KHM Luqman Hakim
Presented at the event: ‘The First Annual Malang International Peace Conference (AMIPEC)’, UNIRA, Malang, September 5 – 8, 2015.
Upheaval of the world in the last days has awakened consciousness, how hope and despair stand face to face to beat each other. Even at certain moments, those who have hope for the future also felt psychological fatigue in building the world’s history. And at the same time they who become wild by the darkness of his soul, burned by the light of the inevitability of human history. Some people realized, and some people increasingly entered the narrow passage its darkness.
Searches of hope — of course — will lead to roles in the religious Divine. But the history of religion also revealed the movements of its characters who hypocritical and dare to sell religion with a dusty and dirty history. Something that looks dark within the night robes, turned out the light within the light beam. Also something that looks bright by the sparkle of light, sometimes hiding the stuffy darkness. This often ripped the cloak of glorious history, becoming ragged, and even ended by a sickening battle.
God, Religion, Human, and Nature, seemed to be looking for a great formula for a great building of the human race. The building that can a accommodate a variety of interests, policies, dynamics, plurality, unity, cohesion, harmony and growth from generation to generation. Religion exists to inspire, as well as a reference architecture historical buildings, so that the dialectic between religion and history, between the Divine Will (Iradat) and Reality (Qudrat) does not interrupted.
As the historical facts today, we feel quite heavy to bounce and reprint the blue-tint on the canvas which has been tarnished. Everybody feel the scratches about the human race which are on the edge of the abyss of destruction. The cliffs that seems can save the hope of life, will soon be collapsed by its own nature that helpless in history.
When we look at the conscience of the people that colonized, it will feel that peace is Achieved independence. When humans churns by the conflict of ethnic, religion, and culture, then peace is the harmony unity in the diversity. When we see wars and bloodshed, then peace is a fair agreement between the parties and legal certainty in the future. Then peace means appreciation, respect, justice, compassion, caring, sacrifice, freedom, forgiveness, and the request of mercy.
That is the glimpse of the opaque mosaic of peace within our own mirror. So, when we returned to the consciousness of our powerlessness of history, our character will enter the most fundamental reflection, the nature base, God and the future. Peace will not happen when it still — just — based on the interests mere of humanism, without any totally religious attitude.
Religion has been delivered through the truths of the verse. Seminars and congresses held human peace everywhere, even wrenching screams incessantly calling us to liberate them. But why until now, history should repeat the tragedy? Did religion have the concept and objectives of peace? Also why the verses religion contains elements of war and peace? What extents of the foundations of religion — theological and practical — to build peace? What became the distance and the wall between the essence of religion and religious practice? What extent of globalization anticipate humanitarian conflicts, international conflicts, and local conflicts?
Polemology apparently does not stand alone. But must involve; facultative various scientific disciplines, since it would involve; public policy in the future. Peace is closely-related with the science of religion, religious Interpretations of the scriptures, as well as the involvement of social sciences and politics, science of communication and mass media, law and international diplomacy, physics and technology industry policy, ecology, industrial defense, and science of development economics.
Peace and Sufism Paradigm
In this context, religion — in this case Islam — normatively divide two large areas for peace constellation. The first area related with the Doctrine of religion that rooted in monotheism. The second area related with religious practice in general, and in particular for peace. Allah, is the Beginning and the End, in the fundamental point of view of a Muslim, believer and Muhsin.
Tawhid doctrine will revive human nature, that he is a caliph on the earth, a God’s representatives, and a bearers of humanitarian mandate (as a God servant) for the enforcement of the Rights of the Godhead. At the same time he should dismiss all things fundamental factors that wants to change its position as a human being: As transform themselves into global animals that exploit the earth by their animal’s desire, supported by violence, cruelty and savagery-ferocity to shed blood each other. An insanity of modern human that was shown dramatically in the theater of psychological aberration.
Global deal must restore the definition and position between God and man and the universe. Without this definition, life will run wild without accountability. The concept of “servant” with “servitude” must be re-harmonized to the doctrines of religion and humanity, as a major part of the efforts of tragic modern human turmoil. Is he really becoming a servant of Allah, or his identity has reduced to be a servant of his desire, servants of evil, or the servant of the universe.
