RELIGIOUS WORLDVIEW OF

MALAYSIAN PEOPLE AND THEIR

INFLUENCE ON SOCIAL LIFE

UNGS 2030

Nor Ilham Nabila Binti Zaabar

1228026

Nur Adlina Binti Mat Nizam

1224256

Nur Amalina Binti Mahmudin

1221942

Rahaizah Binti Razak

1221780

Table of content

1. Introduction

2. Religious Worldviews and effect on social life

- Islam
- Christian
- Buddhism
- Hinduism

3
5
7
10

3. Conclusion

13

4. References

14

INTRODUCTION

A worldview is a set of beliefs used to understand the world and beliefs that someone uses to
interpret and form opinions about his humanity, purpose in life, duties in the world, responsibilities to
family, interpretation of truth, social issues, etc. Religious worldview is based on four main aspects
which are on the top is God, followed by moral law, obedience and afterlife. Basically all the religions
believe in the existence of the god, for example Muslims believe in Allah, Hindus believe in Brahmas
and etc. Next aspect is moral laws. Moral laws are the way of life according to system of belief. Moral
laws is differ in each religions based on what had been stated in the scripture or decided by their sage
or priest. Aspect of obedience refers to an action to worship the god which is also differing for every
religion. The act of obedience will decide what will happen in the afterlife. Religious worldview should
be able to gives answer to the ultimate questions which are where are we come from, why are we here
and where are we going. Religious worldview will gives to human the senses of responsibilities
towards life, thus gives life a purpose.

Islam
From the oasis cities of Makkah and Madinah in the Arabian desert, the message of Islam went
forth with electrifying speed. Within half a century of the Prophets death, Islam has spread to three
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continents. Islam is not, as some imagine in the West, a religion of the sword nor did it spread primarily
by the means of war. It was only in Arabia, where a crude form of idolatry was rampant, that Islam was
propagated by warring against those tribes which did not accept the message of God-whereas
Christians and Jews were not forced to convert. Outside of Arabia also the vast lands conquered by the
Arab armies in a short period become Muslim not by force of sword but by the appeal of the new
religion. It was faith in One God and emphasis upon His Mercy that brought vast numbers of people
into the fold of Islam.
Farther east in the Malay world, Islam began to spread in 12th century in northern Sumatra and
soon Muslim kingdoms were established in Java, Sumatra and mainland Malaysia. Despite the
colonization of the Malay world, Islam spread in the area covering present day Indonesia, Malaysia, the
southern Philippines and southern Thailand, and is still continuing in islands farther east. Islam was
destined to become a world religion and to create a civilization which stretched from one end of the
globe to the other. Moreover, Islam is a religion for all people from whatever race or background they
might be. That is why Islamic civilization is based on a unity which stands completely against any
racial or ethnic discrimination. The global civilization thus created by Islam permitted people of diverse
ethnic backgrounds to work together in cultivating various arts and sciences.
Islamic Worldview
From the perspective of Islam, a worldview is not merely the minds view of the physical
world and of mans historical, social, political and cultural involvement in it. The worldview of Islam is
not based upon philosophical speculation formulated mainly from observation of the data sensible
experience, of what is visible to the eye nor it is restricted to the world of sensible experience, the
world of created things. Islam does not concede to the dichotomy of the sacred and the profane, the
worldview of Islam encompasses both al-dunia and al-akhirah, in which the dunia aspect must be
related to in profound and inseparable way to the akhirah aspect, in which the akhirah aspect has the
ultimate and final significance. The dunia aspect is seen as preparation for the akhirah aspect without
thereby implying any attitude of neglect or being unmindful of the dunia aspect. What is meant by
worldview according to the perspective of Islam, is then the vision of reality and truth that appears
before the minds eye revealing what existence is all about; for it is the world of experience in its
totality that Islam is projecting.

