IT is clearly vital for all Malaysians — whether Muslim or non-Muslim and whether in Kelantan or outside the state — to dwell on the implications of the state’s hudud bill, as the Shariah Criminal Code II 1993 (Amendment 2015) that was unanimously passed in the Kelantan state assembly on Thursday, is referred to.

If we reflect a little on the interrelatedness of all life, we can easily see that the argument that the enactment should only be commented on by Muslims since it applies only to followers of the Islamic faith, and that too in Kelantan, is not a sound one.

Suffice to say that all things affect one another and drawing a line to separate one action from the rest does not change this reality, but merely limits our understanding of this fact. Therefore, if we wish to live in harmony with all life, we should let go of such ideas that do not help to bring about the greatest good of all.

Before we proceed, however, it is important to remind ourselves of the paradox that “those who speak do not know; those who know do not speak”, because we should be conscious that our understanding is limited in countless ways. So, when we express an opinion, especially concerning an imponderable subject like God’s law, what value does it have when our vision is far from complete?

Notwithstanding this dilemma, we can contribute positively to any such discussion if we keep our focus centred on the essential unity of all life, as referred to earlier, since it fosters a feeling of universal consciousness and neutralises the notion that we are separate from the object of our attention.

When subject and object are one, there is no friction, say the wise ones, because it is not possible to oppose oneself.

In this regard, to mitigate the limitations of our understanding, we can seek help from a long list of illuminated souls who have shared their wisdom through the ages for the upliftment of humanity.

One quality that these spiritual giants describe, whether through revelations or in their teachings and conduct, is the unconditional love that God has for all. If we dwell on this matter, it soon dawns on us that a system of criminal justice such as the hudud law of Kelantan has missed the point.

Therefore, an assertion that divine justice enjoins corporal and capital punishments to be meted out to supposed wrongdoers should be cast in the light of God’s infinite mercy as described in the words of the many prophets, whose experiences of this truth are so overwhelmingly potent that they resonate with humanity through unknown millennia.

Where then does this leave Kelantan’s attempt to embody the will of God in a criminal code?

To seek the answer to the enigmas of life, the saints and seers of ancient and modern times all tell us that we must first change our focus from the external environment to the internal world that is centred in our hearts. Change our viewpoint and the entire universe becomes transformed, they teach us.

Therefore, for the members of the Kelantan state assembly who would all wish that the people they represent lead God-centred lives, the key to that blessed situation is simply to open their own hearts to God’s limitless love.

When their effort bears fruit, the answer will surely appear with amazing clarity before their eyes.

This is simply because, as the lives of the saintly masters testify, their love will grow to embrace all beings and then, they will leave no stone unturned to bring relief to the distressed, give food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless and protection to the weak and helpless.

By this means, they can surely lay the foundations of a society that is in tune with divine will.

Furthermore, such will be their compassion that far from seeking to inflict bodily harm on others, no matter how grave their transgressions, their spirit of forgiveness and mercy would inspire the most wretched of sinners to forsake their unholy ways and embrace a new life.

This is no facetious conjecture but the true story of countless people who had the supreme good fortune of coming in touch with innumerable saintly beings throughout the history of humankind.

Clearly, tapping into the power of God’s unconditional love is most certainly infinitely more effective in creating a society that is the embodiment of justice, morality and righteousness than any punitive code can hope to promise.

Furthermore, the saints tell us that such is the certainty that fills the heart that is filled with unconditional love that all doubts about the right course of action in any situation would evaporate. Conversely, this means that a sure sign that our understanding is imperfect is that we would be assailed by constant doubts about the rights and wrongs of our decisions.

Despite this unshakable certitude, however, unconditional love never imposes itself, but by its very nature invites the other, with heartfelt love, to follow in its path and enjoy the blessedness of its universal embrace. Such is the grace that fills the hearts of those who embody this love.

May we draw inspiration from the marvellous lives of the enlightened masters to guide us in our quest for an ideal system of justice.

Rash Behari Bhattacharjee is associate editor at The Edge

This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on March 23-29, 2015.

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