ISLAMIC PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT BOOKS :

ALTERNATIVE TO THE WEST

HARIYADI

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

BACKGROUND

• Islamic books have been well developed in Indonesia since the end of New Order period

• A major channel for the dissemination of radicalism and neo-fundamentalism among the youth?

• How do Indonesian Muslim youths read Islamic personal development books?

• How do they use those books to develop their identity?

• Analysed books and interviewed some Muslim young adults in Jakarta and Bandung

The History of Islamic Publication The Dutch Period: the influence of Egypt via

Jami’at Khair movement in Java and the establishment of Al Munir in 1911

The Japanese Era: development of journalistic skills

Early post colonial Islamic publishers: Tintamas, Al Maarif, Bulan Bintang

DDII and Media Dakwah presents a totalising unitary Islamic ideology

ICMI and Republika: covering ‘secular’ events and issues with conscious Islamic messages

The success of Mizan: providing diverse Islamic ideas and a more balanced portrait of Muslim society; its selected audience, imaginative covers, newspaper-quality print, and meticulous attention to editing illuminated other media companies to develop Islamic-oriented printed media

*Islamic Publication for Youths:

*Annida: smart, trend and pious; morally correct lifestyles*Girliezone: smart girl or nothing; accentuates personal development*Numerous numbers of Islamic novels*Founded or/ managed by tarbiyah activists (Forum Lingkar Pena)*Alternatives to Western media or Western-influenced Indonesian teenage media*Alternatives to hard-line Islamic publications

Discourses of Islamic Self-Help Books for Youth: Being a different and better person: how one can reborn

as the future man How to transform ourselves: leaves behind any wrong-doing

and turn new leaves of life How to be confident: self-esteem comes from acts of worsh

ip to God Being a distinctive Muslim Being a more beautiful person: smarter, better manner,

prettier, more pious How to achieve true love: the true love is the one who

has to be completed by marriage How to do proper acts of worship to God Quantifying good deeds as investment to have a place in

Heaven Clarifying the meaning of jihad

Order of Discourses Writings of Islamic personal development books: emphasising virtue and purity; practising syari’ah in daily life, relating with basic needs (limited on personal matters)

Mostly refer to the ideas of Hasan al Banna through Jama’ah Tarbiyah activists/writers; some refer to Yusuf Qardhawi’s writings

Hasan al Banna combined sufism and social activism; closer to the traditionalist rather than modernist and revivalist (neo-fundamentalist)

Template for daily lives: perfect guidance for the youth

Counter-balance for ‘secular’ self help books

Useful for mentoring to the teenage, but not young adult

Lack of depth; only for the ones whose Islamic knowledge is limited

Readers Reception:

. .

I used to read novels and comics when I was in high school. Then I realised it gave me nothing, rubbish. It was quite embarrasing that I ever read it. Fortunately, one of my senior (in undergraduate) introduced me to these really good books to read. It gave a much better direction. Sometimes I cried when the books reminded how sinful I was. Of course guidance from my mentors and ustadz are very important, but the books provided me with a simpler picture of how to implement Islam in daily life

(Adam, male, UNJ)

I read a lot books like Chicken Soup for the Soul for Teenage. However, when I entered this campus I found that many friends of mine read another kind of books. The after I read them, I found out that those are much better than Chicken Soup for the Soul. Chicken Soup books were only talking about love. Had it talked about love to parents, that’s fine. But they talked about male and female as if love was all about it. Islamic books I read mentioned the highest level of love, which is for Allah. Maybe you can’t have the reward in here, but it will be hereafter.

(June, female, ITB)

Yes, I read about some of it. Of course I wouldn’t say they’re useless. But isn’t that already too late to wake them up (that they’re Muslims)? Young adults like us, university student, have already got our own perspective and attitude. We need more serious books that I read like Sirrah Navawiyah. Indeed not all of us like to read those books, but here we have mentoring programme and ustadz. They are clearly much better sources to teach about Islam than those kind of books. These books are only useful for teenagers from junior to high school, not us.

(Friend, male, ITB)

Sure, I read it. But I think they who have already got a relatively well understanding of Islam would not find it very interesting. They, including myself, need to read more serious books. However, those kind of books can be pretty handy when we conduct our mentoring programme. This programme is addressed to our junior, so from the books we can give them more practical and easy-to-understand guidance. Our junior could not easily understand books concerning Islamic law, for example. But the self-help books are very practical and help them a lot.

(Good, female, ITB)