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The term jihad is often interpreted narrowly. According to the Secretary General (Secretary General) of the Central Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Dr. H. Amrisyah Tambunan, MA., This includes the misuse of the word jihad. It is as if jihad is just war and taking up arms. Even though the word jihad has a broad meaning.

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There is a narrowing of meaning in the word jihad which literally means serious. "Fighting earnestly in the way of Allah using one's possessions and self is jihad, it should not be misinterpreted using one's possessions and oneself for terrorist acts, that is not allowed," said Dr. H. Amirsyah Tambunan, MA.

MUI as a gathering place for scholars from various mass organizations such as NU, Muhammadiyah, Syarikat Islam, Perti. Al Washliyah, Math'laul Anwar, GUPPI, PTDI, DMI and Al Ittihadiyyah, already have a firm stance on radical and terrorist movements that always appear one after another from time to time. Including the latter being the news of the Khilafatul Muslimin whose highest leader, Abdul Qadir Baraja, was arrested by the police.

MUI said Amirsyah Tambunan firmly stated that the terrorist movement was haram. “The MUI itself already has a fatwa, the MUI terrorist fatwa is haram with all kinds of attributes used, such as using the word khilafah, the word jihad, or other words that are misused in the form of violence and other forms such as the practice of suicide bombings. It is against the teachings of Islam. The word jihad must be used for the benefit of humanity," he said.

Meanwhile, the matter of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia which is based on the Pancasila state basis for the MUI, continued Amrisyah Tambunan, is final. “This is a gift from Muslims to this Nation. The willingness of Muslims who are very wise in their state so that this nation is intact is through Pancasila," he said.

"If Pancasila, which is very expensive, is not held in high esteem by the citizens of this nation, then this nation could be threatened with disbandment. We don't want that, because the MUI's stance is clear. The Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia is final in another language at a fixed price," he said to Iqbal Irsyad, Edy Suherli, and Rifai from VOI who met him at the Central MUI Office, in Menteng, Central Jakarta recently. Here is the full excerpt.

Kata jihad kata Sekjen MUI Amirsyah disalahartikan hanya sebagai perang atau angkat senjata, padahal artinya lebih luas. (Foto: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)
The word jihad, said by the Secretary General of the MUI, Amirsyah Tambunan, was misunderstood only as war or taking up arms, even though it has a broader meaning. (Photo: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)

The terrorist threat in Indonesia is not a figment, there have been many bomb explosions and acts of terror that have occurred. Not a few were caught and imprisoned, but it happened again. How do you see this issue?

In general there are two things in this context. This terrorist issue must be explained as it is, not what it is. Why is it, because terrorists are a form of extraordinary crime. Almost the whole world has classified this terrorist act as an extraordinary crime which is contrary to human values. All countries already have standard operating procedures (SOPs) on how to prevent and take action against terrorists. Indonesia already has a law to deal with this problem (Law 5 of 2018 concerning Amendments to Law 15 of 2003 concerning the stipulation of Perppu 1 of 2002 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Terrorism into law).

What about MUI?

The MUI itself already has a fatwa, the MUI fatwa for terrorists is haram with all kinds of attributes used, such as using the word khilafah, the word jihad, or other words that are misused in the form of violence and other forms such as the practice of suicide bombings. It is against the teachings of Islam. The word jihad must be used for the benefit of mankind. On the other hand, it is forbidden to use it for violence and especially to kill humans.

What does the word jihad itself actually mean?

The word jihad is mentioned a lot in the Qur'an as in Surah Ash Shaf verses 10-11. "O you who believe! Shall I show you a trade that can save you from a painful doom? That is, you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the way of Allah with your wealth and your soul. That is better for you if you knew."

Terrorists can be a punishment in the world because they are misused. Because it can also be a punishment in the afterlife for killing people carelessly. Fighting earnestly in the way of Allah using wealth and self for is jihad, don't misinterpret the use of wealth and self for terrorist acts, that's not allowed.

Some people interpret jihad as just war, what do you think?

Indeed, people often interpret jihad only in the form of war. If so, that's very narrow. War is one of them, but in the context of international law, war is declared. The Prophet himself did war, but there were rules. Indonesia is Darussuluh or Darussalam which means a peaceful country. Not in the context of war. Islam is a religion of peace, rahmatan lil alamin. So jihad is not just war, it really eradicates poverty and ignorance, it's also called jihad.

Pencegahan teroris menurut Sekjen MUI Amirsyah bisa dilakukan dengan literasi, edukasi dan sosialisasi. (Foto: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)
According to the Secretary General of MUI, Amirsyah, terrorism prevention can be done through literacy, education and socialization. (Photo: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)

What is the role of the ulema in this, the impression is that Islam is synonymous with violence?

We have issued a fatwa, it is forbidden to use the word jihad by detonating a bomb. Jihad is obligatory for human improvement. Struggle really liberates man from ignorance. That's jihad. Therefore, I invite especially Muslims to understand the concept of jihad properly.

