Nurturing the Salafi Manhaj: A Study of Salafi Pesantrens in Contemporary Indonesia

Abstract

This study is about the role of Salafi Pesantrens (Islamic boarding schools) in Salafi da’wa in Indonesia. A Salafi pesantren is a pesantren that teaches Salafism which mostly derives from the works of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, the founder of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia. Salafi pesantrens started to emerge in the late 1980s and were established by fresh graduates from Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and supported by alumni of the Institute for the Study of Islam and Arabic (LIPIA) in Jakarta. Aiming at the reproduction of ‘ulama, Salafi pesantrens not only teach their students Salafism, but also accustom them to practice the Salafi manhaj (path) in their daily life. ‘Ulamas are knowledgeable persons in religion to whom people usually go for consult on religious matters. In this study, I focus on three pesantrens: al-Nur al-Atsari in Ciamis, Assunah in Cirebon (both in West Java) and al-Furqan in Gresik, East Java. They have been chosen because they represent different currents of Salafism in Indonesia. I analyse various aspects of these educational institutions: historical development, community’s responses, educational programs, curriculum, methods of learning, students’ lives and activities, networks and fundraising. To collect the data, I carried out fieldwork for nineteen months in two periods, observing pesantren community’s life, taking part in various activities, and interviewing teachers and students, and local religious leaders. During my fieldwork, I found that in the early period of their development, Salafi pesantrens encountered strong resistance from local community, particularly its religious leaders. There are two reasons behind this resistance: doctrine and attitude. Salafis usually criticize local religious traditions because they consider them religious innovations that have no roots in Islam. Moreover, local people view Salafis as arrogant and exclusive because they limit their social interactions among themselves only, and do not want to interact with villagers. However, the Salafis have passed this difficult phase, and currently the local community has become more familiar with the presence of Salafis around them. Salafi pesantrens are connected to their counterparts in the Middle East. This connection can be observed in two aspects: financial support and the adoption of curriculum. Some Salafi pesantrens receive large sums of money from Salafi institutions: the Jam’iyyat Ihya’ al-Turath al-Islami in Kuwait, and the Sheikh ‘Eid Charity Association in Qatar. They usually spent the money for construction of buildings, such as classrooms, student dormitories and mosques. Moreover, they also have adopted curricula from Yemen and Saudi Arabia in religious subjects. To maintain this linkage, Salafis often request fatwas from Salafi sheikhs in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and send their students to study with them. I conclude that Salafi pesantrens play a significant role in the dissemination of Salafism. In addition to teaching Salafism to their students, the Salafis preach Salafism to the local community through many means, including organizing religious lessons in mosques around them and establishing Salafi da’wa radio stations. The use of radio channels is intended to reach a wider audience the Salafi ustadhs cannot reach physically.