BY ABDURRAHMAN WAHID (GUS DUR)
A wide variety of opinions exists as to the nature and
teachings of Islam, even among those widely regarded as experts. Rather
than view Islam and its teachings as a single monolithic entity, it is
more accurate to recognise and acknowledge the de facto plurality of
opinions that have always existed as to what Islam is and what it
"compels" you, me or us to do.
The personal experiences of any one human being can never
be exactly identical with those of anyone else. These experiences
invariably colour the understanding and perceptions of those who have them
within the context of their respective religious traditions. I myself have
undergone a continual process of transformation regarding my personal
understanding of Islam from the time of earliest childhood until today.
From this I conclude that the Islam which I conceive and
experience is unique to me and may rightly be termed "My Islam". The
character of My Islam is the outgrowth of my cumulative personal
experience, which it may be appropriate to share but never to force upon
others. Should I try to force my personal understanding of Islam and its
teachings upon others, the result will inevitably be a serious
"dislocation" for those so affected, annihilating the perceived beauty and
joy of their own respective opinions.
A vast diversity of opinions about Islam are held by my
fellow Muslims, which they are free, in turn, to share with me. I may or
may not agree with them but the result of such interaction invariably
becomes another element of my own personal understanding and experience,
and of theirs. For example, those wishing to "purify" Islam from so-called
bid’a, or innovation, may reject the use of a drum to issue the
call to prayer, reverence of saints, or even the use of a rosary while
reciting the names of god. Thus we may refer to others’ personal
experience and understanding of Islam as "Your Islam" and go through life
adopting or politely refusing to adopt any given element thereof.
Muslims refer to this process of mutual visitation,
sharing and growth by its Arabic term, silaturrahim, which means
"to relate in an attitude of mutual affection". Such sharing of views may
or may not produce what we might call "Our Islam", dependent on the
respective understanding and experiences of those involved, but at least
it fosters mutual respect and tolerance of differences.
Unfortunately, the Muslim world today is afflicted by a
crisis in which the tradition of silaturrahim is being replaced by
attempts to force one’s own views of Islam on to others. For me
personally, "Their Islam" is a fair term to describe the views of those
who would annihilate the great beauty and diversity of traditional Islam
in the name of an artificial and enforced conformity to their own rigid
opinions. For such people, "Our Islam" is a misnomer, for in fact they
seek to enforce – through intimidation and violence – a colourless
monolithic uniformity that does not and has never existed in the long
history of Islam.
The desire for "Our Islam" appears to be inherent in the
nature of most Muslims. Yet the only realistic way to establish such a
phenomenon is for "My Islam" and "Your Islam" to peacefully coexist in
mutual respect and toleration without trying to annihilate our
differences. Rather than seek to repress or destroy the nearly infinite
beautiful variety of god’s creation, we would be better advised to pursue
al-jihad al-akbar and annihilate our own egos so that we may unite
in a common spiritual apprehension of the one – which gives rise to inner
peace and a joyful tolerance of differences here on earth.
However, those who care about the future of Our Islam on
this earthly plane would be well advised to unite in rejecting the use of
Islam as an ideology or a weapon to violate the sanctity of Your Islam and
mine. n
