HASBULLAH BAKRY AND THE REFUTATIONOF
CHRISTIANITYIN POSTCOLONIALINDONESIA'
Ismatu Rofi Abstraksi Hubungan Islam-Kristen di Indonesiasedikit banyaktelah menarik perhatian para sarjanaBarat maupunsarjanalndonesiasendiri.
Salah satunya adalah Hasbullah Bakry.
Pria kelahiran 25 Juli 1926diPalembang ini berasal dari keluargaterpelajaryang agamisyang mengelolasebuah pesantrendi Muaradua,Palembang- SumatraSelatan.
PemahamanHasbullah Bakry terhadapKristen merupakanpemahaman seorang Muslim yang selalu mengkaitkandan mendasarkanpersepsiintelektualnyakepadaayat-ayatQur'antentangKristen.
Hasbullah Bakry telah berusahamengetengahkan tentang Kristen melalui tulisan-tulisannyayang berbedacarapandangnya dengan para pemikir sebelumnya.
Salah satu pendapatnyaantara lain menguraikan eratnya hubungan keluarga antaranabi Ismail yang dianggap pembentuk bangsa Arab denganNabi Ya'kub, yang dianggapbapak bangsaIsrael.
Tulisan ini berusahamenggambarkanperkembanganKristen di Indonesia sejakpertamakali datangdi Indonesiasampaisaatini sertahubunganIslam-Kristenyang padakenyataannyasangatkompleks.
Tanpa mengesampingkanpembahasanmengenaipolemik yang terjadi diantara pemeluk Islam dan Kristen terutama para sarjananya.
Hasbullah Bakry telah berusahamemberikansolusi yang mungkin dapat diterima keduabelahfihak mengenaipersepsiumat Islam terhadapajaranajaran Kristen yang banyak menimbulkan polemik maupun persoalan hubungankeagamaanyang kompleksantar pemelukIslam dan Kristen.
AI-Jami'ah,N o.
60/1997
IsmatuRafi e[--.
lc tL.
:Al .
',1i1 :! 4 lJ,.
-illJ fl-'Yl l i,r$J$j J r.
C* iSX-e Ol ,.
"0.
Yo u.
i r.
! qg.
LJl l t1$JrjJeLole -r-i g,Js rl '- cr_.
l:iCl r .
)-,Yl ipJ.
ll 6J,-\tl o" dul ot ,ei$l Jl4!J c#: .
a ijl&ll 41$ etl Lj^jf "SiJrll ! iil.
r dfrt -.
'l iL- - l3rl_.
iji3lJl o_tt.
*e* d$t -ll u 6A 4l .
-- '.
Jij c.
r-r s9i_1 rJl ful crl-,Jt e p-,yl J"U.
g* garll ,--':Sr,e .
6YtL-l r-Jrt--1 el-ftl Lt'J,n,*- HJ i lJ.
-ill3
\ 1 Y1
-,Yl iL-,.
g"E :i ,lJi U".
d$l ,io.
: lr.
l*"*t3$,ttl 4$lJ.
-Jl JtiJl oJA Je'.
i^ll 4Jjl '.
-illJ -,yl iDLc ,r.
dIIS-l crJl.
ojll3 r.
lC/.
t*Jl 0# iojl.
"ll l-rj.
:ill ge .
- lt i 'j-.
L ,-'l'jr U.
OU l 4l$ ,*,rcr-,15.
4l '.
' ''- ct4 611-Ic L-J"-iJ t $l i-L-ll ' t.
' i .
:i el-lJl Cf.
i lJ.
-ill Jr.
L"^ll LrJt--ill_, oJ"L^^ll 0# 6Ji'j"rll THE history of relations between Islam and Christianity in the Malay-Indonesian archipelagohas beenpredominantly one of long-lasting discord which is more complex than just a contention betweentwo communities or two systems of belief.
It is a subjectthat has beenlittle discussed by scholars, in spite ofthe fact that the four countries extending from the sixteenth to the beginning of the twentieth were a transitional period during which indonesia was the scene of many religio-political contacts and encounters between these two Abrahamic religions stem- Al-lawi' ah.
No.
HasbullahBaloy and the Refutationof Chnsfiutity ming from political reason derived from centuries of colonialization, which inevitably shapedthe attitudesof Muslims towards their Christian overlords, and economicborn of commercialcompetitionas well as theological reason.
