Part 1: The Concept of Happiness in Islam

FRIDAY KHUTBAH AT IIUM MOSQUE ON THE 6TH NOV 2009
Delivered by:
Dr Mohd Farid Mohd Shahran

Professors, Brothers and sisters in Islam,
As time goes by, we are over and over again witnessing around us, events, occurrences and all sorts of happenings took place in our life. Since they are so common and frequent to us we do not even have a chance to ponder upon the deeper meaning behind these events. They passed in front of us just like series of different episodes of a long story played by human being as the main actors.

There are many scenes of this long story. One scene presents us a setting where people are rushing hastily to their working place everyday in order to earn some money to sustain their living. For the poor among them, it is really a matter of survival. No money means no food. As for the rich, the matter is slightly different. The question is not what we are going to eat today but rather who are we going to eat today.

At another scene there are people struggling with the huge ammunition and weapons fighting under the name of their nation and land, to uphold the dignity of their state. What in their mind is only ways and strategies to kill the enemy. Life and death are at their fingertips. They are playing the role the angel Izrail to take life of human only by pressing one button or trigger.

The third scene takes place at the remote village of one of the so called developed country where science and technology as the new religion has replaced the old superstitions and biblical metaphysical beliefs. At one corner of the village a group of people assembled in a large hall to hear the sermons from their leader whom they also believed as the new Christ who come to save the mankind. They later burned themselves in the hall after police surrounded the place.

There is a fourth scene of the episodes. In a big stadium built from the charity of the people, a huge crowd are shouting and screaming to their idolized football teams. As the game were about to finish, the two big crowd ended up by fighting each other and resulted great casualties.

Brothers in Islam, the episodes which I purposely mentioned before are just some lucid examples of apparent phenomena which took place in our world today. If we further analyse the very final purpose of all these occurrences, we will notice that, whatever these people are doing, it is only one definite thing they are finally searching for, that is the ultimate happiness in life. The material wealth gained by the poor and the rich are definitely just means to achieve happiness. The political conflict, the war between nation states, the struggle for power are finally aimed at attaining true happiness. Even the spreading of cult movements scattered all over the world are none other than a manifestation of a physical or psychological struggle of man to reach the ultimate satisfaction and happiness in their life. So much so that even if we ask our own self for whatever purpose some of us came all the way from our distant countries to this university, it is none other to seek knowledge which will later bring us a higher state of living and happiness in this world. Happiness is indeed the end in itself not a mean to an end.

The most basic question which we would like to ask is, are all these people mentioned before really happy? What really makes happiness, happiness? And as Muslims, what Islam has to say about happiness?
Throughout the ages, the concept of happiness has been widely discussed by the great thinkers of the past oriental or occidental. The Greek philosophers have stated in clear a term that the ultimate happiness will take place through what they called virtues. They unanimously agreed that there are four cardinal virtues, namely temperance, courage, wisdom and justice. Thus a happy person is the one who possessed these cardinal virtues in their selves.

Unfortunately, happiness in the context of modern western man is never been defined in a definite manner. It has continuously changed depending of which philosophical school or line of thinking these definitions are derived from. The utilitarians will define happiness based on their practical purposes. The hedonistic school will define happiness based on pleasure and pain. The homosexuals will on the other hand view happiness as what satisfy their animalistic instincts. All these groups will view happiness based on their biased subjective mind. Happiness has become a relative thing and the western man will never be happy with whatever definition of happiness given.

What is the view of the Quran on happiness? In the Quran happiness is termed by the word sa’adah. Whenever the term sa’adah mentioned in the Quran, it is always related into two conditions; the happiness in the hereafter (ukhrawiyyah) and happiness in the present world. For a Muslim, the ultimate happiness is the happiness in the hereafter as mentioned by God in Surah Hud (11:108):
‘And those who are happy shall be in the Garden; they will dwell therein o long as the heaven and the earth endure, except as our Lord will, a gift without break’

This sa’adah refers to the happiness which is everlasting, the highest of which is to see God in the hereafter which is promised to those who inwardly have lived in a willing submission and conscious obedience of God’s commands and prohibitions. This definitely does not mean that a Muslim cannot attain happiness in this world. To be happy in this world is to prepare one self for the ultimate happiness in the hereafter by having a strong faith and firm belief in God. It is a state of spiritual tranquillity which is everlasting, permanent and stable in one’s heart.

It is deep feeling of secure and becoming free from fear, not the fear from God but the fear of the unknown , of the utter loneliness, and more importantly free from the fear of death and what lie beyond death. This is exactly what is meant by all the good virtues in Islam such as temperance (‘iffah), abstinence (wara’), piety (taqwa), truthfulness (sidq). All these religious virtues nevertheless should be preceded by the prior condition of consciousness in the soul of truth which is termed by the Quran as yaqin. There are three level of certainty mentioned by the Quran, ‘ilm al-yaqin, ‘ain al-yaqin and haqq al-yaqin.

to be continued...

