Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam

The Conceptions of Divine Revelation: A Comparative Study of the Views of Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra

2024-02-19T09:14:41+00:00

The issue of revelation is one of the most important issues in the divine religions. In Islam the issue revelation is of central importance, as the revealed word of God, the Qur’ān, is in itself a miracle in its inimitability, a unique masterpiece of the divine message that cannot be replicated. Revelation is understood as communication from the unseen world above, whereby God issues His divine commands to humankind. The eminent Muslim philosophers Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra discussed the concept of revelation in their works. Ibn Sina considered revelation as a specific sensory effect on the prophet’s consciousness, whereby the Angel of Revelation cast the divine words into the prophet’s heart. Mulla Sadra also considered revelation as a type of unseen form of communication, whereby the divine commands are shared with humankind. This article attempts to study the nature of revelation, the levels of revelation, and the manner of revelation from the point of view of Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra through a descriptive-analytical method. Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra, despite their differences in conceptualizing and explaining the process of revelation, agreed that the revealed message is from God directly, without the independent agency of the Angel of Revelation and the prophets, who only carry and receive the divine message, yet cannot alter it.

The Construction of Happiness among Rural Javanese Muslims

2024-03-04T05:45:57+00:00

Happiness is not a fixed entity but rather constructed by the individuals in their interaction with society. Happiness has been explored by religion, philosophy, and various academic disciplines, however, these concepts are constructed by the individuals following their respective contexts. Individuals’ understanding of happiness varies due to their unique circumstances. Therefore, it becomes important to study the concept of happiness that exists in society. This study is a qualitative field study. The respondents consisted of twelve individuals who are graduates of Islamic schools (madrasah) or Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) who work as teachers, traders, or farmers in Kediri Regency, East Java, Indonesia. Data collection methods which have been used in this study are documentation and in-depth interviews. The findings of the study show that respondents generally perceive happiness as a state of peaceful and contented mind due to the fulfilment of physical and spiritual needs accompanied by gratitude to God. In line with their views, their orientation towards happiness is generally religious or spiritual. For them, genuine happiness can be achieved when they can perform religious rituals and become closer to God. To attain genuine happiness, their religious or spiritual needs and desires must be fulfilled. However, they also do not have the same orientation towards happiness. The religious doctrines of happiness acquired from the madrasah or the pesantren seem to be maintained, although there are slight differences among the respondents. This indicates that their understanding of happiness is a construct based on the doctrines they have learned and their individual experiences over time.

Revealing the Sanctity of the Eternal Cosmic Hierarchy: A Comparative Analysis of Javanese Mysticism and Islamic Sufism

2024-02-26T03:54:32+00:00

Most religious cosmology studies focus on the microcosm and macrocosm; however, the origin of cosmic mysticism is the eternal cosmos extensively studied in cultures and religions such as Javanese and Islam. This study aimed to examine the different interpretations of the sanctity of the eternal cosmos hierarchy in Javanese mysticism and Islamic Sufism. The eternal cosmos is referred to as jagad langgeng and ‘ālam akbar in Javanese mysticism and Islamic Sufism, respectively. This qualitative study conducted document reviews to obtain primary and secondary data analyzed through comparative analysis. This study aimed to examine the concept of the five eternal cosmos hierarchies of the absolute universe, lordness universe, transcendent universe, celestial universe, and terrestrial universe. The findings reinforce the concept of cosmic spirituality, divine cosmology, and wisdom of cosmology as well as theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, the study contributes to the integration of sacred Javanese Islamic, and Western cosmologies and the clarification of the eternal and temporary cosmos in theological discussions. The findings also have practical implications in creating eco-leadership based on hasta brata values.

From Iran and Saudi Arabia to Indonesia: The Translation of Shi‘ite and Wahhabi Literature in Contemporary Indonesia

2024-03-09T12:49:57+00:00

This study examines the translation of Shi‘ite and Wahhabi literature in Indonesia. This is a literature study. The primary data was obtained by examining the record of translated and published titles in Indonesian. This study refers to the theory of Mehdi Nakosteen, R.G.A. Dolby, and Abdul Munip regarding the transmission of knowledge through translation activities, their phases, and motives. This study found that these books from Iran and Saudi Arabia, covering various Islamic knowledge, are published and distributed in Indonesia by affiliated and unaffiliated publishers in order to introduce their ideas and doctrines to the wider Muslim community in Indonesia, using the Indonesian language as the medium of transmission. This transmission of knowledge through translation takes place through the awareness, interest, and adoption phases, and has religious, educational, economic, ideological, and stimulative-provocative motivations.

