T

he Merangin regency branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has declared deviant the teachings of the Tarikat Naqsabandiyah Islamic group, widely embraced since 2005 in Air Batu subdistrict, Renah Pembarap district.

MUI Merangin chairman Satar Saleh said Monday the group's activities had to be promptly ended and its leader, Ali Wardana, banned from entering Air Batu. "We will soon issue a decision regarding the Naqsabandiyah's teachings," he said.

He added the group's 20 tenets were also banned from being practiced in Air Batu, any violation of which would see law enforcement officers taking stern action.

Satar said dozens of tarikat (Islamic groups) had developed across the country. The MUI's recent congress identified 42 of them actively embraced by the country's Muslims, including the Naqsabandiyah.

In principle, according to Satar, Naqsabandiyah's teachings were not actually deviant. However, he added, those practiced in Air Batu were.

He said it was regrettable that not all Air Batu residents fully understood such deviance.

"It's probably because of the lack of understanding of the followers in Air Batu, which certainly needs to be corrected," he said.

"One thing's for sure, and that is the 20 tenets taught by Naqsabandiyah in Air Batu are decidedly deviant and must be promptly quashed."

Merangin Religious Affairs Agency head Umar Yusuf M. said a coordination meeting involving the regency administration, MUI representatives, the police, the prosecutor's office and Naqsabandiyah followers from Air Batu had agreed to halt the group's activities because they went against Islam.

"In principle, they are not allowed to practice their tenets," Umar said.

"Otherwise, they will have to deal with the full extent of the law."

Naqsabandiyah followers, however, say they will keep on practicing their beliefs in the subdistrict, on the grounds that what they have been taught is not deviant in nature.

"Our beliefs are nothing at all like what everyone in the community makes them out to be," said Ibnul Khotob, a follower.

He added he would report the matter to the group's teacher, Ali Wardana, who is the grandson of preacher Syukur of Kariso Ilir subdistrict, Batang Asai district, Sarolangun regency, the founder of Naqsabandiyah teachings.

According to Ibnul, there are many followers of the group in Air Batu, particularly since a congress of the group concluded their teachings were worthy of being followed.

"So why is it now being banned here in Merangin?" Ibnul asked.

However, local cleric Abi Wakas said the activities of the Naqsabandiyah had to be promptly banned because the teachings were deviant and went against Islamic teachings.

Among the "deviant teachings" found in the subdistrict, according to Abi, were tenets that stated God had a son, angels did not exist, and the five daily prayers were no longer being mandatory for those with "perfect faith".