NU congress moving across borders

The meeting between Syuriyah (advisory council) and Tanfidziyah (executive council) of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) deciding that the NU's 32nd Congress will be held in Makassar South Sulawesi is an important breakthrough conducted by a pesantren ulema organization and the followers of the Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah (Aswaja). It is absolutely important because NU has spread throughout the country (Nusantara). It is true that for several decades congress as a means of spreading and consolidating NU has commonly been held in Java island. Whereas since the beginning the NU's congress has been organized in regions outside Java especially in communities predominantly adopting the teachings of Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah.

Why did Kiai Wahab Chasbullah have to await approval from KH Hasyim Asy'ari to establish Nahdlatul Ulama though he had formerly established such organizations as Nahdlatut Tujjar, Nahdlatul Wathan and Tasfirul Afkar without awaiting approval specifically from any ulema. Kiai Wahab Chasbullah was really energetic, had a good capability in organization and even ever joined what called as Sarekat Islam though in the meantime he did not feel at home. One of the reasons is because he saw another power that would be such an undefeatable power if it could be well managed that is the powe<>r of ulema.

In addition to having high organizational capacity, Kiai Wahab Chasbullah did realize that the knot of the Nusantara Islam network was not in his hand but it was under the control of Kiai Hasyim Asy'ari especially since the Holy City Mekkah was dominated by Wahabism in 1924. The approval and the activeness of Kiai Hasyim Asy'ari would pave the way for Kiai Wahab's move to set up a national-scale organization rather than Java or even Surabaya-scale one as before.

While Kiai Hasyim Asy'ari himself felt that he also had a senior taking part in holding the knot of the Nusantara Islam network, namely KH Cholil Bangkalan Madura. For that reason, though he agreed with Kiai Wahab Chasbullah's approval, Kiai Hasyim Asy'ari remained awaiting approval from Kiai Cholil. When the approval was given, the establishment of Nahdlatul Ulama organization was immediately declared. What came to Kiai Wahab's mind came true that following the involvement of Kiai Hasyim Asy'ari, all networks had by Kiai Hasyim Asy'ari across Nusantara declared to participate in establishing an organization so-called as Nahdlatul Ulama. So it is understandable if the first and the second congress of NU, there were many delegates from regions across Nusantara.

This development might be seen in dealing with the congress event. After the third congress, it was no longer held in Surabaya and started to go out from its birth city to Semarang (1929). One year later the congress was held in Pekalongan (1930). Next the congress was held in Cirebon (1931) that is considered to have militant supporters of NU since its establishment. Then the 7th congress was held in Bandung (1932) and the capital Jakarta (1933). Even the 11th congress was held in Banjarmasin South Kalimantan (1936). This city is the basis of Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah and has supported NU since its establishment. The NU congresses were aimed at spreading NU as well as consolidating the power of Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah. That is why the NU 19th congress was then held in Palembang South Sumatera in 1952. Several years later the NU 21st congress was held in Medan North Sumatera that was also regarded as a region which has strong basis of Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah in 1956.

NU is not a new organization emerging in 1926. Rather, it is a long network that has a couple of centuries ago emerged because it it was a thought, religious and political tradition that has strongly been institutionalized since hundreds of years ago, namely the coming of Islam to Nusantara that was brought by the ulema of Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah from Aceh to Ternate. As a result the network could immediately be awakened by the ulema controlling its knot, namely KH Hasyim Asy'ari that holds cultural networks and KH Wahab Chasbullah brilliantly capable of organizing structural networks. The ulema across Nusantara were indeed from one tie in regard with creed, school of thought (madzhab) and even family. Almost all of the founding fathers of NU were the descendants of the nine saints (wali songo) such as Sunan Ampel, Sunan Giri, Sunan Kudus, and so forth.

While the NU ulema not from Java were also the descendants of such saints (wali) as Hamzah Fansuri, Abdushomad al Palimbangi, Arsyad al Banjari and so on. While the NU ulema in Sulawesi were also the descendants of early Islamic preachers since Islam was introduced in the region by two santri of Sunan Giri (Gresik) from Minagkabau, namely Datuk ri Bandang that was mandated by Sunan Giri to introduce Islam in the region in the 16th century and whose many descendants there.

