Al-Itqān Journal of Islamic Sciences and Comparative Studies

AL-ITQĀN JOURNAL OF ISLAMIC SCIENCES AND COMPARATIVE STUDIES

Volume: 4 Issue No. 2 August 2020

EDITOR IN-CHIEF Dr. Wan Mohd Azam Mohd Amin

MANAGING EDITOR Dr. Masitoh Ahmad

EDITORIAL BOARD Dr. Syed Arabi Aidid, IIUM. Dr. Hassan Basri Mat Dahan, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan Dr. Kamaruzaman Yusuff, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Semarahan, Kucing. Dr. Kamar Oniah, IIUM. Dr. Mumtaz Ali, IIUM. Dr. Noor Amali Mohd Daud, IIUM. Dr. Adibah Abdul Rahim, IIUM. Dr. Haslina Ibrahim, IIUM. Dr. Siti Akmar, Universiti Institut Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam Dr. Thameem Ushama, IIUM.

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti, Oxford University, UK Dr. Abdullah M. al-Syarqawi, Cairo University, Egypt. Dr. Abdul Kabir Hussain Solihu, Kwara State University, Nigeria. Dr. Anis Ahmad, Riphah International University, Islamabad. Dr. ASM Shihabuddin, Uttara University, Dhakka, Bangladesh. Dr. Fatimah Abdullah, Sabahattin Zaim University,Turkey. Dr. Ibrahim M. Zein, Qatar Foundation, Qatar. Dr. Khalid Yahya, Temple University, USA.

Correspondence Managing Editor, Al-Itqān Research Management Centre, RMC International Islamic University Malaysia P.O Box 10, 50728 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: +603 6196 5558 Website: http://journals.iium.edu.my/al-itqan/index.php/alitqan/index Email: [email protected]

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Table of Contents

The Early Muslim Discussion on the Problem of the Divine Attributes with an Emphasis on the Mu„tazilites. 5-17 Megawati Moris Promoting Inter-Religious Harmony through University-Community Engagement Project: A Case Study of the Educational Visit to Places of 19-31 Worship (Edvist) Nur Suriya Mohd Nor

Religious Harmony in India‟s Post-Independence Phase: A Comparative Study of the Approach of Abul Hasan Ali Nadawi and Wahiduddin Khan.

33-49 Khalil Ahmad Muhammad Mumtaz Ali Yousuf Azim Siddiqi The Response of Syed Sheikh Al-Hadi (1867-1934) To Educational Concerns among the Malays in Malaya 51-68 Nur Nashrah Isahak Adibah Abdul Rahim Concept and Practice of `Istibdāl among Contemporary Muslims in Nigeria: Are there Correlations with Qur‟ān 4:20? 69-84 Khalid Ishola Bello Identifying Islamophobia in Malaysian Buddhist Context. Ahmad Faizuddin Ramli 85-108 Jaffary Awang Zaizul Ab Rahman Hamka‟s Responses to the Evangelisation in Indonesia: An Analysis of Interpretation of Several Qur‟anic Verses in Tafsir Al-Azhar. 109-125 Fathin Hanani Zulkifli Majdan Alias Positive Thinking and Good Impression towards Allah and His Predestination in Light of Prophetic Guidance. 127-152 Norhayati Mat Nor Zunaidah Mohd Marzuki The Phenomenon of Religious Extremism in Contemporary Muslim Societies Manifestations, Causes and Effects. 153-198 Fairouz Ziadi Amilah Awang Abd Rahman

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Hamka’s Responses to the Evangelisation in Indonesia: An Analysis of Interpretation of Several Qur’anic Verses in Tafsir Al-Azhar

Fathin Hanani Zulkifli* Majdan Alias**

Abstract This article aims to study HAMKA‟s responses to Christianity in Indonesia, particularly towards the evangelism movement which flourished under the Dutch ruling. The emphasis is on his criticism with regard to the Christian evangelism in Indonesia that transpired in his magnum opus, Tafsir al- Azhar, which focuses on some of the Qur`anic verses in Surah al-Baqarah, Surah al-Anʿām, and Surah al-Burūj. This research employs a qualitative methodology by critically analysing related books, newspapers, and manuscripts. One of the findings reveals that HAMKA‟s critique of the Christian missionaries‟ agenda is a direct result of their extensive evangelical works in Indonesia. Keywords: HAMKA, Evangelisation, Christianity, Indonesia, comparative, religion.

Introduction Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amarullah or popularly known as HAMKA1 was one of the contemporary Malay Muslim scholars in Islamic thought and Comparative Religion. He was born in the rural city of West Sumatra, Indonesia on February 16, 1908. He lived with his father, Abdul Karim Amarullah, also known as Haji Rasul (d. 1945), who was a respected ulama‟ and a reformist scholar. Haji Rasul founded a reformist school named Thawalib School in Minangkabau, which HAMKA himself went to. Even though the purpose of the school was aimed at reforming the Minang people2,

