THE PEOPLE OF SABA AND THE ARIM FLOOD

Many centuries ago, the community of Saba was one of the four biggest civilisations which lived in South Arabia Historical sources relating to Saba usually say that this was a culture akin to that of the Phoenicians. It was particularly involved in commercial activities. The Sabaeans are recognised by historians as a civilised and cultured people. In the inscriptions of the rulers of Saba, words such as "restore," "dedicate" and "construct" are frequently used. The Ma'rib Dam, which is one of the most important monuments of this people, is an important indication of the technological level this people had reached.
The Sabaean state had one of the strongest armies in the region and was able to adopt an expansionist policy thanks to its potent army. With its advanced culture and army, the Sabaean state was without question one of the "super powers" of the region at the time. This extraordinarily strong army of the Sabaean state is also described in the Qur'an. An expression of the commanders of the Saba army related in the Qur'an, shows the extent of the confidence this army had in itself. The commanders call out to the female ruler (Queen) of the state:

… "We possess strength and we possess great force. But the matter is in your hands so consider what you command." (Qur'an, 27:33)

Because of the Ma'rib Dam which had been constructed, with the help of quite advanced technology for that particular era, the people of Saba possessed an enormous irrigation capacity. The fertile soil they acquired by virtue of this technique and their control over the trade route permitted them a splendid lifestyle, full of well-being. However, instead of giving thanks to Allah for all this, the Qur'an informs us that they actually "turned away from Him." Furthermore, they refused to heed the warnings and reminders issued to them. Because of these poor moral values, they merited punishment in the sight of Allah and their dams collapsed and the flood of Arim ruined all their lands.

The capital city of the Sabaean state was Ma'rib, which was extremely wealthy thanks to its advantageous geographical position. The capital city was very close to the River Adhanah. The point where the river reached Jabal Balaq was very suitable for the construction of a dam. Making use of this condition, the Sabaean people constructed a dam at this location at the time when their civilisation was first established, and they began irrigation. As a result, they reached a very high level of economic prosperity. The capital city, Ma'rib, was one of the most developed cities of the time. The Greek writer Pliny, who had visited the region and greatly praised it, also mentioned how green this region was.232
The height of the dam in Ma'rib was 16 metres, its width was 60 metres and its length was 620 metres. According to the calculations, the total area that could be irrigated by the dam was 9,600 hectares, of which 5,300 hectares belonged to the southern plain. The remaining part belonged to the northern plain. These two plains were referred to as "Ma'rib and two plains" in the Sabaean inscriptions.233 The expression in the Qur'an, "two gardens to the right and to the left," points to the imposing gardens and vineyards in these two valleys. Thanks to this dam and its irrigation systems, the region became famous as the best irrigated and most fruitful area of Yemen. The Frenchman J. Holevy and the Austrian Glaser proved from written documents that the Ma'rib dam existed since ancient times. In documents written in the Himer dialect, it is related that this dam rendered the territory very productive and was the heartbeat of the economy.
The dam that collapsed in 542 led to the flood of Arim and caused enormous damage. The vineyards, orchards and fields cultivated for hundreds of years by the people of Saba were completely destroyed. Following the collapse of the dam, the people of Saba appear to have entered a period of rapid contraction, at the end of which the Sabaean state came to an end.
When we examine the Qur'an in the light of the historical data above, we observe that there is very substantial agreement here. Archaeological findings and the historical data both verify what is recorded in the Qur'an. As mentioned in the verse, these people, who did not listen to the exhortations of their Prophet and who rejected faith, were in the end punished with a dreadful flood. This flood is described in the Qur'an in the following verses:

There was, for Saba, aforetime, a Sign in their home-land-two Gardens to the right and to the left. "Eat of the Sustenance [provided] by your Lord, and be grateful to Him: a territory fair and happy, and a Lord Oft-Forgiving!" But they turned away [from Allah], and We sent against them the Flood [released] from the dams, and We converted their two garden [rows] into "gardens" producing bitter fruit, and tamarisks, and some few [stunted] Lote-trees. That was the Requital We gave them because they ungratefully rejected Faith: And never do We give [such] requital except to such as are ungrateful rejecters. (Qur'an, 34:15-17)

