Nahdliyin religious traditions are in need of standardization

Jombang, NU Online
Chairman of the Indonesia's largest Muslim organization KH Masdar F. Mas'udi stressed the importance of immediately making a concept for standardization of religious traditions having so far been practiced by Nahdliyin (NU followers).

The traditions are, among other things, the recitation of talqin, qunut, manaqib, words of praise to God before performing prayers, wirid including the saying usholi before performing prayers.<>

Without standardization of reference under the Islamic law, such traditions, Masdar said, could possibly be disappeared due to 'attacks' launched by other parties.

"This is a home work and is not trivial, but is extremely important for NU followers," Masdar said as speaking at a seminar and problems deliberation (bahtsul masa'il) at Al Aziziyah Islamic boarding school (pesantren) in Denanyar over the weekend.

Masdar said that scores of NU leaders at the grassroots level had faced worries about any emerging polemic related to religious practices in society. All this, he added, was due to the fact that the NU leaders could give no accurate and reliable arguments dealing with the practices.

"This unstable condition cannot be allowed to drag on and on," Masdar was quoted by Radar Mojokerto daily as saying.

Masdar further explained that one of weaknesses of NU in particular and Muslims in general was the poor of organization, saying that there were three organizations having good management, namely Syi'ite, Khawarij and Ahmadiyah. While Sunni, Masdar added, was a group in Islam with the poorest management. Whereas three quarters of the world's Muslim population were affiliated to Sunni.

"NU is an element in the Sunni group whose poor management. Outside Indonesia, there have been no (other) Sunni groups having  as many followers as NU," Masdar said. (nam)