Islam
Nusantara: Glance History, Characteristics, and Criticism
ABSTRACT
Islam
Nusantara (or more precise Indonesian Islamic model) is a distinctive brand of Islam developed in Nusantara archipelago
at least since the 16th century, as a result of interaction, contextualization,
indigenization, interpretation and vernacularization of universal Islamic
values, according to socio-cultural reality of Indonesia. The main traits of Islam Nusantara are tawasut
(moderate), rahmah (compassionate), anti-radical, inclusive and
tolerant. Islam Nusantara has been fiercely opposed and criticized by other
branches of Islam, especially by adherents of wahhabism
and salafism, or other similar doctrines that seeks
to “purify” Islam from any “un-Islamic” local elements, which are often
condemned as shirk or bid'ah.
We has openly expressed our support for Islam Nusantara, which in our view is
the moderate form of Islam compatible to Indonesian cultural values.
Keywords:
indonesia; islamic model;
islam nusantara; religious activities
INTRODUCTION
Put
simply, Islam Nusantara is defined as an interpretation of Islam that takes
into account local Indonesian customs in forming its fiqh.[1][2]
Islam
Nusantara (or more precise Indonesian Islamic model) is a distinctive brand of Islam
developed in Nusantara archipelago at
least since the 16th century, as a result of interaction, contextualization,
indigenization, interpretation and vernacularization of universal Islamic
values, according to socio-cultural
reality of Indonesia. The term was first officially coined,
proposed and promoted by Indonesian Islamic organization Nahdlatul
Ulama
in 2015, as an alternative for interpretation and representation of global
Islamthat
currently dominated by Arabic or Middle Eastern perspectives.
GLANCE
HISTORY
The
spread
of Islam in Indonesia was a slow, gradual and relatively peaceful
process. One theory suggests it arrived directly from Arabiabefore
the 9th century, while another credits Sufi
merchants and preachers for bringing Islam to Indonesian islands in the 12th or
13th century either from Gujarat in India or
directly from the Middle East.[3] By
the 16th century, Islam began to supplant Hinduism and Buddhism as the major
faith in the archipelago. The traditional Islam were mainly belongs to Sunni
branch, taught by revered clerics called kyai in
pesantren
boarding school, especially in Java. Some aspects of traditional Islam in
Indonesia has incorporated local culture and customs.
Early
practice of Indonesian Islam were more or less influenced by Sufism and
existing local Javanese spiritualism. Several traditions, such as revering and
recognizing the authority of kyai, honoring prominent Islamic figures
such as Wali
Songo,
also took part in Islamic traditions such as ziarah kubur
(tomb pilgrimage), tahlilan (selamatan
ceremony to send the spirit of deceased one to the afterworld), and maulid
nabi(commemorating
the prophet Muhammad's birthday) including Javanese sekaten
ceremony, were observed diligently by traditionalist Muslims in Indonesia.
However, after the incoming of Modernist Salafism
followed by Wahhabism from Arabia, the scriptural Islamic
puritans denounced those traditions as shirk or
bid'ah,
deprecated as a form of syncretism that corrupted the
purity of Islam. This condition has led to the ongoing religious dispute,
uneasy coexistence and somewhat a spiritual rivalry, between traditionalist
Nahdlatul Ulama and modernist puritan Muhammadiyah.[4]
Examining
the destruction of the war-torn Middle East; the Israeli–Palestinian
conflict,
Arab
Spring,
the Iraq War and the Syrian War, Indonesian
moderate Islamic scholar noticed that some of this conflict were having
religious aspect, especially the problem of Islamic radicalism
and extremism.
Indonesia also has suffered several terrorist attacks
that were launched by jihadist Islamist group such
as Jamaah
Islamiyah's attacks on Bali.[5]
The ultra conservative doctrine of Salafi
and Wahhabi
adhered and promoted by the state of Saudi Arabia
has been dominated the global discourse of Islam for decades.[6] The
wary sentiments were aggravated further by the advent of ISIS in
2013 that performed abhorred war crimes in the name of Islam.
In
recent years, there are the rise of fundamentalism and religious intolerance in
Indonesia.[7] Internally, some of foreign and local Islamistorganizations,
such as Hizbut
Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), Front Pembela Islam
(FPI) also Islamist political party such as Partai Keadilan Sejahtera
(PKS) has been actively involved in Indonesian politics in recent years,
undermining the traditionalist Islamic institution especially Nahdlatul Ulama.
Those Islamist elements in Indonesian politics were suspiciously regarded as
weakening and harming the state ideology Pancasila.[8]
Indonesian
moderate Muslim scholars, especially those traditionalist of Nahdlatul Ulama
background, suggests Indonesian Muslims to distinct and differ between the Arabization
and the traditional practice of Indonesian Islam.
Compared to their Middle East Muslims counterpart, Indonesian Muslims has
enjoyed a relative peace and harmony for decades. This was owed to Indonesians
interpretation of Islam which is more moderate, inclusive and tolerant.[9]
Indonesia — as the world's largest Muslim population, could to contribute to
the evolution of Islamic world, by offering its brand of Islam as an
alternative to Saudi's Wahhabism.[10] Thus subsequently, Islam
Nusantara was identified, formulated, coined and promoted.
