Don’t link salvation in the hereafter to politics, says religious affairs minister

On September 6, Malaysia's Minister of Religious Affairs, Dr Zulkifli Hasan, cautioned against tying salvation in the afterlife to political affiliations. Dr Hasan stated that heaven and hell are decided by Allah SWT alone, and no individual, leader or political party can guarantee one's fate. He emphasized that a person's worth is not determined by their political party membership or support, but rather by their faith, piousness and righteousness as outlined in the Quran and Sunnah.

Dr Zulkifli warned that claiming one's group is the only pure one while others are denied Allah's mercy is a form of self-praise and extremism, forbidden in Islam. He clarified that political parties are merely intermediaries in human affairs, prone to weaknesses and capable of independent reasoning, and should not be equated with religion or used as an absolute measure of one's standing before Allah SWT.

To address this issue, Dr Zulkifli called for a maturation of political culture, urging parties to prioritize justice, the well-being of the Muslim community and good character as core principles rather than exploiting religious sentiments for political gain. He urged society to differentiate between religion as a guide to life and political parties as platforms for human endeavors.

The minister's comments came in response to media reports quoting PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, who suggested that supporting PAS and its Islamic-based struggles could lead to a path to heaven. Takiyuddin had also described those who died defending Islam as martyrs.