Abdullah Quilliam: Penggerak Polisi Pan-Islamisme di Barat (1887-1932) [Abdullah Quilliam: The Proponent of Pan-Islamism in the West (1887-1932)]

Abstract

Gagasan Pan-Islamisme merupakan salah satu usaha penting yang digerakkan oleh Sultan Abdul Hamid II semasa pemerintahannya sebagai khalifah bagi menyatupadukan umat Islam di seluruh dunia. Tentangan dan cabaran daripada pihak Barat untuk merampas wilayah-wilayah Islam melalui dasar kolonialisme telah dirancang bagi melemahkan kuasa politik dan pentadbiran kerajaan Uthmaniyyah. Kemunculan Abdullah Quilliam dari Barat yang senada memperjuangkan dasar Pan-Islamisme telah mengukuhkan lagi kedudukan Islam dan institusi khilafah di Barat terutamanya di Liverpool sehingga beliau dianugerahkan gelaran Sheikh al-Islam British Isles oleh Sultan Abdul Hamid II.  Matlamat kajian ini adalah untuk meneliti biografi ringkas Abdullah Quilliam, membahas kerjasama strategik antara Quilliam dan Kerajaan Uthmaniyyah serta menganalisis sumbangan beliau dalam menyokong polisi Pan-Islamisme. Reka bentuk kajian ini bersifat kualitatif melalui pendekatan kajian sejarah dan analisis kandungan. Kajian ini menggunakan kaedah dokumentasi sebagai kaedah pengumpulan data dengan memfokuskan sumber berkaitan sejarah Daulah Uthmaniyyah abad ke-20, pentadbiran Sultan Abdul Hamid II dan pengaruh agama Islam di wilayah British lewat kurun ke-20. Sementara itu, analisis data pula dilaksanakan melalui kaedah tematik dan deduktif. Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa Abdullah Quilliam sememangnya berperanan penting dan menjadi tonggak utama dalam menyemarakkan semangat kesatuan umat Islam di Barat dan juga di beberapa negara seperti India dan Afrika menerusi seruan dakwah secara syarahan serta penulisan. Pendekatan dakwah yang dipamerkan melalui penerbitan jurnal The Crescent dan The Islamic World membawa impak positif dalam melestarikan sebuah masyarakat madani bertunjangkan paradigma tauhid serta keluhuran akhlak. Justeru, ketokohan dan sumbangan Abdullah Quilliam harus diberikan perhatian sewajarnya dalam usaha untuk memanifestasikan suruhan dan perintah Allah SWT akan kewajipan ukhuwah sesama saudara Islam.

One of Sultan Abdul Hamid II's major initiatives to bring Muslims worldwide together was the concept of pan-Islamism, which he developed during his reign. The goal of the West's challenges and threats to annex Islamic lands through colonial policies was to undermine the Ottoman Empire's authority and governance. The emergence of Abdullah Quilliam, a Westerner who espoused similar Pan-Islamist ideals, strengthened the standing of Islam and the caliphate system in the West, especially in Liverpool, to the point where Sultan Abdul Hamid II bestowed upon him the title of Sheikh al-Islam of the British Isles. The aim of this study is to examine the brief biography of Abdullah Quilliam, discuss the strategic cooperation between Quilliam and the Ottoman Empire, and analyze his contributions in supporting the policy of Pan-Islamism. A qualitative approach is adopted by applying the methods of historical study and document analysis. This study uses documentation methods as a data collection technique, focusing on sources related to the history of the Ottoman Empire in the 20th century, the administration of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, and the influence of Islam in British territories during the late 20th century. Meanwhile, data analysis is also conducted using thematic and deductive methods. The study found that Abdullah Quilliam indeed played a significant role and was a key pillar in igniting the spirit of unity among Muslims in the West and also in several countries such as India and Africa through his preaching and writings. The approach to da'wah showcased through the publication of the journals The Crescent and The Islamic World has a positive impact on sustaining a civil society grounded in the paradigm of monotheism and noble ethics. Therefore, the character and contributions of Abdullah Quilliam should be given due attention in the effort to manifest the commands and orders of Allah SWT regarding the obligation of brotherhood among fellow Muslims.