The Application of Al-GhazÃ¢liâ€™s Tasawuf Ethic to Actualize Good Governance in Indonesia

This article tries to explore the possibilities of tasawuf ethic application to actualize Good Governance in Indonesia. The study focuses on some arguments why tasawuf and al-Ghazali are selected as the main discussion. The arguments are that Tasawuf is an Islamic tradition and al-Ghazali has capability for it in terms of his social lives. He proposed three concepts of thought concerning tasawuf ethics, that is, zuhd, teleological ethics, and ummahat al-fadhail. These concepts can be implemented in reforming good Indonesian government. Keyword: Tasawuf, social sensitivity, IlA¢hiyah consciousness, tasawuf tradition


A. Introduction
Up to this day, disasters, the natural as well as the social ones, have been happening. National memory of the tsunami which wiped out part of Aceh is as fresh as the earth quake disaster that broken out part of Yogyakarta, the mud flooding tragedy of Lapindo and the spread of earth quake in many places of this beloved country of Indonesia. More disasters such as the avian influenza, the continued accident of airplanes, ships, as well as trains and cars are still threatening that seem to agree in saying of the "nature's angry" to human beings, also flooding disasters give rise many people of the country to become apparently pessimistic with attempts that the government takes in immediate times. Still, in the mid of that calamity people are burdened by so many bad news and political attitudes of politicians which have no clear of it's working parameter.
The blurred standard of moral and the lacking commitment of it become worse to worse by the weak of law enforcement, and indeed law is often enforced discriminatively in many cases of corruption. There have been public officials people believed that they involved in corruption; unfortunately they still untouched by law, only some criminals have been punished oppressively. This state of being of course gives rise to the lose clear of border between lawful (halâl) and forbidden (harâm), right and wrong, good and bad and also weakened the government charisma and law.
Moreover, such condition not only worsened bureaucratic culture but also depraves people attitudes in and towards good culture building.
Besides, the rumor of several members of the house of people representative (DPR) involved in bribe scandal every time they have a legal drafting agenda is currently on media circulation. 1 Surely, this makes the image as well as the quality of politicians lacking warmth and generosity of spirit of morality. Thus, parameter or ethic within social life, bureaucracy and politics will be obscure and gray. With this reason, it is proper and reasonable to appear in the surface a critic that political parties have been failing to produce politicians with high quality of moral and integrity, and just the reverse is currently taking place that only the "opportunistic politicians" do exist.
People were angry and disappointing, and even rising-up currently when finally they found some religious public figures and university based intellectuals were also turning into and becoming political actors, then melted down that exhausted or degraded their moral commitment and their spirit of integrity.
So, who or what is deserved to be guilty? If such fundamental value as religion does not work to establish social sensitivity based on Ilâhiyah consciousness, then to whom or to what this country suggested to hope? Religion has been considered to be failed to transform the value of liberal-humanitarian, or amar ma'ruf in the language of al-Qur'an. A clear indicator of it is the spread of public figures, intellectuals, religious men (ulama) and Muslim leaders whom are melted down within the glamorous of power and wealthy while neglecting even forgetting the rights of people. 2 Moreover, naively these leaders often outspokenly voiced on behalf of people or their public common interest. The theory was dead. This is perhaps the precise words to describe the "barren" of those intellectuals and religious men. Islam is simply laying on its formality. If such is the case, it is simply correct that religion is opium for society as Karl Marx (1818-1883) said, or "God has been retired" as Friedrich Nietzsce  proclaimed.
Yet, it is may be to much to pin the blame on religion because of religion (the religion from the sky, samawi, in particular) genuinely led human being to the way of rightness, the way to dzât Ilâhiyah which is transcendent. However, as soon as religion comes to the hand of human being it becomes culture, or even to be an 2 Some phenomena can be observed. Currently, Islam --although too simplistic-becomes a kind of commodity, goods to be sale. Everything changes and submits to the market interest and commodities. Islamic education also comes to the flow of market for the purpose of gaining benefit on behalf of quality. In fact, the quality hoped has never been attained. Thus, education only to produce people whom are ready to be employed or put differently education simply makes people capable of taking advantages opportunities for their own. ideology of the adherents. 3 Here, the human's conception is very much influenced to any religious understanding. This understanding in turn will be actualized in every day life. As natural, such concept may be correct for the time in which it appeared, but it could be incorrect any longer for another time of current or future. The mismatch between concept and problem faced up in reality certainly will have a consequence for such concept to lost power to find the problem. Just the same as this, a concept of religion will not forever in accord to the real problem that is facing and appearing in current.