Whirling Dance as a Sufi Healing Method: A Phenomenological Study of the Sufi Dance Community in Surakarta

2024-02-21T09:28:01+00:00

This study aimed to explain the dynamics of Sufi healing through Sufi dance. Using the qualitative approach through the phenomenology of religion, the data of the present study was collected by interviews, observations, and visual materials. The research sample consisted of five members of a Sufi dance group in Surakarta, who found relief from their physical and psychological ailments through the movements performed in the whirling dance training. The healing process of physical and psychological issues through the Sufi dance can be seen in the aspects of catharsis, breath management and regulation, cognitive restructuring, habituation mechanisms, self-control, and muscle stretching. However, the expression of these aspects in differed in each case. In addition, this study also found that ablution and prayer and the altered state of consciousness during the performance of the dance had an impact on the healing process. Therefore, Sufi dance should be included as an alternative healing method.

Mapping the Trajectory of Tariqa Alawiyya in the 13th-17th Century: The Tension between Expansion and Preservation

2023-11-22T00:54:01+00:00

This study delves into the intellectual history of Ṭarīqa ‘Alawiyya, tracing its development from early Alid piety to an Akbarian gnostic tradition, ultimately converging into a revivalist paradigm during the late 16^th century. The transformative journey involves a reinterpretation and reformulation of the foundational Akbarian doctrines, strategically tailored to enhance accessibility for both the Ba ‘Alawi community and the broader Muslim society. The focal point of this study is the textual formation of prominent Ba ‘Alawi scholars of the third ṭabaqa, who played a pivotal role in reshaping the Tariqa’s trajectory. While their efforts demonstrably amplified the Tariqa’s influence and reach, they also ignited concerns among some Ba ‘Alawi scholars about the potential dilution of the movement’s unique genealogical configuration. This tension between expansion and preservation gave rise to a parallel restorative movement within the Tariqa, operating concurrently with the reformative movement. This research employs a desk research methodology, drawing upon both textual and contextual data, to examine the intellectual articulations and internal dynamics within the Ṭarīqa ‘Alawiyya. Through the writings of its saintly and scholarly figures, the study investigates how discourse functioned as a tool for negotiating power and reveals the dialogical nature of various canonical texts.

Islamic Pacifism: An Ethico-Theological Examination of Peace and Nonviolence in Islam

2023-09-15T15:16:17+00:00

Islam calls for the avoidance of violence, if possible, or at least its minimization and use only as the last resort. The purpose of this study is to highlight the roots of pacifism in Islam; the primary sources studied are the main Muslim theological texts—the Qur’an and Sunnah (the Prophetic tradition). After analyzing these two sources, I claim that Islam and ‘devout pacifism’ are compatible. Islam calls Muslims to be faithful, decent, and good human beings, who respect the life and property of others, Muslim and non-Muslim. A model of the devout Muslim pacifist is not different from the universal model, but similar to that found in other civilizations and cultures. According to both sources, Islamic pacifism derives from human obedience to Allah, just as in other monotheistic religions that promote peaceful solutions to internal and external crises, domestic and foreign. This paper offers a new perspective on nonviolence in Islam, ethico-theological justification of war, and applications of jihad and violence as factors in managing political relations among Muslims and between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Front Matter

2023-06-09T08:31:08+00:00

Back Matter

2023-06-09T05:56:03+00:00

Sufism and the Contention of Value in the Public Space

2023-05-15T09:24:20+00:00

Contention of discourse does dominate the feature of our modern public space. But contention of value, while it is subtle and may not be discernable, is more essential. What appears at the surface is actually the result of what happens within. This paper discusses the problem of value contention in the public space, particularly by giving attention to the way that Sufism’s value may be involved in it. It brings forward multiple premises. On the one hand, it argues against the Western proposition that public space, especially in its rational and critical form, can only emerge in the Western setting. On the other, it problematizes the so-called Islamic public space that, while it is rational and critical, becomes a battlefield like a sphere to which religious values fall victim. In this whole situation -the paper argues- Sufi strategy to stay away from public space while at the same time making an internal consolidation to preserve its ontological security, is the proper way. Sufism itself became a victim of the free public space when it is involved directly in it, especially where secularism and liberalism prevail. Various new forms of Sufism, such as neo-sufism, hybrid-sufism, urban-sufism, and the like, are not expression of its ability to adapt to new situation but a manifestation of its failure to preserve its essence.