There are three ultimate questions that any worldview should be able to answer. Those three
questions are where have we come from? why are we here? and where are we going? There is no
definite answers to those questions but it must be consistent. We come from Allah, Allah has given us
life and let we live in His world. He put us here so that we can be His slave, worship Allah as long as
we could and until we die to obtain His love. But all of our deed in this world is for the akhirah, the end
of our life.
The Influence of Islam in Social Life
The spread of Islam to the Malay world, a term used to refer to the majority Malay-Muslim
dominated nations such as in Malaysia. The impacts of Islamic civilization from the West Asia to the
Malay world are enormous. The Malays had not only given up polytheistic belief in many gods to the
firm belief in Al-Tawhid, but had changed their life towards Islam. The Malays had fully adopted a life
based on Islamic principles as evidenced in social and religious gatherings such as wedding ceremony,
kenduri (feast) and doa selamat (acts of thanksgiving to Allah). The unique relation of Islam and the
Malay world can be understood through the formers expansion in terms of religious faith, assimilation
of Islamic values in socio-religious life of the people, and the existence of mosques and madrasahs as
institutions to reflect faith and identity.
Although the civilization was profoundly Islamic, even non-Muslim participated in the
intellectual activity whose fruits belonged to everyone. The scientific climate reminiscent of the present
situation in the world even in Malaysia where men and women of learning from all over the world are
active in the advancement of knowledge which belongs to everyone. This tradition of intellectual
activity was eclipsed only at the beginning of modern times as a result of the weakening of faith among
Muslims combined with external domination. And today this activity has begun anew in many parts of
the Islamic world now that Muslims have regained their political independence.
The emergence and spread of Islamic civilization from West Asia had profound influence on the
social life of Muslims in Malaysia. Islam is an all comprehensive religion. It is not a simply a belief
system. It is a way of life encompassing economic, social, political, ethical and moral aspects. In
Malaysia, Islam is the predominant religion of the country and is recognized as the states religion. It is
practiced by about 60 per cent of Malaysians. Most Muslim holy days are national holidays, including
the end of Ramadan, the end of the Hajj, and the birthday of Muhammad (PBUH). Due to Islam being
the state religion, many mosques and other religious services are supported by the government. Control
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of the mosques is usually done on a state rather than federal level. The charitable zakat tax is collected
by the government, and the government supports those wishing to make the pilgrimage to Makah. Also,
Muslims cannot convert to another religion due to the Shariah courts denying conversion claims.
People of non-Muslims origins are required to convert to Islam if they marry a Muslim person. Public
schools are required to offer Islamic religious instruction, although alternative ethics classes are
provided for non-Muslims. Many women wear scarf, which covers the head but leaves the face
exposed. Islamic police monitor the Muslims population. Regulations of sexual activities among the
Muslim population is strict, with laws prohibiting unmarried couples from occupying a secluded area
or a confined space, to prevent suspicion of acts considered islamically immoral. If a non-Muslim
desires a dog, they must obtain the permission of their Muslim neighbours. So, every religions can
follow the laws stated by Islamic government in Malaysia.

Christian
Christian is a minority in Malaysia religion practiced by 9.2% of the population, mostly living in East
Malaysia. The major Christian denomination in Malaysia include the Anglicans, Baptists, nondenominational churches, independent charismatic churches, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and
Roman Catholics. Christian spreads in Malaysia starts from as early as 7th century.
What is Christian Worldview? And how does it affect someones life? A worldview refers to a
comprehensive conception of the world from a specific standpoint. A Christian worldview then, is
comprehensive conception of the world from a Christian or biblical standpoint. Therefore, a Christians
worldview should be an integrated whole, comprised of a number of distinct, biblical elements. Each
Christian should filter his or her life through biblical or spiritual goggles. Christianity is itself a
worldview. It is more than a set of ideas to use at churches.
For example, a worldview, Christian or non-Christian, deals with at least this three questions:
1. Where are we come from?
2. What is wrong with the world?
3. How can we fix it?
A Christian worldview will answer these questions biblically:

1. We are Gods creation, designed to governed the world and to fellowship with Him. (Genesis
1:27-28; 2-15)
2. We sinned against God and subjected the whole world to a curse. (Genesis 3)
3. God Himself has redeemed the world through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ (Genesis
3:a5; Luke 19:10) and will one day restore creations to its former perfect state (Isaiah 65:1725).
Some elements that make up the Christians worldview and how it influence their life and beliefs:
I.

An absolute God exists

Its means that God is self-sufficient and lacks nothing. So God does not need any
external course for His existence. This would means that He is eternal and does not

II.

change.
God creates the world
God is powerful because it takes a great deal of power in creating this world. This would
mean also that God is separate from creation and not a part of the created world.
Creation is ordered, predictable, and dependable. This would mean that when Christians

III.

look into creation, they would expect to find a predictable, regular and testable world.
Man is created in Gods image
God has impressed His image upon the hearts and soul of human beings. So, people can
be rational and turn their attention towards the world and have confidence to look into
Gods creation and expect order. They also can expect that they will have the ability to
unlock the secrets of the universe. Due to man is created in Gods image, then all people
are worthy of respect and honor. This would also means that when a new life formed in
the womb, it is human from the time of conception. Thus, abortion would be wrong.
Plus, it also means that humans did not evolve from lower primates. This would means
that humans have purpose and are not merely the result of random development through

IV.

evolution that is, supposedly guided by natural selection.