* Master‟s Student at the Department of Uṣūl al-Dīn and Comparative Religion, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (KIRKHS), International Islamic University Malaysia. Email: [email protected] ** Assistant Prof. Dr. Department of Uṣūl al-Dīn and Comparative Religion, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (KIRKHS), International Islamic University Malaysia. Email: [email protected] 1 This denotation of Hamka will be used in the following pages as refer to his name. 2 Minangkabau people or also known as Minang, are an ethnic group of natives that lived in Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesia and followed to the Malay culture. 110 Hamka‟s Responses to the Evangelisation in Indonesia-Fathin Hanani, Majdan Alias but in the early stage of establishment, the school still adopted a traditional style of learning. This traditional environment, however, was not appealing to HAMKA‟s attention. As a knowledge seeker even at an early age, he chose to study by himself and spend most of his time in the library of his teacher, Zainuddin Lebai al-Yunusi (d. 1924). HAMKA was able to broaden his horizon of learning by reading many foreign novels and well-known Indonesian publications at the time such as Bintang Hindia, Chahaya Sumatra and Sinar Sumatra, which has cultivated a passion in him. However, Haji Rasul was not in favour of his son‟s non-religious interest as he hoped HAMKA will succeed him to be a learned man („alim). This criticism of his father has made him decide to leave for Java, a suitable place for him to study extensively about Islam. Although his intention of getting away from home was rather personal, it is also a norm in the Minangkabau tradition called a practice of merantau (to travel), which young men will leave their homeplace to seek fortunes and acquire knowledge outside Minang.1 Java was the breeding place of reformist movements such as Muhammadiyyah2 and Sarekat Islam3 (Islamic Union). HAMKA seized the golden opportunity to follow the discourses and coaching organised by both Islamic movements. He met and studied directly under several prominent Sarekat Islam figures such as H.O.S Tjokroaminoto (d.1934), who taught him Islam and Socialism; Surjopranoto (d. 1959), his teacher in Sociology; H. Fachruddin (d.1929), from whom he learned about Tawḥīd (Islamic monotheism) and Islamic science, and he also studied lessons of Qur‟anic exegesis (Tafsīr al-Qur‟ān) with Ki Bagus Hadikusumo (d.1954). During his time in Yogyakarta, HAMKA discovered a new perspective of Islam as

1 HAMKA, Kenang-Kenangan Hidup (Kuala Lumpur: Penerbitan Pustaka Antara, 1982), p. 50. 2 Muhammadiyah is an Islamic non-government organization in Indonesia that has been founded by Ahmad Dahlan (d.1923) in 1912. This organization aimed to adapt Islam in Indonesian modern world, by bringing the idea of reformism which was been vastly introduced by Muhammad „Abduh. See Official Website of Muhammadiyyah, "Short History of Persyarikatan Muhammadiyah", Muhammadiyah, Retrieved 4th February 2020, http://www.muhammadiyah.or.id/id/content-50-det-sejarah.html 3 Sarekat Islam or knownly as Islamic Union is a first nationalist political party in Indonesia. This association been established by H. Samanhudi (d. 1956) in 1905 which initially named as Sarekat Pedagang Islam (Islamic Trade Union). At first, the aim was only for advancement of Indonesian economic interest against the Chinese traders. However, the aim somehow evolved to political purposes when H. O. S. Tjokroaminoto led the association and even changed the association‟s name officially to „Sarekat Islam„ in 1912. See Deliar Noer, Gerakan Modern Islam di Indonesia 1900- 1942, (Jakarta: 1988) and Yasmis, „Sarikat Islam dalam Pergerakan Nasional Indonesia (1912-1927)„, Jurnal Sejarah Lontar Vol. 6 No.1 (2006) Al-Itqān, Volume 4, Issue No 2, August, 2020 111

“something alive which in turn produces the dynamic understandings and activities of Islam”.1 This fresh understanding of Islam introduced by both movements was able to tackle any social and cultural problems in the modern world of Indonesia. With a new spirit of Islam in heart, HAMKA returned to his homeland to preach his new religious ideas to the Minang people. However, due to his lack of mastery in the Arabic language, the people criticised him for not being qualified enough to be an ʿulamā‟ (Muslim scholar), a fact upon which his father agreed. Hence, to extend his learning in the Arabic language, he travelled to Mecca and at the same time, performed his pilgrimage. Even though his journey to Mecca was short but HAMKA‟s exposure to the Arab world not only vastly improved his Arabic linguistic ability, he also learned considerable classical Arabic works of literature. In Mecca, he met with Agus Salim (d.1954), who was a Consul at the time. He advised HAMKA to return and contribute his knowledge in Indonesia. Hence, after seven months living in Mecca, HAMKA returned to Indonesia and settled down in the city of Medan, where he had been introduced to the world of journalism which later became his career. HAMKA‟s masterpiece of work is his thirty volume Tafsir al-Azhar, which is named after the mosque where he lectured his lessons of Qur‟anic exegesis (tafsīr) to the people. He aspired that the writing of this exegesis will be able to cultivate the spirit of Islam in the soul of the inquisitive Indonesian youths in understanding the Qur‟an2. He also emphasised on the need for religious guidance in the light of Qur‟an, despite dispute from various schools of thought (madzhab). HAMKA was heavily inspired by Sayyid Quṭb‟s (d. 1966) Tafsīr Fī Ẓilāl al-Qur'an and Rashīd Riḍa‟s (d.1935) Tafsīr Al-Manār. These Qur‟anic exegeses not only deliberated on religious issues such as hadith, fiqh or history but also adopt practical interpretations of Qur‟anic verses in the modern context; a method which HAMKA greatly embraced in his tafsīr.3 Tafsir al-Azhar revolves around