PENGGUNAAN NAMA ALLAH OLEH AGAMA-AGAMA LAIN

PENGGUNAAN NAMA ALLAH OLEH AGAMA-AGAMA LAIN 
Wednesday, 4 March 2009

    Sehingga Mac 2009 polimik penggunaan nama Allah berterusan di Malaysia apabila Gereja Kristian di Malaysia mahu menggunakan nama tersebut dalam penerbitan mereka di atas dakwaan kebebasan beragama yang dijamin oleh perlembagaan. Dalam konteks Malaysia, Islam sebagai agama rasmi di negara ini, telah mempunyai beberapa peraturan untuk menjaga kesucian agama Islam dan ia dijamin juga oleh perlembagaan. Bahkan di negeri-negeri, Raja-Raja Melayu memiliki kekuasaan untuk menjaga isu-isu agama termasuklah hak esklusif penggunaan nama Allah untuk agama Islam.

Perdebatan berkenaan dengan penggunaan nama Allah oleh agama lain mengundang dua pandangan berbeza di kalangan umat Islam samada di kalangan ahli agama, mahupun masyarakat awam.

Terdapat golongan memandang nama ‘Allah’ sememangnya digunakan oleh al-Quran untuk menceritakan bagaimana kepercayaan umat-umat terdahulu. Sebagai contoh, dalam surah Luqman, ayat 25. Allah SWT bermaksud: 

Sekiranya kamu bertanya mereka (orang-orang kafir), siapakah yang menjadikan langit-langit dan bumi, nescaya mereka mengatakan Allah. Katakan (wahai Muhammad): Segala puji bagi Allah. Bahkan kebanyakan mereka tidak mengetahui.

Demikian juga dalam surah al-Ankabut, ayat 61, Allah SWT berfirman bermaksud:

Dan sekiranya kamu bertanya mereka siapakah yang menjadikan langit-langit dan bumi dan yang mengaturkan matahari dan bulan, nescaya mereka mengatakan Allah. Justeru kenapakan mereka berpaling (dari) mentauhidkan Allah?

Golongan ini mengatakan bahawa al-Quran sendiri menyebut bahawa masyarakat bukan Islam menggunakan istilah ‘Allah’ untuk tuhan.

Pada saya, ada beberapa perkara yang perlu diteliti dalam memperbahaskan isu penggunaan nama Allah. 

Pertamanya, kitab-kitab agama-agama langit terdahulu tidak diturunkan dalam bahasa Arab, justeru tidak timbul langsung penggunaan istilah ‘Allah’ untuk agama-agama langit seperti ‘Yahudi’ dan ‘Kristian’. Al-Quran kemudiannya menjelaskan bahawa konsep tauhid agama tersebut yang asal ialah kepercayaan kepada Allah SWT walaupun telah diselewengkan oleh para pendeta dan paderi. Hakikat bahawa kitab-kitab Yahudi dan Kristian bukan berbahasa Arab iaitu taurat dan injil (bible), keduanya tidak menggunakan nama ‘Allah’ untuk merujuk tuhan mereka. Sebaliknya Islam tidak pernah menggunakan istilah yang mereka gunakan terhadap Allah sebagai nama kepada tuhan di dalam ajaran Islam.

Keduanya, ayat-ayat yang disebutkan di atas adalah berkaitan dengan ayat-ayat sebelumnya. Contohnya, ayat 23 dan 24 Surah Luqman menceritakan orang-orang yang kufur terhadap Allah SWT dan mereka ditimpakan dengan azab yang pedih. Justeru, di kalangan mereka yang kufur (menyembah selain dari Allah SWT), jauh di sudut hati mereka mengakui adanya tuhan yang esa yang menjadikan langit dan bumi. Ini tidak menandakan orang-orang kafir menggunakan lafaz Allah dan menyembah Allah sebagai tuhan mereka.

Demikian juga dalam surah al-Ankabut, ayat sebelumnya menceritakan rahmat Allah. Sekiranya ditanya kepada orang-orang kafir siapakah tuhan mereka, nescaya mereka akan mengatakan Allah. Namun mereka tetap berpaling. Iaitu mereka masih berpaling dengan tidak meyembah Allah SWT. Justeru, ayat ini tidak boleh digunakan untuk menunjukkan tuhan mereka ialah Allah SWT.

