Gymnastiar shares life's simple truths

Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At 40, he is no spring chicken, but he is fortunate to be successful, popular, wealthy and influential.

Abdullah Gymnastiar practices a new genre in Islamic preaching in the country. He packs a new tone on preaching and presents Islam through his tender and simple sermons that are often crowded by people thirsty for religious rhetoric.

Many compare the Bandung-based cleric with Zainuddin M.Z., dubbed da'i sejuta umat (the preacher with a million followers).

Unlike Zainuddin -- who often inserted jokes in his sermons and kept his audience on their toes with "dirty" remarks -- Gymnastiar uses more down-to-earth teachings taken from reflections of daily life. His touching nasyid (song) usually makes his audience burst into tears and eager to come back for more.

Gymnastiar's sermons center around the moral decadence of society and the poor tolerance of most people nowadays.

It is not only at the mosque or on fields that Gymnastiar preaches, he is frequently invited to congregations at big hotels and was recently at a gathering held by the Muslim community in Tokyo, Japan.

His interest? To use all means possible to spread virtue.

"With any high-tech utility -- including the Internet and short message services (SMS) -- I hope I can share good and positive thoughts with as many people as possible."

He owns a regular television show Manajemen Qolbu (Mind Management, abbreviated as MQ) at private television channel SCTV and a monthly sermon at Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta, which is also aired live by the same station.

Recently, Gymnastiar -- in cooperation with several cellular phone operators -- also launched a new package involving the daily delivery of words of wisdom via SMS. The newly launched product is called MQ Through Instant Messages (MQTIME).

The father of six, who is popularly called Aa (big brother in Sundanese), Gym has won the hearts of fellow Muslim (and non- Muslim too) with his humble, simple words and universal teachings on tolerance and values of harmonious living.

"I don't want to share the intricate details of Islam with the public. My part is just to tell them the simple truths of life," he said in his trademark rich Sundanese accent.

"My little words of wisdom are based on the blessings of senyum (smiling), kesabaran (patience), memaafkan (forgiveness) and memungut sampah (picking up garbage)," he said.

Without meaning to simplify Islam, Gymnastiar said today's people -- who live in a more stressful environment -- must first be introduced to small pieces of knowledge that really touches upon their daily lives.

Interested and curious people are then likely to look further, he added.

"Today's people are clever. They are offended if we teach them, remind them or give them orders. So my task as a preacher is to tickle them."

"Some decide to learn and read the Koran to find out more after I give them a bit on the wisdom of smiling, just as an example. I only tickle them, so they may then be willing to study by themselves," he said, adding self-taught values always last longer.

For those who know and understand Islam intimately, Gymnastiar is known to give paltry attention to sharia (Islamic law) and aqida (Islamic faith) in his sermons, but Gymnastiar has his own reasons for doing so.

"There are things that should be told and not told. I know my strengths. I should certainly not preach something if I haven't mastered it because people need to be shown examples so they will learn," said the husband of Yeti Rohayati.

"I'd rather be called bodoh (stupid), though do and know the right things than be regarded as smart but understand nothing."

The eldest son of a retired army lieutenant colonel, he spent 17 years unofficially studying Islam at Islamic boarding schools in West Java and some further years learning from senior clerics.

Born in Bandung on Jan. 29, 1962, Gymnastiar began his own way of preaching Islam while studying at the privately-run Jenderal Ahmad Yani University, where he graduated as an engineering bachelor.

Initially giving sermons at small Koran reading gatherings, Gymnastiar finally established his own Islamic boarding school, Daarut Tauhiid, in 1990.

The school, located in Gegerkalong Girang, Bandung, has been rapidly developing. It has now turned out to be like a country within a country because it has its own mosque, cooperative, cafe, a radio station, cottages, printing center and boutique -- proof that Gymnastiar has a sharp sense in business.

To boast the scale, MQ Corporation was established to oversee business groups PT Mutiara Qolbu Salim (producer of Gymnastiar's cassette recording, VCDs and books), PT MQ Media (publisher of MQ tabloid), PT Madinatussalami and PT MQ Fashion.

"He has helped to evolve the economy of local people in Gegerkalong too," one of his assistants said.

Gymnastiar has his own thing to say about his success. "I live only once. In Islam, the best person is the one who is most useful to others. Success is not measured by how much you have earned but how consistent you are in improving your quality and performance."

With his wealth and influence, Gymnastiar is aware that he could be used by manipulative groups in politics.

When asked if he ever thought of plunging into politics, like many of his predecessors, including Zainuddin, he simply says: "I have my own interests and I would praise and be grateful to all those politicians who are sensible enough not to drag me onto their stage."