Who is Allah?

Who is Allah?

''Listen, O those who can, to what God desires from you. And what He desires is only that you become solely His and do not associate any partners with Him, neither in the heavens nor on the earth. Our God is that God who is alive even now as He was alive before.

He speaks even now as He used to speak before. And even now He hears as He used to hear earlier. It is a false notion that in these times He does hear but does not speak. But He hears and speaks, too. All His Attributes are eternal and everlasting. None of His Attributes is in abeyance, nor will it ever be. He is the One without any associate Who has no son, nor has He any wife. He alone is the peerless Who has no one like Him. And He is the One Who is unique in that none of His Attributes are exclusively possessed by anyone besides Him. He is the One Who has no equal. He is the One Who has no one to share with Him His Attributes. And He is the One no Power of Whose is less than perfect. He is near, though He is far and He is far, though He is near.

He can reveal Himself to Ahl-e-Kashf in personification, but He has no body, nor any shape. He is above all, but it cannot be said that there is anything beneath Him. He is on 'Arsh, but it can't be said that He is not on the earth. He is the sum total of all Perfect Attributes and He is the Manifestation of every True Praise. He is the source of all that is Good and encompasses all Powers and He is the source of all Beneficences. He is the One to Whom everything returns. He is the Lord of all realms. He possesses every Perfection and is free from all defects, imperfections and weakness. It is His sole prerogative that all those who belong to the earth as well as all those who belong to the heavens should worship Him.

As far as He is concerned nothing is impossible for Him. All souls and their potentialities, and all particles and their potentials are His and only His creation. Nothing comes into existence without His agency. As for Him He reveals Himself through His Powers, His Omnipotence and His Signs. We can attain Him only through Him. He always reveals His Person to the righteous and shows them His Omnipotence—and this is the only means by which He is recognized and by which that way is recognized which is favoured by Him. He sees without physical eyes and hears without physical ears and speaks without a physical tongue. Likewise it is His work to bring a thing into existence from nothingness.

For example, in the visions of dream you see how He creates a world without matter and shows you every mortal and nonexistent being as having existence. Thus are all His Powers. Ignorant is he who denies His Powers. Blind is he who has no knowledge of His profound and inconceivable Powers. He can, and does, everything that He intends to, except those things which violate His Majesty or which are in conflict with His Promises and Verdicts. He is unique in His Being, in His Attributes, in His Actions and in His Powers.

All doors to reach Him are closed except the one door which the Noble Qur'an has opened. And all Prophethoods and all Books of the past are such as now there is no need left to follow them independently. Because the Prophethood of Muhammad (sa) comprises them all and encompasses them all. And except it [the Prophethood of Muhammad (as) ] all routes to God are closed. Each and every truth which leads to God is in it alone. Neither any truth will come after this, nor there was a truth which is not present in it. And for this reason all Prophethoods have ended with this Prophethood. And so it should have been: for a thing which has a beginning must also have an end. But this Prophethood of Muhammad (sa) in its intrinsic beneficence is not deficient. Rather its beneficence far surpasses the beneficence of other prophethoods. Following the Prophethood of Muhammad (sa) is the easiest route through which one can reach God. Obedience to it wins greater gifts of Divine love and Divine communion than ever before.''

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Surah Al-Baqarah

Surah ini, yaitu Surah Al Qur’aan terpanjang, diwahyukan di Madinah dalam empat tahun pertama sesudah Hijrah dan dikenal sebagai Al Baqarah. Nama itu digunakan oleh Rasulullah saw. sendiri. Surah ini agaknya mendapat nama dari ayat-ayat 68-72, ketika peristiwa penting dalam kehidupan kaum Yahudi dituturkan dengan singkat.