Therefore, theology of peace should raise the dignity of servanthood becoming the basis of true humanity, therein awareness enforce the Divine rights in caliphate manifestation. Without completing the theological polemics, the peace that we seek nothing more than dry statistics charts, at any time will be frightening plague for mankind.
In the constellation of peace which we aspire, Islam gave the universal offers, not just values — there could be coherence premises noble values of other religions — but is closely connected with the individual lives, as a social nucleus of the future which will affect human civilization.
In Islam, it’s conceptually divided into three interrelated dimensions — later we will see whether peace as a goal, or peace as cause of doctrinal religious practice.
The first dimension: Al-Islam.
In practice, al-Islam actually contains the teachings which horizontally arranged social relationships, politics, economics, education, defense, international diplomacy, and all supporting elements such as science technology, in order to build a peaceful civilization. This exoteric civilization (shari’ah) movement, can be seen in terms of education is the great efforts of mankind to take the God’s straight path, so then humanitarian becoming a righteous civilization.This will be realized when it’s constituted by a second dimension: Al-Iman.
However, in designing the peace efforts, with only relies on factors interests of exoteric religion, it was instead often led to new conflict, because the elements of law is just the body without the spirit, bones without a soul, which is very frightening for civilization, caused by manipulations on Name of God to exploitation, even the destruction of humanity itself. This is what we often see, the horrible faces in the “Pride of Religion”.
We also often shown a neat arrangement, fair and discipline, but at the same time there is a sense of loss of love and affection, loss of modesty, loss of harmony forgiveness and togetherness, and loss of meaning of difference and good wisdom, simply because its basic relationship merely a formality imposed the rule of law in the name of God.
Therefore, all attempts to purge the peace barriers that always appears in the characteristics of the individual and social life must be removed (Takhally) at this stage. Attitude destructive as idolatry, hypocrisy, injustice, worldly ambitions, envy and jealousy, vanity, egoism, hedonism, materialism, superpowers, the supremacy of the individual and groups, as well as the rule of nationality, mutual suspicion and prejudice, riya’, popularity, prestige, hostility, hatred, betrayal, intrigue, stubborn and wild, which overall is bestiality, as the main factors that hinder the peace of the world.
The second dimension: Al-Iman
Faith is underlying the motivation and purpose of human life to the Lord. Territory of the human mental (psychology) becomes very important for the establishment of relations of humanity from the heart to heart. This dimension requires firmness of one’s faith in order reached the Yaqin point, so that the process and the goal of peace is the most fundamental part of the instrument, which is based on sincerity, grace, and peace of mind.
In this faith dimension, peace decomposes in all areas of life, because of the dynamics of life that moves motivated by theological strength, that all the demands of the human mind is essentially a manifestation of the way to his Lord.
At this stage, when all of the destructive aspects of the human soul has been removed, then we are all responsible for building a beautiful architecture for peace through the forces of soul within. Education is the main foundation to become an instrument of upholding the glory and dignity of mankind. Do not let education fall on the ideology of materialism, hedonism, pragmatism and bestiality were only pursuing a career socio-economic, political, and professions, which could worsen the fate of mankind at the end of time.
Syllabus of peace must be totally built, especially through religious teaching, with faith of Sufistic approach. Agendas of education, both formal and informal, has had to work hard to build the main human character, who has the responsibility before men and God. Characteristics grace, sincerity of soul, peace of mind, control of lust, gratitude, resignation, modesty, patience, tolerance, love and compassion, social care, forgive and ask forgiveness of others, pray, positive mind, spread the light of virtue, which in total as a manifestation of our faith in Allah, this is so the pursuit of human civilization towards Him who decorated by Tahally and Supreme Morals Highness.
This is prerequisite for the development of character, which later peace will come by itself. In this position, peace can be seen as a logical consequence of the dialectic of education and culture.
Any man on earth, can not imagine the peace without faith. Because the entire anti-peace movement, and the movement of human decay, is the movement of atheism and hypocrisy. Whatever the symbols used, including religious symbols and symbol of prosperity. When humans wish a peaceful soul, peaceful hometown and country, peaceful international life, he had to stick to what is believed. And Faith in God Almighty is the answer to their psychological anxiety and indecision. The believer is always in the way of peace.
