KUALA LUMPUR: Ummu Atiyyah, the eldest daughter of the late founder of Al-Arqam, Ashaari Muhammad, has voiced her support for the Malaysian National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI)'s decision to declare the practices of Nasiruddin Mohd Ali and his company, Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB), as deviant and misleading.
The 41-year-old said that her stance is based on her personal experience with GISB, having observed that the group's practices and teachings contradicted true Islamic principles and teachings.
"As someone who has experienced the so-called religious teachings and ways, I'm truly glad that the MKI has decided to declare it a deviant teaching.
"This is a relief not only to me but also to many other women who may have been subjected to all sorts of beliefs and compelled to do certain things against their will," she told Buletin Utama in an exclusive interview today.
She added that the ban should serve as a wake-up call for those who remain taksub (fanatically devoted) to the cult-like teachings.
"It's a disgrace to true believers," she said, adding that she has completely renounced the deviant teachings after her dramatic escape from being held captive in a village in Johor years ago.
On Friday, the MKI confirmed that the teachings, practices, and ideology promoted by Nasiruddin and GISB were deviant and strayed from Islamic teachings.
MKI chairman Datuk Dr Nooh Gadut said that the decision was made during the 125th MKI Muzakarah Committee Meeting held from Sept 24 to 26.
Among the deviant beliefs held by the group was the declaration of Asy Syeikh Muhammad Abdullah As-Suhaimi or Syeikh Muhammad Suhaimi as the Imam Mahdi, while Al-Arqam founder Ashaari Muhammad was regarded as the Imam Mahdi's assistant during the end times.
This declaration by MKI underscores its commitment to safeguarding the sanctity of Islamic teachings and protecting Muslims from deviant ideologies.