The latter reason had let to both religionsconsidering their respective massagesfrom God to be the most relevant for all people ever5nvhere,and henceto a commitment to proselytization .
aWah inlslam and mission in Christianit.
has becomea fundamental ingredient in the battle between the two religions.
In short,the relationsbetwenthe two communities have beenformed through the dialectic of cooperation and conflict, tolerance and hatred,dialogue and debatethroughout lndonesiahistory.
This paper will examinethe tensionsbetweenIslam and Christianity in Indonesia by providing albeit in brief an exampleof a disputant in the modernIndonesi4 who is a prominent Moslim scholarin the postcolonial era, namely Hasbullah Bakry.
The aim of this short paperis to analyze the method and themes he chose in depicting the essenceof Christianity.
Biblical Criticism.
Missionary Activities and Moslim Apologies The nineteenth century hasbeenidentified as a century in which religion becamethe subjert of much analysisandcriticism.
It was alsothe era during which missionary activity into the easternworld reachedits During that century.
Biblical criticism and the emphasison the rational analysisof religion, influencedby the spirit of the Enlightenment, had been vigorously adopted in Europeanuniversities and churches.
Hence, scholars and theologiansat the time beganexaminingthe stories of miracles and historical events in the Bible, and investigatingall the historical evidenceprovidedby the holy scripturesconcerningthe trinity, the deification of JesusChrist.
His crucifixion and the resurrectionin the light of rational serentificthought.
As a result,many Christian doctrines were labeled as obsolete,doubtful or even superstitious.
and a number of Christian authors did readily admit to the imperfection of some religious Some scholarswent as far as totally rejectingthe Christian faith entirely or at least, perceiving dogmasin a skeptical light.
Not surprisingly, some Muslims took advantageof this trend in Christian theological thought, and enthusiastically welcomed these doubts concerningChristiandogma.
They usedthesedoubtsto affirm that Islam was the true interpretationof God'smessageand that Christianity Al- Jami'ah,No.
60/1997
lsmatu Rof had been comrpted in the courseof time.
Consequently, from that time on.
Muslims no longer botheredto defend Islam simply by evaluating Christian doctrine in the traditionalway, ashad beenthe practiceof earlier scholarslike al-Ghazalior Ibn Hazm, but took advantageof the recent developmentsin Biblical criticism which had introduceda moreopenand historical approachto the studyof Christianity.
A most glaring example of this trend is to be gleanedin the writings of a prominentlndian apologist, al-Kairanawi, in his lzhar al-Haqq.
tThis pattern was later adopted and SayyidQutb.
by the EgyptianscholarsMuhammad'Abduh6 However, along the developmentof this skeptical trend, an opposite phenomenon startedto gain groundin Christianity,namely,a strong spirit of evangelization.
This spirit sweptthroughthe Christiancommunity and continued to dominateit throughoutthe nineteenthcentury.
renumber of missionary sulting in the emergenceof an unprecedented movements,which assumedthe responsibility for preachingthe gospel.
As a result,a numberof youngchristianswere sentto Asia and Africa in orderto preachsalvationthroughChristianity.
In the caseof Indonesia,as Alwi Shihabpoints out, the nineteenth century might rightfully called the "ageof mission".
It was a time when numerousyoung devout Christians.
f the Mennonitesocietyin particula.
, "longed to performheroicdeedsfor Christ, which they despairedof performing at home, felt promptedto leavefor lndonesia.
"eHowever, in spite of the fact that the preachingof the Gospelwas initially intendedto answer the religious needsof the colonialresidents,missionaryactivists also forcefully tried to attractthe indigenouspeopleto convertto Christianity.
Thus, this missionary zeal, together with the generousfinancial support of the colonial governmentled to the binh of prematureconverand,as is noted,the first churchto sion of many indigenousIndonesia.
Christianpopulacewas built in be establishedby the indigenousJavanese centralJavain aboutl895.
The endeavor to convert people in a predominatly Muslim area has always beenarduousand slow, and the Indonesianarchipelagoproved no exception to this rule.
Therefore,when an effort was launchedto convert the Muslim communityin Jav4 it was met with fiercepolitical resistance.
This resistancewas engenderedby thelogicalaswell as cultural For instance,this resistanceacquiredan antiforeignhue andwas portrayed as an indigenouseffort to pressurethe native cultural indentity from the onslaught of foreign influence.
Neil for instanceshowsthat be- AI-lami'ah,No.
