ways to educate people based on the ways of the Prophet Muhammad saw. Unlike many islamic leaders who are very impatient to see the 'results' of their effort, Ustaz Ashaari was a very patient, soft spoken and humble person. He reminds me that the purpose of the coming of the Prophet Muhammad saw to the world is to make the world a better place with a good manners society. And a good manners society does not encourage violent use of words from the tongue.
For that Ustaz Ashaari Muhammad has contributed a lot and I am thankful for him.
Al Fatihah
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