Is Prophethood Superfluous?Conflicting Outlook on the Necessity of Prophethood between Badiuzzaman Said Nursi and Some Muslim Philosophers

As early as tenth century, Abū Bakr al-Rāzī (d. 925), a notable figure in Islamic philosophy, claimed that prophethood is entirely superfluous, since God imparted the gift of reason to humankind, and reason is enough to guide them. Al-Rāzī’s skeptical view sounds provocative, and thus worthy of further study. However, some other philosophers, like al-Farābī, Ibn Sīnā and Ibn Maskawaih, acknowledge the necessity of prophethood for the guidance of human life. Their idea, though formulated in different reasoning from the one held by Muslim theologians, indicates their acceptance of the authority of divine revelation. On the other hand, Said Nursi, one of the greatest Muslim reformers in the modern time, maintains that since “divine power does not leave the ant without leader, or bees without a queen, it surely would not leave mankind without prophet or code of law.” After all, the order of the world necessitates the existence of the prophets to preserve its solidity. This article will scrutinize more critically Nursi’s idea on the necessity of divine revelation that would enlighten human path to truth, to be compared with some ideas held by Muslim philosophers in discussing the relationship between reason and revelation, and its corollaries.[Filsuf besar dari abad ke-10, Abū Bakr al-Rāzī (w. 925), menyatakan bahwa diutusnya seorang nabi sebenarnya tidak perlu lagi, karena Tuhan telah menganugerahkan akal pada manusia yang akan mampu membimbing mereka. Pandangan skeptis dari al-Rāzī ini terdengar provokatif dan perlu dieksplorasi lebih lanjut. Namun, beberapa filsuf seperti al-Farabi, Ibnu Sina, dan Ibn Maskawaih mengakui perlunya nabi untuk membimbing manusia. Pandangan para filsuf ini, meski dengan nalar yang berbeda dengan para ahli teologi, mengindikasikan penerimaan terhadap otoritas wahyu ketuhanan. Di sisi lain, Said Nursi, seorang pemikir-reformis modern, menyatakan bahwa karena “kuasa Tuhan tidak pernah membiarkan sekawanan semut tanpa pemimpin, atau sekelompok lebah tanpa ratunya, maka pastilah manusia juga tidak akan dibiarkan tanpa seorang nabi atau syariat.” Lebih dari itu, tata dunia juga memerlukan kehadiran seorang nabi untuk menjaga soliditasnya. Tulisan ini akan melihat secara lebih dalam dan kritis mengenai pemikiran Said Nursi tentang pentingnya wahyu ketuhanan untuk menerangi langkah manusia menemukan kebenaran; kemudian dibandingkan dengan pandangan filsuf-filsuf muslim lainnya dalam membincang keterkaitan nalar dan wahyu dengan segala konsekuensinya.

Revitalisasi Nilai-nilai Moral Keagamaan dalam Merespon Realitas Zaman

Indonesia has been developed in a various ways. But there remains one field in which this country has been kept captive of, namely the field of morality. Morally speaking, the country is not improving, nor is it heading toward the right direction. It is even regressing. The regress of proper moral virtue has made this country lost its very identity and hope. The situation is worsened by the fact that the schools and universities that are supposed to play the central role in moral education have not been effective either. Religion has been presented wrongly simply as a belief system. Its aspect as moral system is partly or completely ignored. This paper is an attempt to explore this abandoned precious dimension of religion and its importance in the process of moral education. We assume that it is only through religion, to be more precise through inacting the religous morality that we can cure the social malayses, and move on with our aspiration and hope

The Puppet Caliphs and the Titular Heads of State: the 'Abbasid Caliphate Under the Buyids' Reign

Kekhalifahan Abbasiyah yang berlangsung selama lima abad lebih telahmengalammi masa pasang surut dengan dinamika yang tinggi. Di masakejayaannya, kekhalifahan Abbasiyah  merepresentasikan zamankeemasan Islam dengan kemajuan peradabannya. namun dalam masasurutnya, Abbasiyah telah jatuh dalam dominasi penguasa asing,termasuk amir al-umara' dari dinasti Buyid. Para penguasa militer yangmestinya tunduk kepada khalifah ini justru telah memainkan peran yangjauh lebih menentukan, bahkan lebih berkuasa dari khalifah sendiri.Hal ini terjadi karena lemahnya posisi khalifah, sehingga hampir seluruhhak dan kewenangannya di ambil alih oleh penguasa militer tersebut.Dalam kondisi seperti itu menurut al-Mawardi,khalifah seperti itu tidak berhak lagi mendudukijabatannya dan ia harus diturunkan. Namun, meskipun para khalifahAbbasiyah telah kehilangan kekuasaan eksekutifnya, mereka ternyatamasih dapat mempertahankan kedudukan mereka, bahkan hingga jauhsetelah kekuasaan dinasti Buyid itu sendiri hancur. Bagi kaum Sunni,seperti apapun bentuknya, keberadaan khalifah harus tetapdipertahankan sebagas simbol pemerintahan yang sah dan sebagaimanifestasi dari kesatuan seluruh amat Islam

