ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
THE MEANING OF UMMATAN WASATAN AND YOGA IN RELATION TO
RELIGIOUS MODERATION.
A Comparative Study of Q.
Al-Baqarah .
: 143 and Bhagavad Gita 6.
17 Roland Barthes' Semiotic Perspective Moh.
Halir Ridla* *Pascasarjana.
Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga.
Yogyakarta.
Indonesia Email: hariri151299@gmail.
ABSTRACT
Religious moderation is a solution step in the midst of differences that exist in a multicultural nation to anticipate disharmony in society.
This article samples the concept of religious moderation offered by Islam as a Samawi religion in Q.
Al-Baqarah .
: 143 which is represented in the word ummatan wasaan and the concept of religious moderation offered by Hinduism as an Ardi religion in Bhagavad Gita 6.
17 which is represented in the word yoga.
Although both were born from different wombs and different contexts, there must be similarities in certain respects.
Therefore, to find the differences as well as the similarities.
Roland Barthes' semiotics is used to explore the different aspects of language as well as their historical contexts.
There are two important findings in this article first, the linguistic review shows that the word ummatan wasaan in Islam refers to a group that is moderate, just and becomes Auswatun uasanah.
While the word yoga in Hinduism is moderation, balance, and spiritual endeavour.
secondly, the two scriptures have similarities and differences both based on origin and context, meaning, main focus, and practical application.
ABSTRAK
Moderasi beragama merupakan sebuah langkah solutif di tengah perbedaan yang ada dalam sebuah bangsa yang multikultural untuk mengantisipasi disharmonisasi dalam masyarakat.
Artikel ini mengambil sampel konsep moderasi beragama yang ditawarkan oleh Islam sebagai agama Samawi dalam Q.
Al-Baqarah .
: 143 yang terepresentasi dalam kata ummatan wasaan dan konsep moderasi beragama yang ditawarkan oleh agama Hindu sebagai agama Ardi dalam Bhagavad Gita 6.
17 yang terepresentasi dalam kata yoga.
Meskipun keduanya lahir dari rahim yang berbeda dan konteks yang berbeda, pasti terdapat kesamaan dalam beberapa hal tertentu.
Maka untuk menemukan sisi perbedaan sekaligus persamaan keduanya, penggunaan semiotika Roland Barthes digunakan untuk menelusuri perbedaan aspek bahasa sekaligus konteks historis keduanya.
Terdapat dua temuan penting dalam artikel ini pertama, tinjauan kebahasaan menunjukkan bahwa kata ummatan wasaan dalam Islam menunjuk pada kelompok yang moderat, adil dan menjadi Auswatun uasanah.
Sedangkan kata yoga dalam agama Hindu adalah moderasi, keseimbangan, dan usaha spiritual.
kedua, kedua kitab suci tersebut memiliki persamaan dan perbedaan baik berdasarkan asal-usul dan konteks, pemaknaan, fokus utama, serta pengaplikasian secara praktis.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ARTICLE HISTORY
Received August 27, 2024
Accepted December 05, 2024
KEYWORDS
Religious comparison, semiotics.
Roland Barthes ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM 2024.
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
Introduction The diversity of religions, cultures, races, ethnicities, norms and customs in a country indicates the plurality of a nation.
This diversity must have the potential to create differences that must be harmonised in order to avoid clashes between communities in a nation.
A solution that can be offered to mediate the differences that exist in a country is a religious norm that can regulate the behaviour of its adherents in order to be moderate in religion .
eligious moderatio.
, so that it will have implications for the response of religious believers in responding to existing differences so as to avoid conflicts that trigger tension in the life of the state.
Although each religion has its own holy book, the spirit of religious moderation is something that is undoubtedly in the holy books of religions.
So in this study, we want to review the concept of religious moderation in two major streams of religion, namely the heavenly religion .
in this case making the holy book of Islam as the object of study and the darmic religion in this case making the Hindu religious scriptures as the object of study.
The concept of religious moderation in the Qur'an .
he holy book of Isla.
is contained in Q.
al-Baqarah .
: 143, while in the Hindu holy book it is stated in Bhagavad Gita 6.
In addition, the context surrounding the two scriptures is different so that although they are claimed to contain the spirit of religious moderation, of course there are different emphases that need to be examined more intensively.
The concept of religious moderation in Q.
al-Baqarah .
: 143 is represented by the term "ummatan wasaan", while in Bhagavad Gita 6.
17 it is represented by the term yuga.
The use of different terms to indicate the concept of religious moderation in the two books, indicates a different emphasis in the context of religious moderation on the one hand, but does not rule out the possibility of similar concepts offered on the other.
