Ahead of the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress at Bahrul Ulum\nIslamic Boarding School in Tambakberas, Jombang, from 27 to 31 August\n2026, one important question must be asked: where does NU intend to\ndirect its service as it enters its second century?<\/p>\n
The congress theme, \u2018Safeguarding Dignity, Enriching Service for the\nCommon Good of the Nation\u2019, carries a fundamental message that NU is\nrequired to reflect on its function as a religious and social\norganisation (jam\u2019iyyah diniyyah ijtima\u2019iyyah) that bears great\nresponsibility towards the ummah as well as the nation. For the author,\nthe congress does not merely determine who will lead for the next five\nyears; far more important is the direction of NU after entering its\nsecond century and what it wishes to bequeath to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
What makes the Jombang Congress different is that not all of its\nmaterial can be answered from classical perspectives alone. Based on the\n35th Congress materials already received by participants, several\nmatters have drawn the author\u2019s attention. Some of the issues discussed\nrelate directly to technological developments, the economy, and the\nchallenges of contemporary social life: wireless brain implants, crypto\nassets, gold zakat standards, mining concessions, energy sovereignty,\nand food security.<\/p>\n
When dignity is questioned<\/p>\n
\u2018Safeguarding dignity\u2019 means far more than protecting the\norganisation\u2019s image.<\/p>\n
NU\u2019s dignity has been built through pesantren, the scholarship of\nulama, the tradition of deliberation, and religious moderation\u2014it is\nborn of trust, not power. Therefore, safeguarding dignity means\nsafeguarding trust, particularly amid an uncertain global situation.<\/p>\n
NU\u2019s recent internal dynamics should serve as a lesson for all NU\nmembers, both at the structural level and at the grassroots. Differences\nof opinion in an organisation as large as NU are natural; what must not\nhappen is for those differences to cause the congregation to lose\ndirection regarding the main purpose of the organisation.<\/p>\n
The congress must become a moment of reconciliation\u2014not to erase\ndifferences, but to return them to NU\u2019s tradition: deliberation,\nclarification, and respect for the ulama. From a national resilience\nperspective, the ability to manage differences without losing unity is\nthe very core of resilience itself.<\/p>\n
NU\u2019s internal resilience is part of the strength of the Indonesian\nnation. The dynamics of NU\u2019s relationship with politics must also be\nmaintained at a proportional distance. NU must remain aware of its\nfunction as a balancer and supervisor of policy. This is where NU\u2019s\nkhittah (principles and values) must remain the guiding light without\nforgetting its role as guardian of the national consensus, preserving\nthe integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, and\nfighting for the welfare of the ummah.<\/p>\n
Resilience of the information space<\/p>\n
The main challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) for Nahdliyin\nmembers and pesantren include the shifting of religious scholarly\nauthority, the risk of eroding critical reasoning, and the loss of\nspiritual value in the chain of scholarly transmission. However,\nNahdliyin members must continue to respond adaptively through the\ndevelopment of independent digital innovations, such as Digdaya AI-NU\nand technology literacy training. The crowded religious information\nspace that circulates rapidly is often not directly proportional to the\ndepth of knowledge. Many truncated narratives are spread without\ncontext, scholarly lineage, or clear methodology.<\/p>\n
Facing this information chaos, Nahdliyin members need to strengthen\nthe intellectual fortress that has long been the strength of pesantren:\nreading, studying, and writing.<\/p>\n
The battle of ideas today takes place every second on social media.\nOne video can shape the perception of millions of people; one\nprovocative narrative can widen the distance between groups. NU has\nbegun to respond: the 2026 National Conference and Grand Consultation\napproved a fiqh guideline on the right to be forgotten, which affirms\nthe prohibition of re-disseminating content that shames a person, with\nstrict exceptions for the sake of transparency regarding the track\nrecord of leadership candidates. NU has also affirmed a balanced stance\non artificial intelligence: asking AI about religion is permissible, but\nmaking it a guide for religious practice is not justified, while\nparticipating in developing AI that presents authoritative Islamic\nreferences is deemed necessary.<\/p>\n
The author sees that NU media must not function merely as a\nmouthpiece for organisational activities. NU media must become part of a\nhealthy information ecosystem\u2014verifying, providing context, and building\na soothing Islamic-national narrative. NU also needs to prepare a\ngeneration with literacy resilience: the ability to understand\ninformation, verify truth, and not easily become part of digital\nprovocation. Amid today\u2019s boundless digitalisation, which has become the\nmain consumption of the nation\u2019s younger generation, if NU can at least\ncreate a healthy information ecosystem, millions of young Nahdliyin\nmembers, as well as the nation\u2019s children, will be saved.<\/p>\n
A modern mass organisation<\/p>\n
The Pre-Congress Bahtsul Masail at Cendekia Amanah Islamic Boarding\nSchool in Depok discussed three issues at the forefront of civilisation:\nthe commercialisation of genetic data (DNA), the integration of wireless\nbrain implants (Neuralink), and the status of cryptocurrency in fiqh\nmuamalah.<\/p>\n
Genetic data is not ordinary data. It is a biological blueprint that\nconcerns parents, siblings, and even unborn descendants. From the\nperspective of maqashid shariah, this touches upon hifzh an-nasl (the\nconcept of protecting lineage or family honour) and hifzh an-nafs (the\nconcept of protecting life or safety) simultaneously; from a national\nresilience perspective, it concerns the sovereignty of the nation\u2019s\nbiological data. Regarding wireless brain implants, fiqh affirms the\nboundary between treatment that restores function and augmentation that\nalters the nature of creation\u2014including the legal status of a person\u2019s\nwill mediated by another party\u2019s control device.<\/p>\n
As for crypto assets, they demand clarity of classification: whether\nthey constitute legitimate wealth, a commodity, or a means of payment\u2014an\nanswer that has so far differed between regions and has not been\nresolved at the national level, even though millions of young Nahdliyin\nmembers have already become involved in the circulation of digital\nassets without guidance.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nu-congress-dignity-service-and-the-common-good-1787795653", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }