Saturday noon at 13.00 WITA (Central part of Indonesia’s time), 26 May 2007 we arrived at Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar. The Dakwah coordinators in Denpasar area, Ustaz H Badrudin, Hb Talib Assegaf, H. Kholid and others greeted us warmly. Two cars filled with dakwah activists had been parked at the airport to welcome us, and when we arrived, we shared greetings and warm hugs, expressing our longing for not meeting each others for more than 3 years, while before we used to visit Bali monthly.
We were headed for the residence of Ustaz H Badrudin to attend the opening of the Majelis, continued by reciting the Maulid Simtudduror together with tens of dakwah activists in the vicinity, ended by religious speech delivery, and lunch. After sitting for awhile in the gathering, we prayed Ashar together and went to Kampung Jawa Mosque. The people there had been waiting for us because they had been informed about our arrival a week before. After a short recitation on Maulid, I delivered a religious speech, attended by the associate of local Hindu priests.
It is long known that Bali region is the biggest non-Moslem region in Indonesia, where the number of Moslem people is only 2,5% out of total citizens in Bali. Therefore it is a high time to form a close relationship with the Hindu priests, considering that the anxiety towards the pressure from Hindu people to Moslem people will be less and less. In several places, the pressure is still high, for example when the minaret of the mosque is higher than the tower of “Temple” then the mosque would be pulled down and destroyed. Also in many places there is a prohibition of adzan (summons to prayer) with a loud speaker, or the obligation to turn off the lights on Nyepi day (quiet day), and if there is a Moslem house which lit only a candle, the house will be thrown by stones until it is destroyed.
They have traditional troops known as Hindu troops. They are more respected than military troops, and are entitled to rule and manage things above the military because they are the troops of the tribe. And many other complaints from the Moslem living there, but now these problems can be overcome by building good relationship with the “Pedande” (Hindu priests). This representative of the Head priest in Bali was very friendly and nice, he often attended the Majelis to accompany many Ulama coming from outside Bali, he even knew the word ‘Insya Allah’, Alaikumsalam, Bismillah, and other Islamic words, may Allah gives him hidayah.
After the Majelis, we had the get together at the residence of Haji Khalid who was the dakwah activist in the region. We stayed there until Magrib time and we prayed Magrib and Isya together, before heading for Masjid Agung Sudirman (Sudirman Great Mosque). This was the peak of the program, where the tens of Majelis taklim which had been invited to attend the silaturahmi akbar were united. The majelis was led by Hb Fahmi Alkhanaiman, the only Habib who was persistent in upholding dakwah in Denpasar and its surroundings. The program ended at 23.00WITA.
We went for rest at a big Villa completed with a swimming pool and a garden. Rumor has it that the villa belongs to a Pakistani who always rented his villa for guests from outside Bali. We sat together and had warm conversation with the Kyai, Ustaz, Moslem leaders and the prominent figures in the society who came one by one. Some asked questions, while others reported the problems of delivering Dakwah in their areas and we discussed about it. Around 02.00 at dawn, I went to my room for a little rest while waiting for Subuh prayer.
Early morning, Sunday 27th May 2007 we prayed Subuh together at Musholla Annikmah, continued by Subuh lectures until near Isyraq. We went back to the Villa and were headed to the residence of Hb Talib Assegaf in Klungkung, he was the dakwah activist in his region who loved to invite many da’i (dakwah experts) from outside Bali. We attended the breakfast reception together with the groups from 3 other cars, making the house filled with the jamaah. Then we continued our journey by performing religious visit (Ziarah) to the Grave of Assayyid Alhabib Ali Alhamid in Kusambe, around 30km from Denpasar. In this place we met with a group led by Hb Fahmi Khanaiman, making the ziarah more pleasant. Then together we went to Ma’had in Kusambe, and this relatively new Islamic boarding school had been filled with the religious students. We were greeted with maulid Dhiya’ullami performed by those students, then I delivered Mau’idhah hasanah and ended by Ijazah Sanad Shahih Bukhari, Hadits Rahmah and Hadits mahabbah.
The journey continued to the residence of Hb Segaf Asegaf which was also in Klungkung, and we were treated lunch there. The very hot and sunny weather was somehow invited us to take rest in Padang Bay area, the port in Bali. We rested there for about 60 minutes, such a short time! I just took a quick bath and lied on bed, Masya Allah.. it was really a tiring journey and there was no time for rest for a couple of days before, because I was in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday and Friday, with also tight schedules, Friday in Jakarta and Saturday flew to Denpasar, oh.. I really felt exhausted…the event would be started after Asar prayer, I only had 40 minutes.
I lied down and slept soundly….Subhanallah, I woke up and suddenly feeling terrified, because I felt like sleeping for long, as if I slept for 5 or 6 hours, but when I checked the watch it was only 20 minutes, Subhanallah.. what a sound sleep, Allah gave me the strength although only 20 minutes I felt like sleeping for long. Then I took a bath and rushed to go back to Klungkung, but we had a chance to pray Asar before rushing back to Klungkung to attend the majelis taklim Khairunnisa.
Majelis for women was held at the residence of Hb Segaf, and near magrib prayer, we rushed to Denpasar to attend the last majelis after Isya, at Musholla Nurul Iman. The event was ended at 21.00 WITA, and we went to Ngurah Rai Airport for boarding, there we had little time to our last get together, hugs and sad farewell couldn’t be avoided, I speed my steps to the plane because I couldn’t hold my tears and couldn’t bear the sadness farewell with them. The Lion Air flight was postponed quite long, but at 23.30 WITA we finally could fly back to Jakarta.
The twinkling lights on the land of Denpasar that I saw from the window pane as the plane took off were so beautiful, like the words of sad farewell. And within few seconds the twinkling lights changed into the horrifying darkness of Balinese ocean, I had no idea how many souls of dakwah leaders who have visited this island to introduce Tauhid, I never know whether they came back or stayed there, who knows if they survived or had an accident and syahid (died as a martyr for God)..
But there was one munajat (silent prayer) that I breathed out over this Balinese ocean… Rabbiy… make this island an island of tauhid, the Moslem island, please destroy those worshipped statues of those worshipping other than You in this world of Yours…make this island the bowed-down island …make the people always recite dzikir, please help the Moslems there…Rabbiy… they have been patient living in midst of atheism for the sake of Dakwah, they have been patient from the pigs that wander around making their house veranda and their children dirty, they have been patient and have tried hard to find halal foods (permitted food according to Islam) for the sake of Your blessings, and they have tried to avoid anything haram (forbidden)…Rabbiy…please help them, pour Your Inayah towards them, make sure they die in husnul khatimah, make each second as blessing and taufiq towards those who worship other than You out there…, make every second existing for those who recite syahadat and convert to Islam.. our silent prayer days and nights towards this area to be soon poured by rains of blessings and Tauhid, amiin.. amiin..
(Munzir Al Musawa www.majelisrasulullah.org)