60/1997
HasbullahBakryandthe Refutationof Christianity coming Christian was always portrayed as identicalto losing one'scultural identity.
Consequently,someJavanese were not baptizedin order to keeptheir true Javanesecharacter.
As a result of the hardship and slow growth of the Christian community in the archipelago,the missionaryagendawas later carefully re-examined,and as Alwi Shihab explains,"they .
argued that Christianity ought to anticipate Islam in thoseregionsinto which Islam had not penetrated.
"'tHence, missionariesbegan to consolidate their hold in the remote areas which had not yet beentouchedby Muslims, while at the sametime disparagingIslam in the areaof literature as a numberof missionariesdid.
A casein point is F.
Bakker, a prominent native-Dutch scholar who wrote "Lord Jesusin the Religion oflslam" in order to convince Indonesianreadersof the influenceofChristian doctrines upon Muhammad when he formed Islam and that Muhammad's imagination had led him to believethat he was the chosenprophet for the Arabs.
as Moses had been for the Jews and JesusChrist for the Christians.
taThe publication of this book in 1957openedthe gateof controversy between the Muslim and Christian communities in post colonial Indonesia and engendereda most influential reply by HasbullahBakry, a former lecturer on comparative religions at the Sekolah Pendidikan Hakim Islam Negeri (National Islamic JudicialSchoo.
of Jogjakarta.
Hasbullah Bakry and Christianity in Indonesia There is scant informationregardingBakry'sbiographicalrecord except for the fact that he was born on Palembangin 25th of July 1926 into an educatedreligious family.
His father,K.
MuhammadBakry, was a prominent'alim an owner of a Pesantren.
slamic boardingshoo.
in Muaradua Palembang,South Sumatra.
He receiveda classicaleducation in his father'spesantrenbefore attendinga juniorhighschoolin 1944.
From there, he went on to becomea studentof the law .
yariah?)department at the state center for higher education for Islamic studies (Perguruan Tingga Agama Islam Negeri IPTAINJ inJogjakarta.
During the Japaneseoccupation.
Bakry becamevery active in PETA (Perwira Gyugu.
which madehim to becomea military official in the areaof post He was later to occupythe prestigiousposition of councilor for PusrohPOLRI .
he centerfor spiritual careof the Indonesianpolic.
, a position which he held until he retired.
Al-Jami'ah,No.
60/1997
lsmatu Rof In replying to Bakker.
Bakry displays a certainmeasureof acquaintance with the actualtext of the Bible.
He alsocoversa wide range of topics and exhibits an unrivaleddegreeof knowledgeabout Christian Indeed, in Isa dalam Qur'an Muhammad dalam Bible, he not only refutesBakker'snotionsregardingMuhammad,but alsotacklesfundamental elements of Christiandogmasin which two dominant subjects appear to be at play.
Two casesin point arethe Trinity with its connection to the deification of Jesusand the descriptionof Muhammadin the Holy Scripture.
rsA few other subjectsarediscussed,albeit in brief, like the deviationsof Christiantheologiansand ritual perforrnance.
Nevertheless, no other subject is treatedas fully as thesetwo fundamentalquestions.
Bakry's way of understandingChristianity is characterizedby a close scrutiny of Christianbeliefs,in which he doesnot separateout the biblical interpretationfrom his own intellectualperceptionof the Qur'anic versesconcerningChristianity.
'uHis antitude,like that of manyother Muslim scholars, acceptthe Biblical text when it agreeswith the Qur'an, appearbetweenthe two, preferringthe but rejects it when discrepancies Qur'an instead.
rTThus, by using the Qur'an vision of the Bible.
Bakry managesto prove that the conceptof the Trinity did not originate in the teaching of Jesus and that Jesuswas only an ordinaryhumanbeing who was sent by God to the Israelities.
Therefore,with the trinity deniedand portrayed as a Iogical contradictiondue to its multiple divine entities and its ambiguity, the deification of Jesusis alsorejectedas it obviously deviates from the monotheistic teachings to which Muslims adhere.
Consequently, quoting Van Onck's notion on Islam de Krachth die de Wereld der Moslims beweegt.
Bakry defines the doctrine as a 'teori ketultanan yang licik semata-matd' .
subtle thelogical theor.
which is as yet an incomplete and unconvincing problem for the Christian theologians.
Besides their logical contradiction, he further argues,the trinity and the deification of Jesushavebeenprovento be ahistorical.
