Nahdlatul Ulama
Established in 1926 in Surabaya, Indonesia, by K. H. Muhammad Hasyim Asy'ari (1871–1947), the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is one of the largest socioreligious organizations in the country. It aims at promoting solidarity between traditionalist ulama (religious scholars) and their followers from all four classical schools of law of Sunni Islam, particularly the Shafiʿi school. Its activities focus on ideology, education, social services, and politics.
Ideologically, NU members see themselves as "people who follow Muhammad's traditions and the Sunni community" (ahl al-sunnah waʾl jamaʿah). The stronghold of the NU lies in rural areas, particularly in East Java, as well as in traditional schools ( pesantren), where students are taught classical Arabic texts supervised by a kyai (religious teacher). The NU owns over six thousand schools, mosques, orphanages, poorhouses, farmer unions, and merchant unions, as well as small industries.
The NU has been politically active since the national struggle leading to Indonesia's independence. It encouraged Indonesian participation in politics under the Dutch rule. During the Japanese occupation, it became a tool for mass mobilization. As a member of Masyumi (Majlis Syura Muslimin Indonesia, a modern comprehensive confederation of Islamic organizations), the NU vowed to wage a holy war, under Japanese guidance, against the Allied forces.
In 1952, the NU became an independent political party rejecting the secularly educated leadership of the Masyumi. In the 1955 elections, the NU received unexpected popular support. While the NU joined other parties in striving for an Islamic state, it was the first Islamic organization to adhere to Suharto's imposition of the Pancasila (five principles), with belief in one God cited as the first principle. Because the NU has changed its position on the Masyumi and other confederations of Islamic organizations a number of times, the NU has been accused of being opportunistic.
The grandson of the founder of NU, Abdurrahman Wahid (b. 1940), himself the founder of the National Awakening Party (Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa—PKB) within the NU, became the first democratically elected Indonesian president (October 1999). The NU claims a membership of 35 million in Indonesia's volatile multicultural society. The organization faces the challenge of protecting the country's unitary ruling system (which might, however, accentuate nationalism) while promoting democracy (which might encourage community revivalism). While Wahid's philosophy has elements of democracy, his actions reflect a Javanese ideal.
Further Reading
Benda, Harry J. (1983) The Crescent and the Rising Sun: Indonesian Islam under the Japanese Occupation, 1942–1945. Leiden, Netherlands: Van Hoeve.
Bruinessen, Martin van. (1990) "Indonesia's Ulama and Politics: Caught between Legitimizing the Status Quo and Searching for Alternatives." Prisma (English ed.) 49: 52–69.
——. (1991) "The 28th Congress of the Nahdlatul Ulama: Power Struggle and Social Concerns." Archipel 41: 185–199.
Noer, Deliar. (1973) The Modernist Muslim Movement in Indonesia, 1900–1942. Singapore: Oxford University Press.
Wahid, Abdurrahman. (1986) "The Nahdlatul Ulama and Islam in Present Day Indonesia." In Islam and Society in Southeast Asia, edited by Taufik Abdullah and Sharon Siddique. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 175–185.
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