Ma'ruf Amin Warns NU: Don't Squabble Over Mines!

Former Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has reminded Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) to be cautious and not to fall easily into the mining trap. He does not want NU members to fight among themselves over mining concessions.

He made the remarks while speaking at the ‘Halaqoh Kebangsaan dan Qanun Asasi’ event held at the Parliamentary Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Saturday, 8 August 2026.

He began by outlining two views held by Islamic scholars on how to prosper the earth. The first is to preserve what is good in its goodness and not to cause destruction.

‘So keeping the good as good, and not carrying out destruction,’ said Ma’ruf.

The second is to make what is good even better. According to him, this can be achieved through innovation or downstream processing.

‘What was once sufficient with water only from rain in agriculture, we now carry out engineering, build dams, create irrigation, and so on — tertiary, primary, and so forth,’ Ma’ruf explained.

Furthermore, Ma’ruf Amin said, technological development is carried out. In this way, he believes, good things can be made even better.

Ma’ruf Amin then warned NU not to fall into the mining trap.

‘Be careful. Don’t let us get caught in the mining trap. Don’t fight over mining concessions — NU already has its own mine,’ he said.

‘Now, this is actually the muqawwimatul hayah taught by NU. How we carry out innovation to make what is good even better. So, when we prosper the land, we prepare its resources, we do this. This is part of the great mission of the ulama,’ Ma’ruf Amin concluded.