KUALA LUMPUR: It is considered a jihad for Muslims to vote if their political power is being challenged by other races, said Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.
When writing in an opinion piece for Harakah Daily today, he said if there was such a situation, Muslims were obligated to vote to use the power of the "pencil".
"When Muslims are in a position which causes them to be in competition with other races, who are clearly challenging the political power of Muslims, then voting is considered 'jihad fardu 'ain'. This is 'wajib (mandatory) for every Muslim (please refer to the hukum for jihad in books on Islamic jurisprudence, either those in Arabic or those in jawi script).
"It is mandatory for them to vote with only the pencil, and not engage in war with a weapon, unless their enemies are conquering them with violence.
"Any carelessness in fulfilling this obligation to vote could lead to Muslims losing political power and it would lead to Muslims being degraded now and in the afterlife," said Hadi.
In the same opinion piece, he cited Surah Al-hajj verses 38 to 41 to explain how Prophet Muhammad successfully governed a country with people of various races and religions.
He said it was the duty of Muslims to protect the sanctity of Islam, and to see to a change of leaders if they had committed malpractices.
"The honourable scholars (from the perspective of) fiqh siasah issued a fatwa on the responsibility of participating in an election peacefully to select leaders and the government.
"They determined that it was mandatory based on usul fiqh."
During the Johor state election early last year, the Marang member of parliament had said that all Muslims were duty-bound to choose a leader or people's representative, and that it was a responsibility that should not be taken lightly.
He said the country would face destruction if the leaders elected are comprised of those who follow the colonial approach of practising money politics.