Explanation from Feby Indirani, Author of 'Memburu Muhammad'

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –

Feby Indirani, the author of the books ‘Memburu Muhammad’ (Hunting Muhammad) and ‘Bukan Perawan Maria’ (Not the Virgin Mary), has spoken out regarding her two works which have recently been questioned by several parties. Feby emphasised that her fictional works were born from good intentions and stem from her experiences and observations as a Muslim.

Feby explained that she was born and raised as a Muslim. According to her, her writings are closely linked to the traditions, heritage, and diversity of interpretation within the Islamic world.

“I was born and raised as a Muslim. My writing journey is deeply rooted in the traditions, the richness of heritage, and the diversity of interpretation in the Islamic world. Since childhood, I have been accustomed to reading and hearing wisdom tales that portray the world, humanity, and truth in a wise, reflective, and humorous manner, without ever being black and white,” Feby said when contacted on Monday (28/9).

She stated that the contents of ‘Bukan Perawan Maria’ (BPM) and ‘Membultu Muhammad’ (MM) originate from experiences and observations of the daily lives of Muslims in Indonesia. According to Feby, both books were created as an effort to depict the diversity and complexity of religious life.

“All the stories in ‘Bukan Perawan Maria’ and ‘Memburu Muhammad’ are sourced from experiences and observations of the daily lives of Muslims in Indonesia. Both books are an endeavour to reflect the colours, dynamics, and complexities of our daily religious practices,” she said.

Feby also noted that literary works should not be understood solely based on news headlines or opinion articles. She stated that fiction possesses its own literary devices to convey stories.

“As literary works, fiction operates through literary devices: it relies on the perspectives of fictional characters, symbols, and metaphors. Literary texts cannot be judged by reading news headlines or opinion articles,” she added.

Regarding ‘Memburu Muhammad’, Feby explained that the short story uses the perspective of the fictional character Abu Jahajal, known as one of the primary enemies of the Prophet Muhammad SAW. In the story, Abu Jahajal is depicted as a figure who does not recognise the Prophet’s prophethood, yet secretly acknowledges the Prophet’s personal greatness.

“For example, in the short story ‘Memburu Muhammad’—as with other stories in both books—I use the perspective of a fictional character, namely Abu Jahajal, the main enemy of Prophet Muhammad SAW. As an enemy, he certainly is reluctant to acknowledge the Prophet’s prophethood, but secretly cannot deny his personal greatness. One of the highest measures of a person’s nobility is when even their enemy recognises their greatness. In this story, Abu Jahajal is astonished to see so many people bearing the name Muhammad, yet failing to emulate his character,” she explained.

Feby explained that the meaning of the title ‘Memburu Muhammad’ does not literally refer to the figure of Prophet Muhammad. According to her, what is being sought in the story are the noble qualities of the Prophet.

“What is actually being ‘hunted’ in this context are the noble qualities of the Prophet—aligned with the meaning of the word ‘memburu’ (to hunt) in the KBBI (Indonesian Dictionary), which means to strive hard to obtain or achieve something,” she continued.

She also mentioned that ‘Memburu Muhammad’ has been placed within the corridor of ‘dakwah literature’ (preaching literature) in several academic studies. According to Feby, both of her books have been discussed in various university forums and read by thousands of Muslims.

“Academically, studies of this book even place it within the corridor of dakwah literature (as noted in research from the STID Al-Hadid scientific journal). These works have also been discussed in various university forums, including UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. The journey of these two books is long and they have been read reasonably by thousands of Muslims,” she said.

Feby then explained the publication journey of ‘Bukan Perawan Maria’. The book was first published in 2017. At its launch, the then Minister of Religious Affairs, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, was said to have attended and delivered a cultural speech. The book was later translated and published in Italy in 2019. In Indonesia, it was re-published by Bentang Pustaka, which is part of the Mizan Group.

Meanwhile, ‘Memburu Muhammad’ was published in 2020 with a foreword by Gus Nadirsyah Hosen. Feby said the book was also discussed in depth by Gus Ulil Abshar Abdalla during an online launch during the pandemic.

Feby emphasised that both of her works were created from the perspective of the Muslim community and with the aim of inviting readers to reflect.

“I write from within the Muslim community itself. These works were born with good intentions, a creative endeavour to invite us to reflect, dialogue, and examine ourselves. Judging literary works solely from titles or snippets of text on social media that are framed imbalancedly actually distances the mission of literature as a part of education and the welfare of the community,” she said.

Nadirsyah Hosen, an academic, professor of law, and an Indonesian Islamic intellectual, also spoke regarding the book ‘Memburu Muhammad’ by Feby Indirani. The man affectionately known as Gus Nadir is also the person who wrote the foreword for the book.

Here is Gus Nadir’s view:

“In 2020, I wrote the foreword for the book ‘Memburu Muhammad’ by Feby Indirani. The title of my foreword was ‘Hunting the Author’s Imagination’. Six years later, when the book discussion was cancelled and accusations of religious insult emerged, I remembered my experience reading it. A story that made me long for the Prophet’s exemplary character is now being questioned as if it were disparaging him.

There is a distance that we need to examine between the impression gained from seeing a title and the understanding gained after reading the story. It is within that distance that prejudice can grow.”