UNDERSTANDING THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL ISLAMIC FAITH THROUGH ‘ABD AL-GHANI AL-NABULUSI’S MYSTICAL PHILOSOPHY

• Main Author: Naoki Yamamoto
• Format: Article
• Language: Arabic
• Published: State Islamic University Sunan Kalijaga 2013-12-01
• Series: Al-Jami'ah: Journal of Islamic Studies
• Online Access: http://journal.aljamiah.org/index.php/AJ/article/view/157
• ISSN: 0126-012X; 2338-557X

<p class="abstrak">This paper tries to present a new perspective on Islamic faith and Muslim identity to Muslim minorities who are challenged in practicing or following Islamic law in non-Islamic countries or non-Muslims in the contemporary world. It will uncover the multidimensional perspective of the concept of faith based on sin (<em>dhanb</em>) and repentance (<em>tawbah</em>) through the mystical philosophy of a Syrian scholar, Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi (d. 1143/1741) of the 18th century Ottoman Damascus who contributed to the field of Sufism particularly based on Ibn ‘Arabi’s thought of <em>wahdat al-wujud</em> (oneness of being) and <em>insan kamil</em> (the perfect man). Nabulusi believes that anyone who lived during the inexistence of prophet’s revelation, inhabited an isolated place cut off from information about Islam, or lived in <em>dar al-harb</em> and did not make a <em>hijra</em> to <em>dar al-islam</em> could not be regarded as sinful in their deeds. However, faith in Allah is essential and infidelity is not forgiven regardless whether or not they live in <em>dar al-islam </em>or<em> dar al-harb</em>. Further, Nabulusi insists that true faith can be achieved by understanding the sin of existence; the ignorance of the difference of existence between Allah and men.</p> <p class="abstrak"> </p><p class="abstrak"><em>[Artikel ini menjelaskan identitas keberagamaan umat Islam minoritas yang dituntut untuk menerapkan syariat, namun harus hidup di negara non-muslim, dengan mendiskusikan perspektif multidimensional terhadap konsep dosa dan tobat seperti dikembangkan oleh Abd al-Ghanī al-Nabulusī (1143/1741), seorang sufi pemikir Syria, khususnya  wahdat al-wujūd dan insan kamil, yang hidup di masa kesultanan Usmani di Damaskus. Nabulusī berkeyakinan bahwa siapa saja yang hidup sebelum turunnya wahyu di masa Nabi, hidup di daerah terpencil yang tidak mengenal Islam, atau hidup di dar al-harb dan tidak hijrah ke dar al-islam, tidaklah dibebani dosa atas perbuatannya. Namun demikian, iman kepada Allah amatlah penting dan kekufuran tidaklah dimaafkan, baik seseorang tersebut hidup di dar al-islam ataupun dar al-harb. Nabulusī beranggapan bahwa iman yang hakiki bisa dicapai dengan memahami dosa eksistensial, yaitu kegagalan dalam memahami perbedaan antara Allah dan manusia.]</em></p><strong> Keywords</strong>: Ibn ‘Arabī, <em>wahdat al-wujūd</em>, <em>dar</em> <em>al-harb</em>