Molding Qalbun Salim

In line with the consensus reached by the Fatawa Scholars of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI ) in West Sumatra early this year, Dr. H. Rusli Hasbi, MA has urged Indonesian Muslims to use their rights during the 2009 legislative and presidential elections.

“If participating in the elections had not been an obligation, then the companions of Prophet Muhammad such as Abu Bakar r.a. and Umar bin Khattab r.a. would not have fought for power following the death of the Prophet SAW,” explains founder and mentor of Pesantren Modern Qalbun Salim (modern Islamic boarding school). “All books that I have read make it clear that taking part in leader selection is an obligation. For this reason, one determining vote on April 9, 2009 is more valuable than a mountain of gold.”

Dr. Rusli Hasbi, MA spent 19 years in traditional Islamic boarding schools prior to pursuing his higher Islamic studies and spending another 18 years in the Middle East.

Consensus of the Fatawa Scholars

Consensus of Scholars from MUI in Padang Panjang Regency, Padang, West Sumatra, early this year imposed an obligation on Indonesians to use their voting rights. “If there are people to choose from but none is chosen, then ‘golput’ becomes ‘haraam’, said Vice Chairman of the MUI Fatawa Committee Prof. Dr. Ali Mustafa Ya’qub, MA, explaining the outcome of the consensus as reported by detikcom website recently.

Isn’t it that the benchmarks for good or bad legislative candidates, presidential candidates and vice-presidential candidates are subjective?

“The fact is that we have some good people to choose from. Even if they are all notorious, we still have to make a choice. Choose somebody who is the least notorious,” declares Prof. Dr. Ali Mustafa Ya’qub, MA.

He explains, the ‘golput’ phenomena is dangerous to ignore. “It is dangerous to not choose, since you may end up having no leader,” the Hadits professor at Institut Ilmu al-Quran (IIQ) and adviser to Pesantren Modern Qalbun Salim said.

This ruling, he said, is a moral obligation. “People who decline to vote are sinful according to the Islamic law,” he added.

Pesantren Modern Qalbun Salim

Dr. H. Rusli Hasbi, MA teaches Tafsir and Hadits at the Riyadlus Shalihin (RSJ) Study Center he established since returning from the Middle East in 2002. Due to its strong growth over the last seven years, RSJ has become the stepping stone for the establishment of the Pesantren Modern Qalbun Salim with focus on promoting scholars and speakers. Among the advisers to the school development are Prof. Dr. Ali Mustafa Ya’qub, MA and Prof. Dr. M. Quraish Shihab, MA. Below links provide access to more information on the modern school and other programs organized under the Ihya’ Qalbun Salim Foundation.

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