The Challenges Encountered by Mualaf After Conversion to Islam: A Study on The Apostasy (Murtad) Cases in Malaysia

Abstract

The rising of conversion mualaf to Islam proved that Islam has become a universal religion, and people started to recognize and accept the truth of Islam. Despite that, the phenomenon of mualaf returning to their former religion had concerned the authorities as reported by newspapers and social media. Even so, the issues related to mualaf have never ceased since it is a difficult matter to deal with it. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the reasons that caused mualaf to return to their former religion based on the apostasy cases that happened in Malaysia. This qualitative document analysis technique uses secondary data in attaining the information related to the study. The findings showed that mualaf indeed had confronted various challenges after converting to Islam, for instance, lack of faith ('aqidah) in Islam, insufficient knowledge about Islam, lack of religious commitment, failure in marriage and trouble from the birth family. On the other hand, this study will assist the preacher and da'wah institution to comprehend more about issues related to mualaf and suggest a more practical method of da'wah for them in a way the apostasy cases in Malaysia simultaneously could be put to an end.

Maqāṣid Al-Sharīʿa-Based Analysis of Learning Modules For Muslim Reverts in East Coast Malaysia

“…Source: Prepared by Authors (2024) In the context of Muslim reverts, as we all know, if non-Muslims desire to marry a Muslim partner, they must first adopt Islam before proceeding with the marriage. On that basis, it is not an exaggeration to claim that the majority of non-Muslims who convert to Islam do so exclusively for the sake of marriage (Rusli & Kadir, 2022). Despite that, considering that it is one of the many ways Allah SWT inspires non-Muslims to embrace Islam, the phenomenon does not seem to be inacceptable.…”

Exploring Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Islamic Affairs in Malaysia: An Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) Approach

“…Previous studies have shown that Islamic affairs issues encompassed many aspects such as mosque management, Islamic education, family institutions, and zakat management. For instance, Rusli and Kadir [19] studied the reasons that caused new converts to return to their former religion due to lack of faith in Islam, insufficient knowledge of Islam, lack of religious commitment, marital issues, and conflict with their family. Additionally, Jusoh et al [20] identified seven main factors causing the low attendance of Muslims in the mosque, which are a limited function of the mosque, individual problems, inadequate basic facilities, non-strategic location, poor administrative and financial management as well as the personality of the mosque administrators.…”