Ketiganya, kemungkinan ada pandangan mengatakan ‘orang-orang Arab Jahiliyah’ menggunakan perkataan ‘Allah’ untuk merujuk kepada ‘tuhan’. Benarkah begitu? Sebaliknya orang-orang Arab sebelumnya banyak menggunakan perkataan ‘ilah’ untuk merujuk kepada tuhan, contohnya ilah latta dan ilah al-uzza.

Sebaliknya, al-Quran datang menggunakan perkataan ‘Allah’ dan bukan perkataan ‘ilah’ bersama penafian Allah itu mempunyai anak, dan penafian Dia mempunya pembantu yang terdiri dari ilah-ilah yang lain sebagaimana firman Allah SWT dalam surah al-Mukminun, ayat 91 yang bermaksud:

Dan tidaklah Allah mempunyai anak, dan tidaklah bersamanya tuhan yang lain (sebagai pembantu). Oleh itu, sekiranya setiap tuhan memutuskan keputusannya sendiri, nescaya sesetengahnya di atas sesetengah yang lain (menguasai yang lain), mahasuci Allah daripada apa yang mereka sifatkan.

Keempatnya, umat Islam perlu mempertahankan penggunaan nama ‘Allah’ hanya untuk orang-orang Islam kerana beberapa sebab, antaranya: 

i. Antaranya penggunaan perkataan ‘Allah’ telah melalui proses penyucian dari segala kesyirikan yang muncul dari zaman selepas nabi-nabi sebelumnya sehingga hari ini sehingga diiktiraf sebagai tuhan orang-orang Islam. Sila lihat kamus-kamus moden bagi membuktikan perkara ini. Justeru itu, membenarkan penggunaan istilah itu kepada bukan Islam adalah satu tindakan ke belakang untuk kembali ke zaman penggunaan nama Allah yang dipenuhi kesyirikan. Sekaligus, ia mengenepikan usaha al-Quran yang berulang kali menafikan sifat-sifat kesyirikan (mempunyai anak dan pembantu-pembantu) yang ada pada zat Allah SWT.

ii. Berpegang pada pandangan bahawa dalam al-Quran menyebut orang-orang kafir menggunakan penggunaan nama Allah, adalah pandangan yang cetek. Tidakkah mereka membaca bersama bahawa al-Quran berulang-kali mensucikan nama ‘Allah’ dari bersifat dengan sifat kelemahan.

iii. Kalau benarpun, ada penggunaan ‘Allah’ sebelum Islam, ia adalah nama umum, yang kemudiannya menjadi nama khusus untuk tuhan orang-orang Islam setelah melalui proses mensucikan nama Allah SWT dari segala sekutu yang tidak layak untuknya.

Semoga membantu kita memahami kepentingan isu ini. Untuk tidak mengulang perbahasan lanjut, saya suka juga merujuk kepada artikel di bawah yang boleh dijadikan rujukan dalam isu ini.

Sekian, wallahu a’lam.

Dr Asmadi
4 Mac 2009


Isu Nama Allah: Persoalan Aqidah Bukan Perebutan Nama
Khalif Muammar*

Isu Herald Tribune telah mengundang reaksi pelbagai pihak sejak awal tahun ini. Setelah Kementerian Dalam Negeri memutuskan untuk melarang penggunaan nama Allah oleh surat khabar tersebut, Dewan Ulama Pas (Harakah, 1 Januari 2008) menyatakan Islam tidak melarang penganut agama lain menggunakan kalimat Allah bagi Tuhan mereka. Sebagai reaksi saya juga telah membahas isu ini dalam artikel yang diterbitkan dalam laman web khairaummah. com pada 20 Januari 2008 dengan harapan ia dapat membantu umat Islam di negara ini memahami persoalan yang sebenar. 

Namun isu ini ternyata menjadi hangat kembali apabila Mufti Perlis, Dr. Asri Zainul Abidin, menulis dalam Mingguan Malaysia pada 27 April 2008 bahawa Umat Islam tidak perlu berebut nama Allah dengan penganut Katolik. Mereka berhak menamakan Tuhan mereka dengan nama Allah kerana dalam al-Qur'an pun kaum Musyrikin menggunakan nama Allah. Mufti juga menegaskan bahawa yang menjadi permasalahan adalah bukan nama Tuhan tetapi kesyirikan penganutnya. Saya terpanggil untuk memberi tanggapan kerana hal ini akan mengundang kekeliruan jika tidak diperjelaskan dengan tuntas. 

