A. Introduction
Since the
early 17th century, Islam has spread completely in almost all regions of
South Sulawesi where were still fragmented in several kingdoms such as
Gowa-Tallo, Bone, Luwu, Soppeng, Wajo, Mandar, Sidendreng Rappang, and
some small kingdoms.
Islam that was the first time introduced and
spread in those regions by three Ulama from Minangkabau was mystical
oriented (tasawwuf), besides Fiqh with mazhab oriented. It might be
understandable since the general inclination of Islam disseminated in
East at that time was colored with tasawwuf teaching after the fall of
Bagdad in Mongol’s hand in 1258. Therefore, muslims who studied Islam at
that time tended to pay their attentions to tarekat, tasawwuf teaching,
and fiqh especially syafi’i school.
Syekh Yusuf (1626-1699) who
will be major concern of this paper is one of ulama of Gowa kingdom who
was born and grew up in such condition. As the product of his era, it is
no surprising if he became expert in fiqh of Syafi’I school, tasawwuf
and tarekat. However, his name became more famous as a great sufi and he
is highly venerated in South-Sulawesi as the father of Khalwatiah
order. Almost all of his adventures in seeking knowledge were spent to
learn and deepen mystical order of various schools such as: Qadiriyyah,
Ba’lawiyyah, Naksyabandiyah, Syattariyyah, Ahmadiyyah, Suhrawardiyyah,
Kabrutiyyah, Maduriyyah, Muhammadiyyah, Madyaniyyah, Kawabiyyah, and
Khalwatiyyah. For the last order, his teacher gave him honorific title
“Taj al-Khalwati Hidayat Allah.”
In this paper, the writer only
attempts to focus on Syekh yusuf’s view of Wahdat al-Wujud which is by
no means associated with Ibn ‘Arabi, the father of such concept. It is
interesting to study his view on this controversial concept since he was
generally assumed by his followers as Sunni Sufi. However, in fact, in
some of his works, he seems to partly accept Wahdat al-Wujud for certain
extent.
B. Short Biography of Syekh Yusuf al-Makassari
The first
written source which reveals the life of Syekh Yusuf Makassar is the
traditional book of history belongs to Makassarese-buginese, that is the
so-called “Lontara”. There are three Lontara which inform much of his
life, namely lontara Tallo, lontara Gowa and lontara Bilangngang. It was
the three lontara considered to very reliable in tracing Riwawayana
Tuanta Salamaka ri Gowa (the history of our safe master in Gowa, i.e.
Syekh Yusuf al-Makassar). Besides, oral tradition which is famous among
Buginese-Makassarese people in South Sulawesi could also tell us such
history.
According to “Lontara Bilangngang”, the heritage of the
twin kingdoms, Gowa-Tallo, Syekh Yusuf was born on 3 July 1626 M
coinciding with 8 Syawal 1036 H. The story of his birth was told in oral
tradition in Buginese-Makassarese society and it become agreement among
them. This fact indicates that his birth was 20 years after Gowa and
Tallo kingdoms being Islamized by an Ulama from Minangkabau, namely
Abdul Kadir Khatib Tunggal or popularly called Dato’ri Bandang.
As
an ordinary human, he was born on the earth through his father and
mother. As stated in Lontara Riwaya’na Tuanta Salama ri Gowa, his father
is Galarrang Moncongloe, a brother in one mother line of the king of
Gowa Imanga’rangi Daeng Manrabia or Popularly known as Sultan Alauddin,
the first king who converted to Islam and declared Islam as the formal
religion of his kingdom in 1603. His Mother is Aminah binti Damapang
Ko’mara, who is descendant of noble family from the Tallo kingdom, the
twin kingdom of Gowa.
