REVIEW NOVEL BUMI CINTA

Habiburahman El Shirazy (Kang Abik) is back!
BUMI CINTA (Earth Love), yeah it's another materpiece (Soul Development Novel) of him. As he always told to the reader prior, that he was not only created a

novel to be read, but he also try do some dakwah (deliver the value of Islam) with his own words and ways. So, this time, the city of Moskwa (Russia) is the

main location where the story would flow, where the dakwah will be held and where the conflicts would happen either. Yeah, as a country which full of

prostitution and where the organized major crime occur, Russia being choosed by him to shows us that the value of humanity and love would always be around

us, as long as we keep on trying to do good deeds and follow what being order and advices in the religions (as moslem, inshaAllah i do believe that Islam would

bring its pilgrims to the 'right' path/sirratalmustakim).

Muhammad Ayyas, a college student from Indonesia, is the main character here. Unlike Khairul Azzam, (Abik's previous main character 'Ketika Cinta Bertasbih')

Ayyas is not stuck for a long time in Russia (fyi: Azzam was stucked for about 9 years in Alexandria-poor him). On the other way, Ayyas comes there with a clear

schedule and a mission. Yup, he comes to Russia to do a research about Islam in Russia, for his master degree thesis. So that, he plans to stay in Russia for

only five months. The main issue that he had to face is not his thesis but how to struggle the values of Islam in his daily life.

As the communist country, it's cohere that most of Russian do not believe in religion. So, it also make sense that nowadays atheist is growing enormously there.

Those kind of situation inspired Kang Abik created some 'bad girls character' in this book, such as Linor, and Yelena (both of them are Iyyas's housemate).
Linor, a 'pure jews' journalist and violist, she also work undercover as Jews secret agent in Russia. Yelena, an atheist who worked as 'let me call it as Russian

Geisha'.
Oh yeah, almost forget..there is also DR. Anastasia Palazzo, a obidient catholic young woman who work as assistant professor in MGU. Yup, since the professor

got something to do abroad, so she is being asked to conduct Iyyas finishing the thesis.

Broad knowledge of social issue, especially about the fiqh of islam is succesfully bring Ayyas to become famous enough among the young people and mass-

media in Russia. Unfortunatelly, situation alto turn him into target 'must die' by the Jews underground movement and Russian Mafia, at the same place.

Overall, i suggest you to read this one..though still, for me KCB is better though..
at least it's worth enough to read. Hopefully, this one also good if you had a plan to add some 'Islamic moral injection' in your daily life.
so, enjoy it.

"Maka sesungguhnya bersama satu kesusahan ada satu kemudahan. Sesungguhnya bersama kesusahan tersebut masih ada kemudahan yang lain" (Q.S. Asy Syarh: 5-6)"

was.

fri,April 9-2010, 14:35