 

In the Qur'an, the punishment sent to the Sabaean people is named as "Sayl al-Arim" which means the "flood of Arim." This expression used in the Qur'an also tells us the manner in which this disaster occurred. The word "Arim" means dam or barrier. The expression "Sayl al-Arim" describes a flood that came about with the collapse of this barrier. Islamic commentators have resolved the issue of time and place being guided by the terms used in the Qur'an about the flood of Arim. For example, Mawdudi writes in his commentary:
As also used in the expression, Sayl al-Arim, the word "arim" is derived from the word "arimen" used in the Southern Arabic dialect, which means "dam, barrier." In the ruins unearthed in the excavations made in Yemen, this word was seen to be frequently used in this meaning. For example, in the inscriptions which was ordered by Yemen's Habesh monarch, Ebrehe (Abraha), after the restoration of the big Ma'rib wall in 542 and 543 AD, this word was used to mean dam (barrier) time and again. So, the expression of Sayl al- Arim means "a flood disaster which occurs after the destruction of a dam." "… We converted their two garden [rows] into gardens producing bitter fruit, and tamarisks, and some few [stunted] Lote-trees" 

(Qur'an, 34:16). 

That is, after the collapse of the dam-wall, all the country was inundated by the flood. The canals that had been dug by the Sabaean people, and the wall that had been constructed by building barriers between the mountains, were destroyed and the irrigation system fell apart. As a result, the territory, which was like a garden before, turned into a jungle. There was no fruit left but the cherry-like fruit of little stumpy trees.234
The Christian archaeologist Werner Keller, writer of "Und Die Bible Hat Doch Recht" (The Holy Book Was Right), accepted that the flood of Arim occurred according to the description of the Qur'an and wrote that the existence of such a dam and the destruction of the whole country by its collapse proves that the example given in the Qur'an about the people of the garden was indeed realised.235
After the disaster of the Arim flood, the region started to turn into a desert and the Sabaean people lost their most important source of income. Their lands, which had been agricultural havens of prosperity and financial strength, disappeared. The people, who had not heeded the call of Allah to believe in Him and to be grateful to Him, were in the end punished with this disaster.

232. Hommel, Explorations in Bible Lands (Philadelphia: 1903), 739.
233. "Marib", Islam Ansiklopedisi: Islam Alemi, Tarihi, Cografya, Etnografya ve Bibliyografya Lugati (Encyclopedia of Islam: Dictionary of Islamic World, History, Geography, Ethnography, and Bibliography,) 7, 323-339.
234. Mevdudi, Tefhimül Kuran (An Honoring of the Qur’an) 4, Insan Yayinlari (Istanbul), 517.
235. Keller, Und die Bibel hat doch recht, 230

PROPHET MUSA (AS) AND SEA'S SPLITTING IN TWO

The kings of Egypt-known as "Pharaohs" (or "Fir'awn" in the Arabic of the Qur'an)-regarded themselves as divine in the polytheistic, superstitious religion of ancient Egypt. At a time when the people of Egypt favoured a superstitious belief system over a divine belief system-the same era in which when the Children of Israel were enslaved-Allah sent the Prophet Musa (as) as a messenger to the tribe of Egypt.

