Hajj, Emancipatory Education, and De-feudalization
By Muhbib Abdul Wahab
Postgraduate Lecturer at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Deputy Chair of the Pesantren Development Institute PP Muhammadiyah
Social media has recently been buzzing with the controversy sparked by KH. Imadudin Ustman al-Bantani's findings, which claim that the habibs (descendants of the Prophet Muhammad) in Indonesia have no scientific proof of their lineage to the Prophet Muhammad. This assertion has upset many because it delegitimizes the habibs, who arrived in Indonesia in the 1880s, claiming to be descendants of the Prophet.
The habibs associate themselves with Ba’ Alawi, descendants of Alawi bin Ubaidillah bin Ahmad al-Muhajir bin Isa al-Rumi bin Muhammad Naqib bin Ali al-Uraidhi bin Imam Ja’far al-Shadiq bin Muhammad al-Bakir bin Ali Zaenal Abidin bin Husein bin Fatimah al-Zahra, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. They even have an organization, Rabithah ‘Alawiyah, established in 1928 to document the Prophet's descendants in Indonesia.
Syafiq Hasyim (2022) notes that their genealogical connection to the Prophet remains challenging to verify. Although many texts discuss Ba’ Alawi, such as Nubzat Latifah fi Silsilati Nasabil Alawi by Zainal Abidin bin Alwi Jamalul Lail and Ittisalul Nasabil Alawiyyain wal Asyraf by Umar bin Salim al-Attas (13th century), these sources postdate the 10th to 12th centuries, which should be the reference period. According to Kyai Imad, the lineage from Ali al-Uraidhi is crucial, and there are gaps in this genealogical chain affecting Alawi bin Ba Alawi.
Beyond the genealogical controversy, some religious practices among certain habibs are concerning. Excessive cultism and the belief that a sinful habib is still better than seventy ordinary scholars, and that habibs can grant intercession, suggest a social stratification where habibs are perceived as superior. This feudalism contradicts Islamic teachings of equality, emancipation, egalitarianism, and justice. Feudalism, whether in socio-economic or religious practice, preserves power and hegemony contrary to Islam's mission to eradicate slavery, discrimination, and social stratification, as emphasized in the Prophet Muhammad’s Farewell Sermon.
In the context of educational equity and justice, the saying al-insanu bi adabihi la binasabihi conveys that a person's quality is determined by their character, not their ancestry. A kiyai’s child doesn't automatically become a kiyai. How did the Prophet Muhammad dismantle feudalism and socio-economic conglomerates through emancipatory education? Why should Muslims revisit the egalitarian values of Hajj, especially through the Prophet's Farewell Sermon?
The Dangers of Feudalism
The Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia defines feudalism as a system that grants significant power to the nobility, emphasizing positions over achievements. In medieval Europe, feudalism meant working for and being paid by landowners. The term originates from the Latin feudum, meaning a temporary land grant given to a vassal in return for services. Feudalism is associated with land as power, expanding to include attitudes and actions that position some as untouchable authorities.
Feudalism has deep roots in Indonesian society due to its colonial and royal heritage. Today, political feudalism is undeniable, where the powerful suppress political opponents or allies to maintain control, often influenced by oligarchic interests. This results in state betrayal and impoverishment of the people.
Educational feudalism is equally harmful. Rising tuition fees, justified by supposed quality improvements, make higher education elitist. Demonstrations against these increases highlight that quality education becomes inaccessible to the less affluent. The state should ensure educational equity, as mandated by the Constitution.
Emancipatory and De-feudalization Education through Hajj
Feudalism not only exists in socio-economic and political spheres but also poses a significant danger in religious understanding and interpretation. Feeling the most "orthodox" or believing that one's understanding aligns with the model of the Prophet Muhammad's companions and the early Muslim community, for example, Salafi and Wahhabi groups, consciously or unconsciously tend to nurture feudalism by monopolizing religious interpretation, claiming unilaterally that their group is the most correct. Meanwhile, those outside their group are considered wrong, deviant, heretical, or even infidels. A tendency towards textual, scriptural (non-contextual), rigid, and non-comprehensive understanding of religious texts (verses of the Qur'an and Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad) makes it non-Islamic with a narrow and inflexible view, non-moderate, and tends to easily mislead, label as deviant, and declare disbelief towards others who differ from their views, as seen in the recent case involving Ustadz Adi Hidayat, who was "declared an unbeliever" for his opinion on music.
Practices and cultures of feudalism are strongly opposed in Islam because they do not align with human values and fail to reflect justice and fair treatment before the law. The defeudalization exemplified by our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) involved certain parties lobbying him not to enforce the law against a thief from the aristocratic class, the Bani al-Makhzumiyyah. "Indeed, the Quraysh people were concerned about the situation (fate) of the women of Bani Makhzumiyyah who were caught stealing. They said, 'Who can influence the Messenger of Allah?' They answered, 'No one dares except Usamah bin Zaid, who is loved by the Messenger of Allah.' So Usamah appealed to the Messenger of Allah (to lighten or exempt the woman from the punishment of cutting her hand). The Messenger of Allah then said, 'Are you interceding (seeking leniency in punishment) regarding Allah's law?' The Messenger of Allah stood up and addressed, 'O people, indeed those who were destroyed before you were destroyed if there was a noble person among them who committed theft, they would leave him (unpunished), but if it was a weak person (commoner) who stole, they would enforce the law upon him. By Allah, if Fatimah bint Muhammad were to steal, I would cut off her hand myself.'" (Narrated by al-Bukhari no. 6788 and Muslim no. 1688).
