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

THE MAJLIS DHIKR OF INDONESIA: Exposition of Some Aspects of Ritual Practices

This study will explore the extent to which Indonesian Majlis Dhikr groups interpret and respond theologically certain aspects of their ritual practices. Several topics discussed in this paper wish to answer whether or not the belief and ritual of Majlis Dhikr are relevant to the normative dimension of Islamic teachings and Islamic Sufi practices. This research reveals that some aspects of Sufi practices have been adopted by Majlis Dhikrthe groups in their main ritual practices have a strong basis in the practices of the Prophet and Sufi masters. I argue that what they have practised actually cannot be regarded as the violation of Islamic teachings as has been frequently accused by other groups of Muslims. Some aspects of Sufi practices and concepts adopted by Majlis Dhikr group include the reciting of salawat, the concepts of sainthood (wali) and miracle (karamah), tawassul, sending the merit of pious deeds to deceased persons, and the concept of tabarruk

The Majlis Dhikr of Indonesia: Exposition of Some Aspects of Ritual Practices

This study will explore the extent to which Indonesian Majlis Dhikr groups interpret and respond theologically certain aspects of their ritual practices. Several topics discussed in this paper wish to answer whether or not the belief and ritual of Majlis Dhikr are relevant to the normative dimension of Islamic teachings and Islamic Sufi practices. This research reveals that some aspects of Sufi practices have been adopted by Majlis Dhikrthe groups in their main ritual practices have a strong basis in the practices of the Prophet and Sufi masters. I argue that what they have practised actually cannot be regarded as the violation of Islamic teachings as has been frequently accused by other groups of Muslims. Some aspects of Sufi practices and concepts adopted by Majlis Dhikr group include the reciting of salawat, the concepts of sainthood (wali) and miracle (karamah), tawassul, sending the merit of pious deeds to deceased persons, and the concept of tabarruk

Rituals of Islamic Spirituality

This study examines the emergence of new forms of Islamic spirituality in Indonesia identified as Majlis Dhikr. These Majlis Dhikr groups have proliferated on Java in the last two decades, both in urban and rural areas, and have attracted followers from a wide social background. The diverse aspects of these Majlis Dhikr groups – their rituals, teachings and strategies of dissemination as well as the popular understanding of these rituals and their contestation by critics and opponents – are examined in detail and illustrated by reference to three particular groups – Salawat Wahidiyat, Istighathat Ihsaniyyat and Dhikr al-Ghafilin each of which has its own distinctive features and notable religious leadership. These Majlis Dhikr groups regard their activities as legitimate ritual practices that are in accordance with the legacy of Islamic Sufism based on the interpretation of the Qur’anic and Prophetic tradition

Socio-structural Innovations in Indonesia's Urban Sufism: the Case Study of the Majelis Dzikir and Shalawat Nurul Mustafa

Sufi tradition has grown significantly in the modern Muslim world, including Indonesia. Currently, Sufism has been not only practiced by villagers, peasants, and non-educated people, but also practiced by urbanites, national elites, and educated people. Moreover, it has experienced significant innovation in terms of its practices and organization. This article takes an in-depth look at the innovationof Sufi tradition socially and structurally in Indonesia. It argues that majelis dzikir and shalawat in Indonesia, like Nurul Mustafa, has represented a new Sufi group that arises out of tarekat group, a group that has been considered as ‘official institution' in implementing Sufism. The Majelis Nurul Mustafa has strong basis in urban society, rises from urban majelis taklim, introduces Sufi teaching to its jamā`ah that mostly urban teenagers and youths uses popular methods to attract the interest of those groups to attend its ritual as the complementary of its activity

THE POPULAR DA’WAH MOVEMENT IN URBAN COMMUNITIES: THE ROLE OF HADRAMI SCHOLARS’ DA’WAH IN RESPONSE TO RELIGIOUS RADICALISM IN INDONESIA