However, Pharaoh and his court, and the people of Egypt in general, almost universally refused to abandon their idolatrous beliefs when the Prophet Musa (as) called them to divine religion and the Oneness of Allah. The Prophet Musa (as) revealed to Pharaoh and his courtiers that they should avoid false worship, warning them of Allah's wrath. In response to this, they rose up and slandered the Prophet Musa (as): They accused him of being mad, of being a sorcerer and of falsehood. Pharaoh and his people refused to submit to the Prophet Musa (as) even though many troubles were visited upon them. They refused to accept Allah as the only God. They even held the Prophet Musa (as) responsible for what had befallen them and sought to exile him from Egypt. In the Qur'an, Allah makes this reference to the Prophet Musa (as) and the believers with him:

We revealed to Musa: "Travel with Our servants by night. You will certainly be pursued." Pharaoh sent marshals into the cities: "These people are a small group and we find them irritating and we constitute a vigilant majority." We expelled them from gardens and springs, from treasures and a splendid situation. So it was! And We bequeathed them to the tribe of Israel. So they pursued them towards the east. (Qur'an, 26:52-60)

As revealed in the Qur'an, the two communities met at the edge of the sea following this pursuit. Allah divided the sea and saved the Prophet Musa (as) and the believers with him, destroying Pharaoh and his people. This aid from Allah is revealed thus:

So We revealed to Musa, "Strike the sea with your staff." And it split in two, each part like a towering cliff. And We brought the others right up to it. We rescued Musa and all those who were with him. Then We drowned the rest. There is certainly a Sign in that yet most of them are not believers. Truly your Lord is the Almighty, the Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 26:63-68)

In connection with this subject, the following account has recently been found in papyruses from the time of Pharaoh:

From Amenamoni, head of the protective books of the white room of the palace, to the scribe Penterhor:

When this letter reaches you and has been read point by point, surrender your heart to the sharpest pain, like a leaf before the storm, when you learn of the sorrowful disaster of the drowning in the whirlpool…

Calamity struck him suddenly and inescapably. Depict the destruction of the lords, the lord of the tribes, the king of the east and the west. The sleep in the waters has made something helpless out of something great. What news can compare to the news I have sent you?202

This miracle, experienced by the Prophet Musa (as) and the Children of Israel as they crossed the Red Sea, has been the subject of many studies. Archaeological investigations have established not only the path taken to the Red Sea after leaving Egypt, but also that the place where Pharaoh and the Prophet Musa (as) and his tribe met was one surrounded by mountains. (Allah knows best.)

Following a great deal of study and investigation taking this as the starting point, scientists came to striking conclusions with regard to how the sea was divided into two. These conclusions are in full agreement with those revealed in the Qur'an. The way that historical events described in the Qur'an are today illuminated by historical records is without doubt an important miracle of the book of Islam.

Naum Volzinger and Alexei Androsov, two Russian mathematicians, proved that the Prophet Musa (as) could indeed have parted the sea. Unlike those scientists who concentrated on the probability of such a miracle, the Russian mathematicians investigated the conditions that might have led to the miracle. In turn, this led to the confirmation of the miracle itself.

According to the study which was published in the Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences, there was a reef, which was close to the surface in the Red Sea at that time. From there, the scientists set about establishing the speed of the wind and the strength of the storm needed to leave the reef high and dry at low tide. As a result, it became apparent that a wind speed of 30 metres per second would have caused the sea to retract, leaving the reef exposed. Naum Volzinger, of the Institute of Oceanography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated that "if the [east] wind blew all night at a speed of 30 metres per second then the reef would be dry." He also said that "it would take the Jews-there were 600,000 of them-four hours to cross the 7 kilometre reef that runs from one coast to another… then, in half an hour, the waters would come back."203 In addition, Volzinger said that he and his colleague Androsov studied the issue strictly from Isaac Newton's point of view. As he put it, "I am convinced that God rules the Earth through the laws of physics."204

It must not be forgotten that there is always a possibility of this natural phenomenon taking place. If Allah so desires, this miracle can take place again when the requisite conditions-such as windspeed, time and place-are met. However, the truly miraculous aspect here is the fact that these events took place just when the Prophet Musa (as) and his tribe were about to be vanquished. The fact that the waters withdrew just as the Prophet Musa (as) and the community with him were about to cross them-not to mention the way that the waters returned just as Pharaoh and his army were crossing-is a clear example of the aid that Allah gives to the faithful. Indeed, the way that the Prophet Musa (as) relied on and trusted in Allah is an example of the most pleasing moral values:

And when the two hosts came into sight of one another Musa's companions said, "We will surely be overtaken!" He said, "Never! My Lord is with me and He will guide me." (Qur'an, 26:61-62)

202. British Museum, Egyptian Papyri No.6.
203. Galina Stolyarova, "City Scientists Say Red-Sea Miracle Can Be Explained," The St. Petersburg Times, 20 January 2004, www.sptimes.ru/archive/times/936/top/t_11445.htm; Galina Stolyarova, "Mathematicians Dissect a Miracle," The Moscow Times, 21 January 2004, www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/01/21/003.html.
204. Ibid.

