Nurturing Tolerance in Pesantren

Lily Zakiyah Munir

Center for Pesantren and Democracy Studies (CePDeS)

Back five years ago in a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in the small city of Jombang, East Java, amidst a tranquil crack of dawn a congregation of male santris (students of pesantren) was performing their morning prayer in the mosque. While they were absorbed in the rituals, a Dutch Catholic priest who had spent the previous night at the pesantren was observing them from behind. Sitting cross-legged at the outer part of the mosque, he was attentively watching them perform the rituals and patiently waiting for a dialogue with some santris to be scheduled after the prayer. Later on that day, after a dialogue with santris, the priest had a warm, friendly conversation in the Arabic language with the kyai (leader of pesantren) on various religious and humanitarian issues. The Catholic priest, upon returning to his country, wrote that his stay at the pesantren and dialogues with the santris and kyai was one of the most beautiful moments in his life. He thanked the kyai and santris for their hospitality and warm welcome.

Three years later, the pesantren hosted a multi-religious delegation from a Norway-based inter-faith organization that came to Indonesia to see how religious pluralism is internalized and practiced here. The dialogue between the delegation and the santris was warm, open and sometimes filled with bursts of laughter. The santris enjoyed not only stories about far away life especially among its teenagers, but also the opportunity to practice their English. They had no prejudice at all to the delegation, moreover because one of them who happened to be the leader was a Norwegian Muslim lady with a headgear. The santris and the European guests exchanged views and perspectives on different topics especially relating to the lives of Muslims and Christians in Europe.

The above stories are just two ‘episodes’ in the activities of many pesantrens in Indonesia, including Jombang which is known as a city of thousand pesantrens. Countless Western and non-Muslim researchers and activists have visited and even lived in pesantren for different purposes. Some of them conducted anthropological studies using the popular method of participant observation; some others taught English, while others were interested in learning deeper about Islam. These direct encounters with ‘outsiders’ have been an invaluable experience for santris which has nurtured awareness and appreciation of differences and diversities. It is not surprising, therefore, that pesantrens in Indonesia have produced broad-minded and tolerant personalities and alumni such as Abdurrahman Wahid or Nurcholis Madjid, two out of quite a few Muslim intellectuals and scholars widely reputed for their integrity in religious pluralism.

When asked about religious justification on their openness to outsiders, including non-Muslims, some santris immediately referred to the Prophet Muhammad’s saying that whoever believes in God and in the hereafter, s/he has to respect her/his guest. This prophetic saying (hadith) is a strong religious basis for santris to be confident in respecting their non-Muslim guests. There is no limitation in this hadith as to whom the respect should be addressed in terms of religion, for example to Muslim guests only. The limitation applies in terms of time, which is three days. To a visitor of more than three days, the host is not obligated to give a special treatment.

Another santri refers to the teaching on brotherhood that is prevalent among members or followers of Nahdlatul Ulama or NU (Resurgence of Ulemas), the so-called largest Muslim organization in Indonesia. The teaching advocates three levels of brotherhood that need to be uplifted in pursuing peaceful coexistence of all humankind. First, is brotherhood among Muslims (ukhuwwah Islamiyah); second, is brotherhood among people of the same nation (ukhuwwah wathoniyah), and third, brotherhood among all human beings (ukhuwwah basyariyah) regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion and nationality.

The above illustration of tolerance and pluralism in pesantren might sound ‘awkward’ amongst the emerging stigmatization against pesantren in the aftermath of the JW Marriot bombing. The suicide bomber, Amsar, reportedly was an alumnus of a pesantren, the Al-Mukmin in Ngruki, which is led by the alleged cleric Abu Bakar Ba’asyir. This association of pesantren with a suicide bomber can obviously ruin the image of moderate and tolerant santris in thousands of pesantrens who have demonstrated these traits as their built-in characters as illustrated in the examples above. From outside, judged from the names or physical appearance, these two types of pesantren may look alike. But in terms of teachings and moral values nurtured they are completely contradictory, just like night and day. In a pesantren like Ngruki, a dialogue with ‘the other’ (people with different interpretations of Islam or those who are non Muslim) would not be possible. These people are regarded as ‘kafir’ or infidels and there is no point in dialoguing with them. Their blood is even considered ‘halal,’ meaning that it is allowable to shed their blood. So, one should never make any generalization when talking about pesantren. There are thousands of moderate pesantrens, but there are radical pesantrens, as few as five according to Sidney Jones, that appear like, to borrow the term used by Bassam Tibi in his book The Challenge of Fundamentalism, ‘a horse of another colour.’