1 HAMKA, Kenang-Kenangan Hidup, p. 50. 2 For complete list of HAMKA‟s writing, see Mohamed bin Abas, HAMKA: A Bibliography of the Works of Prof. Dr. Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, Sydney, BISA (Bibliographic Information on Southeast Asia), 1983. 3 For further information on HAMKA‟s indebtedness to al-Manar in writing Tafsir Al- Azhar and the methodology usage between Tafsir al-Manar and Tafsir al-Azhar, see Sirry, Munim A. Scriptural Polemics: The Qur‟an and Other Religions, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), p. 86. 112 Hamka‟s Responses to the Evangelisation in Indonesia-Fathin Hanani, Majdan Alias the Malay Archipelago, hence, it also reflects local social settings and socio-political issues that occurred at the time. HAMKA‟s tafsīr is unique as he contemplates on prevalent trends of his time, and employs local issues and illustrations to shed light on Qur‟anic verses. This tafsīr complements a myriad of issues related to sociology, anthropology and history, in which HAMKA provided inexhaustible descriptions and espoused an analytical method in interpreting the Qur‟anic verses. HAMKA‟s works cover topical issues in Islamic thought, Muslim education, Sufism, politics, daʿwah movement, and comparative religion. Therefore, this paper attempts to analyse HAMKA‟s viewpoint towards other religious believers, in particular, the Christian missionaries in Indonesia. Among his other remarkable literature are Lembaga Hidup, Revolusi Fikiran, Di Dalam Lembah Cita-Cita, Tasawwuf Moden, Kenang- Kenangan Hidup, and Pelajaran Agama Islam.

HAMKA’s Interreligious Involvement As mentioned earlier, HAMKA was born in West Sumatra, an area where the majority of the Minang people are Muslims and only a handful of Christians lived there. When he moved to Medan and Jakarta, he was in more frequent and direct contact with other religions, in this case, is Christianity. HAMKA observed that the daily endeavours of Muslims are threatened by aggressive proselytisation of Christian missionaries in disseminating their religious beliefs. To widen their teaching of Christianity native to the Indonesian culture, in 1612, the Dutch produced a translation of the Bible in the Malay language. The first Bible translation published by Albert Cornelius Ruyl is the Gospel of Mark and Matthew; later in 1733, the complete Holy Bible (containing the Old and the New Testaments) was successfully translated into the Malay language. The most notable translation work since then and currently applicable to the contemporary Malay Bible is the word Allah as an equal rendition to the word God.1 HAMKA‟s grasp on the study of religion became more competent with his involvement as a member of the Muhammadiyyah movement. This movement, claimed to be the catalyst of Islamic modernism in Indonesia, aims to encounter the threat of Christianisation and defend the position of Islam against those who promote secularism

1 For further information on the Malay Bible Translation, refer to Daud Soesilo, “Celebrating 400 Years of Ruyl‟s Malay Translation of Matthew‟s Gospel.” The Bible Translator 64, no. 2 (2013): pp. 173–84 Al-Itqān, Volume 4, Issue No 2, August, 2020 113

in Indonesia. He sees this mission of Christianisation as an obvious threat to Indonesian Muslims. Therefore, as a wake-up call to Indonesian Muslims of this threat, he wrote a book with regards to this issue entitled Umat Islam Menghadapi Tentangan Kristianisasi dan Sekularisme (The Muslim Ummah in Facing the Threat of Christianisation and Secularism). There is a specific Surah in the book about the mission of Zending1 and their efforts to assault the faith of Muslims. Through this book, HAMKA attempts to shed light on the implications of spreading Christianity in Indonesia and how Muslims should deal with this issue. HAMKA‟s growth in the mastery of religious studies can also be seen through his methodology in Tafsir al-Azhar whereby he addresses many verses in the Qur‟an that mention other religions apart from Islam. To specify the scope and nature of evangelisation, this research is only limited to the term of Zending and Christian evangelism that HAMKA has mentioned in his tafsīr.

Christian Evangelisation in Indonesia In the context of Indonesia, the Christian evangelist was generally known by the name of Zending. The term Zending is derived from the Dutch word meaning „to deliver‟.2 The other derivative is Zendingswerk which means „the organized work of a religious missionary‟.3 The word Zending also signifies the effort of missionaries to proselyte other religious believers to Christianity. Hence, Zending is referred to foreign Christian missionaries who were under the Dutch colonialists, promoting the slogan of ‘gospel„to the predominantly Muslim Indonesia. As a matter of fact, the arrival of Christian missionaries to Indonesia was financially supported by the Dutch colonial rule, in which they were not restricted to only establishing churches and Christian schools in Indonesia. With the Dutch influences on their side, the evangelists have all-inclusive access to oblige their sacred mission in the fullest capacity to Indonesia and its entirety.4 Even though evangelism activities in Indonesia started since the colonial era, however, according to Rusydi Hamka, it began during the transition time of Orde Lama to Orde Baru. At this time, the Muslims were in the middle of political and economic crises, and thus, the evangelists took advantage of these crises to

1 The terminology of Zending will be used in the following pages as refers to the Christian missionaries in Indonesia. 2 Cambridge Dictionary, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/dutch-english/zending 3 Dutch to English Dictionary, https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/nl/zendingswerk 4 Rusydi Hamka, Pribadi Dan Martabat Buya Hamka.(Jakarta: Noura, 2017), p. 50. 114 Hamka‟s Responses to the Evangelisation in Indonesia-Fathin Hanani, Majdan Alias disseminate their gospel.1 Rusydi also claimed that the evangelists actively built churches everywhere, despite virtually no presence of Christian believers.2

The Christian Mission from the Qur’anic Perspectives To understand the nature of the Christian mission from the perspectives of Christianity itself, HAMKA3 brought forth a biblical basis from Acts 11:19-25. 19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord‟s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. 22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch4.