SNOUCK HURGRONJE, SIAPA DIKAU?

Drs. Ridwan Saidi, budayawan Betawi yang juga peneliti senior gerakan-gerakan dan sejarah Yahudi, memiliki kesan tersendiri terhadap Snouck Hurgronje. Pada 1989, bersama Dr. Martin Van Bruinesen dan intelektual Belanda

yang juga seorang orientalis bernama Dr. Karel Steenbreenk, Ridwan mengunjungi makam Snouck Hurgronje di pemakaman umum Leiden, Belanda. Setelah ke makam, Ridwan dan dua koleganya tersebut menemui puteri Snouck Hurgronje satu-satunya yang diakui Hurgronje bernama Christien Maria Otter.

Berdasarkan kunjungannya ke Belanda dan wawancara dengan Christien Maria Otter, Ridwan kian yakin jika Snouck Hurgronje memang seorang orientalis Belanda yang menggunakan segala cara untuk memberangus kekuatan Islam di Nusantara. “Salah satu taktik utama yang sering dipakai Hurgronje adalah berpura-pura masuk Islam (Izharul Islam). Untuk memuluskan strateginya ini, Hurgronje sempat belajar tentang Islam di Mekkah dengan mengaku sebagai mualaf dan bahkan mengawini sejumlah perempuan Muslim secara hukum Islam. Padahal, Snouck Hurgronje tidak dimakamkan secara Islam,” demikian Ridwan.1

Hasil Kumpul Kebo

Snouck Hurgronje memiliki nama lengkap Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje. Dia lahir di Oosterhout, Belanda, 8 Februari 1857. Snouck merupakan anak keempat dari Pendeta J.J. Snouck Hurgronje dan Anna Maria, puteri Pendeta D. Christiaan de Visser. Awalnya, perkawinan kedua orangtuanya itu didahului oleh hubungan kumpul kebo. Hal ini tercium oleh komunitas Gereja Hervormd di Tholen (Zeeland) di mana keduanya aktif. Karena melanggar prinsip-prinsip gereja, maka keduanya dikeluarkan dari komunitas Gereja Hervomd pada 3 Mei 1849. Saat itu ayah Snouck telah punya enam anak, termasuk Snouck Hurgronje. Kedua orangtua Snouck baru menikah secara resmi pada 31 Januari 1855.

Setelah menikah secara resmi, akhirnya mereka diterima kembali oleh gereja pada 13 Agustus 1856. Nama Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje merupakan nama gabungan dari nama kakeknya, Christiaan, dan nama ayahnya Snouck Hurgronje. Oleh kedua orangtuanya, Snouck Hurgronje dididik secara militan agar bisa jadi pendeta guna menebus dosa orangtuanya. Salah satu gurunya adalah Theodor Noeldekhe di Sctrasburg, seorang missionaris ternama Eropa saat itu.

Hurgronje meraih gelar Ph.D dalam bahasa-bahasa Semit (1880). Disertasinya berjudul “Perayaan Mekah”, sebuah tulisan yang banyak menghina Islam. Setelah itu dia ditunjuk menjadi dosen ‘Islamic Studies’ di sebuah lembaga pendidikan di Leiden yang khusus mengkader calon pegawai pemerintah untuk Hindia Belanda (Indonesia).

