Friday, June 26, 2015
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Saturday, March 21, 2015
WAHDAT UL WUJUD AND ITS INFLUENCE TOWARD CONCEPT OF ISLAMIC TAUHID ACCORDING TO IBN ARABI
The name of Ibn Arabi has always been associated with the
doctrine of wahda
tul wajood. Wahdatul Wujud the “Unity of
Being” is a Sufi philosophy emphasizing that ‘there is no true existence
except the Ultimate Truth (God). Or in other phrasing that the only truth within the universe is God, and that all things exist within God only. Although
the phrase refers to a subjective state or direct, inward experience attained
by Sufis, it has also been understood and discussed as a philosophical concept
and, as such, interpreted in different ways all of his creations emerge from `adim (non-existence) to wajud (existence)
out of his thought only. Hence the existence of God is the only truth (Haqq), and the concept of a separate created universe is
falsehood (Batil).This doctrine has played metaphysic role in his life, both
his life and his teaching point that the Principle of the Truth and the Way to the Truth are esoteric.[1]
After his death in 1240, Ibn ‘Arabi’s writings (and
teachings) quickly spread throughout the Islamic world have been the subject of
numerous commentaries in many languages. His teaching on wahdat ul wujud is the
mostly discussed and debated among scholars. He has more influence on the way
Muslims have thought about God. Even though he has no any particular tariqa,
but his teaching on wahdatul wujud has influenced many Sufis and philosopher
after Ibn Rusyd, and he is the next important figure after Al-Ghazali. His
teaching could be best categorized as tasawwuf falasafi. And he is known as ‘the greatest sheikh’ or al-sheikh al-Akbar.
WHO IS IBN ‘ARABI?
Mystic, philosopher, poet, sage, Muhammad b. ‘Ali Ibn Arabi
is one of the world’s great spiritual teachers. Known as Muhyiddin (the
Revivified of Religion) and the Sheikh al-Akbar (the Greatest Master), he was
born in 1165 AD into the Moorish culture of Andalusian Spain, the center of an
extraordinary flourishing and cross-fertilization of Jewish, Christian and Islamic
thought, through which the major scientific and philosophical works of
antiquity were transmitted to Northern Europe. Ibn Arabi’s spiritual
attainments were evident from an early age, and he was renowned for his great
visionary capacity. He travelled extensively in the Islamic world and died in
Damascus in 1240 AD.[2]
He wrote some 400 works His major contribution was in the
field of tasawwuf. Of his 20 main Sufi works, the most important two are: 1.al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya fi asrar
al-Malikiyya wal’l-mulkiyya (The Meccan revelations). The autograph text in 37 volumes
is preserved in Istanbul. 2. Fusus al-Hikam
wa khusus al-kilam (The Bezels of
Wisdom). These two collections constitute the standard Sufi encyclopedia on
mystical doctrine. In his Diwân and Tarjumân
al-Ashwâq, he also wrote some of the finest
poetry in the Arabic language. These extensive writings provide a beautiful
exposition of the Unity of Being[3]
HIS DISCIPLES
Ibn Arabi is most often characterized in Islamic texts as the
originator of the doctrine of wahdatul wujud, however, this expression is not
found in his works. According to Chittick, this term was firstly introduced by
Shadruddin al-Qunawi (d. 637 H/1274 M) and mostly repeated by Ibn Sab‘in (d.
646 H/1248 M) and Afifuddin at-Tilimsani (d. 690 H/1291). Although he frequently
makes statements that approximate it, it cannot be claimed that “Oneness of
Being” is a sufficient description of his ontology, since he affirms the
“manyness of reality” with equal vigor.[4]
Ibn Arabi’s ideas have been disseminated via commentaries on
his work and by his disciples such as Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi (d. 1274).[5] His doctrines were taken up in Persia by the great Sufis Abd
al-Karim al-Jili (d. 1417), the Imam Shadhili, and Jalal ad-Din Rumi.[6] Through them his teachings extended to all parts of Islam.
And trough Muhammad ibn Fadl Allah al-Burhanpûrî (d. 1029), [7]the teaching of Ibn Arabi widely extended to the South Asia.
In Nusantara the Ibn Arabi’s teaching has been introduced and analyzed by Sufi
scholar, such as: Hamzah Fansuri, Shamsuddin al-Sumatrani, ‘Abd al-Shamad
al-Palimbani, Dawûd al-Fathânî, Muhammad Nafîs al-Banjârî, and others.[8]And
today, some Sufi Orders, notably the Bektashi sect
and the non-traditional sects ofUniversal Sufism,
place much emphasis on the concept of wahdatul wujud.[9]
WAHDATUL WUJUD AND ITS RELATION WITH
THE CONCEPT OF ISLAMIC TAUHID
Tashbih (the declaration of
similarity) and Tanzih (the declaration of incomparability)
The contents of Islamic faith, roughly speaking, become the
specialty of Kalam, Sufism, and Philosophy groups of scholars.[10] While the kalam specialists focused on God and His
attributes, the philosophers focused on reality itself. And in practical, every
form in which Islamic philosophy developed, tawhid was an underlying theme.
Ihsan is to do what is beautiful is to worship God as if you
see Him, because if you do not see Him, He sees you. The attitude demanded by
ihsan may be dominated by tanzih or by tashbih, or it may combine the two
qualities in equal measure. Here Ibn Arabi explains that this is only a manner
of speaking. In fact those characters are all latent within human beings
because of the divine form, but they belong to God, and as long as people
remain heedless of their own nature, the divine qualities within them will not
become manifest in proper harmony and balance.[11]
Theoretical Sufism offers a vision of tawhid based on
unveiling, firmly grounded in the Qur’anic revelation, and in many of its
manifestation, respectful toward, though not enthusiastic about, rational
investigation. And Ibn Arabi considered that Sufism is to assume God’s
character traits as one’s own (takhalluq bi akhlaq Allah).
