08 June 2011

By Al-Ikhwah Al-Mujahidun

Every 20th May, is the date when the day of National revival is usually celebrated. The reason was based on the establishment of the Budi Utomo (BU). An organization formed by the STOVIA students in Jakarta on 20th May 1908. Supposedly this organization was a milestone in the new fight against imperialist.

However, if we go back and recheck, it turns out that this has been a wrong assumption all this time. In truth, the BU is not a milestone in the National revival. As clarified by KH. Firdaus AN, former Chairman of the Shura Council of Islamic Union, who was a native of Maninjau, born in 1924, in his book " Islamic Union Not Budi Utomo : Straightening The History of National Movement (transl.)."

This BU was an organization that supported the Dutch colonialism, it did not ever seek the independence of Indonesia, it is anti-national, anti-religion, in fact a number of its figures were members of the Dutch Freemasonry. (Risky Ridyasmara, "20th May, Not A Day Of National Revival").

Actually, an organization that was established three years before the Budi Utomo, namely the Syarikat Dagang Islam (SDI) or Islamic Trade Union is more fitting to be made as the milestone for the National revival. It was the SDI (now known as Syarikat Islam [SI] or Islamic Union) that was the real pioneer in the struggle for Indonesia's independence, fighting for the truth of Islam.

It appears that the elements in this country are deliberately wanting to bury Islam. Besides twisting the historical event above, what created the most pain for the Islamic ummah is; in 1945, the ulama's who wanted this country to be regulated with Islamic Shari'ah, were also gagged with the cunning maneuver from the PPKI, by canceling the agreement of the Jakarta Charter.

And the results today, after having been celebrated for so many years, Indonesia is still unable to rise up, in fact it can even be said that today it is getting worse off. If in the past, there were invaders with the name VOC (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or " the Dutch East India Company"), today there are names such as; Exxon Mobile, Caltex, Shell, Freeport, Newmont, etc. This is clearly a colonialism in another form.

From the scraping of the natural wealth by Freeport alone for example, in 2005, this American enterprise managed to pocket profits in the amount of around 4.2 billion Dollars or about 42 trillion Rupiah. While for Indonesia, it only gets 2 trillion Rupiah annually. Whereas, this American company has been operating since 1967. Obviously, this called colonization.

This also affects people's lives. Poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, low levels of health, cannot be avoided. So there is no other choice, Indonesia should immediately rise with a revival that is genuine and eliminate all forms of colonialism.

Rise Up With The Ideology Of Islam

The revival of a nation could be achieved starting from when the society's level of thinking increases, namely by embracing a thinking that is fundamental and all-encompassing, or embracing an ideology. The Western secularists could rise with the ideology of Capitalism, the same goes with the Russian nation, they were able to rise by embracing the ideology of Socialism.

Yet, it should be underlined, a revival with those two ideologies is only a pseudo-revival, it was proven that socialism later fails, the destruction of capitalism is already around the corner, as its ulcers have been sniffed, that it is an ideology that is colonial in character.

The genuine revival is that which happened to the Arab Nation, this revival was pioneered by Rasulullah SAW. The nation which formerly was Jahiliyah, turned into a nation which is highly civilized and honorable, as a consequence from embracing the Ideology of Islam. In fact, they later managed to illuminate two thirds of the world.

In order for Indonesia to be able to rise, the urgent agenda that must be addressed is to massively socialize the Ideology of Islam, so that an awareness is growing in the midst of the ummah, that Islam is the only solution that is saheeh ( authentic) for all existing problems.

The aqeedah of Islam has the characteristic of an aqeedah ruhiyah (spiritual) and at the same time, an aqeedah ri'ayah (management handling) that is haq (true). The aqeedah of Islam orders its ummah to implement Islam in kaffah (whole). Islam orders us to perform solat and sawm, but to preserve the next generation, Islam orders us to marry the opposite sex. Whereas, in order to insure a marriage, Islam also orders a number of sanctions in the form of flogging or also stoning for adultery. Islam orders us to acquire wealth in halal (lawful) ways, the same goes with insuring the ownership of properties, so Islam orders the amputation of hand for thieves. Subhanallah.

For the solution to the plundering of natural wealth for example, Islam prohibits the privatization of natural resources by private and foreign companies, because Islam has detailed the distribution and ownership of property very clearly, i.e. individual ownership, public ownership and state ownership.

Public ownership includes properties, where from the aspect of their establishment, they are not possible to be owned by Individuals, such as the rivers, sea, etc. And next whatever covers the intents of the lives of the public such as roads, forests, minerals where its deposits are abundant, whether in the form of solid, liquid or gas. Including the energy in the scope of fire such as fuel for industry, transportation, etc.

Rasulullah SAW said: "Muslims are unionized in three ways: water, pastures and fire." (HR. Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Ibnu Majah)

A Khilafah State is the entity which manages those varieties of wealth, whether in terms of exploration, sales or distribution. It is the Khilafah State which guarantees every citizen to enjoy his/her rights in the mentioned public ownership.

There is a State ownership in the properties where their management are in the hands of the Khalifah, such as fa'i, kharaj, as well as the property that has no inheritors, etc. The Khalifah manages the State ownership in accordance with his views and ijtihad in all sorts of State and people's affairs. The Khalifah can give those properties to the poor only and not to the rich, just as Rasulullah had once given fa'i to the Bani Nadhir.

While an Individual ownership is for the properties where their management are assigned to the individuals, in addition to properties owned by the public. This individual ownership is protected. The State cannot violate it.

Such is the brilliance of Islam in regulating the affairs of the people. Therefore, Indonesia must rise with the ideology of Islam. An ideology that is based on the Islamic Aqeedah, where its ruh is ibaadah, with the approach of hoping for the pleasure of Allah SWT. No matter what the problem is, the Shari'ah of Islam is the solution. So that Indonesia can smile. Wallahu a'lam.

Original article by Ali Mustafa