Seizing Ahlussunah wal Jama’ah: The Contestation of Identity on Hermeneutic Digital Platforms in Indonesia
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The identity of Ahlussunah wal Jama'ah (Aswaja) has become a hallmark of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) organization in Indonesia. However, Salafi declared itself as the Aswaja and continued to campaign true AhlusSunnah, while labeling others as heretics. This article delves into the issue of the struggle for Aswaja claims between NU and Salafi in Indonesia as represented on their official websites. To explore this contestation, the article uses Fairclough's critical discourse analysis, which is useful to uncover meanings and ideas within published texts, processes of discourse production, and their implications for socio-religious practices in Indonesia. The findings of this study reveal differences in hermeneutical strategies used by NU and Salafi, especially on social, cultural, and governmental issues. Based on its hermeneutical approach, Salafi claims that Aswaja, as defined by the Salafi manhaj, represents the authentic and safe path. In contrast, NU contructs its distinction through the concept of Aswaja an-Nahdliyah which it presents as more relevant to Indonesian Muslims. NU and Salafi continue to compete for Aswaja's authority in Indonesia, utilizing digital platforms and employing jargon they consider inherited from the Companions and Tabi'in, such as returning to the Qur’ān and Sunnah, the purity of monotheism, and anti-bid'ah. This article demonstrates that this struggle for Aswaja's authority has become a new feature of Islamic religious life in Indonesia and an authoritative medium for their followers to strengthen their understanding of Islam in the digital era. This allows for a competitive NU-Salafi relationship to co-exist in addressing religious issues in the future.
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