Remembering Imam Bukhari, Honoring Bung Karno: Faculty of Ushuluddin UIN Jakarta Advocates for the Soekarno Garden Project in Uzbekistan
Meeting Room 4th Floor Faculty of Ushuluddin, UIN News Online - Uzbekistan is the cradle of scientists and scholars. One of the leading scholars born from this country is Abu Abdillah Muhammad bin Ismail al-Bukhari. He was born in the city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan, on July 21, 810.
This was conveyed by a lecturer at the Faculty of Ushuluddin, Muhammad Rifqi Fatkhi, as a guest speaker in the Public Expose “1000 Indonesian Lights for Amirul Mukminin Fil Hadith” at the 4th floor Meeting Room of the Faculty of Ushuluddin, UIN Jakarta, Monday (25/11/2024).
The event aims to explore more deeply the contribution of Imam Bukhari in shaping the civilization of the Islamic world, including for Muslim communities in Indonesia and discuss the support of the Indonesian people, especially the Faculty of Ushuluddin UIN Jakarta in the construction of the “Soekarno Garden” Park and Library in the tomb complex of Imam Bukhari in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
For information, the Soekarno Garden park and library around Imam Bukhari's tomb refers to the role of the first President of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno, who asked the Uzbek government to search and find Imam Bukhari's tomb. The request was conveyed by President Soekarno as a requirement for his presence in fulfilling a visit to the country.
The Faculty of Ushuluddin UIN Jakarta itself, fully supports the construction of the “Soekarno Garden” Park and Library. In fact, it is committed to curating the best collection of books on Islamic thought, history, and contemporary issues from Indonesia, which will enrich Soekarno's library collection.
The Public Expose activity “1000 Indonesian Lights for Amirul Mukminin Fil Hadist”, was attended by the Indonesian Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Yudi Alamin via zoom meeting. In the same event, a number of speakers attended and shared insights about the important scientific role of Imam Bukhari. Among them were KH. Abdul Mun'im DZ (Chairman of the Panata Dipantara Foundation), and Dr. Rifqi Muhammad Fatkhi M.A. (Lecturer in Hadith Science at the Faculty of Ushuluddin UIN Jakarta).
Imam Bukhari, said Dr. Fatkhi, is one of the leading hadith experts ever. One of his most famous books is Shahih Bukhari which contains a collection of sahih hadith written for 16 years. Through this book, he continued, Imam Bukhari is known as Amirul Mukminin fil Hadith or the leader of the believers in the science of hadith.
Imam Bukhari's intellectual fruit is enjoyed throughout the world, including Indonesia. In Indonesia itself, Imam Bukhari's works continue to be read, studied, and disseminated. “In Yogyakarta there is a Bukhoren tradition, in Magelang there is a Bukhara Muqerenan tradition, in Betawi there is a khataman of the book of Shahih Bukhari,” he said.
Among Imam Bukhari's admirers was the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno. Bung Karno was known as a true nationalist. However, he continued, what is not widely known is that he was also a person who had a great interest in Islamic studies including hadith.
Bung Karno's first encounter with Imam Bukhari was long before he became President. “In his book, Islam Sontoloyo, Bung Karno wrote a letter to a friend to be sent the book of Shahih Bukhari,” said the Hadith Science Lecturer at the Faculty of Ushuluddin.
Furthermore, the former Head of the Hadith Science Study Program at UIN Jakarta explained that Imam Bukhari lived in a turbulent socio-political context. One of Imam Bukhari's most popular quotes is the call to fight against injustice.
“Fight. If you succeed and win, you will lose many people you love. But, if you stay silent and give up, even dying is worse than living,” he said. According to Dr. Fatkhi, Imam Bukhari's fighting spirit may have been one of the inspirations that prompted Bung Karno to ignite the fire of resistance against the colonials.
However, continued Dr. Fatkhi, Bung Karno was not a textual reader and swallowed Imam Bukhari's hadith raw. “Bung Karno was a critical reader. The way Bung Karno understood the hadith was characterized by a generalistic ideal. Bung Karno believed in hadith as something ideal and universally applicable but still considered the situation, conditions and so on,” he explained.
The head of the Panata Dipantar Foundation, KH Abdul Mun'im DZ, affirmed Rifqi's statement and even went further. According to him, the points of Pancasila that were coined by Bung Karno were more or less influenced by Islamic traditions.
This is not surprising, said Abdul, because Bung Karno mingled with many circles including the ulama. Abdul said that in Surabaya Bung Karno met Tjokroaminoto and other Masyumi figures. In the 30s when he was exiled to Ende, Flores, NTT he corresponded with A. Hassan. He also studied with Kyai Ahmad Besari in Cianjur. As well as studying with Kartini's brother, Sosrokartono. “From them Bung Karno learned a lot about Islam,” he said.
Abdul explained that Bung Karno also learned the Qur'an from many sources, especially from Dutch and English. However, Bung Karno did not have access to study the second source of Islam, the Hadith. “This reason is what prompted Bung Karno to write a letter to be sent the book of Shahih Bukhari,” he said.
Furthermore, according to Abdul, Bung Karno had time to study directly with Hadratusy Syaikh KH M. Hasyim Asy'ari and several other kiai. “From there Bung Karno became more familiar with the hadiths of Bukhari and Muslim,” he said.
Not only that, continued Abdul, Bung Karno also understood and practiced tawasul and pilgrimage. “Before Indonesia's independence, the first grave he visited was that of Prince Diponegoro,” he explained.
Through this historical background, it is not surprising that the governments of Indonesia and Uzbekistan intend to commemorate Bung Karno's work by establishing a “Soekarno Garden” park and library in the Imam Bukhari tomb complex in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Event Documentation:
(Aji Pangestu/Fauziah M./Dzihan Aufa Kilmi Firdausi/Foto: Muhammad Fahri Afrizal, Hermanudin)