Kuala lumpur: Differences in political support should not lead to a punitive or condescending attitude towards others, let alone linking salvation in the hereafter to membership of or support for any political organisation. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan emphasized that the determination of heaven and hell is the absolute right of Allah SWT and cannot be guaranteed by any individual, leader, or political organisation.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zulkifli asserted that support for any political organisation was not a measure of attaining the pleasure of Allah SWT. Instead, faith, piety, and righteous deeds based on the Quran and Sunnah serve as the primary foundations. He warned against the attitude of claiming one's group is definitively pure while others are excluded from the mercy of Allah SWT, describing it as a form of self-praise and extremism, which Islam strictly prohibits.
Zulkifli clarified that political parties are merely intermediaries in human endeavours and are not exempt from weaknesses and independent reasoning. They cannot be equated with religion or used as an absolute measure of a person's standing before Allah SWT. He urged all parties to mature their political culture by prioritizing justice, the well-being of the Muslim community, and good character over exploiting religious sentiments for political gain.
He called for engaging in mature and ethical politics based on justice and the well-being of the ummah, without compromising the values of faith and Islamic brotherhood. Zulkifli also asked society to distinguish between religion as a guide to life and political parties as platforms for human endeavour.
The statement was made in response to media reports quoting PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, who suggested that supporting PAS and its Islamic-based struggles could be a path to heaven. Takiyuddin had reportedly stated that those who joined PAS and fought for Islam had the opportunity to earn the reward of heaven, describing those who died defending Islam as martyrs.