Stages of Imam al-Ash’ari thought in theology

Imam al-Ash’ari was the founder and leading figure of the Asha’irah sect of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah. His approach is often used as a main reference by Muslims since the time of its appearance until now concerning questions of faith.Some other schools of thought try to claim that the holding of Imam al-Ash’ari doctrine coincides with their beliefs. Imam al-Ash’ari is said to go through three stages of thought before he returned to the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah at the end of his life to follow Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal the leadership of Salaf. Therefore,anyone who does not abide by the final stand of Imam al-Ash'ari, they are not considered as Asha’irah followers for conflicting Imam al-Ash’ari and Salaf scholars as recognized the best of generations. To assure the issues, this article is put forward to reexamine of the truth of the allegations either Imam al-Ash’ari has gone through three stages of thought or otherwise. Through document analysis method based on the works of Imam al-Ash’ari and his followers, the study found that Imam al-Ash’ari only used two stages of thought; Mu’tazilah initially and Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah in the end. Imam al-Ash’ari also used the tafwid Salaf and Khalaf interpretation methods especially in interacting with mutashabihat texts throughout his stay with the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah. The study also identified that the disagreements among Asha’irah when determining the thoughts of Imam al-Ash’ari is due to their uncertainty about the exact date of his works written

[Formation of Ummah Wasatiyyah Through Tauhid Al-Hikam Shaykh Ibn Ataillah Therapy] Pembentukan Ummah Wasatiyyah Menerusi Terapi Tauhid Al-Hikam Shaykh Ibn Ataillah

Intermediate community (ummah wasatiyyah) born of islamic appreciation by understanding the beauty and the truth of its teaching. The main pillar in forming this intermediate community always been linked with three important element, that is Islam, Iman (faith) and Ihsan (perfection/excellence). This article tried to explicate the concept of tawheed that expressed by Shaykh Ibn Ataillah al-Sakandari as an important instrument in forming the best community which declared in Quran. This writing highlighted the tawheed of act that summarized in al-Sakandari’s words of wisdom and its application of value as the principal element for intermediate community conformation. This qualitative study applied content analysis methode by reviewing tawheed of act standpoint from the book “al-Hikam” by Shaykh Ibn Ataillah as primary source and supported with others of his writings. This study found that the tawheed of act element are the most important aspect in forming intermediate community because it indicate submission to power and authority of Allah SWT also his jurisdiction in every movement and act of all the creation. Hence, a community will never achieve title of the best community if submission to Allah SWT is not being applied in every act and movement. Therefore, this study conclude that ‘ummatan wasata’ which also termed in Quran as ‘khayra ummah’ is a community that possess the most important features of tawheed, which is believe of Oness of Allah SWT in His Acts.   Keywords: Ummah wasatiyyah, Tawheed Therapy, Ibn Ataillah al-Sakandari, al-Hikam, tauhid al-af‘al.     Ummah wasatiyyah lahir daripada penghayatan Islam dengan memahami keindahan dan ketelusan ajarannya. Tonggak utama dalam pembentukan ummah wassatiyyah sentiasa dikaitkan dengan tiga elemen penting, iaitu Islam, Iman dan Ihsan. Artikel ini cuba mengutarakan konsep tauhid yang dikemukakan oleh Shaykh Ibn Ataillah al-Sakandari sebagai satu instrumen penting dalam pembentukan umat terbaik sebagaimana yang dinyatakan dalam al-Quran. Penulisan ini mengetengahkan tauhid al-af’al yang terangkum dalam kalam Hikam al-Sakandari dan penerapan nilainya sebagai teras dalam pembentukan ummah wasatiyyah. Kajian kualitatif ini menggunakan kaedah analisis kandungan dengan meneliti aspek tauhid al-af’al daripada sumber utama kitab al-Hikam Shaykh Ibn Ataillah dan didokong oleh beberapa karya beliau yang lain. Kajian mendapati bahawa elemen tauhid al-af’al merupakan aspek yang terpenting dalam membina ummah wasatiyyah kerana ia merujuk kepada penyerahan diri kepada kekuasaan dan kudrat Allah SWT serta tadbir urusNya dalam setiap gerak-geri dan tindak-tanduk seluruh makhluk. Justeru, suatu umat tidak mungkin mencapai status umat terbaik selama mana segala tindak-tanduk dan perbuatan tidak disertakan dengan penyerahan kepada Allah. Oleh itu, kajian menyimpulkan bahawa ‘ummatan wasata’ yang juga diistilahkan dalam al-Quran sebagai ‘khayra ummah’ merupakan satu umat yang mempunyai ciri-ciri terpenting tauhid, iaitu elemen mentauhidkan Allah SWT dari aspek perbuatanNya.   Kata kunci: Ummah Wasatiyyah, Terapi Tauhid, Ibn Ataillah al-Sakandari, Kitab al-Hikam, Tauhid al-Af’al