Yang paling penting kita perlu jelas bahawa nama Allah telah menjadi nama khas bagi Tuhan umat Islam. Perlu dibezakan antara kalimat Allah dari sudut bahasa yang telah wujud sejak zaman Jahiliyyah dengan kalimat Allah yang telah diIslamkan setelah menjadi istilah atau nama khas. Jika kita perhatikan kalimat tawhid: la ilaha illa Allah. Ia tidak bermakna tiada tuhan melainkan Tuhan, tetapi tiada tuhan melainkan Allah. Kerana jika ia bermakna tiada tuhan melainkan Tuhan maka tidak ada maknanya seseorang mengucapkan kalimat tawhid itu. Oleh kerana itu sarjana-sarjana Islam tidak bersetuju untuk menggantikan Allah dengan God dalam bahasa Inggeris. Pengislaman nama Allah ini juga jelas apabila kita lihat surah al-Ikhlas, antara surah terpenting dalam al-Qur'an, yang menjelaskan siapakah Allah dan apakah sifat-sifatnya: "Katakanlah: "Dia-lah Allah, Yang Maha Esa. Allah adalah Tuhan yang bergantung kepada-Nya segala sesuatu. Dia tiada beranak dan tiada pula diperanakkan, dan tidak ada seorangpun yang setara dengan Dia"."(al-Ikhlas: 1-4). Berdasarkan Surah dia atas, sebagai orang Islam kita mesti yakin bahawa yang bernama Allah adalah yang mempunyai sifat-sifat tersebut. Dalam erti kata lain kita tidak mengakui bahawa yang tidak mempunyai sifat-sifat tersebut juga adalah Allah. 

Seperti yang dinyatakan oleh Dr. Asri memang masyarakat Jahiliyyah menggunakan nama Allah, tetapi nama Allah di situ digunakan dari sudut bahasa sahaja dan sebelum perkataan itu diIslamisasikan. Ia kemudian menjadi nama khusus yang merujuk kepada sifat-sifat di atas. Kata-kata solat, contohnya, dari segi bahasa adalah doa dan telah digunakan oleh orang Arab sejak pra-Islam lagi, ia kemudian menjadi istilah yang merujuk khusus kepada apa yang dicontohkan oleh Rasulullah s.a.w. Oleh itu kita tidak boleh mengatakan orang Katolik juga melakukan solat hanya kerana mereka berdoa di gereja.

Umat Islam perlu melihat apa yang berlaku di sebalik persoalan nama Allah ini. Jika kita lihat dengan teliti isu ini dengan isu-isu yang sebelumnya kita akan dapat melihat hubungannya. Contohnya isu pluralisme agama yang giat dipromosikan oleh orang bukan Islam dan sebahagian orang Islam sendiri iaitu Islam Liberal. Para pendukung pluralisme agama ini berusaha untuk mendangkalkan makna-makna atau kata kunci dalam agama. Mereka mengatakan bahawa Tuhan dalam agama manapun pada peringkat tertinggi (transcendental) adalah sama. Bagi umat Islam, konsep Tuhan kita jauh berbeza dengan konsep Tuhan dalam agama mana pun. Pendukung pluralisme agama juga menekankan wujudnya persamaan antara agama-agama dan perbezaan perlu diketepikan untuk kebaikan bersama. Padahal bagi kita perbezaan fundamental antara Islam dengan agama lain walaupun sedikit adalah sangat penting dan tidak boleh dipinggirkan. Sebahagian orang bukan Islam bahkan mengaku telah Islam tanpa perlu masuk Islam. Kerana mereka merasa telah 'berserah diri' kepada Tuhan. Di sini mereka merujuk perkataan Islam dari sudut bahasa ialah berserah diri. Jika Allah hanya bermakna Tuhan maka kini mereka akan mendakwa bahawa mereka juga telah beriman kepada Allah. Padahal mereka hanya percaya pada Tuhan.

Contohnya lagi kita tidak boleh menggunakan kata 'liberal' untuk makna terbuka kerana ia memberi konotasi yang dalam. Kita pun tidak akan mengatakan bahawa mereka telah memonopoli perkataan liberal. Prof. Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas adalah sarjana Islam yang paling tegas dalam hal pemberian nama atau istilah ini. Bagi beliau banyak kekeliruan berpunca daripada penamaan. Contohnya pelajaran berbeza dengan pendidikan dan ta'dib. Istilah moden dan klasik dalam pembahagian sejarah bagi beliau tidak relevan dengan sejarah Islam dan lain-lain lagi. 