Therefore, 3 things are needed, firstly literacy, secondly education and thirdly socialization. These three have an important role upstream in preventing. While downstream is the action, it is the duty of the state security apparatus, including the police.

Recently the supreme leader of the Muslim Khilafatul movement; Abdul Qadir Baraja was arrested by the police, what do you think?

It is the domain of the police to take action. I just reminded the police that if the initial evidence is sufficient, please continue. It was a consequence of someone who transgressed. In the law on theory, there are two approaches that need to be taken, the first is to take preventive measures, and the second is to take action. Preventive measures in my opinion are much more effective.

What are the precautions like?

Prevention can be done humanely; literacy, education and socialization. As for what happened to Baraja, it was the police's authority. This is not the authority of MUI. We are waiting for the investigation to be carried out.

It turns out that the spirit to establish a state with concepts and ideologies other than Pancasila still exists and continues to occur, meaning that for some people the concept of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia based on Pancasila is not final, how do you see this?

MUI itself has acted in the Ijtima' Ulama, the MUI National Conference is of the view that Indonesia in the context of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia for us is final. Why? In the context of Indonesia's history, it was born through a long history of establishing a state. As in the formulation of the basic state of Pancasila which formulates the 5 precepts. From the initial formulation of the Jakarta Charter, seven words were crossed out; by implementing Islamic law for its adherents. Be the first precept as it is now; Belief in the one and only God.

This is a gift of Muslims to this nation. The willingness of Muslims who are very wise in their state so that this nation is intact is through Pancasila. If Pancasila, which is very expensive, is not respected by the citizens of this nation, then this nation could be threatened with disbandment. We don't want that, because the MUI's stance is clear. The Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) is final in other languages.

Likewise with ukhuwah, to maintain the integrity of this nation ukhuwah is also a fixed price for me. Ukhuswah Insaniah, ukhuwah Islamiyah, and ukhuwah Wathania in the nation and state. But these are not just words, they must really be implemented so that this nation is intact.

Since the last DKI gubernatorial election, the polarization of the people was very strong with identity politics, it is predicted that during the 2024 presidential election it will also happen, what do you think?

I will quote Hamka's opinion on Pancasila. Pancasila is the first principle to add zero to ten. This means that the first precept can be completed when the other four precepts are implemented. While the second, third, fourth and fifth precepts are carried out without the first precept being zero. If only the first precept is carried out without the fabric precepts, the value is only 1.

Polarized Muslims can be resolved through the values of Pancasila. Unity must be realized, leaders must be fair. Not because person A and person B want to be in power and ignore the principle of justice. Polarization occurs because political education for our citizens is lacking. Pak Ali Yafie once said that we must know ourselves, know our place and be aware of ourselves.

We must cultivate ukhuwah, especially Muslims. All Muslims are followers of Muhammad, in Arabic Muhammadiyah. KH Ahmad Dahlan called it Muhammadiyah. Then we need charismatic scholars who can unite the ummah, that is in Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). We need the unity of the Ummah through the PUI (Islamic Ummah) Ormas. We need people who have an association, the organization is the Islamic Syarikat. We need one who can unite the people with the Wahdah Islamiyah mass organization, etc. There are more than 70 Islamic organizations, and I often voice things like this. Because I don't want Muslims to be fragmented because of political choices. Political choices may be different, but Muslims must unite.

What about the standardization of scholars?

MUI conducts training in the form of standardization, how to make these lecturers have standards. Competency standards of substantive abilities and he mastered the methodology of da'wah. Our Ustad can be wise and wise in conveying Islamic teachings. Da'wah is inviting, not mocking. Da'wah is embracing, not hitting.

The way of da'wah is important so that the message can reach the ummah. Many people who have high knowledge but the way of delivery can not, or less interesting. There is also a preacher whose knowledge is mediocre but his delivery is interesting, now he has a lot of congregation.

Physical and Mental Health for Amirsyah Tambunan Must Be Balanced
Untuk menjaga kesehatan yang dilakukan Sekjen MUI Amirsyah  menyeimbangkan antara kesehatan fisik dan mental. (Foto: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)
To maintain health, the Secretary General of MUI Amirsyah balances physical and mental health. (Photo: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)

Physically and mentally are different, but the two cannot be separated. said Dr. H. Amrisyah Tambunan, MA., Secretary General of the MUI, these conditions are like two sides of a coin. Therefore he pays great attention to these two things to maintain his overall health. Both must be balanced, cannot only prioritize the one and ignore the other. Vice versa.

“There is one famous Muslim medical expert said; Ibn Taymiyya. He said that if we are calm and patient in dealing with problems or problems, it has cured half of the disease. If we panic and have a high stress load, it will cause more than half of the disease," he quoted the Muslim health scientist as saying.

