Nabi Palsu/False Prophet

This essay is my attempt to freely combine many point of views ranging from literary, fiction, philosophy, history, and mythology.

The story goes that someone called "Ego," convinced that his destiny is to be a prophet, has pursued his dream of prophethood. In his journey, many obstacles faced him. He often casts doubt on his own belief in prophethood. Equally, people around seem not to care of his claim to be a prophet.

Ego's doubt on his own prophethood grows rather stronger. This was caused by his bitter experiences during his long journey and also due to his readings of some mythologies and histories. He now realizes that he is not the only prophet, but everybody else is also potential to be a prophet like himself. He now sees that nothing is special about him, and claim to be a prophet.

He learns, nonetheless, that the status of being prophet is not gained through claims made several times, but the status is often designated later by the people whom the prophets had guided. The prophethood, as testified by history, is not a special status, nor is it privilege to be a prophet. Bitterness may it sound, the prophethood came after the prophets passed suffered by rejections and humiliations.

Ego is now convinced that earning common life, and finding a good job, is as noble as what the previous prophets struggled for--in voicing the truth against their people. At the end, Ego was hopeless, having no job, sitting in the corner of a village market, and observing someone who fixed shoes for living. He thinks that he can apply a position as an assistant of this shoe-reparatuer, which can perhaps be a destiny of the prophet.

For the rest of the story please open Nabi Palsu, Membuka Kembali Pintu Kenabian (A False Prophet, Opening the Gate of Prophethood) Yogyakarta/Indonesia: Ar-Ruzz, 2003.