KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 8 — Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has delivered a warning to Muslims to place their trust in Muslim leaders regardless of their wickedness, claiming that believers will end up in hell if led by non-Muslims.

In a lengthy opinion piece titled "Rule of Law: Where is Allah?” today, the PAS president stressed the importance of religion in keeping the law, and the importance for Islam to reign supreme in the governance of country.

"If the one leading is a Muslim, even if he were cruel, at least (others) can become cattle herders,” the Marang MP wrote.

"But if the one who leads is a non-Muslim, even if he were the kindest, (others) can work however they wish [but] without any limits of what is ‘halal’ and ‘haram’ they will still end up in hell.”

His remark was a rehash of a quote he frequently cites from Muhammad ibn Abbad al-Mu’tamid from the Abbadid dynasty, the third and last ruler of Seville under al-Andalus, the medieval Muslim territory over Iberia.

As his kingdom fell to Moroccan Berber invaders, Al-Mu’tamid was quoted saying: "I have no desire to be branded by my descendants as the man who delivered al-Andalus as prey to the infidels … I would rather be a camel-driver in Africa than a swineherd in Castile”.

In his piece, Hadi stressed that the country can only be saved with guidance from Allah, including a faith-based judiciary that is superior to man-made laws.

He also claimed that only an Islamic party deserves to inherit Quranic teachings to provide such guidance — a veiled reference to his own Islamist party — rather than party devoid of morals and faith to God and his Prophet.

In his dissection of the "Rule of Law”, Hadi had urged for Prophet Muhammad to be the role model of law-keeping, including forsaking revenge by pardoning those who repented.

"Don’t ever take the infidelic West as an example, because the best of them will still end up in hell, since their kindness is without any faith to Allah and the End Times,” he wrote.

"Rule of Law” refers to a concept where all members of society, regardless of status, are subject to and governed by the same set of laws.

Hadi has long been a proponent of a Malay-Muslim rule. In 2017, he pointed out that Malaysia should be led by the Malay-Muslims as they are the dominant community, and suggested that the group holds the top decision-making positions in the Cabinet.