One unique characteristic of moderate pesantrens which has enabled them to produce tolerant and pluralistic people is their balance in teaching Islamic legal aspects (Fikih) and the spirituality (Sufism). This approach can be traced back to derive from the nine saints (wali songo) who spread Islam on the island of Java peacefully. This spirituality dimension is what probably missing in radical pesantrens, who prefer to stand in a binary position: right/wrong, halal/haram, me/the other, heaven/hell, etc. As a result, they produce people with an exclusionary stance who see the world as black and white and who lack the beauty and inner meaning of the religion: peace, tolerance, respect, love and care for others, and other esoteric and humanitarian traits.

This type of Islam is not typical Indonesian. Islam in Indonesia has been known as tolerant, pluralistic and adaptable to local cultures. But the last three decades have witnessed the growing phenomenon of Islamic fundamentalism that tends to practice religious teachings in a rigid and exclusive way. Moderate pesantrens should be alert of this and enhance their teachings on pluralism to their santris.

From The Jakarta Post, 5 September 2003

Radical Salafi, Pesantren and Terrorism

Jamal Ma’mur Asmani

The three mainstream of pesantren’s science , tauhid, fiqh dan tasawuf (unity of God, Islamic jurisprudence and mysticism), suggest the community to perform good deed, love, give in for the sake of others, make others happy, help and cooperate, and avoid conflict, confrontation, intrigue, and other destructive thing. At this point Islam would be accepted on the earth sympathically. Not by sword, bomb or gun which leave the impact of cruelty, harshness and barbaric. Wasn’t Rasulullah Saw has never use sword whenever there is other wiser way?

This article was firstly published in Indonesian at 1/9/2003

The terms of “radical salafi” is taken from Azyumardi Azra’s terms on observing phenomenon of Islamic authentication movement sprouting in Indonesia. “Radical salafi” is a group orienting in enforcing and implementing “pure Islam”, “authentic Islam” practiced by the Prophet Saw and his companions. They are called as “radical salafi” since they tend to take the radical approach to reach their objective rather than the peaceful and persuasive one. This group’s growth started from the immigration of a large number of Hadramaut people into Indonesia, mainly since the 19th century. They formed enclaves in various cities in Indonesia; Petamburan and Kwitang (Batavia), Pekalongan, Surakarta, Surabaya, Pontianak, Palembang, and so on. (Republika, 25/10/2002).

Recently, this term gained momentum. The state apparatus claim pesantren (Religious boarding school) as nests of terrorism subsequent to the JW Marriot incident. The term of “radical salafi” is appropriate to illustrate the phenomena of Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, Amrozi, Ali Imron, Hambali, and so on. Those names appear into the world due to their amazing activities, using violence to achieve their goal. Every means should be done in order to enforce Allah’s words on the earth. The opponent of “khilafah”, “Allah’s law”, and “syariat” are infidels and should be eliminated. They refer to Hadits (prophetic tradition) “Man ra-a minkum munkaran falyughayyirhu biyadihi wa-in lam yastathi’ fabilisanihi wa-in lam yastathi’ fabiqolbih, wazalika adl’aful iman”; anyone who sees (religious) disavowal, should change it by violence, otherwise by diplomatic way, otherwise by heart.

