Credit: Jakarta Globe.
Jakarta. Scattered across 17,000 islands on the Indian and Pacific oceans, the world’s largest Muslim country has found its own blend of Islam: equal parts religion, secularism and contradictions.Add to that an extract from the Koran that says, “To you your religion, and to me mine,” and you have Indonesian Islam in a nutshell.
Members of the minority Ahmadiyah sect who, contrary to mainstream Muslims, do not regard Muhammad as the last prophet, are often attacked. The most recent incident took place last month when a mob attacked the homes of six members of the Ahmadiyah community while a group of journalists was attempting to shoot a documentary about them. Four people were injured in the brawl.
Article started well by quoting an extract from the Koran that says, “To you your religion, and to me mine,” and you have Indonesian Islam in a nutshell. Later article mentioned,”Members of the minority Ahmadiyah sect who, contrary to mainstream Muslims, do not regard Muhammad as the last prophet, are often attacked.” This later portion creates theological misunderstanding. Ahmadiyya Community considers prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as last prophet in the sense that Muhammad (pbuh) being the leader of all prophets and is verifying all old prophets. Similarly no new law bearing prophet can now come. No new revealed book will replace Holy Quran and Islam is the last religion for the human being. Community believes its founder having status of subordinate prophet to last law bearing prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Imam Mehdi and Promised Messiah as prophesied by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself. Such a belief is not in contrast to the real interpretation of Khatme Nabuwat mentioned in Koran.
If Indonesian finds it hard to grasp the interpretation of Finality of the Prophet-hood and persecute Ahmadiyya Community, they at least should not have any difficulty in following “To you your religion, and to me mine,”