Wordplay by Ichsan Fadillah: A Blessing for the Universe

Hey Guys! How are you?

I am now in the middle of the first weeks of the freshly-started semester, and I feel like so much to expect in the future! How about you?

And since its the new academic year, it means that my campus are now full of freshmen. Last 2 weeks was student orientation program, and I got the chance to participate in it. It was fun, and quite intriguing as well.

I was contacted by a friend who happened to be the committee of the program, and she invited me to become the MC for a session where Professor Din Syamsuddin will deliver general lecture for the new students.

Professor Syamsuddin is known as an Islamic moderate scholar that holds numerous prestigious positions nationwide and worldwide. He currently serves as the leader of Islamic moderate organization Muhammadiyah, chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (Majelis Ulama Indonesia/MUI), and chairman of World Peace Forum. The list could go on and on! Go google him out yourself

Source: tempo.co

Professor Syamsuddin is one of the faculty lecturer in my campus. I am aware that he’s teaching several courses regarding Islamic studies. Nevertheless, I barely knew him in academic level since I haven’t taken any of his class yet.

I immediately accepted the invitation the minute it was offered. I was super-excited, since it was a rare occasion. Professor Syamsuddin’s general lecture! Not to mention, he was about to give it in front of young green freshmen, that does know a thing or two (but NOT the whole) about campus’ academic atmosphere. It would undoubtedly be a session full of passion and curiosity—and it turned out to be so.

Professor Syamsuddin’s general lecture was taking the theme of “Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin” (Islam as a Blessing for the Universe).

The general lecture was divided into 2 sessions. First is Introduction, followed by Question Session.

So, guys, are you ready? Here it is!

Source: Documentation Team of OPAK FISIP 2014

Introduction

Professor Syamsuddin started his lecture by telling that Islam in itself has 3 characters:

Din rahmah wa salamah (religion of mercy and salvation)
Din ‘adalah (religion of justice)
Din hadharah (religion of progression)

It is no doubt that Islam is multidimensional.

Islam is also known for being moderate. It can be seen from the role of Islam as one among three Abrahamic teachings exist, which are Jews and Christian. Jews is incredible in upholding justice which rooted from their belief, “if you are being pushed to the edge, push back!” Christian, on the other hand, values mercy at its highest level. “If you are slapped in your left cheek by someone, give your right cheek for him.” Ultimately, Islam takes a moderating position. Islam respects justice as much as “punishment for a thief is by cutting his arm,” and at the same time, embrace mercy and forgiving as “Allah is the most merciful and the most forgiving.” (This may be rooted from the fact that Islam is the ‘youngest sibling’ of the three, perhaps?)

At the heart of Islam lies the idea of moderation. ‘Wasathiyah’ (lit. trans. The Middle Path), is one of the fundamental value in aqida (Islamic teaching for perception of God, or the “Islamic theisticism”).

It is no wonder, then, Islam is welcomed in every place at every generation within every situation. Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin.

In Indonesia today, Islam is very diversed. Ranging from strict-to-loose, traditional-to-modern, and extreme-to-moderate. In the context of rahmatan lil ‘alamin, Islamic practice by muslims of Indonesia is well-reflected. It’s due to the fact that most of them take and practice the middle position.

Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin is closely related to the moderate attitude of Indonesian muslims. In historical perspective, this is due to factors Indonesia had the first time Islam entered the territory. There were three factors:

The fertility of Indonesian land. This makes Indonesians were pretty much in a great psychological shape of “welcoming” and “embracing”. Living in a fertile land, people were grateful of what they have. As the result, they tended to share with those who come to them and, ultimately, accepting their values.
Islam is a teaching of mild mannered. Islamic preachers blended in easily with the already-established Indonesian society through several assimilations. Marrying local royal family, attending cultural ceremony, and practicing local traditional customs are some to mention. These shaped a good image for Islam.
Islam came to Indonesia through peaceful means. In a word that, Islamic preachers who came to Indonesia hundreds of years ago were people trained not to use any violence in their efforts to teach Islamic values. While people are pretty much primordialistic with their identity, resulted in internal fanaticism and external prejudice, Islam offered fresh perspective for the hostile social environment.

Islam today is colored by many sects. These sects are ranging widely, from political attitude to social and cultural identity. The differences also include, even, the aqida. The scope also varies, from local to transnational. It is an envitable condition as the result of Globalization.

