22
Tawhidi Principle in the Perspective of Men to Perform Social
Deeds
Hendy Herijanto
Sekolah Tinggi Ekonomi
Islam (STES) Islamic Village
Jalan Raya Islamic, Kelapa
Dua
Tangerang 15810, Indonesia
Abstract
A certain Muslim society apparently puts more importance
on performing Religious Deeds and tends to ignore Social Deeds. In light of the
Tawhidi Principle, this paper attempts to ascertain that performing Religious
Deeds as God Servants must effect positively on performing Social Deeds as God
Vicegerents. To achieve this objective, some analysis is made on the exegesis
of the related Qur'anic verses. In conclusion, performing Religious Deeds must
drive men to perform Social Deeds, as both will carry more weight to get final
rewards in the Day of Judgment. This is because God creates human beings to
populate the earth and make it prosperous. That is to apply the concept of Amar
Ma’ruf Nahi Munkar, or commanding the good and forbid the evil. If both Deeds
are done in balance, the world will become healthy and prosperous.
Keywords: Tawhidi Principle; God Servants; God Vicegerents; Religious
Deeds; Social Deeds.
1. Introduction
Indonesia
has the biggest Muslim population in the world. Sadly speaking, however, the
country’s corruption level is still one world highest. Obviously, this latter
fact being corruptive is contradictory to the first fact being religious. As
Muslims, they do Ibadah Mahdhah or
the five religious pillars of Islam. Hence, it is called Religious Deeds. For
the first pillar, they do shalat or
the obligatory prayers at home and in mosques regularly. For another, many of
them are listed to wait for years to take turn to do the hajj pilgrimage. These
personal religious practices do not help reduce the corruption level which is
not Islamic, and specifically condemned in Islam (Rehman & Askari, 2010).
Corruption in Islam is considered as one of the Mafsadah or the evils.
The objective of this paper is to study the relationship
between the Tawhidi Principle in terms of men’s creation in relation to
men’s two duties and Social Deeds. These Deeds mean virtues, or Maslahah or benefit created by men for
other human beings. Its opposite is Mafsadah.
The men's two duties are to function as God Servants or Al Abid, and as
God Vicegerents or Khalifahs. As God Servants, men must perform Religious Deeds; and as God
Vicegerent, must do Social Deeds.
2. Methodology
This is a library study. The methodology used is to
mainly review and analysis all the related Qur’anic verses and the
authentic sayings of the Prophet pbuh or called the Hadits, together with the Qur’anic
exegesis done by the Islamic scholars in the mainstream.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. The Tawhidi
Principle
Islam is based on monotheism. It means that there is only
one God to be worshipped, or called Tawhid. This Arabic verb means ‘to unite’, or ‘to consolidate’ (Philips,
2005). Thus, Tawhid in Islam means the Unity of Allah (Azram, 2011), or the God
Oneness (Laludin,
2014). The Almighty God
is One and the only One, absolute and having no partners (Choudhury, 2004),
neither beget nor begotten, having the best names and characters in substance
unique and incomparable to any qualities of His creatures. Allah The Almighty is the Most and The Only Creator (Al-Tahewi,
2000). Being the Beginning and The End, everything comes from Allah and
returns back to Him.
Tawhid
also means a principle that “verily my prayers, my deeds, my life and death
are all for Allah, the Creator of all universe” (Al Qur’an 6: 162). This regulates all human life in two
relations. The first is the vertical relation with God or Hablumminallah or
duties to Allah. The second is in the horizontal relation with all other
human beings, or Hablumminannas, in the scope of ‘Muamalah’ or
worldly affairs, or daily social and economic activities (Asy’arie, 2010). The
latter also means duties to humanities but in the sense of worship to Allah.
The Tawhidi principle with these two
integrates each other to become an amalgamation (Salleh, 2012). This is because The God
Oneness means to realize that all human activities directly or indirectly done
in the name of Allah (Philips,
2005).
