Criticizing the Hegemony of “Iman” and the Interpretation of “Islam”

Up untill now, the doctrine of “iman” (faith) and “Islam” is believed to be axiomatic and even a-historic as well as uninfluenced by group interests and conflicts. Hence the construction of the identity of iman and Islam is a fortification of the authenticity of the codified and finalized beliefs of the doctrinal roots of Islam.

Exploration of the roots of Arab-Islam intellectualism by Muhammad Abid al-Jabiri uncovers a conflict of interest between theological groups wrapped in a religious discourse. Aqeedah (belief) of ahl sunnah wal jama`ah which is strictly followed by the textualists or scriptualists, is in fact the construction of salafi generation in the battlefield of interests between state supremacy and theological ideology. The construction of iman was born within an atmosphere of conflict among theologians coming from different political contents.

Iman is defined as a form of confession and justification, stated verbally and manifested in a formal social framework. This definition turns to be a hegemonic postulation when the religious discourse of Islamic textualism is used as a shield for political interests. Consequently, this definition of iman displaces other definitions of iman.

Ahmad bin Hanbal put this definition of iman into the theological construction of ahl sunnah wal jama`ah. As explained in Thabaqat al Hanabilah, this inspiration of a pure Islamic movement is conveyed through the sunni Islamic identity of ahl sunnah wal jama`ah and can be compared to the comprehension of theological sects of Khawarij, Mu`tazilah, Hanafiah, Syiah, as well as with the opposition to the current leadership of the Umayyah dynasty. In short, the definition of iman and the construction of the ahl sunnah identity is legitimized through politics.

This political and religious dialectic underlies the roots of the punishment (mihnah) of the intellectuals of fikh and hadits, the judges and officials who believe in “the eternity of alqur’an” by the Abbasid rulers (al-Makmun, al-Mu`tashim, and al-Wastiq). Ahmad bin Hanbal is one of the victims of this political intimidation wrapped in a religious discourse. In this perspective the policy of mihnah which fell upon ibn Hanbal and the opponents of the Abbasid rulers related to Hanabilah’s support of the Umayyah regime in a time when the Abbasid dynasty and the opposition of Umayyah were under pressure.

Indeed, this battle of political and religious discourses provides fertile ground for the growth of interpretation of plural religious principles. Moreover, the definition of iman of Ahmad bin Hanbal which has been carved into the religious consciousness of the Muslim community is not a single interpretation. Long before the mihnah tragedy, Abu Hanifah provided a definition of iman which supported tolerance and provided the legal basis for human liberty.

For this founder of rational Islam, iman is a commitment to believe in the omnipresent oneness of God (tawheed). To al-Jabiry, this tolerant and liberal definition impinges on the legality of freedom of opinion. Theologically, the liberal interpretation of iman is diverse in contrast to the comprehension of Hanabilah/textualist which is doctrinaire. 

In order to criticize the doctrine of iman and Islam by salafy it is important to deconstruct the assumption of the commitment of one’s faith, that is, in how verbal expression and behavior affects one’s faith – or in a how a merely theological faith is disconnected from social responsibility.

It seems that the liberal and tolerance spirit inherited by Abu Hanifah was appreciated and elaborated upon by Muhammad Shahrur in al-iman wa al-Islam. This Syrian thinker attempted to deconstruct and reconstruct at once the conception of iman and Islam which seems to be united in the rigidity of Islamic history. To Shahrur, Islam as a religious institution contains two elements, iman islami and iman taklifi.

The former element is the law of universal morals qanun. That moral law consists of submission and obedience toward Reality-Ultim-Universum (God), a belief in the coming of judgment day (the day after day) and the importance of being righteous towards fellow humans (ihsan). This element is available in each religion’s structure since all religions typically call for righteousness and condemn destructive acts. These basic principles are understood to be hanif – the basic nature of humanity.

Iman taklifi consists of particular burdens and obligations. The dictums in this iman taklifi come in the form of law and the regulation of the social relations of believers. Sharur’s reformation of this dogmatic formulation articulates revolutionary-transformative steps in contrast to the conventional concept of ihsan. This formulation makes the concept of ihsan universal and also uses it as a social barometer.

As a consequence of the basic characteristics of fitrah and hanif, transcendental obedience should not drive marginalization and discrimination of fellow humans. This dimension should be the main priority in dictums of iman taklifi. Conception of ihsan drives the believers to always be righteous. This preposition opposes the verdict that religion is the source of illusion which drives humans to alienation. As summarized by Erich Fromm in analyzing Marx in Beyond the Chains of Illusion, alienation is caused by slavery toward mysterious idols. This slavery drains one’s energy and finally forces one into the gloomy jail of alienation.

Normatively speaking, in Islam, alienation is prevented by ihsan – the necessity of performing righteously towards others. This basic framework rejects thesis of religion as the source of social alienation.  Being righteous without regard to differences of tribe, race, nation, ideology, religion is the foundation of Islamic society. Hence Islam is capable of uplifting human decency without colonizing others. 

To the writer, this is the substance of hadits, “Islam is elevated and nothing is beyond it”. This reconstruction will reflect that Islam is the holy message which strives to foster humanitarian and civilized values.

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By: Fajar Riza Ul Haq, Staff of Centre of Culture and Social Changes Studies (PSB-PS) University of Muhammadiyah   Surakarta (UMS)

(Translated by Lanny Octavia, edited by Jonathan Zilberg)