Bakry also goeson to claim that this doctrine, which was not known in the early stagesof Christianity, was intriducedinto the Christiancommunity by saint Paul, a converted Jew.
Therefore, becauseit was nol introduced by Jesus,as Bakry maintains,it must havebeenchallengedby thosedevout Christians who tried to adhereto his authenticteaching,and who belivedthat Jesus taught that no one is to be invokedbesidesthe HeavenlyFather.
Al-lami'ah,No.
@/1997
HasbullaltBakryand theRefutationof Qdstianifu Moreover, in discussingthe reliability of the Biblical description of the last prophet, unlike many early Muslim scholarwho believethat the descriptionsof Muhammadhad beenglued2ror removedor excluded Bakry maintainsan interestingposition.
This posifrom the scriptures,22 tion was somewhat two-side.
It delivers,on the one hand,a strong accusations to the Christians for concealing,distorting and falsifying the Scriptures,while on the otherhand,makinguseof certainBiblical verses to demonstratethat many of them may be authentic,especiallythose dealing with the description of Muhammadandthe rise of Islam.
for he admitsthoseto be truthful and accuratedivine revelation.
This tendencyto useBiblical materialcanbe spottedfor he collected the Biblical versesthat arethen quotedthem in an almostliteral thus, he takes Deuteronomy18: l7-22,Isaiah 42: I and 4.
Jeremiah 31: 3l-32.
Daniel2:38-45,Malachi3: l-2 from the Old Testament as well as Matthew 3 : l-3 and4:17, andMark l: 14-15from the New Testament and utilizes them as his major discusion points on the propechy of Muhammad.
24This, however, is no more that such a continuation of a medieval polemic.
Moreove, it is quite obviousthat the biblical verseswere not quoted for their narrativeof historicalsignificance, but for the purpose of convincingMuslims of his points of view especially in emphasizingthe notion that Islam is the last religion and In short,his attentionto the "promising Muhammadis the last messenger.
texts" is designedmoreto reinforceMuslim conviction1.
n ascertainhistorical approval.
Bakry's methods of interpretation,however,hasbeenrecognized ils a novel one by lndonesianMuslims.
His extensivequotationsfrom the Bible and his straight-forwardapproachto usingthem is seenas an interesting new developmentin the history of polemicalinter-faith writings, particulary in the genre concernedwith the refirtationof Christianity in Indonesia.
A brief example of this can be seenin Bakry's"Islamic interpretation" of Deuteronomy 18: 17.
rophetfront amongtheir brethren')as This explainsthat the prophesiedProphetwould rise from among the brothers of the Israelitiesbut did not belongto the Israelities One of the brothersof Israelwas Ismael.
he founder of the Arab.
, becauseIsmaelwas the elderbrother of Isaacthe father of Israel (Jaco.
And the Prophet Mohammadclearly belongedto the Ismaelities.
onof Ismae.
AI-Jami'ah.
No.
60/1997
Ismatu Rof Furthermore, in explaining the Biblical referencesof the coming of Muhammad,Bakry lays particularemphasison these"promisingtexts" which he consider to be authentic referencesto the revelationMuhammad.
Hisinterpretation of John l4: l6 (He will give you another counselor to be with you for eve.
is worth quoting:
It means that the counselorwill be the last prophet,and no other counselor will appear after his coming, and can bring new law.
And the religiouslaws of that counselorwill be valid until Dooms That prophet will be the last prophet .
hataman al-nabiyyi.
whoselaws will regulatethe needsof mankinduntil eternity.
In refuting the divine natureof Jesus,Bakry doesnot restrict his defence to a mere devaluation of the Christiancreedby simply praising Islam.
He makes use of the quotatationstaken from'Ata ur-Rahim's,/esus: Prophet of IslarfT which deal with the story of Michael Servetius who had lost his faith in the Trinity and who calledbelieversin Trinity trinitarians and atheists.
2EHe alsomentionsthe letter of testimony from Adam Nueser, a former preacherin HeidelbergGermany,who embraced Islam and later asked for the protection of Sultan Salim II of Turkey .
Similarly, he quotes a passagefrom JosephPriestly'sflrstory of the Comtption ofChristianitywhich illustrates five principles of Christian comrption.
2eFurthermore, quoting modernChristian theologians of unitarianism.
Bakry arguesthat the doctrineconcerningthe deification Christ taught by Paul.
John andthe councilsof Nicae4 Ephesus and Chalcedonis not that which Jesustaught but that which the Christian conscienceconceivedconcerningJesusChrist.
