TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The love of Muslims for the Prophet Muhammad means that his descendants are always popular. Those who believe in these descendants of the Prophet tried to become close to those bearing the title of habib. After the Battle of Karbala in 680, descendants of the Prophet traveled to Medina and then went to live in Yemen in 929.
Subsequent generations of the Prophet's descendants settled in many other countries from Hadramaut, Yemen. The Hadrami first arrived in Indonesia in 1176. Then in the 19th century there was a sudden increase in the number of Yemeni traders travelling to Indonesia. Because of this, 1928 saw the establishment of Rabithah Alawiyah, an organization formed to preserve the purity of the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad and his daughter, Fatimah Az-Zahra, who married Ali.
People take advantage of this belief held by many Muslims. One person fraudulently used the Rabithah Alawiyah logo to "sell" the title of habib to those who wanted it. Because they were sold, there was a fee. The Rabithah subsequently announced the existence of this bogus habib and reported the seller of the titles to the police.
Rabithah Alawiyah approves the gift of a book containing the lineage to those who claim to have a line of descendency from the Prophet Muhammad. There are approximately 200 to 300 claimants of these lineages in Rabithah Alawiyah. As of 2024, There were more than 100,000 descendants on record.
People have a number of reasons for recording their lineages in a book, ranging from the purposes of marriage to preserving the lineage. However, out of the public gaze, many people thought to have had a direct link with the Prophet Muhammad are reluctant to be called habib. Most of them are uneasy about people knowing they are descended from the Prophet.
According to Rabithah Alawiyah’s records, there are at least 68 family names of habib in Indonesia. The most common are Al-Attas, followed by Al-Haddad, Assegaf, Allaydrus, Al-Habsyi and Al-Baidi. However, this lineage became much less certain after research carried out by Imaduddin Ustman Al Bantanie concluded that the Prophet Muhammad’s lineage was severed at the tenth generation after him.
From the sources he referred to, Imaduddin concluded that no one by the name of Ubaidillah was an ancestor of Bani Alawi – the family name of Hadrami who came to Indonesia. Ubaid was the son of Ahmad bin Isa, the tenth descendant of the Prophet. Naturally, this conclusion immediately triggered controversy. Rabithah Alawiyah rejected the finding, claiming that Imaduddin had only used modern sources.
The debate between the two sides became heated. We report on the habib and the lineage of the Prophet in Indonesia, along with the controversy and efforts to trace the descendants of Muhammad here in our special Idul Fitri issue this week. You can read about it in the print edition published last Thursday.
Enjoy the magazine,
Bagja Hidayat
Deputy Chief Editor
Cover Story
Reverence for the Ba’alawi Clan amidst the Habib Controversy
Part of the public reveres habib and sayyid as a form of adoration for Prophet Muhammad. A controversy arises regarding the lineage of Bani Alawi.
Seeking Prophetic Blessings from the Sayyids
Goups of people have been consistently venerating habibs and sayyids, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, since the Dutch era. They sought blessings even to their graves.
The Exposing of Fake Habib Lineage
The young man who claimed to be a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad illegally profited financially from the Rabithah Alawiyah website.
Economy
Umrah Business Profits During Ramadan
The number of Indonesian umrah minor pilgrimage travelers grows during the fasting month of Ramadan. The nation’s umrah economic potential has not been fully harnessed.
Interview
“It is Permissible to Wish Merry Christmas“
Iffatul Umniati Ismail graduated from the Al-Alzhar University’s doctoral program with a dissertation on rulings issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council. Can Muslims say Merry Christmas to Christians?
You can read more complete report on Tempo Magazine:
Reverence for the Ba’alawi Clan amidst the Habib Controversy
Seeking Prophetic Blessings from the Sayyids
The Exposing of Fake Habib Lineage
