Saturday, April 12, 2008

Who Needs an Explanation of Islamic State (1)

Recently Abd Waheb al-Effendi’s book entitled ‘Who Needs an Islamic State’ has been publicized especially in Malaysia by a group who claim themselves as Malaysia Think Tank. Actually al-Effendi’s ‘Who Needs an Islamic State’ was first published in 1991, before Anis Ahmad had commented it in 1993. Then after almost 18 years later al-Effendi review his first edition book by updating his ideas as well as responding to Anis Ahmad comment. Whatever the purpose of the publicity, the book inevitably would spark a debate between those who uphold al-Effendi thesis and those who are not, or at least would make al-Effendi thesis green.

Perhaps, as a philosopher I do to agree with al-Effendi philosophical ideas about Islamic Politics especially whenever he calls the Muslim society to share political wisdoms with others non-Muslims. It is common for a philosopher like al-Effendi to limit himself by merely asking some great questions related to Islamic Politics and ignoring the details of the system. Even in Islamic tradition, this approach had been initiated by al-Farabi when he shared his political wisdoms with Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Politics in his political books like al-Siyasah al-Madaniyah and Fusul al-Madany.

Then in the modern age, al-Farabi approach was followed by Ali Abd al-Raziq when he wroted his Islam wa Usul al-Hukm. Al-Raziq who was once a disciple of Muhammad Abduh wrote his book to respond Rashid Redha (also Muhammad Abduh’s disciple) effort in reviving Khilafah after the demolition of Ottoman Empire. Redha pioneered a movement to restore Khilafah by expressing his stands in al-Manar and calling Muslim scholars across the Muslim World to attend a conference discussing the feasibility of reviving Khilafah. Indeed Al-Raziq was a philosopher although his first education in al-Azhar was Shariah.

Therefore al-Effendi thesis is not a new one as his philosophical approach to understand Islamic Politics has been applied previously by Muslim philosophers. Perhaps John Hosper’s book about philosophical analysis provides a very good answer for those who intend to understand al-Effendi approach towards Islamic Politics. Hosper in his book distinguished philosophical questions from non-philosophical questions, hence this discipline is called philosophy. Al-Effendi in this sense repeats the philosophical approach by answering philosophical questions of Islamic Politics and apparently refuses to answer non-philosophical questions.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

ALlah Memenangkan PAS Melalui Orang Kafir

(Dipetik daripada cetusan rasa seorang bekas pimpinan mahasiswa)

Semasa artikel ini ditulis Pas telahpun berjaya menawan Kedah dan mengekalkan Kelantan di samping bersama-sama PKR membentuk kerajaan di Perak dan Selangor. Seperti yang telah dimaklumi kemenangan ini banyak dibantu oleh perubahan sikap politik kaum India dan Cina, sehingga kedua-dua kaum ini tanpa rasa takut membantu jentera pilihanraya Pas termasuk menyumbangkan kewangan. Semasa saya mengikuti perkembangan kempen pilihanraya di Kedah, sepanjang perjalanan ke sana dapat dilihat lori dan kereta mengibarkan bendera pembangkang lebih hebat daripada senario politik tahun 1999. Kemudian sewaktu pulang ke Perak, dapat dilihat kereta bersusun-susun seperti orang kota balik berhari raya di kampung masing-masing. Bagai dapat dirasakan gerombolan orang kota ini membawa balik undi-undi untuk parti pembangkang.

Namun faktor yang paling ketara memenangkan PAS dan PKR ialah sokongan daripada kaum India dan Cina. Sekonyong-konyong saya teringatkan Firman Allah swt dalam surah al-Taubah: Dan sekiranya kamu tidak mahu keluar (berjihad dan berkorban) menegakkan agama Allah maka akan ditimpakan azab dan Allah menggantikan dengan kaum yang lain.... Ayat tersebut benar-benar memberi pengajaran dan keinsafan kepada kita yang selalu mendakwa memperjuangkan Islam dan keadilan. Tetapi cuba kita nilai diri kita, benarkan kita tergolong dari kalangan para pejuang itu. Kita sebenarnya bukan pejuang, kerana kita tidak berani mengambil risiko. Para pendukung gerakan mahasiswa Islam sama ada di luar negara atau di Malaysia sebenarnya hanya menjadi pemerhati kepada perjuangan yang dilakukan oleh ahli-ahli PAS yang gigih serta golongan bukan Islam seperti kaum India dan Cina yang lebih sanggup menanggung tribulasi dalam menegakkan Islam dan keadilan.

Cuma golongan bukan Islam ini tiada Akidah, kalau tidak merekalah yang lebih layak digelar mujahidin. Para mahasiswa Islam lebih memilih jalan selesa, tidak berani dan penakut dalam bersuara menyatakan pendirian. Manakala masyarakat India khususnya pemuda mereka, sanggup menanggung risiko berjuang atas nama keadilan untuk kepentingan kaum mereka. Manakala masyarakat Cina juga berani mengkritik secara terbuka sama ada melalui forum-forum di media cetak mereka juga di majlis-majlis umum. Dengan perjuangan dan keberanian mereka inilah Allah swt memberi kemenangan kepada PAS dan PKR. Semoga kita dalam gerakan mahasiswa Islam ini mengambil iktibar dan selepas ini tidak lagi ragu-ragu bahawa Allah swt akan menyempurnakan janjinya kepada mereka yang berjuang atas jalannya dan Allah swt yang memberi rezeki bukannya manusia.