CHARACTERISTICS
The
main traits of Islam Nusantara are tawasut (moderate), rahmah
(compassionate), anti-radical, inclusive, and tolerant.[11] Tawasut
by “moderate” here connotes the Sunni Islamic theological position of wasatiyyah
rather than political position.[12] Thus, Islam Nusantara bound by a
shared static-theism and dynamics-practical
in cooperation with contemporary as well plural religious values.
In
its relations to local culture, Islam Nusantara uses a sympathetic cultural
approach on teaching Islam; it did not destroy, disrupt or supplant the native
culture, but on the contrary embraces, honor, nurture and preserves local
culture. One of the main characteristic of Islam Nusantara is the consideration
of local Indonesian culture in forming their fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).[1]
Islam
Nusantara was developed locally in indigenous educational institution of
traditionalist pesantren
boarding school. As the result, it based on traditional eastern decorum and
mannerism; it emphasized in honoring the status and authority of kyai or
ulama (religious teacher). The students requires the ongoing guidance of
their religious teacher, in order not to go astray or developing false or radical
ideas. Another distinctive aspect, is the emphasize on Rahmatan lil Alamin
(blessings for the universe) as Islamic universal value, which promote peace,
tolerance, mutual respects and a somewhat pluralist
outlook in regard of Islamic interactions within ummah
(within Muslim community) and in inter-religions relations.[13]
CRITICISM
Islam
Nusantara has been fiercely opposed and criticized by other branches of Islam,
especially by adherents of wahhabism and salafism,
or other similar doctrines that seeks to “purify” Islam from any “un-Islamic”
local elements, which are often condemned as shirk or
bid'ah.
Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, PKS and FPI has openly opposed the Islam Nusantara.[14]
Islam
Nusantara has been criticized as a somewhat syncretic
form of Islam, which undermine the “perfectness” and singularity of Islam and
corrupted the unity of ummah.
Muhammadiyah,
another influential Islamic organization in Indonesia — although not directly
opposed to the concept, has stressed that the term Islam Nusantara should be
addressed cautiously and proportionally, not to undermine and repress other
branches of Islam, different understandings, or other doctrines of Islam. If
Islam Nusantara is favoured, adopted, elevated and promoted by the state, they
feared that other Islamic branches would suffer persecution and discrimination.[15]
CONCLUSION
Islam
Nusantara (or more precise Indonesian Islamic model) is a distinctive brand of Islam
developed in Nusantara archipelago at
least since the 16th century, as a result of interaction, contextualization,
indigenization, interpretation and vernacularization of universal Islamic
values, according to socio-cultural
reality of Indonesia. We has openly expressed our support for
Islam Nusantara, which in our view is the moderate form of Islam compatible to
Indonesian cultural values.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We have
been dedicating this work to our role model Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg’s
Fadhli Lukman and Media Santri’s Surotul Ilmiyah of their amazing inspiring and
motivating ourselves nor for their endless shaping our mindset and influencing our
journey as well.
REFERENCES
[1] Fachrudin, Azis
Anwar. (2015,
July 24). The face of Islam Nusantara. The Jakarta Post.
[2] Yusqi, M Isom, and
Anam, Faris Khoirul. (2015,
August 01). Mabadi 'Asyrah Islam Nusantara. NU Online.
[3] Nurmila, Nina. (2013,
January 31). Islam in Indonesia: Contrasting Images and Interpretations,
p. 109. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
[4] Al Qurtuby,
Sumanto. (2018, January 01). Mitos
Kerukunan Antara Nahdlatul Ulama dan Muhammadiyah (Bagian Pertama). Deutsche
Welle.
[5] Caruso, Phil. (2018,
February 06). Indonesia and Terrorism: Success, Failure, and an Uncertain
Future. Middle East Institute.
[6] Najjar, Fauzi M. (2014, March
11). Whither the Islamic Religious Discourse?. Middle East Policy Council,
XXI (1).
[7] Alam, Vajra Reza. (2017,
January 17). Coping with growing intolerance in Indonesia. The Jakarta Post.
[8] Thompson, Neil. (2017,
November 17). Islam and Identity Politics in Indonesia. The Diplomat.
[9] Indonesia
Investments. (2018,
May 16). Islam Radikal di Indonesia. Indonesia Investments.
[10] Rossi, Francesca.
(2014,
May 01). Indonesia. Un altro Islam?. Cultura & Culture.
[11] Mahmada, Nong
Darol. (2004,
March). Moderate Indonesian Muslim Rejection of the US Attack on Iraq. Kyoto
Review of Southeast Asia, 5.
[12] Burhani, Ahmad Najib.
(2012, January 01).
Al-Tawassuṭ wa-l I‘tidāl: The NU and Moderatism in Indonesian Islam. Asian
Journal of Social Science, 40 (506), p.564. DOI: 10.1163/15685314-12341262
[13] Setiawan, Adib
Rifqi. (2017,
April 29). My Way Rhapsody!: Islam Aries-Blackjack, Is Islam?. Alobatnic.blogspot.com.
[14] Affan, Heyder. (2015,
June 15). Polemik di balik istiIah ‘Islam Nusantara’. BBC Indonesia.
[15] Marniati. (2015,
July 08). Muhammadiyah: Istilah Islam Nusantara Harus Digunakan Proporsional. Republika.