It is an urgency to find out more about the meaning of the two terms, so this research uses Roland Barthes semiotics to examine more deeply the meaning contained in the two terms, so that it can be known what kind of religious moderation concept is offered.
The selection of the two verses in each holy book as material objects is not without reason, the word wasaa in the Qur'an is mentioned five times with four different derivations.
1 Q.
al-Baqarah .
: 143 was chosen because of its position as a Muuammad FuAad AoAbdul BAq.
Al-MuAojam al-Mufahras li al-FAe al-QurAAn al-Karm (Kairo: DAr al-ad, 1.
, p.
Other verses that contain the word wasaa are Q.
al-Baqarah .
: 238 .
his verse calls for the maintenance of prayer, the use of the word wusA in this verse refers to the afternoon praye.
al-Maidah .
: 89 .
his verse talks about the fine for breaking an oath by using the word Aawsa to refer to the "usual" food given to the famil.
al-Qalam .
: 28 .
his verse uses the word Aawsa to refer to the wisest perso.
al-'AdiyAt .
: 5 .
he verse uses the word wasa to denote a war horse charging into the midst of a hostile assembl.
See.
AAb al-QAsim al104
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
madaniah surah, one of whose characteristics is to discuss muamalah .
ocial interactio.
which is different from other madaniah surahs which also contain the word wasaa, but only Q.
alBaqarah .
: 143 which represents the concept of religious moderation based on a syntagmatic review of the verse.
While the selection of the word yoga in Bhagavad Gita 6.
17 is the editorial in the verse explicitly how to be one with his god by balancing activities in daily life.
This research is expected to fill the void of previous research on religious moderation, at least in the last five years there have been several studies that discuss religious moderation based on the perspective of religious scriptures, among others.
First.
I Nyoman Surpa Adisastra and Ni Made Rai Kristina wrote an article that reviews the value of religious moderation in Hinduism based on theological perspectives2.
Second.
Fauziah Nurdin in his article reviews religious moderation based on the perspective of the Qur'an and hadith by using a thematic interpretation Third.
Khairul Amri reviews religious moderation based on the perspective of religions in Indonesia as a response to the negative impact of extreme and intolerant content circulating on the internet4.
Fourth.
Muria Khusnun Nisa and friends wrote an article that is almost similar to the third article but provides differentiation by linking the impact of the digital disruption era on religious moderation5.
In contrast to these studies, this research will review more deeply the implicit meaning of the concept of religious moderation represented in the symbols of "ummatan wasaan" (Q.
al-baqarah .
: .
and "yoga" (Bhagvad Gita 6.
using Roland Barthes' semiotic approach so that not only the literal meaning of the text can be revealed, but more than that it will reveal connotative meanings based on Barthes' language system and myth system.
6 So that the differences and similarities of the concept of religious moderation in the two holy books can be identified.
Husayn ibn Muuammad al-MaAorf bi al-Ragb Al-AAfahAn.
Al-MufradAt F Garb Al-QurAAn (Beirut: DAr al-SyAmiyah, 1.
, p.
I Nyoman Surpa Adisastra and Ni Made Rai Kristina, "Nilai-Nilai Moderasi Beragama Dalam Hindu (Perspektif Teolog.
Widya Katambung, 13.
: 34Ae44 <https://doi.
org/10.
33363/wk.
Fauziah Nurdin.
AoModerasi Beragama Menurut Al-QurAoan Dan HadistAo.
Jurnal Ilmiah Al-MuAoashirah, 18.
59 <https://doi.
org/10.
22373/jim.
Khairul Amri, "Moderasi Beragama Perspektif Agama-Agama Di Indonesia".
Living Islam: Journal of Islamic Discourses, 4.
<https://doi.
org/10.
14421/lijid.
Muria Khusnun Nisa dan kawan-kawan.
AoModerasi Beragama: Landasan Moderasi Dalam Tradisi Berbagai Agama Dan Implementasi Di Era Disrupsi DigitalAo.
Jurnal Riset Agama, 1.
: 79Ae96 <https://doi.
org/10.
15575/jra.
Roland Barthes.
Mythologies, trans.
by Annette Lavers (New York: The Noonday Press, 1.
, p.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
Departing from the above description, this study aims to answer two main questions, namely first, how the meaning of the concept of religious moderation in Q.
al-Baqarah .
: 143 and Bhagavad Gita 6.
17 in terms of linguistics.
second, what are the differences and similarities in the two holy books about the spirit of religious moderation.