Sebenarnya tidak ada nas sorih dan qat'i dalam persoalan ini. Nas dan dalil yang dikemukakan oleh Dr. Asri hanya menunjukkan bahawa masyarakat Jahiliyyah telah menggunakan kalimat Allah untuk merujuk kepada Tuhan mereka. Kita perlu melihat ayat-ayat dan hadis-hadis seumpamanya dalam konteks penggunaannya dari sudut bahasa. Dari sudut bahasa Allah bermakna Tuhan. Ayat-ayat tersebut turun ketika Islam mula diperkenalkan sebagai proses berdialog dengan kaum musyrikin. Setelah konsep-konsep penting dalam Islam jelas dan worldview Islam terbentuk maka di sini proses Islamisasi berlaku baik terhadap bahasa, budaya dan pemikiran masyarakat Arab. Oleh kerana itu dengan mendangkalkan makna Allah maka kita telah menafikan proses Islamisasi tersebut dan kembali seolah-olah Islam belum bertapak. Memang kita boleh membuat kesimpulan tidak menjadi masalah orang bukan Islam menggunakan nama Allah kerana hal tersebut "tampak" secara literalnya wujud dalam al-Qur'an. Namun, dalam berijtihad seseorang ilmuwan tidak boleh hanya bersandarkan kepada makna literal teks atau nas tetapi perlu juga melihat kepada maqasid dan falsafah yang mendasarinya sebagaimana telah ditegaskan oleh al-Shatibi. 

Persoalan nama Allah tidak boleh dilihat dari sudut fiqh sahaja khususnya kerana ia menyangkut aqidah. Ia mesti melibatkan kepakaran dalam bidang falsafah Islam, dan lebih spesifik metafizik Islam dan epistemologi Islam. Dalam perbualan peribadi dengan seorang tokoh pemikiran Islam, Prof. Dr. Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud, beliau memberitahu dan menyambung hujah Prof S.M.N al-Attas bahawa al-Qur'an telah merubah dan memperbaiki kekeliruan dan kerusakan yang telah terjadi kepada hakikat-hakikat penting yang berkisar di sekitar ketuhanan, kemanusiaan dan kejadian. Dalam hal ini yang terjadi ialah proses Islamisasi terutama tentang hakikat ketuhanan yang merupakan tiang seri agama Islam. Menurut beliau lagi sekarang ini yang kelihatan sedang berlaku ialah proses deislamisasi dengan membawa makna-makna yang asing dan berlawanan dengan aqidah dan pandangan alam Islam, samada aliran-aliran sekular atau dari agama-agama lain. Prof Wan Mohd Nor juga berkata setiap istilah dalam semua bahasa mempunyai batas-batas makna yang sah yang mencerminkan pandangan alam tertentu, dan yang membezakan sesuatu istilah itu dengan yang lain. Persamaan yang banyak pun masih memerlukan istilah atau nama yang berbeza jika terdapat hanya satu perbezaan yang penting. Sebab itulah semua bahasa-bahasa yang tinggi mempunyai kamus. Keldai, kuda, baghal banyak persamaan tetapi terdapat perbezaan; dua manusia kembar siam juga diberi nama yang berbeza. Orang bukan Islam boleh mempekayakan kamus peristilahan Bahasa Melayu dengan menggunakan nama lain bagi Tuhan mereka. Dalam konteks Kristian, mereka boleh gunakan Tuhan, Dewata, Deus, Theos, atau God. Selama ini gereja, kuil, sami, paderi, uskup dan lain telah memperkayakan Bahasa Melayu dan tidak menimbulkan kekeliruan dan kemarahan masyarakat yang beragama lain. Di sini jelaslah bahawa seseorang yang bercakap tentang persoalan aqidah mesti faham kaitannya dengan worldview, tasawur dan pemikiran Islam. Dalam hal ini, aqidah tidak hanya bermakna kepercayaan dan keimanan dalam ertikata yang sempit seperti biasa difahami oleh masyarakat umum, namun ia adalah satu set keyakinan yang dapat memberi kesan kepada cara berfikir (worldview) dan cara hidup (way of life) seseorang Muslim.

Kita juga perlu berfikir mengapa kaum Katolik ingin menggunakan nama Allah? Kita tidak boleh tertipu dengan hujah persamaan nama yang bagi sesetengah orang hanya bersifat luaran. Kita tahu pada hakikatnya nama Tuhan mereka bukan Allah. Nama Allah mungkin relevan bagi penganut Kristian di negeri-negeri Arab tetapi tidak di selain negeri Arab. Oleh itu jelas terdapat agenda yang tersembunyi yang tidak boleh luput dari perhatian umat Islam. Isu ini juga dibangkitkan dengan memanfaatkan toleransi dan dialog antara agama yang semakin mendesak ketika ini. 

