Haji Rasul, Ahmadiyah, and Al-Qawloes-Shahih

Haji Abdul Karim Amarullah (ayahanda Buya Hamka)

'Rare book' menampilkan buku langka hasil karya "Dr. Abdoel Karim Amarullah". Beliau adalah ayah dari ulama besar dan sastrawan Angkatan Balai Pustaka, Buya Hamka.
Th. 1894 Haji Abdoel Karim Amarullah belajar agama kepada guru dan imam Masjidil Haram yaitu Syeh Ahmad Khatib di Makkah.
Salah satu hasil karyanya adalah buku langka disebelah ini berjudul 'Al-Qawloes-Shahih'.


H. Abdoel Karim Amarullah (gambar atas sebelah kiri) selesai menulis buku 'Alqawloesh Shahih' yang berisi kritik dan koreksi terhadap ajaran Ahmadiyah, pada 11 Februari 1926.
Gambar atas kanan adalah halaman awal, berisi keterangan dari buku langka tersebut, diantaranya isi buku, selesai ditulis dan larangan.
Masih menggunakan bahasa jaman dulu, kalau dibaca sekarang, bunyinya jadi aneh, misalnya : "Larangan. Tidak boleh ditjitak dengan tidak izin saja, Pengarang !! Kalau saja meninggal doenja pindah kekoeasaan kepada waris saja menoeroet agama soepaja ma'aloem".

Buku antik 'Alqawloesh Shahih', koleksi 'rare book' ini ejaan dan bahasanya agak aneh karena awalnya adalah ditulis menggunakan huruf Arab gundul atau Arab Melayu, langsung disalin dengan huruf latin biasa, agar lebih banyak masyarakat yang bisa membaca. Karena Ahmadiyah banyak tersebar di Jawa, ada rencana buku ini akan ditulis dalam bahasa Jawa bahkan akan ditulis dalam huruf Jawa sebab banyak masyarakat di Jawa terbiasa menggunakan huruf Jawa.
Buku langka ini 'didjoeal dan diterbitkan atas biaya oleh Datoek Nan Bareno alias Marah Intan, Djokjakarta (gambar atas kanan).

Buku antik yang dicetak di 'Drukkerij Persatuan Moehammadijah Djokja' ini sudah pernah diperbaiki dan diganti covernya menjadi hardcover ditempel dengan cover aslinya, berukuran 12.5 x 20 cm, 150 halaman.

i.gr. 03.00

Retrieved from: http://mmzrarebooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/haji-abdul-karim-amarullah-ayahanda.html

Muhammadiyah and The Making of “Progressive Islam” in Indonesia

This is a random excerpt taken from: Alexander R. Arifianto's "Faith, Moral Authority, and Politics: The Making of “Progressive Islam” in Indonesia and Turkey", paper presented at the 2012 Western Political Science Association (WPSA) Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, March 22-24, 2012
 
Muhammadiyah is a modernist Islamic organization that at times have expressed some revivalist and fundamentalist tendencies as well. It has expressed much less tolerance toward non-canonical Islamic teachings that are not prescribed in the Qur'an and the Hadith, as well as toward local religious customs and traditions that had predated the Islamic period in Indonesia. Muhammadiyah's leadership is based primarily on rational-legal authority, where individual leaders rose through the rank of the organization and gained influence largely based on their talents and achievements rather than through family connections or patronage. Because it is a rational-legal organization, Muhammadiyah's decision-making structure is also more hierarchical than NU, with the central leadership board able to design and enforce most major policy decisions within the organization and individual Muhammadiyah members at the grassroots level have little/no power to shape the formulation of these policies or to change them once they have been approved by the central board.

Given the strong support among the modernist Islamic intelligentsia of this period over these progressive ideas, many were expecting that the ideas would in time gain the support of key modernist Islamic groups in Indonesia, especially within the Muhammadiyah. However, the dominance of revivalist theology among the ranks of Muhammadiyah leaders and activists created a strong oppositional discourse among the revivalist who opposed these reforms, which is sustained through a strong internal culture within the organization to oppose alternative theological ideas that are contradictory to revivalist and Salafist theological teachings. Together, these have prevented progressive theological ideas from being implemented by the organization.
 
Despite his popular appeals among reform activists, Syafii Ma'arif (unlike his NU counterpart Abdurrahman Wahid) does not possess the charismatic as well as persuasive appeals that would have convinced rank-and-file Muhammadiyah members to change their positions about the reforms that were promoted by the progressive activists. The prevalence of literal interpretations of the Koran and the Sunnah among revivalist groups within the organization, and the prevalence of revivalist-oriented leaders in the organization's central leadership board that serve as counterweight to the voice of Ma‟arif and other progressive reformers within the Muhammadiyah. The prevalence of revivalists within the organization and the lack of a charismatic figure within the organization who could have served as counterweight to the revivalist's resistance, has served as another stumbling block for progressive reformers to successfully implement and institutionalize their reforms within the organization.
 