The doctrine ofWahdatul
Wujud asserts that everything that exists can only exist because
it is an aspect of Divine Reality, hence an aspect of Divine Unity itself.
However, Sufi scholars assert that although Wahdatul Wujud may be interpreted that Sufism see the face of God
everywhere, it does not mean that it has reduced God to everything. God remains
supremely transcendent, even though everything which arises and exists
resembles him (tashbih). He resembles nothing but himself (tanzih).[12]
Those who uphold the teaching of wahdatul wujud distinguish three modes of tawhid:[13]
1. Tawhid
al-af’al (oneness or unity of the Agent): Meaning that, of every act, the sole and only, the absolute,
Agent is God. It follows from this view that there is no need to look for any
cause for whatever exists or happens in the universe; everything everywhere is
directly the work of God. (Since we dealt with the issue of kasb (the performance or doing of acts) and khalq (the createdness of acts), matters pertaining tokalam, in the questions related to destiny. Those who argue for tawhid al-af’al cite the following verses to support their view:
But God has created you and what you
do. (Saffat 37:96) . . . All is from God . . . (Nisa 4:78)
2. Tawhid al-sifat (oneness or unity
of the Subject): Meaning that of all predicates the sole and only Subject is
God. According to this view, all volition, all forces and powers, all knowledge
and faculties, belong to God only; they are an intelligible expression, or a
work, or a realized state of Him.
3. Tawhid al-dhat (also, tawhid
al-wujud) (oneness or unity of Essence or of Being): Meaning that in essence
all existence is One; and everything visible or knowable around us, other than
Him, is a manifestation and disclosure of Him in certain states.
Given that such a view of tawhid,
as noted above, is the result of an inward state or direct, inward experience (dhawq), many scholars do not consider the subject amenable to
rational discussion. In fact, when existents and events are not referred
ultimately to God and His Names, it is impossible to explain them fully. That
is acknowledged by all people of sound learning who reflect seriously and
pursue their reflections fully. There is considerable similarity between the
understanding of tawhid of those who use rational methods of inquiry, and those who
follow the disciplines of Sufism.
Reasons understand tanzih, and
without tanzih there can be no Islam and no servant, and hence there can be no
tashbih and no vicegerent. But imagination allows for the realization of
tashbih. Excessive stress upon tashbih leads people to serve many objects and
concern or to serve their own egos in place of God. In either case this is
shirk, the loss of tawhid. The net result of focusing too much on tashbih is
practically the same as paying exclusive attention to tanzih.
Moreover, the major issue that immerges in the tasawwuf
falasafi discourse is wahdatul
wujud or wujudiyah.
This doctrine centered on the teaching of universe and human being creation
through the God appearance in seven dignities (martabat). This concept, later,
known as the theory of seven dignities that consist of ahadiyah, wahdah,
wahidiyah, alam mitsal, alam arwah, alam ajsam, and insan
kamil. [14]
Ahadiyah is the haqiqa of Allah; the dignity of Dhat Allah
and wahdah are called Haqiqa Muhammadiyah or the attributes of Allah; wahidiyah
is the haqiqa of insan: Adam `alaih al- Salam and all human being or asma
Allah; alam arwah is the haqiqa of all souls; alam mitsal is the haqiqa of all
shapes; alam ajsam is the haqiqa of all body; and insan is the haqiqa of all
human being. Whereas, martabat ahadiyah, wahdah and wahidiyah areanniyyat Allah,
alam arwah, alam mitsal, alam ajsam and alam insan are martabatanniyyat al-makhluq.[15]
THE CRITICS TOWARD IBN ‘ARABI
Among the scholars condemning Ibn `Arabi as an innovator or
even an outright heretic (zindiq) and disbeliever because of Fusûs al-Hikam:
Ibn `Abd al-Salam, al-Jazari, Sharaf al-Din ibn al-Muqri, Abu Hayyan
al-Andalusi, Sa`d al-Din al-Taftazani, Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Nur al-Din,
Siraj al-Din al-Bulqini who supposedly ordered his books burnt, Burhan al-Din
al-Biqa`i, Ibn Taymiyya, and his student al-Dhahabi.
The Hanafi shaykh `Ala’ al-Din al-Bukhari, like Ibn
al-Muqri, went so far as to declare anyone who did not declare Ibn `Arabi a
disbeliever to be himself a disbeliever. This is the same `Ala’ al-Din
al-Bukhari who said that anyone that gives Ibn Taymiyya the title Sheikh
al-Islam is a disbeliever. And some other scholars label him as liberalist and
pluralist.[16]
Ibn Taymiyya attacked the idea of
emanation not only in its philosophical but also in its mystical context, as
adopted by the Sufis. He felt that the beliefs and practices of the Sufis were
far more dangerous than were the ideas of the philosophers. The latter were a
small elite group that had little direct effect on the masses. The Sufis,
however, were widespread and had a large popular following. However, Ibn
Taymiyya saw a link between the ideas of the philosophers and those of the
Sufis, even though apparently they had little in common.
The main tenet of Sufi thought as propounded by Ibn
al-‘Arabi is the concept of the oneness of existence (wahdatul wujud). Through this belief, Sufis think they are able to effect
a merging of their souls with God’s essence. That is, when God reveals his
truth to an individual, that person realizes that there is no difference
between God and the self. Ibn Taymiyya saw a link between the Sufi belief of wahdatul wujud and the philosophical concept of emanation. Although the
philosopher would deny that a human soul could flow into, and thus be, the
First Cause, the mystical experience of the Sufis took them beyond the realm of
intellectual discourse. According to the mystic, a merging occurred but could
not be expressed in rational terms. For Ibn Taymiyya, both the philosopher and
the mystic were deluded, the former by reliance on a limited human intellect
and the latter by excessive emotions.[17]
Ibn Taymiyya’s argument against the Sufis is on two levels.