THE SCHOOL OF AHL AL-SUNNAH WA AL-JAMA`AH AND THE ATTACHMENT OF INDONESIAN MUSLIMS TO ITS DOCTRINES

The doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama`ah has been exploited by two major Muslim organizations in Indonesia, NU and Muhammadiyah, as the theological basis in determining their religious identity and rituals. Although these organizations claim that all Muslims should adhere to the doctrines of Ahl al-Sunnah, they have never clearly defined that term. This paper discusses in detail the meaning of the term followed by an examination of the ways in which those two Muslim organizations attach themselves to this doctrine. This paper argues that, although the NU links itself to this doctrine, it is still necessary to critically examine to what extent its members apply the doctrines of Ahl al-Sunnah in their daily life. Muhammadiyah, on the other hand, is not obsessed with the claim of being faithful to the doctrines of Ahl al-Sunnah, although its constitution mentions that they advocate theological creeds which are evidently in line with the precepts of Ahl al-Sunnah

The School of Ahl Al-sunnah Wa Al-jama`ah and the Attachment of Indonesian Muslims to Its Doctrines

The doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama`ah has been exploited by two major Muslim organizations in Indonesia, NU and Muhammadiyah, as the theological basis in determining their religious identity and rituals. Although these organizations claim that all Muslims should adhere to the doctrines of Ahl al-Sunnah, they have never clearly defined that term. This paper discusses in detail the meaning of the term followed by an examination of the ways in which those two Muslim organizations attach themselves to this doctrine. This paper argues that, although the NU links itself to this doctrine, it is still necessary to critically examine to what extent its members apply the doctrines of Ahl al-Sunnah in their daily life. Muhammadiyah, on the other hand, is not obsessed with the claim of being faithful to the doctrines of Ahl al-Sunnah, although its constitution mentions that they advocate theological creeds which are evidently in line with the precepts of Ahl al-Sunnah

Why Muslims should Maintain their Dignity in Worldly Life: A Critical Consideration on Said Nursi’s Insight on the Meaning of “Theology of Hope” as Reflected in His Damascus Sermon

“At one time Muslim culture led the world in knowledge and prosperity. Now, in most respect, it lags far behind. What are the factors that led to its rise and subsequent fall?” (Perkins, 2003). Muslims fell under the Western domination for many centuries. As a result, they have lost their authority to administer their own matters independently. Whereas Muslims believe that they should attain worldly contentment and after life happiness altogether, in reality, they gain only a modest attainment to improve their prosperity and accordingly lose their political as well as cultural dignity. They have been overshadowed by the West in many aspects of political and cultural affairs. But what made the West prosperous and triumphant over Muslim nations in general? To some extent, as one might believe, it is because they have adopted “prosperity theology.” While the term itself is controversial among Christian theologians, the issue has roused a profound awareness among Western people about the importance of personal empowerment, proposing that it is God’s will for humans to live prosperously. What did Nursi say about the necessity of cultivating prosperous life in Islam and what did he say about the demand to maintain dignity in this worldly life? This article tries to examine Nursi’s idea on the necessity of gaining worldly prosperity for advancing Muslim civilization as well as of maintaining their dignity by examining his insights on the “theology of hope” as reflected in his “Damascus Sermon” and other works compiled in his voluminous Risalei Nur

Fostering young entrepreneurs in universities

This study aims to identify the types of businesses that are of interest to students at several universities in Surakarta, and formulate university strategies in an effort to develop young entrepreneurs from among students. This research is a combination of qualitative and quantitative research. Using primary data obtained through field observation techniques and in-depth interviews with authorities at universities which are considered key figures in the field of student affairs. Data were analyzed by descriptive-analytic approach. The results of this study indicate that businesses related to culinary, online business, and fashion are the most desirable businesses for students. To develop their interests, various approaches can be carried out by universities. First, develop a curriculum that accommodates entrepreneurial teaching and soft skills about business management. Second, providing intensive training especially related to the type of business that is in demand, which is systematically based on science and technology. Third, provide an adequate laboratory to hone students' skills in developing business plans; Fourth, working with the banking sector and HIPMI for the purpose of business feasibility evaluation, business assistance, and business consulting; and Fifth, providing easy access to obtain capital for students whose business plans are deemed feasible by the assessment team. If these steps are done well, it is believed that more new entrepreneurs will emerge from university graduates

