THE unity government has never forced non-Muslims to memorise or study Imam Nawawi’s 40 Hadis, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said the “Imam Al-Nawawi’s 40 Hadis” appreciation module was intended only for Muslim teachers and students, and the move was to strengthen their understanding of Islam, especially among young people.

“The initiative is for Muslims, especially young people, because it is important for them to master and understand Islam. So non-Muslims should not misunderstand,” he told reporters after a meeting with the unity government machinery in Iskandar Puteri today.

“Deepening religious knowledge is based on the Quran, Hadis and the interpretation by authoritative scholars.”

On August 19, the Education Ministry launched the “Imam Al-Nawawi’s 40 Hadis” appreciation module aimed at fostering hadith appreciation starting at the school level.

For a start, the module will be introduced in national religious secondary schools (SMKA) and government-aided religious schools (SABK) before it is implemented in schools under the ministry next year.

The ministry, in a statement today, said the module was aimed at fostering values of courtesy and love and strengthening religious understanding among Muslim teachers and students.

The implementation of the pilot programme will involve 61 SMKA and 228 SABK nationwide.

However, the initiative was turned into a polemic and caused misunderstandings among non-Muslims.

Earlier in his speech, Anwar said followers of other religions should not misunderstand the efforts to increase understanding of Islam among Muslims.

He said the understanding of Islam, especially among young Muslims, should be enhanced to prevent them from becoming a generation that is ignorant of knowledge. – Bernama, August 25, 2023.