First, there is the theological position that God has attributes and that one
of these attributes is God as creator. Ibn Taymiyya believed that the Qur’an
firmly establishes that God is the one who created, originated and gave form to
the universe. Thus there exists a distinction between God the creator and the
created beings. This is an absolute distinction with no possibility of merging.
He then went on to say that those who strip God of his attributes and deny that
he is the creator are just one step away from falling into the belief of wahdatul wujud. This is the basis for the second part of his argument. Ibn
Taymiyya believed that a Sufi is simply someone who is overcome by an outburst
of emotion. For example, someone may deny God’s attributes but could then be
overwhelmed by a feeling of love for God. However, the basis of that person’s
knowledge is not the authentic information from the Qur’an, and so their weak
intellectual foundation collapses with the onslaught of emotion. According to
Ibn Taymiyya, sense perception and emotions cannot be trusted, and the
likelihood of being led astray by them is compounded when one has a basis of
knowledge which is itself errant and deviant. One holds a proper belief in God
and maintains a proper relationship with him, Ibn Taymiyya argued, by
establishing a foundation of knowledge based on the Qur’an and authentic sunna.[18]
It
is also speculated that the concept of wahdatul wujud could be product of Arab
interaction with Hindu mystics and literature, specifically in reference to the non-dualistic teachings of the Upanishads,
which preaches very similar concepts in regards to reality being an illusion and the only true existence being Brahman.[19] Furthermore, there are some other critics on wahdatul wujud
of Ibn Arabi. They argue that wahdatul wujud is similar to pantheism.
WAHDATUL WUJUD AND PANTHEISM [20]
The English word Pantheism means
all is God that emphasizes that there is just a single being in existence and
this single being is God. One of prominent sufis who always been associated
with pantheism after Mansur Al-Hallaj is Ibn Arabi. Ibn Arabi’s works are
confused a lot with Pantheist philosophy. That is why it is quite common to see
even some Muslims attacking to his works by introducing him as a disbeliever to
the world. In fact the ones who know his work will know that Wahdatul Wujud
imputed to Ibn Arabi in his works, is nothing to do with Pantheism.[21] We may argue that wahdatul wujud may be closer to panentheism, because it states that while the Universe is part of God
or God’s mind, God is still greater than his creation.[22]
WAHDATUL WUJUD VS WAHDAT UL SHAHOOD (Difference between Wahdat ul Wajood and Wahdatul Shahud)
According to some Sufis, such an understanding of tawhid is the result of that stage or degree of union with God (maqam al-jam). But this is firstly a matter of ‘irfan, and then a matter of experience or tasting (dhawq). In this degree, attributing real existence to things
could not but be contradictory to the Sufis’ visions (mushahadat). That is why, to acknowledge asbab (causes)
in that state would be, in a sense, to acknowledge an associate with God (i.e.
to do shirk). On the other hand, to deny the asbab without really attaining such a degree of consciousness,
without really experiencing it fully, is hypocrisy and a merely theoretical
assertion. Therefore, one who denies union (jam’) is considered
‘irfan-less (unknowing, unperceiving) and one who denies the
difference between God and humankind (farq) which the
Sufi overcomes in the experience of jam’ is
considered far away from the secrets of servanthood to God. The mature person
is one who comfortably accepts both farq and jam’, each in its necessary place.
The second group comprises those who argue an absolute wahdatul wujud. For them Being is One, which is nothing other than God.
The multiplicity of the visible is only imaginary or illusory. While wahdatul wujud is for the sufiyya a matter of affective state (hal) or direct experience (dhawq), the mutasawwifa seem to hold to it as an established conviction and
philosophy.[23]
As long as any believer in wahdatul wujud accepts his own answerability to God, his servanthood to
God, it means that he is acknowledging the difference of ‘amir (the superior) and ma’mur (the
subordinate). After acknowledging subordination, to insist literally on unity
of wujud is sheer self-contradiction. And, bar a few unbelievers who
reject servanthood, no believer has ever dared to reject servanthood to God.
Therefore, whereas the understanding of wahdatul wujud of the sufiyya—which in reality concerns wahdat ul shuhud (the
unity or oneness of witnessing)—is a result of the affective state in Sufism, istighraq (absorption in ecstatic contemplation, beatitude), and of a
lack of words and phrases to express what they feel, the understanding of wahdatul-wujud of some of the mutasawwifa derives
from the frailty and insufficiency of rendering in philosophical concepts and
arguments what the Sufi experiences as inward consciousness and witnessing.[24]
For proponents of Tawhid Shuhudi or Wahdatul Shuhud, the
perception of the one Being does not negate the existence of other beings as it
does in Wahdatul Wujud. The Sufi in other words sees only One Being but is
cognizant of the fact that there are other beings in existence as well.