This article discusses how the role of the scholars of the descendants of Hadrami or known as Habib performs the activities of popular Islamic Preaching (henceforth: da’wah) in the urban community. This paper specifically analyzes the activities of da’wah of Majelis Salawat Ahbabul Mustafa led by Habib Syech, a Habib, a descendant of the Prophet who lived in Solo, Central Java. Recently, a similar da’wah was made by young Habib to gain popularity among the youth in several major cities in Indonesia. By using the media of tambourine instrumental music in reading the Shalawat, the da’wah of Habib Syech successfully attracts the interest of many participants who mostly came from groups of young people. In the middle of the hard blasphemies of the Salafi Preacher (Dai) against the majority of the religious practices of Indonesian Muslims, the Majelis Salawat led by Habib Shaykh conducted the ‘counter attack’ by means of-ways and elegant manners. This group also performs the da’wah through a cultural approach as Walisongo did by using Javanese idioms to get closer to the objects of da'wah which are mostly located in Java.                                                                                                                                        Keywords: Habib, Majelis Salawat, Da’wah, Youth. &nbsp

HIJAB FASHION SEBAGAI STRATEGI DAKWAH PADA HIJABERS COMMUNITY JAKARTA

Penelitian ini membuktikan bahwa hijab eksis sebagai gerakan dakwah maupun gerakan gaya hidup fashion karena para hijabers, sebagaimana yang tergabung dalam Hijabers Community Jakarta, mampu mengambil nilai-nilai modernitas sekaligus nilai-nilai agama ke dalam hijab yang fashionable. Hijabers Community telah mampu menjadikan gaya hidup sebagai media untuk mengajak muslimah untuk melihat gaya hidup modern sebagai sesuatu yang syar’i dan pantas diikuti. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif. Data-data primer diperolah melalui observasi dan wawancara kepada pengurus Hijabers Community Jakarta. Sedangkan data-data sekunder diperoleh melalui tulisan-tulisan mengenai Hijabers Community dan dakwah, baik berupa jurnal, buku, majalah dan blog. Penelitian ini mendukung teori yang diusung oleh Pierre Boudieu tentang habitus, modal, arena, praktik dan distinction. Habitus tampak dari nilai-nilai religi dan gaya hidup melekat dalam diri para pegiat Hijabers Community yang kebanyakan adalah para desainer muda. Para pegiat hijabers ini memiliki cukup modal untuk tampil di arena gaya hidup sehingga mampu menampilkan busana muslimah yang fashionable. Praktik-praktik sosial yang dilakukan sebagaimana tampak pada aktivitas hijabers sehari-hari maupun di dalam komunitas hijabers menegaskan eksistensi hijab di kalangan muslimah muda di perkotaan. Aktivitas komunitas ini, melalui media sosial mampu menyalurkan seleraselera mereka sebagai suatu yang unik, baru, dan menarik sehingga menjadi pembeda dari fashion yang lain. Keberadaan hijab tidak hanya menunjukkan dinamika keberagamaan muslimah, tetapi juga perubahan dalam berbusana serta perkembangan gaya hidup muslimah. Penelitian ini mengkaji dan menganalisis Hijabers Community dalam mengemas modernitas dalam bentuk fashion yang syar’i serta mengkaji nilai-nilai religi yang disampaikan melalui hijab. Penelitian ini menolak pendapat Fatima Mernissi yang menganggap bahwa hijab merupakan bukti kongkrit adanya pengucilan dan pengasingan perempuan di ruang publik.Kata Kunci:  Hijab Fashion, Strategi Dakwah, Hijabers Communit

The Response and Negotiation of Pesantren in Maintaining the Values of Pesantren During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Pondok Pesantren Darussunnah Hadith

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, all aspects of education must changes and adjustments, including Islamic boarding schools (Pesantren). This educational institution must adapt the learning system by implementing various kinds of learning methods. This article was to analyze  how Islamic boarding schools in urban areas respond to this pandemic by conducting a blended learning system as an alternative to teaching pesantren values and religious sciences. This study used a case study approach by conducting a series of in-depth interviews and engaging observations with strict health protocols. The result showed that the blended learning between the offline learning system for some students who live in the pesantren and online for students who live at home was less effective in teaching the values of the pesantren. This research showed that the ability of the pesantren in innovation learning and negotiate between the values of the pesantren and the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pesantren still maintains the values of the pesantren with the obstacles that arise during the teaching and learning process even though the teaching and learning process was carried out online and some students’ learning at home. Keywords: Islamic Value Pesantren,  Pesantren on Covid-19, Maintaining Value Pesantre