Third Dimension: Al-Ihsan
In Islam, Ihsan is a form of ascetic peak, but in it symbolizing the nuances supra vertical and supra horizontally under the auspices of the Divine Light, which is described, “Should you worship as if they see Him, and if you do not see Him, He (always) see.” To the extent, that is peace is the “the Almighty of Peace”, which is God himself.
Ihsan, which is rooted in the word of “hasanah”, which means virtue. In fact, a virtue should be ask to God, “Lord, give us good in the world, and the virtues of the hereafter, and protect us from the torment of hell.”
Virtue was not happiness, but happiness is the result of virtue. In virtue, there are the values of peace and virtue which requested mankind, until the virtue in the afterlife. The concept haven of peace, is a manifestation of virtue in the afterlife. While the torments of hell, was actually the hijab (curtain) which hinder the relationship between man and God, either hell on earth and hell in the afterlife.
The Sufis build peace from the innermost dimension, the secret recesses of the human center of gravity of cosmic life. Without the presence of Allah, the real world is hell, with the torture for the sake of tortures. Thus, the actual process of dehumanization is a form of the torture, which threw the man in a dark alley without hope. Because, the beauty of heaven on earth, but without God, actually is hell.Instead, the pain of the life of the world, tangled warfare, bloodshed and oppression that we see, actually is a paradise, if God is present there. What seemed in the throes nauseating, actually is the presence of God when He’s burning the junk of humanity.But, really, His affection precedes His wrathful.
Implementation of these noble values, that peace was comes from Allah, as a gift of virtue to the mankind, and trust that must be carried in a way to harmonize and coherence with Him, towards Him, with Him and only for Him.
Togetherness on humans, raises an awareness that people always look at it, and then became manifest in the light of compassion, for the whole universe.This awareness will reflect an increase in the quality of one’s faith, and transformed to the activity of the mind, knowledge, culture and civilization. This is called the civilization of Light. And that is what the Sufis did, invited to build the civilization paradigm from God. Instead from human invention.
Symbols and peace discourse that carried by the Sufis, is to continue the mission that brought by the Holy Prophet PBUH, that is existentially, his presence on earth is Rahmah for mankind. He was present as a symbol of actual grace, and therefore, he never separated from God. He also became the Names of God (Asma’) and His Attributes (Sifat) in the structure of civilization, but to live with Him in a veil of humanity.
The whole world must incorporate the values of peace in the world in early education. Related departments should work hard to preparing a syllabus for peace education in schools until highest grade of education. Our generation must grow up with the faces of independence, with moral quality of integrity to the humanity.
Just to formulate early, so that peace is not just a moral force that moves, so we — as the bearer — need to develop a formula that is closely related to peace education, so that the idea that we want to accomplish in the future, especially through education becomes clearer.
Main Topic:
Learners will focus on cases of general and particular cases in the conflict resolution.
Background:
Know the study of cases of conflict, both international and local.
Mystical-Sufi spirituality:
The first step to build convergence between spirituality that exists in the Divine revelations for peace. What would be the point of ontology for peace.
Creed:
The relationship between faith and confidence in the peace paradigm.
Philosophy:
Wisdoms which became the fundamental basis for building epistemology, axiology and humanities, the enforcement of human rights.
Ideology:
Ideological formulations of various religions, cultures, literature and local wisdom about peace. The values of Sufism for example, can be ideological themes within this framework.
Supporting Disciplines:
The main relationship with a discipline, how far the discipline supports or does not care to practice of peace. The results of sociological research, anthropological and findings of exact science.
Barrier Factors:
What are the barriers of the peace. In this context, various aspects of life discipline need to be brought to see the main barriers, strategic barriers, and practice barriers. Including what is the relationship between the properties of human despicable (madzmumat), with obstacles for peace. Likewise barriers of modern ideologies, like materialism, hedonism, and imperialism, must be a factual object to see the points of obstacles.
Competence:
What should be the competence of the parties relating to public policy, so that policy coherence with justice, freedom and equality, and has been strengthening against the faith.
The Strategic Steps:
The formulation of the potential from all the elements that could grow a peaceful situation: As the government agency policy makers, parliamentarians, NGOs, mass media, and the potential of the local wisdom such as cultural gathering; Halal bil Halal; art activities, cultural ritual of dhikr worshipers; recitation; religious social organizations, etc.
Recommendations.