Untuk masa yang panjang, orang-orang Yahudi pernah tinggal di Mesir sebagai hamba dan budak di bawah penindasan yang sangat kejam para Fir‘aun, penyembah sapi. Seperti kebiasaan kaum tertindas, mereka pun telah mengambil dan meniru secara membabi-buta, banyak kebiasaan dan adat orang-orang Mesir, dan akibatnya mereka mempunyai kecintaan yang begitu mendalam kepada sapi, sehingga mendekati penyembahan. Ketika Nabi Musa a.s. memerintahkan mereka, agar mengorbankan sapi tertentu yang menjadi lambang persembahan mereka, mereka hingar-bingar tentang perintah itu. Peristiwa itulah yang dituturkan oleh ayat-ayat 68-72. Di samping nama Al Baqarah, Surah ini mempunyai nama lain – yaitu Az Zahraa. Surah Al Baqarah ini dan Ali ‘Imraan bersama-sama dikenal sebagai Az Zahrawaan – Sang Dwi Cemerlang (Muslim). Rasulullah saw. diriwayatkan telah bersabda, “Segala sesuatu mempunyai puncaknya, dan puncak Al Qur’aan ialah Al-Baqarah” (Tirmidzi). Surah ini ditempatkan sesudah Al Faatihah karena Surah ini mengandung jawaban terhadap semua persoalan penting, yang tiba-tiba dihadapkan kepada pembaca, bila sesudah mempelajari Al Faatihah ia mulai memasuki Kitab yang pokok, ialah, Al Qur’aan. Meskipun Al Faatihah pada umumnya mempunyai hubungan dengan semua Surah lainnya, tetapi ia mempunyai perhubungan khusus dengan Al Baqarah yang merupakan pengabulan do’a, Tunjuki kami pada jalan yang lurus. Sungguh, Al Baqarah dengan uraian-uraiannya mengenai Tanda-tanda (Ilahi), Al Kitaab, hikmah dan jalan untuk mencapai kesucian (2:130) merupakan jawaban yang tepat lagi padat terhadap do’a agung itu.

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Jadikan Toleransi sebagai Modal

Oleh M Zaid wahyudi

Para pendiri bangsa telah menciptakan Indonesia sebagai negara yang masyarakatnya penuh toleransi dengan menjadikan Pancasila dan UUD 1945 sebagai asas dan pedoman hidup bersama.

Keragaman identitas bangsa Indonesia yang sejak awal disadari pendiri bangsa itu kini mulai dinafikan seiring dengan perkembangan dunia yang semakin mengglobal dan kepemimpinan bangsa yang lemah.

Bagi Zuhairi Misrawi, Koordinator Program Perhimpunan Pengembangan Pesantren dan Masyarakat, modal toleransi yang telah dikukuhkan itu masih menjadi toleransi yang pasif. Sebuah bentuk toleransi yang hanya didasari pada kepentingan bersama untuk hidup damai dan harmonis di antara perbedaan agama, ras, suku, budaya, dan bahasa.

Namun, itu saja tidak cukup. Toleransi pasif harus dikembangkan menjadi toleransi yang aktif. Kebersamaan yang telah terwujud harus menjadi modal dan jembatan untuk mewujudkan masyarakat Indonesia yang adil dan sejahtera.

”Toleransi mampu mewujudkan demokrasi dan menyelamatkan bangsa dari keterpurukan dan kemiskinan,” katanya. Toleransi harus menjadi spirit untuk menyelesaikan berbagai masalah sosial, politik, dan budaya yang menjerat bangsa Indonesia.

Intoleransi

Namun, kini mulai terjadi kemunduran atas rasa dan semangat kebersamaan yang sudah dibangun. Intoleransi menebal yang ditandai dengan meningkatnya rasa benci dan saling curiga di antara sesama anak bangsa.

Hegemoni mayoritas atas minoritas semakin menebal, menggantikan kasih sayang, tenggang rasa, dan semangat untuk berbagi. Kualitas, visi, dan filosofi mulai dikalahkan oleh kuantitas, arogansi, dan provokasi.

Intoleransi muncul akibat hilangnya komitmen politik untuk menjadikan toleransi sebagai jalan keluar mengatasi berbagai persoalan yang membuat bangsa terpuruk. Bangsa Indonesia tak yakin toleransi mampu menjadi solusi atas problematika hidup berbangsa dan bernegara.

Dalam perspektif keagamaan, semua kelompok agama belum yakin bahwa nilai dasar dari setiap agama adalah toleransi. Akibatnya, yang muncul adalah kecenderungan intoleransi dan konflik.

”Padahal, agama bisa menjadi energi positif untuk membangun nilai toleransi guna mewujudkan negara yang adil dan sejahtera,” ujarnya.

Berbagai perkembangan politik, sosial, dan ekonomi global turut memengaruhi menguatnya intoleransi di Indonesia. Sikap konsumtif masyarakat, termasuk dalam pemikiran, membuat bangsa lebih yakin dengan nilai dan ajaran dari luar negeri dibandingkan dengan kemampuan bangsa sendiri untuk menciptakan nilai yang pas bagi bangsa.