However, according to hasyiyat fi al-Kitab
al-Anba’ fi I’rab la Ilaha illa Allah, one of syekh yusuf’s works stated
that his father is Abdullah, so Prof. Hamka decides that his father’s
name is Abdullah. Besides, oral tradition inherited by his descendants
informs that His father is Abdullah Khaidir. Yet, the latter name still
becomes controversy in common people since some regard that he is the
prophet Khaidir. Nonetheless, the geneology of his descendants which is
inherited by generations can convince us that his father is Gallarang
Moncongloe, then Islamized as Abdullah Khaidir.
The life of Syekh
Yusuf was popular up to now in four places or countries; they are
Makassar (South Sulwesi), Banten (West Java), Ceylon (Sri Langka), and
Cape Town (South Africa) since he spent much of his life at those
places. In Ceylon and South Africa, he was even regarded as the first
who put foundations of the existing Moslem community and as the father
of several Moslem communities in south Africa who struggled to realize
unity against oppression and ethnical differences.
During his
childhood, he spent with learning to read al-Qur’an and was taught how
to practice Islam in daily life. After being able to read al-Qur’an and
ready to study further, his father sent him to pondok pesantren Bontoala
to study Islamic knowledge and linguistic means such as: Nahw, Sharf,
Balaghah, Ma’ani and ‘Ilm al-Mantiq. Afterwards, Syekh Yusuf pursued his
study in pondok Cikoang under the teaching of Syekh Jalaluddin
al-Aidid. Because of his intelligence in following Majlis, he was then
suggested by his teachers to continue his study in Jazirah Arabia.
Having adventured in Middle-East for around twenty years to study
Islam, he returned to his hometown. Although there is oral story stated
that he never go home, this story can not be accepted because we do not
get any strong reasons and historical fact for evidence. Yet, it should
be noted that after returning to Nusantara, Syekh Yusuf became the great
warrior who always precipitated rebellions against the Dutch either
when he was in Makassar, Banten, Ceylon, and South Africa. Wherever he
was, he often dessiminated Da’wah Islamiyyah and called upon Jihad fi
Sabilillah.
Syekh Yusuf was also popular as the prolific writer of
tasawwuf works either in Makkassarese, Bugis, Arabic, Javanese, and
Arabic. His works written in Arabic to mention some as follow:
1. al-Barakat al-Sailaniyyah
2. Bidayat al-Mubtadi’
3. al-Fawaih al-Yusufiyyah
4. Hashiyah in Kitab al-Anba’
5. Kaifiyyat al-Munghi
6. Matalib al-Salikin
7. al-Nafhat al-sailaniyyah
8. Qurrat al-‘Ain
9. Sirr al-Asrar
10. Sura
11. Taj al-Asrar
12. Zubdat al-Asrar
13. Fath Kaifiyyat al-Dzikr
14. Dafal-Bala’
15. Hazhihi Fawaid ‘Azima Dzikr La Ilaha illa Allah
16. Muqaddimat al-Fawaid allati ma la budda min al-‘Aqaid
17. Tahsil al-Inayah wa al-Hidayah
18. Risalah Ghayat al-Ikhtishar wa Nihayat al-Intizar
19. Tuhfat al-Amr fi Fadilat adz-Dzikr
20. Tuhfat al-Abrar li Ahl al-Asrar
21. al-Munjiyya ‘an Madarrat al-Hijaiba
Syekh
Yusuf passed away in 22 Zulqaidah 1109 H coinciding with 23 May 1699 M.
in his seclusion, Zandvliet at the age of 73 years old. He was buried
in sandy hill of Fasle Bay, not far from his residence. His tomb now was
seen as ‘sacred’ and believed as the holy place. His tomb was completed
with other buildings, including the tombs of his four students who also
struggled for Islam in South Africa.
C. Wahdatul Wujud in the View of Syekh Yusuf al-Makassary
It is widely acknowledged that the founder of wahdat al-wujud is the
outstanding sufi, Ibn Arabi, who was born in Murcia, Andalusia in 560
H/1165 M and passed away in Damascus in 683 H/1240 M. Albeit the term
“Wahdat al-Wujud” can not be found in his works, he always made
statements that lead to such idea.
