Bring The Ulama Back In

Written by : Jajang Jahroni a PhD student at Boston University, can be reached at jjahroni2011@gmail.com

Abu Bakar Baasyir was found guilty and he was sentenced for fifteen years. People may relieve for a moment as this mastermind of a number of terror attacks will spend the rest of his life behind the bars. But the question is that did this mark a new era of no-terror attacks in the country? Absolutely no. As long as the roots of problem remain visible, terrorism will never disappear. This article seeks to demonstrate that in the modern periods the authorities of ulama (religious scholars) have declined. Thanks to the advancement of technology, nowadays one should not come to the ulama to learn something about Islam. The fragmentation of authority changed religious landscapes. Over the last decades, ulama lost their grips on the believers. This is aggravated by the fact that the state takes over their privileges and tasks. The formalization of religious courts and the employment of religious officials brought about a deep cleavage between ulama and the state. It might not be surprising that the ulama were among the first groups who opposed the modern state formation. In the mid of the nineteenth century, as the Ottoman rulers launched the Tanzimat (reorganization) project, many ulama opposed it and took rebels against the state. The cause of the rebel was clear that this project would reduce their privileges such as the organization of almsgiving and religious endowments which became the main sources of their living. In Muslim history, ulama were those learned men who dedicated their life to teaching and educating young Muslims. In return, Muslims gave them donations. But in the modern periods, the state took over these tasks.
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Indonesia is no exception. This country has taken over the privileges of the ulama. To collect almsgiving, for instance, the state forms national and provincial commissions. I still recalled when the time is approaching the day of Idul Fitri, I brought a sack of 3.5 liters of rice to be given to my Quran teacher. A wealthy family would donate sarongs, caps, sandals, shirts, and food for these informal leaders. But since the foundation of BAZNAS (National Commission of Almsgiving) and BAZDA (Regional Commission of Almsgiving), the distributions of almsgivings were run by local officials. The state also takes over the tasks of ulama to marry Muslim couples. This already started in the colonial era. When the Dutch administration created religious courts, there was an opposition from the ulama. This is about authority and power. How much is the cost of marriage now? It may not be expensive. But we know that the officials who perform marriage would get an amount of money, the cost of which depends upon where you live. If you live in an exclusive neighborhood, you should pay them more. In Ciputat Tangsel where I live, for one marriage an official would get as much as Rp. 800.000. In peak season, an official would perform three or four marriage during the weekend, which means that this job is quite well-paid! Last but not least, it is the ulama who teach people how to perform the hajj. But again, when they go to Mecca, state and state officials get the landslides. The distribution of knowledge does not correspond to the distribution of wealth, which becomes the cause of conflict. In short, the roles of ulama in modern states have been systematically destroyed and the modern states show no mercy to these inheritors of the Prophet. Abu Bakar Baasyir is a typical religious scholar who spends most of his times for teaching. He came to one mosque after another to teach young Muslims to read the Quran and to perform ablution and prayer. He did not have extra time to make another profession which generates incomes reliable for his family. His

basic needs are very much supported by the donations by his pupils and Muslim people in general. There are hundreds of thousands of ulama who live in the country in the Baasyir model. Imagine if a tiny percentage of them are succumbed to anti-state ideology! It is important to say that ulama are working very informally. In the previous times, this informality had accelerated the process of Islamization as each individual had the same obligation to advocate it. But in modern times, it becomes a big problem as the ulama tend to compete with the state especially when the former have conservative interpretation of Islam. This is the reason why democratizations in many Muslim countries are so poor. Ulama-state relation would not be resolved unless the former get back all the privileges they had before. The fact that the ulama are informal leaders indicates that they still play a significant role within Muslim communities. Deradicalization should begin with the division of labor between the ulama and the state. It is the ulama who have the authority to marry, state to make legislation; ulama to collect almsgiving and religious donations, state to taxation. If these boundaries are agreed upon and win-win solutions are reachable, the ulama could give their best contribution to modern state formation.