Buya Hamka: A Reformer from Nusantara

It is commonly believed that most people nowadays in

Nusantara must have heard one popular name “Buya Hamka”
(1908-1981). Despite some of them know this figure from
reading or watching one of his works that was filmed
“Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck” a few years ago.
However, do those people know or realize that Hamka was also
playing an important role in the period of pre-independence
either in Indonesia or Malaysia regardless of writing some famous books?

Buya Hamka is a Malay archipelago figure as well as a Muslim prominent scholar who
wrote more than 100 books in various fields and this is one of his ways to spread dakwah which
is by implicitly putting some dakwah values in his writings. Hamka joined Muhammadiyah in
1925 as he is one of “kaum muda” who is trying to face “kaum tua” that came early to Nusantara
when Islam was first introduced. Hence, Hamka’s father Haji Abdul Karim Amrullah or well
known as Haji Rasul who used to be one of the Naqshabandi order’s figures but then he was
against this doctrine by saying that this is not how Islam should have been.1

Hamka was naturally influenced by his father in spreading the “kaum muda” movement
all over Sumatra and Java islands. Historically, this reformation movement was inspired by what
Jamal al-Din Afghani, Muhammad Abduh, and their colleagues had done in Egypt. It is because
their main goal is to revive the enthusiasm of Muslims that has been long shackled due to
Western colonization. During that period, many Muslim majority states were taken over by this
colonialism, and therefore, this is when Muslims have started to weaken especially after the
abolishment of the last caliphate, the Ottoman Empire in 1922.

In addition, one of Hamka’s works “Dari Perbendaharaan Lama” shows his thoughts
that are closely related to the Philosophy of national unification. The book contains 200 pages
and six chapters that highlight a concern for the nation through four chapters dedicated to the
events of the fall of the Malacca Sultanate. According to him, the fall of Malacca was the
beginning of the next catastrophe that befell other Islamic kingdoms in Nusantara. Therefore, the

1
Tendy Choerul Kamal and Agus Mulyana, Peranan Buya Hamka dalam Gerakan Pembaharuan Muhammadiyah
tahun 1925-1966 (Bandung: FACTUM UPI, 2019), p. 217.
endeavor of maintaining the values of an Islamic state in Malacca was taken away by the
Portuguese at that time and it encourages Hamka to rebuild a new Malacca in Java (Indonesia).
Eventually, this idea received positive support from Dr. Burhanuddin Helmi who was attempting
to promote the concept of ‘Melayu Raya’ which means the union between the Peninsula and
Sumatra, Indonesia.

As the Communist threat began to creep into Indonesian rule in the 1940s and 1960s
when Indonesia became independent, Hamka saw it as something extremely dangerous. In his
point of view, communist ideology does not lead to unity but it will destroy one group to another
just because of ideological differences. Not surprisingly, Hamka did not respond to the hail of
‘Ganyang Malaysia’ by President Soekarno at the time of the establishment of Malaysia in 1963.
Nonetheless, at that time he was also considered a traitor by his country and imprisoned for two
years and seven months for abetting the Malaysian government.2

In this difficult time, Hamka used his time to write and

perfect his greatest work which is Tafsir al-Azhar that covers
all chapters of the Quran. In 1967, this tafsir was completed
and officially published to society. Tafsir al-Azhar clearly
explains the background of the interpreter’s life as well as the
nature of society and socio-culture that occurred at that time.
For 20 years, his writings have been able to record the life and
socio-political history of the backwardness of the ummah and
reveal his ideas to raise the importance of da’wah in
Nusantara. It is all because of Hamka’s detention that
strengthened his iltizam and determination to ignite a new
vigor in his thought and outlook on life, he said that:

“It is because while in detention, apart from doing this interpretation during the day, at night
getting a very wide opportunity to worship Allah and tahajjud as well as munajat after midnight,
is the most effective medicine for treating gloom and loneliness in all kinds of relationships.
Although people on earth are closed, the connection to the sky is still open”.3

2
Badiatul Razikin, 101 Jejak Tokoh Islam (Yogyakarta: e-Nusantara, 2009), p. 191.
3
Hamka, Tafsir al-Azhar, 1st vol. (Jakarta: Pustaka Panjimas, 2004), p. 56-57.
 Examining Hamka’s work, he repeatedly showed his determination to invite the regional
community particularly the two neighboring countries which are Indonesia and Malaysia, about
the origins and cultural similarities since time immemorial. Even though Hamka mostly
emphasized Islam and Minang descent, he did not see the matter as an obstacle in uniting the
community outside of his descent and religion. One of the Indonesian Christian figures, Pius
Pope stated:4

“The audience of Buya’s discourse is not limited to Muslims only. This is what I found out when
I returned to Liau, Ende. In my village, which is predominantly Catholic and there is not a small
number of loyal views. However, if the broadcast is blocked due to technical error, everyone
keeps waiting to listen to Buya’s talk”.

He added his statement about Buya Hamka by saying:

“When Buya passed away, we all felt lost. My mother in the village was also saddened by the
loss of a figure who could be the unifier of the nation”.

In conclusion, Buya Hamka did not merely contribute to Islam and Indonesia but he also
played a significant role in his neighbors either in terms of belief or state particularly in
Nusantara. Therefore, the role of what Buya Hamka presented during his life is the thing that all
Muslims should have. It is because Hamka knew very deeply in balancing his perception when to
be inclusive or exclusive in the pluralistic society.

Bibliography

4
Pius Pope, “Khutbahnya Menyejukkan Hati” in Buya Hamka (Jakarta: Uhamka Press, 2008), p. 384.
Tendy Choerul Kamal and Agus Mulyana. (2019). Peranan Buya Hamka dalam Gerakan

Pembaharuan Muhammadiyah tahun 1925-1966. Bandung: FACTUM UPI.

Badiatul Razikin. (2009). 101 Jejak Tokoh Islam. Yogyakarta: e-Nusantara.

Hamka. (2004). Tafsir al-Azhar, 1st vol. Jakarta: Pustaka Panjimas.

Pius Pope. (2008). “Khutbahnya Menyejukkan Hati” in Buya Hamka. Jakarta: Uhamka Press.