KHUTAB XI: 19. FADLAN GRAMATAN (1)

19. FADLAN GRAMATAN (1)

The Lebanese scholar Shaykh Muṣṭafá al-Ghalāyayn (d. 1944) was a journalist, a writer, and a teacher of Arabic and Islamic law; in his book ‘Iẓatu ’l-Nāshi’īn (“Moral Lessons for the Youth”) he stressed the importance of reading and learning biographies of heroes (قِرَاءَةُ سِيَرالأبْطَال). He said that through learning their lives the youth could obtain examples of their noble characters, such as: piety, patience, honesty, bravery, dedication, etc. Therefore we learn biographies of prophets especially Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), his ṣaḥābah, scholars in later generations, and many honourable people.

 One of the prominent dā‘īs (Islamic propagators) in West Papua, Indonesia, is Fadlan Gramatan. He was born in a Muslim family in Fak-fak on 17 May, 1969, the third son of seven children. His father was a teacher at an elementary school and in the evening he taught reading the Qur’ān in his village. As a da’ī he established Yayasan al-Fatih al-Kaaffah Nusantara, a social foundation for spreading Islam.

Br. Fadlan Gramatan was admitted to the Faculty of Economics at Hasanudddin University in Makassar in late 80s. It happened that when he attended the class on Islam, the lecturer said that those who were not Muslims had to leave the class. Since he was Muslim he did not move, but the lecturer said loudly to him to get out, thinking that being black with curly hair from West Papua he was not a Muslim. He came forward and said:

“Before leaving the class, I ask you and the students to answer my two questions and one request: Is Islam only for the Buginese- Makassarese people or the Arabs, or as blessings for the whole world? Who was the companion of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) who had black skin and curly hair with sweet voice? I beg you and my colleagues in the class to bring the Qurān as I wish to hear how they read the Qur’ān properly, and then I shall leave.” The lecturer did not answer the first and the second questions, but he brought the Qur’ān and asked every student to read it.

 After the 46 students had read the Qur’ān, Fadlan Gramatan grasped it himself and read it, as he was not given a chance to do so. The lecturer said that out that out of 47 students only 7 of them could read the Qur’ān properly including Fadlan Gramatan himself. The lecturer allowed him to give a lecture in his class for two hours. He talked about the significance of the Qur’ān as guidance for the Muslims to make distinction between what is right (ḥaqq) and what is wrong (bāṭil), what is permitted (ḥalāl) and what is prohibited (ḥarām). After delivering his speech in about two hours the lecturer said: “To-day the lecture on Islam has been given by a lecturer from West Irian (West Papua).” Fadlan Gramattan did not blame anybody, neither the lecturer nor the students, because of public opinion about the people of Irian that they fought among themselves and that they were not Muslims.

Islam was recorded to have been the oldest and the first religion that came to Papua. It was under the propagation of Iskandar Shah under the command of Iskandar Muda II of Pasai in Sumatra, so that they propagated, starting from Perlis in Malaysia, to Philippine then down to Tidore, and finally to Irian. Christianity came later, on 5th February 1885, with the service of the Sultan of Tidore. This information had been unknown for many years, as if there was no Islam in Irian.

Irian itself has three names: (1) its original name was “Nu waar,” (the country which has kept mystical light; the word “nūr” means “light”). (2) This name was changed by the Portuguese with “Papua” with bad connotation, namely, black skin, curly hair, robbers, rapists and cannibals. The people of Tidore had called the people of “Nu waar” with respect as “Papaua” meaning ”saudara tua, elder brothers”.

This attitude of the Portuguese to isolate the people of Irian was continued by the Dutch convincing them that they were black with curly hair were different from people in Moluccas islands, Sulawesi, and Java, and therefore were not allowed to enter their land, but this effort failed as Islam had penetrated Irian. Many Muslim scholars in Irian were killed to reduce Muslim population and to erase the traces of their crime. Some of them were arrested and were exiled in Digul were they met Kyai Agus Salim, Muhmmad Roem and Sukarno. They discussed and made effort to bring Nu waar (Irian) back to the Indonesian fold. After the Indonesian independence the name Nu waar and Papua were replaced with Nawairian.

The term Irian was derived from three languages, marien in Biak language meaning “hot powder” (bubuk yang panas), and iriano in Irarutu language meaning big land (daratan yang besar). In 1517 Ibn Baṭūṭah reached Nu waar and when he saw some naked people he called them ‘uriyān (عَرْيَان). In Malino conference in 1963 it was decided to call it Irian, then it was added with Barat (West), so that it became Irian Barat (West Irian), then the name was changed again with Irian Jaya. Politically, it was made the abbreviation of Ikut Republik Indonesia Anti Nederland (Joining the Republic of Indonesia and Anti Netherlands).

After finishing his study and returning home, Br. Fadlan was offered a job as a government employee, but after nine months he quitted the job to avoid being involved in corruption. He returned the keys of the office house he was living, and the office car, the office uniform, as well as office envelopes. Instead, he wanted to be what he called "the employee of the Messenger of Allah …” to be dā‘ī .