Wahdatul Shuhud does not necessitate the denial of the existence of other
beings. Thus the seeing of one Being is a mere subjective observation of the
Sufi. The defining feature of Wahdatul Shuhud is the recognition that God is
above and beyond his creation and therefore transcendent, not imminent as he is
in Wahdatul Wujud. God therefore is One Being who is distinct from his
creations. He creates by the power of His words, not Ta’aayun as suggested by
proponents of the doctrine of Wahdatul Wujud. The concept of wahdatul
shuhud was given by Sirhindi.[25] He maintains that the world is not God but proceeds from God
and has an existence independent of the Divine Being, but that it is only an
illusory existence. In reality Sirhindi also asserts that there is only One
Real Being who is God. The created world being imaginary is therefore not of
the same Divine essence. In Sirhindi’s view, the world is in essence non-
existent and therefore unreal.[26]
Perhaps, the distinctions between the doctrines of Wahdatul
Wujud and Wahdatul Shuhud can be better understood through a discussion of the
concepts of “fana” and “baqa”. Fana and baqa are both stages in the mystical
experience. “fana billah” is understood as merging with the Divine Essence or
unification with God. Or the “existence of the self in God”. This is the first
stage in the mystical experience and only a stepping stone toward the ultimate
goal of attaining “baqa billah” or “eternal life in union with God”. When fana
is experienced by the mystic, he forgets himself but when he reaches the stage
of experiencing “baqa” he regains some of his individuality and therefore the
distinction between him and the Divine again becomes apparent to him.[27]
THE WAHDATUL WUJUD’S INFLUENCE IN
ISLAMIC WORLD →INDONESIA
Ibn ‘Arabi’s writings have been very influential – chiefly
among elites and Sufi tariqas. Although his name was widely recognized, only a
minority of people could have read his works directly. But many of his ideas
reached ordinary people through the Sufis, and through popular poetry. So far
studies of Ibn ‘Arabi’s influence have been limited in scope to particular
periods or regions, as any comprehensive study would need to take into account
the intellectual history of Islam across the Muslim world.[28]
In Persia, the teaching of Ibn Arabi was disseminated by
Qutb Al Din Asy-Syaerazi. This sufis teaching was continued by Abd. Karim Al
Jilli, one of principal of Shadziliyah tariqa and Jalaluddin Rumi. And in this
time, the teaching of Ibn Arabi expanded into Nusantara.
THE PROMINENT FIGURE OF WAHDATUL
WUJUD’S FOLLOWER
- HAMZAH FANSURI
In
the middle of the 16th century the most prominent Sufis who taught the doctrine
of wujudiyah were Sheikh Hamzah al Fansuri and his disciple, Shamsuddin
Al-Sumatrani or known as Shamsuddin Pasai. Sheikh Hamzah al-Fansuri, who was a
leader of the Qadiriyah Tariqa, played an important role in the spiritual life
of the Aceh Kingdom until the end of the reign of Sultan Ala’uddin Ri’ayat Shah
Sayyid al-Mukammil (1590-1604), whereas Shamsuddin Pasai began to gain
influence in the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda. With the help of Sultan
Iskandar Muda, the teaching of these two mystics spread beyond the island of
Sumatra.
Sheikh Hamzah al-Fansuri was directly influenced by Bayazid, Al-Hallaj, Attar, Junayd al-Baghdadi, Ibn ‘Arabi, Rumi, Shabistari, Iraqi and Jami’. He wrote many books and poems, but a large part of them have been lost. Among his works are Asrar Al-Arifin, Al Muntahi, Sharah Al-Asyiqin or Zinat al-Wahidin, etc. The Zinat al-Wahidin is the summary of the doctrine of wahdatul wujud from works of Ibn ‘Arabi, and also from Shadruddin al-Qunawi, Fakhrudin al-Iraqi and Abdul Karim al-Jilli. Hamzah Fansuri explained the ontology of wujudiyyah in his Zinat Al-Wahidin. He also presented this doctrine in Malayan poems or sha’ir.[29]
Sheikh Hamzah al-Fansuri was directly influenced by Bayazid, Al-Hallaj, Attar, Junayd al-Baghdadi, Ibn ‘Arabi, Rumi, Shabistari, Iraqi and Jami’. He wrote many books and poems, but a large part of them have been lost. Among his works are Asrar Al-Arifin, Al Muntahi, Sharah Al-Asyiqin or Zinat al-Wahidin, etc. The Zinat al-Wahidin is the summary of the doctrine of wahdatul wujud from works of Ibn ‘Arabi, and also from Shadruddin al-Qunawi, Fakhrudin al-Iraqi and Abdul Karim al-Jilli. Hamzah Fansuri explained the ontology of wujudiyyah in his Zinat Al-Wahidin. He also presented this doctrine in Malayan poems or sha’ir.[29]
According to him, the first epiphany, Ta’aayun awwal, includes four aspects, namely: ‘ilm, wujud, shuhud and
nur. Ta’aayun awwal is like an ocean without shore, and when it reveals itself,
it is called the wave – that is when God sees Himself as “the known,” and this
is the second epiphany, ta’ayyun
tsani, which is ma’lum, the object of knowledge, and called a’yan tabitha, or suwar
al-‘ilmiyyah or haqiqat al-asyya or ruh
idhafi. The third epiphany, ta’ayyun tsalist, is ruh, the spirit in man and creature. The fourth and fifth
epiphany, ta’ayyun
khamis and rabi’,
are the creation of the physics of the universe. All of this is inseparable
from ‘ilm, wujud, shuhud and nur since without these God cannot reveal Himself.
The Essence is reflected in the world and therefore the world is not other than
He (la
ghayruhu). But he immediately said that God
alone is Real, and the world is illusory or non-existent (‘Adam) since “verily
all that exists is annihilated except His Face (wajhahu).” (Sura 28:88).[30]
Here,
he considers God as the absolutely Almighty. In this perfectness, God entails
all the things. For this, human being is considered by Fansuri as (a part of)
God. His views on God and creation have been opposed by Nuruddin ar-Raniri.
