Gus Kikin: 35th NU Congress to Return to the Original Qonun Asasi
Jombang (ANTARA) - The caretaker of the Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School in Jombang Regency, East Java, KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz (Gus Kikin), stated that the implementation of the 35th NU Congress is intended to return NU to the Qonun Asasi (basic rules) it has held since its inception.
“NU will be returned to the Qonun Asasi, following the existing rules (AD/ART). NU is a harokah, NU is a movement; the founders taught ukhuwah, unity, solidarity, and set a good example,” he said in a statement received in Jombang on Sunday.
He stated that NU is a community organisation that upholds ukhuwah or unity. Therefore, he hopes that NU will set a good example for the community.
Gus Kikin also stated that returning to the Qonun Asasi is ideal, because NU will be strong if there is ukhuwah, solidarity, and a good example.
According to him, with such a foundation in NU’s body, NU will be able to mobilise society as it did in the past, because there are no personal interests, but rather the interests of the nation and state.
He added that the NU leaders from the founding generation also established NU in response to global conditions, as the King of Saudi Arabia at that time imposed the Wahhabi school on Hajj pilgrims and also planned to destroy historical sites such as the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad, leading to the formation of the Hijaz Committee to send a delegation there.
He revealed that during the Hijaz Committee meeting in Kertopaten, Surabaya, the need for an official organisation to send a delegation to the King of Saudi Arabia was discussed, and it was agreed to name it Jamiyah Nahdlatul Ulama.
Regarding the NU Congress 2026 planned to be held in early August, Gus Kikin emphasised his readiness to carry out the mandate if given one.
He refused to be said to be seeking election, as he is not asking for it. Only if given the mandate, he will carry it out.
“If I am pushed, then I will go ahead; after all, advancing is an obligation. If no one pushes, it’s fine, because the important thing is that I am not asking. The important thing is also not to push by any means necessary; I don’t want that,” he said.
Meanwhile, the General Chairman of the Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School Alumni Family Association (IKAPETE), Prof Dr KH Masykuri Bakri, hopes that the upcoming NU Congress 2026 can bring NU towards unity.
“NU must be repositioned as pioneered by KH Hasyim Asy’ari, namely to bring an atmosphere of unity. Unity and oneness are the main keys; we pray that NU returns to its khittah, like a train that has derailed must be put back on its tracks,” said Masykuri.
He emphasised the importance of bringing alumni back to the tracks, back to the khittah. This is in accordance with the values inherited by NU’s founder, Hadratussyech K.H. Hasyim Asy’ari.