Page 284 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

of orthodoxy; however, the modernists
274 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives
Traditionalists used to perform various preferred to engage in samroh, barzanji,
were also selectively oriented to rituals associated with the events of a
Western modernism, where as the person’s life cycle and they indulged in
traditionalists did not reject traditionalism. commemorations of the dead, which the
The modernist group organized it self modernists considered heretical. The
in the Muhammadiyah, Persis, and modernists only performed life cycle
al-Irsyad while the traditionalist group rituals that accord with Islamic guidance
th
reacted by establishing the Nahdlatul like akikah (a feast 7 days after the birth
Ulama. For several decades, from of a baby), circumcision and wedding.
the 1930s until the 1960s, there were Traditionalist also perform rituals on
th
th
conflicts between the two groups which, the 4 and 7 months of pregnancy,
in some regions, occasionally might commemoration of the dead on the
th
th
th
rd
th
incite violence. The conflicts generally 3 , 7 , 40 , 100 , and 1,000 days, as
centered on the dissimilarities in some well as annual commemorations (haul).
subsidiary rituals of worship. The Modernists avoid excessive accolades to
commonly prevailing characteristic of religious teachers, clerics and scholars,
the Muhammadiyah is that the call for sheikhs of mystical orders, andtawasul,
prayer (azan) for the Friday congregation but traditionalists continue to do so.
(jumatan) is done only once, while the Similarly, Sufism and certain vocations
Nahdlatul Ulama usually does it twice. of the mystical orders, which the
The Muhammadiyah used to practice modernists rejected, were all practiced
the Tarawih prayer (at night during the by traditionalists.
month Ramadan) as much as 8 raka’at The differences are not limited to
(lit. bows), plus 3 raka’at of Witir (the religious rituals, but also in ways of
Vigil prayer). The Nahdlatul Ulamain its dress and speaking, and educational
turn, runs 23 raka’at, which include the orientation. If traditionalists chose
Witir. The modernists do not pronounce boarding schools as ideal places to
their intention before every ritual educate their children, modernists chose
worship, while according to the NU the public schools, instead. Traditionalists
pronouncement (talafuz) of the intention chose agriculture as their livelihood,
has to be made. These differences are where as the modernists chose modern
the sources of the conflicts and are used vocations as employees, employers, or
to tease each other. traders. In the field of art, traditionalists
end of the 20 century and became
th
rodad and salawatan while modernists much larger by the last decade. The
rather developed the art of orchestras, Salafis were actually puritan like the
music bands, and drama. Muhammadiyah, but they were also
Nevertheless, over time these differences radical and confrontational in facing what
gradually become in significant. Entering they call heresies. Although puritan, the
the 1970s, many traditionalist began to Muhammadiyah still accommodates to
apply for enrolment in public schools. local culture. Moreover, there are some
Boarding schools started to adopt school fundamental differences between the
systems and turned into madrasahs, or two in their views on heresy and the
even into public schools like SMP (Junior interpretation of certain Qur’anic verses.
High School) and SMA (Senior High What the Muhammadiyah and the NU
School) within the pesantrens. The fact particularly can not accept is the Salafi
that the Muslim younger generations ideology about the nature of God. The
massively entered modern education Salafis believe that the manifestation of
God is really anthropomorphic (tajsim),
also gradually reduced the differences. and that He can be located in a specific
Since the 1980s, the dichotomy between
traditionalists and modernists had been place, namely on the Throne. The NU
and the Muhammadiyah are strongly
fadingand the distinctive characteristics opposed to this anthropomorphic view.
discussed above became lessuseful What the NU and the Muhammadiyah
to differentiate between modernist also share is their opposition against
and traditionalist groups. Entering the
rd the attitude of the Salafis who feel that
3 millennium, the Muhammadiyah and they are the most correct and that they
the NU were no longer hostile towards categorize those who dissent as ahlul
each other, but started to collaborate. bid’ah (heretics), which also means
The leaders of both groups are closer to infidels.
each other and work together to generate In the process of approaching each other
welfare for all the people. to achieve the “unification” of modernists
This “unification” process was perhaps and traditionalists, the differences
caused by the common challenges between their religious practices were no
they, namely the Wahhabi Salafi group longer as striking as before. Mysticism,
that had begun to blossom since the for example, which the modernists
Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 275