The relationship between politics and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nation’s largest Muslim mass organization, is nothing new. NU can never completely detach itself from politics, when even its birth was highly “political”. In the nation’s first election in 1955, during Prime Minister Burhanuddin Harahap’s term, NU — who had detached itself from Masyumi in 1952 — could get into the top five of vote-getters with only three years of preparation. At the time, the NU Party was ranked third after the Indonesian National Party (PNI) and Masyumi.
At the time, the PNI won 57 House of Representatives seats and 119 Konstituante seats (22.3 percent), Masyumi won 57 House seats and 112 Konstituante seats (20.9 percent), NU won 45 House seats and 91 Konstituante seats (18.4 percent), the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) won 39 House seats and 80 Konstituante seats (16.4 percent) and the Indonesian Islamic Union Party (PSII) won eight House seats and 16 Konstituante seats (2.89 percent).
Parties winning less than 10 seats were: PSII (eight seats), Parkindo (eight), the Catholics Party (six) and the Indonesian Socialist Party (five). Two parties gained four seats each (IPKI and Perti). Six parties gained two seats each (PRN, the Labor Party, GPPS, PRI, PPPRI and Murba). Another 12 parties gained one seat each (Baperki, PIR Wongsonegoro, PIR Hazairin, Gerina, the Indonesian Marhaenist People’s Union, the Dayak Union Party, PPTI, AKUI, the Independent Indonesian People’s Party, the Village People’s Union, ACOMA and R Soedjono Prawirosoedarso).
Surely, NU’s greatest achievement in activism politics was when its best cadre KH Abdurrahman Wahid, then the chairman of the organization’s tanfidziyah (executive board), was elected as Indonesia’s fourth president.
In the 2019 election, of which the official result was announced by the General Elections Commission (KPU) in the early hours of May 21, 2019, KH Ma’ruf Amin was named Vice President-Elect. This reaffirms the close relationship between politics and NU.
KH Ma’ruf Amin was born in Kresek, Tangerang, in Japan-occupied Indonesia on March 11, 1943. As we know, when he was named as Joko Widodo’s running mate, Ma’ruf was serving as the Rais Aam (supreme leader) of PBNU and the chairman of the central board of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI). He is an NU cadre and a politician who began his career from the grassroots. He served as Jakarta councilor from the United Development Party (PPP) (1977-1982), when he led Commission A of the council’s PPP faction. He then represented the National Awakening Party (PKB) in the People’s
Consultative Assembly (1997-1999), represented the PKB in the House of Representatives (1999-2004), led the House Commission VI and served in the Presidential Advisory Board (Wantimpres).
Islam Nusantara
Among the greatest concepts the NU offered in its 2015 Muktamar (national assembly) in Jombang, East Java, was Islam Nusantara, of which KH Ma’ruf Amin was among the progenitors. For Ma’ruf, Islam Nusantara is not just a need but also a necessity. It is a form of Islam that is able to adapt in the face of local wisdom and is in line with the idea of Indonesian nationalism.
For Ma’ruf, Islam Nusantara has three tenets. First is the fikrah (idea) of tawassuth (moderation). It means that Islam Nusantara is always in the middle in between textualist and liberalist interpretations of Islam. In line with the statement of fiqh expert Imam al-Qarafi, ”al-jumûd ’alã al-manqûlãt abadan dalãl fi al-din wa jahl bi maqasidihi”, a static reading (without interpretations) will lead to perversion and stupidity in understanding religion. The adage is not limited to al-muhafadhah ’alal qadim al-shalih wal akhdzu bil jadidil ashlah (preserving good past traditions and taking newer things that are better) but also al-muhafadhah ’alal qadim al-shalih wal akhdzu bil jadidil ashlah wal ishlah ila ma huwal ashlah tsummal ashlah fal ashlah.
“A reform of Islam Nusantara is a continuous reform toward a better future. Islam Nusantara is not only about accepting good things (al-akhdh bi al-jadid al-aslah) as this can mean passive action, but also about innovating and creating the best of the best.”
Second is harakah (movement), namely the spirit to drive Islam Nusantara to improve things and achieve public wisdom. The task of Islam Nusantara is to ensure continuous reforms for both the jamiah (community) and the jemaah (citizens), based on the power of traditions and the flexibility of innovations.
Third is amaliyah (activism), namely the glorification of society’s long-held traditions. Such religious practices were upheld by the Wali Songo, the Nine Islamic Saints, and inherited by NU’s founders.
These three tenets, according to Ma’ruf Amin, were closely linked to five major signifiers. First is islahiyyah (reform), namely a movement continuously aimed toward improvement; second is tawazuniyyah (balance of all things); third is tatawwu’iyyah (volunteerism); fourth is akhlaqiyyah (civility); fifth is tasamuh, or tolerance and respect for others without losing the capacity for critical thinking.
Politics of citizenship
Surely, as vice president, Ma’ruf Amin will no longer exclusively belong to NU or MUI. Instead, he will belong to heterogeneous and multicultural Indonesia. Therefore, in my opinion, his politics and ideas of religiosity must shift toward the strengthening of “citizenship”. Ma’ruf Amin, I believe, will be able to make this jump successfully.
His stigma as a cleric behind several antipluralist fatwas and exclusivist politics will end in time. Ma’ruf will then transform himself into a statesman that serves all Indonesians, ensures social inclusion and a prosperous and equal Indonesian nationalism.
His expertise in fiqh and ushul fiqh will be his advantage in explaining theological reasons that authentic faith and religiosity is marked by support for collectivism or, in the words of founding father Soekarno in his June 1, 1945, speech, the path of mutual assistance and a “cultural religiosity”.
As vice president, with all his political authority, he will have great latitude in grounding the concept of “Islam Nusantara”. Islam Nusantara will belong not only to NU but, instead, will be the path to reaffirm that the presence of all religions is to spread compassion and love. He will be an exemplar in showing the world that Indonesia, as the most populous Muslim democracy, must provide an example of a peaceful and non-discriminatory religiosity.
In Ma’ruf’s own pledge, “We must create an Indonesia that is whole, harmonious and peaceful. We must create a [form of] Islam that is not only a rahmatan lil indunisiyyin [a blessing for all Indonesians] but also a rahmatan lil ’alamin [a blessing for the universe].”
A whole Islam is in line with the goal of a Complete State. An “archipelagic worldview” must be read as a metaphor of the will to spread collective good and an implicit recognition that the front page of our state is a diverse community of which the members respect and honor one another, in line with the spirit of Unity in Diversity.
Asep Salahudin, Executive, NU West Java chapter; Deputy Rector of Academic Affairs, IAILM Suryalaya, Tasikmalaya
