The Grand Syekh of Al Azhar, Prof Dr Syekh Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad Ath-Thayyeb has said that all moslem who are ahlussunah (sunni) are in principle brothers of those who are Shia.
"Sunni and Shia are brothers," he said in a meeting with Directorate General for Guidance of the Islamic Community in Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) headquarter on Monday (22/2) also attended by Religion Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin and some ulemas and Moslem scholars.
According to Syekh Ath-Thayyeb, Islam has a clear defnition. A Moslem is one who testifies that there is no other God than Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, performs shalat, does fasting in Ramadhan, pays an alms (charity) for the poor and needy, and perform hajj or those who are able.
"Those who perform these 5 pillars are moslems," he emphasised.
The Grand Syekh argues that there is no principle matter that can justify shia's exclusion from mainstream Islam. In fact, many of Shia's doctrines are almost similar to the Sunni's. The difference between Sunni and Shia in Syekh Thayyeb opinion lies in the imamiah (leadership) matter. "Shia believes that imamiah is a part of Ushuluddin, while we view the matter as a furu," he explained. He als added, "if we read the old books of Shia, they respect all the chalips in general."
Differences among religion practices is common. Naturally, every human is different bothphysically and in non-physical dimension. Such differences might also have been destined and written as God's scenario.
According to Religion Affairs, Lukman Hakim Syaifuddin, the moslems in Indonesia come from various background, culture, tribes, language that live together as society.
Yet, the harmony can be disrupted. The disruption partly can be caused by the memory of glory in the past and the resistance towards new values. As the consequences, it is not unexpected if there are groups of people resisting Pancasila and the iea of NKRI as both do not exist in Quran and Sunnah. Both are man made. So is Democracy. It is considered as a product of the infidel government.
In my humble opinion, those who criticize and labeled shia as a misguided practices are not reflecting a Muslim. The word "Islam" is formed of four meanings, aslama means surrendering ownseli, salima means safe, sallama means saving other people, and salam means secure, peaceful and halcyon.
In a book entitled "Shia in Shia's perspective (2014)", Sunni and Shia are two different perspectives that are relative and structured about the way to explore the holiness. Both are not religion but an interpretation of religion. Both are school of thoughts. Sunni and Shia have mutual understanding on the existence of an intermediary between the prophet and the followers in which a prophet is the one who is always right.
However, the interpretation of the prophet's teaching can be relative. Not all parties can accept this theory of relativity. Each believes that their own interpretation of Quran and hadiths is the one that perfectly delivered by the prophet. This creates fanatics and extremism. One difference is that Shia does not follow the practices of a hadith saying "follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the caliphs after me".
The rational is not because Shia followers do not believe in the caliphs as the successor of Prophet Muhammad, but because they think that the logical consequences of this hadith is lowering the level of Prophet Muhammad or upgrading the level of caliphate. They argue that the level of a prophet cannot be similar to the followers who are not sacred. Regardless the differences, both Sunni and Shia should not insist one another on this matter. Both beliefs are relative.
Do not politicize shia issue
Another difference between Sunni and Shia is that Shia learn Islam from the prophet and succeeded by his family while Sunni from the prophet and succeeded by the caliph. Unfortunately, among Shia followers there are some that adhere to Shia takfiri.
It is a concept to label other groups as infidel. This concept was developed by YH (UK), ST (Australia) and ER group (Indonesia).
According to a figure of Ikatan Jamaah Ahlul Bait Indonesia (Ijabi), the spreading of Islam in Indonesia was brought by both Shia and Sunni.
Samudera Pasai Kingdom and another Kingdom in Peurelak Aceh were Shia kingdom that spread Islam in Indonesia. But, Shia followers always keep the Islamic tradition like pilgrimage to the grave of Prophet Muhammad, performing tahlil, shalawat, tawasul, and perform qumail prayer in the mosque, visits to graveyard and so on. These practices are opposed by Wahabi Takfiri groups.
All in all, I deplore the split up of the Shia and anti-Shia in which the Shia is the minority. The issue between Shia and Sunni must not be exaggerated. This is indeed a sensitive issue that has strategic value as it can be exploited as a proxy war to destroy NKRI or at least ukhuwah islamiyah, the unity among Muslim. The differences in the interpretation of religion is legal and natural, yet it can be abnormal and disappointing if such differences eventually create conflict among us.
