The role of Ulama is very important in responding religious issues. They are considered as authoritative in religious matters, may drive to conflicts and confuse the public if it stands in one of the group and make the community provoked. Therefore, the Ulama are expected to reduce the unharmonious atmosphere and become the unifier of the Ummah. Ulama are like a lamp that must be present in the community to illuminate life. Objects that are illuminated are of course heterogeneous: religion, ethnicity and race. Because of this condition, Ulama should choose a suitable theme and not offensive related to some tribe, religion, race, and among groups when delivering Dawah in the presence of a heterogeneous audience. Reflecting on the Dawah done by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the thing worth noting is the accuracy of the Prophet in fostering and gluing the cells of society. The dialogue between religious people should be used as a forum for religious harmony that can bridge various problems arising from religious issues in the community. From here the dialogue not only serves to seek agreement, but also the control of activities that are considered destructive relationship of religious life. The existence of dialogue is very important as an effort to avoid the attitude of religious intolerance. Therefore, dialogue must only be done between religions, but also between madhhab of religion. In this regard, internal and external-religious dialogue must be conducted intensively and continuously, in order to avoid intolerance in society. In reality, making internal-religious dialogue is more difficult than external. Ulama is a collection of people who have knowledge in the field of Shariah science like Fiqh, Tafseer, Hadith, monotheism, Kalam, Akhlak, Tasawuf, and so forth a status of a Muslim. Therefore, someone who is knowledgeable in Islam but not a Muslim, then his status is not Ulama, but a scientist. Ulama are a person who has a qualified knowledge, so bring him has the nature khasyyah (fear) only to Almighty Allah alone. In the Hadith it is mentioned that Ulama are the heirs of the Prophets. In addition to the abilities mentioned above, nowadays, ulama must hold and follow the development of technology, so he is clever as well as looking at any information that develops.
“Ulama should have broad, moderate, open-minded insight, and not easily carried over issues. Ulama should be the unifying of the Ummah, that it is necessary for its role in fostering and guiding the followers of the heretical flows back to the right path, mediating (peace) between conflicting parties and disputes among the Ummah, so that disputes and divisions can be avoided or minimized”.
Ulama is required to understand the development of his society. In the modern world today, Ulama cannot simply explore the sciences of Jurisprudence, Tafsir or Hadith only, especially if his knowledge is only a static memorization. To address the challenges and problems of the present and the future, it is necessary to overcome the full and dynamic sciences of Islam, in addition to the tools of science and insight that can be used to understand the development of society. Thus, Ulama can always provide guidance and direction that is acceptable, not left behind or trapped by a static religious understanding and narrow insight. Ulama should have broad, moderate, open-minded insight, and not easily carried over issues. Ulama should be the unifying of the Ummah, that it is necessary for its role in fostering and guiding the followers of the heretical flows back to the right path, mediating (peace) between conflicting parties and disputes among the Ummah, so that disputes and divisions can be avoided or minimized.