Based on HAMKA‟s understanding of this verse, the sacred Christian mission after the resurrection of Jesus is centripetal by nature as the disciples of Jesus were initially spreading the message of God only to the Jews. However, due to the Jews‟ mercilessly resistance towards the message, it has caused death to one of the disciples. Since that time, the other disciples began to spread their wings across cultural missions to other communities around the world. The mission was no longer restricted only to the Jews and more centrifugal by nature.5

1 Ibid 2 HAMKA, Umat Islam Menghadapi Tentangan Kristianisasi & Sekularisasi, (Shah Alam: Pustaka Dini,2009), p. 1. 3 HAMKA, Tafsir al-Azhar, vol. 1 (Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 1992), pp. 415-416. 4 New International Version (NIV), https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts+19 5 Even though, Hamka did not used the literal connotation of „centripetal„ and „centrifugal„ in his tafsīr to define the nature of Christian mission, but Hamka did explained generally the mission after Jesus that fits to both descriptions. Therefore, the Al-Itqān, Volume 4, Issue No 2, August, 2020 115

Nonetheless, HAMKA also argued that this cross-cultural mission had breathed in a new narrative proclaimed by the disciples of Christians. History has recorded that this new rendering emerged after the resurrection of Jesus, it did not emerge in his time and was not from his words either. Therefore, the nature of Christianity itself is arguable. When he was alive, he preferred to be called a descendant of the Jews1. However, historical snapshots are not something foreign to HAMKA. If there were alterations and additions in the real message of God by the disciples to make Christian faith appear relevant in any context, it, therefore, becomes a rendition of „the message of the disciples‟.

Surah al-Baqarah, 2:120 acknowledges this cross-cultural mission was aimed to proselytise Muslims into becoming Christian believers, which reads:2 “And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance." If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper”

HAMKA asserts that the term “Wa lan tarḍā” (never will approve) signifies nafyin wa istiqbalin (total denial of acceptance) referring to the context of total negation of the Christians and Jews towards the truth of Islam. In his further explanation, he states that the reason why both religions deny Islam because they would like to gain supreme authority and power towards humankind as religion is an essential element in the life of man. Therefore, when the teachings of Islam became widespread in the world, the Christians and the Jews fear that they will lose power to control. HAMKA adds that it is not a priority for the Christians and the Jews to convert those who have no religion (atheists), but with Muslims being the target of religious conversion, their strategy changes. Therefore, it is undeniable to conclude that the mission of evangelists is only aimed at a political gain, in which the aforementioned verse has given a vital reminder to humankind. As a matter of fact, according to HAMKA, this sacred mission has begun massively since the First Crusade from 900 years ago until today and has to lead many active missionaries‟ researcher attempts to emerge these connotation as Hamka described the mission to make it relevant in the Christianity context. 1 HAMKA, Tafsir al-Azhar, vol.1, p. 320. 2 Ibid, pp. 369-374. 116 Hamka‟s Responses to the Evangelisation in Indonesia-Fathin Hanani, Majdan Alias organisations to step afoot in Muslim countries. They are willing to spend a substantial amount of money to achieve their purpose. He stresses that evangelists will be sufficiently satisfied if they know Muslims are ignorant before their Islamic beliefs. This will facilitate them to waver the faith of Muslims and no need for practical conversion because these Muslims are already Christian believers at heart. HAMKA‟s commentary of Surah Al-An‟am, 6:114 somewhat explains briefly about the huge effort of Christian evangelists in finding weaknesses of the Qur‟an. Surah Al-An‟am, 6:114 reads: [Say], “Then is it other than Allah I should seek as judge while it is He who has revealed to you the Book explained in detail?” And those to whom We [previously] gave the Scripture know that it is sent down from your Lord in truth, so never be among the doubters.

In his introductory commentary of this verse, HAMKA emphasises the truth of the Qur‟an as a God-sent revelation to Prophet Muhammad, hence, claiming that the Qur‟an originates from the words of man is a far cry from the truth. Deep down in the hearts‟ of religious and knowledgeable people in Christianity, they admit that the Qur‟an is the true revelation from God. They could not deny the truth and even from learning extensively about the Qur‟an. Unfortunately, their efforts are not for the sake of finding the truth, but rather to find weaknesses in the Qur‟an and prove that Islam is not the one true religion. They also claimed the philosophies of Islam are only an imitation from Greek philosophy and Islamic Sufism is based on Hindu teachings. HAMKA also asserts that these missionaries also have a systematic investigation approach in studying sources of the Qur‟an and in-depth research to establish facts and reach new conclusions about Islam. HAMKA defines them as the orientalists. Due to their important role in the promising success of the Christian propaganda, they have the total support the Church and other Christian countries. They even built a special library that provides many Islamic books and resources for the orientalists‟ research purposes. However, the books on Islam they produce are not purposedly for knowing the truth and perceiving Islam objectively but rather to prove to the world that Islam is a false religion1. It would be fair to conclude that efforts of the Christian Evangelism in spreading the Christian faith is not the responsibility of evangelists alone, the