The essence of this principle can be attained, if all
activities in both relations, mentally or physically, words and actions, can be
manifested in realities and in an harmony, based on Allah signs and
commandments and the Prophetic Hadits (Philips,
2005). Thus, Tawhid becomes the base
for a universal social system which is achieved by submitting to the law of
God, and transforms all human beings to a single brotherhood (Laluddin, 2014). According to Choudhury ((2006), Tawhidi Principle
also means like what Plato said as the prime cause where everything is created
by God as the beginning, and all will return to Him at the end. Between the
beginning and the end is connected by a transitory, physical, world where men
live. During this period, men are assigned by God to serve Him as God Servants
and Vicegerents. At the same time, men can increase the quality of his Iman
or a consistent worship and a strong faith to God, and Taqwa or respect
and fear of God, to form piety (Shimizu, 2012).
Men can accumulate the record of their virtues,
representing both their Religious Deeds and Social Deeds performed based on the
piety to God. While doing both, men can see God through their obedience to
God’s signs and commandments based on the knowledge developed from the verses
of the Qur’an and the Hadits
(Asy’arie, 2010). All of the records will be reviewed by God to get the final
rewards when men see God in a real sense in the Day of Judgment (Al Qur’an 45:
28, 29). Socrates
in Apologi 23a said that God is the sources of happiness and knowledge
(Rakhmat, 2009). Aristotle also said that the purpose of life for men to live
in this world is to attain happiness. With the knowledge said above, men can
differentiate what is good and bad, so as they can keep away the bad things
(Broom, 2003).
In Islam, however, happiness is not only measured by
worldly values, but also by the virtues required in the hereinafter through both
Religious Deeds and the Social Deeds done in the name of God in this world.
According to Kant (1963), the consciousness that God exists and fear of God for
His real justice will drive people to really pay attention and follow all of
His commandments. In Broom’s opinion, the belief in God’s All Knowing serve as
a strong base for people to do good deeds, and can make people to refrain from
bad deeds. They know whatever they do will be known to God, so that they keep
away the bad deeds (Broom, 2003). This also has been proven in some research
findings that belief in and fear of God does predict more honest behavior in
anonymous situations (Shariff
& Norenzayan, 2011).
3.2. The Process of Creating Human Beings
A statement says that, “Men are created from soil, and
will be returned to soil”. Physically, soil or land consist small particles
being attached to each other. In a fertile land, it is often connected to
vegetation that grows up bigger. On a contrary, plants cannot grow on dry land.
Nonetheless, this condition can be changed instantly by Allah Swt based
on His will. Surah Fussilat (Al Qur’an 41: 39) says that, Allah Swt with His power can change a
dead land to become a living land because of water and the air, so all sorts of
vegetation can grow again on the land. Likewise, the Almighty God can make a
dead man to return back to life again, just like the vegetation (Shihab, 2012).
The above statement is actually God’s words. Hamka (2000)
interpreted the Qur’anic verse (Al Qur’an 32: 7) that the first man
(Adam) was created from soil, and the offspring come from the extract of soil
in the form of sperm drops (Al Qur’an 32: 8; Al Qur’an 23: 12). Men cannot live
without the extracts from the soil where they are borne. Soil contains extracts
that make vegetation grow. These extracts contain many important ingredients
like vitamins, calorie, iron, albumen, and hormone. When eaten by men in the
forms of vegetables and fruits, all the extracts enter the man’s blood. Hormone
creates energy, life spirit, and enriches blood to produce man’s sperm or nuftah
(Hamka, 2000). Surah Al Mu’minun (Al Qur’an 23: 14) says that:
“Then We made the nuftah into a clot ( a piece of thick
coagulated blood), then We made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We
made out of that little lump of flesh bones, then we clothed the bones with
flesh and then We brought it forth as another creation”
At that stage, a soul from God is blown on so it becomes
alive as a man with brain and ability to think, after which to act as God
Vicegerent on earth. Hamka (2000) and Ibnu Katsir (Syaikh, 2014) interpreted
another verse (Al Qur’an 71: 18) that, after men die, in the Day of
Resurrection or Judgment, they are all put to life again from their graves in a
real sense (Hamka, 2000). This is mentioned in the following Surah Al A’Raaf
(Al Qur’an 7: 57) that says:
“And it is He who sends the winds as heralds of glad
tidings, going before His Mercy (rain). Till when they have carried a heavy
laden cloud, then we drive it to a land that is dead. We cause rain to descend
thereon. Then, we produce every kind of fruit therewith. We shall raise the
dead, similarly. Perchance you may remember”.
The above verse is then further supported by the
following Hadits that says any dead
men will be raised up just like any vegetations to grow again. Based on Abu
Hurairah’s narration, the Prophet pbuh said that:
“............Allah pours rains from the sky, and the dead
is growing just like any vegetations. Anything in the man’s body will be
finished in the soil, except the coccyx from which man’s body will be
composed again on the Judgment Day”. (Hadits
No. 4935) Shahih Bukhari.
3.3. The Stages of Men’s Life
The verse (Al Qur’an 84: 19) indicates that men’s life
journey follows some stages (At-Tuwaijiri, 2012). Stage one, this is the
earliest life within mother’s womb in a nine month period, and during which is
not burdened with the religious law. Stage two, the time since men is borne,
for which Allah provides men with whatever they need to live in the
physical world. The most important one is the brain with thinking power
together with the free will to develop their knowledge how to live well based
on the signs and guidance from Allah (Khaldun, 2010). Stage three and four are the Alam Barzakh
or in grave, and the time after the Day of Judgment or in the hereinafter.
The stage three is the transitory period waiting for the
doomsday when all human beings are dead and then being raised up in the Day of
Judgment. The latter Day is when all human beings will be weighted their good
deeds over their sins to get Allah
rewards or recompense. The stage four is the Akhirah or the eternal life
for those who are given God’s rewards to live in a paradise (Rehman & Askari, 2010).
The most crucial period is the time to live in the
physical world, after which they will taste the consequence of their deeds in
the hereafter (Wan
Zakaria, 2015). The task of human beings here is to become good God’s
Servants, fulfilling three conditions: First, to live with a strong Iman
or faith to The Almighty God consistently; second, to perform and drive people
to do Amar Ma’ruf or good deeds;
third, to forbid or to prevent people from doing Nahi Munkar or bad deeds ((Rehman & Askari, 2010).
3.4. The First Task: To Become God Servant and Worship Allah Subhanahu Wata’alla
Based on Surah Az Zariyat (Al Qur’an 51: 56), men
creation and life must be dedicated to do Ibadah,
worship God or to do Religious Deeds. Islamic law is not only confined to
ritual obligations to God, but also ethical rules that extend to proper conduct
among the whole of humanity based on one’s individual faith in God (Khan,
2015).That is to obey all His wills in order to get benefits
from God” (Al Qur’an 51:58). God does not need benefits from the mankind,
however. The word Ibadah is
defined as a comprehensive noun encompassing everything that Allah loves and is pleased with, whether
sayings, or actions, outward and inward. It means both, Religious Deeds in the
context of the vertical relation with God, and Social Deeds in the horizontal
relation among human beings (Rahardjo, 2002). The latter must be done following
Islamic law, particularly applying the concept of Amar Ma’ruf Nahi Munkar,
or commanding the good and forbidding the evil.
Thus, in a broader perspective, Ibadah is more than personal rituals (Khan, 2015), not only
practicing the five religious pillars of Islam, but also to be manifested in
men’s obedience and piety to all God’s orders in doing both the Religious Deeds
and Social Deeds according to the Al
Qur’an and The Prophetic Hadits.
3.5. The Second Task: To Act as The God’s Khalifah
on Earth
Surah Al Baqarah (Al Qur’an
2: 30) clearly mentions that God will appoint Khalifahs or God
Vicegerents on earth. The word Khalifah means “to replace”, the doer, or
“to connect” (Hamka, 2000). Ibnu Katsir, as quoting the interpretation by Ibnu
Jarir, explained that Khalifah means to replace Allah in doing a special task to solve problems justly for all His
creations. In the interpretation of Al Qurtubi, as quoted by Ibnu Katsir, Khalifah
means a person to abolish injustice among people, and to prevent them from
doing the prohibited activities and sins (Syaikh, 2014).
Despite the Angels’ argument that human beings always
make destructions on earth and spill blood, God still appointed human beings as
Khalifahs, because of God’s All Knowing (Al Qur’an 2: 30). Ibnu Katsir
said that the men creation can also cause to create a bigger ‘Maslahah’
or a bigger welfare. Among all human beings, there are always people who are
fear of and being pious to God, love God, and follow the God’s Prophets. God
appointed His Messengers, who guided the human beings who were Saleh to
paradise. Saleh here means those who create benefits for others (Syaikh,
2014).
In relation to the meaning of Khalifah, Al Qurtubi
concluded from the verse (Al Qur’an 2: 30), that every society need to appoint
their leaders, so that they can be directed to command the good, and to forbid
the evil, as well as to solve every human cases justly, so that any conflicts can
be settled in peace (Syaikh, 2014). Hamka interpreted from Surah Shaad (Al
Qur’an 38: 26), that the Prophet David was appointed as a Messenger and a
Prophet, and also as a Ruler. In this position, the Prophet David was
instructed to lay down the law for the people fairly and justly, not based on
emotion, which means to follow God’s straight path in order not to get the
recompense from God (Hamka, 2000).
Ibnu Katsir (Syaikh, 2014) and Hamka (2000) interpreted
the Surah (Al Qur’an 27: 62) that, God does not create human beings all
at once in a big number, or not to take their lives all at once except in the
doomsday, but allow them to develop from generation to generation,
interchangeably. Khalifah here means a newly coming generation will
‘replace’ the earlier generation. The purpose is to allow them to develop in
different nations, so as not to make the earth narrow for their lives. This
verse also reprimands men to pray to God in order God to help them when they
face difficulties in life. However, only some of them follow the truth and the
straight path to the God’s blessings.
Surah Fathir (Al Qur’an 35: 39) also
mentions about men as Khalifah on earth, but relates it to the
unbelievers. In his interpretation, Hamka (2000) said that good human habits and
deeds must be continued by the next generations. That also serves as a warning
to the unbelievers, if they do not follow the God’s guidance, it will make God
wrathful to them. Surah Yunus (Al Qur’an 10: 73) mentions that the
Prophet Noah’s people who were the believers were saved by God on a ship, and
made them as Khalifahs. In this case, Khalifahs mean as the
people to continue and to implement the God’s law on earth (Hamka, 2000).
Based on the Surah Al An’am (Al Qur’an 6: 165),
Hamka (2000) interpreted Khalifah as descendants of Adam up to The
Prophet Muhammad pbuh, whom all of them to replace the earlier generations.
Their tasks were to improve what have been done by the earlier people, and with
their intelligence to develop their knowledge. As stated in the verse (Al
Qur’an 6: 165), men as Khalifah are asked to do their utmost and work
optimally before entering the next stage of life. The works that benefit human
civilization, to prosper one self and others are considered as Ibadah or
also mean as worship to God.
3.6.
Striking the Balance in Life of a Muslim
The tasks of men are to serve as God Servants and Khalifahs
or God Vicegerents, and
these two major responsibilities must be carried out by men (Noordin, 2013). As
God Servants, men have to do religious Deeds. As God Vicegerents, men have to act justly and to create welfare
for others, avoiding destructions, harms, or losses, or performing Social
Deeds. This is because men are Homo Social, as they have to live
together. To fulfill their needs, every human being has to work together. That
is the reason why Islam puts the same importance to the horizontal relation
among human beings with the vertical relation between men and The Almighty God.
Both relations, however, must be done according to God’s commandments, and in
the name of God (Umar, 2015b). Umar said that, men are considered successful in
life, if they can fulfill the tasks as God Servants and as God Vicegerents (Umar, 2015a).