Education for emancipation and defeudalization is not only important in the context of fair and just law enforcement but also in realizing a social, political, economic, cultural, and educational system that is equal, equitable, and socially just. Long before the United Nations declared the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in Paris on December 10, 1948, the Prophet Muhammad had repeatedly, at least four times, delivered speeches (sermons) during the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajj Wada') containing the most authentic and fundamental human rights values. These four sermons were delivered on the 7th of Dhu al-Hijjah at Multazam or near Maqam Ibrahim, on the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah at Arafah, and on the 12th and 13th at Mina. The content of these four sermons was almost the same, with slight differences in wording. All of them cannot be separated from human rights values, including the values of benevolence, philanthropic education, and defeudalization education.
One of the Prophet Muhammad's sermons that is worth narrating in this article is as follows:
The Prophet Muhammad delivered a sermon to the congregation during the Farewell Pilgrimage as follows. "O mankind, your Lord is One. Your father is also the same. You are all descendants of Adam. Adam was created from dust. The most honorable among you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; a white person has no superiority over a black person, nor does a black person have any superiority over a white person, except by piety. Have I not conveyed the message? O Allah, bear witness. Let those who are present convey it to those who are absent." (Narrated by the congregation)
The education for emancipation and defeudalization conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad emphasizes the importance of the principles of equality and egalitarianism in the system of life. Defeudalization education must be based on the creed of monotheism, that Allah is the One God; all human beings are equal before Allah, there is no discrimination. Defeudalization education is reinforced by the equality of genealogical origins, that all human beings are descendants of Prophet Adam (peace be upon him), created by Allah from dust. And all human beings, after death, will also be buried in the ground. There is no preference or privilege between Arabs and non-Arabs, white and black people, rulers and commoners. The quality of a person, in the sight of God, is determined by their piety. In other words, the purpose of education for emancipation and defeudalization is humanization in order to achieve true piety by drawing closer to Allah SWT, not by boasting about lineage, descent, social class, race, ethnicity, or other factors.
Education for emancipation and defeudalization essentially represents liberation from slavery and hegemony related to equal rights in various aspects of social, political, economic, legal, cultural, educational, and other aspects of life. Therefore, pre-Islamic traditions such as slavery and the subordination of women by granting them inheritance rights are abolished. Women have the right to inherit property left by their fathers or husbands, as well as the right to education and social-political roles according to their capacities, such as narrators of Hadiths, nurses for wounded war victims, logistics providers during wars, educators for their sons and daughters, and so on. There should be no discrimination based on gender because men and women are considered equal in the eyes of Allah, depending on their performance and contribution to goodness. "Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do." (Quran, Surah An-Nahl/16: 97)
The actualization of defeudalization education in Islam includes the abolition of the slavery system, with the liberation of slaves, and in the context of modern life, the liberation of nations from colonization. Therefore, the emancipation of slaves and the liberation of humans from marginalized status (subordination) become a form of expiation (atonement or fine for certain mistakes and legal violations), such as unintentional manslaughter.
In the context of the liberation of slaves, Allah says: "Never should a believing man kill a believing man; but (if it so happens) by mistake, (compensation is due): if one (so) kills a believer, it is ordained that he should free a believing slave, and pay compensation to the deceased's family, unless they remit it freely. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you, and he was a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (is enough). If he belonged to a people with whom ye have treaty of Mutual alliance, compensation should be paid to his family, and a believing slave be freed. For those who find this beyond their means, (is prescribed) a fast for two months running: by way of repentance to Allah: for Allah hath all knowledge and all wisdom." (Quran, Surah An-Nisa'/4: 92).
"And those who pronounce thihar among you [to separate] from their wives - they are not [consequently] their mothers. Their mothers are none but those who gave birth to them. And indeed, they are saying an objectionable statement and a falsehood. But indeed, Allah is Pardoning and Forgiving. And those who pronounce thihar from their wives and then [wish to] go back on what they said - then [there must be] the freeing of a slave before they touch one another. That is what you are admonished thereby; and Allah is Acquainted with what you do." (Quran, Surah Al-Mujadilah/58: 3).
"Allah does not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He imposes blame upon you for what your hearts have earned. And Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing. For those who swear not to have sexual relations with their wives is a waiting time of four months, but if they return [to normal relations] - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. And if they decide on divorce - then indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. Divorced women remain in waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have more right to take them back in this [period] if they want reconciliation. And due to the wives is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable. But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise." (Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah/2: 225-228).
With defeudalization in the field of education and government or public institutions, the principles of competence and meritocracy become one of the objective considerations in the recruitment and placement
(This article has been published in Tabligh Magazine, Issue Number 6/XXII.)