1 HAMKA, Tafsir al-Azhar, vol. 11, p. 131. Al-Itqān, Volume 4, Issue No 2, August, 2020 117

Orientalists and the European colonialists share similar roles. Even though the methods used are different but they share the same end goal. As mentioned previously, HAMKA argues that they know that the Qur‟an is the true revelation as stated in Surah Ali-Imran, 3:19, however they still chose their religious fanaticism over the truth. HAMKA clarifies it briefly in the verse of Surah al-Baqarah, 2:253.1 He also criticises that the religion of Christianity is not the message of God, but rather a religion of church rulers.2 The church rulers have taken advantage of their people in the name of religion; an act of blasphemy against Islamic principles. Islam encourages its believers to liberate themselves from intellectual slavery and deliberate onto something which will eventually lead them to the path of truth. Due to the act of fanaticism of Christian evangelists over Islamic tenets and vice versa, it is inevitable for an inharmonious religious polemic to heighten among Christians and Muslims. To HAMKA, this fanatic attitude of Christian missionaries in finding weaknesses of Islam is none other than to gain mass popularity amongst Muslims. As an example, in the context of Surah al-Buruj, 85:10, it states that punishments wait for those who stage maliciousness and not repent to Allah3. HAMKA claims that the Christian missionaries viewed this verse out of context by saying that God in the Islamic faith is not showing His mercifulness to His servants. They even concluded that Islam is a cruel religion by comparing the verse previously to the concept of salvation in Christianity which presents unconditional love of Jesus to save humanity. HAMKA criticises their statement by saying that the Christian missionaries biasedly interpreted the verse out of context and made a general assumption based on one verse. While the next verse, Surah al- Buruj, 85:11 clarifies the mercifulness of Allah by stating, “Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment”. HAMKA quotes Imam Hasan al-Bishri4 in his statement that Allah pronounces the best visuality of His mercifulness to His servants. How grieving and gory the situation might be; the servants have murdered or burned those whom Allah loved, yet they are still called upon to repent. Once they

1 HAMKA, Tafsir al-Azhar, vol. 3 (Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 1992), p. 13. 2 For further analysis of HAMKA‟s commentary on the influence of the church rulers in defining the practices of Christianity, see HAMKA, Tafsir Al-Azhar, Vol 3, p. 276. 3 HAMKA, Tafsir Al-Azhar, vol.30, p. 107 4 It could not be verified the identity of Imam Hasan al-Bishri that mentioned by Hamka in his tafsīr. However, if Hamka considered this Muslim scholar as Hasan al- Basri with different form of spelling, this scholar died in 728 AD. 118 Hamka‟s Responses to the Evangelisation in Indonesia-Fathin Hanani, Majdan Alias have repented, all the sins are forgiven by Allah. This strategy of finding the weaknesses in the Qur`ān to waver the belief of Muslims, for HAMKA, is a dangerous strategy of the Christian missionaries. It will somehow affect the belief of Muslims especially to those who have no depth knowledge in the study of the Qur`ān.

Encountering Christian Evangelisation The presence of evangelists in Indonesia is a direct threat to the faith of Indonesian Muslims. Hence, Hamka demands that every Muslims need to strive in affirming the validity of Islam and performing da‟wah strategically. This is the only way to prevent any religious threat from other religions. Day by day these missionaries attempt to take advantage of the poor condition of Indonesian people, and intelligently conduct their implicit missionary strategy by establishing hospitals and schools from kindergarten to high schools. As a result, they succeed in winning the heart of the masses particularly the poor people. HAMKA reports that many Indonesian youths convert their religion to Christianity because of the education provided by evangelists in schools.1 He perceives this matter as a failure of Muslims to repudiate the challenges from foreign evangelisation, in which, in the long run, could jeopardise the faith of Muslims. Even though HAMKA shows an emphatic and critical attitude to many issues related to Christian evangelists, but he never rejects other religions. He rather prefers to advocate tolerance with other religions and mutual understanding among religions. He believes that harmony will only sustain with religious tolerance. He explains his standpoint towards this matter in Surah al-Baqarah, 2:62, which reads:2 Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabeans [before Prophet Muhammad] - those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness - will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.

HAMKA articulates that this verse is advocating some common characteristic of religious unity, despite religious differences. This religious unity, as Wan Sabri analyses, is a universal promise from God to all humankind.3 A promise that all men will be rewarded by God

1 HAMKA, Tafsir Al-Azhar, vol.4 (Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 1999), p. 3012. 2 Tafsir Al-Azhar, Vol 1, pp. 264-269. 3 Wan Sabri Wan Yusuf, 2005. “Religious Harmony and Inter-Faith Dialogue in the Writings of ḤAMKA”. Intellectual Discourse 13 (2), p. 119. Al-Itqān, Volume 4, Issue No 2, August, 2020 119

