Taib, with Abang Johari on his right, shaking hands with a member of the welcoming committee upon his arrival at Masjid Assyakirin Bintulu.
BINTULU: Sarawak Muslims are encouraged to learn and explore Islamic teachings stated in the holy al-Quran so that it will guide them throughout the course of their lives.
Nevertheless, Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said to master the holy book, Muslims would need the experts in such field to understand the Quran better and after that, spread the teachings contained in it to others.
He said while the responsibility to maintain and uphold Islamic teachings had never been an easy task, it could be undertaken with the support and cooperation between all Muslim individuals and Islamic organisations.
“In Sarawak, we have various ethnic groups with different religions but there is no restriction for us to promote Islamic teachings. We have the right through the Sarawak Islamic Religious Council (Mais), a state body that is tasked with maintaining the sanctity of Islam,” said Taib at the state-level Nuzul Al-Quran 1436H event at Masjid Assyakirin here on Friday night.
According to him, Mais had planned programmes aimed at enhancing the understanding of Islam in Muslims, as well as providing the opportunity for non-Muslims to understand the religion without any intention of forcing them to convert.
“It has been shown in the history. For instance, the doctrine sealed in Mecca stressed for Muslims to respect those of other religions, and vice versa.
“This is also the situation in Sarawak, where the people need to understand each other’s religion.
“Muslims need to practise the Islamic teachings but at the same time, enhance their relationship with those from different faiths, so that all can live together in unity and harmony,” he said. Parents, Taib said, must also be able to give their children the best knowledge about Islam, especially amidst this challenging global environment. On this, he noted that the development of Islam in other countries such as the US was very good.
“In Sarawak, Islamic teachings have been developing quite smoothly, even though the Muslims are not the majority group.” Earlier, Taib and his wife Toh Puan Ragad Kurdi Taib together with guests broke fast together before proceeding for Maghrib, Isyak and Terawih prayers.
A special lecture on Nuzul Al-Quran was presented by Mais deputy chairman Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya. Other distinguished guests of the night were Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg who represented Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Office (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman, Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Talib Zulpilip, State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Deputy State Secretary Datu Misnu Taha, Mais chairman Datu Putit Matzen, state Islamic Religious Department Ismail Mohd Hanis director and Bintulu Resident Muhamad Yakup Kari.