Potensi Indonesia

Dibandingkan dengan negara lain, Indonesia sebenarnya relatif lebih toleran karena Indonesia memiliki kesepakatan politik dan peraturan yang mengatur tentang toleransi. Namun, kebijakan toleransi itu tidak ditopang dengan nilai toleransi yang cukup. Akibatnya, kesetaraan dan kesempatan yang sama untuk membangun bangsa belum dirasakan seluruh anak bangsa.

Jika menguatnya intoleransi tidak segara diatasi negara, Indonesia dapat menjadi negara zero tolerance yang menafikan keragaman. Berbagai peradaban dunia telah membuktikan pengabaian toleransi dalam kehidupan berbangsa dan kegagalan kebijakan politik melindungi keragaman negara dapat menjadikannya sebagai negara gagal.

Namun, sebagai negara dengan penduduk Muslim terbesar di dunia dan mampu menjalankan prinsip-prinsip demokrasi secara damai, Indonesia memiliki modal yang besar untuk mengembangkan pemikiran keagamaan yang konstruktif bagi demokrasi dan toleransi. Ditambah dengan nilai budaya yang beragam, Indonesia dapat menjadi produsen pemikiran Islam moderat dan dakwah yang damai.

Kesempatan itu semakin besar akibat kegagalan negara-negara Barat dalam mengembangkan demokrasi dan toleransi. Klaim atas kebenaran dan kebencian kelompok mayoritas atas minoritas semakin menguat seiring dengan gencarnya perang melawan terorisme global.

Di negara-negara Muslim sendiri, semangat untuk menghargai kelompok lain justru semakin berkurang. Sebagian besar negara Muslim juga masih disibukkan oleh persoalan-persoalan domestik yang mengekang kemajuan yang didambakan.

”Model keislaman di Indonesia yang berhasil membangun demokrasi dalam tataran nilai dan praktis mulai dilirik masyarakat global,” katanya.

Indonesia memiliki institusi mandiri yang mampu menyokong pengembangan pemikiran agama yang moderat. Nahdlatul Ulama dan Muhammadiyah sebagai organisasi sosial keagamaan yang memiliki visi kebangsaan yang kuat dapat memainkan perannya.

Pesantren-pesantren yang dimiliki NU serta sekolah-sekolah yang dimiliki Muhammadiyah dapat menjadi basis pengembangan pemikiran yang tidak hanya mengajarkan hal-hal yang bersifat doktrinal, tetapi juga sejarah, filsafat, dan norma keagamaan. Jika nilai-nilai keagamaan yang dikembangkan lembaga- lembaga itu dirumuskan dalam konteks modern, maka nilai-nilai itu akan menjadi sedekah yang sangat berarti dari umat Islam Indonesia bagi dunia.

Mayoritas-minoritas

Persoalan mayoritas-minoritas selalu mengemuka saat membincangkan toleransi. Namun, hal ini dapat diatasi jika prinsip kesetaraan dikedepankan.

Kesetaraan akan terwujud jika dilandasi semangat keterbukaan yang akan membuka wawasan dan hati serta menghilangkan kebencian dan kecurigaan terhadap pihak lain. Kesetaraan juga akan tercapai jika tiap pihak mengakui perbedaan dengan yang lain.

Negara sebenarnya memiliki tanggung jawab terbesar untuk mewujudkan kesetaraan di antara seluruh warganya. Namun, peran ini belum dijalankan negara dan justru diperankan oleh kelompok masyarakat madani.

Keyakinan Zuhairi atas prinsip kesamaan manusia tanpa memandang identitas tak terlepas dari pendidikannya di pesantren. Pengasuh Pondok Pesantren Al Amien, Prenduan, Sumenep, KH Muhammad Idris Jauhari, selalu mengajarnya untuk bebas berpikir dan belajar.

Pergaulannya dengan berbagai kelompok masyarakat lintas agama dan bangsa semakin membuka cakrawalanya akan arti penting toleransi.


M Zaid wahyudi

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Comparing the Ahmadiyah and the Hizbut Tahrir

Comparing the Ahmadiyah and the Hizbut Tahrir
Bramantyo Prijosusilo , Ngawi, East Java

Followers of Ahmadiyah believe their leaders are rightly guided Caliphs and their congregations of faithfuls constitute a Caliphate. The Hizb ut Tahrir al Islami (the Islamic Party of Liberation, HT for short) is also preoccupied with the idea of a Caliphate, a State with its own constitution, armed forces and geographical boundaries.