Hamzah Fansuri was considered as the preacher of pantheism. In fact, he mostly
showed the concept of tashbih between God and His creation. However, he also
has shown that there is tanzih between God and His creation.[31]
- SHAMSUDDIN AS-SUMATRANI
He is a great scholar and prominent figure of tasawwuf from
Aceh. He was Seikhul Islam in Aceh Kingdom in the time of Sultan Iskandar
Muda(1607/1636). Hamzah Fansuri’s disciple Shamsuddin Pasai developed his work
a little different from that of his master, since although he was influenced by
Ibn ‘Arabi, he also took inspiration from works such as Tuhfah al Mursalah ila Ruhi
an-Nabi by Ibn Fadhilah al Burhanpuri of
India. The core of this teaching is that the universe, including man, was
brought into existence by tajalli or the emanation of God: ahadiyyah, wahdah,
wahidiyah, alam arwah, alam mitsal, alam ajsam and alam insan.[32]
Sufi ulama who followed the teachings of Wahdat al-Wujud or the Martabat
Tujuh. Among his kitabs are as follows; Sharah Ruba’i Hamzah
Fansuri, Tanbih al-Tullab, Anwar al-Daqa’iq, Kitab Mir’at al-Mu’minin, Kitab
Mir’at al-Iman, Kitab Al-‘Arifin and Mir’at Al-Qulub.[33]
Some
of his thoughts are as follows: (1) God is the first wujud, the source of wujud
and the only one of truth. (2) Dhat is the wujud of God. He is the perfectness
of highest absoluteness, the thing that human being could not think about. That
dhat is wujud and the source of all beings. And this wujud is similar to wujud
of Allah. The wujud of Allah covers the seen and the unseen things. (3) The
haqiqa of dhat and sifat 20 are considered one. Thus, dhat is sifat. (4)
Allah’s attributes are qadim and baqa. One the contrary, men attribute is fana.
(5) The teaching of wujud is in the concept of mahabbah, and these are the way
to God. (6) He interpret syahada as there is no my wujud except wujud Allah.
(7) someone who has makrifah is the one who is understand tanzih and tashbih
between God and his creation.[34]
- ABDUS SHAMAD AL-PALIMBANI
In
Abd Shamad Al-Palimbani’s work Sairus
Salikin, he explains the teaching on God
Divinity that first: God Divinity in Ushuludin is There is no God except Allah;
second: I’tiqad ‘awam; third Fana in tawhid is Allah the only One who exists;
and fourth wahdatul wujud is the Universe is the material appearance of Allah.
These three beliefs are considered as the true tawhid.[35]
Based on the first teaching that there is no God except
Allah, Al-Palimbani translates the explanation of Al-Ghazali regarding on the
aqida of Ahl Sunna. He gives details the sifat wajib of Allah.[36] This teaching is considered as tawhid of lay people (‘awam).
Along with Al-Ghazali, Al-Palimbani does not consider God’s makrifah (the direct seeing) would be impossible to be achieved;
nevertheless He will be seen in the hereafter. And the God’s makrifah could
just be achieved by the nur (light) rewarded by Allah or known as Ilm Laduni.
Such makrifah is equal to heaven of the earth. And this makrifah is regarded as
the great level of tawhid.[37]
Then, for the second one that the statement of Fuqaha and
Mutakallimun of Ash’ariya and Maturidiya on Laa Ilaaha illallah. The third and the fourth one are the goal of sufis. The
third level of tawhid is the tawhid of muqarrabin. The sufis perceive the
universe as the creation of God who manifests His wisdom and justice. However,
such viewpoint is not adopted from the thought reflection of God and universe.
But it merely achieve by a person who gains the emanation of God (nur al-Haq)
through tariqa. And the fourth level of tawhid is the tawhid of shiddiqin. The
sufi’ inner consciousness is centered on God. He even does not perceive any
other being or existence except the dhat of God. However in this level
Al-Palimbani does not consider wujudiyah mulhid (close to pantheism) as the
truth way, but he perceives wujudiyah muwahhidah as the truth way and the great
level of tawhid.[38]
- MOHAMMAD NAFIS AL-BANJARI
In Kalimantan island, the cosmology
doctrine and wahdat al wujud of Ibn ‘Arabi adapted to local culture, and still
survives until today. There are some Sufis who teach it, and the most popular
book that explains wahdatul wujud is al-Durr al-Nafis by M. Nafis al-Banjari.
Syaikh Muhammad Nafis al-Banjari is an Indonesian eminent
tasawwuf thinker. Muhammad nafis bin Idris Bin Husein Al-Banjari was born in
Martapura, South Kalimantan. He is one of the heir of Banjar Kingdom. He played
a significant role in the expansion of Banjar Kingdom, through his preaching.
As a prominent scholar, he was bestowed a title as Maulana al-‘Allamah
al-Fakhamah al-Mursyid ila Tariq as-Salamah.
His tawhid conceptions contain sufistic nuance, different
with kalam nuance from the thought of mutakallimin. This thought represents
important contribution to Islam science discourse. Some of his book are Kanz as-Sa’adah fi Bayan
Istilahat as-sufiyyah (a book that
describe the terminologies of sufi) and his work, al-Durr al-Nafis (Beautiful Pearl) containing four main theme: wahdat
al-af’al (unity of deed), wahdat asma (unity of name), wahdat sifat (unity of
attribute), and wahdat dzat (unity of essence). His views about tawhid in
sufistic nuance remain in shahadah’s (testimonial) framework. Hence, he remains
stick on the wahdatul shuhud idea, contrasted with wahdatul wujud.[39] He proposes the sunny Asy’ari tawhid then criticizes and
opposes muktazilah and jabbariyah. Then, he developed the tauhid teaching of
sufi and refuses the concept of hulul of Hallaj and ittihad of Abu Yazid
Al-Bustami. He also bridge and reconcile the teaching of tasawwuf sunni and
tasawwuf falasafi by combining wahdatus suhud and wahdatul wujud. In his book,
Al-Banjari explains the concept of tawhid af’al, tawhid asma, tawhid shifat, and
tawhid dhat.[40]
- RONNGOWARSITO [41]
The doctrine of wahdatul wujud, which was developed by
Hamzah Fansuri and Shamsuddin Pasai, was also absorbed into Javanese mysticism,
such as Serat Centhini[42], Serat Tuhfah, Wirid Hidayat Jati etc. It predominated in
Java until the 19th century, because many rulers of the kingdom supported it.
