DEFENDING ISLAMIC TRADITION: Theological Responses of the Hadrami Majlis Taklim Groups toward the Salafi-Wahabi Preaching Movement in Contemporary Indonesia

This article discusses majlis taklim as an informal religious learning group in urban area led by Hadrami descents in Indonesia that functions not only in preaching Islam but also in defending their Islamic traditions and practices toward the criticism of Salafi movement in Indonesia. The data presented here is based on in-depth interview with members and leaders of the group and participant observation. This article argues that Islamic traditions in Indonesia are about knowledge, worldview, values, and mode of behavior for Indonesian Muslims, where the Scripture and the spirit of Scripture is the ultimate reference. In this study, we show how Islamic traditions in Indonesia have been carefully maintained, developed, and transmitted through generations. Despite the strong criticism of Salafi group in urban areas, Islamic traditions have been preserved and disseminated through the majlis taklim groups, including by the Indonesian Hadrami individuals. This study is aimed to look at how Hadrami majlis taklim in the urban area maintains, develops and transmits Islamic tradition to the Muslim community and give theological response to the Salafi group’s attack to their practices. The effort of Hadrami majlis taklim has contributed to the maintaining of religious tolerance in contemporary Indonesia

SELLING RELIGIOUS RITUALS IN INDONESIA: Commodification of Umrah Pilgrimage by Travel Agents

oai:ojs.jiis.uinsby.ac.id:article/2627The flourishing lucrative business of Umrah pilgrimage in Indonesia has disrupted pilgrims from the substantial meaning of Umrah as a form of worship. The travel business industry designs some umrah packages as merely commonplace travel pack­ages, instead of as a form of devoted worship. In­nu­merable number of umrah travel agents relent­less­ly promote attractive packages for umrah pilgrimage at an affordable price using any possible marketing strategies to win customers, the attempts which downgrade the pilgrimage as a mere traded commo­dity. This paper aims to reveal the marketing strate­gies of Umrah travel agents to promote their umrah packages, which is highly correlated with  the commodification of religion. This article finds two primary marketing strategies of umrah travel agents: product design in various umrah packages, celebrity endorsement, involvement of managers of religious social institutions as distributors, and giving bonuses. The process of commodification of Umrah is carried out by incorporating popular cultural sentiments in Umrah products, and turns umrah into a product of worship that offers convenience

TYPOLOGIES OF RELIGIOUS MODERATION IN INDONESIAN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Typologies of religious moderation implementation in several State Islamic Higher Education and Public Higher Education are an interesting subject to discuss. The typologies can demonstrate the road model of educational institutions in building nationality and diversity. This study aims to analyze the typologies of religious moderation practiced at PTKI and PTU with a focus on studies at the State Islamic University Padang, State Islamic University  Bandung, and Bogor Agricultural University. By employing a qualitative descriptive approach based on empirical phenomena and collecting  data using interviews, participant observation, documentation, and literature review; the research finds that the typologies of religious moderation illustrate an integrative model of institutional and cultural interpolation, symbolic-paradigmatic schemes, internalization of Pendidikan Agama Islam (PAI, Islamic Religious Education) subject, mainstreaming schemes of pesantren mahasiswa, and involvement of extra campus organizations. This study implies that there are various practices of religious moderation in higher educational institutions as models for other higher educational institutions

RECLAIMING MODERATE ISLAM IN NAHDLATUL ULAMA: Challenging the Dominant Religious Authority in Digital Platform

This article examines Nahdlatul Ulama’s attempts to face three challenges, its internal dynamic within the elite religious circle, the influence of its leadership at the grassroots level, and the rise of the new religious authorities who employ social media to enlarge their influence. Amidst the growth of internet users bridging the gap between rural and urban areas, this rise of new religious authority has steeply eroded NU's domination, which bases Islamic traditionalism in rural areas. This article contends that NU cannot be viewed as a singular face of religious orientation. However, in the level of ideology, NU’s aswaja (ahl as-sunnah wa al-jama>’ah) brings its followers into a moderate view. This religious orientation has been contested respectively amidst organizational structure and different geographical landscapes of NU's people. Meanwhile, the dominance of Islamic conservative groups in the digital platform appears to be quite strong. Because of these challenges, NU struggles to reclaim its religious authority at the level of the youngest circles

THE BIBLICAL INSERTION IN THE JAVANESE QURANIC EXEGESIS: Textual and Contextual Analysis of Tafsir Soerat Wal-’Asri by Siti Chayati, Surakarta

This study examines the insertion of Biblical sources as references in Tafsir Soerat Wal-’Asri by Siti Chayati, a Javanese Quranic exegete who interprets chapter 103 (al-Asr) of the Quran in Javanese using Javanese Script. The Chayati’s work using some Biblical verses of Barnabas, Matthew, and John as its references, is unique and thought-provoking to understand the motives and its historical background. This study finds that the use of Bible verses in her work was aimed to strengthen her claims on the truth of Islamic teachings against the missionary activities of the Dutch in Java. At the beginning of the 20th century, they attempted to weaken the Islamic community by conducting the Zending movement and establishing Seminary Christian Schools in several regencies in Java. Therefore, debates on religious concepts had become a central issue to win the heart of the traditional Javanese society. The tensions between Christian missionaries and Muslim preachers in that era turned out to be significant factors influencing the insertion of Biblical references in the work of Chayati’s Quranic exegesis

