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span class="inline inline-left">Wise: Well-known ustad Muhammad Arifin Ilham speaks to a large audienceThe expression “Alhamdulillah” is sprinkled throughout Muhammad Nur Maulana’s sermons during episodes of Islam Itu Indah (Islam is Beautiful).

The Makassar ustad’s (teacher) show airs every morning on TransTV.

His other signature expression — widely imitated by viewers — is “Jamaah... Oh... Jamaah [congregation]”, to which listeners respond “iye”, the very polite Makassar word for yes.

Muhammad’s humorous and unique style when delivering his sermons, which invites laughter, has made him an extremely popular young ustad.

He had been speaking only locally in villages near his hometown, but after his talks on Islam were uploaded to YouTube, he was promptly hired by TransTV.

As is the case with Maulana, MNC TV has famed West Java ustad Mohammad Ihsan. He is better known as KH Cepot because his comic manner mimics Cepot, a knight’s servant in Sundanese puppet theater. Cepot’s eye-popping stare and peculiar style on stage have attracted thousands of viewers.

Cepot’s sermons, like Maulana’s, are entertaining while conveying loving, moral messages. They urge Muslims to always show good morals, even in small deeds, and increase their devotion to God by following the teachings of the Prophet. Their sermons contain no provocation or disparagement.

But, these two examples of humorous sermonizing can contrast with the way Quraish Shihab discusses Islam in the program “Tafsir Al-Mishbah” on MetroTV.

As a professor and former religious affairs minister, Quraish delivers his sermons in a serious and solemn manner, sparing no time for laughter. Viewers must pay attention and think deeply as he describes the profound meanings of Koranic verses.

Every television station certainly has its own goals and considerations when determining what shows to broadcast and how to draw the attention of diverse segments of viewers. Televised lectures on Islam can be attractive to Indonesia’s Muslim majority, and the shows can also support a network’s business interests.

In the context of propagation, in the Hadith (traditions) of the Prophet, Islam teaches “balighu anni walau ayah”, or to tell others even if it is only a single verse (of the Koran).

Those in the religious teaching profession practice this in different ways, including the humorous styles that have been adopted by many other ulema, like the late and beloved Zainuddin MZ, dubbed “kyai sejuta umat” (the cleric with a million followers).

But, discussions of the pros and cons of the comic style have arisen in the Muslim community.

Those favoring the style maintain that Islam should be taught in a solemn manner as long as listeners are able to grasp the message. They regard Maulana as offering new color, with his humor possessing a strength of its own.

TransTV has no objection to Nur Maulana’s style, for he is seen as capable of creating a relaxed atmosphere without inducing any boredom.

“So far, preachers in Indonesia have been rigid, monotonous and condescending. We want to offer something different in religious lectures. Through Islam Itu Indah we present a new, light and fresh program. Those criticizing Nur Maulana for overacting are exaggerating. His years of teaching schoolchildren have helped to shape Nur Maulana. In my view, Nur Maulana is just childlike,” said program producer Sunka Da Ferry as quoted by the tabloid Bintang.

Conversely, those against humorous sermonizing regard its entertainment side as overwhelming the religious message to be communicated.

“It’s less proper,” Ezky Suyanto, a member of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), told The Jakarta Post when asked to comment on comic preaching styles. According to Ezky, sermons involve spiritual matters and they should not be presented with jokes.

“There have been many public complaints but the style can’t be categorized as an ethical code violation because it’s not a case of content. Moreover, there’s no disparagement,” he said. “We can only remind the relevant station of the possible harm to its credibility.”  

Today, sermons on TV, especially during the month of Ramadhan, reveal that television stations are competing for viewers, not only in the form of sermons but also through Islamic songs and soap operas.  

“This is positive in terms of religious eminence, let alone in the month of Ramadhan. But the very low quality is to be regretted, with the same thing from year to year,” Nahdlatul Ulama central board general chairman KH. Said Aqil Siroj said as quoted by NU online.

Said attributed the low quality of the content on television to the minimum command of the subject material by the preachers on such shows and the program format apparently fostering the move to comedy.

According to Said, preachers should convey virtue and sermons should also be presented in an appropriate way. “One who preaches should be ahsanu khoula, speaking properly or about something good, and wa’amila soliha, doing good deeds as well,” Said said.

All ears: Thousands listen to a sermon at the Istiqlal Mosque in JakartaBut technological advancement and the many TV stations have added their own dynamism and color to the growth of religious sermons compared with the situation in the 1970s when Indonesia had only one station, TVRI.

At the time, speakers appearing on TV were well-educated ulema with profound knowledge and positive spiritual attitudes. Unsurprisingly, their presence was much-awaited by TV viewers. One popular preacher was Buya Hamka (Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah), who was also a journalist, author, editor and publisher. Hamka’s lectures — of universal value — generated large audiences of Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

Currently, the emergence and fame of preachers frequently results from an “instantaneous” process, like the celebrities featured on TV programs. Consequently, the sermons don’t have a lasting impact as they are all too familiar and easily forgotten.

“Exploitation, instead of exploration, is what our television is mostly about,” wrote Sunardian Wirodono in his book Matikan TV-Mu! (Turn off your TV).

“The people behind television are convinced that there’s no loyalty to TV stations. The public will easily change the channel because the programs are the most important thing.”