It is in this context that we need to establish new understanding, the one based on reality for problem solving. This new understanding, however, does not necessarily that we have to create the new one in all sense of the words. As we suggested knowing, Islam has the very rich of intellectual tradition, a kanzun makhâfi, which will never dry to be re-actualized, with critical assessment, in all times with the changes it has.
In what follows, this article tries to explore tasawuf tradition within Islam that is regarded in common as a "kanzun makhâfi." However, if tasawuf becomes only as beautiful as "hidden wealth", then it will give nothing of advantage and benefit. With this reason, the present article seeks to raise tasawuf tradition to the surface (and not to land it down from above) and to take advantages of it for the media of selftransformation towards the trasendent Ilâhiyah emanation within the context of Indonesian nation in which Muslims are the majority. In order to be focused the writer confines the study on al-Ghazâli, the most famous tasawuf figure, whereas aspect of tasawuf to be the point of study is ethic or moral tasawuf.

B. Al-Ghazâli and Tasawuf
Before discussing it further, the writer need to give reason why al-Ghazâli and Tasawuf becomes the subject of discussion. Furthermore, the question is why it is tasawuf that the priority is given to as an alternative for the crisis of this country, not to other Islamic traditions such as fiqh, kalam or philosophy of which does not less devoted its discourse in the study of Islam? What does the relationship of tasawuf with the current situation of Indonesian state and government?
The first question is, why tasawuf? Tasawuf is part of Islamic thought in addition to the science of Islamic theology (kalam), philosophy, jurisprudence (fiqh) or the philosophy of jurisprudence (ushul fiqh). 4 The word "thought" here points out towards attempting to understand Islamic teachings. Along with that development it came to appear Islamic sciences that have been influential at that time until nowadays. Such development can be seen at two levels. 6 First, it comes to appear the science of exegesis (tafsir), the science of tradition (hadits), and the science of language. Second, it appears and then develops twenty attributes of Allah, the attribute of wajib, jaiz and mumkin al-wujûd were found in detail. After the contact had been made between Islam and Christian, Jew, Mineka and Greek, Muslim intellectuals untiringly reformulated Islamic teachings in line with and in order to answer questions of those teaching outside Islam. Several auxiliary sciences such as logic and philosophy were begin to be used to reformulate Islamic teaching that previously simple in order to defend and to make counter to those teaching outside Islam.
Still in the second level, it appears jurisprudence (the science fiqh) along with its supporting figure such as Syafi'i, Hanbali, Maliki, and Hanafi. Within this science, tents or even hundreds of books have been produced by Muslim intellectuals. The subject of five Islamic pillars for example, which was previously very simple have been widened and classified into many chapters of ablution (wudhu), ablution with dust (tayammum), taking a bath, performing praying, pilgrim, giving alms and the social matters completely with all arguments taken from the holy al-Qur'an and tradition of the prophet supplemented with the logic arranged by each leader of the scholl of thought (madzhab). However, because the discussion and the way of thinking it takes too much focused on making every acts in line with the rules of jurisprudence within any school of thought the it religious spirit become relies heavily on formalistic and legalistic side only.
Disappointing with such religious feature which is too formalistic and extrinsic in nature proposed by theology and jurisprudence, then appear tasawuf which is more to appreciate the inside aspect (bathiniyah ) or the substance of being religious.
Apart from the debate on the origins of the Schools of thought in Sufism, 7 tasawuf and Sufism have been able to catch the biggest part of Muslims attention. In history, indeed, we can see that Islam was introduced to Indonesia through religious proselytizing conducted by sufi leaders. 8 The spreading of tarikat movements, the orthodox as well as the heterodox ones were evidence that tasawuf movement had been able to call attention most people. Sufi leaders did not satisfied with religious understanding which is intellectual in nature intrinsic with theologians and philosophers, and religious understanding which is too much legalistic as well as formalistic.