The initial assumption that builds the framework in this research is that although the two books both have a vision of religious moderation, but the two books were born from different wombs both in terms of historical, geographical, and different genealogies.
So it is necessary to understand the meaning of the concept of religious moderation in the two holy books based on the context that surrounds it so that the similarities and differences can be understood.
The difference in this case does not mean to find which one is better, but to always be open to differences in carrying out their respective This article is a type of library research related to documents.
So that the primary references in this article are Arabic dictionaries, tafsir patterned Aadabi ijtima'i to review the impact of a verse on people's lives, and literature related to asbabun nuzul which is used to review the meaning of the word ummatan wasaan in the Qur'an.
As for reviewing the meaning of the word yoga in the Bhagavad Gita, the primary sources used are Sanskrit dictionaries, books that provide interpretations of verses in the Bhagavad Gita, and literature that reviews the historical context of a verse in the Bhagavad Gita.
Secondary references in this article are books and articles on religious moderation.
The data is processed using Roland Barthes' semiotic approach to trace the deepest layers of meaning in a symbol .
mmatan wasaan and yog.
, so that the differences and similarities of the two terms can be known in the context of religious moderation.
Results and Discussion Overview of Religious Moderation Religious moderation is a sentence that has two different root words, namely moderation and Moderation is an absorption word from Latin moderAtio which means balance.
While in English it is called moderation which means average, core, standard, and non-aligned, so it can be defined that moderation is a balanced attitude in terms of beliefs, morals, and good character in treating other individuals or dealing with state institutions.
7 While in KBBI V moderation has two meanings, namely the reduction of violence and the avoidance of extremes.
Meanwhile, the Moderasi Beragama (Jakarta: Kementrian Agama RI, 2.
, p.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
word beragama comes from the word religion which gets an affix in the form of the prefix "ber" so that when it is connected with religion it will become beragama so that it means adhering to or embracing a religion.
Based on the definition of these two words, religious moderation can be defined as a balanced attitude or avoiding extreme attitudes in carrying out religious teachings.
Religious moderation must be understood as a religious attitude that harmonises respect for the religious practices of others who have different beliefs .
with the practice of personal religion .
Religious moderation is the key to creating harmony, peace and tolerance, both at the local, national and global levels.
All religions teach complete submission to the One True God.
This devotion is reflected in obedience to His instructions in daily life.
The principle of moderation is not exclusive to one religion, but is part of various religious traditions and civilisations in the world.
Moderation in religion encourages people to avoid extreme and excessive attitudes in the face of diversity, including differences in religion and its interpretation.
Instead, people are encouraged to always be fair and balanced, so that they can live together in harmony and agreement.
9 Religious moderation does not mean obscuring the truth or losing one's identity.
Moderation does not denigrate the truth, a person still has a firm view on a matter of truth and about the law of a case based on his beliefs.
However, in religious moderation, it emphasises more openness to accept that beyond personal beliefs, while still paying attention to fellow countrymen who also have the same rights as part of a sovereign society within the framework of nationality.
In addition, it is important to look at the perspectives of Islam and Hinduism with their respective holy books to understand the concept of religious moderation.
The concept of religious moderation in Islam is often referred to as "Wasaiyah al-IslAm", this term has only become widely known among Muslims in the modern era, popularised by thinkers from Al-Azhar University in Egypt such as Muhammad Rasyid Ridla .
ied 1935 AD) and Mahmud Syaltut .
ied 1963 AD).
The word wasaiyah comes from the word wasa in the Qur'an, which means The next generation of Egyptian scholars such as Yusuf Al-Qaradhawi.
Fahmi Huwaydi, and Muhammad Al-Ghazali, continued this tradition by introducing and promoting Nisa and friends, "Moderasi Beragama.
", p.
Luh Riniti Rahayu and Putu Surya Wedra Lesmana.
AoPotensi Peran Perempuan Dalam Mewujudkan Moderasi Beragama Di IndonesiaAo.
Pustaka, 20.
, p.
Abdul Manap.
AoModerasi Beragama Keragaman Indonesia Dalam Bingkai Negara Kesatuan Republik IndonesiaAo.
Widya Genitri : Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan.
Agama dan Kebudayaan Hindu, 13.
: 236.
<https://doi.
org/10.
36417/widyagenitri.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
the term Wasathiyah in various religious discussions since the 1970s until now.
11 Some Muslim scholars give their views on religious moderation, including M.
Quraish Shihab interpreting moderation .
as an attitude that is in the middle and does not take sides on one side and emphasises that this neutral attitude will shape humans into fair individuals so that they can be role models for all groups.
Meanwhile.
