Loquor Ergo Sum: Existence, Orality, and the Honor of Ulama in the Digital Era

There was once a classical Arab orator, Khalid bin Ṣafwān (d. 762 AD), who when asked “What is balaghah?” he answered:Balaghah it is not a light tongue, nor a lot of babbling, but accuracy of meaning and direction argument.” (Khuṭab Khalid bin Ṣafwān al-Tamimītaḥqīq Yūnus Aḥmad al-Sāmarā’ī, 1990, p. 65).

For him, eloquence is not measured by how light the tongue is or how many words are spoken, but by how precisely the meaning is conveyed and how clear the purpose is. Balaghah is the art of hitting the target, not just a habit of talking.

Interestingly, in a routine study of alumni of IKASAMAH (Father KH. Masykur Hafidz Santri Alumni Association) some time ago, Father Yai Masykur quoted another expression from the same orator:

Were it not for the tongue, man would be nothing but a represented image, or a neglected animal

Humans, without speech, are just lifeless figures, or neglected animals (Khuṭab Khalid bin Ṣafwān al-Tamimītaḥqīq Yūnus Aḥmad al-Sāmarā’ī, 1990, p. 70).

If earlier balaghah Talking about accuracy of meaning, here Khalid emphasizes that human existence itself depends on words. Without the power of articulation, humans are just bodies without meaning, just empty forms or even equivalent to animals that never give a trace of consciousness. Oral speech, in other words, is the medium of human dignity.

If René Descartes, the famous French philosopher with the motto I think therefore I am—”I think, therefore I am”, so Khalid said therefore I speak— “I speak, therefore I am.”

When put together, Khalid’s two statements give rise to a very current philosophical reflection. First, humans only truly become human through speech—through their ability to articulate consciousness. Second, the verbal quality itself is only valuable when pubertynamely arriving at meaning and leading to argument. If humans are valuable because of their words, then that value will fall if their words only spread noise, not meaning.

This reflection feels increasingly relevant in our time. Now, our “oral” is not just an organ in the mouth, but rather a thumb on a cellphone screen. One touch can spread words throughout the world. As discussed at length by F. Budi Hardiman (2021: 7), “I click, then I exist”, Therefore, I was under pressure. As if with certainty on that screen, a wise man transformed into homo digitalis.

But do these words affirm our dignity as human beings, or do they plunge us into digital noise without substance? Khalid seemed to remind us that we should not be willing to be reduced to mere status ṣūrah mumaththalah—an empty shadow in cyberspace—or bahīmah muhmalah—a creature that was left without a trace, because it failed to interpret its words.

If at the individual level humans are determined by their words, then at the social level, the people are determined by who directs their words, namely the ulama.

World Scholars and Hereafter Scholars

History has warned that oral speech is the sharpest test field. Words can be a soothing medicine, but they can also be a poison that misleads. It is at this point that we find the typology taught by classical scholars, such as al-Ghazālī, regarding scholars of the world and scholars of the afterlife.

World clerics are those who use their words to gain popularity, gain power, or confirm their desires. The rhetoric may be beautiful, but it lacks spirit. Meanwhile, the scholars of the afterlife submit their words to the divine mandate. His words are born of sincerity, although sometimes short and simple, they burn in the hearts of the listeners.

In Islamic boarding schools, this difference is felt real. A kiai’s brief dawuh can be a guide for the life of santri for all time, because his words contain the blessings of knowledge and inner honesty. On the other hand, the long lectures of clerics who are more busy maintaining their self-image often only become echoes that quickly disappear. The dignity of ulama is ultimately not determined by the number of books they read or the podium they sit on, but rather by how they maintain their verbal mandate.

Moreover, in the digital era, the words of ulama are present not only in langgars or mosques, but also in YouTube, TikTokand viral snippets on social media. Whether scholars choose to keep their words as the light of the afterlife, or whether they slip into making their words a worldly commodity, is now clearer. We can extend Khalid bin Ṣafwān’s expression, a man without words is just an empty figure, and a scholar without true words is just a mask of honor.

In this way, speech not only determines our personal existence, but also determines the direction of civilization. The words of worldly scholars can plunge people into noise, but the words of scholars in the afterlife—who sometimes appear through short dawuh or simple examples—are a source of blessing. And that’s where we find the true dignity of the ulama.

Pak Tumerap and Examples of Ulama of the Afterlife

Pak Tumerap—an old student of Father Yai Masykur Hafidz who is now the founder of a small educational institution in his village, was asked, “How much does it cost to recite the Koran here?” “Free, Yai,” answered Mr Tumerap. “Well, then what do you eat with? Yes, if it was Prophet Isa, you could ask the sky to come straight down,” joked Father Yai, greeted by laughter from the alumni.

He then quoted the word of Allah in QS. Al-Ma’idah [5]:114 like Jesus’ prayer which God then answered in the next verse, 115.

Father Yai also gave examples of clerics of the afterlife, like Tumerap; such as providing free education and honoring guests by providing dishes. Regarding verbal matters and how to preach well, everything needs to be studied. But basically, from a sincere intention first, it must be maintained until death. God willing, what will come out of his mouth will be ‘mbarokahi’, he stressed.

Remembering the location occupied by IKASAMAH in Mr. Tumerap’s house, Father Yai then quoted an ‘entertainment’ hadith narrated by Al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (4/144):

From the hadith of Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-Aas, the Messenger of Allah SAW said: “Whoever feeds his brother bread until he feels full, and gives him water to drink until he quenches his thirst, Allah will keep him away from the fire of hell by seven trenches, the distance between the two trenches is a journey of five hundred years.”

“Whoever feeds his brother (fellow Muslim) bread until he is full, and gives him water to drink until he is satisfied, Allah will keep him away from hell as far as seven trenches, the distance between two trenches is five hundred years..”

The study closed with light laughter from the IKASAMAH alumni and they ate together.

Also Read: The Role of Ulama between Tradition and Modernity

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Author: Achmad Fauzan

Editor: Sutan