Muhammadiyah's reformers failure to successfully enact their reforms is also attributable to their failure to spread their reformist message beyond the relatively small amount of supporters who support these reforms in the first place. Unlike their NU counterparts, who tried to popularize their messages to the rank-and-file members (through Wahid's numerous popular sermons), their counterpart among the modernist and Muhammadiyah community tend to promote the reforms among a small group of activists who were educated at Islamic universities where progressive Islamic thought are promoted.

As a result, the attempt of progressive Muhammadiyah activists to engage in “reasoned reflection” activities to persuade the organization to adopt their reformist theology have encountered fierce resistance from their puritanist/revivalist rivals from within the organization, who already dominate the internal culture and the leadership rank within Muhammadiyah. Revivalists (represented by activists such as Yunahar Ilyas, Dahlan Rais (brother of former Muhammadiyah Chairman Amien Rais), and Mustafa Kamal Pasha) argue that organizations such as the Network of Young Muhammadiyah Intellectuals (Jaringan Intelektual Muda Muhammadiyah – JIMM), which became the vehicle for their efforts to introduce progressive Islamic thought within the Muhammadiyah, are trying to promote ideas that are not identical and are violating the organization's theological principles. Specifically, they do not share the positions taken by organizations such as JIMM that argue for equal citizenship rights irrespective of religious belief, human rights, religious tolerance and pluralism, and gender equality.
 
Revivalist critics of the reform argue that these positions represent liberal secularist principles, which sought to separate religion and the state realm, something revivalists argue should be rejected by Muslims who believe that there can be no separation between the two realms. Revivalists also reject the concept of religious pluralism, by arguing that pluralism advocates for the validity of truth for all religions. This is something many revivalists considered as a heresy (bid’ah), since for the revivalists, there is only one religion that represents God's ultimate truth for all humans, and it is Islam (Budiyanto 2009: 122-123, Boy 2009: 168-169). In their view, pluralist supporters only weaken the faith of young Muslims, which would threaten their salvation in the afterlife (Asyari 2007: 33). Revivalists also believe that local cultures and traditions could not be integrated into Muhammadiyah, since so there are too many heretical and superstitious (tahyul) elements within them that would only weakened the faith of pious Muslims (Asyari 2007: 28, fn. 16). Lastly, they criticize progressive activists for receiving financial assistance from international donors and foundations, which for the revivalists, prove that their agendas constituted Westerners' effort to weaken and replace Islam in Indonesia. In their mind,
 
I argue that the outcome of progressive theological reforms within the Muhammadiyah and its traditionalist counterpart, the NU, differs from one another because of several distinctive characteristics within these organizations. First, the internal culture of the NU, which has a long history of tolerating syncretic religious customs and theological thoughts borrowed from other Islamic sects (e.g, Sufism and Shiite traditions), are more receptive towards the reform advocated by progressive reformers within the organization in the area of democracy, human rights, and religious pluralism. Revivalist theology and the practice of purifying of non-canonical Islamic customs and traditions, are an integral part of Muhammadiyah's internal culture for the past century and this would not be amenable to a rapid ideational change, either from the inside or from the outside, anytime soon. And since revivalist theology tend to prevail among Muhammadiyah activists and leadership, they have significant resources to counter the efforts of the progressives to implement their reforms from within the organization and in the end, are able to marginalize the reformers by excluding them from the organization's key leadership positions.

WORKING DRAFT: Please do not cite or attribute without the written permission of the author.


Available at:
1. http://wpsa.research.pdx.edu/meet/2012/arifianto.pdf
2. http://asu.academia.edu/AlexanderArifianto/Papers/1365720/Faith_Moral_Authority_and_Politics_Progressive_Islam_in_Indonesia_and_Turkey_Chapter_2_

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Hilal and Halal: How to manage Islamic pluralism in Indonesia?

Indonesia Study Group

12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
May 30, 2012
Seminar Room B (Arndt Room), Coombs Building, Fellows Road, ANU

Hilal and Halal: How to manage Islamic pluralism in Indonesia?

