Hamka (1908-1981): a Study of Some Aspects of His Sufi Thoughts
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HAMKA (1908-1981): A STUDY OF SOME ASPECTS OF HIS SUFI THOUGHT BY NUR HADI IHSAN INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA FEBRUARY 1997 ii HAMKA (1908-1981): A STUDY OF SOME ASPECT OF HIS SUFI THOUGHT BY NUR HADI IHSAN A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ISLAMIC REVEALED KNOWLEDGE AND HERITAGE KULLIYYAH OF ISLAMIC REVEALED KNOWLEDGE AND HUMAN SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALSYSIA FEBRUARY 1997 ABSTRACT iii The present work is an attempt to expound some aspects of Sufistic ideas and teachings of a great Indonesian Muslim scholar in modern time, Hamka (1908-1981). Hamka was born and brought up in a family whose genealogy indicated that his ancestors were Sufis of some renown. Hamka's ancestors were leaders and instructors of the Naqshabandiyyah order, the order with the greatest number of followers in the region. Even though Hamka's father was a fiery critic against Sufism, it did not show that the latter broke with the Sufistic tradition of the family. For what he criticized were those doctrines and practices in Sufism which he deemed to be in contrast to the true teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and in fact Hamka himself describes his father as a true devoted Sufi. Hamka's attitude toward Sufism is obvious, he is a bold proponent, but the image of Sufism which Hamka presents is significantly different from that which is commonly put forward by many other scholars of Sufism in the country. Hamka combines between Sufism and activism; struggle, sacrifice, and hard work, one which he believes to be the true spirit of Islam. Hamka is of the view that Sufism is important to attain direct access to God and having His good pleasure. In this regard, Hamka maintains that the pursuit of this goal must not entail distraction from this worldly life, for the world as such is not evil. It is its abuse which deserves condemnation and its pursuit insofar as it distracts a person from attaining the above goal which is the true evil. Hamka, therefore, believes that a person can still keep in touch with the world; to earn wealth, to have family, to serve people, to have position, and to hold any worldly profession and yet remains a true devoted Sufi. iv ãáÎøÕ ÇáÈÍË åÐÇ ÇáÈÍË ÏÑÇÓÉ Úä ÈÚÖ ÇáÌæÇäÈ ÇáÕæÝíÉ ãä ÃÝßÇÑ ÍÇãßÇ (1908-1981) ÃÍÏ ÇáÔÎÕíÇÊ ÇáÈÇÑÒíä Ýí ÊÇÑíÎ ÇáÝßÑ ÇáÅÓáÇãí ÇáãÚÇÕÑ ÈÅäÏæäíÓíÇ. æáÏ ÍÇãßÇ æÊÑÈì Ýí ÃÓÑÉ ÚÑíÞÉ ÐÇÊ ÇáäÒÚÉ ÇáÕæÝíÉ. ÝßÇä ãä ÂÈÇÆå ÔíæÎÇ ááØÑíÞÉ ÇáäÞÔÈäÏíÉ æåí ÃßËÑ ÇáØÑÞ ÃÊÈÇÚÇ Ýí ÇáãäØÞÉ. æÑÛã Ãä æÇáÏ ÍÇãßÇ ÇáÏßÊæÑ ÚÈÏ ÇáßÑíã ÃãÑ Çááå ãÚÑæÝ ÈÍÏøÉ äÞÏå æ ÔÏøÉ ÑÏøå Úáì ÈÚÖ ÇáÊÚÇáíã ÇáÕæÝíÉ áßäø Ðáß áÇ íÕáÍ Ãä íßæä ÏáíáÇ Úáì ãæÞÝ ÇáæÇáÏ ÖÏø ÇáäÒÚÉ ÇáÕæÝíÉ. æÐáß áÃäø ÇáÊÚÇáíã ÇáÕæÝíÉ ÇáÊí ÇäÊÞÏåÇ ÇáÏßÊæÑ ÚÈÏ ÇáßÑíã ÝÞØ ãä ÇáÃãæÑ ÇáÊí ßÇä íÑÇåÇ ÎÇÑÌÉ Úä ÊÚÇáíã ÇáßÊÇÈ æÇáÓäÉ ÇáÕÍíÍÉ æãäÇÞÖÉ áåÇ¡ Èá æÞÏ ßÇä ÇáæÇáÏ äÝÓå ÕæÝíÇ ÈãÚäì ÇáßáãÉ ßãÇ æÕÝå ÇÈäå ÈÐáß. æãä ÇáæÇÖÍ Ãäø ãæÞÝ ÍÇãßÇ ãä ÇáÊÕæÝ ãæÞÝ ãÏÇÝÚ ãÊÍãøÓ ÅáÇ Ãäø ÕæÑÉ ÇáÊÕæøÝ ÇáÊí íÞÏãåÇ ÊÎÊáÝ Úä ÕæÑ ÇáÊÕæÝ ÇáÊí íÊãÓøß ÈåÇ ßËíÑ ãä ÚáãÇÁ ÇáÊÕæøÝ Ýí ÚÕÑå. æÞÏ æÝøÞ ÍÇãßÇ Èíä ÇáÊÕæøÝ æ ÇáäÔÇØ ÇáÍÑßíø¡ æÑÃì Ãäø ÇáÇäÏãÇÌ ÈíäåãÇ åæ ÑæÍ ÇáÅÓáÇã ÇáÍÞíÞí. æÇáÊÕæøÝ Ýí äÙÑ ÍÇãßÇ ãä Ãåãø ÇáØÑÞ Åáì ãÚÑÝÉ Çááå æäíá ÑÖÇå¡ æãÚ åÐÇ Ýåæ íÑì Ãäø ÇáÓÚí ááæÕæá Åáì åÐÇ ÇáåÏÝ áÇíÚäí ÇáÇäÕÑÇÝ Úä ÇáÍíÇÉ ÇáÏäíæíøÉ æ ÐãøåÇ áÃäø ÇáÏäíÇ ÐÇÊåÇ áíÓÊ ÔÑøÇ. ÅäãÇ ÇáÔÑø Ýí ÓæÁ ÇáÊÚÇãá ãÚåÇ æ ÇáÍÑÕ ÚáíåÇ æ ÌÚáåÇ ãØáÈÇ åÇãøÇ ÈÛíÑ ÍÞø ÍÊì íáåì ÇáäÇÓ Úä ÇáæÕæá Åáì ãÚÑÝÉ Çááå æ ÇÈÊÛÇÁ ÑÖÇå ÊÚÇáì. æ áÐáß íÑì ÍÇãßÇ Ãäøå áíÓ ááÅäÓÇä Ãíø ÈÃÓ ãä Ãä íßÓÈ ÇáãÇá¡ æ íØáÈ Ãíø ãäÕÈ Ãæ æÙíÝÉ Ýí åÐå ÇáÍíÇÉ¡ æÓíáÉ áäíá ÇáÍÓäÉ Ýí ÇáÂÎÑÉ. æÈÐáß íÕÈÍ ÇáÅäÓÇä ÑÛã ããÇÑÓÊå ááæÙíÝÉ ÇáÏäíæíÉ Ýí ãÙåÑå¡ áßäå ÃíÖÇ Ýí ÇáæÞÊ äÝÓå íÚÏø ãä ÇáÕæÝíÉ ÇáÍÞíÞííä. APPROVAL I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage. Name Supervisor I certify that I have read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage. Name Examiner This thesis was submitted to the Department of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage and is accepted as partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage. Name Head, Department of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage. 2 This thesis was submitted to the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences and is accepted as partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage. Name Dean, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences. DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references and a bibliography is appended. Name Signature Date 3 Copyright