Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia Melanjutkan Kehidupan Islam
The response of the Muslims in Indonesia to the collapse of the Uthmani Khilafah
On March 3, 1924, Mustafa Kamal la’natullahu ‘alaih presided over the dissolution of Khilafah which he referred as “has been an abscess since the Middle Ages” 43. In the morning of the day, it was announced that the National Assembly had approved the removal of the Khilafah and the separation of religion from the state affairs. Later that night, the Khalifah was forcibly evicted by the police force and the military. 44 Officially, the Uthmani Khilafah collapsed on March 3, 1924.
The destruction of the leadership of the Muslim world shook the whole world, including Indonesia. In response to the collapse of the Khilafah, the Khilafah Committee was established in Surabaya on October 4, 1924 by Wondosudirdjo as its chairman (later known as Wondoamiseno) from Sarekat Islam and K.H.A Wahab Hasbullah as the vice-chairman. The aim of the committe was to discuss the invitation of the congress of Khilafah in Cairo. 45 This meeting was followed up by the third congress of Al-Islam Indies in Surabaya on 24 to 27 December 1924. The congress was attended by 68 Muslim organizations representing the central leadership (hoofd bestuur) and branches (afdeling), as well as the written support of 10 branches of other organizations. The congress was attended by many scholars from all over Indonesia. The important decision of the congress was to commit itself to the khilafah movement and sent envoys considered to be the representative of the Muslims of Indonesia to the World Congress of Islam. 46 The Congress decided to send a delegation to Cairo consisting of Surjopranoto (Sarekat Islam), Haji Fachruddin (Muhammadiyah), and K.H.A Wahab representing the traditional muslims.47
Due to the difference of opinion with the Muhammadiyah, K.H.A Wahab and three supporters held a meeting with the Islamic scholars from older generation in Surabaya, Semarang, Pasuruan, Lasem, and Pati. They agreed to set up a committee of Merembuk Hijaz. The committee was set up with two purposes, firstly to balance the Khilafat Committee which gradually fell into the hands of reformist groups, and secondly to call upon Ibn Su’ud, the new ruler in Arab land to revive the traditional religious customs.48 This committee was later renamed to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) at a meeting in Surabaya on January 31, 1926. This meeting still put the issue of Hijaz as the main issue. 49 Although there were differences of opinion, either Muhammadiyah, NU, or Sarekat Islam equally paid great attention to the collapse of the Khilafah Islamiyah and viewed it as the main issue of the Muslims.
This stance was driven by the belief that Khilafah (Khilafah) is a common leadership for the Muslims. At that time, the Muslims in Indonesia considered Sultan of Turkey as the Khalifah.50 One of the leaders of Sarekat Islam Indonesia, HOS Cokroaminoto, stated that the khalifah was not solely for the Muslims in the Arabian peninsula, but also for the Muslims of Indonesia. It was also emphasized that the khalifah was the common right of the Muslims and not a domain of certain nations. 51 More explicitly, Cokroaminoto also said that besides the two holy cities of Makkah-Medina, the khalifah was owned by the Muslims worldwide. He advised to send a delegation to the Congress. The goal was to “show ourself in front of the whole Islamic world “, and “make any necessary efforts considered useful for Islam in our country.” In addition, it was meant to search for information about continuation of the election of Khalifah.52 In fact, he made an analogy that Muslims are like a body. Therefore, if the Muslims do not have a khalifah then “it is as if a body without a head”. 53
Closing
According to some historical records, it can be concluded that the Islamic sultanates in Indonesia had a very close relationship with the Uthmani Khilafah. Moreover, the evidence describes that Islamic sultanates in Indonesia were an integral part of the Islamic Khilafah.
Only when the power of the Uthmani Khilafah began to weaken, the western infidel invaders (Britain) through its agent, Mustafa Kamal, managed to tear it down. As a result, the unifying institution of the Muslim world ceased to exist and the lands of the Muslim were divided under the colonial rule.
While in Indonesia, during the post-colonial military occupation, the effort to build a political system based on Islam in Indonesia by some leaders also failed due to ‘betrayal’. As a result, Indonesia became a “free” country on the basis of secularism and nationalism. These ideas preserve the breakup of the Muslim lands and maintain the Muslims in a weak condition.
Referring to the existing historical facts, it seems clear that the efforts to unite Muslims in various Muslim countries, including in Indonesia, on the basis of Islam is historically undeniable. For Indonesian Muslims, the struggle to resume the Islamic life and unite the Muslims under the Khilafah is not only a form of obedience to the commands of Allah, but such activity is also an the attempt to continue the history. In in addition to continue the struggles of the Sultan and the Islami clerics who had united Nusantara (Indonesia) with the Islamic Khilafah. On the other hand, the opposition to this effort is a form of denial of the history of Indonesia, in addition to the denial of the commands of Allah. [Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia]
Footnote:
43 Muhammad Zahid Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah, at-Tarikh al-Utsmaniy fi Syi’ri Ahmad Syauqi, Dar al-Raid Kanada, Cet. I, tahun 1417H/1996M, pp. 110.
44 Abdul Qadim Zallum, Konspirasi Barat meruntuhkan Khilafah Islamiyah (Terj.), Pustaka Thariqul ‘Izzah, tahun 2001, pp. 183.
45 Bandera Islam, 16 Oktober 1924
46 Bandera Islam, 8 Februari 1925. Also see Deliar Noer, Gerakan Modern Islam di Indonesia 1900-1942, Year 1973, LP3ES Jakarta, pp. 242.
47 Hindia Baroe, 9 January 1925.
48 Deliar Noer, ibid. pp. 242.
49 Ibid, pp. 243.
50 Ibid, pp. 242.
51 Hindia Baroe, 9 February 1926.
52 Bintang Islam, Bundle of the Year 1927, pp. 19.
53 Hindia Baroe, 15 January 1926.
