Absent Yet Inspiring, How Could Hamka Still Admired His Busy Father?

Behind the legendary figure of Buya Hamka stood the influence of his father, known as Haji Rasul. Although young Hamka was often left behind because his father was busy preaching, the figure of his father remained alive within him. The roles of Anduang (his grandmother) and his half-sibling in narrating stories about Haji Rasul were like mass media. They consistently framed the “heroic headlines” of his father’s life. As a result, Hamka maintained a strong emotional connection with Haji Rasul, Abdul Karim Amrullah. But how could this be?

Once again, the reality experienced by a person is deeply influenced by how information is framed and communicated (Goffman, 1974). For example, if a wife constantly curses her husband in front of their daughter, it is very likely that the daughter will grow up resenting men. In the absence of Hamka’s father, Anduang and his half-sibling proactively acted as a mass media that framed his father’s, consistently retelling his heroic narratives. This is one reason why Hamka retained such a strong emotional bond with Haji Rasul.

Hamka’s admiration for his father was not expressed in radio interviews later quoted by mass media. Instead, Hamka chose his own medium: writing. His potential as a writer was shaped by his mentor, H.O.S Tjokroaminoto, the former leader of Sarekat Islam. His famous advice “Write like a journalist, and speak like an orator” was not only addressed to Soekarno, but also left a deep imprint on Hamka.

Thus, to crystallize the image of his father, Hamka published a book entitled Ajahku in 1950 (Hamka, 1950). The book chronicles his father’s journey in detail: from his birth, his studies in Mecca, his return to homeland, to his reformist mission in Indonesia beginning with the establishment of Muhammadiyah branch in Sungai Batang, Maninjau, his hometown.

Stories about his father had fueled Hamka’s imagination since childhood. His father’s heroism in resisting colonial powers provided Hamka with a moral foundation: that life must be lived with a great mission. Although Haji Rasul once opposed Hamka’s ambition to pursue a career as a writer, Hamka still regarded him as his primary figure of identification, in line with the theory of psychological development (Erikson, 1963). Hamka absorbed and internalized his father’s character into his own life. For this reason, Hamka considered Ajahku as more than just a chronology. “The book is not merely the biography of my fathers, but also the mirror of my own life” he wrote (Hamka, 1950).

Hamka’s relationship with his father was unique and paradoxical. His father was often absent, yet Hamka remained inspired. His father once disapproved of his literary path, yet instead breaking down, Hamka used that tension as motivation to find his own way (Kuliiah Al Islam, 2023). Thus, when a father is not always physically present, what truly matters are the substitute actors and how the narrative of the father is framed. These two elements preserve or even strengthen the father’s figure in child memory.

Today, Buya Hamka is remembered not only as a novelist, writer and national figure. But also as an islamic scholar just like his father.

References:

Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and Society. New York: W. W. Norton.
Goffman, E. (1974). Frame Analysis: An Essay on the Organization of Experience. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Hamka. (1950). Ajahku. Jakarta: Bulan Bintang.
Kuliah Al-Islam. (2023, November 15). Rahasia sukses Buya Hamka sebagai ulama dan sastrawan. https://kuliahalislam.com/rahasia-sukses-buya-hamka-sebagai-ulama-dan-sastrawan