Islam in perspectives of Islamic University Students.

By Farah Dina Fithriyyah/ Semester 5/ International Relations Department FISIP UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

  Nowadays we are in a globalized world where science have been developed widely. Science nowadays has turned its face into many branches. One of them is a concern in exploring Islam and anything related to it, then includes amswering question of "What is Islam, how is its teaching, who are moslems, etc". Many communities talk about Islam, one of them is Islamic university students' community.

   If we refer to the theoritical meanings of Islam, it has been said that Islam is a religion which the teachings are given by Allah to humanbeing through Prophet Muhammad. Islam obviously delivered the teachings which does not include only a part of life but many parts of life. The resources of those teachings are the Holy al-Quran and Hadits. (Harun Nasution, Islam Ditinjau dari Berbagai Aspeknya Jilid I, UI Press, 2008, Jakarta)

   The most important Islamic teaching is Tawheed, as well as the other monoteism religions, the basic is the confession of The Only One God. Islam also teaches about Prophet Muhammad,the Holy al-Quran, Mu'min and Moslems, and so on. Those all are discussed in a science called Teology. Besides, there are some moslems who are not satisfied with ordinary way of "Ibadah" (prayer and many other forms of worshipping to God). Then they find a way to get very close to God which later it was called tasawwuf (arabic). This tasawwuf then created many Islamic group that we call as Tariqah, such Ahmadiah, Naksyabandia, Kadiria, and many others. (Harun Nasution, Islam Ditinjau dari Berbagai Aspeknya Jilid I, UI Press, 2008, Jakarta). So, Islam has its various forms.

   Islamic university students, such UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta students, absolutely have various perspective of Islam. We are open-minded in describing Islam. Not too much and not to less. Not extreme, not secular. Why? Because we are taught by our teachers and the books we read, that Islam has very wide scope or aspect, such teology, 'ibadah, mistism, history, falsafah, cultures, and so on. one point we need to highlight is that we should remember of ta'adudiyah ( unity in diversity ) and tawasuth ( moderate ). Why? Because we are living in Indonesia, a country with the people who have very various backround of religions, cultures, educations, ethnics, languages, and etc. We, indeed, realize that Islam nowadays should be able to colaborate with many the other world communities, so that we could compete with the leading-west. We should be tolerance with the others without leaving our Islamic teachings. Be Idealistic, but still respectful to the others. As intellectuals of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah studente we have a very urgent role to lead people on understanding Islam correctly.

   We should eradicate an understanding that Islam is all about terrorism anc violence. Islam is peace-loving identity. In practice, we apply it to our major studies, for example International Relations students of FISIP UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta combine the global politics and Islamic politic knowledge. In the result, we would be the future diplomats or leaders who put great attention to Islam and able to bring Islam to a glory, Islam as Dinul Hadlor ( developed religion ), just like in the past when Prophet Muhammad's glorious era.