Bakry's answersto Bakker'swork areof considerablevalue to our understandingof Muslim-Christianpolemicin the later period.
He builds a 'negative'illustrationof Christianity to affirm the'positive'one of Islam as the true religion.
With regardto Bakker'snotion that at the beginning of the mission it cameto Muhammad'simaginationthat he had beensent as an apostle to the Arabs,like Mosesto the Israelitiesand Jesusto the Christians,Bakry's argumentin reply is deservingof quotation in full :
Our answer runs : in the words of his own sentenceDr.
Bakker is alredy not objective.
The peopleof Arabia truly exist, so also the people of Israel,but whereis the peopleof Christianity?When we speak about the Moslem peopleorthe Christianpeople, thenwe mean by that the people who adhereto the Moslem faith or those who adhere the Christian faith.
About the prophet Mohammad being sent to the people of Arabia, we ask: Where is the verse.
Al-l ami'ah.
N o.
60/1997
HasbullahBalvy anil the Refutationof Chistianity one verse, in the Qur'an,which can be usedas an argumentfor it? None! The prophetMohammadwas, accordingthe Qur'an,sent to all mankind as the Last Prophet,a^swas prophesiedby prophets and apostlespreviouslysentparticularylo their own peoples.
It is alsointerestingto notehis smoothanswerto the questionof whether Muhammad knew anythingaboutthe formulationof the Trinity according to Scripture and whether he misperceivedChristians as the worshippersof God.
Jesusand Mary.
He simply says:
It is true that the prophetMohammaddid not know whetherthe Trinity is formulatedin the Scripture,just as Jesushimself did not know whether the Trinity is according to scripture.
So also the prophet Abraham,for the Trinity was merely a speculativeformulation of Athanasius himself.
If God has the attributes of the Trinity, why did the prophetsof the Old Testamentnot mention it? Had the God, the One God of the Old Testamentchanged I.
mself into the God of the Trinity in the New Testament?Impossible.
Moreover Jesus himself did not teach aboutthe Trinity in the New Testament.
Yet, in spiteof his beliefthat the initial dissemintionof Christianity in the archipelagohad beencloselyassociatedwith colonialsm,Bakry stresses that the history of relationsbetweenthe two faith and communi-, ties seems in some way to havehad a dynamicof its own which has not been completely negative.
In many cases,he affirms.
Muslims and Christians have shared a commonplatform in orderto achievea better life for both communities.
Indeed,Muslims and Christians alike havebeenacandpotively involved in developingthe countryin the socio-economic litical spheres.
It canbe seenthereforethat in both communitiesthereis a potensial catalyst for changeand mutual cooperationin the field of social development.
This positive appreciationof each other, however,is becoming increasingly fragile and sour with the rapid growth in conversion to pain upon Christianity.
Moreover, thesenew convertsinflict unnecessary Muslims by expressingtheir sentimentstowardstheir previousfaith on in the light of theological legitimacy,:rsmay be seenin the casesof Yusuf Roni and Hamran Ambrie, who convertedfrom Islam to Christianity.
According to Bakry.
the sentimentalexpressionof new converts,particulary to Christianity, threatensto propelthe relationshipbetweenthe two communities into mutual hostility and theologicalopposition.
Therefore.
Al-lami'ah,N o.
60/1997
lsmatu Rof in order to reducethis negativeatmosphere,the only way seemsto be for the govermentto control the missionaryactivities in Indonesianworld.
Concluding Remarks This paper has tried to provide a brief introduction to the depiction of Christianity in the Indonesianarchipelagofrom the early period to present century.
It can be clearly observed that such a discussionshad beengreatly influencedby similiar discussionin other parts of the Muslim Indeed, the influence of eruditeMuslim writers, from all parts of the Muslim world, can be blatantly discernedin the argumentsof fellow Indonesian Muslims.
written for a Muslim audience,theseworks aimed at preventing Indonesian Muslims from abandoningtheir own religion, that is Islam, and to convincesomechristians aboutthe falsify of their on this level, therefore, one can declarethat to someextent, there is nothing very new in Bakry's depiction of christianity since it follows the pattern promulgated by other Muslim authorsand baseshis responce and reactionon a literal interpretationof Qur'anicverses.
How'ever, one can also arguethat he representsa uniquereaction againstthe intrusive Christianization of the archipelagoin their respective era.