[Fana 'in the Sufi Discourse of the Archipelago: An Overview of the Sufi Thought of Sheikh Daud Al-Fatani] Fana’ dalam Wacana Sufi Nusantara: Tinjauan Terhadap Pemikiran Sufi Sheikh Daud Al-Fatani

Fana’ is term for annihilation of the self-appreciation, a concept highlighted in Sufism represents the vanishing of the human wicked attributes that is embellished by various demands of evil desires. On the other hands, Fanā’ is also refers to the only concentration of the memory in appreciation of the perfection and the glory of Allah SWT. This is because fana' is a high level stage of consciousness and a precise focus attentions only on Allah SWT to the stage that other things to be blunt as if lost from seeker’s memory. Nevertheless, in the discourse of Islamic thoughts, many misunderstandings and misappropriation are correlated to the concept of fana’ that occurs in Sufis path. Therefore, this article efforts to high spot the concept of fana’ conferring to Sheikh Daud al-Fatani (d.1847) through his work to scrutinize the extent to which the concept of fana’ posed by him in line with other well-known Nusantara Sufi figures. This study uses the content analysis method by referring to the work of Sheikh Daud al-Fatani sufi entitled "al-Manhal al-Ṣāfī fī Bayan al-Ramz al-Sufi". The study found that the term of fana' presented by Sheikh Daud al-Fatani was in line with the meaning of fana' which was emphasized by the previous Nusantara Sufi figures such as Sayyid Abdul Rahman (d.1917), Sheikh Abdul Samad al-Falimbani (d.1788) and other ancient Sufis figures. However, the use of the term is somewhat different in explaining the fana's meaning since Sheikh Daud al-Fatani in his work emphases more on the aspect of the existence stage which he labeled as the seventh stages (Martabat Tujuh). The study concludes that the concept of fana' posed by the figure was an essential bridge in understanding the concept of fanā' adopted by the practitioners of Sufis path among society nowadays.   Keywords: Fana’, Syeikh Daud al-Fatani, Nusantara Sufi, Martabat Tujuh, al-Manhal al-Ṣāfī fī Bayan al-Ramz al-Ṣūfī.       Fana‟ menurut disiplin Ilmu Tasawuf ialah lenyap sifat manusiawi yang terbelenggu dengan pelbagai tuntutan syahwat dan hawa nafsu, hal keadaan tumpuan ingatan hati hanya tenggelam dalam menghayati sifat kesempurnaan dan keagungan Allah SWT. Hal demikian adalah kerana fana‟ merupakan kesedaran aras tinggi dan tumpuan ingatan yang jitu yang hanya terumpu kepada Allah SWT hingga ingatan dan perasaan terhadap perkara lain menjadi tumpul seolah-olah lenyap daripada ingatan. Walaupun begitu, dalam wacana pemikiran akidah, banyak ditimbulkan isu-isu yang berkait dengan kesilapfahaman dan penyelewengan terhadap institusi tarekat khususnya yang berkait dengan konsep fana‟. Oleh yang demikian, artikel ini cuba mengetengahkan konsep fana‟ menurut Sheikh Daud al-Fatani (w. 1847M) menerusi karya beliau untuk meneliti sejauh mana konsep fana yang telah dikemukakan oleh beliau selaras dengan tokoh sufi Nusantara yang lain dan tokoh- tokoh sufi silam lain yang muktabar. Kajian ini menggunakan kaedah analisis kandungan dengan merujuk karya sufi Sheikh Daud al-Fatani yang berjudul “al-Manhal al-Safi fiBayan al-Ramz al-Sufi”. Kajian mendapati bahawa istilah fana‟ yang dikemukakan oleh Sheikh Daud al-Fatani selaras dengan makna fana‟ yang telah diketengahkan oleh tokoh sufi Nusantara seperti Sayyid Abdul Rahman (w. 1917M), Sheikh Abdul Samad al-Falimbani (w. 1788M) dan tokoh sufi silam yang muktabar. Walau bagaimanapun, penggunaan istilahnya agak berbeza dalam memberi penjelasan tentang pengertian fana‟. Di samping itu, Sheikh Daud al-Fatani dalam karya beliau lebih banyak menumpukan perbincangan terhadap aspek peringkat kewujudan yang diistilahkan oleh beliau sebagai martabat tujuh. Kajian menyimpulkan bahawa konsep fana‟ yang dikemukakan beliau merupakan suatu jambatan asas yang penting dalam memahami konsep fanā‟ yang digunapakai oleh pengamal tarekat kesufian dalam kalangan masyarakat kini.   Kata kunci: Fana‟, Syeikh Daud al-Fatani, Sufi Nusantara, Martabat Tujuh, al-Manhal al-Safi Bayan al-Ramz al-Sufi

