Jurnal Suficademic | Artikel No. 24 | Mei 2026
“POHON KEHIDUPAN”: MATI DULU, BARU HIDUP
Oleh Said Muniruddin | RECTOR | The Suficademic
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Tulisan ini membahas rahasia dari pohon kehidupan, “the tree of life”. Bahwa untuk hidup, Anda harus ‘mati’ dulu. Semoga kita dapat mengambil pelajaran dari fenomena ini.
Manusia, Tumbuh Dua Arah
Manusia seperti pohon. Tumbuh dua arah: ke dalam dan ke luar. Pertumbuhan ke dalam adalah pertumbuhan akar. Sifatnya “gravitropic”, mengikuti tarikan gravitasi. Sedangkan pertumbuhan ke luar adalah pertumbuhan batang, daun dan buah. Sifatnya “phototropic”, mencari cahaya.
Keduanya tumbuh bersamaan. Semakin dalam akarnya, semakin tinggi pucuknya. Bahkan untuk bisa tumbuh ke luar, sebuah pohon terlebih dahulu tumbuh ke dalam. Ini disebut “internal transformation”. Akarnya dulu yang harus tumbuh, tanpa terlihat. Sebelum batang dan tangkainya menjulang ke atas, untuk menjalani “external growth”.
Pertumbuhan ke dalam (internal transformation) jauh lebih sulit daripada pertumbuhan ke luar (external growth). Sebab, akar harus berjuang keras untuk menembus lapisan tanah yang sumpek dan padat. Berbeda dengan pucuk yang tumbuh mencari ruang kosong dan terang.
Dalam perspektif spiritual, tarikan ke dalam adalah tarikan “fitrah”. Tarikan ke dalam adalah tarikan mencari sumber kehidupan. Tarikan untuk mencari sumber pegangan. Sedangkan tarikan ke luar adalah tarikan mencari cahaya dan gemerlap dunia. Pada dimensi luar ini manusia terlihat tumbuh dan hidup. Walaupun kenyataannya, akarlah yang paling menentukan untuk bertahan hidup. Sebab, kalau akarnya tumbuh kuat dan mampu menyerap nutrisi yang baik, pencapaian duniawinya ikutan baik.
Jadi, manusia persis seperti pohon. Secara alamiah mencari sunyi dan “gelap”. Sekaligus mencari riuh dan “terang”. Pertumbuhan dalam gelap disebut sebagai “perjalanan malam” (Israk, QS. Al-Isra’: 1). Inilah perjalanan spiritual untuk menyelam ke kedalaman kesadaran. Perjalanan mencari Tuhan. Sedangkan pertumbuhan dalam terang adalah proses aktualisasi diri seorang manusia di muka bumi.
Realitas Manusia, Batin yang Menzahir
Jadi, apa yang kita lihat dari seseorang; itu murni gambaran dari akar yang tumbuh di bawahnya. Ada orang yang pemarah, suka menebar fitnah, sombong, korup, licik, dan sebagainya; itu gambaran akarnya yang membusuk. Kalau seseorang terus miskin, penakut, bodoh, malas, dan tidak disiplin; itu juga gambaran akar yang keropos. Pun kalau seseorang sering was-was dan sakit, sudah pasti ada persoalan dengan elemen-elemen kejiwaan yang tersembunyi.
Begitu pula jika ada orang yang jujur, penyayang, tegas, dermawan, dan sehat. Itu “tajalli” (penampakan lahiriah) dari akar ideologi yang ia miliki di alam bawah sadar. Kalau mental spiritualnya ia pupuk dan tumbuh dengan bagus, nasibnya juga bagus.
Batang, daun, dan buah adalah “nasib” yang tumbuh dari apa yang ada di bawahnya. Penampilan ekternal dari “gunung es” kedirian kita adalah replika dari segala sesuatu yang mengakar dalam keyakinan kita. Jika vibrasi spiritual kita bagus, buah yang kita panen juga bagus. Semakin akarnya tumbuh ke dalam, semakin pohonnya menjulang tinggi ke awan. Semakin sukses dan bahagia seseorang.
Kenyataan lahiriah manusia sama persis dengan realitas batiniahnya. Bahkan; kita bisa mengetahui sudah sepanjang mana akar sebuah pohon menjalar dalam tanah, hanya dengan melihat diameter pertumbuhan luarnya. Biasanya, ujung akar sebuah pohon itu sejajar dengan keliling diameter pohon tersebut.