Hamka understands religious moderation as a middle attitude that is not only focused on the world or only on spiritual aspects, but a balanced position between the two.
On the other hand.
Yusuf Qardhawi explains that wasaiyah is an effort to maintain a balance between two conflicting sides, so that one of them does not dominate and override the other.
While the concept of religious moderation in Hinduism assumes that the spirit of religious moderation has existed for thousands of years.
This period includes four Yugas starting from Satya Yuga.
Treta Yuga.
Dwapara Yuga, to Kali Yuga.
In each Yuga.
Hindus adjusted their teachings as a form of moderation.
One of the important teachings in Hinduism is the teaching of Susila, which teaches the importance of maintaining harmonious relationships between fellow humans, which is one of the three causes of well-being.
Compassion is at the centre of this religious 13 In Hinduism, religious moderation emphasises increasing individual awareness of religious principles.
The implementation of Hinduism is often done collectively .
, so one of the characteristics of this religion is its tolerance.
14 In Hinduism, there is no specific term used to refer to religious moderation as islAm wasaiyyah in Islam.
The Application of Roland Barthes' Semiotics to Scripture Semiotics is a discipline that studies signs in human life.
This means that everything that is present in human life is a sign that requires meaning to the sign.
15 The term semiotics is taken from the Greek semeion which means sign.
There are two main figures in the discipline of semiotics, namely Ferdinand de Saussure .
7-1913 M) who developed his theory in Europe with a linguistic background and Charles Sander Peirce .
9-1914 M) who developed his theory Abdul Aziz dan A.
Khoirul Anam.
Moderasi Beragama Berlandaskan Nilai-Nilai Islam (Jakarta: Kementrian Agama RI, 2.
, p.
Lukmanul Hakim.
Aziza Meria, and Sartika Suryadinata, "Religious Moderation in Indonesia Context".
Al-Albab, 1 .
, p.
Amri, " Moderasi Beragama.
", p.
Faisal Haitomi.
Maula Sari, and Nor Farah Ain Binti Nor Isamuddin.
AoModerasi Beragama Dalam Perspektif Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia: Konsep Dan ImplementasiAo.
Al-Wasatiyah: Journal of Religious Moderation, 1 .
: 75.
Benny H.
Hoed.
Semiotika Dan Dinamika Sosial Budaya (Depok: Komunitas Bambu, 2.
, p.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
in the United States with a philosophical background, so there is no doubt that the two did not know each other.
In addition, both have different terms related to the science developed.
Saussure termed the science he developed as semiology, while Pierce termed the science he developed as semiotics.
The difference in the use of terms used by both is still oriented towards the science of signs without any significant differences in definition.
Saussure's thinking about signs has a central role, he sorted it in the context of human communication into two, namely the signifier can be in the form of meaningful sounds or images .
aterial aspect.
and signified abstraction in the mind or concept .
ental aspect.
of a language, until in the end both are tied with one term called sign.
17 Semiology is the science of signs introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure as the founder of modern linguistics in the 20th century although it was only an idea until around the 1960s.
When anthropologists and literary critics were impressed by the science of linguistics, they tried to benefit from its methodological insights and developed Saussure's semiotics.
Barthes was such an early proponent of semiology that when he was about to be appointed professor he said linguistics was his speciality.
However.
Barthes also said that his semiology was slightly different or even at odds with the wider development of the discipline of semiology at the time.
18 Barthes defines a sign as the intersection of two sides .
ignifier and signifie.
The formation of a sign does not happen immediately, there is a process that binds the signifier and signified which is termed as signification.
In addition.
Barthes also asserts that a sign is not only formed through the union of signifier and signified, but can also gain value or meaning through the context or surrounding environment.
Then the human mind in the semantic process tends to work by separating or parsing meaning, not just by uniting signifiers and signifued19 Semiology as a model of the process of meaning production plays a significant role in Barthes' Semiology gives him a clear and coherent explanation of how myths work, in "Myth Today".
Barthes reminds us that the sign is, in fact, involved in a three-part relationship.
A sign.
Jafar Lantowa.
Nila Mega Marahayu, and Muh.
Khairussibyan.
Semiotika: Teori.
Metode.
Dan Penerapannya Dalam Penelitian Sastra (Yogyakarta: Deepublish, 2.
, p.
Ferdinand de Saussure.
Course In General Linguistics, trans.
by Wade Baskin (Columbia University Press, 2.
, p.
Jonathan Culler.
Barthes: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2.
, p.
Roland Barthes.
Elements of Semiology, trans.
by Annette Lavers and Colin Smith (New York: Hill and Wang, 1.
