C. Costly Tolerance Implies Tolerance as a Moral Virtue
VI. Conclusion
4. NU and Religious Social Movement Pattern Formulation: Modern Traditionalists
the Labor Party), this is considered to weaken a young republic. This Masjumi attitude by Syafi’i Ma’arif is considered an important historical pillar for the nascent republic. Indeed, with a federative form - according to AR Baswedan - Masyumi succeeded in attracting almost all Islamic political power, because each element still had autonomy in its socio-religious activities. However, due to the federation the spirit of the group is often more highlighted. In fact, in May 1952 (Congress in Palembang) NU left Masyumi, proclaiming itself as a party alias leaving its Jam’iah face. There are several reasons for NU firqoh (separated) from Masyumi, namely: (1). The Party Council is considered to have been dominated by the modernist camp. In 1949 out of 17 leaders only 6 had a pesantren education. In 1952 it declined again, of the 13 leaders only one had a pesantrren education background, and that too (Faqih Ustman) was organizationally from Muhammadiyah not NU. (2). The Syuro Council, which was generally occupied by NU clerics since the 1949 Congress, was only used as an Advisory Council. The Syuro Council (Ulama in Masyumi) is no longer treated as the final granting body (legislative) in the Party policy, whereas according to KH Wahid Hasyim none of the political policies can be separated from Islamic legal considerations. (3). In May 1952, the Wilopo (PNI) -Prawoto (Masyumi) cabinet as a replacement for the Soekiman cabinet, the position of Minister of Religion (the only seat always given to NU) was handed over to K.H. Faqih Usman, Muhammadiyah element in Masyumi. Even though NU is actually calculating that Kyai is actually capable of also serving outside the Minister of Religion.
This was the second event that has caused the santris of modernist and
cannot be known directly (textually) from the texts of the Qur’an or al-Hadith.
At this point the role of ijtihad becomes central. Not all people are able to do ijtihad, so that the general public simply follows the mujtahid imam (aimmat al-madzhab), following the rules of law set by the mujtahid (madhhab). This logic is used as the reason for NU to adhere to: (1). In Theology, they follow imam al-Ash’ari and or al-Maturidi, (2). In ubudiyah, the Jam’iyyah follows one of the four imams (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hambali), (3). Sufism follows one of the sufists of al-Junaidi and al-Ghazali. The formulation was considered by NU to be the “most” representative in describing Aswaja in the sense of ma ana ‘alayhi wa ashabi as mentioned in the hadith of the Prophet SAW (peace be upon him, pbuh).
The concept of Aqidah Ash’ariyah-Maturidiah is a middle ground of extreme religious groups between Jabariyah and Qodariyah (developed by the Mu’tazilah, who overly rely on reason). For Jabariyah, all human actions were created by God, and humans have no part whatsoever in their actions. On the contrary, for the Qodariyah the whole human deed as a human being was created independently of God’s will. That is, if Jabariyah saw the power of God was absolute, on the contrary, Qodariyah saw existing humans power that had been given by God. At this point, Ash’ariyah took the middle way (tawasuth) by incorporating the concept of effort (al-kasb). According to him, human actions were indeed created by God, but humans have a role in their embellishment.
As in the ubudiyah, the Jam’iyyah follows one of the Imams of four madzab (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hambali). NU rejected the extreme attitude of anti- madzab from Abduh while at the same time rejected the exclusive attitude of wanting to implement a single school of thought like Wahhabism. NU took an open step towards the four schools in Aswaja. The majority of nahdziyyin are indeed Syafi’i, but NU does not behave rigidly as a qauli school (following the school product in terms of the law that has been made). NU also develops a school in the form of manhaji, following the school of thought (manhaj al-fikr) as a school of law (qauli). a process and not a product, bearing in mind the changing social realities.When the context changes, it is open that the legal provisions (doctrine) of qaul that have been formulated can be changed but by referring to the school in a manhaji way. In this context, NU on the one hand seems traditional because it follows the madzab, but on the other hand it still opens opportunities for manhaji ijtihad, which means it has a modern character.
Modernist Islam at that time was not only anti-madzab, but also anti-tariqat (sufism), both of which were considered responsible for the stagnation of Islam. In this context, Islamic boarding of Al Junayd and Al Ghazali, two
Persian Sufist. Sufism of Al-Junayd seeks to realize the balance of shari’ah and essence, a thing that is completely different from Sufism oriented thinking philosophy. First, for Al Junaid, sharia which are not strengthened by nature will be rejected, as well as nature which is not strengthened by sharia will be rejected. Shari’ah is the essence on creatures, while the essence arises from wandering on the Khaliq. Closeness to Allah can only be achieved after carrying out physical practice (shari’ah) and then followed by inner practice (essence, bathin). Second. Al-Junayd’s thoughts are salaf, concentrating his Sufism on the Qur’an and the Hadith. Third, For Al Junaid, zuhud for “A Sufi should not just stay in the mosque and perform dzikr without work, so that his life depends on only the gifts of others. Such qualities are very despicable. A Sufi must continue to work hard to support his daily life, and if he has earned his living, is expected to want to spend it in the way of Allah SWT.