Itulah yang disebut “as above so below”. Apa yang terlihat dipermukaan, seperti itulah isi dalam seseorang. Manusia makhluk dua dimensi. Sisi luaran kita adalah gambaran nyata dari spritual kita. Sikap, perilaku dan kondisi kita merupakan manifestasi dari nilai, keyakinan, dan kesadaran kita.
Maka, jika ingin memperbaiki aspek-aspek duniawi, perbaiki internal diri kita. Pupuk akarnya. Bagian luar akan mengikuti. Akar adalah jiwa, tempat tumbuhnya “belief system”. Karena itu Allah berfirman, nasib suatu kaum tidak akan berubah sampai mereka mengubah internal kejiwaannya (QS. Ar-Ra’d: 11).
‘Kematian’ adalah Awal Kehidupan
Salah satu cara paling efektif untuk menghidupkan dan menumbuhkan jiwa adalah dengan ‘kematian’. Dalam pandangan spiritual, kematianlah yang menghidupkan. Hidup terjadi setelah mati.
Bukan hanya untuk kehidupan akhirat, yang dimulai setelah kematian. Kehidupan dunia juga cerminan kehidupan akhirat. Kalau ingin hidup di dunia dengan sebenarnya hidup, ‘mati’ dulu. Sejatinya hidup diperoleh setelah ‘kematian’.
Lihat pohon-pohon. Mereka tumbuh setelah mengalami ‘kematian’. Setelah benihnya dikubur dalam kegelapan, kelembaban, kesempitan, dan kepanasan. Barulah kemudian akarnya tumbuh ke dalam. Sebelum batangnya perlahan meninggi ke luar.
“Akar” yang tumbuh ke dalam, dalam terminologi agama disebut akidah. Akidah adalah seperangkat nilai dan keyakinan, yang lahir setelah seseorang mengalami ‘kematian’.
Akidah adalah “ikatan” (‘aqaid, ‘aqad) seseorang dengan Tuhan. Akidah yang kuat baru muncul setelah seseorang memakrifati Tuhan. Makrifat lahir setelah berjumpa atau mengenal Tuhan. Hanya ‘kematian’ yang dapat mempertemukan seseorang dengan Tuhan.
Karena itu, akidah dalam tradisi sufistik dibangun pada level makrifati, melalui proses “muutu qabla an tamuutu”. Matilah kamu sebelum kamu mati. Ada prosesi ‘kematian’ yang harus dijalani agar seseorang terkoneksi.dan mampu merasakan kehadiran Tuhan.
Jadi, tauhid atau akidah pada level sufistik bukanlah kepercayaan, teori atau hafalan tentang Tuhan. Tapi pengalaman perjumpaan dengan Tuhan. Keterintegrasian gelombang kesadaran dengan Tuhan.
‘Mati’ Sebelum Dibangkitkan
Kisah para nabi menukilkan bagaimana ‘kematian’ dapat membangkitkan seseorang menjadi makhluk “suprasadar” (makrifati).
Muhammad saw tidak langsung tumbuh menjadi manusia penuh miracle. Ada masa muda, yang ia sering habiskan untuk ‘mengubur’ dirinya dalam ruang sempit di gua Hirak.
Itu fase awal kematiannya. Setelah sekian lama ia ‘mematikan’ dirinya dalam ruang yang panas, lembab, dan gelap itu; barulah ia “hidup”, dibangkitkan dan diangkat oleh Tuhan sebagai manusia berbeda.
Mekkah dan Arab awalnya begitu jahiliah. Muhammad resah. Ia tak berdaya. Dalam refleksi-refleksi yang ia lakukan sejak muda, ia menyadari bahwa ia tidak mampu mengubah perilaku kaumnya. Baru setelah rutin melakukan “retreat” dalam ruang yang sempit dan gelap itu, hadir kekuatan wahyu yang membimbingnya untuk membangun bangsa.
Semua nabi menjalani fase ‘kematian’ semacam ini. Musa as pergi menyendiri dan ‘mematikan’ dirinya di puncak Sinai. Pulang dari sana, ia membawa Taurat, sesuatu yang menjadi petunjuk selama berabad-abad bagi kaumnya. Sebelumnya, ia juga pergi meninggalkannya intelektualitasnya. Ia ‘mematikan’ dirinya, mematikan otaknya dihadapan Khizir, sehingga tumbuh menjadi Kalamullah.
