02 August 2009

Man divorces wife for refusing pledge to ‘silat’ guru

A member of deviationist sect who performed silat (martial art) after prayers divorced his wife for refusing to make a bai’ah (oath of loyalty) to his silat instructor, according to Harian Metro.

The wife, who wanted to be known as Izati, said her ex-husband’s strange act of performing silat for five to ten minutes after prayers has been going on for the past five years.

“He often missed out on the five compulsory prayers and preferred to perform prayers at night. At one point he said that prayers only required expression of niat (intention) and he also jamak (shortened) his prayers although he was not travelling,” said the 29-year-old mother of two.

Izati said she could not accept it when her ex-husband claimed that she and her family would become true Muslims if they took the bai’ah to his silat instructor.

“When I refused to do so, he said he was willing to leave me and my children and choose to be with his instructor,” said Izati who lodged a complaint with the Federal Territory Religious Department.

She said her ex-husband had also been involved in a purification bath at a waterfall along with other men and women at midnight.

Sourced from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/3/nation/4442979&sec=nation

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