Kerelevanan Penerapan Latihan Berkonsep Al-Salām Dalam Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan (Palapes): Satu Tinjauan Awal

Relevance of the Application of Al-Salām Conceptual Training in the Reserve Officers Training Team (Palapes): A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Islam is a religion grounded in the element of al-salām (peace) in all of its principles, including its teachings on the military. The element of al-salām was a core principle of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in every armed operation or al-jihād bi al-silāḥ, particularly before, during, and after such operations, as a result of the strong educational foundation established during the Meccan and Medinan periods. Nearly 1,400 years after the passing of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), armed movements have evolved and become more complex and sophisticated. In Malaysia, particularly within public institutions of higher learning, there are uniformed bodies oriented toward military training, such as the Reserve Officer Training Unit (Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan, PALAPES), which is supervised by the Malaysian Ministry of Defence and the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM). The majority of its members are Bumiputera Muslims. PALAPES training takes place over three years using the ATM syllabus, namely the Manual Panduan Askar Wataniah, and includes several types of training such as Local Training, Continuous Training, and Annual Camp Training. These are intended to serve as models for application prior to armed operations, forming a structured military training system. In line with this, the present study examines the al-salām approach in the implementation of PALAPES training. The study employs qualitative and historical methods to analyse the application of al-salām during the Prophet’s military engagements. The findings indicate that several features of the methods used before armed operations during the Prophet’s time already exist within the PALAPES training scheme; however, they still require refinement to fully align with the element of al-salām.