One undeniable reality in Indonesian society is religious diversity. We all know that there are not only Muslims but also Protestants, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists, Confucians, and believers of various faiths living together in this nation.
Unfortunately, within our religiously diverse society, there are still individuals who struggle to accept this diversity. Consequently, incidents of intolerance continue to occur. According to data from the Setara Institute, from 2017 to 2022, there were approximately 867 cases of violations of religious freedom in Indonesia.
It is essential to acknowledge that the perpetrators of these recorded cases come from various religious groups, not limited to Muslims. However, we cannot ignore the fact that there are some Muslims who have difficulty accepting religious differences. These Muslims obstruct or even damage places of worship for non-Muslims, discriminate against non-Muslims, and engage in other actions that reflect an inability to embrace religious diversity.
In Islamic teachings, we are familiar with the principle of ‘hifdz al-din’ (preserving religion) as a part of ‘Maqasid al-Syari’ah’ (objectives of Islamic law). The principle of ‘hifdz al-din’ is often interpreted to mean preserving Islam as the one true religion (‘al-din al-haq’), rather than preserving other religions. Such interpretations may potentially contribute to the difficulty in accepting religious diversity.
Does the preservation of religion, as understood in ‘maqasid,’ only pertain to safeguarding Islam and not other religions?
In the view of al-Tahir Ibn Ashur, as explained by Jasser Auda in ‘Maqasid al-Shariah as Philosophy of Islamic Law,’ the universal objective of ‘maqasid’ is to establish order, equality, freedom, ease, and the preservation of human nature. Therefore, according to Ibn Ashur, freedom is considered part of the objectives of ‘Maqasid al-Syari’ah.’
Jasser Auda explains that the ‘freedom’ referred to by Ibn Ashur is ‘al-hurriyyah,’ which leads to the freedom to think, believe, express, and act. As Auda exemplifies, “‘freedom of belief’ is expressed in the Qur’an as the ‘will to believe or disbelieve.'”