The 35th NU Congress: A Battleground for the 'Menak'

When the Prophet Moses expressed his desire to follow and learn from the Prophet Khidir, the son of Imran was given a number of conditions. If he refused to obey, there would be serious consequences. The heaviest consequence was that Moses would be asked to step aside. The sanction was firoq—separation from his teacher. One of the conditions was not to ask too many questions. This is a heavy burden. It is certainly not an easy situation if a student is forbidden from questioning his sheikh, especially when he has already declared his determination to study and gain knowledge from the kiai.

Another condition that was no less heavy and had to be obeyed by the Prophet Moses was that he could not protest against the Prophet Khidir. Khidir’s fears became reality. In practice, the Prophet Moses, with his naked eye, witnessed the actions of the Prophet Khidir which were ‘strange’ from a superficial perspective. Because he was accustomed to being critical, even daring to oppose the Pharaoh, Moses responded quickly to events that he considered beyond the bounds of reasonableness. He refused to obey Khidir. He disagreed with his teacher. He questioned the truth according to the teacher’s version. He stated he did not believe there was any aspect of the Prophet Khidir’s command that could be obeyed. He made a different choice from his teacher. For the sake of that belief and for holding firmly to his choice, the Prophet Moses had to accept the consequences of ‘violating’ his allegiance to the Prophet Khidir. The chronicles state that they eventually firoq. And the Prophet Moses accepted his destiny.

Al Junayd said, ‘When Moses wanted to learn from Khidir, he observed the ethical conditions. First, he asked permission to study. Khidir permitted him with conditions: not to oppose him in any matter and to abstain from protest. When Moses began to object, once or twice it was still tolerated. However, the third time, and this is the limit of the many and the beginning of the maximum limit, then separation occurred. “This is the parting between me and you.” (QS. Al Kahfi: 78).’

These two ‘menak’ in the list of prophets and messengers have provided a lesson laden with values. It is astonishing. Two renowned prophets chose different perspectives on an event and action. Both are holy figures and beloved of God, whose spiritual journeys are memorised by heart by the communities that came later. Among the hundreds of thousands of prophets, according to the narrations that have reached us, they are included in the list of ‘menak’ prophets and messengers.

Syekh Abu Ali ad Daqqaq said, ‘The beginning of all separation is opposition, meaning that a person who opposes his sheikh is not adhering to his tarekat. The relationship between the two has been severed, even if they are gathered on the same plot of land. Whoever studies under a sheikh, and then in his heart there is conflict, then the bond of the teacher-student covenant has been damaged, and he must repent.’ (Kitab Risalah Qusyairiyah).

If two prophets disagree on the method and approach to a matter, they can directly return to God. Indeed, the Prophet Moses is also known as kalimullah. He could ask for time at any moment to report to God. In the understanding of some exegetes, for the purpose of disseminating his message and prophethood, the Prophet Moses is narrated to have sent a ‘proposal’ for the appointment of Aaron as a prophet. The Prophet Moses needed a patent spokesperson to convey God’s message to the universe.

But if, in the highest forum of the jam’iyyah, the ‘menak’ disagree on how to captain the great vessel named Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), to whom will they report? They could also report to God. What is clear is that the gawagis—the gus gus—are all thinking hard, offering promises and ‘proposals’ to the congress participants. These gus are figures who have long received honour and respect due to many factors. Lineage is one of them. In these noble gus, blue blood flows. Within them is recorded the sacred legacy of the kiai, whose long service is clearly known and whose benefits are felt by the community, especially by Nahdlatul Ulama members. The kiai, close relatives of these gus, are a group of virtuous individuals who manage and nurture pesantren that are emulated by the congregation and produce students who actively participate in managing the community and the organisation.

We are certainly very familiar with names like Gus Yahya, Gus Kikin, Gus Salam, Gus Rozin, Gus Yusuf, and many other gus. We are also surely familiar with the Raudlatut Thalibin Islamic Boarding School in Rembang, or the Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School in Jombang, or the Mamba’ul Ma’arif Islamic Boarding School in Denanyar, or the Maslakul Huda Islamic Boarding School in Kajen, Pati, or the API Islamic Boarding School in Tegalrejo, Magelang. The track record of these Islamic educational institutions in their struggle for religion, the republic, and humanity is beyond doubt.

These gus, who have now transformed into kiai and obeyed ulama, are preparing to ‘battle’ for the opportunity to lead NU. Each has formulated a vision and mission after reflecting, reading, and taking notes. They have examined data, critiqued findings, and sought solutions to the organisation’s problems from previous periods. The strengths and weaknesses of Gus Yahya and the PBNU have been studied, work plans have been drafted, and mitigation steps have been prepared.

An equally important preparation is the ‘success team’. This is a somewhat crucial matter. It must be thought through carefully, especially in the stage of making team members understand the candidate’s intentions, objectives, methods, vision, and mission for NU. This team is a double-edged sword. If filled with capable, appropriate people who share the same vision, the team will contribute significantly. But if not, or if the opposite is true, then the team’s existence will only become a ‘problem’. The team members of each candidate are currently in a position of seeking or even creating loopholes regarding the strengths and weaknesses of every opponent. Weaknesses are explored and used as an entry point for an approach. They understand very well that every choice carries risks.