How Islam Learned to Adapt in 'Nusantara'

www.sr-indonesia.comwww.sr-indonesia.com JANUARY-MARCHAPRIL-JUNE 2015/VOLUME 2015/VOLUME 5/NUMBER 5/NUMBER 1 2 How Islam learned to adapt in ‘Nusantara’ Yahya Cholil Staquf China and ASEAN: A new model in relations Indonesia’s new fight Kishore Mahbubani against poverty Volatile oil prices and fuel subsidies Anna Winoto Will Hickey ‘There must be fairness Kennedy, Dulles and in economic policy’ Indonesia Jusuf Kalla Greg Poulgrain Rp 95.000 18 STRATEGIC REVIEW COVER STORY AFP PHOTO/ADEK BERRY PHOTO/ADEK AFP How Islam learned to adapt in ‘Nusantara’ Yahya Cholil Staquf usantara is a term used to describe the vast Indonesian is secretary for political archipelago that stretches across the tropics from Sumatra in and international affairs the west to Papua in the east. It is a region characterized by for the supreme council Nimmense geographic, biological, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity. of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest The word “nusantara” first appeared in Javanese literature in the 14th Islamic organization. century, and referred to the enormous chain of islands that constituted He previously served the Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit Empire. as press secretary for Nusantara is a compound noun derived from ancient Javanese: Abdurrahman Wahid, the nusa (“islands”) and antara (“opposite” or “across from”). In his book late Indonesian president and NU leader. “Negarakertagama,” written circa 1365, the author and Buddhist monk Mpu Prapanca described the territory that comprised Nusantara, which included most of modern Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Bali, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, part of the Malukus and COVER STORY APRIL-JUNE 2015/VOLUME 5/NUMBER 2 19 Bhinneka Tunggal Ika may serve as a model for establishing a true alliance of civilizations, capable of addressing a wide array of dangers that threaten contemporary humanity. West Papua), plus a substantial portion of of civilizations, capable of addressing a wide the territories that now comprise Malaysia, array of dangers that threaten contemporary Singapore, Brunei and the southern humanity. Philippines. As of 2010, this region was High among those dangers, of course, is the inhabited by approximately 1,340 distinct Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, known as ISIS. ethnic groups speaking nearly 2,500 different The phrase Bhinneka Tunggal Ika first languages and dialects, according to Indonesia’s appeared in an ancient Javanese kakawin (book Central Bureau of Statistics. of poetry), known as “Kakawin Sutasoma.” Indonesia’s national motto – Bhinneka Composed in the 14th century by Mpu Tunggal Ika – was coined during the so-called Tantular, this renowned book promotes golden age of Majapahit. Bhinneka means mutual understanding and tolerance between “different” or “diverse.” The Sanskrit word Buddhists and Hindu followers of Shiva. The “neka” (like the Latin term “genus”) signifies phrase appears in chapter 139, verse 5: “kind,” and is the etymological antecedent of the commonly used Indonesian word “aneka,” Rwāneka dhātu winuwus Buddha Wiswa, which means “variety.” Tunggal means “one.” Bhinnêki rakwa ring apan kena parwanosen, Ika means “that.” Thus, Bhinneka Tunggal Mangka ng Jinatwa kalawan Śiwatatwa tunggal, Ika may be literally translated as “Variative Bhinnêka tunggal ika tan hana dharma mangrwa. (ie, different) Yet One.” Within the context of modern Indonesia, this implies that It is said that Buddha and Shiva are two distinct despite enormous ethnic, linguistic, cultural, substances (or entities). They are indeed geographic and religious differences, the different, yet it is impossible to regard them as people of Indonesia are all citizens of a single, fundamentally different (when one apprehends unified nation – the Unitary State of the the underlying Unity of existence). Republic of Indonesia. Yet the connotations of this motto are For the essence (truth) of Buddha and the essence far more profound and universal in their (truth) of Shiva is One (tunggal). (The diverse significance than may appear at first glance. forms of the universe) are indeed different, yet In fact, the concept, historical precedent and simultaneously One, spiritual reality of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika may serve as a model for establishing a true alliance For Truth is indivisible. 