One of the prominent figures of Liberal Islam Network (JIL), Ulil Absar Abdalla in his tweet once said that people should be pickup in embracing their religion. This shows how liberalists feature their bungling mindset rather than their sagacity.
The freedom of religion that is blown from the liberalits inevitably has successfully been consumed by the public because of massive propaganda, disseminated mainly through mainstream media in Indonesia. This freedom of course yield multi-interpretation as it does not demarcate any scope of which area we are considered to be free and which area are not in manufacturing any new concepts of religion. When one religious sect appear and be embraced by particular group, liberalists tend to justify their existence no matter how scholars of one religion have firmly said if that religious sect is a blasphemy.
Ironically, many liberalists in religion are too cowardly to be the true liberalists. Ok, we know if liberalists always have an issue in term of making definition. To make the definition of “true liberalists” clear (and to make it clear if I am not a liberalist), then we can say if the true liberalists are those who completely allow people to do their beliefs or their rituals as they want. This is based on the definition of liberal itself: allowing changes, not exact, and so forth. While they labeled themselves as liberalists, they somehow push aside the basic principle of liberal. Liberalists also embrace certain values and react if other particular groups perform their faiths. Thus, liberal in nature as what they demonstrate is also stick with particular values or views which definitely betray their beliefs. If liberalists tolerate every changes and appreciate whatever people do, so they also must do the same thing to all groups justly without discriminating the groups in which they think conflict with their ideas. In brief, liberal is an ideology full with delimitations.
In in Indonesia, we can see the peculiarities of liberalists’ thought through social media twitter. In many occasions, many liberalists who involved in JIL publicly dare to mock and play with the teachings of ulama Ahlussunnah. What they do essentially reflect the ways of which how most western people view their religion; deify their reasoning, question almost all existing teachings and principles, believe if everything should change and rely too much on their capabilities. It has become a public consumption if the activists of JIL once questioning about the finalization of of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), likening kissing between non-muhrim man and woman as an alms, supporting LGBT, promoting muslim and non-muslim marriage and many other ignorant statements.
If Ulil advocated people to perform religious potluck in his twitter, accordingly, he violated one of the fundamental things of liberalism—respecting the right of others. If liberalists do not mind and even support the existence of particular religion harraser in the name of freedom of expression or human rights or freedom of speech or the like, so it won’t really make sense if they instigate people not to be devout in practicing the teachings of their religion. For what reason they accept one idea and reject others if their basis—as what they always exaggerate—is upholding invidual freedom. What is wrong of being obedient? being devout? or being pious? It is obvious if they will confront those who are not compatible with their beliefs. Making clear if their liberal ideology is not manifested within their practice as well as their theoretical concepts.
Allah Azza wa Jalla has explained ushul (roots of jurisprudence) and furu’ (branches of jurisprudence) in Islam. Islam has rules of etiquette and an ethical code involving every aspect of life. Muslims refer to Adab as good manners, courtesy, respect, and appropriateness, covering acts such as entering or exiting a washroom, posture when sitting, and cleansing oneself and so on so forth. Islam has also rules in Akhlaq, referring to the practice of virtue, morality and manners in Islamic theology and falsafah (philosophy). Therefore, there is nothing that humans need—impinging the life in the world and hereafter, but has been explained explicitly and implicitly in Quran. If one questions: “is there any explanation about performing shalah 5 times a day in Quran?” the answer is, Allah Azza wa Jalla has explained in Alquran if we must follow all teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) both his statements as well as his modelings [An-Nisaa’: 80]. We must take everything the Prophet (PBUH) has offered, and leave everything He has forbidden [Al-Hasyr: 7]. So it is clear if Sunnah from the Prophet (PBUH) have been shown by the Quran, because Sunnah belongs to the revelations, taught to the Prophet (PBUH) from Allah Azza wa Jalla [Hadist Narrated by Abu Dawud]. Islam is perfect, no more increments as wells as decrements, Muslims are obligated to follow [Al-Maa-Idah: 3].
The isolation between religion and mundane matters are not necessarily proposed by anyone include Ulil, because Muslims have never had traumatic experiences in their religions. Muslims now are being seduced to leave their religion from many parties and it comes from many angles. Muslims have no history as regards tortures in religion unlike any other religion. The idea of liberalism, pluralism and secularism which are not originated from Islam are forced inserted to the teachings of Islam.
A devout Muslim is considered to be extremist, stick-in-the-mud, stodgy, conservative or whatsoever you name it. These beliefs are propagated through giant mass media. The liberal or progressive people, who are not pious, are pictured like sweet candies. The popular incitement is we are no longer live in the past so we need to move on. Use your religion, but not being too much. This concept of religious potluck is not obviously in line with the teaching of Islam. Islam has regulated everything so every Muslim should take it as a whole, not merely take the pieces of what he likes. No overdose in islam, and now it is the time to be proud as a Muslim.
Wallahu a’lam Bishshawab.
@memetolicious