Several terms in al-Qur'an which are full of inside religious spirit (bathiniyah) have been compiled by sufi figures such as Taubât, Syukr,Shabr,Tawakal,Ridhâ,Ikhlâs,Wara',Qanâ'ah,Raja',Hubb,and Khauf. 9 These terms in turn become indication for someone to be able to become a sufi, then one is suggested to be capable of being close to Allah (Taqârub ila Allah).
Unfortunately, tasawuf has breaked off for long time on individual attitudes without giving any ideas of the possible implication of such attitudes as zuhd, 'uzlah, or qanâ'ah to social problems. Furthermore, tasawuf, unexpectedly had been pit in to unhealthy rivalty between groups of tarikat for gaining adherents. If such is the case, tasawuf then does not differ from the two other modes of thinking namely Islam theology (kalam) and Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), whereas it is like the hidden wealth which always to be hunted or is like magnet hidden under the surface but has 7 On the origins of the schools of thought in Sufism, Harun Nasution proposes at least five theories. (1) The influence of Christianity on the understanding to avoid the world and isolation by living in monasteries (2) the influence of Pythagoras' mystic philosophy on the outlook that the soul of human being is eternal whereas living in the world is strange (3) the influence of Plutonius' philosophy of emanation on the reason that the existential being is emanation from God. (4) the influence from the teachings of Budha on Nirwayana, and (5)   Al-Gazali's charisma as a religious figure is as strong as magnet that attracted very much people. This certainly will be the advantage power and positive potency if only to be done re-construction and re-formulation of its tasawuf for establishing social order of Indonesia's Muslim majority. 10 This perhaps have been practicing by Islamic organization such as Muhammadiyah that translated tasawuf into social ethics articulated in developing society such, constructing schools building, hospitals houses for orphan children and other social purposes. The same is Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), which strongly accommodated sufi teachings, actualized tasawuf into several social institutions. M Amin Abdullah (1996) Secondly, al-Ghazali as the subject of this discussion has to do with his social life which is relatively identical to the situation of social life that Indonesia and Muslim communities have. Here, to contextualize the social and historical condition of al-Ghazali into the situation of Indonesia's current is done by using hermeneutical approaches.
Before al-Ghazali had been born, societies had experienced decline and backwardness. In the field of social and political life, the Abbasiyah dynasty, a symbol of Islamic unity, had been so weak. This weakness according to Montgomery Watt, was caused by three condition: (1) the weakness of control system after widening territorial dynasty (2) the increasing dependency to paid armies (3) inefficiency of the financial system management. 13 In other fields, such as intellectual, moral and religion in general also experienced backwardness and weakness. Hence, the central Abasiyah dynasty became weak and weak whereas its regional part became strong, such as the dominant influence of Buwaihi dynasty over The writer tends to use the term ethic than akhlak, even though the latter is well known more among Muslims. Ethic is well known in philosophy tradition 17 rather than in tasawuf. Within Islamic intellectual treasury in general or within tasawuf in particular ethic is often or well known by the term akhlak. Ethic also is constituted equally as moral. The two terms apparently points out to the same meaning that is the living values or norms within a community. However, they differ to each other in the origins of its words, if ethic originated from the Greek, moral is taken from the language of Latin. 18 In contrast, akhlak is more intended to be a normative and binding ready-to use-product that has to apply by a Muslim in his/her daily Akhlak is a set of religious values that have to be actualized in daily life with no need of critical analysis and question. 19 Ethic always achieved with reflection process, whether by using logical reasoning ('aqliyah) or intuitive. 20 In line with the basic ideas of tasawuf that emphasizes esoteric aspect and substance in every conduct, the ethic of tasawuf is not merely about ethic in a narrow sense of moral that stresses on exoteric aspect but it goes beyond the exoteric to achieve the deepest sense of every conduct and behavior. If tasawuf means a reflection about good and bad which brings forth moral of conduct and behavior, its consideration of good and bad is based on enlightened heart. The ethic of tasawuf does not care about material aspect because for a sufi material is not the aim and also not important. The ultimate goal of every conduct for a sufi is to come to close to Alloh (taqârub ila Allâh) or even kasyf, being in adjacent with Allah the almighty. In this article the writer uses two terms that have been very famous, namely moral tasawuf (tasawuf akhlâki) 22 and philosophical tasawuf (tasawuf falsafi). 23 The usage of these two terms, however, will be in not rigid way in order to understand easier the characteristic of al-Ghazâli's tasawuf ethic thought that in turn can be actualized in everyday life. In addition to the aforementioned terms we find another one in this context namely tasawuf 'amâli. 24 Here, the Tasawuf akhlâki dan tasawuf falsafi is meant by the writer as a process of reflection on ethic as good and bad.
These two then generate tasawuf 'amâli (practice) that is a reflection produced in a conduct. The Tasawuf akhlâki is based more on religious teachings whereas tasawuf falsafi is based more on reasoning which is influenced more by philosophical thoughts. 21 M. Amin Abdullah (1996), Studi Agama (Study of Religion)..., p. 270. 22 Moral tasawuf (Tasawuf akhlâki) is tasawuf teaching that deals with the soul's comprehensiveness and purity formulated in mental attitude arrangement and the rigid behavior disciplinary for achieving optimal happiness. M. Amin Syukur (2002), op.cit., p. 45 23 Philosophical tasawuf means tasawuf teaching which combines the intuitive and rational vision. Ibid., p. 51. 24 Tasawuf Amali namely, the tasawuf which deals with how to come to close to Allah. This kind of tasawuf is often meant as the tarikat movement Ibid., p. 50.
In the perspective of tasawuf akhlâki, al-Ghazâli's tasawuf ethic can be seen in his concept of zuhd. In his book al-Arbâ'in, 25 al-Ghazâli defines zuhd as the turning of an individual from worldly concern notwithstanding he or she is able to attain it. Al-Ghazâli divides the zuhd level of motivation to three stages: 1. Zuhd motivated by the fearful of hell. The Zuhd of this level is one for those of cowards.
2. Zuhd motivated to have life pleasant in the hereafter. This level of Zuhd is for those of having hopes, which their contact to Allah is band by hope and love not by one of fearful 3. Zuhd motivated by the will to leave out from paying attention to everything except Allah in order to have the soul clean and pure and to consider not important whatever except Allah. This level of Zuhd is for 'ârifîn, those who have attained the degree of ma 'rifât. 26 According to al-Ghazâli, in advance to ma'rifât one has to experience mahabbah. Through mahabbah will gives rise ma'rifât. For strengthening ma'rifât on Allah in one's heart, he/she needs to have self cleaning from worldly business. 27 In the perspective of "philosophical tasawuf" al-Ghazâli's thoughts of tasawuf ethic can be seen from the law of causality or motive and consequence. 28 This idea of causality generated the characteristic thought of ethic inclined to be teleological. 29 This thought of ethic actually that brought about the theory of teleological ethic. This 25 As quoted by M. Amin Abdulah (1996), op.cit., p. 278. 26 Ibid., p. 278-279. 27 Ibid., p. 278. 28 Ibid., p. 271. 29 Teleology is derived from the word telos (aim) and logos (knowledge). In the study of philosophy teleology is knowledge that serves as an argument on the existence of God saying that every creature bears it's own aim in its evolution. However, the world itself can not determine this aim, for only thing beyond the world is capable to control it namely God. See Harun Nasution (1979), Filsafat Agama, Jakarta: Bulan Bintang, p. 60-62. ethic constitutes a branch of normative ethic stating that good or bad of any conducts are determined, from the view point of ethic, by its aim and objective. 30 This thought is inclined to the Aristotle's thought which then followed by Muslims philosopher such as Avicenna, al-Farabi and Ibnu Miskawih who considers the value of good or bad of any conduct based on its consequence whether to increase or to hinder happiness (al-sa'âdah). 31 In Ihyâ al-Ulûmuddîn, this theory of teleological ethic is very clearly proposed by al-Ghazâli. According to him, positive objective of human being is to achieve happiness in the hereafter. For this reason, human conduct is considered good if such conduct generated positive influence on and directed the soul toward objective of the human conduct and the same is the reverse. 32 Hence, the measurement on good or bad of conduct can be differentiated for there are influences resulted to the soul of the actor whether to come to close to God or to leave Him away. 33 Indeed this theory of ethic can bee converged with the above concept of zuhd.
A person whose live objective is only Allah, consequently the world of materialism is none of his/her aim to achieve. This is parallel with the concept of zuhd at the third level which is the zuhd for those of 'arifîn, who cleaned their self from everything except Allah. Except Allah, for a zâhid (an individual who practices zuhd) all things are not the objective for achieving the hereafter happiness. Because not gives the hereafter happiness they have to be leave out at all.
Another al-Ghazâli's thought of ethic within the context of the philosophical tasawuf is the outlook on the sources of lofty (ummahât al-fadhâil). Lofty here means the well functioning condition of all energy that an individual has in accord with the 30 Bertens also calls this ethic as the ethic system of consequential, holding the view that good or bad of conduct is considered on its consequence, its result; all are oriented towards the objective of conduct. K Bertens,op.cit.,p. 254 . 31 Abu al-Quasem (1988) guidance to become a lofty person. 34 Out of functioning of this energy will cause badness (al-razâil). 35 In his Mizân al-'Amal, al-Ghazâli demans balances (al-'adl) between all this energy. Al-Ghazâli states the highest four of lofty, namely: al-hikmah as the intellect lofty. al-syajâ'ah as the lofty of al-ghadb (the energy of anger), al-'iffah as the lofty of al-syahwah (desire energy), dan al'adalah as the lofty of or the factor for making balance. Al-'adl is balance form two ways, namely from the positioning of each energy in between of two bad nesses and from the positioning of intellect as a control tool. 36 For example al-ghadb and al-syahwah are two inherent tendencies energy of impetus (al-ba'its) or will (al-irâdah). Al-ghadb will give rise brevity to do against everything that mislays the self. And with al-syahwah a person will attempt to have for it self something that is advance. Without higher energy alghadb will give rise wildness whereas al-syahwah will cause greedy. For this reason, it is a need to have balance factor (al-'adl), that is intellectIt will catch out al-hikmah which functions to put everything properly. 37 This view of balance (al-tawassut) can be traced back to Aristotle. But such a view had been founded in advance by Muslim philosopher before prior to al-Ghazali, such as Avicenna, al-Farabi and Ibnu Miskawih. 38

E. Closing: Theoretical Implication
The substance of tasawuf way of life is modesty. Tasawuf calls human being to leave off so that human will fully free and not to submit to anything except Allah the merciful. Tasawuf calls to equality, to help each other and to make close brotherhood. Tasawuf creates and builds a perfect individual. 39 The concept of zuhd, the idea of hereafter happiness and the life balance concludes in the attitude of life modesty or simplicity. The modesty will get rid off greedy. This attitude is caused by the dominance of al-syahwah energy. All must be controlled for having pleasure although by using bad ways and mislaying others.
Corruption among other is caused by al-syahwah domination. The culture of corruption, collusion and nepotism along with none transparence in the state governance is clearly an indication of the increased dominance of al-syahwah.
Besides, after al-syahwah, al-ghadb is also strengthening such as unhealthy rivalries, series of violence and spreading slanders. All have been done just for securing desire produced by al-syahwah energy.
When al-Ghazali decided to have tasawuf as his way of life with the attitude of zuhd, this was the situation forced him to so, because, for him the worldy pleasure will not give the hereafter happiness. According to writer, not only in the hereafter, but also in this world human will suffer from loose. Backwardness, poorness and stupidity are or worldly misfortune caused by loving too much materialism. Too much their love is that everything needs to be controlled. Intellectual and heart are no more functioning. For this reason, there no balance anymore. This unbalance in turn will bear on the chaos situation with no certain direction and continuing crisis.
Zuhd for current time and in the context of good governance can bee actualized by enforcement of cultural transparence, fairness, accountability, responsibility, efficiency, and the effective and strategic vision. All will possibly be done if al-Syahwah and al-Ghadb energy can be minimized or balanced by heart and intellectual. As a concept, the ethic of tasawuf has not yet been a "ready to use rule", however, the spirit of this ethic is need of enforcement in every planning of healthy state governance. Zuhd -in its new sense-has to be well known or even need to be studied to those who are going to lead this country. Moreover, conglomerates, peasants, employees and those of ulama have to be given awareness of this concept of Zuhd. Indeed, it is better if the Zuhd in its new sense be included into the curriculum of civil education.