20 STRATEGIC REVIEW COVER STORY It is important to note that the civilizational centuries and was already deeply rooted within greatness attained in the East Indies the culture of a wide geographic region that lay archipelago (Nusantara) did not begin with the at the crossroads of many ancient civilizations. Majapahit dynasty. Archaeological remains and The value of this single quatrain of other historical records indicate that complex poetry from “Kakawin Sutasoma” is that it sociocultural systems had developed within encapsulates – and helps us to comprehend Nusantara from at least the third century. And – the worldview embraced by the Nusantara long before that, intense economic and cultural civilization as a whole, which underlies its interchange had occurred, both among local remarkable religious pluralism and tolerance. populations within Nusantara and with the Namely, that the universe arises from a single outside world, especially India and China. An source, which constitutes the “spiritual economic boom stimulated by maritime trade essence” of all things. From this perspective, is evident from at least the first century (Paul cultures and religions that appear to be widely Michael Munoz, 2006), with an abundance of divergent are in fact like colors emerging from ancient Roman gold coins found in Nusantara a prism, derived from a single source of light. attesting to the remarkable scope, and extent, This profoundly spiritual worldview of such trade. emerged spontaneously among the people Given the remarkable ethnic, linguistic and of Nusantara. Given the enormous cultural cultural heterogeneity of the region, and the and linguistic diversity present within the dynamic interactions between members of East Indies archipelago, it was impossible different groups, Nusantara societies naturally to create, much less enforce, the relatively developed a highly pluralistic outlook on high degree of cultural, linguistic and/or life. Cultural and religious influences from religious uniformity characteristic of some abroad were quickly assimilated by Nusantara’s regions of the world. The people of Nusantara highly adaptive, and flourishing, civilization. concluded that they must accept the reality Thus, Mpu Tantular’s observation regarding of this diversity, which confronted them on Bhinneka Tunggal Ika did not emerge from a a daily basis, and hone their ability to coexist void. Rather, it expressed the collective wisdom peacefully with others. As a result, they came of Nusantara, which had developed over the to view cultural and religious differences as inevitable, and developed a civilization that emphasized attaining a state of harmony as the most effective way to maintain order within a Cultures and religions that appear complex social and cultural environment. to be widely divergent are in fact The arrival of Islam like colors emerging from a prism, derived from a single source of rom the seventh to the 10th centuries, light. FIslam established deep roots in the Middle COVER STORY APRIL-JUNE 2015/VOLUME 5/NUMBER 2 21 East, from Spain and Morocco to western Islam was forced to “surrender” India, giving birth to a new civilization and to the prevailing local customs, countless works of genius. These territories and power, of Nusantara’s highly underwent a gradual process of Islamization, and Arabization as well, in the Levant, pluralistic civilization. Mesopotamia and the northern coast of Africa, as a result of having been conquered and subjugated by Muslim rulers. In other words, military conquest was the Shariah) dominated such discourse, due to the essential prerequisite, and catalyst, for the central position of law in establishing order development of classical Islamic civilization. and governing the relationship between various Islam quickly attained military and political members of society. supremacy in the Middle East, which enabled Muslim rulers to enforce order and manage What about Nusantara? the community at large in accordance with religious doctrine and dogma. It was precisely Given the paucity of contemporaneous in this atmosphere that the classical teachings historical records, no convincing explanation (ie, interpretation) of Islam evolved, including has been provided to date of the precise aqidah (the system of Islamic doctrine, as mechanisms through which Islam penetrated related to Divine teachings); fiqh (the vast Nusantara. A number of records indicate body of classical Islamic jurisprudence); and that Islamic kingdoms were established in tasawwuf (Islamic mysticism, through which Nusantara from the late 13th through the 15th Muslims explored the spiritual dimension of centuries (including Jeumpa, Tambayung and life). Malacca), prior to the process of Islamization Although Muslims’ interpretation of Islamic gaining decisive momentum in Java with the doctrine, dogma, law and spirituality was establishment of the Demak Kingdom. inevitably diverse, it was the responsibility Notably, virtually all academics agree that of Muslim rulers (ie, conquerors) to Islam spread throughout Nusantara through establish order, which in turn created a a “diffusive” and “adaptive” process that, for powerful impetus to establish uniformity of the most part, eschewed military conquest. religious doctrine

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