[Wealth-Loving Therapy in Nurturing Generosity According to Al-Ghazali's Spiritual Theory through Kitab Al-Arba'in Fi Usul Al-Din]

Love of wealth is a feeling that is very attractive to worldly wealth to be willing to do anything to have a lot of wealth. This is further reinforced by the view of mystics such as al-Ghazali that the nature of the love of property is one of the ten main properties of mazmumah and this nature is the cause of greed for wealth and stinginess. Even to a degree, it is a pity to use the property owned in meeting one's own needs for fear of running out. In this case, it is understandable that an individual who has the nature of the love of property needs to find a solution in eroding that nature to be able to share the property he owns with those around him. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the nature of the love of wealth meant by al-Ghazali based on his spiritual theory through the book of al-Arba’in Fi Uṣul al-Dīn to treat the nature of stinginess that often chains the heart to spend wealth towards goodness. This qualitative study uses data collection methods by making the works that have been produced by al-Ghazali the main reference. All the data obtained were analyzed to produce the findings of the study. Studies have found that the nature of the love of property is among the main factors that drive a person to have a stingy nature and become a barrier to generosity. In addition, having this nature makes a person further away from Allah SWT because the focus of memory is only on the blessings of the world and cares about the owner who gives the blessings that is Allah SWT. Studies conclude that the nature of loving the world is a very dangerous disease and needs to be eroded from the soul to form a generous nature. Therefore, indirectly will be able to create a generous society and servants who can focus fully only on Allah SWT. Cintakan harta merupakan suatu perasaan yang amat tertarik terhadap harta dunia hingga sanggup melakukan apa sahaja demi memiliki harta yang banyak. Hal ini dikukuhkan lagi dengan pandangan ahli tasawuf seperti al-Ghazali bahawa sifat cintakan harta merupakan salah satu di antara sepuluh sifat mazmumah yang utama dan sifat ini adalah punca kepada tamakkan harta dan sifat bakhil. Malah hingga satu tahap, sayang untuk menggunakan harta yang dimiliki dalam memenuhi keperluan sendiri kerana dikhuatiri akan habis. Dalam hal ini, dapat difahami bahawa seseorang individu yang memiliki sifat cintakan harta perlu mencari penyelesaian dalam menghakis sifat tersebut hingga mampu untuk berkongsi harta yang dimiliki dengan orang sekelilingnya. Oleh yang demikian, kajian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis sifat cintakan harta yang dimaksudkan oleh al-Ghazali berdasarkan teori spiritualnya menerusi kitab al-Arba’in Fi Uṣul al-Dīn bagi merawat sifat bakhil yang sering merantai hati untuk membelanjakan harta yang dimiliki ke arah kebaikan. Kajian berbentuk kualitatif ini menggunakan metode pengumpulan data dengan menjadikan karya-karya yang telah dihasilkan oleh al-Ghazali sebagai rujukan utama. Kesemua data yang diperolehi dianalisis untuk menghasilkan dapatan kajian. Kajian mendapati bahawa sifat cintakan harta adalah antara faktor utama yang mendorong seseorang untuk memiliki sifat bakhil dan menjadi penghalang kepada sifat pemurah. Selain itu, dengan memiliki sifat ini menjadikan seseorang itu semakin jauh daripada Allah SWT kerana tumpuan ingatan hanya terhadap nikmat dunia dan menghiraukan pemilik yang memberi nikmat tersebut iaitu Allah SWT. Kajian merumuskan bahawa sifat cintakan dunia merupakan suatu penyakit yang sangat berbahaya dan perlu dihakis daripada jiwa agar dapat membentuk sifat pemurah. Oleh yang demikian, secara tidak langsung akan dapat mewujudkan masyarakat yang pemurah dan hamba yang dapat menumpukan perhatian yang sepenuhnya hanya kepada Allah SWT

