NU not affected by Malaysian mufti's edict against ESQ

Jakarta, NU Online
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslims organization, is not affected by a Malaysian Mufti`s allegation that the Emotional and Spiritual Quotient (ESQ) leadership training institution in Indonesia is "haram" (forbidden by Islam), a spokesman said.

"NU members and I are not affected by the haram edict. We even find it laughable because it shows that the mufti's terms of reference are very narrow," NU executive board chairman KH Said Aqil Siroj said here Tuesday when receiving an ESQ institution delegation led President Director Ary Ginanjar and including Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf, President Director of ANTARA National News Agency.
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Aqil said since ESQ does not teach that the five-times-per day prayers are not obligatory for Muslims or does not teach that Muhammad is not the last prophet, the accusations addressed to ESQ were unfounded.

In Malaysia, a mufti is an adviser on religious law in a certain region.

Actually, the substance of the teachings in the ESQ program was already evinced by Muslim scholars, including renowned Sufi Al Ghozali, only the means of delivery had been tailored to the present time, Siroj said.

On the allegation by the Malaysian cleric, Datuk Wan Zahidi bin Hj Wan Tea, that ESQ teachings were influenced by others outside Islam, Said Aqil said, like in science, the influence of other ideas was a necessity.

"All tasawuf (mysticism) teachings not free from foreign influence. Imam Ghozali, for example, was also influenced by the thoughts of Plato," said Aqil Siroj, who is also an expert on Sufism.

In the meantime, NU advisory board chairman, KH Masdar Farid Masudi declared moral support for what Ary Ginanjar was doing with his ESQ institution.

"In principle NU is behind Pak (Mr) Ary Ginanjar," Masdar said.

Previously Ary Ginanjar expressed relief because the Majelis Mudzakarah Fatwa Nasional Malaysia finally issued an edict stating that ESQ does not violate the Shari`a. The edict was applicable in the regions of 13 muftis except in the region of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

But his institution still needed moral support, including from NU as the largest Muslims organizations in Indonesia, because earlier, the illicit fatwa had caused concern among around one million ESQ alumni. (dar)