*ISLAM AND FREEMASONRY* by *W.Bro. Shaikh Hatim Fidahussein Nakhoda PM* Research Lodge St. Michael No. 2933, Singapore District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelego, UGLE.
Presented in The Lodge St. Michael No. 2933 on 29th July, 2006. W. Bro. Shaikh Hatim Nakhoda is a Past Master of Lodge St. Michael No. 2933 and a Past District Senior Grand Warden of the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelago. He is also a Past Master of Lodge Singapore No 7178. In addition, he holds the rank of Past Asst. Grand Director of Ceremony in the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and its Districts Overseas. He also carries the title Shaikh which was conferred on him, for his knowledge on Islam. This paper has been first published on The District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelego website <http://www.dglea.org/> Assalaamo Alaikum, that is, peace be with you! Worshipful Master, distinguished brethren and brethren: I am pleased to submit my dissertation with some trepidation, as I feel unequal to doing justice to this complex subject in a space of 20 odd minutes. But, I was persuaded to take up the challenge by the encouragement and assistance of W Bros Shiva Banerjee and Ronald Ng, whom I could not disappoint. Islam has been much in the limelight these days. I have been diligent in attending to my duties as both, a mason and a Muslim and have come to realise that Islam and masonry are indeed compatible. Freemasonry may even be considered complementary to Islam as its principles only go to reinforce a Muslim brother�s own faith; contrary to the misconceptions widely held among my Muslim brethren from various sects. The distrust perhaps arises from the fact that masonic symbols are derived from segments of the Old Testament such as the Temple of King Solomon, which gives the uninstructed world the erroneous impression that masons are Zionists. It is serious enough for masonry to have been brought into question in Malaysia in the late 70s. Yet, the Old Testament is not excluded from the beliefs of Islam. On the contrary, King Solomon is considered to have been a follower of Islam *1* ! More of this later � Anyway, masons are obligated to submit to the laws of the VSL, which, in the case of the Muslim brethren in the Craft, is the Holy Quran, if they so desire. *HERE* <http://1426.blogspot.com/2010/02/islam-and-freemasonry.html>