Hence, the responseand antitude should be seen in the context of the complex relationshipexisting betweenthe two communitiesover the centuries, and in relation to the needof Muslims to defendtheir religion from being influencedby a foreign power wielding religion as one of its wepons in the drive for colonial hegemony.
Allah 'alambi al-sawab.
End Notes The earlier draft of this writing was presentedto the Intemational Ctrnferenceon " The Methodological Problems in the Study ofReligiod'held in Montreal Quebec Februtry 2l-23, 1997.
I would like to thank Dr.
Alwi Shihab of Hartford Seminary and Professor Howard M.
Federspiel of Ohio University for their valuable advises,conunents and constructive criticism.
Those are, however, not responsiblefor any mistake and error I may make in this writiug.
S"".
Olaf Schufmenn, "Cbdstian-Muslim Encounterin Indonesia,'.
Christian MusIim f,2s6vpfs1s, eds.
Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad and Wadi Z.
Haddtd(Gsinesyi11" ' golversity Pressof Florida, 1.
,285-287.
In spite of these simllistic assertions,the history of relations between Islem and Christianity in Indonesia seems in some senseto have a dynamic of its own which has not been compltely negative, for we know 1.
1 [.
slim yritings are not solely polemical AI-Jami'ah.
No.
60/1997
HasbullahBalcryanil the Refutationof Christianity Today, there are many writings and efforts calling for practical cooperation and common action, as seenin the establishmentof the Institute for lnter-faith Dialogue (DIAI.
[) by Djohan Effendi and Th.
Sumartana.
Other writings itrclude those dirpcted towards a positive dialogue in different forms proposedby Nurcholish Majid or Abdurrahman Wahid as well as narrative writings onthegeneralhistoryofreligionsuchas Mrhmud Yunus 'al-Adyan.
ln this article I would only show the approachtaken and the themes focused on by IndonesianMuslim apologist in respondingto the growth of Christianity in their own time.
For infonnation on the typology of Islamic rCsponseto other religions, see JacquesWaardeuburg,"Twentieth-Century Muslim Writing on Other Religions: A Proposed Typology, "in Prcceedings Union Eumpeenne Des Arabisants et Islamisants I0 th Coagrcssed.
Robert Hillenbrand (Edinburgh: PUEDAI, 1.
, 107-l14.
Christines Schirrmacher, "Muslim Apologetics and The Agra Debates of 1854: A Nineteeth Century Turning Point," The Bulettin ofTheHeuyMartynlnstiluteoflsIamic Studies13, no.
(January-June 1.
,78-79.
R"hm"t Allah al-Hind al-Kairanawi.
Izhar al-Haqq,ed.
Ahmad Hijazi al-Saqq8(AlQahira: Dar al-Turath, 1.
Muharnmad 'Abduh, "Al-Islim wa al-Nasranirya" in AI-A'mat aI-KemiI li al-Imant Muframmad AMuh, ed.
Mufanrmad'knara (Beirut, n.
, 1.
S"yyia Qu7b,Fi zilal al-Qu"at(Beirut: Ma'had al-Buhuth al-Islami, 1.
Christine Schirmracher,"Muslim Apologetics and The Agra Debatesof 1854," 79.
tAlwi Shihab, "The Muhammadiyah Movemeut and its Controversy with Christian Mission," (Ph.
,Temple University, 1.
,39.
W"tt has clearly demonstrated hat in the caseof'Iudonesia"the intimate attachment between the missionary ativities and the oflicial Dutch reprcsentativeshas led to the transormation of the missionary movements into an effective arm of colonialism.
William Montgomery Watt.
Muslin-Christian Fncounters (London: routledge, l99.
Suminto proved that the Dutch govermnentalfinancial support for missiouary activities hadbeen either doubled or tripled and consequentlyhad becamethe subject of envy and hatred among the Muslims.
Niels also stated tbat many churcheswere sponsored by eitherthe central governmentin Holland or lhe representativecolonial government and that the minister received a cash bonus from the govenrment for every convert.
See: Aqib Suminto.
Politik Islan HindiaBelaada(Jakarta:LP3ES,1.
andStephen Neill, .
4 History of Christian Missions (Harmondsworth: PenguinBook Ltd.
, 1.
, l90l9l.
Sidjabat, however, strongly disagreed with this motion of intimate religiopolitical relationship.
He believed that the missionary movement had never been a mean of colonialsm iu lndonesia because the early evangelistsin Indonesia were not Dutch.