Later some Javanese mystical literature – but not all, of course –tended to
pantheism, and the doctrine of Unity as formulated by Hamzah Fansuri and Ibn
‘Arabi became modified and aberrant from its original sources.
One of the prominent followers of wahdatul wujud in Java is
R. Ng. Ronggowarsito. Ronggowarsito or Burham (1728 J/1802 M), is son of RM. Ng. Pajangsworo. As a son of noble, he has an adjutant (emban) Ki Tanujoyo, as his Mystic teacher. He grew as a poet, and
wrote many serat (poems) based on his experience and the condition of his
time. As an intellectual he wrote many thing on the field of life. Serat Wirid Hidayatjati is a poem which he had written that based on his thought of
Tasawwuf. Serat
Kalatidha is his social view. Serat Jaka Lodhang is his superiority in prediction or fortune telling. And Serat Sabda Jati is one of his works that predict his own death.[43]
Ronggowarsito believes in Martabat tujuh or known as ilmu
Laduni. According to him such knowledge is needed by ruler. Hence, the ruler
does not need to perform any sharia’ obligations. In Serat Wirid Hidayatjati he explains sufi’s ways. And one of them is how to perform
the Penekung, through arranging nafas, anfas, tanaffas, and nufus and should not be mixed. He states that “nafas, anfas, tanaffas, and nufus are collected in Bayt al- Makmur (head), then these would be
recreated again becoming nukat
ghaib.”[44]
[1] Esposito, John. (Ed.) The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, Vol. 2, inWahdatul Wujud: a
fundamental doctrine in Sufism.
Retrieved from from http://sunnipath.org,
internet on 18 December 2009.
[2] After twenty years travelling-visiting some places, such as
Jerusalem, Baghdad, Konya, and Aleppo, Ibn Arabi then had decided to stay in
Damascus in 1223. He passed away on 10 November 1240, (22 Rabi’u l-Tsani, 630
H), when he was 76 years.
Retrieved from http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Arabi , on 18 December 2009.
[3] Esposito, John. (Ed.) The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, Vol. 2, p. 160 in Wahdat al-Wujud: a fundamental doctrine in Sufism.
Retrieved from from http://sunnipath.org,
internet on 18 December 2009.
[4] William Chiittick. Imaginal worlds. 1994
[5] Shadruddin Muhammad Qunawi is the special student of Ibn
Arabi. He is the step son of Ibn Arabi who has dedicated in disseminating and
mediating the thought of Ibn Arabi.
Shadruddin Muhammad bin Ishaq bin
Yusuf bin Ali Qunawi, born in Qunniyah Malatiyyah, Anatolia in 606
/ 607 H and passed away in Qunniyah in 673 H. Qunawi had been known as
the great sheikh who master both the zhahir and bathin knowledge in Fiqh,
tariqa and haqiqa. He is also considered as a holy person. Qunawi’s mother was
married by Ibn Arabi. Hence he was under the guardian and the education of Ibn
Arabi.
Qunawi has been well known as a great commentator of Ibn
Arabi’s works, particularly which relates to Wahdatul Wujud. For this he wrote a book, title Nafakhat al- Ilahiyyah.Some of the great students of Sheikh Qunawi in Sufism are Sheikh
Mu’ayyid al-Jandi the major commentator of Fusûs al-Hikam of Ibn Arabi : Miftah al-Ghaib al-Jam’
wa al-Wujud.
Retrieved from http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadruddin Al-Qunawi, on 18 December 2009.
[6] Some of his students are: Shadr al-Dîn al-Qunawi (d. 763/1274),
Mu`yid al-Dîn al-Jandi (d. 690/1291), ‘Abd al-Razzâq al-Q(K)âsyânî (d.
730/1330), Syaraf al-Dîn Dawûd al-Qaysharî (d. 751/ 1350), Sayyid Haydar
Amulî (d. setelah 787/1385), ‘Abd al-Karîm al-Jîlî (d. 826/1421), ‘Abd
al-Rahmân al-Jâmî (d. 898/1492), ‘Abd al-Wahhâb al-Sya`rânî (d. 973/1565), ‘Abd
al-Ghanî al-Nâbulusî (d. 1114/1731).
[7] Esposito, John. (Ed.) The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Modern Islamic
World, Vol. 2, in Wahdat al-Wujud: a fundamental doctrine in Sufism.
Retrieved from from http://sunnipath.org,
internet on 18 December 2009.
[8] Atcjeng Ahmad Kusaeri in Hamzah Fansuri. Ensiklopedia Islam. V. 3. Jakarta: Ichtiar Baru–Van Hoeve. 1993. P. 66-68.
[9] Retrieved from http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pemahaman_Sufisme_Ibn_Arabi , on 18 December 2009.
[10] Murata and Chittick. The vision of Islam. Suhail Academy: Lahore.1994.
P. 236.
[11]Ibid
P. 267.
[12] See Murata and Chittick. The vision of Islam. Suhail Academy: Lahore.1994.
[13] The seven dignities (martabat tujuh) is a concept that has
been applied and developed by the sufis, followers of Ibn Arabi in
understanding tawhid, God, and creation.
[14] The theory of seven dignities is adapted from the teaching
of Ibn Arabi, then firstly developed by Ibnu Fadlullah al-Burhanpuri in Tuhfah al-Mursalah ila Ruh
al-Nabi.
It resembles to the concept of
Platonism that: God, ideas, logos, the Divine spirit , angels, human kind, and
matter.
[15] The three first dignities are qadim and baqa; then the four
rest dignities are muhdats.
In sum, it could be argued that
tasawwuf has a world view that consider the reality is consisted of ontological
hierarchy whereas world is one of the lowest of that level of hierarchy. In
this view, God is considered as the highest source and the principal of all
realities under Him. And all other things except God are defined as His
creators or cosmos. However, the division between God and cosmos or Khaliq and
makhluq do not characterized ontology but as a ma’quliyat(rational).
