MUI Fatwa Requires State Officials Including Jokowi Regarding Prohibition Of Cross-Religious Greetings

MUI Wasekjend KH Arif Fahrudin.DOK MUI

Deputy Secretary General of MUI KH Arif Fahrudin explained that the interfaith greeting fatwa was determined through the Ijtima Ulama Forum of the Fatwa Commission throughout Indonesia VIII.

Kiai Arif said tolerance was sunnatullah and the sunnah of the Prophet SAW and the practice of salagus salihin scholars. He said, even so tolerance still has its limits.

"Not all aspects in Islam can be tolerated, what is not allowed by pIslam is the motive for mixing aqidah areas and religious rituals (sinkretism / talfiq al-adyan) so as to obscure the demarcation line between aqidah and muamalah areas," he said.

In this case, the authorization of the faith and sharia of Islam applies. Such as guidance in the Qur'an,

Why don't you think about it? Let's take care of it, let's take care of it, let's take care of it, let's take care of it.

Lakum dbarunkum wa lyya dhatun

Meaning: "For you, your religion, and for me my religion." (QS. Al-Kafirun: 6)

However, said kiai Arif, in terms of muamalah and social-culture relations, the tolerance of the Prophet SAW to relatives between religious communities is very important to be imitated by Muslims.

In fact, in a hadith, Rasulullah SAW stated that the religious character who is very loved by Allah SWT is the behavior of a religion that is gentle and tolerant, namely Islam.

This includes a history of the love and affection of the Prophet SAW towards a blind Jewish grandmother who throughout her life has always vilified the Prophet SAW.

Kiai Arif, who is also a member of the SC Ijtima Ulama Fatwa Commission throughout Indonesia VIII, explained that the decision in the interfaith greeting fatwa also takes into account the consideration of the plural social and cultural conditions of the Indonesian people.

For example, if in an area where the Muslim population is not dominant so that culturally they cannot avoid the tradition of cross-religious interactions as a form of expression of harmony. there is concern that if Muslims are considered not to be proactive in strengthening harmony between religious communities, then Muslims in the region have a syar'i (syar'iudzur) reason not to avoid this tradition of tolerance as long as it is not intended as a form of worship and aqidah.

Likewise with Muslims who become government officials or public officials when delivering their remarks at government events. The MUI Fatwa Ijtima Ulama recommended that officials should be able to carry out the fatwa resulting from the Ijtima Ulama.

"Officers are also expected to use national greeting editors so that all parties are summarized in it. However, if the above is not possible, then public officials or government officials will also get a syar'i (budzur syar'i) reason on condition that it is not intended as a form of synkretism of worship," he said.

Kiai Arif believes that the Indonesian people are mature and mature in religious tolerance. So there is no need to be trapped in "molerance of tolerance", namely if you do not say cross-religious greetings, it is considered intolerant or anti-national, and if you say cross-religious greetings it is automatically considered tolerant. It is not as simple as that the measure of the national spirit and the spirit of tolerance is measured.

In cultural practice, said Kiai Arif, the Indonesian people, especially Muslims, have carried out very well religious practices without being trapped in religious synchretism. That is proof that religious people understand each other, realize each other, and support each other where their faith is and where their social area is.

"Indeed, what is conveyed from this forum is the importance of maintaining religious moderation by positioning tolerance between religious communities in its proportion, namely mutual respect, mutual respect, and mutual strengthening harmony without being trapped into narrow practice of extremism and tolerance that crosses the boundaries of faith and sharia," he concluded. (Junaidi / Azhar)