While the ulema in South Sulawesi like in Sebgkang, Wajo, Pare were the close friends of those who were from Java. The ulema also took part in establishing NU such as Kiai As'ad from Sengkang. He was a close friend of the ulema from Java. So it is understandable when the NU was established they all involved. That is why as NU was officially introduced by KH Wahid Hasyim in the early 1950s, the presence of the organization was warmly welcomed by society there not only by ulema circle but also by noble and king family so that NU could quickly be spread there. All this was due to the network of Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah that has also a long time been spread in the region.

Even long before the time the teaching of Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah had formerly been the breath of Islam in South Sulawesi since the early coming of Islam to Gowa and Bone kingdoms. In the meantime many preachers from Arab descendants that came in the early 16th century got married with the local noble families and bore many early Muslim generations. The first generation of the Islamic preachers coming to Makassar was Syeikh Jumadil Kubra, one of brothers of Maulana Malik Ibrahim who stayed in East Java. Since then, there have been many South Sulawesi-born Arab names popular there. As a result there has been Islamic spirituality through tarekat (sufi order) teachings and the introduction of Islamic laws in regard with Islamic jurisprudence in the region.

On account of the development of religiosity is in need of educational institutions, Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) were then used as such educational centres for (recruiting) cadres. In line with the nine saints having started to socialize Islam in the lowest level society in Java, in Makassar we have also known what called as Pesantren Bontoala. This pesantren has produced many outstanding ulema in the local till international level. One of the pesantren Bontoala's alumni that is very popular is Syeikh Yusuf al Makassari, a noble man that was ever appointed as a jurist (qadhi) in Banten Sultanate and was persistence in fighting against the Dutch colonization till exiled to South Africa by the colonial government. Then the alumni of the Pesantren Bontoala have constantly disseminated Islamic teachings throughout South Sulawesi. Pesantren As'adiyah and Pesantren Amiriyah are a proof that NU has never been declined from South Sulawesi land. Since then there have gradually been many pesantren in the region.

The second generation pesantren which is the most popular is Pesantren Pengajian Pulau Salemo. The ulema recruitment is located in an island so-called as Salemo. In addition to studying and deepening religious knowledge as easily found in other places, santri in the pesantren were also the warriors for independence. From the Pengajian Pulau Salemo we have recognized the generation of Anregurutta Ambo Dalle, Puang Rama and K. Ahmad Bone. Since the 1920s they had intensively built such movement communications with santri in Java. So that when Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) was established in Java in 1926, the santri from Makassar also took part though in their region they had such organizations as Rabithatul Ulema (RU) and Dewan Wakwah wal Irsyad (DDI).

That is why matters dealing with the Aswaja and NU have become an embrio in the history of Islam in South Sulawesi. The development of Islamic jurisprudence and the tradition of tarekat including the struggle of its ulema constitute a proof of the existence of appropriate Aswaja teachings for people there. Even when NU has been wrestling with its own history, the ulema from South Sulawesi have always took part in proceeding the history including the man of KH Sanusi Baco, an ulema who also participated in producing the NU's 1926 Khittah in Situbondo in 1984. Such names as Andi Mappanyuki, KH Muhtar Nur, KH Kharitsah, KH Hafidz Yusuf, Rahim Assegaf (Puang Makka), Yunus Martan, and Muiz Kabri are a proof that both Aswaja and NU are integral parts to Islam in South Sulawesi.

Actually the congress event in this region will expectedly be capable of awakening the power of NU that has ever largely been recognized in the region in which its influence has till now remained strong. With the congress there will also expectedly be a spirit to develop NU so that the organization will increasingly and widely be recognized by people. On account of the strength of NU, any local tradition and religious practice from pesantren and any ritual typical with Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah that have started to be vanished by other parties can be represerved to be such a cultural diversity and as ameans of preserving the Aswaja teachings themselves.

Because of the breakthrough many circles have expressed their appreciation to the much-awaited congress. Unfortunately, as for them, the congress will reportedly be held in a Hajj Dormitory rather than in pesantren. Whereas in the region, there are many pesantren which are appropriate enough to host the congress because the pesantren used as the place of the congress will be popular and advanced as those are in Java and Nusa Tenggara. In addition, the pesantren will be a centre for NU movements. That is what they need as that formerly voiced in the last several congresses. (Abdul Mun’im DZ)