Kiai Tholhah: Islam could hold dialogue with local tradition

Malang, NU Online
The dakwa (propagation) carried out by the earlier propagators of Islam in the archipelago have shown a strong accommodation to the local tradition.

Prominent cleric of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) KH M. Tholhah Hasan made the remarks on the sidelines of a meeting with NU Online here recently.

"Islam came not as a threat, but was such a friend playing an important role in the transformation of culture," he said, adding that the character of Indonesian Islam could hold a dialogue with the local tradition in the early spread of Islam in Indonesia.

According to Kiai Tholhah, the character of Islam brought by so-called Walisongo in preaching the Islamic teachings in Java has marked a harmony between Islam and local cultures.

"The dialogue process of Islam with local traditions is embodied in the cultural space in the face of local negotiations. Islam is not necessarily taken for granted in the encounter with the local treasuries," he said.

In this context, he added, either Islam or community traditions have a balanced position to have a cultural negotiation creatively without making another marginalized.

The combination between Islam and the traditions, therefore, is the result of an encounter in the cultural space as well as a wealth of local interpretation thus making Islam could still 'greet' the true reality, he added, calling for the importance of understanding that Islam must not be perceived as the one in Arab, but must engage in dialogue with local traditions. (Masdar)