Muslim covers 88% of total Indonesian population, which means around 180 millions from 240 millions lives. Unfortunately, the growing ingroup fanaticism results in a fragile face of Indonesian muslim society. Some claim to be the truest, while others claim to be the most representative. The fact shows, there are 70 Islamic-based mass organizations of national-scale listed in MUI, with total of (more or less) 100 milions members. While the other 80 millions of Indonesian muslim remains outside the affiliations.

These muslims, I would say, are the one who perform Islam at its purest level. Islam has always been, is, and always will be, moderate. The way that these muslims are not compartmentalized makes them respectful towards each other. Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin.

Professor Syamsuddin himself was not discrediting the Islamic-based mass organizations. In fact, he and his colleagues in MUI have been trying to establish engagement with them, through Forum Ukhuwah Islamiyyah (the Islamic brotherhood forum).

In line with that, Professor Syamsuddin also uttered that we should understand the big picture of Islam. Remains neutral and questioning-yet-respecting opinions of others are the key.

One other crucial thing laid out by Professor Syamsuddin is the promotion of syahid by peoples who come from differing background. What moderate Islam knows, Syahid means Witness. In that sense, muslim should be the one who give witness that Islam is all about the value of Wasathiyah.

The picture of Islam and Wasathiyah marked the end of the first session, and then came the second session. There were several interesting questions posed by the freshmen. The one you’ll read below is the one I have generalized.

Question Session

Stigma of Islam in the West, the Islamophobia, and how Indonesian muslim should react to that.

What I remember the most of Professor Syamsuddin when he answered the questions was the fact that he pointed out from the beginning about the fundamental platform of Indonesian society Pancasila, and how it is not vis-à-vis Islam.

It is quite interesting, since the Islamic-state-VS-secular-state debate has always been heated up in academic sphere since not so long ago.

The first sila (lit. trans. Verse) of Pancasila is “Believe in the One Supreme God”. Along with the other 4 silas, they made up the common platform of Indonesian political life. This implies that every citizen of Indonesia is to believe in the One Supreme God, a monotheisticism. One very Islamic value.

Furthermore, all other religions should adapt to the value. Buddhism, for example, is not a very sectarized religion; but still, they are. And in between the few sects Buddhism has, the one Indonesians embrace is the belief in Adi Buddha, a monotheisticism. Next to that is Hinduism. It has a more explicit belief of non-monotheisticism compared to Buddhism. The concept of “Trimurti: Shiwa, Wisnu, Brahma” is familiar, even to the ears of people in general. For this, Professor Syamsuddin said that Trimurti in Hinduism is not about formal existence of three deities, it is rather a multifunctional concept of God in Hinduism.

Now, the position of Pancasila is to accomodate all Indonesians who come from different backgrounds, politically, socially, culturally, and religious, including Islam. Pancasila is a consensus between the founding fathers of the nation, including Islamic scholars. This makes Indonesia a nation of consensus, or in Islamic term, dar al-ahdi. The consensus also covered the fact that the founding fathers were consent towards Pancasila, and bear witness that muslim is part of the nation. Thus Indonesia is a nation of witness, or dar al-syahadah. It would never be achieved unless Islamic scholars back then were moderate ones. Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin.

How should Indonesian muslim students today react towards the ideas of Islamic fundametalism that tends to neglect the universal values of Islam, then?

The answer to this question is rather simple, yet multilayered. Firstly, muslim should give the same portion of piety for social life as well as individual life. Secondly, students should neglect the tendency of compartmentalization of Islam society by going beyond the ‘fomalistic, legalistic’ sense of Islam, and move to the substantiality of Islam.

This is also to tackle the question of Islamic State that has become a hot talks worldwide. To comprehend this, we must understand that transnationalism of Islam is not something new, yet very unfortunately, used in a pejorative tone today. Islam, from the very first beginning, is a transnational idea of teachings. It originated from Arab peninsula, and for years are exclusively practiced by the Arabs and no one else. From time to time, the preachers traveled the world and, as the result, Islam is widespreaded.

It would never be so if Islam had not been an adaptive set of ideas. It is in the hands of Indonesian muslim students to show this one specific trait of Islam, adaptability. It can only be done if they understand fully the transnationalism of Islam is to be combined with the national perspective, which although not specified, I believe Professor Syamsuddin indicated this as Pancasila.

This is the end of the general lecture from Professor Syamsuddin about Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin.

All in all, the lecture delivered by Professor Syamsuddin gives me a deeper comprehension about the universal value of moderation this one particular religion I embrace. Yes, Islam is universal. Islam is moderate. Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin.