The Role of Islamic Institution in Developing Civil
Society
Muhammad AR
Dosen Fakultas
Tarbiyah IAIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh
Abstract
The title of
this paper is “ The Role of Islamic Instititution
in Developing Civil Society”. It cannot
be denied that the role of Islamic institutions or Islamic universities in developing
and improving the quality of people
both in the past and nowadays.
These institutions have developed and
changed students’ personality to think, to do, to work, and
even to behave among the people
where they are living. Every
citizen has right to talk, to think, to give opinion to the
government without intimidating and
discriminating and the like.
Therefore everybody has to be recognized
his/her rights and choice
in civil cociety, and the state has to respect this kind of
claim from the people. In this case, the government themselves need to
support university or instutition by giving them opportunity to manage and run
their own program and to give complete facilities. Anyway, the society
themselves have to work hard to develop the country and give much attention and advice to the ruling class for
the sake of country.
In reality, most of autocratic and
dictatorial government often underrate
the problems of civil society. This
always happen in the third world contries where
the democratic system is not applying properly. If the government give rights to Islamic university or Islamic
institution especially in improving society’s
pattern of thinking, this will help
the government easy and safe to run the country without any significant
hinderance or obstacle and later on the
civil society will be helpful for them to some extent. Truly speaking, the civil society is usually achieved in the strong, stable and prosperious
country.
Islamic institutions or university,
together with their role and great
endevour, could create civil
society who have to be tolerant to the different people with different
opinion and faith. We have to share
ideas among the various community background,
different political point of views, different tradition and different religion itself. Civil society
is a group of people who live in a country to work hand in hand, help each other, support the poor and the needy,
and respect each other eventhough having
different political background and different
organizations.
To some extent, the role of Islamic institutions and Islamic
universities need to be involved
in developing civil society in
the future. In addition, the government
also have to understand their position and role in developing the civilized society for producing the people not only
to achieve the knowledgeable but also the best conduct society among us. This had been done by Islamic institution in Indonesia
before and after the early independent of this country.
Introduction
We agree with the opinion arising and
spreading in the community that university either belongs to the government or the
private one had played much important
role among the community particularly
in educating students. This had
been proved that all people who are working both in the government offices or in
the private sectors were graduated from the university. In Aceh, the existence of State Islamic
Institute of Ar-Raniry (IAIN Ar-Raniry),
Sekolah Tinggi Islam Al-Muslim
Matang Glumpang Dua, Sekolah Tinggi Islam Cot Kala, Langsa, Sekolah Tinggi
Islam Malikusaleh Lhokseumawe, Islamic Traditional Institutions (Dayah) and others cannot be denied their role in developing Acehnese community. Most Islamic universities or Islamic institutions
have tried their best and have done something in developing
students’ atmosphere and their
way of thinking as well as their
character for preparing themselves to
live harmoniously in the community. All
of these things are the ways to create civil society that enable them develop
their dignity, improve their civilization and their interaction among the
plural society.
It is not exaggeration to say that the role
of Islamic universities or Islamic institutions in improving the community’s knowledge can be
experienced by them either in the past or nowadays. In addition,
the Islamic institutions have
contributed very much for creating civil society by inculcating Islamic
teachings and other kinds of disciplines
into the students’ mind and heart so that
they could live hand in hand among the people after completing their
study. The civil society which is
understood here is those who can run
their life among the community without
creating chaos and criminal as well as controversy among them. Their tolerance with those who have different
religions or different faith can be proved
in their life and in the way they interact one another. In addition,
the alumnies of Islamic institutions
have done something among the community where they live in and have
done a lot of changes particularly
in term of community’s thoughts and their capability in doing their activities in their life and their
contribution to the people.
Most of experts and observers are in the opinion that
civil society (in Arabic term it is called al-mujtama’ al-madany) is being formulating in Indonesia . This can be proved
through the discussion about the acceleration of democracy in Indonesia always discussed everywhere, the
emergence of middle economic class coming from higher-educated people and more freedom to access information anywhere and anytime.
The civil society which
was developed during the era of the prophet peace be upon him in Madinah is far
different from the ones understood by
the people in Eastern Europe . They utilize
civil society to launch demonstration against the government, to overthrow the
ruling government and annihilate
dictatorship or autocratic government by force. Probably such atmosphere is not recommended in Islamic way of life
because it is opposing with moral values and
the eastern culturein general.
Anyway, Islam has it own way how to choose and to discharge leaders either for regional or
national leader.
Islamic Universities/Institution and
their Role within the Community
There are two kinds of Islamic
institutions found in Aceh, they are
state Islamic Institutions
and Traditional Islamic Institutions
which are called Dayah or pesantren. The Dayah institutions have played
a very important role among the Acehnese community since the existence
of this institution in the past when Islam was
first spread in this archipelago. Dayah is the traditional institution
which provides knowledge and instruction in Islamic tenet (Muhammad AR
Islam came to this archipelago in the year 850 Hijriyyah.
It was first brought by Muslims du’at
(preachers) from Gujerat in India
and Arabia to Peureulak, Aceh. During this time the dayah was first
established in Aceh. In this
institution practical and theoretical
religious instructions are given. This
istitution plays an important role in cultivating the people to become knowledgeable.[2]
After Indonesia got independent, Islamic institution of Ar-Raniry and University of Syiah Kuala
State Islamic Institute (IAIN) or STAIN
is a kind of higher institution
which develops Islamic way of life of
society to be manifested
in their life as well as to
improve their skill in accordance with
their interest, talent, and their
own background of knowledge. The implication of this way is to
develop Islamic education
for improving the quality of faith and
devotion and even to become Islamic leaders among the
believers as it is found in the
Qur’an.[3]
The existence of IAIN is
the desires of Indonesian Muslims in order to improve and spread Islamic teachings in Indonesia (TIM, 1976). IAIN is really expected to produce Muslim thinkers, Islamic leaders, and Muslim
scholars. They have to implement Islamic
ideas and can adjust themselves in the modern era and the institution is also really
expected to be a place for preparing the
candidate of Muslim leaders and
Muslim scholars in the future. In addition,
the institution should also
produce Muslim intellectuals who have
owned the best conduct and they can be
examples or model for the people where they live in.[4]
Islamic
Institution and Civil Society
When we are talking
about Islamic institution and civil society, we
automatically feel that between the institution and society cannot be
separated for it is located in the
middle of community. Also, it cannot be
denied that the institution is built or
established under the support of the
people and, of course, this first program is to
empower the people/community and to produce something beneficial to them
beside creating harmonious life among
the people. Actually, the civil society had been established under the prophet
Muhammad peace be upon him in the early age of Islam in Madinah.
Principally’ Azyumardi Azra (1999) says that Islam
supports the emergence of civil society.
The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him,
had established and developed a pure Islamic civil society
in Madinah in the early age of Islam.
He had run the country in Madinah and he could have created harmonious community under his power. This
proof is not only found in Madinah
Constitution, but also found in the way
of changing the name of Yastrib to Madinah. This term is also closely
related to civil society.
In the nineteenth
century, the concept of civil society
had been implemented in western Europe when Lech Wales, in Poland , launched
a Solidarity Movement against the
ruling government under General
Jeruzelski. In this resistant movement, he used civil society as a basic way of
his struggling against the autocratic government. This model or pattern was
later penetrated to eastern Europe, Chekolslovakia and at the same time the Communist
regime of Soviet Union was collapsed. [5]Anyway,
the civil society which we mean here is
not a specific movement as it was in Poland, but it is a harmonious society having
tolerance among the people or citizen where they are living and a society
who are living in peace and
caring each other. The existence
of Islamic institution is to produce
such tolerant people who can run their life in peace and helping one another.
In regard to the above,
in fact, the university or higher
institution is established to prepare young generation knowledge to be ready
to handle any problem faced in community
development in the future. The institution’s
objective is to formulate universal human being (al-insan al-kully),
or al-insan al-kamil (completed mankind) in case of their interaction
with other people in this world and
their closest relation with God
as Creator of all things in this universe. This
kind of mankind who can strengthen their
unity in spreading Islamic
theology (Oneneness of God). This is the duty of ulul albab (Muslim intellectuals)
having knowledge, wisdom, and
empirical experiences (Fuaduddin
dan Cik Hasan Bisri ed., 2002).[6] It seems
that the point of view is suitable and
properly implemented within the
community where we live in. Because the role of those who have ever
experienced and searched knowledge in the university or in
the highest institution. They have
to support their
community and distribute their knowledge to those who know nothing in
the rural village or isolated area.
Actually, the civil
society is those who can respect others
whether in giving their opinion,
in implementing their faith, in
doing something which is
accordance with their point of view, or in making decision based on their desires and choices. This is
the real meaning of civil society which
is experienced and felt by most people in the world nowadays.
It seems that such things have
been apllied by those who
have graduated from the higher Islamic institutions whether in Aceh or
in Indonesia .
Conclusion
The role of Islamic institution
or Islamic university in developing
civil society has been done
and implemented within the community. This has been showed by the graduates when they are in the community. At least
they have implemented in their life how
to behave, how to act and how to
interact among the people or among the plural society in Indonesia in general. In Islamic
teachings this kind of tolerance and cooperation had been practiced during the life of the prophet Muhammad peace
be upon him in Madinah when he was leading the Islamic country. Our prohet had
established and run the country fairly and implemented social justice to all
people without having any intimidation, discourtesy and
injustice. They lived hand in hand with other people who had different ways of life for it is one
of the prophet’s message to Muslim to
respect those who have different
religions since they are disturbing our
religion, our economic system as well as our state safety.
This was the civil
society established by our prophet in
the past. I think it is also done by those who have ever experienced and studied
in any Islamic institution in our
country. Suffice it to say
that the role of higher Islamic
institution in our country has been proved through the action or
interaction done by the graduates when
they are living among the people. Anyway, the meaning of civil society understood
by the West and Islam are varied. In
general, there is no
significant differences since the
meaning
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Azyumardi Azra. (1999).
Pendidikan Islam: Tradisi dan
Modernisme Menuju Milenium Baru. (Jakarta : Logos Wacan
Ilmu).
Fuaduddin dan Cik
Hasan Bisri ed., .(2002). Dinamilka Pemikiran Islam Di Perguruan Tinggi.(Jakarta ,:Logos wacana
Ilmu).
Hendro Prasetyio dan
Ali Munhanif, dkk. (2002). Islam
dan Civil Society.(Jakarta :
PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama dan PPPPIM-IAIN Jakarta).
Muhaimin. (2004). Wacana Pengembangan Pendidikan Islam. (Surabaya :
Pusat Studi Agama, Politik dan Masyarakat ).
Muhammad AR, “The Curriculum of Islamic Studies in
Traditional and Modern Dayahs in Aceh. A Comparative Study”, Al-Jami’ah,
Journal of Islamic Studies, Volume 39, Number 1 January-june 2001.
Tim Penyusun. (1976) Buku Pedoman IAIN Syarif Hidayatullah. (IAIN Jakarta).
[1]
Muhammad AR, “The Curriculum of Islamic Studies in Traditional and Modern
Dayahs in Aceh. A Comparative Study”, Al-Jami’ah, Journal of Islamic
Studies, Volume 39, Number 1 January-june 2001.
[2] Ibid.,
[3]
Muhaimin, Wacana Pengembangan
Pendidikan Islam, (Surabaya:
Pusat Studi Agama, Politik dan Masyarakat, 2004).
[4]Azyumardi Azra, Pendidikan Islam: Tradisi dan Modernisme Menuju Milenium Baru, (Jakarta: Logos Wacan
Ilmu, 1999)
[5]
Hendro Prasetyio dan Ali Munhanif, dkk.
(2002). Islam dan Civil Society.(Jakarta:
PT. Gramedia Pustaka Utama dan PPPPIM-IAIN Jakarta).
[6]Fuaduddin
dan Cik Hasan Bisri ed., Dinamilka
Pemikiran Islam Di Perguruan Tinggi, (Jakarta,:Logos wacana Ilmu 2002).
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