National

NU chairman delivers cultural speech

Rabu, 1 Februari 2017 | 07:20 WIB

Jakarta, NU Online
The General Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) KH Said Aqil Siroj, popularly know as Kang Said, delivered a cultural speech in commemorating the NU 91st Anniversary at the NU headquarters in Jakarta on Tuesday (31/1). The event was inundated by a number of state officials and Nahdliyin.

In his speech, Kang Said suggested that local cultures could be adopted as part of sharia (Islamic law) as long as the cultures and customs are not contrary to the basic values ??of Islam.

"In other words, the process of acculturation or syncretism of cultures and religions is possible within the teachings of Islam," Kang Said said.

He added that the most concrete example in this case was a procession of tahlil, popularly known as "tahlilan" to pray for the dead taken from the pre-Islamic cultural traditions as a container, combined with the recitation of the verses of the Qur'an, and prayers and dhikr to God that is highly recommended by the teachings of Islam, as the content and substance of the tahlil itself.

According to Kang Said, tahlilan tradition is a combination and at the same time a creative concoction between culture on the one hand and religious teachings on the other. As a culture, the of process tahlilan from the beginning to the end (for seven consecutive days, followed on day 40, 100 even to the annual commemoration / haul) is such an infrastructure that serves to strengthen the implementation of Islamic law in the sense of reading important fragments of the Quránic verses.

"Thus, tahlilan is a combination of local tradition with the teachings of Islam which later has become the so-called ghairu mahdhoh worship that is inseparable from the people of Indonesia. That is the implementation of the rules of fiqh: al-Adatul Muhakkamah," said the leader of Pesantren Al-Tsaqafah Ciganjur South Jakarta.

performing at the commemoration were the Wali Music Group and Cak Lontong throwing fresh jokes and present also at the occasion were Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, State Secretary Pratikno, speaker of the House of Representatives Setyo Novanto, Minister M. Nasir, Minister Imam Nahrawi Affairs, the Armed Forces Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo and police chief Tito Karnavian. (Fathoni/Masdar)