One of his works, Futuhat
al-Makkiyyah, in which he wrote much about his amazing spiritual
experiences that marked with many signs indicate that he has reached the
level of kasyf when he was still young. Despite his works he wrote are
more symbolic, he acquired his knowledge through the process of
‘opening’ (Kasyf).
It is hard to precisely understand Ibnu ‘Arabi’s
concept of Wahdatul Wujud, but the main point is that there is no
being/existence (wujud) except God; only one wujud, namely God. Anything
except God is nothing in itself; it is merely the manifestation of God.
Universe has no wujud itself except borrowing wujud comes from God. God
(al-Haqq) and alkhalq (universe) are one but different.
In terms of
the concept of Wahdat al-Wujud, Syekh Yusuf elaborated it in his
message (risalah) Matalib al-Salikin. In introduction, he explains
actually that risalah were the notes he wrote during his participation
in majlis under his teacher Syekh Abdul Karim Al-Lahure, one of the
leaders of Naqsabandiyah order and the famous Ulama in that era. Syekh
yusuf notes that one should necessarily learn three things in order to
complete his knowledge, namely ma’rifah, tauhid, and ibadah. The
aforementioned kinds of knowledge cannot be separated with one another
since they are illustrated as a tree, tauhid as the root, ma’rifah as
the branch and the leaf, and lastly ibadah as the fruit.
In
explaining the meaning of tauhid, he devides it into two parts, tauhid
Wahdat al-Wujud and tauhid that can be understood by common Moslems.
Syekh Yusuf did not strictly put one or both tauhid under priority,
because according to him, the ability of human to understand tauhid is
different with one another. Therefore, everyone is able to understand
the concept of tauhid in accordance with his ability.
Commenting the
concept of Wahdat al-Wujud, he argues that this kind of tauhid is only
believed by some sufi. In his view, basically there is no ‘being’
(maujud) in ghaib and syahadah, in form (surah) and meaning (ma’na), in
exoteric and esoteric, except in one existence (wujud), one essence and
one substance. Syekh Yusuf illustrated this explanation like different
parts of human body with its spirit itself. Similarly, as he said, the
relation between God and creatures like the relation between human body
and its spirit. It means that human spirit does not only exist
(istiqrar) in one part of his body, but it covers all parts of his body.
Likewise, God does not only exist (istiqrar) in one creature, but He
covers all creatures.
In the context of essence unity and the
characteristic (sifat) of God, Syekh Yusuf explains that both are one
unity that is impossible to be separated. It is more likely the same
with the nature of human who has body and spirit, as long as he or she
is still alive, there is no separation at all. It seems from the
explanation above that the concept of Wahdat al-Wujud according to Syekh
Yusuf is not exactly the same with that addressed to Ibnu ‘Arabi since
the latter stated: “know that Allah is one in unity, it is impossible if
the one hulul to thing, or the thing hulul to Him, or He unites with a
thing”.
Ibnu ‘Arabi asserted that it is impossible if the qadim One
can become a place for the jadid (new) or take place in jadid. The new
existence and qadim existence are interlinked with one another on the
bounding of idhafah and law, not the bounding between one existence with
the other one, since it is impossible if God can unite with His
creature in the one level (martabat).
If one compares between Ibnu
‘Arabi’s statements and Syekh Yusuf’s interpretation on Wahdat al-Wujud,
it will be apparent that Ibn ‘Arabi’s concept is more complicated and
vulnerable to be misleading. It was Ibnu Arabi entitled as the father of
Wahdat al-Wujud in tasawwuf world because he the first composed such
concept more completely and this influenced much the latter sufi and
scholars. That is why his thought up to now still becomes controversial
among Moslem thinkers.
