By: Muhammad Yasin)*
We can still feel the atmosphere of Eid in this month of Shawwal. However, friendship is not only limited to forgiving each other, but is expected to prevent hatred and acts of intolerance.
In his written statement, Habib Husein said that the Gathering included not only forgiveness and forgiveness, but also an understanding, mutual acquaintance with each other. Knowing that, the problem becomes unraveled and even if there is a problem, it is forgiven.
Habib Husein said that building friendships was actually able to reduce differences between individuals. Habib Husein saw the need to preserve the culture of friendship that developed in the archipelago to become local wisdom and become a moment to better understand the essence of religious teachings.
To continue to preserve and maintain friendship, according to him, the first thing is to know how big the reward is for those who maintain the ties of kinship and how great the sin of those who break the ties of kinship is.
Habib Husein also mentioned the reluctance of the younger generation to establish and build friendships. This is due to the pragmatic mindset of young people in viewing relationships.
He said, if there is no business relationship or there is no interest between them to meet, yes, they don’t meet. That’s what makes them reluctant to make contact. In fact, it is these culturally based relationships that become their strength, including in business.
Habib Husein assessed that currently, gathering forums such as shared motorcycle forums, car forums or joint hobby forums could be part of the relationship. It grew from the awareness of the similarity of hobbies or similarity of fashion. In fact, in the future, basically without the similarity itself, precisely at the point of difference, they should build a relationship in order to reduce the differences between them.
Although hate speech is still milling about on various social media, but saying holidays and forgiving each other seem to be the core values in the month of Shawwal. Mutual forgiveness is actually a therapy to achieve peace and prevent hatred and intolerant behavior. Silaturahmi is a cultural movement to ward off hatred and intolerance. Indeed, friendship becomes a starting point for rejecting radicalism.
Silaturahmi is a medium to connect brotherhood and sincere forgiveness is a therapy towards achieving mental health. Meanwhile, intolerance based on hatred and wrapped in radical ideas is a virus for mental health.
In fact, the mental health of the intolerant and the radicals should be questioned. Radicalism starts from an unhealthy mental condition, where this attitude is surrounded by feelings of hatred, anxiety, wanting to attack and so on.
The radicals then manipulate the texts as if violence and radicalism are justified by religion. That way they will easily recruit cadres to become part of groups with radical thoughts.
In essence, radicalism is contrary to the teachings of Islam which is rahmatan lil ‘alamin. Violence in the name of religion is not part of religious activities. This understanding should be passed on without breaking, so that the radicals will find it difficult to recruit new members.
The spirit of Eid must always be maintained so that peace and social virtuous behavior are manifested in daily practice. Eid al-Fitr should be a moment to cleanse the heart from hatred.
Silaturahmi should also always be upgraded, not only through physical contact meetings, but also inner interactions that forgive, respect and love each other. The good news is, true friendship like this can perpetuate peace and tranquility. Of course, in a peaceful heart there will be less chance of intolerance. Gathering must also be done with full awareness, realizing that forgiving mistakes and maintaining peace are part of worship.
Radicalism and intolerance will be weak in the midst of strong brotherhood togetherness and holy and strong ties of friendship. Hate will dissipate with kindness and brotherly bonds.
Establishing brotherhood with friendship seems to be a force to dispel radical understanding and intolerance, brotherhood can be knitted with mutual forgiveness and mutual understanding that humans cannot live alone.
)* The author is a Contributor of Pertiwi Institute