, p.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
after all, is the relationship between signifier and signified.
20 Myth in Barthes' semiology builds on the previously existing semiological chain .
he triadic pattern of signifier, signified and sig.
which is nothing more than a signifier in the second system .
The whole thing happens as if the myth shifts the formal system of the first signification to the side.
This lateral shift is quite essential in the analysis of myth.
Barthes provides a description of the semiotic process as Language System Myth System Signifier 2.
Signified Sign II.
SIGNIFIED
SIGNIFIER
SIGN
Based on the above description, it can be seen that there are two semiological systems, one of which is connected to the other.
The linguistic/language system is referred to by Barthes as the language-object used by the myth to build its own system, while the myth is referred to as the The first step that needs to be done in using Roland Barthes' semiotics is to sort out the symbols to be studied, in the context of this research on the concept of religious moderation as described earlier that the concept is represented in the sentence "ummatan wasaan" (Q.
al-Baqarah .
: .
in the holy book of Islam with the following editorial.
U AaOauaaE aaUeaueI aiU OaA a Aa acaaueO aeOA AeOaE aeIA a AeOaE aUaeaueI aaeU aOaa aaUeaa eaoecaia ae aueA a A aUaeaa e a aaeUaaI aeI acaO A a a aUa aa aOaaueOaI A e A aU aUaoacea aOaeI aua AA aeUIA a AeaoaA U A aca aeOAT a a Aa aATAa aOaa auaaI ATA aauacea U a aUa aeaI aaO A a AeaO aeaueI aI A AuLikewise We have made you (Muslim.
a middle nation so that you may bear witness to the people and so that the Messenger (Prophet Muhamma.
may bear witness to you.
have not fixed the Qiblah (Baitulmaqdi.
to which you used to turn, except that We may know .
n realit.
who follows the Messenger and who turns back.
Verily, it is very hard, except for those to whom Allah has guided.
Allah will not waste your faith.
Verily.
Allah is indeed merciful to mankind.
Ay Meanwhile, in the Hindu scriptures, it is represented in the rich "yuga" (Bhagavad Gita 6.
with the following wording.
Graham Allen.
Roland Barthes (New York: Routledge, 2.
, p.
Saussure.
Course In General.
, p.
Barthes.
Mythologies, p.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
yuktAhAravihArasya yuktaceasya karmasu, yuktasvapnAvabodhasya yogo bhavati duukhahA.
VI-17.
AuFor those whose meals and pleasures are proper, for those whose work activities are regular and whose sleep and waking are regular, there is a discipline .
that eradicates all suffering.
Ay The two keywords will go through two systems as described above, to unravel their meaning and Language system In this first system, the word will be analysed based on the literal meaning of the text to find out the denotative meaning of the text.
The different languages (Arabic and Sanskri.
used in the two scriptural texts .
he Qur'an and the Bhagavad Git.
necessitate different uses of a diction, even though both in the current context are considered to represent religious moderation.
The methodical step that can be taken through this first system is to look for the meaning of both in their respective authoritative dictionaries and look at authoritative interpretations of the two Firstly, the word "ummatan wasaan" consists of two words: ummatan and wasaan.
The meaning of ummatan in the dictionary Mu'jam Matn al-Lugah by AAumad RisA is a group or community to which Allah sent a messenger.
and people from one ummah who have similar religious beliefs or In Aumad al-FarAhd's KitAb al-'Ayn .
170 H) the word wasaan has several meanings including "middle position" when read lightly as in "zayd was al-dAr .
ayd was in the middle of the hous.
", and it can also mean "equality" as in "al-wasau min al-nAs wa kullu syaiAin Aa'dalahu wa Aafsalahu .
omeone or something is the fairest and best, which is neither excessive nor )".
22 Ibn Maner .
-711 H.
) in his dictionary LisAn al-'Arab explains that the nature of the word was is used to indicate the best or fairest part of something.
23 In certain contexts, "wasa" can refer to something that is considered the best solution, a balance that avoids both advantages and disadvantages and is therefore considered a commendable attitude.
24 In addition.
AAb AoAbd al-RahmAn Al-Khall ibn Aumad Al-FarAhd.
KitAb Al-AoAyn (Beirut: DAr wa Maktabah al-HilAl, 1.
Vol.
VII.
Ibn Maner.
LisAn Al-AoArab (Kairo: DAr al-MaAoAri.
VII.
AAb al-QAsim al-Husayn ibn Muuammad al-MaAorf bi al-Ragb Al-AAfahAn.
Al-MufradAt F Garb Al-QurAAn (Beirut: DAr al-SyAmiyah, 1.