Walter Bonar Sidjabat.
PanggilanKita di lndonesia DewasaIni [Our PresentCall in Indonesial (Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia, 1.
See his other brl,ok,Religious Tolenace and the Cfuistian Faith: A Study Conceming The Concept of Divine Oataipotence in the Indonesian Constitute in the Light of Islam and Cfuistianity (Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia, 1.
Th.
S,rmrrt ana.
Missioo at lhe Ctosstoads: Indigenous Churches.
Etuopan Missionaries.
Islamic Association and Socio-Religious Chaage in Java I812-1936(Jakarta:
BPK GunungMulia, 1.
,63-66.
Nein.
A Histoty of Cfuistiaa Missioas, 192.
5hihx6, "The Muhammad.
Movement,"41.
Al-Jami'ah.
N o, 60/1997 IsmatuRofi Bakker.
Tuhan Yesus dalan Aguna Islant$.
ardJesus in the Religion of Islamf {Ji*arta: BPK Gunung Mutia.
I .
, 4.
I S, 17.
This refutation, according to Bakry, was necessaryin order to protect lslam from being comtpted by the Christians or being misunderstoodby nimonal Muslims as well as to draw the attention of those Muslim families who were about to adopt the Christian faith and to remind them of the errors of Christianity.
This refutation would also serve as a guide to Christians and would encouragethem to adopt Islam.
Hasbullah Bakry, 1sa dalam Qufan Muhanunad dalan Bible (Solo.
siti syamsiah, 1.
, l-3.
AnEnglish translation was printed in Malaysia under the title: Iesus Christ in the Qur,an Muhaumad in Bible (Kuala Lumpur: S.
Abdul Majeed & Co.
, 1.
Hasbullah Bakry.
AI-Qw'an sebagai Korcktor terhadap Taurar dan lajilleur,an as a Corrector of the Old Testamentand New Testamentl(Surabaya:n.
,1.
,4-17.
Fo, more detail see.
Andrew Rippin, "lnterpreting the Bibre through the eur'an,' in Approaches to the Qu/an, eds.
Hawting and Abdul-Kader Shareef llonaon:
Roudledge, 1.
, 149-l 5l .
Another example may be found in David Thomas' article, "The Bible in Early Muslim Anti-Chdstian Polemic," Istam and Cfuistian-Musliat RelationsT, no.
:29-38.
Hasbunah Bakr5r,Isa dalun Qur,aa,3540 ,73 20 Hasbullah Bakr5r.
Paadangan Islan Teatang Kristet di Indoaesia [Islamic Viewpoint Regarding Christianity in Indonesi.
(Jakarta: Firdaus, 1.
, 35.
An extensive discussion of this notion cau be lbundinLazarus-Yafeh's,Intertwined Worlds: Medieval Islam and Bible Criticisn,l9-4.
s"e David Thomas.
Anti-Christian Poleaic ia Early htan(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1.
Chapter I and 2.
This antitude can be gleaned from his discussionof the Qur'anic versesdealiug with Mary and JesusChrist .
and conceming the verification of the New Tes1smg1tby the Qur'an .
See,Hasbullah Bakry.
Isa dalan euraa, l-33.
,98-t t4 and I I 7-144.
Quotation is taken for granted from the Engtish version of Bak4r's.
Jesusfu the Qur'aa,90.
see also, .
Isadalam Quraa,99.
Hasbulhh Bakry.
Jesusin the Quran 126-127.
compareto Isadalan eur,an, lS4- I s6.
,At^ss-flahim, lesus:Prcphetof Islan{London:
Dirvanpress,1.
2EHasbullah B"kry.
PandatganIslam tentangKristen,3l-33.
" Ibid.
,37-39.
,4o4r.
HasbullahBakry.
Jesus in the Quran,84-85.
Isa dalan Qw'an,94.
HasbullahBakry, fesusin the Qur'an,86.
Isadalau Qur'an,9i.
33 Hasbullah Bakry, "Kristen di hrdonesia [Christianity in Indonesia/," Panji Masyarakat266.
Maret 1.
:4546.
'o H"sbuil"h Bakry, "MembantahterhadapHamranAmbrie[In refutingto Harnran Ambriel," Panfi Masyaraket 354.
Maret 1.
:19-22.
seePandangan Islan tentaag Kristea, 47.
Hasbu.
hBakry,Pandangan Islan kntang Kristen,4849.
AI-| ami'ah.
N o.
60/1997