Islam came to Indonesia in the form
of Sufism. However, in its development this form of Sufism was experiencing
continuity, discontinuity and dialogical and it produces either tension or
harmonious with the local culture. The development of Islam then depends on
those scholars who for the first time introduced it to the society, those who
came to continue the preaching and non-the least on haw the tradition as well
as the reality of the local influence Islam that inters into that place. This
can proven in the case that Islam that comes to Java has different appearance
then the same Islam that introduced into Sumatra. In the narrow scope, the
higher land peoples of Java embrace Islam in different way compared to those
live in the costal areas, even though all of them are the inhabitants of the
same island.
Pesantren is the religious
institution of learning that teaches Sufism to the pupils.
Nahdlatul Ulama was established in Surabaya in
1926 by a group of Ulama of Pesantren who maintained the same tradition and
promoted the same interest. These Ulamas had had something in common long time
ago before they decided to establish Nahdlatul Ulama as a religious
organization. They got the same training in Pesantren and learned the same
subject of Islamic studies; therefore they grew up in the same tradition.
Further, they then adopted the same method and selected the same material when
they came to teach their pupils on Islamic studies. These similarities could
build the solidarity among them, besides that some of them had a family
relationship or they arrange intermarriage among them.
When
many groups of Muslim in Indonesia had established a nation-wide organization,
these Ulamas did not think as an urgent to bind their fellows in one
organization in the modern sense. They did not do it because they had many ways
to unite and to communicate among them. As mentioned earlier among these Ulamas
had already existed a network in the form of institution of learning as well as
in the structure of kinship. Within the Pesantren there are Kiyais (Ulama who
lead the Pesantren) and Santri (pupils) who regularly held a meeting either for
the purpose of leaning or social gathering. These pupils still met once in a
week, in month or in holy days to broaden their religious knowledge after they
completed their training in Pesantren. Indeed, Pesantren is an educational
method that adopts a long live education system. This makes it possible for
Kiyais and Santris to interact themselves in Pesantern and in out side it. In
another occasion they also come together to attend the wedding party for one of
the pupils or to commemorate their late teacher and the founder of the
Pesantren.
Besides they were also tied by the
kinship relationship. A study by Zamakhsari has shown the relation of the Kiyai
in Java.
All
these networks allowed them to communicate and interact with each other.
Therefore before 1926 they felt it was not an urgent to establish a nationally
organization to manage their movement. They started to think that the establishment
of the modern organization was important when they realized that without it
they could not advance their aspirations concerning the religious issues as
well as the mundane problems. So the establishment of Nahdlatul Ulama was
motivated by religious as well as political reasons.
The
abolition of the Ottoman caliphate after the World War II by the nationalist
leader, Kamal Attaturk forced Muslims all over the world to revive it. For this
purpose Muslim prepared to organize the second assembly and it was to be held
in Mecca. In this regard Muslims in Indonesia gathered to select the
representation to attend the assembly. Since the representation to the Mecca
meeting should come from the formal Muslim organization, K.H. Wahab Chasbullah
nominated by the traditionalist Kiyai as the representation of Pesantren could not participate in that
scheduled meeting even though the Kiyai had as the fellow thousands pupils and
a national-wide network throughout the country.
By
that time, Arab Saudi government was not only a country that had an interest to
revive the caliphate by organizing the international assembly to unite Muslim
all over the world under one caliphate, it just replaced the ideology and ban
all teachings that were considered unorthodox. The Arab Saudi initiated a
policy that made other than the government-acknowledged Islamic teachings
unlawful. The Kiyais from Pesantren could accept of being not to be one of the
delegations to the Saudi Arabi assembly provided that the other delegations were
agree to bring the Kiyais’ message. The Kiyais of Pesantren demanded that the
government of the Saudi Arabi give the freedom to Muslim to practice their
belief and traditions. Since the other delegations supported the Saudi Arabia
government policies, they did not wont to convey the message from the Kiyais.