Man has given dominion over creation by God
All aspects of the created order on Earth are to be governed by man according to how
God has revealed Himself and His will in the Bible. Therefore, politics, medicine, art,
ecology, society, economics, exploration, philosophy, mathematics, education, etc. all
fall under the domain of human responsibility and should be considered realms for man
to control, under the wisdom and direction of God's revelation, the Bible. In this way,

V.

human will becomes more responsible towards his life.

Jesus is mankinds only hope for redemption
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Because man is fallen, he is in need of rescue from God's righteous condemnation,

which is eternal damnation. There is no way he can redeem himself. Therefore, Jesus,
who is God in flesh, died for them and rose from the dead. They receive his
righteousness and forgiveness by faith. This basic theological truth means that
Christians should then preach that good news of redemption in Christ to the entire
world. Therefore, one of the most basic Christian principles is promoting Jesus as the

VI.

means by which they are made right with God.

The Bible is the word of God
Bible is the inspired and inerrant words of God. From the Bible, Christians derive the
truths by which governs their lives. It is from the Bible that they learn about God
Himself, His created order, the Trinity, redemption, sin, salvation, hope, and what is

VII.

morally correct. The Bible teaches directly about the will of God.
God provides for His creation
Bible teaches of Gods loves provision for creation. God lets the sun and rain fall down
upon both the good and the bad. God causes the crops to grow and cattle to multiply.
God has promised that he will never leave forsake His creation. Therefore, human can
rely on God's provision and should have confidence that he will continue to provide for
human needs.