In view of the above, therefore, Religious Deeds have a
central function to proof their obedience and piety to God. The five pillars of
Islamic faith serve to drive all human beings to fulfill all God orders and
prohibitions to include doing Social Deeds (Umar, 2015b). The self interest in
performing Religious Deeds in attaining God blessings must correlate to
performing Social Deeds. Religious Deeds cannot be performed in extreme thus
neglecting worldly affairs (Hanapi,
2014). If the objectives of God to place human beings on earth
are considered, performing Social Deed to complete Religious Deeds can carry
more weight to get the final rewards from God. Surah Al Ankabut (QS, 29:
20) says that God places human being on earth, and to make it prosperous (Al
Qur’an QS, 11: 61). Furthermore, God does not need to receive any benefits from
men’s obedience and piety (Al Qur’an 51: 57).
Allah swt only orders men to obey His
commandments as both God Servants and Vicegerents to create welfare for all His
creatures. This is in line with the task given by God to the Prophet Muhammad
pbuh (Al Qur’an 21: 107), and that is to bring ‘Rahmat” or blessings for all God creatures, or Rahmatan lil Alamin. Thus, essentially the importance of the world
and the hereafter must be put in balance (Hanapi,
2013). This is supported by Surah Al Ma’un (Al Qur’an
107: 1-7) below:
“(1) Have you seen him who denies the Recompense
(the Judgment)?(2) That is he who repulses the orphan (harshly),(3) And urge
not the feeding the poor, (4) So woe unto those performers of prayers
(hypocrites),(6) Those who do good deeds only to be seen by men,(7) And refuse
Al Ma’un (or small kindness to lend pail, frying pan, or household utensils) to
neighbor in need”.
The verses (1) and (2) clearly indicate that those who do
not believe in the Day of Judgment, or deny the religious teachings, are those
who do not take care of the orphans or do not feed the poor. They said they
follow Islam, and worship Allah, but as God Servants they do not help
those in need. They do not perform Social Deeds, and do not command Amar
Ma’ruf or the good (Hamka, 2000). Therefore, to help those who are weak
economically must become a collective attitude for the society who claims to
have the religion.
The importance of the Social Deeds is mentioned in the
verses (5), (6) and (7). Pious Muslims are those acting as God Servants who
perform the prayers in time, not delaying it, not doing it for the sake of
showing it off to other people or not riya, but for realizing the
purpose and the wisdom behind performing prayers. Hence, Hamka (2000) quoted Ibnu
Jari, who says that:
“That what hypocrite people do. In front of other people,
they look as if they do prayers piously, but when no longer people seeing them,
they stop praying. They then have no conscience to help others when they need
it”.
If Muslims understand the purpose and the wisdom of doing
the prayers or Religious Deeds, then they really become the Servants of God. As
such, they must be willing to help other God Servants in need, which means to
do Social deeds. The last verse (7), as interpreted by Ibnu Katsir, means that
people who do not do the good to Allah
are those who do not do the good to any of His creatures. It also means those
who are not willing to lend their household utensils like pail or frying pan to
their neighbors, despite the fact they can return it in the same quality when
it is borrowed. According to Mujahid, the highest thing that the verse refers
to is paying Zakat or alms tax, and the lowest is like pail or needle.
Generally, those who are not willing to pay the alms tax are also those who are
reluctant to perform any other virtues or Social Deeds (Syaikh, 2014).
Apparently, this elaboration can lead to the opinion of Laluddin (2014) that,
the prayers represent spiritual devotion to God, and at the same time can
elevate moral. Prayers also can drive men to have sympathy to or pity others.