Through these, we could understand the present of
correlative relation between God and His slave(Hubb-Ilahi, Hubb-ruhani,
Hubb-thabi’I and Hubb-‘unshuri).
And this could be prove by al-ittiba‘
li-rasulihi shallallahu alayhi wa sallam fima syara‘a.
[16] In one of his works he wrote:
“Before today, I used to criticize my companion if my
religion was not the one which he followed. But my heart changed to accept
every image, so pastures for the carefree lovers and convents for the monks. A
house of idols and the idol house at Ta’if, the tablets of the Torah and the
mushaf of the Qur’an. I follow the religion of love wherever it takes me, so
all religion is my religion and belief. The above is an adaptation from lines
of poetry from Ibn Arabi’s work Tarjuman al-Ashwaq (“The Translator of Yearnings”). Its
style is highly lyrical and meaning evidently metaphorical.
These lines are famous and
debatable. Many people have associated these with Ibn Arabi’s thought on his
faith. The meaning of these lines would be — and Allah knows best — that one’s
involvement in worshipping Allah can experience a perception of Allah’s
embracing power and mercy such that one is no longer able to see any escape
from true monotheist belief in Him even in ostensibly untrue, idolatrous
aberrations. So one becomes overwhelmed by thanks and praise, “love,”
temporarily forgetting fear and repentance. This is an elated state of mind
expressed poetically in very broad terms, not a creed.
Based on this poet, Nasr argues that Ibn Arabi came to
realize that the divinely revealed paths lead to the same summit. However, ibn
Arabi is not a pluralist or transcendentalist. In Dzakha’ir al-A‘laq syarh
Tarjuman al-Asywaq Ibn Arabi
states that religion of love refers to the religion of Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
in Imran: 31, “say Muhammad, if you really love Allah, follow Me, thus I will
love you.”
(see: Dzakha’ir
al-A‘laq syarh Tarjuman al-Asywaq,
ed. Muhammad Salim al-Unsi (Beirut, 1312 H)).
[17] see Fushus
al-Hikam, ed. A. al-‘Afifi, Kairo: Dar Ihya’
al-Kutub al-‘Arabiyyah, 1946, and A.E. Afifi, The Mystical Philosophy of Muhyid Din Ibnul Arabi, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1939.
[18] ibid
[19] Retrieved from internet. Ibn Arabi and Sirhindi by
Farzana Hassan-Shahid, June 2005, on 18 December 2009.
[20] See: al-Biqa‘i, Masra‘ al-Tashawwuf, aw, Tanbih al-Ghabi ila Takfir
Ibn ‘Arabi, ed. ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-Wakil
(Bilbis: Dar al-Taqwa, 1989) dan al-Suyuthi, Tanbih al-Ghabi fi Takhti’ati Ibn ‘Arabi, ed. ‘Abd ar-Rahman Hasan Mahmud (Kairo: Maktabat al-Adab,
1990.
[21] Retrieved from http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Arabi, on 18 December 2009.
[22] The allegation should not be accepted that, under the
influence of Neo-Platonist, some great Muslims sought to introduce a doctrine
of “pantheism” into Islam. The most that could be said is that those Muslims
may have considered it not dangerous temporarily to borrow some terms from the
Neo-Platonist since they could not find the words they needed to express what
they experienced in their mushahadat (visions) and perceptions. Otherwise, there is a world of
difference between those two groups of people in terms of their understanding
of the Divine Essence
[23] Retrieved from internet, Ibn Arabi in the eyes of the Great
Mujaddid. Sufi Order of Pure Mujaddidi, Sufi Peace Mission. By Irshad
Aslam, October 27, 2000, on 18 December 2009.
[24] ibid
[25]The
Great Mujaddid Ahmed Sirhindi, who lived in India about 1500 CE, is an eminent
sufi commentator on Ibn Arabi. Although commonly regarded as a critique of Ibn
Arabi, the Great Mujaddid instead held him in high esteem. He felt that the
critiques (as well as many followers) have totally misinterpreted the writings
of Ibn Arabi whom he respectfully called the Great Sheikh.
He wrote that Ibn Arabi’s writings
were the result of sufi mystic vision and have to be interpreted as such. Ibn
Arabi’s writings on the Unity of Being [wahdatul wujud] was his sufi
mystic vision of the universe instead of being some ‘set of creed’ or
‘theological doctrine’ to which he came through a ‘self-directed thought
process.’ Many people who criticize Ibn Arabi for his ‘creed’ being unIslamic
are totally wrong as these are not his ‘creed’ but his ‘sufi mystic
experiences.’
Ahmad Sirhindi (Mujaddid Alif Sani), has criticized wahdatul wujud. Ahmad Sirhindi wrote about
the sayings that universe has no existence of its own and is a shadow of the
existence of the necessary being. He also wrote that one should discern the
existence of universe from the absolute and that the absolute does not exist
because of existence but because of his essence.
[26] However, if salik devoted himself in muraqabat zikriyyah until reaching mukashafahand mushahadah based on ahwal and maqomat, he would not feel any other existing except Allah. At this
moment, salik does not feel anything except wujud Allah. This is also called as
wahdatul wujud, but not in haqiqa. But merely on the wahdatul wujud of feeling,
testimony, and senses.
Retrieved
from internet. On 18 December 2009. What is “Unity
of Being” (Wahdat al-Wujud)? Does it Conform in Any Way to the Teachings of
Islam?” by Fathullah GulenMonday, 26 December 2005.
[27]Wahdatul wujud is the sufistic
expression that could not be achieved and understood transcendentally explained
among by people. This concept could be told through tariqa that explain this
step by step (maqamat) into dzauq→ sharia, tariqa, haqiqa→ makrifah.