Diusir Dari Mekah

Kecerdasan otak Snouck Hurgronje menarik perhatian pemerintah Belanda yang tengah kewalahan menghadapi berbagai rentetan pemberontakan umat Islam yang terjadi di daerah koloni seberang lautan (Hindia Belanda). Berbagai pemberontakan meletus dipimpin oleh para tokoh Islam setempat, seperti Sultan Hasanuddin, Pangeran Diponegoro, dan Imam Bonjol. Dan pada saat itu, Belanda tengah kepayahan mencari cara untuk menghancurkan Aceh, sebuah wilayah di mana Islam menjadi satu-satunya kekuatan yang tangguh.

Akhirnya pemerintah Belanda mengirim Hurgronje ke Saudi (1885) dengan misi rahasia mencari celah kelemahan umat Islam. Dengan berpura-pura menjadi Muslim dengan nama Abdul Ghaffar, Hurgronje bisa tinggal di Mekah. Di jantung umat Islam ini Hurgronje membuat jaringan dan aktif dalam berbagai kajian ilmu dan diskusi soal Islam. Kala itu, Mekkah menjadi pusat dari pergaulan internasional para ulama seluruh dunia dimana dalam ibadah haji mereka bertemu dan mendiskusikan berbagai masalah yang terjadi di negeri asalnya. Hurgronje berusaha keras untuk bisa menyerap semua informasi yang ada di Mekkah. Di kota suci ini Hurgronje mendapat bantuan dari Konsul Belanda di Jeddah bernama JA Kruyt dan juga oleh Habib Abdurrachman Az-Zahir, seorang keturunan Arab yang pernah menjadi wakil pemerintahan Aceh yang berkhianat dengan mendukung Belanda. Az-Zahir sudi melakukan hal tersebut dengan imbalan materi yang didapatkannya dari penjajah. Orang-orang seperti Az-Zahir ini kelak dalam perjalanan sejarah Indonesia akan banyak bermunculan hingga hari ini.

Enam bulan berada di Mekkah, kedok Hurgronje berhasil dibongkar berdasarkan informasi dari Deputi Konsul Perancis di Mekah. Dia diusir dari kota suci itu pada Agustus 1885. Hurgronje kembali ke Leiden dan sementara waktu menjadi dosen di sana.

Di tahun 1886, Az-Zahir mengirimkan segepok naskah hasil penelitiannya tentang Aceh yang ditolak oleh Konsul Belanda di Jeddah JA Kruyt. Snouck seperti mendapat durian runtuh. Naskah itu segera diserahkannya kepada Menteri Daerah Jajahan Belanda (Ministerie van Kolonieën) dan menawarkan dirinya untuk masuk ke Aceh sebagai tenaga ilmuwan yang mencari celah kelemahan rakyat Aceh. Niatnya ini didukung penuh oleh  Direktur Pendidikan Agama dan Perindustrian (PAP), juga Menteri Urusan Negeri Jajahan. Proposal pun berjalan tanpa penghalang.

Snouck segera berangkat ke Aceh, namun begitu tiba di pelabuhan Penang (Malaya) pada 1 April 1889, Gubernur Van Teijn melarangnya masuk Aceh. Van Teijn menyangka Snouck seorang sekutu bagi Aceh karena diketahui Snouck banyak bergaul dengan tokoh-tokoh Aceh sewaktu di Mekkah. Misi rahasia Snouck memang hanya

diketahui sedikit pejabat elit di Belanda sehingga Van Teijn sendiri tidak mengetahuinya. Akhirnya Snouck meluncur ke Batavia.

Di Batavia, Snouck menghubungi sejumlah pejabat di sana dan akhirnya Gubernur Jenderal C. Pijnacker Hordijk mengabulkan niat Snouck untuk ke Aceh, bahkan mengangkatnya sebagai Penasihat urusan Bahasa-Bahasa Timur dan Hukum Islam.