The same interpretation of the above Surah is also
applicable to other religious pillars of the Islamic faith. The other pillars
include fasting, paying Zakat, and hajj pilgrimage. To fast means
to bring God to oneself so that to control men’s egoistic behavior and to
suppress ones’ excessive desires. Essentially, to fast also means to create a
social solidarity among human beings and in the society. With regard to paying
alms tax, The Prophet Muhammad pbuh ever stated that paying alms tax is the way
to make somebody clean from sins, just like to feed the poor. It purifies one’s
property by sharing a portion due to those in need (Laluddin, 2014). Zakat payments help alleviate their
hardship and misery. Performing hajj pilgrimage is basically to
symbolize the unity, the equality, and the brotherhood of all human beings in
the world (Saefullah, 2010).
The above shows that the quality of doing all the
religious rituals is not only measured by performing the Religious Deeds, but
also seen from how strong the Religious Deeds can influence to perform the
Social Deeds. The piety in doing the Religious Deeds must also drive to do the
Social Deeds that is to do the good or virtues as well as to live socially in
harmony in society (Sodikin, 2011), creating Maslahah or benefits for one self and others (Umar, 2013).
3.7. Amar Ma’ruf Nahi
Munkar, Commanding the Good and Forbidding the Evil
In Islam, the correlation between Religious Deeds and
Social Deeds cannot be denied. As a Homo Social, to live together in a
society must have a high value. To achieve that value, Islam put an importance
in the concept and the serious implementation of Amar Ma’ruf Nahi Munkar, or commanding the good and forbidding the
evil. Although the concept sounds like a persuasion, but
substantively it means imperative and must be implemented, because there are
rewards and recompense from God for doing or not doing it.
As a verb, Ma’ruf means to ‘know’, ‘to concern’,
and ‘to see sharply the difference’; as a noun, it means ‘something to know, or
to be known’, and also means ‘reasonably proper’ or ‘sufficient or naturally
enough’ (Rahardjo, 2002). Al Qurthubi equalized it to the meaning of Urf,
Ma’ruf, and Arafah, which means ‘as habitual’, or ‘any behavior that
can be logically accepted’, and ‘to make one’s soul at peace’. In Arwah’s
opinion, it means ‘generosity’, or ‘philanthropy’; and in general means ‘any
good act’ (Sahabudin et al, 2007).
The word of Amar Ma’ruf, in Surah Al
Baqarah (Al Qur’an 2: 262, 263, 264) is related to “gift in the name of
Allah”, or similar to ‘charity’ (Al Qur’an 2: 264). The person who does the
giving may not show it off to others or humiliate the one who receives it (Al
Qur’an 2: 262), but must use decent words (Al Qur’an 2: 263: 264). To give in
the way of showing it off to others is the opposite of Amar Ma’ruf (Rahardjo, 2002). In this case, God
says that the reward thereof supposed to be given disappear traceless (Al
Qur’an 2: 264). On the contrary, Allah says that if wealth is spent in
the search of Allah’s blessings, the
reward provided is just like a farm on a height that will produce harvest as
twice as many, although it is only watered by a drizzling rain (Al Qur’an 2:
265).
The word Ma’ruf in Surah An Nissa (Al
Qur’an 4: 6) is related to an orphan who has no ability to manage his or her
inherited wealth, so the wealth needs to be managed by an agent with a fee.
Only if the agent is poor, he may take the fee but in Bil Ma’rufi,
provided it is considered as decent and proper according to people’s opinion in
general. Hamka (2000) added that, whatever approved by Allah is also
something approved in the eyes of humanity.
Surah Al Baqarah (Al Qur’an
2: 180) orders any man who is dying and owns some wealth to be left behind for
which he must write a will in the way of Bil Ma’rufi. Ibnu Katsir
interpreted it as’ in the good way’; that is the person who writes the
will must consider the future life of his or her joint heirs, not in excess or
not being stingy (Syaikh, 2014). In this case, the word Ma’ruf also
means proper and just.
Surah Al Baqarah (Al Qur’an
2: 228) also mentions the word Bi Ma’ruf. Hamka (2000) translated this
word to ‘proper’, while others to ‘in balance’, or ‘equitable’, or ‘reasonable’
(Sahabudin, et al, 2007). The word ‘Ma’ruf
in Surah Al Luqman (Al Qur’an 31: 15) concerns about the relationship
between a son or a daughter with his or her parents who are disbelievers. God
orders the child to respect them regardless of their attitude toward God
because that is their responsibility to God, and the child remains to worship Allah
alone. Hence, The word Ma’ruf is
translated into ‘wise’.
Ma’ruf serves as a part of Islamic law with the function to
improve morality through strengthening piety or God consciousness. In term of
revelation, Ma’ruf means God’s order; and in terms of logics, it means
to evaluate what is good, and respect the right of others. Obviously, the word Ma’ruf
applies in the context of human interactions within both family and society
(Sahabudin, et al, 2007).
The opposite of the word ‘Ma’ruf’ is Munkar,
It means whatever is being hated, not pleased with, not proper, or not
reasonable, as a result people reject it; or something not decently done by a
logical person (Hamka, 2000). The word Munkar also means a wrong action,
challenging to what is considered good by a society and the religious teaching
(Rahardjo, 2002). Ibnu Katsir said that there must be a group of people or
members in a society who are ready and willing to play the role as what The
Prophet pbuh has said in the following narration in the Book of Shahih
Muslim, from Abu Hurairah (Syaikh, 2014):
“Whoever sees any munkar, he is encouraged to change it
by his hands, if he cannot do it, then he is supposed to change it by his
words; and if he still cannot do it, then he shall change it by his heart, and
if not the faith in God becomes so weak”.
A call to do the good and to forbid the evil is basically
what Dakwah is all about. If it is generally done, according to Hamka
(2000), then the society is considered healthy, as their religious
consciousness becomes high, and the relationship among members in the society
is glorious. If a majority calls for the good, and forbid or prevents the evil,
the societal value then becomes high. However, if what happens is to the
contrary, that is when the call for Amar Ma’ruf Nahi Munkar stops and
the Munkar is more than the Ma’ruf, that means the society is in
a sick condition (Hamka, 2000).
In the perspective of sociology, Kartono (2005)
considered that sickness as a Social Pathology, or in the sociologist’s terms
it refers to any behaviors in contradictory to good norms, morality, family
solidarity, discipline and positive law. Another form of Social Pathology is Social
Deviation, that is the behavior of a majority of a society that is not
accepted, not wanted, disturbing, harmful, and making the society in general at
a loss.
If that Social Deviation happens repeatedly in the
majority of a society, it becomes cumulative, creating social disorganization.
It means the informal social control, like Dakwah
and customary law, fails. That condition makes the individual behavior out
of control, violating the social norm. As an example of this cumulative
deviation is the corruptive behavior that makes Indonesia rank one highest in the
world. It already becomes systematical, because the behavior is already
rationalized as normal by a majority of the society (Kartono, 2005).
Ironically, that Social Deviation happens in the society
where a majority of the members represent the biggest Moslem in the world. In
the perspective of the religion, one reason could be that they have a wrong
understanding about what Ibadah or God worship means, and they only
concentrate in doing the Religious Deeds. As such, apparently they do
not understand and implement their duties as God Vicegerents. The Dakwah by the Islamic scholars
is neglected, so that they allow the Munkar, or the evil or the Mafsadah,
continuously happening, and their morality level becomes lower. To improve the
situation, The Prophet pbuh’s saying above must be done totally. Djani (2015)
said that, a majority of the Indonesian people must call loudly for Fastabiqul
Khairat, or making a big race of doing the good, and make it as a mental
base for the people as a whole.
4. Conclusion
Tawhidi Principle also
commands men to do Religious Deeds which must drive them to do Social Deeds.
Before returning back to Him, men must do both while living in this transitory
world. The piety to do the Religious Deeds must increase the quantity and value
of the Social Deeds, which will carry more weight to be compensated by God with
final rewards in the hereafter. Hence,
the concept of Amar Ma’ruf Nahi Munkar must be implemented in both family
and society. If a majority of a society command Ma'ruf or the good or
create virtues, and forbid Munkar or prevent people from doing the
evils, then the society will be healthier, and the world become more prosperous.
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