Said Abdullah Calls NU a Force of Indonesian Islam
Chairman of the PDI Perjuangan Regional Leadership Council (DPD) for East Java, Said Abdullah, hopes that the 35th Congress of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) will become a momentum to strengthen the organisation’s identity as a moral and cultural force of Indonesian Islam.
The 35th NU Congress is scheduled to be held on 27–31 August 2026 at the Bahrul Ulum Islamic Boarding School in Tambakberas, Jombang, East Java. Said assessed that NU possesses social capital, an intellectual tradition, and the strength of its pesantren network that have enabled the organisation to survive and develop for more than a century.
According to Said, the presence of the kiai and the pesantren community is one of NU’s principal strengths. The Islamic tradition based on the Asy’ariyah school of thought is also continually contextualised so that it can answer the challenges of the times.
“As a subcultural force, NU serves as a cultural space where Islamic values, Indonesian identity, tolerance, and local wisdom develop organically. This practice is one of the sources of NU’s strength, enabling it to survive and grow to this day,” said Said.
He reminded NU not to be drawn too far into the clamour of politics. In his view, NU’s leadership succession should not be conducted like a pragmatic and transactional political leadership transition.
“NU must not be tempted to become too deeply involved in the clamour of politics. NU’s leadership succession should also not be treated like a pragmatic and transactional political succession,” he said.
Said assessed that NU is one of the faces of Indonesian Islam that has attracted global attention because it has been able to present a moderate Islam, nurture democratic values, and contribute to the journey of the Indonesian nation.
He also stressed the importance of making moral and spiritual strength the foundation in determining NU’s leadership. According to Said, NU’s founders built the organisation through tirakat and a long spiritual path.
“That spiritual spirit should remain the foundation in selecting NU’s leadership,” said Said.
Said hopes that the 35th NU Congress will not expend its energy merely on contesting leadership positions. He noted that many major issues still require attention, such as poverty, unemployment, the agricultural crisis, environmental damage, democratic decline, and the impact of global conflicts on the national economy.
“There are still many major problems faced by NU members and the wider public. Therefore, the 35th NU Congress should not be spent solely on contesting leadership positions,” he said.
According to Said, NU has now grown beyond the pesantren community and its subcultural strength. Hundreds of thousands of NU graduates who have studied in various parts of the world are an important asset for the organisation in addressing civilisational challenges.
He said NU has the potential to become a diasporic force that contributes to the development of knowledge and the resolution of various problems facing the ummah. Said also reminded NU to learn from the history of Islamic glory during the Abbasid Dynasty.
“NU will grow even larger and be able to elevate Islamic civilisation if it continues to walk on the path of the ummah. NU needs to make a real contribution to solving the problems of the ummah while answering various civilisational challenges,” he said.
Said encouraged that the outcomes of Bahtsul Masail be given greater prominence as products of NU’s ulama and intellectual thought. According to him, the forum can demonstrate NU’s scholarly and Islamic capacity in responding to the challenges of the times.
“It is the thinking born from that intellectual tradition that will keep NU relevant, whether yesterday, today, or in the future,” said Said.
As a member of the NU community, Said hopes the organisation will remain steadfast on the path of moral, spiritual, and social example.
“Congratulations on the congress. May Allah SWT always bless NU,” he concluded.