Nadirsyah Hosen (Faculty of Law, University of Wollongong)

Seminar abstract

The main aim of my presentation is to examine the tension amongst the Indonesian government and Islamic organisations in dealing with the plurality of interpretation within Islamic tradition and at the same time maintaining the unity and harmony of the Muslim ummah. I provide two case studies here: first, the issue of determining the first and the end of Ramadan and also 10 Zul Hijjah (for Ied al-Adha). Due to different methods of hisab (astronomical calculation) and ru’yah (sighting a new crescent), Islamic organisations (Muhammadiyah, Nahdlatul Ulama and Majelis Ulama Indonesia) have produced different fatwas. At the same time, the Government should make announcement on which dates to begin or to end fasting. The questions are: which fatwas the Government should choose? What are the reactions of Islamic organisations that have different views with the Government decision? There is also tension in the society in celebrating different dates of Ied al-fitri and Ied al-adha. Second, in the case of halal certificate, Department of Health, Department of Religious Affairs, Department of Industry and the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) together with the Parliament are still examining who has the authority to investigate all the ingredients, to issue the fatwa, and to put halal label in the product. Currently, MUI issues a halal certificate based on the voluntarily application from the company. This might be considered as an unofficial law. Once the Parliament passed the bill, the practice might become compulsory. This will give effect that a particular interpretation of the halalness of meat and non-meat products will become the official law. How about other non-official interpretations? There is also a competition between Department of Religious Affairs and the MUI as the first thinks it falls into its authority, whereas the latter insists that a halal certificate is a written fatwa which falls into its ‘jurisdiction’. This question of authority reflects the tension and dilemma of the role of the Government, particularly the Department of Religious Affairs, in trying to regulate and facilitate Muslims affairs.

Enquiries

Indonesia Project (indonesia.project@anu.edu.au)

Retrieved from: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/blogs/indonesiaproject/2012/05/10/isg-hilal-and-halal-how-to-manage-islamic-pluralism-in-indonesia/

Call for Papers: International Conference on Muhammadiyah (ICM) 2012

Call for Papers

International Conference on Muhammadiyah (ICM) 2012

“Discourse on the Search for a Renewed Identity of Muhammadiyah for its Post-Centennial Era”

Date: 29 November – 2 December   2012.

Place: University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Malang, East Java, Indonesia.

Language: English only for written and oral presentation and discussion.

Description

Over the past 100 years, the progressive Muslim social movement Muhammadiyah has made significant contributions to the nation building of the Republic of Indonesia, mainly in the field of education, philanthropy, and social welfare. More than that, its contributions to the enhancement of the people’s sovereignty, national unity, social justice, and the uplifting of public morality for the nation have been countless. In spite of all this, some people have perceived that Muhammadiyah’s presence in the Indonesian public seems to be somewhat waning recently. Many factors seemed to have caused this. Muhammadiyah has been contested externally by the emergence of a number of Islamist movements since the fall of the New Order -- many of them with trans-national connections. Even more directly, Muhammadiyah has faced with the threat of infiltration by some Islamist forces, among others, by the PKS (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera, Prosperous Justice Party). Internally, too, Muhammadiyah has experienced unprecedented conflicts because of the development of three contrasting orientations: The revival of ‘Salafist’ trend, the well-established mainstream, taking a moderate centralist position, and a more recent trend of ‘liberals’.

All in all, an image of Muhammadiyah in recent years has been less dynamic, less innovative, and less progressive compared to its fresh forward looking stance shown decades before. Thus, Muhammadiyah at the entrance of its second century is facing a number of serious challenges. The most essential among them seems to be the “rediscovery” or “reformulation” of its own identity.  Recent rapid, global grand-scale changes are demanding Muhammadiyah to seriously re-examine the meanings of its modernity, progressiveness and reformism in the post-modern contexts.

The ICM intends to survey and discuss the Muhammadiyah movement in search of new identity and direction. Can and will Muhammadiyah continue and even advance to be an organization of progressive Islamic social and religious movement well into its post-centennial era? How is it revitalizing the élan vital of the movement? These questions seem to require serious inquiries not only by Muhammadiyah activists themselves but also by those scholars who have been observing Muhammadiyah for many years.

Themes to Consider:

1. History: Modern History of Islam in Indonesia with Emphasis on the Early Period of Muhammadiyah Development
2. Ethnography: Realities of the Muhammadiyah Movement in Local Context
3. Education: Challenges of Globalization, Multi-Culturalism and Universalism
4. Philanthropy/Social Welfare/Social Business:  The working of LAZISMU, PKU, BMT, etc.
5. Reformism Revisited: The Working of Majelis Tarjih/Tajdid and Interpretation/ Application of Syari’ah
6. Women and Gender Equality
7. Youth and Radicalism
8. Domestic and International Politics: Democratization, the Challenge of Islamism, and World-wide Cooperation of Moderate Muslims
9. Conflict Resolution and the Enhancement of Intra/Inter-Faith Solidarity
10. The State of Art in Muhammadiyah Studies

Submission Details

If you want to give a presentation, please submit your proposal (around 250-300 words) and curriculum vitae to Mitsuo Nakamura (mitsuon@za.tnc.ne.jp) and Azyumardi Azra (azyumardiazra1@gmail.com) by 15 June 2012. Papers that have been selected will be notified by 15 July 2012. If accepted, the full paper must be submitted by 15 September 2012.

If you are planning to attend, please send an email to Soeparto (partoumm@yahoo.com) for preliminary registration at your earliest convenience.