, p.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
an ignorant poem by Lubayd ibn Rab'ah also contains the word wasaa with the following a AaeiaeOaei U aOeA A aOaUAa acsiA a A ae a aA# A ea a AuSurrounded amidst the reeds, she protected him from the tumbling forest, and his existenceAy The explanation in the editorial shows that the word "wasaa" can have two meanings depending on how the letter "sin" is read.
If the letter "sin" is read as sukun .
, then it has a meaning as an adverb of place which means being in the middle position or between something.
Whereas the letter "sin" with fathah, indicates a noun that means fair or moderate, not extreme to either side.
25 Based on this literal meaning, the word "ummatan wasaan" can be interpreted as a community or group that practices their religion in a balanced way, neither excessive nor deficient in their religious practices.
Meanwhile, the word "yoga" is a Sanskrit word that has three meanings: age, child, and 26 While in Arthur A.
MacDonell's "A Sanskrit-English Dictonary" the word "yoga" has a variety of meanings that include physical, practical, and philosophical aspects.
There are at least six meanings, namely unification .
oga means combining or uniting, either in a physical context or in a philosophical context such as uniting the soul and natur.
oga also means the implementation, use, or application of an activity or metho.
n the context of healing, yoga can mean a medicine or a way to achieve a goal or resul.
oga includes the notions of effort, endeavour, perseverance, and zeal in performing an activit.
mental concentration and philosophical systems .
oga means mental concentration and also refers to philosophical systems related to meditation techniques and systematic abstractio.
relationships and interrelationships .
oga means relationships, relations, or connections between various elements, both physically and conceptuall.
Secondly, the interpretation of the verse containing the word ummatan wasaan (Q.
alBaqarah .
: .
in several books of tafsir with Aadabi AijtimA'i style is as follows.
Muuammad Rashd RisA in Tafsr al-ManAr defines the word wasaa literally with the meaning of middle or Muuammad AoAl aha Al-Darrah.
Fatu al-Kabr al-MutaAoAl AIAorAb al-MuAoallaqAt al-AoAsyr al-iwAl (Beirut: DAr AIhyAA al-TurA al-AoArab, 2.
Vol.
II.
Purwadi dan Eko Priyo Purnomo.
Kamus Sansekerta Indonesia (Budayajawa, 2.
, p.
Arthur A.
MacDonell.
A Sanskrit-English Dictonary (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1.
, p.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
middle, while in the context of the Qur'an, this word is often interpreted as justice and the best While the contextual meaning of ummatan wasaan according to RisA is that to be a wasaa people means to be a just and balanced people, neither excessive .
frA) nor deficient .
in practising religious teachings.
That is, being a wasaa community means that they are in the middle between extreme materialism and extreme spiritualism.
In the aspects of belief, morals, and deeds, the wasaa people does not overdo religion to become extremists, nor does it underestimate religion to become secularists or hedonists.
In addition to being ummatan wasaan.
Allah also made them as "shuhadAA 'alA al-nAs" who will witness and judge the state of both sides .
xtreme materialism and spiritualis.
Muslims are expected to be fair witnesses to other human beings, showing how to live life with a balance between physical and spiritual rights.
On the other hand.
Quraish Shihab in the interpretation of Al-MishbAh interprets ummatan wasaan as a moderate people just like the ka'bah in the middle.
The middle position helps people to remain neutral, not leaning to the left or right, so they can be fair.
By being in the centre, one can be seen from various points of view and be a role model for everyone.
Moreover, this position allows one to observe anyone anywhere.
While the word yoga has a different interpretation with ummatan wasaan.
Sri Swami Satchidananda in "The Living Gita: The Complete Bhagavad Gita" interprets yoga in simpler language as the middle way .
oderation in all thing.
Taking the middle path leads to peace of mind and peace, just as eating too much only satisfies the body and senses with the assumption that the self consists only of the physical body.
On the other hand, not eating will satisfy the ego even if it does not satisfy physical needs.
A yogi should have an orientation towards his every activity and action in order to enjoy the process and sustain his yoga.
One is not required to achieve yoga because he is a yogi, so the solution offered is the middle way or moderation in Because someone who loses his yogic balance will fall into roga .
30 Also, in the book "The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita" there is an interesting explanation of Krishna's statement emphasising the importance of recreation.
Krishna states that many spiritual seekers mistakenly consider any form of pleasure as harmful.
In fact, without a healthy balance between Muuammad Rasyd RisA.
Tafsr Al-ManAr (Al-HayAah al-Miriyah al-AoAmah li al-KitAb, 1.