Tindakan membiarkan pihak Kristian menggunakan kalimat Allah bukan satu toleransi tetapi satu penggadaian hak dan kedaulatan. Ia adalah satu kerugian yang besar dan kelemahan yang nyata apabila umat Islam membiarkan penganut agama lain mendangkalkan konsep dan istilah penting dalam Islam. Perkataan Allah, solat, tawhid, rasul, bahkan istilah Islam itu sendiri membawa makna yang tersendiri setelah diislamisasikan. Kalimat-kalimat ini telah menjadi bahagian penting daripada pandangan sarwa Islam (Islamic worldview). Jika ia dikaburkan maka sudah tentu akan memberi kesan kepada pemikiran dan aqidah umat Islam. Sesiapa pun yang ingin memahami persoalan ini perlu sedar bahawa beberapa istilah keagamaan tertentu telah menjadi 'milik' umat Islam. Sebarang tindakan meng-'import' nya boleh dianggap sebagai penyalahgunaan dan pencabulan terhadap agama Islam. Istilah-istilah keagamaan mesti dihormati, dari agama manapun ia datang, oleh penganut agama lain. Toleransi mungkin berlaku jika wujud penghormatan terhadap agama lain. Nama dan istilah tertentu seperti Pope, Paderi (priest), Sami (Monk) dalam agama-agama tertentu tidak boleh digunakan sewenang-wenang oleh penganut agama lain. Ini bukan sahaja kerana ia telah sinonim dengan agama penggunanya tetapi juga kerana kalimat ini telah diwarnai atau mengandungi pandangan sarwa penggunanya.

Oleh itu tindakan Kementerian Dalam Negeri pada 31 Disember 2007 melarang penggunaan nama Allah dalam surat khabar Herald adalah tindakan tepat dan positif yang bermakna bagi umat Islam. Ia perlu disokong dan orang-orang agama tidak sepatutnya mengeruhkan lagi keadaan. Umat Islam mesti mempertahankan nama Allah untuk tidak digunakan oleh orang bukan Islam selagi termampu. Masyarakat Islam di negeri-negeri Arab tidak mempunyai kemampuan untuk mempertahankan hal ini kerana ia berlaku secara halus dan di luar kawalan mereka. Kebelakangan ini tampaknya ketidaksepakatan orang Islam dalam hal ini telah membuka ruang kepada Herald Tribune untuk menggugat keputusan Kementerian tersebut.

Maka dapat disimpulkan bahawa jika dilihat dari sudut falsafah dan pemikiran, dan bukan hanya dari sudut fiqh, kita akan melihat bahawa nama memberikan seribu makna. Jauhnya perbezaan antara Allah dengan Tuhan ibarat langit dengan bumi. Jelaslah isu ini bukan isu perebutan nama tetapi isu yang menyangkut jantung aqidah. Ia juga berkaitrapat dengan pendangkalan makna Allah untuk menjustifikasikan pluralisme agama. Kita tidak boleh membiarkan pendangkalan makna tersebut berlaku tanpa penolakan umat Islam. Adalah menjadi tanggungjawab semua ilmuwan Islam untuk menentang segala usaha mendangkalkan makna dalam Islam.

*Penulis adalah Felo Penyelidik ATMA (Institut Alam dan Tamadun Melayu), UKM.

Sumber : http://drasmadinet.blogspot.com/2009/03/penggunaan-nama-allah-oleh-agama-agama.html

The of Adam in The Qur'an & Bible Part 2..

      Likewise in the Quran, the setting and background is quite same with what had been stated in The Bible. Al-Quran narrates many features of Prophet Adam A.S., including his creation, which is mentioned in many verses. These verses describe how he was created, and the substance God used for this purpose.
Firstly, Allah created Adam from the clay. The matter or the substance that Allah used in order to create Prophet Adam is clay. It is clearly stated in Surah 38 verse number 71:-
" اذ قال ربك للملاءكته اني خالق بشرا من طين "
Meaning:-
“Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: I am about to create man from clay…”

There are also other verses that related to the creation of Adam. For example, Ar-Rahman: 14, Al-Hijr: 28-29, As-Sajdah: 7, As-Saffat: 11 and Ali-Imran: 58-59.
Regarding to the creation of Prophet Adam by clay, there is one hadis reported by Imam Ahmad stated that Rasulullah S.A.W. said, Allah created Adam A.S from the different types of clay that had been taken by the Angel from all around the world. Because of that historical event, it brings the effect to all of the children of Adam A.S who born with various colors of skin.
Secondly, Allah S.W.T. created Prophet Adam with his own hand and the word of ‘hand’ here refers to the power of Allah, not the real hand like the hand of His creations. The creation of Prophet Adam by God’s power is clearly stated in Surah 38 verse number 75:-
“(Allah) said: ‘O Iblis! What prevents thee from falling prostrate to one whom I have created with My hands? Art thou too proud or art thou of the high exalted?”