regardless of their religious adherence as long as they meet all of the prerequisites: sincerely believe in God and perform righteous deeds. No matter what religion one believes in, without belief and good deeds, there would be no salvation. Considering this verse, all religions share a common characteristic of salvation. However, this verse may raise some inquiries as it seems to promote universal faith and pragmatism towards religious pluralism. To respond to such a question, HAMKA‟s commentary on this verse is very well coherent. He further explains with regard to employing a sincere faith in one God, it encompasses the belief in His messengers including Prophet Muhammad SAW and His revelation (i.e Qur‟an). He claims that when religious believers observe righteous deeds and live in sincere faith to God, eventually, the truth will prevail to them. HAMKA cites another exegesis on the meaning of „believers‟ in the context of the verse as a person who verbally confesses the testimony of faith (shahadah) but yet to perform any pillars of Islam. HAMKA states that this faith is similar to the faith of other religions and a universal indication of religious unity. It is notable to mention that HAMKA does not promote religious pluralism in any of his writings, but rather, he attempts to create a harmonious place with peaceful coexistence among all religions. For him, instead of finding religious differences and being fanatic towards one religion, the society should live by respecting and tolerating the diversity of one another. When all religions coexist harmoniously with each other, they will encounter a point of truth after a genuine submission to only one God through the tenets of Tawhīd, Ikhlāṣ, and Islam. According to HAMKA, the privileged title of „Muslim‟ shall represent Islam as a whole in terms of belief and practice. To make it more understandable, HAMKA mentions a piece of historical evidence at the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), when other religions professed their faith, there was no forceful action by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). This peaceful coexistence is what HAMKA attempts to achieve, instead of declaring one religion superior to others. HAMKA condemns Christian evangelists for broadcasting their religious propaganda to proselyte believers of other religions; this is not a symbol of religious tolerance. This aggressive act of Christian evangelists in preaching Christianity by entirely ignoring the sensitivity of Muslims invokes Hamka‟s attention. Because of this fanaticism, it will split interreligious harmony among Muslims and Christians in Indonesia. As an example of the issue of religious disputation that happened in Makassar, a Christian teacher denounced harsh and hateful statements regarding Prophet Muhammad 120 Hamka‟s Responses to the Evangelisation in Indonesia-Fathin Hanani, Majdan Alias

(SAW) in front of his majority Muslim students. Upon learning this incident, the Muslims felt resentful to the teacher. As a result, many churches in Makassar were destroyed overnight and glasses were broken.1 When HAMKA learned of the news, he condemned this revengeful act of Muslims, to him, this act of destroying worshipping places is not part of the Islamic teaching. He said that if ruining the church was considered Islamic teaching and able to reconcile the hatred among believers, hundreds of churches in Muslim-majority cities could have been destroyed since a thousand years ago. But as a matter of fact, spiteful acts do not represent any Islamic teachings as many churches were built in the centre of Makassar ten years ago, long before the Muslims destroyed the churches.2 However, what HAMKA proposes is not to be silent in the face of intolerance. In opposing the religious invasion of colonial power and evangelism efforts, for HAMKA, Muslims not only have to strengthen their strategy in Islamic da‟wah but they need to partake in Islamic movements such as Muhammadiyyah to prevent the overflow of Christianisation. As a member of Muhammadiyyah, HAMKA opines that the establishment of such movements is to provide an Islamic platform in curbing any hidden agendas, specifically from the evangelists, by following the Qur‟an and Sunnah3. By being part of an Islamic movement, Muslims are able to produce strong Muslim communities that aspire to achieve the same purpose. HAMKA also urges religious believers to uphold this universal principle; believe in God and perform righteous deeds as mentioned before. He emphasises that only in the Qur‟an contains verses that advocate religious tolerance towards other religions such as in the verse of Surah al-Baqarah, 2:62. Even though the Qur‟an has mentioned religious tolerance with other religions, there are certain ground rules that need to be firmly upheld by the Muslims. Especially in matters related to the faith of Muslims. For that reason, HAMKA strongly opposes the evangelists because their mission is to convert as many proselytes as possible from other religions, which is totally against the verse in Surah al-Baqarah, 2:256 which reads:4 “There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in

1 HAMKA, Dari Hati Ke Hati: Bercakap Soal Agama, Sosial-budaya & Politik. (Selangor: Pustaka Dini, 2009) 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 HAMKA, Tafsir al-Azhar, vol. 3, 1992, pp. 28-35. Al-Itqān, Volume 4, Issue No 2, August, 2020 121

Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.” As mentioned previously, Surah al-Baqarah, 2:120 acknowledges the aim of evangelisation to proselytise Muslims. Hence, in order to achieve their sacred purpose, the evangelists have invested in so much effort and even managed to convince other religions by bequeathing wealth and welfare. With this strategy, they have successfully „bought over‟ the faith of Muslims, particularly the poor and needy. To condemn the scheming act of evangelists, HAMKA interprets the verse of Surah al- Baqarah, 2:256 as clearly elucidating the comparison of Islamic da‟wah and evangelisation in the assessment of their methods. Islam requires its believers to respect other religions and also their faiths. Muslims have a ground rule to follow whilst doing da‟wah to non-Muslims which is „there is no coercion in religion‟. This method differs entirely from the evangelists that persuade other religions with material interest. Instead of winning the faith with the coercion of wealth, HAMKA emphasises that Islam has a wiser way of inviting other religions to Islam. Islam urges the usage of intellectual faculties (ʿaql) or reasoning as a first step in finding the truth. In this verse, people need to exercise their rationality to know and learn about God and Islam. By reasoning alone, it will prevent them from blindly following (taqlīd) without any understanding about Islam. They clearly need to know how to find the truth in Islam so that their faith will be strengthened and no outside threat will waver their faith. This verse also has a firm answer to the enemies of Islam who probed the spread of Islam because of force or through the „sword‟. Islam has been accused of promoting religious fanaticism to other religions and this verse refutes all of the accusations. According to HAMKA, Islam prohibits coercion but rather acknowledges the usage of intellect to ponder the invitation of Islam. Surah Yunus, 10:99 propagates a similar emphasis with the verse of Surah al-Baqarah, 2:120, which reads: “And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?”