Pada 9 Juli 1891, Snouck ke Aceh dan menetap di Kutaraja. Ia langsung menjadi orang kepercayaan Van Heutz. Selama tujuh bulan Snouck tinggal di Aceh telah menghasilkan sebuah karya tulis berjudul Atjeh Verslag, sebuah laporan kepada pemerintah Belanda tentang pendahuluan budaya dan keagamaan, dalam lingkup nasehat strategi kemiliteran. Sebagian besar naskah tersebut kemudian diterbitkan dalam De Atjeher yang terbit tahun 1893 dan 1894 (dua jilid). Dua hal intisari usulan Snouck yakni agar Belanda melancarkan perang adu-domba (Devide et Impera) atas tokoh-tokoh Islam Aceh, antara ulama dengan uleebalang (elit kerajaan) dan juga kontra gerilya.

Lewat politik pecah-belah dan peperangan yang panjang dan kejam, Van Heutz akhirnya berhasil membunuh banyak rakyat Aceh dan menduduki sejumlah wilayahnya.

Namun bukan berarti seluruh Aceh dapat dikuasainya. Pertempuran sporadis di sana-sini masih meletus dengan hebat. Hal ini menyebabkan Snouck Hurgronje merasa kagum dengan perlawanan rakyat Aceh dan mengakui

jika Belanda tidak mampu sepenuhnya menaklukkan Aceh.

Snouck Hurgronje yang tetap dalam penyamarannya mendekati para ulama Aceh dan mempengaruhi mereka dengan fatwa-fatwanya bahwa ag ama jangan dikotori oleh perang. Snouck menyatakan jika Islam agama yang

mencintai perdamaian di atas segalanya, agama yang penuh dengan toleransi, dan sangat menghormati pluralitas. Ayat-ayat kitab suci Al-Qur’an dan hadits-hadits diputar-putar oleh Hurgronje untuk memperkuat pandangan-pandangannya.

Strategi berpura-pura Muslim dengan tujuan untuk menghancurkan Islam (Izharul Islam) ini di zaman sekarang dipakai lagi oleh kelompok liberal dalam usahanya menghancurkan pemahaman Islam yang benar. Tidak salah jika disebutkan bahwa kelompok liberal merupakan anak didik dari Snouck Hurgronje. Atas usahanya di Aceh, Snouck mendapat bintang jasa dari pemerintah Belanda (Tokoh liberal Abdurrahman Wahid pada akhir Mei 2008 juga mendapat bintang jasa “Medal of Varlor” dari komunitas Yahudi Amerika atas jasa-jasa dan keberaniannya menjadi sekutu mereka di Indonesia).

Tahun 1906, Snouck kembali ke Belanda dan menikah di gereja dengan Ida Maria, puteri pendeta di Zutphan. Orang ini meninggal pada tahun 1936 dalam status sebagai penasehat utama Belanda untuk urusan penaklukan pribumi di Nusantara. Snouck mati sebagai kafir, bukan sebagai orang Islam.2

Atas jasa-jasanya “menaklukan” Aceh yang dianggap sebagai Benteng Islam, segenap orientalis Belanda memberi sebutan penghormatan kepadanya sebagai “Pahlawan Penebus”, karena dianggap sebagai penebus Al-Masih. Pemikiran dan strategi Hurgronje dalam menghadapi umat Islam masih dipakai oleh banyak tokoh orientalis Eropa hinggga sekarang.3 (fz)

(Footnotes)

1 Wawancara penulis dengan Drs. Ridwan Saidi dalam berbagai kesempatan.

2 Drs. Ridwan Saidi & Rizki Ridyasmara; Fakta dan Data Yahudi di Indonesia, Dulu dan Kini; Khalifa, 2006. (Dalam buku

ini juga dipaparkan temuan dari ilmuwan Belanda Dr. P.S. Van Koningsveld, seorang Arabist, yang secara jujur

memaparkan kelicikan-kelicikan Hurgronje dalam memerangi dan menipu orang Islam)

3 Prof. Dr. Ahmad Abdul Hamid Ghurab; Ru’yah Islamiyyah li al-Istisyraq, Al-Murtada al-Islami; London, cet. kedua,

1411 H, hlm. 59.