Sosialisasi Transaksi Jual Beli Aman Terhadap Covid 19 Memasuki Fase New Normal Di Pasar Tradisional Kota Bengkulu

Semakin melonjaknya angka positif virus corona di Indonesiaberbanding terbalik dengan kesadaran masyarakat terhadap bahaya pandemi virus corona. Badan Stistik Nasional (2020) melaporkan pada Juni 2020 kasus yang terkonfirmasi diseluruh dunia berjumlah 163.973  kasus. Tim Gugus Tugas Percepatan Penanganan COVID-19 Indonesia melaporkan angka kejadian per 30 juni dilaporkan sebanyak 1293 kasus.  Angka kejadian di provinsi Bengkulu per Juni dilaporkan ada 124 kasus dan 10 orang meninggal dunia dan dari angka kasus tersebut 7 orang terkonfirmasi sebagai pedagang di pasar tradisional Panorama, artinya pasar menjadi cluster baru penyebaran COVID 19 di kota Bengkulu.  Tujuan pengabdian masyarakat ini adalah untuk mensosialisasi kesiapan dalam bertransaksi aman serta memutus rantai penyebaran Corona Virus Disease 19 pada pedagang dan pembeli di pasar tradisional Panorama dan Pasar Minggu kota Bengkulu. Kegiatan yang dilakukan berupa sosialisasi dengan memberikan informasi tentang transaksi jual beli aman dengan mendatangi tiap pembeli dan penjual  secara langsung, memasang poster pada tempat-tempat yang strategis.   Terdapat perubahan pengetahuan tentang transaksi jual beli aman pada masyarakat pasar tradisional Panorama dan Pasar Minggu terhadap COVID 19 memasuki fase new normal, dengan demikian sosialisasi transaksi jual beli aman terhadap COVID 19 memasuki fase new normal di pasar trasional sangat efektif untuk peningkatan pengetahuan dan merubah pola kebiasaan pedagang dan pembeli untuk mengikuti cara bertransaki yang aman dalam upaya pencegahan dan memutus rantai penyebaran COVID-19.Kata Kunci: sosialisasi, transaksi, COVID 19, pasar trasidional ABSTRACT The increasing number of positive corona viruses in Indonesia is inversely proportional to public awareness of the dangers of the corona virus pandemic. The National Statistics Agency (2020) reported that in June 2020 confirmed cases worldwide totaled 163,973 cases. The Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19 Indonesia reported that the number of incidents as of June 30 was reported as 1293 cases. The number of incidents in Bengkulu province as of June was reported to have been 124 cases and 10 people died and from these cases 7 people were confirmed as traders in the Panorama traditional market, meaning the market became a new cluster for the spread of COVID 19 in Bengkulu city. The purpose of this community service is to socialize readiness for safe transactions and break the chain of spreading Corona Virus Disease 19 to traders and buyers in Panorama traditional markets and Pasar Minggu, Bengkulu city in entering the new normal phase, by implementing precautionary measures and preventing the spread of Covid-19 , carry out the dissemination of information about Covid-19 in the form of increasing public awareness of the dangers of COVID 19. Activities carried out are in the form of socialization by providing information about safe buying and selling transactions by visiting each buyer and seller directly, placing posters in strategic places. There is a change in knowledge about safe buying and selling transactions in the community of Panorama traditional markets and Pasar Minggu against COVID 19 entering a new normal phase, thus the socialization of safe buying and selling transactions against COVID 19 entering a new normal phase in the traditional market is very effective for increasing knowledge and changing habitual patterns traders and buyers to follow safe ways of transacting in an effort to prevent and break the chain of the spread of COVID 19. Keywords: socialization, transactions, COVID 19, traditional market

Factors Influencing Adoption of Cryptocurrency-Based Transaction from an Islamic Perspective

This paper presents a user study of 201C;perception of the cryptocurrency-based transaction from the Islamic views201D;. The motivation lies with the fact that some users of cryptocurrency-based transaction raised concern on the nature of transactions with Bitcoin. Specifically, some argued that Bitcoin can be easily used for illegal purposes. Therefore, 201C;Technological Acceptance Model201D; was adopted and quantitative research methodology was utilized, to formulate and test some hypothesis that will lead to an establishment of a model. Sample of 306 participants was used in the study. The result of the hypothesis testing indicates that 201C;Behavioral Intention to Use Cryptocurrency from the Islamic perspective201D; is influenced directly by Shari2019;ah Compliance, Perceived Ease of Use, Emotionality, Perceived Usefulness, and Financial Concern. As evident from the analysis, Emotionality is influenced directly by Financial concern and Shari2019;ah Compliance. Whereas, Behavioral Intention is influenced indirectly by Financial Concern. The sample is general and does not specify a specific group of study. This study has contributed to understanding the Islamic issues behind the implementation of Cryptocurrency. This study adopted