Based on this Hadits’ text, they perform a set of activity and cleansing movement of whatever the consider as “wrongdoing” (ma’ashi), “sin” (zunub), “disavowal” (munkar), “despicable” (fakhsya’), “hypocrisy” (nifaq), and any kind of “forbidden deed” (muharramat). Those terms are wide in meaning, including the whole life’s aspect, especially the public aspect. Currently, we view all around us various illicit sex, body exploitation, transparent commercials (all commercials show female sensitive organs), gambling, drug use. And coincidentally the restaurant, nightclubs and other amusement places serve this sort of thing fully and are publicly visited by tourists. Automatically, that sort of place is susceptible for threats, bombings, shootings, sweepings etc that are included in terrorism.

To this group, democracy is absurd, and it is a western device to simplify the expansion of global capitalism which eventually weakens the Muslim community’s position and bargaining power. Up to now, Muslims are identical to the marginal and oppressed being the target of Zionist-imperialism with a US locomotive. Hence, there is no other way except through violence and optimalizing all Islamic power to compete the opponent’s supremacy in accordance to the text of the Hadits.

Here, the genuine character of this group is analyzing turast (doctrine and tradition) of text literally and textually, and observe it as sacred, eternal, magic and final. This view triggers their extreme, radical, fanatic, uncompromising, exclusive and fundamentalist behavior. What is written in the text is the pure truth and it is an obligation to struggle for it until the end of life.

The matter is this: is it true that this sort of character becomes the mainstream of pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Indonesia? Are pesantren nets of terrorism as charged by the apparatus? Here is the urgency of identification and categorization of pesantren. Would all pesantren be claimed as a net of terrorism or is it only some of them?

As long as the establishment of this state, we recognize pesantren as the educative institution established by ulemas (muslim intellectuals) to educate, supervise and empower santri (student) and society in religious, social, cultural and cultural-political fields. The role of ulema in delivering this state into the gate of independence is undoubted, and it is noted in the golden ink of the nation’s struggle.

Factual-empirically, the majority of pesantren are gathered under one big organization; NU (Nahdlatul Ulama) and MD (Muhammadiyah). Therefore, in order to know what is the style and color of pesantren, we may observe them trough characteristic of the exponent of pesantren. For example, KH. MA. Sahal Mahfudz (representing the head of NU/ Ra’is Am Syuriyah NU) dan Prof. Dr. Ahmad Syafi’I Ma’arif (Head of PP Muhammadiah). Public has been familiar to their character and commitment toward the matters of community and nation. Of course, their deeds within the aspect of education, social, culture, economic and politic were actualized into the deep understanding toward doctrine and norms within the affluent scientific literature of each organization. NU has classical source, while Muhammadiyah has academic-contemporary notion about Alqur’an and Hadits. Recently, both organizations were in the same platform, to show Islam as rahmatan li-alamin (blessing upon the universe) by characteristic bellow; infitah (inclusive), tawasut (moderate), tasamuh (tolerant), i’tidal (straight), musawah (equality), and maslahah (welfare). Their objective is the creation of justice [adalah}, Law supremacy (tahqiqul hukmi), dan people’s welfare (al-mashalih al-ra’iyah) within the frame of good governance. All are born from their understanding toward text within Qur’an, Hadits and ulema’s sources in the field of theology, fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and tasawwuf (mysticism) which are contextual, methodological, and historical. The result of NU congress at Cipasung 1992 and Muhammadiyah congress at 2001 (recognized as cultural ijtihad) indicate this.

Observing this factual reality, it is impossible for NU and Muhammadiyah’s pesantren to perform an extreme, radical, and fundamental action, since this kind of act would bury Islamic prophetic ideals as religion of blessing (rahmah), to be religion of torture (niqmah) and hell (naar). They want to show Islam which is humanist, persuasive, dynamic and progressive.

The three mainstream of pesantren’s science , tauhid, fiqh dan tasawuf (unity of God, Islamic jurisprudence and mysticism), suggest the community to perform good deed, love, give in for the sake of others, make others happy, help and cooperate, and avoid conflict, confrontation, intrigue, and other destructive thing. At this point Islam would be accepted on the earth sympathically. Not by sword, bomb or gun which leave the impact of cruelty, harshness and barbaric. Wasn’t Rasulullah Saw has never use sword whenever there is other wiser way?