The NU has certainly the character of moderate views, it can be understood if the main characteristics of NU Aswaja also lead to moderation, such as tawassuth and i’tidal attitudes (middle or balance), which is always balanced in: (1). use the argument, between the argument of naqli and aqli, between the opinion of jabariyah and qodariyah, and be moderate in facing worldly changes.
(2). the matter of jurisprudence also takes a middle stance between ijtihad and taqlid (bermadzhab). As a result, although NU’s attitude became firm in qath’i (denotative) matters’, it became temporary in dhanni (interpretable) matters.
(3). In relationa to culture, NU also acts tawassuth through the attitude of maintaining a good old culture and accepting a new, better culture. Through this attitude Aswaja NU did not a priori reject or accept one of the two. At this point, although NU is labeled as having a traditionalist sub-culture, it is not old-fashioned, because it still opens the door wide open to a new, better culture, an attitude that is fundamentally opposed to the principles of traditionalism. Rationality as a condition of modernization is highly valued, as long as it does not conflict with the text (Al Qur’an) and Hadith. In the context of Sufism, NU encourages people to work hard to become rich, at the same time to remind them that the heart is not bound by the love of the world. It is these sides of understanding that cause NU to have a traditional character, but it also does not substantively oppose the vision of modernity. This is exactly the character of the NU founders who actually did not reject the ideas of the Islamic modernism movement, but only rejected the anti-madzab movement.
All these moderate characteristic contrary to the characteristic of HTI and FPI, those two radical Islamic social organization. HTI, for instance, declares khilafah as the doctrine that must be realized and evey muslim should strive for sharia implementation systematically. While, FPI sometime practices sweeping to combate maksiyat or wrongdoings of sociatey. Inevitably, these
two radical organization cause social conflict especially with those which oppose the idea of Islamic state.
Moreover, the Aswaja terminology for NU may also require reinterpretation, because the NU Aswaja’s standard formulation is not too firm. In the NU qanun (UUD) there is no fundamental explanation regarding the Aswaja formula, because KH. Hasyim Ash’ari as Rais Akbar only mentions Madzahibul Arba’ah, not one of the four schools. This was intended to ensure that heterogeneous NU members of their discourse of thought were not ta’asub). Therefore, the aswaja doctrine is not stated absolutely, which could not accept new ideas. The basis of his thought was, of course, because it was still an area of ijtihadiyah (interpretable matters), so it might be justified if the NU itself reinterpreted the existing Aswaja texts. This attitude gives a very wide opportunity for the development of new interpretations which are also very broad in reference to the CATALOG, from Hambali, Maliki, Hanafi, and Shafi’i. Consequently, NU often gives birth to the results of ijtihad which actually jerks the conscience of the students themselves, both within the environment of traditionalist sub- culture itself, and even modern sub-culture.
The first example occurred in 1936. In the Congress in Banjarmasin, NU made a decision which later would even underpin NU’s attitude towards ideology, politics, and government in the Indonesian era. The decision was related to the question of the status of the land of the Dutch East Indies, which was ruled by the colonial authorities, non-Muslims (infidels) of the Netherlands, should he defended it if there were attacks from outside. The answer is: must be done according to religious law. So, as long as Muslims can carry out their religious life in full, then the context of government is no longer the center of thought. The same logic occurs when Muslims accept the Ottoman Caliphate over the entire Islamic world, even though they are not from the Quraysh tribe as stipulated by the Prophet.
The second example occurred in 1984. In the 27th Conference in Situbondo, East Java, NU surprisingly accepted Pancasila as the sole principle. This clearly struck the santri, even including the modernists. For NU, the acceptance of Pancasila as a state ideology and a single principle would not theoretically be worse than the results of the previous Dutch East Indies government. Between Pancasila as the ideology and Islamic as aqidah, according to NU, it cannot be contradicted, because basically the Indonesia people are based on Pancasila because it acknowledges oneness of God Almighty, religious life. Between Islam (religion) and Pancasila and allows muslim to practive their religious life. This is the superiority of NU, although often dubbed traditional, but this organization is not a rigid religious organization in responding to social developments.