This case was the trigger that led
the Ulama from the Pesantren to build a religious organization to promote by
themselves their aspirations and ideas. Being fail to be the one the
delegations to the Mecca meeting and even not allowed to sent the message to
the King of Saudi Arabia, the Kiyai of Pesantren prepared a committee to go to
Mecca to present by themselves their request to the King to give the freedom
for Muslims in this country to practice their belief. The committee than is
known as the Hijaz Committee.
The politicians, the preachers
II. Establishmnet
Nahadlatul
Ulama was established on the basis of the deep understanding that human beings
could only fulfill all what they need if they cooperate with the other in a
social life. Only by living in cooperation with the other, makes it possible
for them to achieve the happiness and to get rid of the dangers. Unity,
solidarity, mutual cooperation, integrity are the requirement to enhance the brotherhood
and to nurture the love which both are the foundation for the establishment of
an ordered, good and harmonious society.
As a
religious organization, Nahdlatul Ulama is a instrument where the Ulamas and
their followers are striving to protect, maintain, develop and practice the
teachings of Islam according to the Ahl Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah’s understanding, by
following one of the four schools: namely the school founded by Ma>lik ibn
Anas, Abu> Hanifah, al-Shafi‘i> and Ah}mad ibn H{anbal; and to unite all
Ulamas and their Santris in their activities to create the welfare of the
people and to honor the dignity and position of the community.
Thus Nahdlatul Ulama is a religious
movement that puts as its goal the development and character building of the
human being and society to be the fearer of God, smart, practicable, moralist,
harmonious, just and prosperous.
To achieve its goals, Nahdlatul Ulama
works through several efforts based on the religious principles that can build
the special character of Nahadlatul Ulama. That is the know as the Khit{}t}ah
Nahdlatul Ulama.
Khit}t}ah Nahdlatul Ulama is a basis
of thought, manners, and actions for the followers of Nahadlatul Ulama and it
should be reflected in their behaviors both in their capacities as personal and
organizational as well as in each activity to set up the decision.
That basis is the ideology of Ahl
al-Sunnah wal-Jama>‘ah that applied according to the real condition of
Indonesian society, which covers the principles of the religious activities and
societal deeds.
The Khit}t}ah of Nahdlatul Ulama is
also derived from the core of historical experience of its whole dedication
from time to time.
The Basis of Religious Understanding
of Nahdlatul Ulama,
Nahdlatul
Ulama bases its religious understanding on the Sources of Islamic teachings:
al-Qur’a>n, the Sunnah, the ijma>‘ amd qiya>s.
In
the understanding and interpreting Islam from the sources, Nahadlatul Ulama
adopts the ideology of Ahl Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah by adopting the madzhab
approach. In the filed of belief, Nahdlatul Ulama follows the teaching of Ahl
al-Sunnah wal-Jama>‘ah through the school of thought of Imam Abu>
H{asan al-Ash‘ari> and Abu> al-Mans}u>r al-Maturidi>. In the filed
of fiqh, Nahadlatul Ulama adopts the madzhab system by following
one of the four founder Islamic schools of law:
Ma>lik ibn Anas, Abu> Hanifah, al-Shafi‘i> and Ah}mad ibn
H{anbal. While in the filed of Sufism, Nahdlatul Ulama follows among others the
teachings of Imam al-Junaid al-Baghda>di> and Imam al-Ghazali>.
Nahdlatul
Ulama approves the principle that Islam is a fit}ri religion that is
aimed at completing the good things held by human beings. The religious
thoughts adopted by Nahdlatul Ulama are to perfect the good values that has
already existed and has become the special character of the group of human
either as a race or nation and does not to eradicate that values.
The
principles of the above Islamic values then will make it possible to cultivate
the social attitudes that characterized as: the first is Tasamuh and i‘tidal,
(the middle path and justice). It
means the middle path, which essentially denotes the principles of life that
exalts the necessity to do justice and to be steady amid of religious life.