Buddhism
Buddhism is the second largest religion in Malaysia, after Islam. Buddhism in
Malaysia is mainly practised by the ethnic Malaysian Chinese. Buddhism is based
on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who came to be called the Buddha or
enlightened one. Buddha was born into a wealthy family near the border of
modern India and Nepal in 563 BC. Confronted by the reality of ageing, sickness
and death, he left his rich home at 29, and spent seven years travelling India as
an ascetic. Substituting meditation for physical self-punishment, he was sitting
under a boddhi tree when he had his first three enlightened revelations.
Buddhism Worldview of Religion
Buddhism is strictly be called a religion because it is neither a system of faith
and worship, nor "the outward act or form by which men indicate their recognition
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of the existence of a God or gods having power over their own destiny to whom
obedience, service, and honor are due." If by religion, is meant "a teaching which
takes a view of life that is more than superficial, a teaching which looks into life
and not merely at it, a teaching which furnishes men with a guide to conduct that
is in accord with this its in-look, a teaching which enables those who give it heed
to face life with fortitude and death with serenity," or a system to get rid of the ills
of life, then it is certainly a religion of religions. Buddha did not introduce himself
as the mouthpiece of God in order to convey any message given by the God. In
this respect, his teaching is not a revealed religion but based on human wisdom.
Instead, Buddha has given due credit to man for his intelligence.
Buddha did not support the Creator God-idea. There are several reasons
why they do not believe in god. The first reason is Buddha like modern
sociologists and psychologists, believed that religious ideas and especially the god
idea have their origins in fear. Buddha believed primitive humans found
themselves in a dangerous and hostile world, the fear of wild animals, of not being
able to find enough food, of injury or disease, and of natural phenomena were
constantly with them. Finding no security, they created the idea of gods in order
to give them comfort in good times, courage in times of danger and consolation
when things went wrong. And they said, you will notice that people nowadays
become more religious at times of crises, you will hear them say that the belief in
a god or gods gives them the strength they need to deal with life. You will hear
them explain that they believe in a particular god because they prayed in time of
need and their prayer was answered. For Buddhist, all this seems to support the
Buddha's teaching that the god-idea is a response to fear and frustration. The
Buddha taught them to try to understand their fears, to lessen their desires and to
calmly and courageously accept the things they cannot change. He replaced fear,
not with irrational belief but with rational understanding.
The second reason is the Buddha did not believe in a god is because there
does not seem to be any evidence to support this idea. There are numerous
religions, all claiming that they alone have god's words preserved in their holy
book, that they alone understand god's nature, that their god exists and that the
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gods of other religions do not. Some claim that god is masculine, some that she is
feminine and others that it is neuter. They are all satisfied that there is ample
evidence to prove the existence of their god but they laugh in disbelief at the
evidence other religions use to prove the existence of another god. It is not
surprising that with so many different religions spending so many centuries trying
to prove the existence of their gods that still no real, concrete, substantial or
irrefutable evidence has been found. Buddhists suspend judgement until such
evidence is forthcoming.
The third reason why the Buddha did not believe in a god is that the belief
is not necessary. Some claim that the belief in a god is necessary in order to
explain the origin of the universe. But the Buddha did not believe that way
because science has very convincingly explained how the universe came into
being without having to introduce the god-idea. Some claim that belief in god is
necessary to have a happy and meaningful life. Again they refused to think so
because there are millions of atheists and free-thinkers, not to mention many
Buddhists, who live useful, happy and meaningful lives without belief in a god.
Some claim that belief in god's power is necessary because humans, being weak,
do not have the strength to help themselves. Once again, they try to deny the
truth because often hears of people who have overcome great disabilities and
handicaps, enormous odds and difficulties through their own inner resources,
through their own efforts and without belief in a god. Some claim that god is
necessary in order to give man salvation. But this argument only holds good if you
accept the theological concept of salvation and Buddhists do not accept such a
concept. Based on his own experience, the Buddha saw that each human being
had the capacity to purify the mind, develop infinite love and compassion and
perfect understanding. He shifted attention from the heavens to the heart and
encouraged us to find solutions to our problems through self-understanding.
The last reason for not believing in god is because they believe in humanity.
They believe that each human being is precious and important, that all have the
potential to develop into a Buddha - a perfected human being. They believe that
humans can outgrow ignorance and irrationality and see things as they really are.
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They believe that hatred, anger, spite and jealousy can be replaced by love,
patience, generosity and kindness. They believe that all this is within the grasp of
each person if they make the effort, guided and supported by fellow Buddhism.
Their Influence on Social Life
Buddhists believe what goes around comes around, that is the reason why
they need to watch their actions and words. To watch their actions, they follow
their precepts which are condensed form of Buddhist ethical practice. They are
often compared with the ten commandments of Christianity, however, the
precepts are different in two respects. First, they are to be taken as
recommendations, not commandments. This means the individual is encouraged
to use his or her own intelligence to apply these rules in the best possible way.
Second, it is the spirit of the precepts -not the text- that counts, hence, the
guidelines for ethical conduct must be seen in the larger context of the Eightfold
Path.
The first five precepts are mandatory for every Buddhist, although the fifth
precept is often not observed, because it bans the consumption of alcohol.
Precepts number six to ten are laid out for those in preparation for monastic life
and for devoted lay people unattached to families. The eight precepts put
together number eight and nine and omit the tenth. Lay people may observe the
eight precepts on Buddhist festival days. Ordained Theravada monks undertake
no less than 227 precepts.
The Ten Precepts of Buddhism:
1. Do not destroy life.
2. Do not take what is not given you.
3. Do not commit adultery.
4. Tell no lies and deceive no one.
5. Do not become intoxicated.
6. Eat temperately and not at all in the afternoons.
7. Do not watch dancing, nor listen to singing or plays.
8. Wear no garlands, perfumes or any adornments.
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9. Sleep not in luxurious beds.

10. Accept no gold or silver.

Hinduism

Hinduism is possibly the oldest religion known in the modern world. It is believed that inspired
sages heard the Vedas (words of truth and knowledge) directly from gods in ancient times. It is
considered to be sacred when these Vedas are recited.
After the Vedic age, Hindus practiced meditations and developed beliefs in reincarnation. These
practices developed out of revolts against the caste system. People needed to find another way to
practice their religion after being banned from rituals because of their status. Karma became a major
belief in Hindu life, as well as the belief in one God, Brahman, with many reflections, such as Vishnu
and Shiva.
There are so many different beliefs and customs within the Hindu religion and everyone seems
to adopt their own approach. Some Hindus believe that they must work towards enlightenment
throughout their entire lives, while some follow a four-stage progression in their lives. These people
believe that different forms of behavior are pertinent to these different stages in their lives.There is no
particular day of worship but there are many days throughout the year to honor different deities.

