Author: Afriza Fahri Mubarok *
Islam Nusantara was first published in a discussion forum themed “Islam Nusantara as Islam Mutamaddin Becomes the Ideal Type of Islamic World” during the 33rd NU Pre-Congress Conference in Makassar, South Sulawesi. Actually, the concept of the Nusantara Islam has been in the understanding of the Kyai and the NU people long before the 33rd NU Congress was held. Nusantara Islam is empirical and distinctive Islam as a result of interaction, contextualization, indigenization, translation, vernacularization of universal Islam with social, cultural and literary realities in Indonesia.
In his personal opinion, Mahfud MD asserted that Nusantara Islam means Islamizing Islam, namely bringing Islam into the realities that exist in Indonesia, not forcing other people or a nation to convert to Islam. Every nation and age has its own country system. This diverse system is a product of ijtihad in its time. Including Indonesia and Pancasila as the basis of the state which is the idea of the agreement of the founders through a long process with so many sacrifices.
Islam Nusantara is the Islam of NU. It is not surprising if salafi people, both hijazi and ikhwani, reject the Nusantara Islam because they have rejected NU from the beginning and passed it as ahlul bid’ah. Also, if the Masjumi people and their descendants denounce Nusantara Islam because NU has always chosen to be in one house but different rooms. Lately, Nusantara Islam has become an ingredient of opposition fries, which he said Islamic Nusantara is Jokowi’s political tool. Not. Absolutely not. Islamic Nusantara has been around for a long time, even you have not been born.
The Nusantara Islam is Islam NU, Islam Ahlussunnah wal Jama’ah an-Nahdliyah! The theological base is the same, Asy’ariyah. The Shafi’i school of jurisprudence. His view of Sufism follows Junaid al-Baghdadi and al-Ghazali. Simply put, the Nusantara Islam is Islam that is practiced in the archipelago’s cultural container, as has been done by NU so far. Many people think of it as new Islam, even misled. The community is trapped in complicated logic and reason.
Islam is a religion that is universal, across space and time. Humans are temporal-particular, bound by time and time. He is a cultured creature. Once universal religion is practiced by humans who are particular, its expression varies, according to its cultural container. Islam which is practiced in Arabic certainly has different characteristics from Islam which is practiced in Persia, China, and Java. The difference is at the branch level (furû ‘), not the subject (ushûl). The principal is universal, unchanging or changed, forever.
Syahadat ya syahadatain, may not be added or reduced. Prayers at dawn, two raka’at, cannot be added or reduced. The question of using Qunut, is the issue of branches because we follow Shafi’i. And keep in mind, Imam Shafi’i is an Arab of Qura’isy descent born in Palestine, therefore his views are very Arabist. The issue of prayer, for example, is certainly Imam Shafi’i obliging prayer in Arabic. Invalid prayers other than in Arabic because of the guidelines for qath’i. This is different from the Persian Hanafi Imam. In a qaul, Imam Hanafi allows prayer in Persian, even though the main one uses Arabic. So it doesn’t make sense for NU’s detractors to say that the Islam of the Archipelago is anti-Arab.
The funny thing is, NU’s detractors who say Nusantara Islam is anti-Arab, often as long as the name itself is actually the name of the archipelago which is then “Arabic-Arabicized,” using a name change or added to Abu-Abi or Umm-Ummi. Still about prayer, the Arabs wear robes and umamah (udeng-udeng turban), we use batik and skullcap. That is the Islam of the Archipelago. Before praising prayers, after the dhikr prayer together and prayer. That is the Islam of the Archipelago. The Prophet did not teach it, but also did not forbid it.
Regarding zakat, we run zakat, but the object is not the same as the Arabs. Arabs of zakat fitrah use dates or wheat, we use rice. That is the Islam of the Archipelago. About fasting, we are both not eating and drinking, from dawn to dusk. No NU taught fasting, fasting all night because the Prophet did not teach it. But about the menu iftar, Arabs use dates, we are banana compote. That is the Islam of the Archipelago. After the fasting month, we are halal bi halal, preceded by a colossal homecoming program. That is the Islam of the Archipelago.
Regarding the pilgrimage, we both go to Arabia, not to Parung. However, the Prophet first went to Mecca using camels or horses and we now fly using planes, that’s a technical matter and not at all bid’ah. Arabs have no slametan culture. Javanese people like ‘cangkruk’, slametan whose contents are crusty and non-sticky. Walisongo arrived, the slametan was maintained, but the contents were replaced with tahlil and salawat. The chips and alcohol are replaced with blessings. It’s called tahlilan. That is the Islam of the Archipelago.
So Nusantara Islam is not new. If there is anything that wants to be emphasized from Nusantara Islam is its political view. The Nusantara Islam supports the synthesis of Islam and nationality. Final NKRI, period. There is no khilafah as a political system. NKRI which includes inclusive development, independent economy, and minimal inequality, is already Islamic. That must be encouraged. No more forming an Islamic State.
The manifestation of Islamic Nusantara is not only in dîniyah (religious) fikrah, but also siyâsiyah (politics) and iqtishâdiyah (economy). Tawassuth’s Fikrah diniyah, NKRI’s siyâsiyah fikrah, iqtishadiyah fikrah whose constitutional economy. Be the Pancasila Welfare State. The essence of this idea is simple, we want to build Indonesia based on religion. This means that we do not want to shape Indonesia as a secular state. But what kind of religion do we want to establish? Because Indonesia is a Muslim majority, religion here is Islam. So the Islam that we want to establish is nationalist Islam, inclusive Islam that supports inclusive development. That is the Islam of the Archipelago.
If you have another perception about Islam Nusantara, that’s your business. NU does not take care of other people’s beliefs. We only take care of our own beliefs. We only want to be the Kanjeng people of the Prophet Muhammad SAW with all our expressions as Javanese, Sundanese, Minang people, Dayaks, Bugis, Malays, and others. If you consider Islam to be the same or getting closer to Arabic culture, please, as long as you respect the place of the earth, Indonesia and do not plan to destroy it. Indonesia with all its colors is a gift to all of us.
*) STAI-JM Tanjung Pura students