With this basic principle Nahdlatul Ulama will be a group who stands as the
example who behaves and act steadily and always promote the development and
avoid every extreme approach. The second is the tasamuh, tolerance to
the differences of outlook either in the issues of religion, especially to that
concern with the branches and being the matters of controversial, or to the
social and cultural problems. The third is the tawazun, to means the
balance in the dedication. To be balanced in dedication to Allah and to human
being and to the environment. It also means to be equilibrium in the
requirement of the past, the present and the future. Lastly amar ma‘ruf and nahy ‘an
munkar, the follower of Nahdlatul Ulama should always be ready to act to
promote the good deeds, valued, beneficial works for human beings, and to
prevent all things that destroy and make worthless the values of life.
The basic principles and social
behaviors mentioned earlier will build the manner of the followers of Nahdlatul
Ulama either in the capacity as personal or organizational to be:
1. Always uphold the values as well as
the norms of Islam.
2. To priority the communal needs over
the personal needs.
3. To uphold the values of the
sincerity, dedication and struggle.
4. To promote the brotherhood, unity and
mutual love.
5. To maintain the loyalty to religion,
nation and the state.
6. To promote the value of the good
deeds, works and prestige as part of the dedication to Allah.
7. To respect the knowledge and those
who posses it.
8. To always get ready to adapt
themselves to every change that creates the benefit for the welfare of human
being.
9. To always make an effort to the
example in the effort to foster, race and to accelerate the development of the
society.
10. To uphold the togetherness amid the life of
nation and state.
To achieve the religious and societal
goals and aims, since the time of the inception Nahdlatul Ulama has put as the
priority some activities. These works include the activities that can build silat
al-rahim, to ties the relationship between the Ulamas; can promote
intellectual, education and training activities; can enhance the da‘wah,
Islamic preaching and can improve the quality of life.
To Nahdlatul Ulama, Ahl al-Sunnah
wal-Jama‘ah is not only a religious grouping who set up certain regulation
for the social behavior but is also a system of the ways of religious thought.
As the system of religious thought Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama>‘ah is a
comprehensive approach, combines the revelation and reason when look at all
aspects of life, consists of the moderation principle, upholds the balance and
toleration. This system of thought emerges out the intense process of
historical dialectic of thought and movement.
Following proportionally the guidance of both the revelation and the
reason all of which are in accordance with the humanity and law of life, Ahl
al-Sunnah wal-Jama>‘ah avoids the political conflict and group
fanaticism to influence the religious understanding. With this principle and
attitude, it can be accepted by and develop among the community and is able to
take part in creating the peaceful life in the frame of nation and state
together with other civilization, culture and tradition.
B. Is Nahdlatul Ulama the Main Holder of the Ideology of
Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama>‘ah?
Roughly
speaking the Islamic world consists of two important groups: the follower of
Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama>‘ah and the followers of the Shi>‘ah. There is
still other group of the Khowarj and Mu‘tazilah but the number of the follower
is very small. Iran is claimed as the country that the majority of population
is the adherent of the Shi>‘ah doctrines. While the rest of the country is
inhabited mostly by the followers of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama>‘ah. As it
happens in the case of the Shi>‘ah which divided into several factions, the
followers of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama>‘ah also consist of several
groups.
There
are many factors that make the followers of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama>‘ah
divided into several factions. However, the different method in understanding
of Islamic teachings stands as the fundamental factor that lead them separated
into factions. The school of thought in Islam almost becomes the religion
itself to each of the adherent. Each person considers the school of thought as
the right one and thinks other person who clings on other school of thought as
committing wrong practices. Naturally among the same adherent of the school of
thought it develops a solidarity that lets them to be a strong group.
The
majority of Indonesian population claim themselves as the follower of the Ahl
al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama>‘ah tradition. However, they are also divided into
several groups as a result of the different approach in interpreting the
Islamic teachings. One group follows certain madzhab in the way to
understand and to practice Islamic teaching. Others abandon madzhab
system and prefer to do the ijtihad by themselves.
Muhammadiyah
founded in 1912 is a religious movement, which reject the madzhab system
and is in fever to exercise ijtihad in understanding Islamic teachings.
Even though the members of Muhammadiyah do not introduce special method of ijtihad
as it is known in the usul al-fiqh, it has become a common jargon among
them the word “to return to al-Qur‘a>n and the Prophetic Sunnah”.