Yunus as juga sama. Ia terombang-ambing dalam lautan kehidupan setelah kalah dan terusir dari kaumnya. Ia memilih ‘kematian’. Ia mengubur dan menenggelamkan dirinya dalam ‘perut ikan’. Dalam kegelapan. Dalam kepanasan. Dalam kelembaban. Dalam ruang inkubasi ini ia berzikir, “La ilaha illa Anta Subhanaka inni kuntu minadh dhalimin” (QS. Al-Anbiya: 87). Setelah tiga hari, ia keluar. Perjuangan dakwah dan politiknya kembali menang.
Siti Maryam juga begitu. Perempuan ini melahirkan sosok suci, Ruhullah Isa as. Itu terjadi setelah ia menjauh, mengasingkan, dan ‘mematikan’ dirinya di tempat tertutup dan sunyi. Semua manusia spiritual lahir dari kurikulum ‘kematian’ semacam ini.
Jadi, ‘kematian’ adalah awal kehidupan. ‘Kematian’ adalah akar dari akidah/ketauhidan. Hanya lewat kematian, ruhani seseorang secara “praktis” terhubung dengan Tuhan. Tanpa proses itu, akidah dan ketauhidan kita hanya terhenti di level hafalan dan bacaan.
Manusia seperti biji tumbuhan. Benih tauhidnya muncul setelah sekian lama ditanam. Tidak boleh ada gerakan. Harus sunyi. Butuh tekanan, hawa panas, juga dingin. Setelah cangkang materinya pecah terbuka, disitulah akar tauhid menampakkan wujudnya.
Mungkin ada yang lupa, fase pertama manusia berkomunikasi dan mengakui Allah sebagai Tuhan adalah ketika masih terkubur dalam rahim ibu. “Alastu birabbikum, qaalu balaa syahidna (QS. Al-‘Araf: 172)”. Pada fase ‘kematian’ itulah kita benar-benar hidup. Proses khalwat, uzlah, atau suluk disaat seseorang telah dewasa adalah upaya untuk mengulangi kejadian itu, dalam bentuk berbeda. Para pelaku meditasi biasanya mampu menghidupkan kembali saraf dan akar spiritualnya agar kembali terhubung dengan Tuhannya.
Ini yang hilang dalam dunia moderen. Sehingga kita sering merasa jauh dengan Tuhan. Kita terlalu tumbuh ke atas dengan aneka gelar dan pencapaian. Dengan segudang aset dan kekayaan. Tapi keropos ke dalam. Bacaan kita semakin fasih. Hafalan semakin banyak. Pun pameran dan show relijiusitas dimana-mana tumbuh pesat. Tapi akar spiritualnya lemah, kosong dari getaran Tuhan. Kita terlalu sibuk mencari ruang untuk hidup. Sehingga lupa untuk mengisi kelambu suluk dan ruang-ruang ‘kematian’. Terlalu cinta dunia dan takut ‘mati’.
Kesimpulan
‘Kematian’ adalah proses transformasi dari satu bentuk hirarki kesadaran ke hirarki kesadaran yang lebih tinggi. Dari satu bentuk energi ke energi lainnya. Dari satu wujud keberadaan ke wujud yang lebih tinggi. Terkait evolusi spiritual ini, Jalaluddin Rumi melukiskan:
“Aku mati sebagai mineral dan menjelma menjadi tumbuhan. Aku mati sebagai tumbuhan dan menjelma menjadi hewan. Aku mati sebagai hewan dan menjelma menjadi manusia. Lalu, mengapa aku harus takut? Maut tidak pernah mengurangi sesuatu dariku”.
“Sekali lagi, aku masih harus mati sebagai manusia dan lahir di alam malaikat. Bahkan setelah menjelma jadi malaikat, aku harus mati lagi. Karena, kecuali Tuhan, tidak ada yang kekal abadi.
Setelah kelahiranku sebagai malaikat, aku masih akan menjelma lagi, dalam bentuk yang tak kupahami. Ah, biarkanlah diriku lenyap, memasuki kekosongan, kesunyian. Karena hanya dalam kesunyian itulah terdengar nyanyian mulia: ‘Hanya kepada-Nya segala sesuatu akan kembali’.”
Jika ingin hidup lebih baik, kita harus ‘mati’, melepaskan dan mengubur diri kita yang sekarang. Agar bermetamorfosa menjadi sesuatu yang lebih mulia. Kita semua secara lahiriah adalah tajalli Tuhan, dalam aneka wujud spiritual yang kita perjuangkan sendiri.
Allahumma shalli ‘ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad.*****
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