The story of Iblis starts to be mentioned in Alquran, Al-Baqarah verse 34. It is said that he was the one who did not want to prostrate before Adam out of pride and arrogance. Two verses after, Satan is mentioned as he was the reason of Adam expulsion from “Jannah”. A story from a hadits mentioned that both terms of Iblis and Satan could be used interchangably. It is often interpretated that both were just different names used for the same individual. Such intrepretation may come from a review on Surat Al-Hijr when Iblis asked for a respite until the day of resurrection to “mislead” humankind and Surat Al-A’raf verse 22 when Satan is mentioned as humans’ sworn enemy, precisely in the context of Adam’s story. This is actually what Emha disagrees with.

Firstly, Emha stressed that Iblis and Satan were not the same. Iblis was a name of a “person” or living creature from Jinn lineage. As for Satan, it is a characteristic, an attribute for those who did mischievious deeds in extremely high level of misconducts. Emha also emphasized that it is very important to always look at the last verse of Surat An-Nas which defined Satan “from among the Jinn and humans”.

Secondly, the reason of Iblis’ protest was actually very rational. It is explained in one of his poetry about Iblis, “Iblis Tak Butuh Pengikut”. Emha might have the same opinion with some mufasir that the angels who are mentioned in Al-Baqarah verse 30 were actually only one “person” protesting to the God, the one who was because of his service and devotion was brought to the realm of angels and treated just like them; he was Iblis indeed. Iblis was the only one who could protest because it was only him who had desire among the angels, who basically did not have it from the very beginning. Iblis then protested why it should be humans who would rule the earth through Khilafah. Not satisfied with the answer from Allah due to in his experience of life, when he always saw how a creature like humans only spilt blood and killed each other, he then refused to prostrate before Adam. He thought that Adam and his descendants would just be the same as the other previous creatures. To prove that he was right back then, he asked for a respite. He believed that he could prove humans would really spill blood and fire in uncountable wars and they did not have the right to be Khalifah fil ardh, or leaders of earth.

Thirdly, Emha also wrote another poetry “Buyut Iblis Curhat kepada Baginda Muhammad” which he admitted the words were from Emha himself but believed the actual content must be like what Iblis actually feel. In the poetry, Iblis could not take any more misjudgement that humans made to him as if he was the opposition of Allah in all things. Iblis was simply a creature who realized that he himself was a servant, that he did not have any power to oppose his God. Iblis actually loved the humans but hated them at the same time as how they humiliated their own God through desire and how they corrupted the earth. He also sought for forgiveness from Prophet Muhammad and Allah.

In conclusion, Iblis cannot simply be seen as an opposition of Allah as he was one of the most obedient servant among all creatures. The story happening to him must have a deep meaning behind and it is our duty to seek for them further.

Makassar, February 2018

Source:

https://www.caknun.com/2016/visi-misi-iblis/

https://www.caknun.com/2016/makhluk-gagal-akal/

https://www.caknun.com/2016/iblis-tidak-butuh-pengikut/

Everyone can have many reasons why visiting a coffee shop. There are these people who come to really enjoy the coffee served by certain shops, or we usually say they like to “ngopi”, and also these wi-fi guys who come to enjoy the wi-fi only, sitting for hours but just buy one cup of the cheapest menu available. Of course there are more variety of reasons, but to come with friends, chit-chatting without boundaries about politics, work life, relationship problems, and any interesting debatable topics, is what makes coming to coffee shops is a great experience, at least for me and my friends.

This kind of gathering is usually called in Indonesia as “nongkrong”. The term is usually used to describe “hanging out with friends”, but practically it is correlated well with coffee shops. Why coffee shops are the first thing to come to mind when saying nongkrong can be traced well in many parts of Indonesian coffee shops history. For example in Makassar history, coffee shops are known as socially-connected space, especially for the Buginese sailors, Arabian merchants, and Chinese and local entrepreneurs who had intense interactions in Makassar’s ports[1].

Nowadays it is even more distinct, as my own observation on coffee shops around Makassar proves that coffee shops that utilize nongkrong have more loyal customers than those who only want to show off the greatness of their coffee. Sometimes I myself wonder how some of these coffee shops have loyal customers while at the same time the taste of the coffee is kind of bad. My favorite coffee shop has the same trait too. I keep coming to this coffee shop routinely, instead of buying a better taste of coffee in another coffee shops.

So coffee shops is not only space to ngopi, but also a place to nongkrong. I think this reflects well with sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s theory of “the third place”. He explained it as a neutral space which is free from association restraints, that anyone can visit, has no actual host, and creates comfort feeling like in our own home[2]. Furthermore, the life of nongkrong is conversation. Oldenburg also emphasized that the third place is the most democratic model because anyone can share their opinions, a characteristic that represents coffee shops fully.

That is why nongkrong is more than just a culture, at least for me.

[1] https://jelajah.kompas.id/kopi-nusantara/baca/perekat-sosial-orang-makassar/

[2] Oldenburg, R. (1999). The great good place: Cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangouts at the heart of a community. Da Capo Press.