Next, after Allah asked the Angel to take the clay from all around the world and created Prophet Adam from that clay, He blew His own spirit into him and again it is stated in Surah 38 verse number 72. Allah said;

" فاذا سويته ونفخت فيه من روحى فقعوا له سجدين "
Meaning:-
“When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him.”
This verse is also same with the verse from Surah 15 verse number 29 which stated that Allah S.W.T. breathed into Adam of His spirit and Abdullah Yusuf Ali has his own opinion on both of these verses. He said that these verses mean that the breathing of God’s spirit into man is like the faculty of God-like knowledge and will, which, if rightly used, would give man superiority over other creatures.
After the creation of Prophet Adam took place, Allah S.W.T. asked the Angels to bow to him and they bowed, except Iblis who did not bow to him because of their arrogance. It is clearly mentioned by Allah in Surah 2 verse number 34:-
" و اذ قلنا للملاءكة اسجدوا لادم فسجدوا الا ابليس ابى واستكبر وكان من الكافرين "

“And behold, We said to the angels: Bow down to Adam and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: he was of those who reject Faith.”

It is also stated in Surah 15 verses 30 and 31; Allah said:-
"فسجد الملاءكة كلهم أجمعون. الا ابليس أبى أن يكون مع الساجدين"

Apparently, we can see that Iblis’s arrogance had two grounds. First, that man was made from clay while he was made of fire and second, he did not wish to do what others did. But, according to Abdullah Yusuf Ali both grounds were false. It actually was because man had the spirit of God breathed into Adam and contempt of the Angels who obeyed God’s word showed not Iblis’s superiority but his inferiority.

Allah S.W.T. also taught to Prophet Adam the names of things and it refers to the knowledge. Allah said in the Holy Quran Surah 2 verse number 31:-
" و علم آدم الأسماء كلها ثم عرضهم على الملاءكة..."
Meaning:-
“And He taught Adam the nature of all things: then He placed them before the angels, and said: Tell me the nature of these if ye are right.”

According to the book of Tafsir, “the names of things means the inner nature and qualities of things, and things here would include feelings. The particular qualities or feelings which were outside the nature of angels were put by Allah in the nature of man. Man was thus able to love and understand love, and thus plan and initiate, as become the office of vicegerent.”

There are also other interpretations of Al-Asmā’a Kullahā (الأسماء كلها). According to Ibn ‘Abbās,“He taught Adam the names, all of them”, which are the names which mankind is familiar: ‘man’, ‘animal’, ‘earth’, ‘plateau’, ‘sea’, ‘mountain’, ‘donkey’, and all the nations of creatures. Next, we can look into Qatāda’s view, “And He taught Adam the names, all of them”. He taught him the name of everything:‘This is a “mountain”’, ‘this is a “sea”’, and so forth, for everything.
Whereas from Al-Rabi’s opinion; “And He taught Adam the names, all of them”, means the names of the angels but according to Ibn Zaid, “He taught him the names of all” means his offspring. From Tabari’s opinion, the most correct of these views, the closest to what the ostensive meaning of the text indicates to be true, is the view of the one who said that… it means the names of his offspring and the names of the angels and the names of the other kinds of creatures.




The story of Adam in the account of creation Biblical and The Qur'anic perspective, there are several differences and similarities in term of narration as well as the implication. Among those, the similarities are the temptation of serpent, the forbidden fruit, Garden of Eden, Adam is the first created before Eve and falling down to the earth. In fact, the main difference is the forgiveness from God to both of them. In the Old Testament, they were not forgiven.
"And to the man he said:" Because you listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, You shall not eat of it, cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life("Gen 3:17)

The development the doctrine of Original sin in Christianity is very significant implication. Everybody is born in the original sin. It is a consequence of primordial disobedience. Therefore, the Christian belief center on the life and teaching of Jesus. They hold that Jesus as the Son of God is both divine and human nature. He suffered and died for the sins of humanity through the crucifixion and resurrected after three days. The coming of Jesus is redemption on the original sin. So, people are being safe and free from the original sin that had punished to Adam in the early time in the paradise.

In contrast, Islam not regards Adam as the cause of original sin like what had been understood by the Christian. Adam and Eve had been accepted their repentance and the punishment to fall them down to earth is as the beginning of human life. Allah gives man the obligation as the servant and vicegerent on the earth. We need to be grateful as best creatures of Allah in this worldly life.

The Story of Prophet Adam in the Qur’an and Bible.

The Story of Prophet Adam in the Qur’an and Bible: PART 1

The story of Adam and Eve appeared in the three Semitic religions. Muslims regard Adam as the first prophet, in the Hebrew (Judaism) scripture they regard Adam as the first origin of man that created in the image of God. Paul of Tarsus presents Jesus Christ as a new Adam who brings life instead of death. There are similarities the story of Adam in The Qur’an and Bible, but there can be found also the major differences in the both scriptures.
In Christianity, we can found the story of Adam in Genesis, chapter 1 till 5. In Genesis 1, God creates humans "male and female" in His image, and gives them dominion over the living things He has created, and commands them to "be fruitful and multiply”.
“Let us make a man, someone like ourselves…” (Gen, 1:26),(Gen, 1:27)

In Genesis 2, God fashioning a man from the dust and blowing life into his nostrils.