Both verses share a similar basic concept of religious freedom for mankind and believers must hold this religious freedom in achieving religious harmony. In HAMKA‟s commentary of this verse, he views that this religious freedom is eventually a foundation of Islamic da‟wah. This verse can negate any false accusations of Christian evangelists 122 Hamka‟s Responses to the Evangelisation in Indonesia-Fathin Hanani, Majdan Alias towards Islam claiming that Islam is spread by the sword.1 In addition to verse 2:120, HAMKA validates his commentary of verse 10:99 by substantiating it with a related Islamic historical fact: the Catholic evangelists compelled Muslims to convert into Christianity after the defeat of Muslims in Spain. As a result, Spain today is known as a Christian majority country. Historical evidence affirms that throughout 700 years of Muslims in power, the Christians had received good protection. The existence of Christian Copts,2 a Christian denomination from Egypt still flourishing in Spain,3 serves as a living historical proof. HAMKA further adds that the idea of religious tolerance instilled in this verse has been wrongly used by Christians to reap benefits to them. As mentioned previously, Muslims could not coerce non-Muslims into their religion, therefore, it is an advantage for the evangelists to spread their teaching to the Muslims. HAMKA views this matter as a challenge for Muslims to validate their faith. He responds by proposing Muslims to strengthen their faith because a firm belief in God alone can serve as a protection.4 One may wonder to what extent is the permissibility of religious tolerance in Islam. In the conference of Musyawarah Antara Agama (Inter-religious Dialogue), the issue of religious tolerance was rectified by leaders from five recognised religions (Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism and Buddhism.5 During this conference, President Soeharto (d.2008) granted two proposals for all religious leaders to follow. Firstly, the formation of Badan Kontak Antar Agama

1 HAMKA, Lembaga Hidup, (Jakarta: Pustaka Panjimas, 1997), p. 290. 2 The Copts Orthodox Church or known as the Copts is one of the oldest Christian communities in the Middle East. They referred themselves as the „Christian people of Egypt„. According to the Coptic tradition, the Christianity in Egypt have been brought by St. Mark in the first half of the first century. This teaching was well-spreading till St. Mark established the first church in Egypt at Alexandria , which becomes an important centre for Christianity. As a result, its establishment have been ranked on par with Rome and Antioch, which can proven their joining in the Council of Nicaea (325 CE). See,„ Copt: Egyptian Christian„, Encyclopædia Britannica, Published in September 20, 2019. Accessed on February 04, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Copt 3 HAMKA, Tafsir al-Azhar, vol. 11 (Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 1992), p. 320. 4 HAMKA, Dari Hati Ke Hati: Bercakap Soal Agama, Sosial-budaya & Politik, 2009. 5 This event was conducted by President of Indonesia, Soeharto in 30th November, 1967. It is notable to mention the name of leaders from Muslim delegation and Christian delegation joining this Inter-religious Dialogue event. Mat Natsir, Prof Dr. Rasyidi, K. H. Fakih Prawoo Mangkusasmito and Hamka who were the representatives of Muslim delegation .Then, the representatives of Christian delegation are T.B. Simatupang, Tambunan, S.H. Kasimo and Harry Chan. See in Rusydi Hamka, Buya Hamka: Pribadi Dan Martabat, (Jakarta: Pustaka Panjimas, 1983), pp. 188-190. Al-Itqān, Volume 4, Issue No 2, August, 2020 123

(Inter-religious Organization) in Indonesia. Secondly, signing a treaty stating that followers of one religion are not targeted by other religions. The first proposal was accepted by all parties unanimously, whilst the second proposal was rejected by Catholic and Protestant groups. According to them, the mission of Christianisation to non-Christians is a „Divine Command‟ that must be abided. If Christianisation efforts were banned in Indonesia, it would not only be a mere national issue but it would be an international religious issue. At the same time, they claimed that this act also led to violate of human rights, which in this case is religious freedom. Due to reluctance of the Christian delegation, the conference has failed to achieve its purpose. According to Hamka, religious tolerance in the Islamic perspective is respecting the followers of other religions, without giving up the principles of beliefs in their own religion.1 Zero tolerance will be given in matters concerning to faith. As a Chief member of Majelis Ulama Indonesia,2 he has the authority to counter any elements related to Christianisation, in which he observes it as a threat and responds to solve any religious disputations. As an example, he issued a prohibition for Muslims to attend Christmas celebrations and declared the celebration forbidden (ḥarām) for Muslims to celebrate.3 HAMKA‟s fatwa became controversial in Indonesia and received many complaints until he decided to withdraw the fatwa to preserve harmony in Indonesia. However, in the broader context, the main reason why he issued the prohibition was that the practice could jeopardise the Islamic faith of Muslims (ʿaqīda). Although the aim of Christmas celebration could be considered a tribute of respect to the Prophet „Isa, such practice is attached to the Christian ritual which is against Islamic teachings and falls under the category of shubhāt (ambiguity).4 Thus, the fatwā issued by HAMKA was aimed at protecting the faith of Muslims and avoid them from committing

