HUSTON DAN AL-FATIHAH

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Uzair Suhaimi's avatarJejak Pemikiran dan Refleksi

Mengaitkan Huston dan Al-Fatihah menarik paling tidak karena tiga alasan. Pertama, Huston[1](1919-2016) adalah tokoh berkaliber dunia dalam bidang studi keagamaan. Kedua, dari sisi afiliasi keagamaan beliau adalah seorang Metodis (Protestan), bukan Muslim. Paling tidak demikianlah beliau dikenal. Ketiga, dari sisi kebiasaan, lebih dari 20 tahun dari masa akhir hidupnya, beliau terbiasa memulai kegiatan hariannya dengan Salat Subuh. Paling tidak demikianlah pengakuannya dalam satu wawancara yang direkam dalam berbagai media termasuk bukunya yang berjudul The Way Things Are (2003).

Yang lebih menarik lagi, ketiga ditanya alasan kebiasaanya Salat Subuh, beliau mengemukakan al-Fatihan– surat pendek Al-Quran yang hanya terdiri dari tujuh ayat, bacaan wajib dalam Salat– sebagai konsiderans. Ini katanya: “That so much of what is important in life could be packed into just seven short phrases is almost in itself that Islam is a revealed religion (WTA, halaman 18). Berikut adalah garis argumennya.

AYAT 1: ALHAMUDULILLAH…

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Published by Uzair Suhaimi

**Statistics and Spirituality: An Unexpected Synergy** At first glance, the pairing of statistics and religion may seem unconventional—even paradoxical. One discipline is rooted in empirical analysis, quantifying the tangible realities of our world; the other contemplates the transcendent, exploring truths beyond the physical realm. Yet this very duality defines my journey: a lifelong dedication to statistical rigor intertwined with a deep fascination for humanity’s spiritual dimensions. **Professional Journey: Three Decades of Data-Driven Impact** From 1981 to 2011, I served as a statistician at *BPS-Statistics Indonesia*, the nation’s central bureau of statistics, contributing to data-driven policymaking and national development. Following this, I lent my expertise to Indonesia’s *TNP2K* (a Vice President’s Office initiative) and the *International Labour Organization’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ILO-ROAP)* as a senior statistician. Since 2012, I have operated as an independent consultant, collaborating with entities like the ILO and Indonesian government agencies on pivotal projects. A recent highlight includes leading Indonesia’s first comprehensive *estimation of child labor* for the ILO Country Office in Jakarta (2019), a critical step toward addressing this urgent social challenge. **Spiritual Inquiry: Bridging the Universal and the Esoteric** Parallel to my professional work, I have nurtured a decades-long intellectual passion for the essence of religious thought—its esoteric traditions, universal principles, and timeless wisdom. Sufism’s mystical teachings and the *perennial philosophy*, which seeks shared truths across spiritual traditions, hold particular resonance for me. To explore these themes, I have authored and shared reflections on my personal blog, inviting dialogue on how inner understanding intersects with our outer world. **Convergence: Where Analysis Meets Meaning** This unlikely harmony between data and devotion has profoundly shaped my perspective: statistics reveal the *"what"* of human conditions, while spirituality grapples with the *"why."* Together, they form a dynamic lens through which I seek to understand—and contribute to—both the measurable and the immeasurable dimensions of life. .

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