AL-TAá¹¢AWWUF WA RIYÄ€DAT AL-A‘MÄ€L FĪ AL-MA‘HAD AL-ISLÄ€MĪ BI INDŪNĪSĪYÄ€: DirÄsah fÄ« Ma‘had RiyÄḠal-Jannah al-IslÄmÄ« bi BÄtshÄ«t MÅ«jÅ«kirtÅ«

Sufism is always seen for having more emphasis on the salvation hereafter. It also has become a spiritual force in human souls to adapt to changing times. However, ulama in pesantren Riyad al-Jannah Islamic Traditional Boarding School, Pacet, Mojokerto understand it differently as they see sufism and entrepreneurship which focuses on economic betterment can join hand. They believe that Sufism does not lead people to the abyss of ecstasy and stagnation but rather leads them to the prosperity through the practice of deeds in worldly life without neglecting the interests in hereafter. This study aims to reveal the most in-depth exposure to entrepreneurship based on Sufism values in the Pesantren Riyadlul Jannah. The results show that the Sufi circles and teachings in this institute lead students to actively develop entrepreneurship with the support of business centers and their facilities by the school. The school develops entrepreneurship skills for santri to build economic independence. This way will prevent them from the lure of worldly pleasure, materialism, and secularism. This entrepreneurship-inspired Sufism will generate welfare, independence, with the blessing of God

Extracting Religious Identity: The Cyber-Ethnography of Abdul Somad’s Preaching

This article examines the communication process of Islamic proselytising (da‘wa) carried out by Abdul Somad, commonly called UAS, on YouTube channels. Somad is a representative of the Indonesian Islamic preacher who is regarded to have become famous very quickly and well known as Ustadz Berjuta Follower. Some of his lectures recorded in video format and uploaded on YouTube channels have been success­ful in attracting the attention of the audiences. Indeed, dozens of videos have been watched by more than five million people per video. Using the Lasswell’s model of communi­cation process ‘who says what, to whom, which channel, and with what effect’ and textual analysis of Somad’s videos on YouTube, this study found that Somad managed to communi­cate his lectures to the target of da'wa dozens of times compared to conventional lectures from the pulpit to the pulpit. Thus, the communication of da'wa through YouTube in terms of the targeted audience was more effective. The multiplier effect of the audience was supported by the potential of YouTube to provide space for the interaction of the audiences, so as to create a multi-level flow of information. In addition, based on the observed visual and verbal aspects of Somad’s preaching on YouTube indicate that he is a moderate Indonesian ulama

MODERNIZING ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN THE MOST POPULATED MUSLIM WORLD

This paper discusses the homegrown endeavors in the most populated Muslim world to modernize Islamic education therein. It focuses on how the modernization of Islamic education comes out of efforts by the so-called traditional Muslim scholars in particular in reforming Islamic education. As a locus of analysis, it deals compara­tively with two largest Muslim populations, one in South Asia and another in Southeast Asia. The former is represented by India, and the latter is by Indonesia. This article argues that the traditional Muslim scholars have contributed significantly to the modernization of Islamic education in their own country respectively. It further argues that their position as traditional `ulama’ does not hinder their progressive role in reforming their respective Islamic institutions. They apply schooling system, adopting “secular†sciences for the curriculum and implementing teaching-learning methods like their reformist colleges and schools established by either the British or the Dutch colonialists. It goes on to say that the traditional `ulama’ both in South and Southeast Asia have a pivotal position in reforming Islamic education in such a way that rewriting needs to be undertaken in a more proportional way towards the discussion of Islamic education reform in both countries

HALAL INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES: Muslims’ Responses and Sharia Compliance In Indonesia

Halal Industries have persistently become an important issue globally, including in Indonesia. This study aims to analyze the strategies for halal industry development implemented by business actors in Indonesia as well as provide Indonesian Muslim’s responses and sharia compliance to halal context in their life. Using a mixed methodological approach with Analytical Network Process with religious leaders, academic and economics experts, local government, and business actors as the participants, it found that the strategies used to develop halal industry are not appropriate due to internal factors such as lack of standardization, branding, and limited human resources, and external ones which are the absence of a roadmap for halal industry and less supports from the government. Improving effective government policies and training human resources are among the strategies that might be applied. However, it also found greater attention among Indonesian Muslim and non-Muslim communities consuming halal products and enjoying halal experiences as their sharia compliance and lifestyle

STUDENTS’ RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE: Comparing Muslim Students at Public Schools and Pesantren

Due to modernization and globalization, Indonesian Muslims today face complicated difficulties related to cultural diversity. The moderation allows Muslims to learn the religion from a variety of sources both inside and outside of school. Religious education is typically taught in public schools, boarding schools, and madrasas. This article aims to identify the religious tolerance among students at public schools and Pesantren. The study also examines the causes of the tolerable inequalities among students in three different school categories by putting the phenomenon in a social and policy context. The Data were collected by distributing survey to 926 students in 2021 in North Sulawesi. According to the findings, Muslim students in public schools and public madrasas are significantly more tolerant than those at Pesantren, and both groups of students are equally tolerant. Our understanding of how educational policies affect Muslim students’ religious tolerance outside of Java has been expanded by this surprising finding