After the new regret of devouring Dan Brown stunning works, regret appears again after just finishing the book entitled "Pergolakan Pemikiran Islam (turbulence of Islamic thought)" which was lifted from Ahmad Wahib diary about five days ago. I have heard the name Ahmad Wahib for a long time because I am very interested in the idea of modernizing religion, especially Islam which is my family's religion. However, I was only really interested in reading his work after a friend on Facebook reviewed his book.
Ahmad Wahib is a thinker who is always restless with the circumstances of his time. The majority of the upheaval of thought discusses religion and national conditions. Her diaries are so honest that when I read them, I feel like I'm in dialogue with me. His writings are a representation of the turbulent thoughts of most young people who are looking for and are always thirsty to seek. No wonder why his diary was made into a book because honest writing always has a magical power that so attracts readers.
For people who are not "open-minded", it seems that Ahmad Wahib's writing will be a sword that will slice the mind. Someone must have an open mind to read quite radical thoughts such as Ahmad Wahib's diary. The honest radical thought of Ahmad Wahib felt very touching and suited to my thinking because, to be honest, the direction of my thoughts was not much different from his, but it was clear that his insight, truthfulness, and honesty in writing far surpassed mine. The writing in my article which I gave the title “Thinking Upheaval” was inspired by Ahmad Wahib's diary which was recorded even though I had never read his work at that time.
I have learned many lessons from Ahmad Wahib, one of the most important is his honesty in writing which I consider extraordinary. But perhaps because it was a diary that was not meant to be read by the masses, he could so freely write down his thoughts. Although such assumptions inhabit my mind, I still admire Ahmad Wahib as a brilliant young thinker. Regardless of that assumption, "The Upheaval of Islamic Thought" is a diary from when Ahmad Wahib was still young. It is inconceivable that if he was given a longer life and intends to write a book, his writing would certainly be of much higher quality than his diary.
If he was given a longer life, it seems he will be at the same level as his friends such as Djohan Effendi, Dawam Rahardjo, Nurcholish Madjid, Abdurrahman Wahib, to Gunawan Muhammad who is currently listed as people who have brilliant thoughts and have given birth to many works. Ahmad Wahib is like a martyr in the idea of modernizing Islam, the death of his body does not necessarily kill the idea because that is the nature of the idea. However, it is very unfortunate that Ahmad Wahib's services in the idea of modernizing Islam are not well remembered by many young people. It's sad to talk to friends from HMI (an Islamic youth organization) and they don't know this extraordinary senior. In fact, in his diary, it seems that Ahmad Wahib even surpassed Nurcholish Madjid in the idea of modernization. Nurcholish Madjid is called one of the pioneers of Islamic reformers in Indonesia.
A critical attitude is needed in absorbing Ahmad Wahib's ideas. Although I have a direction of thought that is not much different from Ahmad Wahib, still I do not devour all his thoughts. There are some that I consider inappropriate and need to be criticized. The most important thing that needs to be imitated from Ahmad Wahib besides his honesty is his fantastic critical power, almost everything he criticizes very well. Critical power is a weapon that must be possessed by young seekers, although currently, not many young seekers are always thirsty for the truth. But for those young seekers, Ahmad Wahib is a figure worthy of being imitated and devoured by his thoughts.
There is one thing that bothers me a little in his diary. The days finally felt so sad, he noted some of his turmoil in treading life. His idealism seems to be tested when it collides with the harshness of harsh reality. This is what also occurred to me, should idealism be maintained? Will idealism lead us to happiness? Is reading abstract books such as history, theology, philosophy and so on which have no practical benefits in life?
Doubts about the benefits of abstract books that became my main interest in reading sometimes bothered me. Will it be useful in the future? Should I read books with practical benefits like tips for getting rich quick? Tch, I'm not interested in such things. I want to continue reading abstract books which are often considered quite heavy books because I have always been interested in reading them. But, will it make my life happy? I don't know, whatever it is I'm sure God will provide the best way for me.
