Feby Indirani, the author of the books \u2018Membuit Muhammad\u2019 and \u2018Bukan\nPerawan Maria\u2019\u2014which have been contested by several parties\u2014has spoken\nout regarding her two works. She stated that the works of fiction she\ncreated were born from good intentions.<\/p>\n
Feby initially explained her background, having grown up as a Muslim.\nShe noted that her works are deeply rooted in tradition, the richness of\nIslamic heritage, and the diversity of interpretations within the\nIslamic world.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was born and raised as a Muslim. My writing journey is deeply\nrooted in tradition, the richness of heritage, and the diversity of\ninterpretations within the Islamic world. Since childhood, I have been\naccustomed to reading and hearing stories of wisdom that portray the\nworld, humanity, and truth in a wise, reflective, and humorous manner,\nwithout being black and white,\u201d Feby said when contacted on Monday\n(28\/9\/2026).<\/p>\n
She added that both her works, which have recently been questioned\nand are being investigated by the police, stem from her daily\nexperiences and observations as a Muslim. The books, she said, are an\neffort to reflect the complexities of religious practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the stories in \u2018Bukan Perawan Maria\u2019 (BPM) and \u2018Memburu\nMuhammad\u2019 (MM) are sourced from experiences and observations of the\ndaily lives of Muslims in Indonesia. Both books are an effort to reflect\nthe colours, dynamics, and complexities of our daily religious\npractices,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Consequently, she emphasised that literary works cannot be judged\nsolely by reading news headlines or opinion articles. \u201cAs literary\nworks, fiction operates through literary devices: it relies on the\nperspectives of fictional characters, symbols, and metaphors. Literary\ntexts cannot be judged by reading news headlines or opinion articles,\u201d\nshe added.<\/p>\n
She then discussed her book, \u2018Memburu Muhammad\u2019. Feby explained that\nthe book uses the perspective of a fictional character, Abu Jahal, who\nwas the primary enemy of the Prophet Muhammad but secretly acknowledged\nthe Prophet\u2019s greatness.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, in the short story \u2018Memburu Muhammad\u2019\u2014as with other\nstories in both books\u2014I use the perspective of a fictional character,\nAbu Jahal, the main enemy of the Prophet Muhammad SAW. As an enemy, he\nwould certainly be reluctant to acknowledge the Prophet\u2019s prophethood,\nbut he could not secretly deny his personal greatness. One of the\nhighest measures of a person\u2019s nobility is when even their enemy\nacknowledges their greatness. In this story, Abu Jahal is astonished to\nsee so many people bearing the name Muhammad, yet failing to emulate his\ncharacter,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is truly being \u2018hunted\u2019 in this context are the noble qualities\nof the Prophet\u2014aligned with the meaning of the word \u2018memburu\u2019 (to hunt)\nin the KBBI (Indonesian Dictionary), which means to strive hard to\nobtain or achieve something,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n
She stated that her work is placed within the corridor of \u2018dakwah\nliterature\u2019 and has even been discussed in various university forums.\nThe impact of both her books, she noted, has been read normally by\nthousands of Muslims.<\/p>\n
\u201cAcademically, studies of this book even place it within the corridor\nof dakwah literature (as noted in research from the STID Al-Hadid\nscientific journal). These works have also been discussed in various\nuniversity forums, including UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. The\njourney of both books has been long and they have been read normally by\nthousands of Muslims,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She mentioned that \u2018Bukan Perawan Maria\u2019 (BPM) was first published in\n2017, where the then-Minister of Religious Affairs, Lukman Hakim\nSaifuddin, attended to deliver a cultural speech at its launch. The book\nwas translated and published in Italy in 2019, and later re-published in\nIndonesia by Bentang Pustaka, part of the Mizan Group, a pioneer in\nIslamic publishing since the 1980s.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the book \u2018Memburu Muhammad\u2019 was published in 2020 with a\nforeword by Gus Nadirsyah Hosen. During its online launch during the\npandemic, the book was discussed in depth by Gus Ulil Abshar Abdalla,\nthe Chairman of PBNU.<\/p>\n
\u201cI write from within the Muslim community itself. These works were\nborn with good intentions, a creative effort to invite us to reflect,\ndialogue, and examine ourselves. Judging literary works solely from\ntitles or snippets of text on social media, framed in an unbalanced\nmanner, actually distances the mission of literature as a part of\neducation and the welfare of the community,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n
As is known, social media has been stirred by the emergence of two\nbooks alleged to commit blasphemy against religion. The Jakarta\nMetropolitan Police (Polda Metro Jaya) will investigate the matter.<\/p>\n
Both books were questioned by netizens because they are considered to\ncontain elements of religious blasphemy. The two books in question are\ntitled \u2018Buku Bukan Perawan Maria\u2019 and \u2018Memburu Muhammad\u2019.<\/p>\n
In posts circulating on social media, the controversial books are\nnarrated as being written by someone described as pro-LGBT. Social media\nposts also show excerpts of writing from the books that are considered\nblasphemous to certain religions.<\/p>\n
When confirmed regarding this matter, the Head of Public Relations\nfor Polda Metro Jaya, Kombes Budi Hermanto, said that the police had\nonly just received this information. He stated that the books would be\ninvestigated by the police.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will certainly be investigated, both by the Cyber Directorate\nif it is indeed in the digital realm, and it will also be handled by the\nCriminal Investigation Directorate,\u201d said Kombes Budi Hermanto to\njournalists at Bundaran HI, Central Jakarta, on Thursday (24\/9).<\/p>\n
Budi Hermanto stated that misleading information that often triggers\npublic disorder is a concern for the police, especially when it involves\nelements of SARA (ethnicity, religion, race, and inter-group\nrelations).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see how there is information that misleads the public, especially\nregarding ethnicity, religion, and race. This is a shared concern for\nall of us,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/author-explains-memburu-muhammad-this-work-was-born-from-good-intentions-1790557079", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }