Di Zawiyah Sebuah MesjidIn the Zawiyah of a MosqueBy Emha Ainun Nadjib
After the night prayer had concluded, several students who were to be permitted, the following morning, to return to their communities were gathered by the Kiai in the zawiyah of a mosque.
As was his custom, the Kiai did not intend to offer them a final sermon or parting counsel. Instead, he posed to them a series of special questions—questions that, if possible, were not yet to be heard by the other students who still remained in the pesantren.
“So that humankind upon this earth may possess the means and the way to return safely unto its Lord,” the Kiai said to the first student, “what has God bestowed upon humanity besides the universe and the human self?”
“Religion,” replied the student.
“How many?”
“One.”
“Not two, nor three?”
“God has never spoken of religion—or named any religion—other than that one. For it would be impossible, and indeed futile, for the One God to provide more than a single path of guidance.”
Turning to the second student, the Kiai asked,
“What is the name of the religion your companion speaks of?”
“Islam.”
“Since when has God taught Islam to mankind?”
“Since He taught Adam the names of all things.”
“And why do you say so?”
“Because Islam has existed from the very beginning of human guidance. God is perfectly just. Every human being born into this world—from Adam until the end of time—has been granted the light of Islam.”
“Then was Adam a Muslim?”
“Indeed, Kiai. Adam was the first Muslim in the history of humankind.”
The Kiai turned to the third student.
“God taught Adam the names of all things,” he said. “In what language was this teaching conveyed?”
The student answered,
“In the primordial language that would later be known as the language of the Qur’an.”
“And how might one prove such a claim?”
“Historians of language and scholars from many disciplines would have to work together to establish it. Yet it is highly likely that they would possess neither the scientific method nor the necessary materials to do so. Humanity has been carried so far by the current of time that, in most matters, it stands utterly blind before its own distant past.”
“Then how is such an impasse overcome?”
“First, through the certainty of faith. Second, through trust in the signs embedded within the will of God.”
“What do you mean, my son?”
“God commands humanity to worship in the language of the Qur’an. Since Islam is rahmatan lil-'alamin—a mercy to all worlds, universal across both space and time—it must signify that the language used in prayer bears relevance to all peoples. Perhaps because the language of the Qur’an is both the root and the summit of every language upon the face of the earth.”
Turning to the fourth student, the Kiai continued,
“Your companion earlier stated that God revealed only one religion. How do you explain this?”
“The religion of Islam came into being much as an infant enters the world,” replied the student. “It did not emerge fully grown, aged, or complete. Rather, it unfolded through stages, through a process of growth and maturation.”
“And what is your answer to the existence of religions other than Islam?”
“That is an assumption of culture, or perhaps of politics—not an assumption of faith.”
“Does that mean you deny the existence of those other religions?”
“I acknowledge the values contained within what are called those religions—before they were altered and manipulated—for those values were, in essence, Islam itself at a certain stage of its unfolding, before God perfected it through Muhammad, His final Messenger. What later occurred was that the earlier messages of Islam were institutionalized into what came to be called religions, often accompanied by additions, omissions, and adaptations. What emerged was not the religion of God, but a human construction—an organization fashioned by men.”
The Kiai fixed his gaze sharply upon the face of the fifth student.
“What religion was embraced by the faithful before Muhammad?”
“Islam, Kiai.”
“What was the religion of Abraham?”
“Islam.”
“And Moses?”
“Islam.”
“And Jesus?”
“Islam.”
“Was it already called Islam at that time?”
“There could never have been, by the will of God, any name or word other than Islam capable of embodying the fullness of His guidance. Islam and its essence are inseparable, just as fire cannot be separated from heat, nor ice from coldness. Because it is Islam, such are its values. And because such are its values, Islam is its name. This remains true whether humanity has come to recognize that name or not.”
“And what, then, is the most essential meaning of Islam?”
The Kiai shifted his attention directly to the sixth student.
“To liberate,” the student replied.
“Choose a word that bears more gentleness.”
“To save, Kiai.”
“Who saves, who is saved, and from what toward what does this salvation—or liberation—take place?”
“God saves humanity, through the agency of His vicegerents, under the guidance of His saints and prophets. The purpose and destination are one: to free humanity from the possibility of failing to return safely to God. Human beings originate from God and belong entirely to Him. Therefore Islam—that magnificent system of values fashioned by God—is intended to release humanity from the grasp of all that is not God.”
“Why, then, is this divine gift not called Salam, for example?”
“Because Salam signifies safety, peace, or deliverance. It is a noun—a state already attained. Islam, however, is a verb. To be Muslim is to strive, to act, to shape every aspect of life in such a way that it leads humanity toward salvation in the presence of God.”
The Kiai pointed toward the seventh student.
“Does not Islam also mean surrender?”
“Indeed it does, Kiai,” he answered. “Islam is the surrender of oneself to the will of God. And to surrender oneself to the will of God means to struggle against every desire that stands opposed to that will.”
“How is a person to know whether something accords with the will of God or not?”
“By taking guidance from His signs: those revealed in sacred words, those inscribed within the human self, throughout the universe, and within every event of life and history. For that reason, Islam is an invitation to an endless search.”
“Why do so many misunderstand the meaning of surrender?”
“Because people are inclined to neglect the effort required to understand the will of God. Increasingly, they become insensitive to the signs of His presence in their lives. Indeed, many who diligently perform their prayers do not necessarily deepen their knowledge of God's will. They grow estranged from the intimacy of His companionship. The result is alienation from their own selves. Yet praise be to God, the very condition of estrangement and deadlock that marks modern civilization may become the beginning of humanity’s gradual entrance into the light of Islam. For it is within darkness that one comes to understand the meaning of light.”
“And what is this Light of Islam?”
The eighth student answered,
“First and foremost, it is knowledge. Adam was taught the names of things. That was the beginning of intellectual education, later renewed through the first revelation given to Muhammad: Iqra’—‘Read.’ This is the Light of Islam, for the religion was bestowed upon the highest of creatures, the being endowed with thought and reason: the human being.”
“Your reflection is commendable,” replied the Kiai. “The Light of Islam cannot be counted, nor can its breadth or height be measured. One would require ink drawn from seven oceans and more to describe it. Are you willing to answer a few questions concerning some of the flashes of that Supreme Light?”
“Yes, Kiai.”
“After Adam, what did you receive from Idris?”
“The dawn of technological ingenuity.”
“And from Noah?”
“The denial of knowledge and of God's authority.”
“And Hud?”
“A resurgence toward one of the great peaks of civilization and advanced technology.”
“Good. I shall not stop at every station along the way. Tell me instead: what station of Islam do you encounter in Abraham?”
“The reconstruction of pure monotheism through a method of inquiry that demanded deeper thought and more rigorous experience.”
“And in Ishmael?”
“Sacrifice and sincerity.”
“Ayyub?”
“Endurance and patience.”
“David?”
“Tears, struggle, and courage.”
“Solomon?”
“Wisdom of perception, victory over material splendor, ecological faithfulness, and justice.”
“And now, what do you receive from Moses?”
“Steadfastness, firmness in truth, the knowledge of political struggle—and also the folly that can dwell within cleverness.”
“From Zechariah?”
“Remembrance of God.”
“And from Jesus?”
“The tenderness of compassion, the realm of love’s subtle vibrations.”
“And from Muhammad, my son?”
“Maturity. Completion. The science of harmonizing and governing all the elements of light brought by God's messengers before him.”
At last, the Kiai turned to the ninth student.
“At what stage of the Light of Islam does humanity find itself today?”
The final student answered,
“It is uncertain, Kiai. At times—and perhaps all too often—we are Adam: reckless enough to eat the forbidden fruit. At other times we are Job, yet unlike him we are defeated by prolonged suffering and driven to despair by the meagerness of our gains.
“Some among us attain positions of authority like Joseph, yet fail to accompany them with his justice and wisdom. Others become Joseph in another sense—cast into a well, abandoned, and left with no one to draw them out.
“There are also those who, like Abraham, courageously take up the axe. Yet before reaching the warehouse of idols, they turn aside to till Pharaoh’s fields or split timber for the construction of his palace.”
The Kiai smiled, and the student continued.
“Perhaps that is why we are so often sacrificed like Ishmael, yet no ram is sent to take our place.
“Some of us flee like Jonah. A great whale swallows us, and to this day we remain occupied with discussions and seminars about how to emerge from its belly.”
The Kiai burst into laughter.
“We study the art of oratory like Aaron, for ours is said to be the age of information. Yet the substance of our speeches should have been delivered fifteen centuries ago, while the Moseses of our own time possess no power to part the sea.”
“My son,” the Kiai interrupted gently, “your words are filled with sorrow—and perhaps even a trace of despair.”
“God willing, no, Kiai,” replied the student. “The best way to become strong is to recognize one’s weakness. The best way to advance is to understand one’s decline.
“As foolish as we may be, we have nevertheless begun to fashion David’s sling, preparing ourselves to confront Goliath. We have also started, little by little, to shape Moses’ staff, hoping that one day it may be cast into Pharaoh’s court and swallow all the crawling serpents of sorcery.
“We have begun to learn from Solomon, the majestic king and guardian of the balance of creation. Like Moses, we strive to humble ourselves before the horizon of Khidr’s knowledge. And we remember God. Like Zechariah, we seek to refine our lives so that we may attain a tenderness intimate with the knowledge and power of God.
“At times we err by embracing only one aspect of Jesus—what appears merely as softness. Yet we are gradually learning how to study the wholeness of Muhammad: how to govern the equilibrium of all elements, above all the balance between love and truth.
“For without love, truth becomes rigid and authoritarian. But without truth, love degenerates into weakness and drift; it becomes ensnared in subtle forms of unbelief, swept away without purpose and without struggle.”
How boundless that conversation might have become, had its purpose been to unveil every secret contained within the Light of Islam.
“At this stage,” said the Kiai, “it is enough. Answer only these final two questions.”
“We shall try, Kiai,” they replied.
“How do you connect these convictions of yours to the society and nation in which you live?”
One of them answered:
“Truth bears fruit only when it is placed within its rightful station. The same applies to every word and every act of struggle.”
“The noblest course,” added another, “lies in the middle path, as the Great Messenger taught. It must be precisely measured—neither excessive nor deficient.”
“Muhammad also taught us when to withdraw into the Cave of Hira and when to descend into the midst of society.”
“To seek the most accurate point of coordination at the intersection of space and time; amidst the traffic of circumstance and the map of history.”
“There is a time for discreet proclamation, and a time for open proclamation.”
“There is wisdom, gracious counsel, and discourse conducted in the most beautiful manner.”
“One should eat only when hungry and cease before becoming full. Such is the rhythm. Such is the healthiest of all healths—a principle that applies not only to the body, but also to the movement of history.”
“Struggle is knowing when to migrate to Medina and when to return to Mecca in triumph.”
“And above all,” another concluded, “the Messenger of God, Muhammad, was willing to sleep upon a bed of palm leaves—or even upon the bare earth.”
The Kiai smiled.
“What lies between the pole of rigidity and the pole of softness, my children?”
“Flexibility, Kiai!”
All nine students answered in unison, for it was a phrase they had heard almost daily from the Kiai since the very first day they arrived at the pesantren.
“Fal-yatalaththaf!”
The Kiai spoke the words as he rose and shook the hand of each student in turn.
“Let there be gentleness, subtlety, and graciousness.”
Then he added:
“The very center of the Qur’an.”
List Kosakata:
| No. | Vocabulary | Arti Bahasa Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guidance | Petunjuk, bimbingan |
| 2 | Bestow | Menganugerahkan, memberikan |
| 3 | Companion | Teman, sahabat |
| 4 | Primordial | Purba, berasal dari awal mula |
| 5 | Conveyed | Disampaikan |
| 6 | Certainty | Kepastian, keyakinan |
| 7 | Embody | Mewujudkan, merepresentasikan |
| 8 | Liberate | Membebaskan |
| 9 | Steadfastness | Keteguhan hati, ketabahan |
| 10 | Compassion | Belas kasih, kasih sayang |
| 11 | Endurance | Daya tahan, ketahanan |
| 12 | Sincerity | Keikhlasan, ketulusan |
| 13 | Equilibrium | Keseimbangan |
| 14 | Proclamation | Pengumuman, penyampaian dakwah |
| 15 | Gentleness | Kelembutan, kehalusan sikap |
Kosakata Tingkat Lanjut (Advanced Vocabulary)
| Vocabulary | Arti Bahasa Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Estrangement | Keterasingan |
| Reckless | Ceroboh, nekat |
| Rigidity | Kekakuan |
| Subtlety | Kehalusan, kecermatan |
| Authoritarian | Otoriter |
| Tenderness | Kelembutan hati |
| Conviction | Keyakinan yang kuat |
| Wisdom | Kebijaksanaan |
| Refinement | Kehalusan budi, penyempurnaan |
| Grace | Keanggunan, karunia, kelembutan |
Contoh Penggunaan dalam Kalimat
- Guidance → The Qur'an provides guidance for humanity.(Al-Qur'an memberikan petunjuk bagi umat manusia.)
- Steadfastness → Moses is remembered for his steadfastness in defending the truth.(Musa dikenang karena keteguhannya dalam membela kebenaran.)
- Compassion → Jesus taught compassion and mercy.(Isa mengajarkan kasih sayang dan belas kasih.)
- Equilibrium → A good leader maintains equilibrium between justice and love.(Pemimpin yang baik menjaga keseimbangan antara keadilan dan kasih sayang.)
- Gentleness → Gentleness is not weakness; it is strength under control.(Kelembutan bukanlah kelemahan; ia adalah kekuatan yang terkendali.)
Kosakata-kosakata ini tergolong akademik dan sastra (literary English) sehingga sangat berguna untuk meningkatkan kemampuan membaca esai, artikel pemikiran, dan karya sastra berbahasa Inggris.