Where as the Ahmadiyah seek to convert people into believing in the Ahmadi version of Islam, which maintains Mirza Gulam Ahmad was the promised Messiah, the HT also attempts to convert people into believing their own version of Islam, which prescribes the struggle to establish a physical Caliphate as a wajib, or fundamental obligation, for Muslims. Both peculiarities are unique to their groups and represent a 'deviation' from the traditional mainstream Islamic thought. HT was founded in 1953 in Jerusalem by Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, and is banned in many Islamic countries but has supporters in high places in Jakarta. Ahmadiyah is also banned in many countries and has no open supporters among the elite in Indonesia.

Although Islamic traditions state the Messiah will descend sometime before the end of the world, not many Muslims believe he has already arrived and departed in the form of Mirza Gulam Ahmad in India before its partition.

Similarly, although Islamic tradition does note early Muslims after the death of the Prophet were organized under the banner of a Caliphate, most Muslims also believe the establishing of a Caliphate is not a religious duty, and that any form of State is fine as long as it promotes justice and allows the practices of Islam and doesn't prosecute Muslims because of their faith.

Most modern Muslims believe secular democracy is better than any form of government yet invented and refer to the process of electing Abu Bakar as the first Caliph after the Prophet's death as the precedence for democracy in Islam.

Of course, there are some fundamental differences between the Ahmadiyah and the HT. The main difference is the HT aims to establish a political Caliphate.

Everywhere the HT is active, it denounces democracy as a Western vice. A glance through HT websites impresses upon the reader a hatred for Jews and the West, who are portrayed as evil controllers of the world that can only be dealt with through the establishment of a Caliphate. In contrast, the Ahmadiyah websites proclaim their motto "Love for all, hatred for none" and do not aim to overthrow any government or form any State whatsoever.

Both the Ahmadiyah and the HT are prosecuted and banned in many countries, but for different reasons. The HT is banned in many Middle Eastern countries because it is hostile toward the governments and aims to overthrow the State. In some European Union countries, the HT is banned because it breeds anti-Semitic and extremist views, and several European terrorists were found to have links to the HT and to possess substantial amounts of HT literature. The Ahmadiyah are banned in some Islamic countries because they are judged as deviating from 'true' Islam, especially in their faith in Mirza Gulam Ahmad being the promised Messiah.

In Indonesia, the MUI organization of clerics has called for the Ahmadiyah to be banned, and several Islamic organizations have viciously attacked and closed down Ahmadiyah mosques. The Indonesian chapter of the HT, in contrast, enjoys tacit support from some ministers and overt support from hard organizations.

One might be tempted to ask, if Ahmadiyah preaches love for all and hatred for no one, and HT preaches hatred for democracy and calls for the overthrow of existing States, why is it that in Indonesia, the establishment is more worried about Ahmadiyah than it is concerned about the anti-democracy ideology of the HT? Why are there cabinet ministers who overtly and tacitly support the anti-democracy, theocratic, ideology that aims to overthrow the State to replace it with their version of a Caliphate? Does that not sound like hypocrisy?

Further more, one might want to examine whether HT's version of establishing a Caliphate is truly as Islamic as they claim. Though HT activists are taught their strategy is to follow the example of the Prophet, many ex-activists, such as the British writer Ed Husain have pointed out that HT has a lot to thank Lenin and Trotsky for. While Muhammad taught a religion, HT seeks political power using Leninist methods. The HT goes on and adopts a Trotskyist, internationalist vision.

Maybe because Lenin's thoughts have for decades been banned here, no one has actually pointed out the Leninism in HT's methods, because no one is sure what Leninism is. The HT seeks, just like the Bolsheviks, to firstly develop a core of firm believers that communicate clear and simple slogans to the masses, and when the time ripens, one day seize power and establish their Caliphate (Soviet).

Then from that Caliphate, like falling dominoes, their ideology will spread throughout Islamdom. Eventually the Caliphate will convert the whole world through jihad and da'wah. Just because they wrap their Leninist ideas in Islamic jargon it doesn't mean that Leninism isn't there. The rank and file of the HT is unlikely to be aware of their debt to Lenin but a debt there certainly is.

Both the Ahmadiyah and HT seek to convert people to believing their version of Islam, but while the first is concerned with the spiritual aspect of life, the second is concerned with the political aspect. One would be happy to see the Republic of Indonesia prosper and flourish, while the other would succeed only once it had overthrown the Republic and established a Caliphate in its place. Which is more dangerous for the nation? Lihat yang Asli

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