Communal Salafi learning and Islamic selfhood: Examining religious boundaries through ethnographic encounters in Indonesia

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, the translocal Salafi movement has expanded rapidly across Indonesia. Propagating a strict ‘literal’ interpretation of Islam, Salafis place strong emphasis on separating themselves from un-Islamic (non-Salafi) society. However, the daily implementation of such rigid boundaries remains rife with tension, depending less on Islamic scripture and more upon how adherents interpret it in a given time and place. A reflexive approach to ethnography provides a unique tool to examine and make visible these anxieties, placing the ethnographer at a vantage point to observe the communal interactions through which religious ethics are given meaning. By reflecting upon my study of the al-Hasanah mosque in Yogyakarta, I describe the ways my informants and I negotiated each other’s presence and how this illuminated the struggles to create a Salafi selfhood and modern religious ethic.

Interpretations of al-wala’ wa-l-bara’ in Everyday Lives of Salafis in Germany

“…128-48) argues within his case studies of three Egyptian Salafis, everyday lives of people are always embedded in their specific life trajectories, personal and societal settings which can shape their experiences of religious commitment and dedication by ambivalences, dynamics and transformations. Chaplin (2018) shows that ambiguities do not only arise when they are unavoidable in predominantly non-Muslim contexts, but they also arise in a predominantly Muslim environment. Regardless of whether Salafis are living in a country with a Muslim majority or in a country with a non-Muslim majority: The interpretation of religious duties and principles is always a product of interaction between (in the case of Germany: predominantly non-Muslim) sociopolitical and cultural surroundings, on the one hand, and faith doctrines and transnational religious normativities, on the other hand.…”

“…3-4). However, as Murad mentioned, there can be considerable differences in the meaning of al-wala' wa-l-bara' and how it should be implemented through loyalty and support to a "we"-group of believers-and through disavowal and dissociation from persons perceived as non-believers or following 'wrong' religious convictions; and/or a non-Islamic environment (see, e.g., de Koning 2013a; Shavit 2014; Kursani 2018;Chaplin 2018;Damir-Geilsdorf et al 2018).…”

Learning Arabic Pegon for Non-Javanese Santri at Pesantren

“…This is in line with the three elements that influence its existence, namely the figure of the kiai who is the caretaker of the pesantren, the various values and curriculum of the pesantren, and the service of the pesantren to community activities (Aisyah et al, 2022;Indrawati, 2014). The salaf pesantren are not merely a medium for the internal transformation of students' self but are also related to the creation of communal ethics that determine how a santri navigates teachings, society, and religious identity (Chaplin, 2020). When discussing pesantren concerning learning, several models are needed to study ancient Arabic writing and see the importance of these manuscripts to enrich historical information (Khayyat & Elrefaei, 2020).…”

Tafsir Salafi Online di Indonesia; al-Walā’ wa al-Barā’ sebagai Landasan Pergerakan Salafi Jihadis

“…Kemudian artikel dengan judul Salafi's Textualism in Understanding Qur'an and Hadith (Muzakki, 2019), Internet, Identity and Islamic Movements: The Case of Salafism in Indonesia (Iqbal, 2014), Salafi Dakwah and the Dissemination of Islamic Puritanism In Indonesia: A Case Study of the Radio of Rodja (Yakin, 2018), kedua artikel tersebut menjelaskan bagaimana kemudian metode tekstual salafi dalam membaca teks menjadi kekuatan dalam kontestasi paham kegamaan di Indonesia, hal ini karena mereka memanfaatkan sangat baik beberapa media Online. Selanjutnya adalah Communal Salafi Learning and Islamic Selfhood: Examining Religious Boundaries Through Ethnographic Encounters in Indonesia (Chaplin, 2020), Challenging Religious Authority: The Emergence of Salafi Ustadhs in Indonesia (Wahid, 2012), New Media Technology and Religious Fundamentalist Movements: Exploring the Internet Use by Salafi Movement in Indonesia (Iqbal & Zulkifli, 2018), artikel-artikel tersebut juga meruapakan hasil analsis terhadap fenomena dakwah online yang dilakukan oleh golongan salafi dengan membawa paham kegamaan secara fundamental, dari hasil penelitian artikelartikel tersebut juga menyimpulkan bahwa kesuksesan mereka dalam mengekspansi paham kegamaan secara fundamental tidak terlepas dari penggunaan media online.…”