Islamic perspectives on religious pluralism

Islam Pluralis: Wacana Kesetaraan Kaum Beriman (Islam and Pluralism); Budhy Munawar-Rachman; Paramadina, Jakarta, 2001; 457 pp. + xxiii)

JAKARTA (JP): Pluralism concerns the idea that salvation can be achieved not by just one particular religion, but by others as well. Pluralism is not only about the existence of many religions, it is also related to the need for a system of belief underlying all religions. This system, following Wilfred Cantwell Smith, is called the world theology.

But before coming to the world theology, one has to deal with several problems arising from one's own religion. How can one come to the world theology if there are many religious boundaries. The conviction of ecclesia nulla salus in Christianity is similar to that of Muslims' conviction that "Islam is the only path accepted by God to the Hereafter".

This problem is related to the theological foundations of all religions, which are seemingly incompatible with pluralism. "Our theology," writes Budhy Munawar-Rachman, "has been historically set up where pluralism is not given any chance at all." Every religion has its own claims about what is true and false, preventing believers from crossing boundaries.

These claims make religious believers tend toward negativism when dealing with religions other than their own. Exclusivism is extremely dangerous, since it produces tensions which can burst into conflict among religious believers.

With globalization, in which religious believers have become closer, exclusivism can no longer be maintained. It is time to create a system of belief which states the importance of religious plurality.

Pluralism is not merely a superficial acceptance of the phenomenon of many religions, which in turn only leads to fragmentation. But rather, it indicates inclusivism, which means that all religious believers are involved in a mutually genuine engagement. "Those who know only their own religions, know none. Those who are not decisively committed to one faith, know no other. To be religious is to be antireligious" (p. 31).

A pluralist believes in the principle of parallelism of religions, which indicates that each religion has its own truth and salvation. This condition can be compared to the thousands of planets and stars moving around the same sun. Each religion moves toward the same destination, all religious believers in fact worship the same God. It should be taken into account, however, that inclusivism does not reduce plurality into unity. Two or more religions have never been amalgamated into a new combination. A pluralist has never mixed up, as it were, a sort of belief and conviction in his religious life.

The heart of religion

Divine consciousness is considered to be the innermost dimension of all religions, it is the heart of religion. In Islam, this consciousness is called taqwa. Since divine consciousness is found in any religion and becomes the most important part of it, any religious believer can move to this dimension without too much hesitation. The human tendency toward this reality is called the primordial disposition. Deep down, all religions possess a common platform. While the upper dimension is marked by uniformity, peace and annihilation, the lower dimension is marked by diversity, conflict and egoism.

A discussion of pluralism leads one into spiritualism. Every religion has spiritualism. In Islam, spiritualism is called Sufism. It is generally accepted that the mystical experiences of all religions are one and the same. Revelation in Christianity, the highest mystical experience, in which a mystic feels the impact of the approximate nearness of God, is similar to that of mukashafa in Islam, nirvana in Buddhism and moksha in Hinduism.

The heart of religion is impossible to achieve unless one practices the so-called the religion of the heart. It is the religion of all prophets, saints and mystics. In one of the traditions, being asked about the goodness and the badness, the Prophet Muhammad affirms the importance of the heart in religious life.

"The goodness is what makes your heart feel secured, and the badness is what makes your heart feel insecure. Listen to your heart... "

Islam and pluralism in Indonesia

Contemporary discussions on Islam and pluralism in Indonesia have been loaded with the ideas of Nurcholish Madjid, popularly called Cak Nur. Since the 1990s, Cak Nur has promoted the need for an inclusive theology for Muslims, instead of an exclusive theology.

For some people, his ideas might sound provocative, but not for others. He has been supported by young Muslim intellectuals, among others Budhy Munawar-Rachman, who, as he honestly admits, has been inspired by Cak Nur, to whom this book is dedicated.

Although the book is intended at providing Islamic perspectives on religious pluralism, this does not mean it is of no value for non-Muslim readers. Those who are concerned with religious plurality, regardless of their religious background, should read this book.

Budhy clearly explains theological and philosophical foundations supporting the possibility of pluralism, as well as its limitations and challenges. This work is in fact an intellectual and spiritual undertaking that can give readers the same enlightenment.

Criticism of this book, if any, presumably comes from the fact that the book is a collection of works concerning such a variety of subjects related to Islam as spiritualism, liberalism and neomodernism, not focusing on pluralism as such, as the title implies.

It is in fact a commentary on several of Cak Nur's ideas. One familiar with Cak Nur's ideas will find no difficulties in reading this book, which by no means reduces its significance.

--Jajang Jahroni