THREE HABIBS GIVE A STRONG WARNING TO HAJI RHOMA
A topic currently trending in Indonesia, particularly among Muslims, is the Ba'alawi lineage controversy. This controversy has been going on for several months and remains unresolved.
The controversy began when a leader of an Islamic boarding school in Banten questioned the lineage of the habibs in Indonesia, who are members of the Ba'alawi clan. The kiai conducted research, the final results of which were presented in his thesis, which concluded that the Ba'alawi lineage is not connected (broken) to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This means, according to him, the habibs in Indonesia are not descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
The kiai himself initially popularized this thesis through various sermons. As a result, the kiai went viral and was frequently invited to various religious events to deliver sermons on the Ba'alawi lineage's disconnection from the Prophet Muhammad. He also frequently shared his motivations for writing this thesis. Among the motivations for writing his thesis, the kiai stated that he was initially curious about several habaib (Islamic scholars) who, he believed, frequently engaged in actions that deviated significantly from the morals of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He believed that the habaib should have the mandate and responsibility to uphold morals similar to those of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
This thesis undoubtedly shocked Muslims in Indonesia, particularly among the ulama (ulama), and the habaib themselves. It was understandable that the habaib, who had existed in Indonesia for hundreds of years and played a significant role in da'wah (Islamic outreach), were perceived as liars and peddlers of the Prophet's lineage. Pro-habaib scholars also wondered how the legitimacy of the habaib's lineage, which had been recognized for hundreds of years through the term "As-Syuhrah wal Istifadhah," could be forced to collapse solely on the basis of a thesis written by an unknown individual.