*) The author is an observer of social and religious matter resided in Jakarta.
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Megapolitan 2016
"Sunni and Shia are brothers," he said in a meeting with Directorate General for Guidance of the Islamic Community in Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) headquarter on Monday (22/2) also attended by Religion Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin and some ulemas and Moslem scholars.
According to Syekh Ath-Thayyeb, Islam has a clear defnition. A Moslem is one who testifies that there is no other God than Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, performs shalat, does fasting in Ramadhan, pays an alms (charity) for the poor and needy, and perform hajj or those who are able.
"Those who perform these 5 pillars are moslems," he emphasised.
The Grand Syekh argues that there is no principle matter that can justify shia's exclusion from mainstream Islam. In fact, many of Shia's doctrines are almost similar to the Sunni's. The difference between Sunni and Shia in Syekh Thayyeb opinion lies in the imamiah (leadership) matter. "Shia believes that imamiah is a part of Ushuluddin, while we view the matter as a furu," he explained. He als added, "if we read the old books of Shia, they respect all the chalips in general."
Differences among religion practices is common. Naturally, every human is different bothphysically and in non-physical dimension. Such differences might also have been destined and written as God's scenario.
According to Religion Affairs, Lukman Hakim Syaifuddin, the moslems in Indonesia come from various background, culture, tribes, language that live together as society.
Yet, the harmony can be disrupted. The disruption partly can be caused by the memory of glory in the past and the resistance towards new values. As the consequences, it is not unexpected if there are groups of people resisting Pancasila and the iea of NKRI as both do not exist in Quran and Sunnah. Both are man made. So is Democracy. It is considered as a product of the infidel government.
In my humble opinion, those who criticize and labeled shia as a misguided practices are not reflecting a Muslim. The word "Islam" is formed of four meanings, aslama means surrendering ownseli, salima means safe, sallama means saving other people, and salam means secure, peaceful and halcyon.
In a book entitled "Shia in Shia's perspective (2014)", Sunni and Shia are two different perspectives that are relative and structured about the way to explore the holiness. Both are not religion but an interpretation of religion. Both are school of thoughts. Sunni and Shia have mutual understanding on the existence of an intermediary between the prophet and the followers in which a prophet is the one who is always right.
However, the interpretation of the prophet's teaching can be relative. Not all parties can accept this theory of relativity. Each believes that their own interpretation of Quran and hadiths is the one that perfectly delivered by the prophet. This creates fanatics and extremism. One difference is that Shia does not follow the practices of a hadith saying "follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the caliphs after me".
The rational is not because Shia followers do not believe in the caliphs as the successor of Prophet Muhammad, but because they think that the logical consequences of this hadith is lowering the level of Prophet Muhammad or upgrading the level of caliphate. They argue that the level of a prophet cannot be similar to the followers who are not sacred. Regardless the differences, both Sunni and Shia should not insist one another on this matter. Both beliefs are relative.
Do not politicize shia issue
Another difference between Sunni and Shia is that Shia learn Islam from the prophet and succeeded by his family while Sunni from the prophet and succeeded by the caliph. Unfortunately, among Shia followers there are some that adhere to Shia takfiri.
It is a concept to label other groups as infidel. This concept was developed by YH (UK), ST (Australia) and ER group (Indonesia).
According to a figure of Ikatan Jamaah Ahlul Bait Indonesia (Ijabi), the spreading of Islam in Indonesia was brought by both Shia and Sunni.
Samudera Pasai Kingdom and another Kingdom in Peurelak Aceh were Shia kingdom that spread Islam in Indonesia. But, Shia followers always keep the Islamic tradition like pilgrimage to the grave of Prophet Muhammad, performing tahlil, shalawat, tawasul, and perform qumail prayer in the mosque, visits to graveyard and so on. These practices are opposed by Wahabi Takfiri groups.
All in all, I deplore the split up of the Shia and anti-Shia in which the Shia is the minority. The issue between Shia and Sunni must not be exaggerated. This is indeed a sensitive issue that has strategic value as it can be exploited as a proxy war to destroy NKRI or at least ukhuwah islamiyah, the unity among Muslim. The differences in the interpretation of religion is legal and natural, yet it can be abnormal and disappointing if such differences eventually create conflict among us.
*) The author is an observer of social and religious matter resided in Jakarta.
Editor : M. Tohamaksun
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Megapolitan 2016