Measuring The Readiness Of The Revolution In Indonesia
Rabi-us-Sani 17, 1432 A.H, Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Revolution in linguistics means a fundamental
change. While politically, in essence is the fundamental change in a system by
removing the system that has been obsolete and then replacing it with a new
system. The revolutionary action that is currently getting more turbulent in the
Arab peninsula is indeed a part of the sunnatullah (decisions of
Allah).
That a despotic and authoritarian
regime will not be in power all the time. When munkars, tyranny and
various forms of violations against Islamic values are increasingly rampant in a
territory of the Islamic ummah, then the promise of Allah will come to
pass, that the ruling regime at that time will be replaced with a generation or
other regime that loves Allah and Allah loves them, humble toward the believers,
powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not
fear the blame of a critic (Q.S. al-Maidah: 54).
This indicates that in every age and
place, surely there will always be the rijalud da'wah, namely the
strugglers who are consistent in calling on mankind towards the way of truth and
pleasing to Allah. They struggle to restructure the state and its people till it
becomes baldatun thayyibatun wa rabbun ghafur (a State that is good and
full of forgiveness of Allah -ed). A prosperous country and its people are
grateful for the blessings of Allah. A State that is far from the practices of
injustice, corruption, misappropriation of trusts and other violations.
Surely, falsehood and denial will
always appear. And this in essence is a signal from Allah so that we are
consistent in conducting the amar makruf and nahi’anil munkar.
We can not possibly see the world without the slightest evil, because this is
also part of the sunnatullah. What becomes our duty as Muslims is to
keep on resisting those falsehood. And it is for that we are born into this
world.
In the context Indonesia, all the
defects that continue to happen today, whether it be on the government or the
society, it could be due to the efforts that we exerted to offset those
munkars are still not as maximal as they could be, that consequently the
evil continues to be the 'captain of the boat' of our nation. It should be that,
the truth and falsehood should never be balanced. The truth must be dominating
so that evil becomes constricted. There should be more segments of the
Indonesian society that become the agents of change in society.
Rasulullah, in one of his hadith, reminded us about the evolution of the Islamic
world, from his era to the emergence of the Islamic Caliphate based on the
minhaj nabawi in the end times. This saheeh hadith narrated by
Hudzaifah in full says;
“The Prophethood will remain among you for as long as
Allah wills, then Allah will lift it when He wishes to, then it will be the
Khulafaur Rashidin on the method of the Prophethood (KHILAFAH ‘ALAA MINHAJIN
NUBUWWAH), it will remain for as long as Allah wills, then Allah will lift it if
He wishes, then it will be the kingdom that hold fast to Islam which will remain
for as long as Allah wills, then He will lift it if he wishes, then it will be a
dictator kings , and it will remain so for as long as Allah wills, then He will
lift it if He wishes, then it will be a Khilafah on the method of the
Prophethood (KHILAFAH ‘ALAA MINHAJIN NUBUWWAH), then he kept silent.”
(HR Ahmad).
The era of prophethood is the most
important period in the history of Islam because of the presence of Muhammad SAW
who guided mankind towards the path of truth. The period of Khulafaur
Rashidin is a time when the Islamic ummah are led by the just
Caliphates based on the manhaj Nabawi. The era of the kingdom that hold
fast to Islam is the period when the Islamic ummah are led by kings.
This period started since the
formation of the Daulah (sovereignty) of the Bani Umaiyah in 41 H,
Daulah Bani Abasiyah in 132 H to 656 H, then Islam was led by other daulahs.
Then it is the period of the dictator kings, i.e. the period in which the
Muslims are the majority but are ruled by despotic rulers who always oppress
their subjects in all aspects of life. This is the time we are witnessing today.
Starting from the Arabian Peninsula up
to various other regions including Indonesia, the Islamic ummah are
lead by tyrannical leaders. Starting from the king of Tunisia who had just been
toppled, king of Jordan, king of Saudi Arabia, king of Egypt, president of
Tajikistan and others. Whereas, the last period is the period in which the
Islamic Caliphate will reappear as promised by Allah SWT. This is the most
anticipated period by the Muslims after the collapse of the Daulah
Islamiyah of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey in 1924 which was the beginning
of an era where Muslims wandered blindly like foam on the ocean.
From the wordings of the above hadith,
yes, it was not explained that the turnover of periods from the despotic kings'
leadership towards the Caliphate will take place in a revolutionary (rapid and
profound) manner. But read the following hadith, we will capture a message that
in the attempts to replace a regime that is despotic and that which did not
apply the laws of Allah upon the Islamic ummah, a revolutionary manner could
also be the alternative model of struggle for the Muslims to seize the power
from the despotic kings.
The Prophet said,
“Indeed, after me there will be the rulers of the
country who are selfish and and making policies that you do not like.” The
Companions asked, “O Allah's Apostle, then what do you order us to do when
coming across that occurrence?” He answered, “Fulfil your obligation and ask for
your rights from Allah.” (HR.Muslim).
Thus, changes in a revolutionary way
can occur anywhere in accordance with the conditions of the region. Even in
Indonesia, of course if the prerequisites are already met.
The hadith is then also strengthened
by the following verses of Allah; “Allah has
promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will
surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it
to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their
religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for
them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating
anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the
defiantly disobedient.” (QS. An-Nuur: 55).
Reading this verse, the promise of
Allah is clearly expressed that at some point in time the light of Islam will
definitely triumph. It is impossible for Allah to break His promise. Thereby,
the question that we should ask ourselves is, where is our position at the time
when Islam is in the efforts to attain the peak of its success?
We only have two choices, to become a
part of the strugglers of the revival of Islam or to be on the side of the party
that is against the light of Islam? In this situation we do not have a middle
option. One group was promised paradise by Allah, while the other group was also
promised a payoff by Allah, in the form of hell.
Therefore, as Muslims, it has become a
duty for us to continue to improve ourselves to become a Rabbani
(Godly) person with the Qur’ani character, who, with strong Iman always
serve his Lord, able to suppress the carnal desires, temptations of wealth,
throne and women.
The improvement of the selves is a
very basic foundation for the establishment of a State and the welcoming the
Islamic Caliphate that will surely come up in the end times. Then, building a
family that is sakinah ma waddah wa rahmah (providing mutual Peace and
Love & Compassion - ed). After that, building a community where the light of
Islam glows from inside it. The community where the people are united on the
rope of Islam, helping each other upon goodness and taqwa, practising
the verses of their Lord and the hadiths of His Rasul.
After revamping these three
segmentations, by itself we have made the effort to build the basic foundation
of the Islamic Caliphate. After that, the community must choose leaders who fit
the criteria of Islam, enhancing the skill in the various disciplines of
science, economy, military and so forth.
Because it is not possible for a
revolution, that is in accordance with the sunnatullah, to be realized
if all the devices are not readied maturely. Even if forced, the results of the
revolution are certainly not for the emergence of Islamic Caliphate.
The revolutions of Egypt and Tunisia,
insha Allah, will give us the answer whether all the devices have
already been prepared by the Islamic ummah there. Wallahu a’lam
bissawab.
Original author: vice chairman
of the DDII (Council of Da'wah Islamiyyah Indonesia) Banda Aceh.
Submitted by a Mujahid