NU prominent cleric: NU could 'islamize' Nusantara values

Malang, NU Online
Regardless of the various terms related to Islam Nusantara leading to a number of terminological consequences, Islam Nusantara culturally littered fully with value systems has still influenced the development of Islam in Indonesia today.

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

According to Kiai Tholhah, for centuries, the seeds of Islam Nusantara have already been sown in the country and provided a functional tool that gives religious color to the life of the nation as a whole.

"Thus, the ideas of Islam Nusantara as a blueprint for being 'institutionalized' in various belief systems or religious traditions both maintained and preserved by especially Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) have been inseparable from the process of dakwa (religious propaganda) or the spread of Islam in Indonesia for centuries," he said.

On this stand, the former minister of Religious Affairs added, NU had successfully worked to 'Islamize' the values of Nusantara at least through three doctrines of orthodoxy.

"Firstly, in the field of theology, NU embraces the ideology of al-Asy'ari and al-Maturidi. Secondly, in the field of Islamic jurisprudence, NU follows the four schools of thought (madzhab), namely Hanafi, Maliki, Syafi'i and Hanbali. Thirdly in the field of sufism (tasawuf), NU embraces the thought of Imam Junaid al-Baghdadi and Imam al-Ghazali."

He was of the opinion that through these three doctrines of orthodoxy, NU had managed to bring an Islamic face-Islam Nusantara-that is different from the one in various parts of the world. (Masdar)