Here we can conclude that the group born in pesantren which is well-known as “radical salafi” is the minority out of the mainstream pesantren. This group had a clear activity, movement and political target, and had international network with specific means and characters and it had a wide access financially as well. These characteristics could not be found in general pesantren of Indonesia. Therefore, it is unwise when people generalize and say that all pesantren can be claimed as the nest of terrorism.

(Translated by Lanny Octavia, edited by Jonathan Zilberg)

http://islamlib.com/en/article/radical-salafi-pesantren-and-terrorism/

Madrasa, Pesantren, and Studying Manuscripts

Oman Fathurahman

I mostly feel lucky to be a researcher on manuscripts (if I may to say as it), who graduated from madrasa and pesantren. Both, especially what is called as salaf pesantren, facilitate those who study there to be familiar with the exceedingly rich tradition of classical Islamic literatures and various Islamic living traditions, and of course educate them a reading skill of Arabic texts.

As the Arabic Archipelago’s manuscripts have been found in a huge number (look at here for an insight), in particular those relate to religious issues, the competence of this language will be highly functional to reveal the worth of knowledge kept within those manuscripts. Even the competence will help a philolog to read manuscripts written in any local languages, such as Malay, Javanese, Sundanese, Minangkabaunese, Acehnese, and others, for these languages typically use a modified Arabic script called Jawi or Pegon.

The composition of manuscripts stored in Ali Hasjmy’s collection in Banda Aceh could be a good example to show how large roughly the Arabic Indonesian manuscripts among the other categories of languages. As we discussed in our recently published catalogue, the 45 % of the manuscripts preserved here are in Arabic, 45 % of them are in Malay, and the rest (10 %) are in Acehnese. This is presumably a kind of composition of Indonesian religious manuscripts stretched in other regions in Indonesia.

Moreover, the experiences of learning classical Islamic literatures in madrasa and pesantren frequently make me easier to identify a non-complete manuscript in terms of classification, even title and authorship, something be usually tricky for those who are not familiar with the tradition and discourse of classical Islamic literatures.

In the case of Arabic grammatical (nahw and sarf) manuscripts, for instance, I repeatedly find some pages of spilled out anonym manuscripts, both in poem and prose form. Fortunately, I used to study, or even memorize, some kinds of those works, such as al-Ajurumiyya, Sarf al-Kaylani, Nazm al-Maqsud, and Alfiyya Ibn Malik. The later is a famous Arabic grammatical treatise composed in thousand-line poem by Jamal al-Din Ibn Malik (d.1274).

Another example, once a friend of mine, who was cataloguing manuscripts, found a fragmented only one page Arabic text, which, according to him, was too hard to identify. Then I tried to look at the page, and immediately recognized it as a prayer commonly recited by some Muslims in a night of Nisfu-Sha’ban, a Muslim festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month, Sha’ban, of the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims believe that on this night, God decides who will be born, who will die and how much provision is set aside for each person in the coming year. The knowledge of this kind of Islamic living traditions is so familiar, especially for those who used to be in madrasa or pesantren.

What I suppose to say with the illustrations above? I am thinking about how to encourage those who have experienced in studying classical Islamic literatures, especially in madrasa and pesantren, and of course are interested to involve in this ‘world’, to dedicate their knowledge to do research on old manuscripts.

Currently, there are only few persons, who have these qualifications, interested to engage in this field, even though we actually have great and potential resources in madrasas, pesantrens, and in Islamic higher education institutions, such as Islamic State Universities (UIN, IAIN, and STAIN) excessively found in Indonesia. I have mentioned about this phenomena here.

I am indebted to my kyais, ustadhs, and colleagues in Pesantren Cipasung Singaparna, Pesantren Miftahul Huda, and Pesantren Haurkuning Salopa, all are in Tasikmalaya, West Java, who have transferred their valuable knowledge during my ‘adventures’ there in 1984 until 1988...Jazakumullah khair al-jaza.

The writer is researcher at the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) UIN Jakarta, and Chairperson of the Indonesian Association for Nusantara Manuscripts (Manassa).

http://naskahkuno.blogspot.com/2007/04/madrasa-pesantren-and-studying.html