Istitabah Model for Malaysia: A Preliminary Exposition

Abstract

Increasing number of apostasy cases in Malaysia by year have been reported by many authorities. In this sense, istitabah (الاستتابة), literally means asking or calling for repentance (التوبة), has to be enforced as a national educational and rehabilitation measure. The application of istitabah is considered as obligatory (واجب) and supererogatory (مندوب) by the majority of scholars of Ahl Al-Sunnah Wa Al-Jamaah. This article aims to highlight some findings on the model and approaches of istitabah within the climate of Malaysian religious administration and societal needs. Through the use of qualitative research strategies, it was found that there were only glimpses of istitabah exposition in the classical and modern texts of Islamic scholarship. This has called for present ijtihad to fill in the gaps towards a living practice of istitabah. This article will elucidate a preliminary exposition of M-Istitabah (Malaysia Istitabah), which will become a model for Malaysian Istitabah that applies integrated approach of the principle understanding of akidah, shariah, da’wah, comparative religion and crisis intervention towards rehabilitation of apostasy crimes in Malaysia.