“God formed a mans body from the dust of the ground.” (Genesis, 2:7)

God plants a garden (the Garden of Eden) and sets the man there, to work it and watch over it and permitting him to eat of all the trees in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17)
Then God creates the animals, attempting to find a help-mate for the man; but none of the animals are satisfactory, and so God causes the man to sleep, and creates a woman from his rib.
"God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam... and He took one of his ribs... and made He a women" (Gen. 2:22)
Before the creation of Eve, “man” was neither man nor female.Jesus replied about when God’s reign would come,: “when the two become one… and the male with the female neither male nor female
In Genesis 3, The serpent (snake) temps the woman to eat from the forbidden tree, telling her that it will not lead to death, it will aspired to become like God, and to have knowledge like God. She succumbs, and gives the fruit to the man, who eats also, (Gen,3:2-6). Aware now of their nakedness, they make coverings of fig leaves, and hide from the sight of God,( Gen, 3:7) .When God asked Adam whether he had eaten from the forbidden tree, he evaded his responsibility, and put the blame on his wife (Genesis 3:12). So he disturbed the marital relationship between himself and his wife. Similarly, Eve instead of admitting her guilt put the blame on the serpent. God, perceiving that they have broken His command, curses them with hard labour and with pain in childbirth, and banishes them from His garden.(Gen,3:16-17). God pronounced the consequences of their actions upon the serpent, and upon Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:9-19). He also dismissed them from the garden.
In Genesis 4-5, give the story of Adam and Eve's family after they leave the garden: they have three children, Cain, Abel and Seth.The position of disobedience was transferred to Adam’s seed. This is obvious in Cain’s envy of his brother Abel, because God accepted his brother’s offering, but not his. Therefore his heart was full of resentment. Although God had warned Cain against the sin that awaited him, he proceeded to kill his brother (Genesis 4:3-10).Adam's lifespan is 930 years, (Gen,5:3-5)

to be continued...

Some Qur'anic verses related to others religions.

              Islam has already precribed clearly in the Qur'an on how to deal with other people in their daily life. There are some verses related toward other religion which is provided substantial references concerning other religions and use some word referring to others people like Ahl Kitab,Al yahud and Annasoro .

The Holy Qur'an addresses some themes that related to beliefs and communities other than Islam. It may classified to five themes which are Scriptures and Holy Texts, Faith and Aqidah, Ritual and Law, Missionary and social life and Historical events and narratives.

1) Scriptures and holy text (kutub and suhuf),the verse that related is "The books of Abraham and Moses"(87: 19).Through this verse we understand that Allah mentioned about the ancient scriptures of Abraham and Moses. The truth is one and the faith is one , the messengers deliver basically the same message and simple truth .

2) Faith and belief ('aqidah and iman), in verse 62, chapter 2, Allah has mentioned; "Those who are believe (in the Qur'an) And those who follow the Jewish(scriptures), And the Christians and the Sabians, And who believe in Allah, And the Last Day, And work righteousness, Shall have their reward, With their Lord; on them. Shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve". From this verse, we clearly understand that Islam does not preach an exclusive doctrine, and is not meant exclusively for one people . The Jew claimed themselves as the Chosen People and the Christian in their origin were a sect of the Jew. The attitude of Islam is entirely different. Islam existed before the preaching of Muhammad PBUH on this earth as a deen of fitrah.

3) Ritual and Law also discussed in the Qur'an about others religion. In chapter 5, verse 5:"This day are(all) things Good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them.(Lawful unto you in marriage)are(not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among The people of the Book …….". Islam is not exclusive. Social intercourse, like inter- marriage is permitted with the People of the book .

4) In the Qur'an also addresses about other religions in the missionary and social life; "Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom And beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious, for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His path, and who receive guidance"(16:125). Islam always encourage us to do good and ethical in dealing with other people especially in field of Da'wah to the non Muslim and shows the best example to them. There is no compulsion in religion: "There no compulsion in religion, the right direction is henceforth distinct from error…(2:256)".

5) There are also related verse in the Qur'an that mentioned about the historical events and narratives by which near to religious significance and influence religious conception. For instance, the story of Adam and Eve, Jesus's birth, life, Prophet Moses, original sin and so on. In chapter 53:38-39,"That no laden one shall bear another's load(38). And that man hath only that for which he maketh effort (39)". This verse address the Original Sin in Christianity and The Qur'an encounter back the issue. In deed, Islam not exclusive religion, and acknowledge the existents of other peoples in their own belief and practices.Islam brings a comprehensive message and universal guidance to all mankinds.