1 HAMKA, Hamka Membahas Soal-soal Islam, (Jakarta: Pustaka Panjimas, 1983) 2 Hamka clarified the role of the Majelis Ulama, and protested against Sudomo's assertion that Indonesians are just "social Muslims." See in H. Rusydi, Pribadi dan Martabat Buya Prof. Dr. Hamka (Jakarta: Pustaka Panjimas, 1983). 3 In his writing in Panji Masyarakat, Hamka, as the chairperson of the Majlis Ulama„ Indonesia, mentions three forbidden things for Muslims when they attend Christmas meetings: firstly to light a candle, next to eat the bread that is considered to be the body of Christ and lastly to drink the wine that is considered to be the blood of Christ. See Panji Masyarakat, No. 324, (1981) p. 7. 4 Waardenburg, Jacques, Muslim Perceptions of Other Religions: A Historical Survey, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), p. 286. 124 Hamka‟s Responses to the Evangelisation in Indonesia-Fathin Hanani, Majdan Alias forbidden acts. Although the fatwa was taken out, HAMKA affirms the validity of its message as it is following Islamic teaching. The interference of Christian evangelists in Islamic affairs had caused an outrage of Muslims and might disrupt religious harmony in Indonesia. Therefore, HAMKA advises them to reconsider their hatred to the Muslim world as such hatred has been happening for a long time. He urges them to grow together with Muslims in establishing a peaceful environment and only then will prevent any prejudicial disputation among religions. Instead of attempts to „Christianise‟ Muslims, HAMKA states that Christian evangelists should focus their target towards their own believers as the modern era is rife with various religious threats and revisiting their faith is essential.1

Conclusion HAMKA was a prolific writer with an intellectual capacity ahead of his time. In issues, he dealt with on Islam and religious thought are still relevant until today. His magnum opus, Tafsir Al-Azhar, a recognised Qur`anic exegesis in Southeast Asia, remarkably sheds light on the application of Qur`ān in the modern context and brought about unorthodox reformist approaches in its writings. In the context of this paper, the focus is on the threat of Christianisation towards the Muslim faith. Even though HAMKA believes that humankind and religions are one as the message delivered by the prophets was the same, hence, naturally, it is possible for mankind to live in harmony. However, HAMKA was alarmed with constant provocations and attempts to Christianise Muslims, crossing the line of religious tolerance. Religious unity, in his understanding, can be achieved by mutual respect and good intention of both sides. If any side attempts to coerce the believers of another religion into embracing the opposite religion, then, this issue needs to be taken into consideration as it is not reflecting a sound religious tolerance. As illustrated in Surah Ḥajj, 22:40, when there are attempts to attack the Muslim world, HAMKA urges Muslims to intensely defend their Islamic faith.2

References Cambridge Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/dutch-english/zending Daud Soesilo. “Celebrating 400 Years of Ruyl‟s Malay Translation of Matthew‟s Gospel.” The Bible Translator 64, no. 2, 2013.

1 HAMKA, Tafsir Al-Azhar, vol.9 (Singapura: Pustaka Nasional, 1999), p. 152. 2 HAMKA, Tafsir Al-Azhar, vol. 17, p. 176. Al-Itqān, Volume 4, Issue No 2, August, 2020 125

Deliar Noer. Gerakan Modern Islam di Indonesia 1900-1942, Jakarta, 1988. Dutch to English Dictionary, https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/nl/zendingswerk HAMKA. Dari Hati Ke Hati: Bercakap Soal Agama, Sosial-budaya & Politik. Selangor: Pustaka Dini, 2009. HAMKA. Kenang-Kenangan Hidup, Kuala Lumpur: Penerbitan Pustaka Antara, 1982. HAMKA. Lembaga Hidup, Jakarta: Pustaka Panjimas, 1997. HAMKA. Tafsir al-Azhar, vol. 1, Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 1992. HAMKA. Tafsir al-Azhar, vol. 11, Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 1992. HAMKA. Tafsir al-Azhar, vol. 3, Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 1992. HAMKA. Tafsir Al-Azhar, vol.4, Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 1999. HAMKA. Umat Islam Menghadapi Tentangan Kristianisasi & Sekularisasi, Shah Alam: Pustaka Dini, 2009. Jacques Waardenburg. Muslim Perceptions of Other Religions: A Historical Survey, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Mohamed bin Abas. HAMKA: A Bibliography of the Works of Prof. Dr. Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, Sydney, BISA (Bibliographic Information on Southeast Asia), 1983. New International Version (NIV), https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts+19 Rusydi Hamka. Pribadi Dan Martabat Buya Hamka. Jakarta: Noura, 2017. Sirry, Munim A. Scriptural Polemics: The Qur‟an and Other Religions, New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Wan Sabri Wan Yusuf. “Religious Harmony and Inter-Faith Dialogue in the Writings of ḤAMKA”. Intellectual Discourse 13 (2), 2005. Yasmis, „Sarikat Islam dalam Pergerakan Nasional Indonesia (1912- 1927)‟ Jurnal Sejarah Lontar, Vol.6 No.1, 2006.

AL-ITQĀN

JOURNAL OF ISLAMIC SCIENCES AND COMPARATIVE STUDIES

Volume: 4 Issue No. 2 August 2020

EDITOR IN-CHIEF Dr. Wan Mohd Azam Mohd Amin

MANAGING EDITOR Dr. Masitoh Ahmad

EDITORIAL BOARD Dr. Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti, Oxford Dr. Muhammad Kamal Hassan, IIUM Dr. Syed Arabi Aidid, IIUM. Dr. Hassan Basri Mat Dahan, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. Dr. Kamaruzaman Yusuff, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Semarahan, Kucing. Dr. Kamar Oniah, IIUM. Dr. Mumtaz Ali, IIUM. Dr. Siti Akmar, Universiti Institut Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam Dr. Thameem Ushama, IIUM.