Br. Fadlan’s first duty as a dā‘ī was to conduct a dialogue with a clergyman called Alfonse, the person who hated his presence in Jayapura. That clergyman did not want Br. Fadlan to lead the prayer and to talk about Islam, let alone public preaching, and attempted to expel him. After performing the ḍuḥá prayer (midmorning recommended prayer), he went to visit the clergyman to create good relationship with him. The first day he knocked at his door, he had seen him standing at his door, but he entered his room when he saw him coming. When Br. Fadlan said selamat pagi (good morning), it was his wife who came out to greet him, and said that her husband was not in. The next morning he came again, and was told by his daughter that he was not in. He kept visiting the clergyman every morning for two months receiving the same answer that her husband or her father was not at home. On the 15th day of the second month he was abused by the wife and the daughter: “You have never been bored knocking at our door; we have told you many times that the clergyman was not at home, and yet, you keep coming.” The next morning, he came again and knocked at his door as usual.

On the first and the second days of the third month Br. Fadlan came again, and got the same response. But on the third day, he got a different response. His daughter told him: “Excuse us, last night my dad was sick, and we have taken him to the hospital.”

Br. Fadlan went directly to the hospital, bought some fruit and asked the receptionist where he could find the clergyman. He was told, he was in room no. 48. Before entering the room he showed the parcel containing the fruit, and the moment he heard Silakan masuk! (“Please, come in!”) he rushed into the room, and the clergyman could not lie and avoid him any longer. This is what Brother Fadlan said to him after shaking his hands:

 “Today, I thank Allah that I receive His blessings, as I have tried to see you for two months and three days but failed. Actually, you are not sick, but after lying to me for two months and three days, Allah makes you sick, so that I could see you here. You have kept talking everyday about love and compassion, and at the same time you lied, you should then speak honestly.”

 Five days later the clergyman healed, and Br. Fadlan came to visit him again, and the whole family (including seven children) welcomed him. Br. Fadlan started talking about the beauty of Islam for the whole inhabitants of this world. The visit started at 9 a.m. till afternoon, and when Br. Fadlan was about to say farewell to the host, they asked him to come earlier the next day.

The next day Br. Fadlan came at 7 o’clock in the morning, and the discussion was suspended before noon, and started again in the afternoon till evening. He did this for four days in succession. On the fifth day his host said that they did not want to wait any longer, as they wanted to embrace Islam. Eventually, in the third month, they received guidance from Allah, became Muslims, and were ready to learn about Islam seriously. Br. Fadlan rented a bigger house from his savings where they could learn about the Qur’ān and Islam, as they were living in an official house belonging to the ministry. They learned reading the Qur’ān starting with Iqra’ (a booklet used as a basic teaching to read the Qur’ān starting from the Arabic alphabet to reading the Qur’ān), the ṭahārah (cleanness), and how to perform wuḍū’ (ablution).

On Friday in the 80s Mr. Alfonse, the former clergyman came to the mosque to pray Friday prayer, but on Sunday his congregation was waiting for him. As he did not show up, they wanted to know who had introduced Islam to him. They made a fuss of him, and their last decision was that Br. Fadlan was to be arrested and to be imprisoned for three months without any proper court proceeding.

 After three months of imprisonment Br. Fadlan started propagating again, and this time around the city of Jayapura. Fifteen heads of families converted to Islam. People made a fuss of him again, and this time Br. Fadlan was arrested and was put in jail for six months. But after six months of imprisonment, Br. Fadlan propagated again, and was successful in converting thirty heads of families into Islam. Again, people made a fuss of him, and this time he was imprisoned for nine months. Every time he was put in jail he said alḥamdu lillah (“praise be to Allah”) for letting him enjoy life in jail.

When Br. Fadlan was out of jail, the person who had arrested him approached the door of the jail and said to him:

“There is nobody else in this room. Every day, every week, every month, every year you are the only person who had occupied this room. Aren’t you afraid of this jail?”

“My dear brother,” answered Br. Fadlan, “a man like Fadlan would never be afraid of jail made by human beings, because I am not a thief, I am not a rebel, I am not a killer, and I am not a corrupt man. I only want to develop the mind and mentality of the inhabitants of this country, so that they would obey Allah with full confidence, and would follow the Messenger of Allah sincerely. Today you arrest me and put me in this jail, but you have to remember that later on Allah would arrest and punish you mercilessly.”

This statement of Br. Fadlan scared him, and said to Br. Fadlan not to do so. He invited Br. Fadlan right away to his house where he met his wife and their five children. After several hours of discussion the whole family converted to Islam. Br. Fadlan made his conclusion that apparently by propagating seriously and sincerely Allah will give the result faster than the blowing wind. He decided to go to farther areas, walking from Jayapura to Weimena. His long journey and farther will be dealt with in the next khuṭbah, in shā’ Allah.

                                                (CIVIC, 20 January, 2017)

Sources:

Dakwah di Bumi Papua, a video lecture published on July 4, 2013

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