by Nur Hadi Ihsan and International Islamic University Malaysia 4 To my parents, my wife, and my daughter (Haninah az-Zahra) 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express my gratitude to Dr. Wan Mohd. Azam Mohd. Amin, thesis's supervisor, for his advice, assistance, and important suggestions throughout my research; I shall always remember his kindness and friendship. I wish also to express my gratitude to Prof. Dr. Abdul Majid Muhammad Mackeen, thesis's second reader, for his enlightened insight and advice and illuminated suggestions and comments which inspired me so much to accomplish this thesis. I am grateful to Institut Pendidikan Darussalam (now Institut Studi Islam Darussalam), Pondok Modern Gontor, Indonesia and Department of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage, International Islamic University Malaysia for their encouragement and support during my study at International Islamic University Malaysia. I am also grateful to all friends and colleagues who helped me in the completion of this research. I am also grateful to Verna Taylor for her help in editing this work. My sincere thanks are also extended to my parents and my wife for their patience, love, and understanding. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract (English)..................................................................................................... ii Abstract (Arabic)...................................................................................................... iii Approval Page........................................................................................................... iv Declaration................................................................................................................ v Copyright.................................................................................................................. vi Dedication................................................................................................................. vii Acknowledgements................................................................................................... viii System of Transliteration.......................................................................................... x CHAPTER1 : INTRODUCTION............................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 2: THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF HAMKA....................... 12 A. Minangkabau and Sufism......................................................................... 12 B. Hamka's Life and Works........................................................................... 24 1. Hamka's Ancestors............................................................................... 24 2. Hamka's Education and Activity........................................................... 28 3. Hamka's Works..................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER 3: HAMKA'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS SUFISM.................................. 39 A. Quest for God........................................................................................... 39 1. The Way of Artist................................................................................. 39 2. The Way of Philosopher....................................................................... 42 3. The Way of Sufi.................................................................................... 43 B. Hamka's View of Tariqah.......................................................................... 50 1. The Absolute Authority of Shaykh........................................................ 52 2. Rabitah and Tawassul........................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 4: HAMKA'S DOCTRINE OF SUFISM.................................................. 65 A. Zuhd (Renunciation).................................................................................. 69 B. Tawakkul (Trust in God)............................................................................ 82 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION............................................................................. 95 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................... 101 7 SYSTEM OF TRANSLITERATION System of transliteration used in this thesis is as follows: ‘ (hamzah), b, t, th, j, h, kh, d, dh, r, z, s, sh, s, d, t, z, `, gh, f, q, k, l, m, n, h, w, y. The short vowels are a, i, u. The long vowels are a, i, u. In the construct state the ta’ marbutah is changed from -ah to -at. In pausal