Physical and mental, said Amirsyah, are not the same, and both are a unity that exists within a person. "Therefore, we must live this life calmly, patiently, so that we can sleep well, and get enough rest," said the man who was born in Padang Gala-gala, Asahan Regency, North Sumatra, May 17, 1963.

This calm condition is not only in the family environment, but must extend to organizations, communities and so on. “The environmental situation is important. Organizations with high conflict tension will actually make a person have to increase his immunity higher than usual. So the environmental situation is also important,” he explained.

Therefore, Amirsyah Tambunan often conveys to his congregation when lecturing about the five human intelligences in dealing with surrounding situations. "First intellectual intelligence. We are on average the same intellectual intelligence. Then spiritual intelligence, can be different. One plus one can be 27. This is an example of praying in congregation, one imam plus one congregation so that congregational prayers are rewarded 27 times that of praying alone. There is blessing, our life is simple, hanging out with people a lot will be a blessing," said the Deputy Chair of the PP Muhammadiyah Waqf and Wealth Council.

"Furthermore, the third is emotional intelligence. These are what we often call soft skills. Patience, patience and trust. The fourth is social intelligence, how a person can get along well with those around him. And the fifth is entrepreneurial intelligence, this is no less important. A bad economy will cause trouble and affect many things," he said.

Muslims, he continued, must have entrepreneurship. "It's not only sunnah marriage, tijaroh or trading alias earning a living, it's also sunnah. Rasulullah and his wife Khadijah are successful traders," he continued.

You see, he continued that poverty is close to kufr. "Poverty is meant to be close to kufr, there are two things, poverty of faith and poverty of wealth. Poverty of faith is very influential. A person whose faith is strong but poor in wealth he will look for it with all his might, he is satisfied after trying his best. A person who is spiritually strong, even though his profession is only a scavenger, he is still happy with his income," said the man who is often called Buya.

There are also those who are better off, they have a lot of wealth but their faith is weak. “What he did next was corruption. In the end, his life suffered because his wealth was not blessed,” he continued.

Facing the current very complex life of the nation and state, said Amirsyah, using the tips above to avoid stress. "These tips can be used in living the life of the nation and the state so that they are not stressed," he said.

Sport

Olahraga yang dilakukan  Sekjen MUI Amirsyah  adalah berjalan kaki, ternyata ada alasannya. (Foto: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)n mental. (Foto: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)
The sport that Secretary General of MUI Amirsyah does is walking, it turns out that there is a reason. (Photo: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)n mental. (Photo: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)

In the context of sports, although not doing all the sports mentioned by the Prophet, such as walking, running, riding, archery, and swimming. But Buya Amirsyah chose to walk. “Please do this sport according to your physical abilities. If I exercise, I just walk in the morning for half an hour," he said.

There is a tactic he does when he does not have time to exercise. The road from the parking lot to the location of the event he attended. "Don't get the impression that coming here by motorbike or car makes our roads less. For example looking for parking far away so you can walk. Walking or exercising can make our stamina fit," he said.

In addition, a balanced diet must also be done. "Diet must be maintained in addition to exercise and adequate rest," he said. "In Islam we are taught to eat halal and toyyib food. The intake of halal toyiban food will affect our physique," he added.

Even though in a year he will be 60 years old, Buya Amirsyah can still eat all the food. "Alhamdulillah, even though we are 59 years old, nothing is forbidden in terms of food. This means that you can still eat everything, but the notes shouldn't be much, just enough," he said.

Parent

Oangtua kata Amirsyah Tambunan harus mengawasi penggunaan gadget pada anak-anak (Foto: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)
Parents said Amirsyah Tambunan must supervise the use of gadgets in children (Photo: Rifai, DI: Raga /VOI)

In the era of rapid technological advances, he advised parents to supervise their children. "To parents, I really emphasize to supervise their children so they don't depend on gadgets or smartphones. If children have forgotten themselves and are dependent on technology devices, it will be dangerous," he said.

Now, he said, there are parents who like their children to stay in their rooms and busy with their gadgets. “Many parents do not know what their children are doing in the room. What he does with his gadget can be destructive when he forgets to pray, forgets to eat and forgets his main obligations as a child," said the lecturer at the Islamic Communications and Broadcasting Study Program, University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta.

The purpose of religion, according to him, is to protect the mind, protect property, maintain offspring, and preserve the soul. "By nurturing the mind, nurturing property, nurturing offspring, nurturing the soul, I'm sure no matter what age God has given us, we will live it as well as possible," concluded Amrisyah Tambunan.

“The MUI itself already has a fatwa, the MUI terrorist fatwa is haram with all kinds of attributes used, such as using the word khilafah, the word jihad, or other words that are misused in the form of violence and other forms such as the practice of suicide bombings. It is against the teachings of Islam.”

Dr. H. Amirsyah Tambunan, MA


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