Konsep Maqamat Al-Yaqin Menurut Ibn `Ata’ Allah Dan Kaitannya Dengan Resiliensi [The Concept Of Maqamat Al-Yaqin According To Ibn `Ata' Allah And Its Relation To Resilience]

The identification of Ibn `Ata Allah and his work has been the subject of extensive research conducted by scholars worldwide. According to Ibn `Ata Allah, associating partners with Allah SWT is considered shirk. This theological perspective views the act of attributing individuals or entities as allies to God as a form of polytheism. Allah SWT is attributed with wahdaniyyah, which means that Allah SWT is One in His Essence, His Attributes, and His Actions. This implies that nothing can ever be identical or equal to the essence, attributes, and actions of Allah SWT. This principle is deeply ingrained in the perspective of tawḥid practiced by Muslims. This article examines Maqamat al-Yaqin (the stages of certainty) from the perspective of Ibn `Ata Allah, a renowned Sufi figure. This study explores his understanding of the concepts of tawḥid and taṣawwuf and discusses his arguments in his book al-Tanwir fi Isqat al-Tadbir, regarding the significance of Maqamat al-Yaqin. This study employed a library research methodology to gather data and information. In the data analysis process, data reduction techniques were used to select and prioritize significant elements based on the available data, aiming to provide a clearer description of the data. The findings of this study demonstrate that the exploration of Maqamat al-Yaqin, as examined by Ibn `Ata Allah, has proven advantageous to Muslims by redirecting readers’ attention from the concern of shirk to a sense of appreciation and fortitude in the earthly realm. Moreover, this research indicates the potential alleviation of stress in individuals’ lives.Riwayat hidup Ibn `Ata’ Allah dan hasil karya beliau telah diterokai oleh pengkaji di dalam dan luar negara. Menurut Ibn `Ata’ Allah bahawa sesiapa yang tadbir bersama-sama Allah SWT adalah syirik. Ini adalah kerana bagi Ibn `Ata’ Allah sekiranya tadbir kita bersama dengan tadbir Allah maka ianya syirik kerana mengadakan sekutu bagi Allah. Allah SWT itu bersifat dengan wahdaniyah yang bererti Allah itu Esa pada zatNya, sifatNya dan perbuatanNya. Ini bermakna tiada sesuatu pun yang akan menyamai zat, sifat dan perbuatan Allah SWT. Ianya telah menjadi pemikiran dan kepercayaan dalam perspektif ilmu tauhid yang diamalkan sebagaimana pegangan ahli sunnah wal Jamaah. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji tentang Maqamat al-Yaqin yang dilihat daripada sisi pemikiran seorang tokoh sufi yang terkenal iaitu Ibn `Ata Allah. Artikel ini menyentuh tentang konsep pemikiran beliau di dalam bidang tauhid dan tasawuf, hujah-hujah beliau dalam kitab al-Tanwir fi Isqat al-Tadbir dalam menonjolkan penghayatan terhadap Maqamat al-Yaqin tersebut. Pendekatan kualitatif yang digunakan dalam kajian ini disusuli metode pengumpulan data dan kemudian metode analisis data. Manakala kaedah penganalisisan data menggunakan reduksi data bagi memilih dan memfokuskan pada hal-hal penting berdasarkan data yang ada bagi menggambarkan sesuatu data dengan lebih jelas Hasil kajian menunjukkkan perbahasan Maqamat al-Yaqin yang digunakan Ibn `Ata’ Allah telah memberi manfaat kepada orang Islam dengan mengalihkan tujuan pembaca daripada isu syirik semata-mata kepada penghayatan bagaimana untuk resiliensi di dunia. Di samping, hasil kajian ini dapat mengurangkan tekanan dalam kehidupan

MANZIL VERSES AND TRANQUILIZING EFFECT IN OPIATE DEPENDENTS

This review article discusses the practicality of Manzil Verses recitation in managing opiate dependency among drug users. Opiate addiction is an alarming public health issue and leads to a variety of social problems such as communicable diseases, financial burden and defects in cognition and behaviors. Drug treatment and rehabilitation in Malaysia is implemented under the purview of the National Drug Agency and the Prison Department, Ministry of Home Affairs. Scientifically, the Manzil Verses act as a form of rhythmic therapy by calming the senses, cognition and palpitations. Thus, this article aimed to discuss the potential of Manzil Verses in terms of their tranquilization effect among those with opiate addiction.Keywords: Manzil Verses; Opiate Addiction; Spiritual Therapies; Quranic Rhythmic Therapy, Relaxatio