Vol.
II.
Quraish Shihab.
Tafsir Al-MishbAh (Jakarta: Lentera Hati, 2.
Vol.
Sri Swami Satchidananda.
The Living Gita: The Complete Bhagavad Gita (New York: Owl Book, 1.
, p.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
work and recreation, one can become monotonous and lose that all-important spontaneous Myth system Myth in Barthes' semiotics is not the same as the myth commonly known as a story that comes from the folkloric tradition, but Barthes defines myth as a type of speech.
Myth in Barthes' semiotics can only be obtained through the basis of history, because myth is a speech chosen by 32 Based on this, the way that can be taken to identify meaning in the myth system is by looking at the historical aspects and context surrounding a scriptural text, especially for Q.
alBaqarah .
: 143 and Bhagavad Gita 6.
17 as follows.
In Qur'anic studies, there is a discussion about the types of surahs, which are divided into two clusters: Makiah and Madaniah.
Such a division is important to identify the general content or characteristics that describe the overall content of a surah.
If traced based on tartib nuzuli as classified by 'Izzah Darwazah, then Q.
al-Baqarah .
: 143 is a madaniah surah that was revealed in the 87th sequence.
33 While the madaniah surahs have the following characteristics including .
The Qur'an comprehensively explores the provisions of ritual worship and muamalah .
ocial interactio.
, including hudud .
egal sanction.
, kinship, inheritance, jihad .
truggle to defend the trut.
, social relations, international relations both in peace and conflict conditions, legal rules, and principles of legislation.
The divine Word also addresses the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians, inviting them to embrace Islam, describing their deviation from the holy books revealed by Allah, their hostility towards the truth, and the divisions among them after the truth came due to envy among the followers of the heavenly religions.
The Quran reveals the character of the hypocrites, analyses their psychology and psychological characteristics, unmasks their pretence, and explains the great danger of hypocrisy to religion and spiritual life.
Points one and three relate to the matters contained in Q.
al-Baqarah .
: 143.
Paramahansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda.
The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita (Nevada City: Crystal Clarity Publishers, 2.
, p.
Barthes.
Mythologies, p.
Muuammad AoIzzah Darwazah.
Al-Tafsr Al-ad Tartb Suwar Hasab an-Nuzl (Beirut: DAr al-Garab al-AIslAm, 2.
, p.
Manna Al-Qaththan.
Pengantar Studi Ilmu Al-QurAoan, trans.
by Anunur Rafiq El-Mazni (Jakarta: Pustaka al-Kautsar, 2.
, p.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
The asbabun nuzul of the verse is in response to some of the Companions' concerns about their brothers who had died before Allah sent down the command to change the Qibla back to the Ka'bah.
They were worried that the prayers performed by their brothers would not be accepted by Allah.
Al-Bary' bin 'yAzib relates that the Messenger of Allah prayed facing Bait alMaqdis for sixteen or seventeen months, although he was eager to pray facing the Kaaba.
One day, when the change of Qibla took place, he was praying Asr with a number of companions.
After the prayer, 'Abbyd bin Bisyr came out of the mosque and met a group of worshippers who were bowing facing the Ka'bah.
He said, "I testify by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah facing Mecca.
" They then shifted the direction of prayer to the Ka'bah.
for those who died before the change of Qiblah, we do not know whether their prayers were accepted or rejected.
So Allah revealed His words, "wa mA kAnallAhu liyus'a AmAnakum innallAha bi an-nAsi laraAfu ar-raum.
"35
As in the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita, the historical context of the scripture can be traced in Rakesh Garia's "Perfection of Yoga" which provides an overview of the context of the chapter in the Bhagavad Gita.
In Bhagavad-gita 6.
Arjuna asks Krishna about the fate of a yogi who begins the process of yoga but fails to achieve it because he is distracted by worldly thoughts.
Arjuna worries that unsuccessful spiritual endeavours will be in vain, like clouds that disperse and disappear without a trace.
Krishna responded to Arjuna's concern by stating that there is no total failure for one who endeavours in spiritual activities, even a little effort in the spiritual path will not go in vain.
Krishna states that one who is well-versed in yogic endeavours will not experience destruction either in this world or the next.
The endeavour to attain yogic perfection is a very auspicious and rewarding endeavour.
Based on the identification of the language system and myth system above, the denotative meaning and connotative meaning of ummatan wasaan are as in the following table.
Signifier Ummatan Wasaan Signified Communities/groups in the centre Asbabun Nuzul: Kronologi Dan Sebab Turun Wahyu Al-QurAoan, ed.
by Muchlis M.
Hanafi (Jakarta: Lajnah Pentashihan Mushaf Al-QurAoan Balitbang dan Diklat Kementerian Agama RI, 2.
, p.
Rakesh Garia.
Perfection of Yoga - A.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada .
t: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1.
, 28p.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
Sign
SIGNIFIER
Ummatan Wasaan is a community/group that is in the centre position.
II.
SIGNIFIED
A community that is moderate, balanced and fair in practising religious teachings.
SIGN
Ummatan Wasaan is a community/group that is moderate, fair, and an example to others in living a balanced life between various aspects of life.
The word yoga, based on Barthes' semiotic system, has the following denotative and connotative Signifier Yoga
Signified Concepts involving unification, application, means, effort, mental
concentration, and Sign
SIGNIFIER
Yoga is a concept that involves union, application, means, effort, mental concentration, and II.
SIGNIFIED
Practices that include moderation, balance, and spiritual endeavour.
SIGN
The meaning of yoga is becoming more evolved to become more deeply about moderation, balance and spiritual endeavour.
It encompasses the important aspect of living life in balance between the various physical and mental elements, as well as the ongoing endeavour to achieve spiritual perfection.
The results of the interpretation of the words ummatan wasaan and yoga above will be the basis for determining the different and similar aspects of the spirit of religious moderation echoed in the two holy books which will be described in the following sub-chapters.
Differences and Similarities in the Spirit of Religious Moderation The differences and similarities that will be reviewed in this section take the data that has been processed previously using Barthes' semiotics as the basis of reference in its determination.
In order not to make it complicated to understand, the differences and similarities will be described in the form of the following table.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
Ummatan Wasaan Yoga Persamaan Islam.
alBaqarah .
: 143 Hindu.
Bhagavad Gita 6.
Emphasising moderation as the middle way in religion and life Denotative Meaning Groups that have similarities in religious beliefs or practices and a position of centre or equality .
ustice, the best par.
Age, child.
Unification, application, means, effort, mental Moderation as a balancing act between different aspects of life without neglecting any of them.
Connotative Meaning A community that practices religious teachings in a balanced, just, and non-extreme manner Physical, mental, and spiritual balance, moderation in all Both avoid extremes, both spiritual and physical Physical, mental and spiritual balance in daily activities Balance in various aspects of life Main Focus Balance in carrying out religious teachings and behaving fairly in social life Practical Applications Applied in Islamic law, worship, and social relations Physical exercise, meditation, healthy Moderation in daily actions and Aspects Origins and Context The concept of moderation in ummatan wasaan and yoga shows how both traditions emphasise the importance of balance in living life.
Despite coming from different cultural and religious backgrounds, both share the common goal of achieving harmonious balance, both in the context of religion and daily life.
Ummatan wasaan emphasises moderation in the context of practising religious teachings and behaving justly in social life, while yoga emphasises moderation in physical, mental and spiritual aspects through daily practices.
Both concepts, while differing in detail and application, offer guidance for a balanced life that avoids extremes and supports harmony and well-being of individuals and communities.
Main Article Title | First Writer & Second Writer
ISLAMUNA: JURNAL STUDI ISLAM
VOL.
NO.
2, 1-120
https://doi.
org/10.
19105/islamuna.
Conclusion Based on Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis of the concept of religious moderation in Q.
alBaqarah .
: 143 and Bhagavad Gta 6.
17, there are several important points that can be concluded that the meaning of ummatan wasaan .
he middle peopl.
in Islamic teachings is emphasised as a community that practices moderation in religion and behaves fairly in social life.
This includes balance in spiritual, social, and moral aspects, and rejects all forms of extremism.
Meanwhile, the meaning of yoga as a spiritual and physical practice originating from the Indian tradition, emphasises moderation in physical, mental and spiritual aspects.
The practice of yoga aims to achieve balance and harmony through body exercises, breathing, and meditation.
Moreover, both concepts, although coming from different traditions, emphasise the importance of moderation as a key principle.
Moderation here serves as a balance between the various aspects of life, whether spiritual, social or physical.
Religious moderation in both concepts avoids extremism and promotes harmony and well-being of individuals and communities.
This confirms that both the concepts of ummatan wasatan and yoga, when viewed through the lens of Barthes' semiotics, provide guidance for a balanced and harmonious life, which is essential in achieving peace and justice in a diverse society.
This research still leaves gaps such as not being comprehensive in reviewing every word about yoga, which seems to be found more with different In addition, the semiotic approach used is only limited to the linguistic and historical aspects of the text, so there is still potential to find other differences and similarities based on different approaches.
References