Tolerance with \'Mazhab\'
In all religious communities there always appear various mazhab (schools of thought) in understanding their scriptures.
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Western social scientists once predicted that religion would die slowly, or at least its role would be marginalized in society because the needs of human life would be met by the services of science, technology and philosophy. However, this prediction turns out to be wrong. Religious sentiments have risen again and further strengthen.
Religion has even become an important consideration in global political and the business of diplomacy. Besides the rise of religious sentiment, in all religious communities there always appear various mazhab (schools of thought) in understanding their scriptures. There are also schools of thought that later develop into sects. The differences between schools of thought and sectslead to conflict among religious followers.
Mazhab in Islamic tradition is a rational and systematic method, which is carried out by scientists/expert ulemas to explore the basic messages of religion that originate from the Quran and the Hadith so that the results of their studies are a reference for the common people.
Since the ulemas\' disciplines vary, in Islam various mazhab also appear. The religious revival in several countries is also accompanied by the emergence of mazhab who integrate with the strengthening of ethno-religious thinking. Those, who like to be in conflict because of different religious reasons, usually also have become accustomed to conflict in the internal community as a whole because of different mazhab. Among Muslims there are mazhab who do not hesitate to judge fellow Muslims as infidels. They even arrive at the act of killing in the name of jihad. The world feels to be increasingly divided, and also to be increasingly crowded and full of turmoil because of the conflicts between mazhab and religions. Therefore, the agenda to build tolerance among religious followers must begin by building intra-religious tolerance among the faithful in one religion. Tolerance does not mean promoting the small-mindedness of religion, but instead carrying forth the religious message that teaches us to live in mutual respect, despite different beliefs.
As far as I know, the mazhab differences originate from the different approaches and understanding of the texts of the Quran and Hadith. The texts of the scriptures are the same, but their understanding and conclusions can be different because comprehending a text actually also produces new knowledge, which is influenced by geographical and social interests and environments.
In studies of religion, Islam relies heavily on the source texts, namely the Quran, which originally came orally from Prophet Muhammad, through his miracles. The second is the text of the Hadith, containing the words and records of Prophet Muhammad\'s personal conduct. The text of the Quran is believed by Muslims to have been dictated directly by the angel Gabriel word for word to Muhammad, while the Hadith comprises the remarks of Prophet Muhammad as an ordinary human, albeit his life was always guided by Gabriel.
There were remarks and acts by Prophet Muhammad that were intended as examples and explanations of the message of the Quran to his followers, but there were also those of human acts as an Arab person at that time.
In other words, the figure of Prophet Muhammad was a historical person. Not a figure who was blanketed by myths so that it was impossible for his followers to comprehend and imitate his behavior. His remarks and acts could be differentiated between those which are cultural and those that are religiously doctrinal.
Starting from the texts
Writing the Quran’s revelations occurred gradually over 23 years of dialogue and struggle, and it was influenced directly by the development and social changes which took place at that time. In only a short period, according to historical measurement, the Arab word changed totally and inherited springs of civilization that affected the course of the history of the world and whose pulse is still going on to this day. Many noted Arab figures at that time and also common people changed their minds and actions after understanding the Quran’s text and the examples of Muhammad\'s life. Lines of the verses have been capable of changing the behavior and order of the community. Thinkers and philosophers emerged in the Middle Ages after exploring the Quran’s text. There have been very intense and productive dialectical relationships between text, discourse and events. Words create events, events invite responses in words. However, now there is a tendency for the texts to be separated from their empirical context and reality, while the Quran text stands besides millions of other texts without being guarded by the Prophet.
Unlike the Quran, the Hadith constitutes the remarks of Muhammad that were made in a specific space and time and did not need much interpretation by friends as it was easy to comprehend their meaning. If they did not understand, the friends could directly ask Prophet Muhammad. The figure of the Prophet was a professor and model to imitate, both in his remarks and acts. However, over time, it came to be that the Hadith texts are now comprehended literally, separate from the discussion of their context, for example, the comprehension of the text on "high water pants".
Meanwhile the position of the Quran is more autonomous, because its speaker is God. Inside it there are many expressions which require reflections and interpretations. If the speaker in the texts of the Hadith was Prophet Muhammad, who was witnessed by his friends, the texts of the Quran which were received by Muhammad personally were meta-historical. The readers cannot verify directly with God as the author. In fact, the Quran is the main reference for Muslims. For laymen, what can be done is to follow the opinion of experts who are considered to have scientific authority in the science of interpreting, even though among them there appear various comprehensions of the messages in the text of the Quran.
Therefore, the emergence of differences in interpretation and understanding which then crystallize into a mazhab is a necessity. If it is traced back, the root is the text of the Quran itself which enables, even requires, interpretations. Al-Azhar University in Egypt still has a Department of Interpretation Science. This means the revelation of the Quran is final, but its interpretation continues to develop. The number of interpretation books is far larger than the pages of the Quran. The words have meaning when the readers read and comprehend them, while the readers are not passive empty vessels without any perspectives and interests. Reading the text means understanding, interpreting and writing new texts in mental sheets based on their interpretations. It can be that the new texts are memorized and written.
Building consensus
Quoting Heidegger, "Language is the house of being." Human beings exist to build their world with and in language. Language is not limited to speech and gestures, but more fundamental in it there is logic and intention. When someone is daydreaming in silence, he is also speaking with logic and his inner language. Without language and logic, the world and its surrounding cannot be structured or understood. Without logic and language texts will not appear, and without logic the texts will not have any meaning. Therefore, when someone tries to perceive the scriptures, his depth and width in digging their meaning will be influenced by the wealth of language and knowledge he has, like a diver into the deep ocean, the depth will be affected by the sophistication in diving and its technology. For people who do not know Arabic and have no knowledge capital, the texts of the Quran will not reveal its meaning.
The meaning is confined in the text. When the Quran is translated, the translation is a form of the shortest interpretation, with the risk of losing several characters which are inherent in the original language, especially the "sense of language" and the idioms whose similarity in other languages is hard to find so that it is very possible that there is a meaning which is separated.
Therefore, all science is a consensus which is built by scientific communities. All of us live in a network of interpretation in a world which is developed by scientists. The character of science is open, like a tree, where its fertilizer is continuous research and criticism to enable the tree of science to always grow. Healthy and constructive criticism will happen when scientists are honest and with an attitude to mutually respect different opinions.
When science shifts into ideology, the critical power tends to decline and close, even though the truth of science is open ended. Ideology tends to emphasize the "win-lose" choices, science emphasizes "right-wrong", while ethics emphasizes "good-bad". In a certain extent, there is an expression, scientists can be wrong, but must not lie. Meanwhile, ideologists, if necessary, have to lie to defeat their opponents, even as their actions and remarks are wrong and sinful.
Indonesian people actually have the social capital to live tolerantly and mutually respect differences, as is reflected in the motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), which is derived from social and historical reality. It is this attitude, which enables various religions to grow in this country peacefully, even though recently there have emerged groups that threaten the tradition and character of the Indonesian people, who are happy to engage in deliberations in a fraternal atmosphere. If the critical tradition in an atmosphere of mutual respect disappears, the building of science and civilization will be undermined, not develop. What will appear will be the character of "win-lose" because of the encouragement of emotion and promoting the interests of a group, not the interests of the nation and the community in general. Entering a political year, it is very possible that religion and mazhab sentiments will be capitalized as political instruments when political parties become no longer attractive for young people as a result of failures by the political parties themselves in proposing members who are favored by the community.
KOMARUDDIN HIDAYAT
Lecturer in the Psychology School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah
