Benefits of Taklim Assembly for the Community

By: Widi Kusnadi, MINA Journalist

One of the advantages of Indonesians compared to citizens of other countries is their penchant for carrying out religious activities, including the existence of the taklim assembly (recitation). Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Religion shows that there are hundreds of thousands of taklim assemblies in Indonesia, most of them in West Java Province with 30,231 institutions (data for 2020).

Taklim assembly is an institution or community group that organizes non-formal Islamic religious activities as a means of da’wah. In the regulation of the Minister of Religion Number 29 of 2019 concerning the Taklim Assembly, this institution has a strategic role to increase understanding, appreciation and practice of Islamic religious teachings, as well as maintaining the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

The existence of the taklim assembly is also in line with our country’s national goals, namely to form people who have faith, piety, and have noble character, create a tolerant and humanist religious life, and strengthen nationalism, unity, and national resilience.

Not only in Indonesia, but also Indonesian citizens abroad are also doing the same thing, namely creating a forum for taklim assemblies with various variations. This can be seen from the many ustadz who were invited to South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia and other countries to be able to give lectures to them.

Of the many taklim assemblies, the largest number of members are women. They became a group that was quite enthusiastic and diligent in attending recitations and becoming its members. Even a mother can become a member in several recitation sessions because they feel the benefits in it.

In Jakarta, there is the Taklim Council Contact Body (BKMT) which was formed on January 1, 1981, by Prof. Hj. Tutty Alawiyah. She was once entrusted with being the Minister of State for Women’s Role during the era of President Soeharto.

BKMT was originally an association of more than 735 taklim assemblies in Jakarta and its surroundings. Now this institution has grown to thousands of taklim assemblies with millions of Muslim women congregations spread across 33 provinces in Indonesia.

Chairperson of the Nur Asiah Taklim Council (MT) of Maluku Province, Widya Pratiwi Murad said, taklim assemblies are not just a gathering place for Muslim women, but their existence is a separate force for the development of human resources (HR), contributing positive thoughts to the development people, especially children and young people in the family and society.

Study Means of Improving Knowledge

As its main function, recitation teaches religious knowledge to its listeners and members. With the knowledge imparted by the ustadz and kiyai, listeners are expected to be able to apply it in their daily lives and become provisions in overcoming the various problems they face.

Examinations and life challenges that are increasingly complex require a person to continue to increase the capacity of his knowledge. So, by joining the recitation, or taking part in listening to the recitation material, it will really help the community find solutions to the problems they are facing.

So with the taklim assembly and recitation, people can still learn and gain knowledge that will definitely benefit their lives. Islam places great emphasis on its adherents to continue studying. In a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alaihi wasalam said:

طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيْضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ وَمُسْلِمَةٍ (رواه ابن عبد البر)

“Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim man and Muslim woman.” (Narrated by Ibn Abdil Barr).

Prophet Muhammad Shallallahu alaihi Wasalam gave high appreciation to the students of knowledge by saying:

وَمَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ

“Whoever follows a path to seek knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to paradise.” (Muslim HR)

In line with this, Imam As-Shafi’I said:

مَنْ أَرَادَ الدُّنْيَا فَعَلَيْهِ بِالْعِلْمِ، وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الأَخِرَةَ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالْعِلْمِ، وَمَنْ أَرَادَهُمَا فَعَلَيْهِ بِالْعِلْمِ

“Who wants the life of the world, it must be accompanied by knowledge. And whoever wants the afterlife must also be knowledgeable, and whoever wants both (happiness) in the hereafter, then he must be knowledgeable.”

Just as the task of a teacher is to educate students at school to educate them, the preachers also have the same role for the congregation of their recitation. Society also needs continuous teaching from people who have scientific capacity, in facing life’s challenges.

Recitation also plays an important role in fortifying society from all forms of disobedience. With the knowledge and guidance provided by the clerics, the community will have a correct understanding and be able to prevent the spread of social ills in society such as adultery, the circulation of strong drinking, gambling, quarrels, and so on.

Study Facility Sharing Experience

When Indonesia was in a pandemic situation, many communities such as the taklim assembly, youth mosques, and philanthropic institutions provided assistance to sufferers of Covid-19, especially those who were undergoing isolation and quarantine at home. Assistance in the form of food and medicine was not only for the victims, but also for their families.

With this study, they can share experiences on how to overcome and cure an illness. With the recitation they can also share the sustenance needed by people who really need it.

Preachers also play a role in strengthening the community’s mentality, strengthening their patience in facing disasters so that they are able to survive and maintain an optimistic attitude when they are in difficult situations.

As a result, Indonesia is a country that has successfully emerged from the Covid-19 outbreak with the category of sufferers and the lowest number of deaths among other countries in the world and in a shorter period of time among neighboring countries.

So, are there still people who doubt the strategic role of Islamic learning institutions for society? (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)