Darul Arqam: A historical reflection<\/p>\n
Nine provinces have banned the activities of the controversial
\nKuala Lumpur-based Darul Arqam sect in Indonesia and press
\nreports say other provinces are considering following suit.
\nIntellect Azyumardi Asra doubts the ban will be effective.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): To date at least nine provincial prosecutor's
\noffices have banned the beleaguered Darul Arqam.<\/p>\n
What is most interesting in this case is that the decisions to
\noutlaw the Islamic religious movement were not issued by the
\nAttorney General's Office as some people had expected. Instead
\nthat office has let the provincial authorities decide for
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
This indicates that the highest level Indonesian authorities
\nare attempting to avoid giving the impression that they have been
\nunder pressure, in the name of ASEAN solidarity, to bow to the
\nMalaysian government's desires to ban the movement.<\/p>\n
Despite all this, it is really doubtful whether the bans
\nissued here can be effective. Several instances these days have
\nshown us that the banning of allegedly \"deviationist\" religious
\nmovements suffices largely on paper only. Some of them -- the
\nmost notorious being the Inkarus Sunnah -- are smart enough to
\nsurvive by changing their names, or even by adapting, at least
\ntemporarily, to suit the political establishment.<\/p>\n
There is little doubt that Darul Arqam has generated one of
\nthe most widely debated controversies in Indonesia in recent
\ntimes. Other Islamic organizations banned in the past included
\nQadiani Ahmadiyyah, which originated in India, Islam Jamma'ah
\n(Community of Islam) and Inkarus Sunnah (Denial of Prophet
\nMuhammad's tradition).<\/p>\n
In contrast, Darul Arqam has created at least two divisions
\namong Indonesian Moslem scholars and organizations. The first
\ngroup thus created consists of those who regard Darul Arqam as
\nhaving gone astray because of \"heretical\" teachings. This group
\nadvocates the sect's banning on this basis. Religiously and
\nintellectually, this group belongs to the reformist wing of
\nIslamic school of thought as reflected in Muhammadiyah and some
\nleaders of the Council of Indonesian Ulemas (MUI) who have a
\nreformist background.<\/p>\n
The second group is those whose members claim there is almost
\nnothing wrong with the teachings of Darul Arqam. In other words,
\nthe movement's doctrines and practices are still within the realm
\nof Sunni orthodox faith. Therefore, at least from a religious
\npoint of view, Darul Arqam should not be outlawed. This group
\nlargely consists of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) scholars who have been
\ntypified as the traditionalist wing of Islamic school of thought
\nby observers.<\/p>\n
Conflicts between Islamic reformism and traditionalism are not
\nnew. They can be traced back throughout history in the
\ndevelopment of Islamic doctrines and practices.<\/p>\n
The basic tenets of Islamic reformism, preached vehemently by
\nsuch outstanding scholars as Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328), Muhammad
\nibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1787), Jamaluddin al-Afghani (1838-1897),
\nand Muhammad 'Abduh (1849-1905), are that Islam should be
\nunderstood and practiced in their \"pristine\" form. These scholars
\nin turn influenced reformist organizations like Muhammadiyah,
\nwhich has preached that Islam should be freed not only from
\nbid'ah (unwarranted innovations), khurafat (superstitions) and
\ntahyul (delusions), but also from the unquestioned following
\n(taklid) of the religious scholars or ulemas.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the reformists, or purists, oppose some long-
\nstanding Islamic institutions, such as the tarekat (Sufi
\nbrotherhoods), which are considered to be full of unwarranted
\ninnovations or doctrines, such as the belief in the messianic
\nfigure of the Mahdi. All of these are central to Darul Arqam.<\/p>\n
In contrast, the traditionalists cling to the customs that
\nwere developed by the \"People of the Sunnah\" (the traditions of
\nthe Prophet) and the community of believers (Ahlus Sunnah wal
\nJama'ah) throughout Islamic history. The special emphasis on the
\nSunnah by these people, leads them to adopt almost the entirety
\nof the hadits (the sayings of the Prophet), including those
\nsegments which have been classified as weak by certain scholars.<\/p>\n
As a result, the religious world view and the practices of the
\ntraditionalists are pregnant with innovations and additions. It
\nis no surprise that traditionalist Moslems in Indonesia,
\nincluding NU and Darul Arqam, have practiced various kinds of
\ntarekat, or elaborated rituals under the leadership of ulemas,
\nwho command the total obedience of their followers.<\/p>\n
Given differences in their religious world views and
\npractices, one may reasonably expect that the conflicts between
\nthe reformist and traditionalist Moslems will endure. The banning
\nof Darul Arqam will not resolve the conflicts. The sparks remain
\nin the ashes and will burst forth into flame if any sort of fuel
\nis added.<\/p>\n
The writer is a lecturer of the Post Graduate Faculty at the
\nState Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN), Jakarta.<\/p>",
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