Closing Ranks for the Welfare of Nahdlatul Ulama’s Jamaah and Jam’iyah

By: Moh Taqiyuddin Saleh 

[OPINION] The 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress in Jombang has just concluded. As with any major gathering that brings together diverse ideas and perspectives, the atmosphere does not immediately return to calm after the event. Rumblings from various circles, including rumors and indirect jabs, can still be heard among NU members. Allegations of money politics, efforts to influence the process, and competing interests among different factions remain widely discussed.

As someone born and raised in a Nahdliyin family, I cannot help but pay attention to this situation. NU has entered its second century, and it is time for us to respond more maturely to the various situations and dynamics within the jam’iyah. We are certainly familiar with the meaning of Nahdlatul Ulama, “the revival of the ulama.” This name indicates that the organization is a forum for people of knowledge, which naturally entails a diversity of opinions and perspectives within NU. In such circumstances, whose opinion is the most correct when everyone believes that their own opinion is right?

It is indeed an irony that is both troubling and somewhat unsettling. NU, as one of the largest socio-religious organizations, often finds itself caught in internal conflicts. Yet, if we look back at the long history of the nation’s struggle, NU has been known for its ability to serve as a humanistic force for unity. With its diverse membership, the NU jam’iyah is like a train with many carriages and passengers inside them. The kiai, who serve as role models for the members, are like the carriages carrying those passengers. If one carriage becomes detached from the train, the passengers inside it will inevitably move away from the rest of the train.

As an international student in China, I have learned that the strength of a major country like China does not stem from the perfection of its government or ruling party. Rather, it comes from its ability to build collaboration between the government and the people. At various international conferences in China, I have often heard testimonies that China’s progress has been driven by cooperation and commitment between the government and its people. The government develops policies for the welfare of its citizens, while the people work together to support government programs aimed at creating prosperity.

This phenomenon is worth reflecting on within the Nahdlatul Ulama jam’iyah. Those who have been chosen to carry the responsibility of steering this great organization must genuinely consider the welfare of its members.

At the same time, the members themselves need to engage in introspection following the recently concluded Congress. Once the Congress has reached a decision, we should be willing to accept the outcome of the forum. Liu Yanli, a professor in China, once shared her experience of being invited to join an effort to establish a new political party outside the party she had previously belonged to. She firmly rejected the idea, arguing that creating a new entity merely out of disappointment does not guarantee better results than improving what already exists. In her view, it is better to improve what already exists than to build something new.

I am not comparing political systems, nor am I suggesting that we adopt perspectives from outside the context of NU. What I want to emphasize is the essence of loyalty and commitment to improving an organization from within. This is an attitude that we should also apply in the context of the jam’iyah. An organization built by its founders (muassis) through great struggle should be nurtured, not abandoned because of temporary disappointment.

NU’s strength lies in its network of kiai and Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) that extends into villages across the country. This network forms a social structure that has proven resilient in facing various waves of change. However, we must recognize that even the largest structure will lose its meaning if the energy within it becomes fragmented by unhealthy competition. As collective action theory suggests, the success of a social movement is largely determined by its members’ capacity to set aside short-term interests in pursuit of larger, long-term goals.

Clifford Geertz (1985) taught us something important through his typology of santri, abangan, and priyayi. Although this typology has often been debated and does not fully capture the complexity of Javanese society, it reminds us of one fundamental fact: NU’s community is not homogeneous. Within NU exist diverse orientations, interests, and perspectives. Geertz demonstrated that within a single community there can be different cultural variants, and these differences are not weaknesses but sociological realities that must be managed wisely.

NU, as a jam’iyah born from the heart of rural society, is fundamentally a forum for people from all walks of life. The recently concluded Congress, with all its disagreements and competing interests, reflects this dynamic. Differences are part of human nature. The problem is often not the differences themselves, but how we respond to them. Do we allow these differences to become a fire that burns the bonds of brotherhood, or do we turn them into fuel that enables us to move forward?

This question is important because NU, as an organization rooted in grassroots communities, carries a major responsibility to empower its members. Empowerment in its true sense is not merely about providing assistance or implementing top-down programs. It is a process of facilitating communities to discover their own strengths and recognize that they are not merely objects of development, but subjects capable of determining the direction of change.

In this way, they can be invited to stand together in pursuit of the welfare of their communities while advancing the Nahdlatul Ulama jam’iyah.*

About the Author: Moh Taqiyuddin Saleh is a doctoral student at China Agricultural University, specializing in Development Studies/Rural Sociology, and Deputy Secretary of PCINU China. He is an alumnus of Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Yogyakarta) and holds a postgraduate degree from China Agricultural University in Rural Development and Management Studies, with a focus on Agrarian Transformation.

Editor: Latifah

*Editorial Note: This article is the work of the author. All content, views, interpretations, and information presented are the responsibility of the author. The editorial team is not responsible for the views or opinions expressed in the article beyond the editing process undertaken for publication.