Hinduism worldview
There are three utimate questions related to life which are, where have we come from? Why are
we here? Where are we going?.
Answer to the first question about the origins would be confusing because hindus believe in so
many different Gods and there are so many different sects. What unifies the sects though is the
worship of Brahma, so, we can guess that they believe that Brahma, the creator God, Is what brought
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them into existence. Hindus also believe that there was no beginning to the universe, ultimate reality
has always been, and what they see.
About the question of identity, they believe that all forms of living beings are a manifestation of
God. They do not see themselves above animals or even plants. They believe that because animals and
plants give them sources of food that they should be worshipped.
Second question mostly related to the meaning of life. There are 4 goals in life for a Hindu. To
have pleasure, wealth, harmony, and liberation. The first two consume each person because it causes
suffering while the other two fulfill them. The concept of Salvation is to overcome the evil desires such
as desiring pleasure and wealth then achieve the last two which is harmony and liberation to become
moksha (the release of the evil) .
Morality has always being related to karma and reincarnation. karma is the cause and effect
system of reality and reincarnation is the cycle of life, death, and rebirth related to this cause and effect
relationship. There is retribution for deeds done in previous lives, whether good or bad. The caste
system involves different classes of people, which is interpreted to be because of actions of past lives.
The priests, Brahmins, were those considered closest to the Divine and are thus the highest class. The
lower castes are the outcasts of society, the untouchables who must have deserved their lot in life
from past karma. Karma and reincarnation do not involve divine judgement, but natural law, so sin is
not an offense against some deity. The problem is not inherent sinfulness then, but that some people
act better than others to deserve their higher position. Castes are inflexible and have become
increasingly rigid in its development over time. Though discrimination based on caste is technically
illegal in modern India, ingrained attitudes are hard to abolish. In addition to humanity, the gods can
also be good or evil .
For the third question of life which is related to destiny of life, the hindus are said to believe in
reincarnation which is where after the present body is dead it goes into a new body. Depending how
they are in their former life will determine what kind of life they have next. This can include becoming
another human, an animal, or even a plan. Once they have reached the highest place, nirvana, they
become part of a god-essence.
The effect of their worldview on social life

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Hindus believe that hinduism is more than a religion, it is a way of life. It is not a man made
religion, founded or created by any prophet. It has no origin and therefore has no end either. It is a
religion of freedom and, unlike most other religions, it allows absolute freedom of one's faith and mode
of worship. Indeed, it is the only religion in the world, which respects the right of people to realise the
Almighty by their own free will. The history of Hinduism has proved that it is a living force. Both
hostile rulers and foreign aggressors could not banish it because it is a religion of self-experience and
self-realisation. It is not based on any dogmas or set of rules to be accepted with blind faith. Yet, hindus
believe that they has a very close understanding of and relationship with the Almighty God.
Also, hindus believe in karma and reincarnation which is the basis of caste system. Caste
system involves many classes of people based on their status.the most high class is for the Brahmins
who are closer to the divine and the lowest class is for the outcast people who are said to do a lot of
sins in their past life. This caste system had form a big barrier between those high caste and lower caste
people. Their social life is limited at their own classes only and cannot go beyond the lines.

Conclusion
Every religion has its own worldview. It seeks to explain all of reality and
what the purpose of life is all about. Religions are universal in their worldview and
will usually seek to establish themselves as the predominant religion within any
culture. Introducing a foreign religion into another culture is like allowing a cancer
cell to invade a healthy host. Unless it is removed it may continue to grow and
have an adverse affect on the host culture - eventually overtaking it and killing it.
In this case, becoming the dominant religion within a culture.

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To conclude, different religious worldviews in Malaysia is not a stonewall

for us to live happily under the same roof. As long as we respect each other, we
can practiced our religion without fear and being bothered.

References
1. Jonathan Watts, The Religion of Consumption: A Buddhist Perspective;
http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-AN/91754.htm
2. Justin Whitaker (2013), A Buddhist Perspective ?,
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/americanbuddhist/2013/01/rise-of-the-nonreligious-a-buddhist-perspective.html
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3. Dimas Bagus Wiranata Kusuma, Islamic Worldview and Islamization of

Knowledge Agenda,
http://www.academia.edu/647813/ISLAMIC_WORLD_VIEW_AND_ISLAMIZATIO
N_OF_KNOWLEDGE_AGENDA
4. James Sire, Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept (intervarsity Pres,
2004), 19.
5. Matt Slick, Christian Worldview, http://carm.org/what-christian-world-viewand-why-do-christians-need-one
6. David Noebel (2006),Understanding the Times: The Collision of Todays Competing
Worldviews (Rev. 2nd ed), Summit Press.
7. Matt Slick, Christian Worldview http://carm.org/what-are-some-christian-worldviewessentials

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