[28]Furthermore, Ibn ‘Arabi’s impact
outside the historic Muslim countries is not easily traced. Miguel Asin
Palacios in the 1920s caused a furor when he suggested that Dante had drawn on
Ibn ‘Arabi’s writings for his Divine
Comedy. Orientalists began to study Ibn
‘Arabi’s works relatively late, and the first response was frequently
frustration. The first work to be translated into English appeared in 1911.
Recognition of the depth and richness of his writings has extended to new
audiences over the past century, particularly since the 1970s. At the same time
there has been a great revival of interest and publishing in the Islamic world.
[29] Such as Sha’ir Burung Pingau,
Burung Pungguk, and Perahu.
Ade
Armando in Hamzah Fansuri. Ensiklopedia
Islam. V. 2. Jakarta. P.296-297.
[30] See M. Laily
Mansur. Kitab
Ad-Durun Nafis, Toko Buku Hasanu, Banjarmasin,
1982.
[31] Ade Armando in
Hamzah Fansuri. Ensiklopedia
Islam. V. 2. Jakarta: Ichtiar Baru–Van Hoeve.
1993. P.296-297.
[32] Indeed, this teaching– which is called maratabat tujuh – is included in the ‘School of Unicity’, but its
development is a little different and there is modification and influences from
India because some Sufis in India, such as Sultan Akbar and Dara Sikuh, sought
reconciliation with the Hindu doctrine and the Vedanta.
Ade Armando in Shamsuddin Al-Sumatrani. Ensiklopedia Islam. Vol. VI. . Jakarta: Ichtiar Baru–Van Hoeve. 1993. P.299.
[33] ibid
[34] ibid
[35] See Chatib Quzwain. Mengenal Allah: Suatu Studi Mengenai
Ajaran Tasawwuf Sheikh Abd Shamad Al-Palimbani. Jakarta: Bulan Bintang,
1985.
[36] Ibid P. 38-39
The sifat wajib of Allah in Ahl Sunna’s teaching contain the
salbiya, the tanzih, the ma’ani, and the ma’nawiyah. These attributes are
well-known as sifat
wajib 20.
[37] Ibid P. 40
[38] The concepts of al-Insan al-Kamel,
the perfect man and Wahdat al-Wujud, are both linked to the doctrine of Tawhid and thus in Sufi Islam Tawhid means,
first, faith and belief in the unity of God; second, discipline of the internal
and external life in the light of that faith; third, experience of union and
oneness with God; and fourth, a theosophical or philosophical conception of
reality in the light of the mystical experience. The first two senses are
accepted by all Muslims. However the third and fourth senses are the particular
teaching of Sufi Islam. For them Tawhid in the third sense is to have the
perception of the One Being through mystical experience. It is the highest
experience of the unity of God. In the fourth sense, one loses his own identity
and becomes one with the One being. In this sector, though several formulations
exist, the most elaborate and forceful formulation of the doctrine of Tawhid wajudi or wahdatul
Wujud is from Ibn Al-Arabi.
[39] Al Banjari has tried to reconcile the tradition of Ghazali
and Ibn Arabi. In this work, he used the teaching of his teachers and refers to
“Futuhat Al-Makkiyah” and “Fusushl-Hikam” from Ibn ‘Arabi, “Hikam” (Ibn
Atha’illah), “Insan Al-Kamil” (Al-Jilli), “Ihya’ ‘Ulumiddin” and “Minhaj
Al-‘Abidin (Al-Ghazali), “Risalat Al-Qusyairiyyah” (Al-Qusyairi), “Jawahir wa
Al-Durar” (Al-Sya’rani), “Mukhtashar Al-Tuhfat al-Mursalah” (‘Abdullah bin
Ibrahim Al-Murghani), and “Manhat Al-Muhaammadiyah” by Al-Sammani.
Azyumardi Azra. Jaringan Ulama Timur Tengah dan Kepulauan Nusantara
Abad XVII dan XVIII, Mizan, Bandung, 1994
[40] See M. Laily Mansur. Kitab Ad-Durun Nafis, Toko Buku Hasanu, Banjarmasin, 1982.
[41] He is the son of Mas Pajangswara and Grandson of Yasadipura II, the great poet ofSurakarta Kingdom.
His father is the heir of Pajang Kingdom and his mother is the heir of
Demak Kingdom.
Retrieved from http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranggawarsita, on 18 December 2009.
[42] The Serat
Centini, as first shown by Soebardi (1971),
contains more detailed information on the works studied in the “pesantren”, but
it would be rash to assume that this is valid for a period much earlier than
that when the Centini was composed. In the discussions of its protagonists,
twenty different kitab are mentioned, six of which are major fiqh texts
(including the ones mentioned already, Taqrib and Idah. nine works on doctrine (including Samarqandi’s introductory
text and Sanusi’s two well-known works on`aqida with various commentaries), two tafsir (the near-ubiquitous
Jalalayn and that of Baydawi) and three works on sufism.
[43] These are some of Ronggowarsito’s works: Bambang
Dwihastha : cariyos Ringgit Purwa Bausastra
Kawi atau Kamus Kawi –
Jawa, beserta C.F. Winter
sr. Sajarah Pandhawa lan Korawa : miturut Mahabharata,
beserta C.F. Winter
sr. Sapta dharmaSerat Aji
Pamasa Serat
CandrariniSerat CemporetSerat PanitisastraSerat Pandji Jayeng TilaSuluk Saloka
JiwaWirid Hidayat
JatiWirid
Ma’lumat JatiSerat Sabda
Jati,
etc
Retrieved from http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangga_Warsita on
18 December 2009.
[44] HAMKA. Perkembangan Kebatinan di
Indonesia. Jakarta: Bulan Bintang, 1971. P: 37-40.