It is more probably that Syekh Yusuf did not
directly refer this matter to Ibnu ‘Arabi’s writings especially Futuhat
al-Makkiyyah and fushus al-Hikam. He might merely rest on the
interpretations of Wahdat al-Wujud which were developed in his era
through his teachers. Nevertheless, we can find in his writings focusing
on the essence of universe existence that have slight similarities with
Ibnu ‘Arabi’s statements in his book Fusus al-Hikam such as: “actually
the existence of universe is equal to non-existence, likes the existence
of shadow. The existence of shadow is not the reality; in fact it is
non-physic in the form (surah) of existence.”
This statement is
almost the same with that of Ibn ‘Arabi in Fushus al-Hikam: “know that
anything that is called as “except al-Haqq” or the so-called as
universe, if it is addressed to al-Haqq (Allah), it might be like the
human’s shadow. Universe is the shadow of God, and He is the essence of
addressing existence to universe since that shadow exists in reality
without any doubt in belief.
It seems to me, from the explanation
above, that the influence of Ibnu ‘Arabi on essence of al-wujud is quite
dominant in Syekh Yusuf’s philosophy of tasawwuf. While the
interpretation of Wahdat al-Wujud referred to Syekh Yusuf was obviously
influenced by the thought trend expanded in his era. His interpretation
in this case is much closer to idea of negating the existence at all
except the existence of God.
Furthermore, in his works, we also can
find the influence of Syekh Nuruddin ar-Raniri’s thought concerning the
interpretation of Wahdat al-Wujud. It might be due to his acquaintance
with him in Aceh before travel to Middle-East for seeking knowledge. The
works of ar-Raniri he read improved hid horizon especially his
criticism toward those misunderstood the concept of Wahdat al-Wujud.
There are some terms of ar-Raniri which is also used by Syekh Yusuf in
explaining the meaning of wujud and Wahdat al-Wujud in his works such
as: hakiki, majazy, muqayyad. Mazha, zill and so on. This may indicate
that he was impressed by Wahdat al-Wujud delivered by ar-Raniry.
Wahdat al-Wujud expressed by Syekh Yusuf only mentioned once in his
risalah Mathalib a-Salikin. Even he makes a new term, namely Wahdah
Samadiyyah which means one meaning to express the sense of creature’s
togetherness with God in that can not be reached by human understanding
except God himself, who knows the essence of such togetherness .
However, it may be felt by those who perform ibadah sincerely and
continually.
Based on the explanations above, the writer can
formulate that Syekh Yusuf in elaborating Wahdat al-Wujud still holds
firmly manhaj ahl Ahl Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah. He treats Muhkamat verses on
Tauhid as the foundation of aqidah, while Mutasyabihat verses, he
understood them without ta’wil and render the essence and the meaning to
God. He is very careful in interpreting sufi’s views relating to Wahdat
al-Wujud. Therefore, he did not label his tasawwuf teaching as Wahdat
al-Wujud even more hulul and ittihad.
Nevertheless, in the context
of relation between creature and his God through ibadah, he used the
terms ihatah and ma’iyyah derived from al-Qur’an. He formulated both
terms in one concept which he called Wahdah Samadiyyah. This concept, as
I mentioned before, is the sense of togetherness of God with his
creatures, and this can be felt by anyone who devotes himself to God.
D. Conclusion
It
is undeniable that Syekh yusuf al-Makassari is the great ulama in 17th
century who got involved in coloring the Islamic thoughts in Indonesia,
notably tasawwuf and lots of his works he produced during his life. On
the basis of the elucidations above, we can draw a conclusion that he is
typical ulama that is very careful in interpreting sufi’s view in
relation to Wahdat al-Wujud. Although he was influenced by Ibnu ‘Araby’s
concept, he did not become the extreme follower of Ibnu ‘Arabi since he
did not label it as Wahdat al-Wujud. Instead, he uses his own terms
ihatah and ma’iyyah for the context of relation between God and Human.
Both terms were formulated into one concept, namely Wahdat
as-Samadiyyah. This concept does not concern on unity between God and
Human in essence and substance (zat), but the sense of togetherness with
God.
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