Indigenous Theosophy in Indonesia: Conception and Meaning of Mystical Philosophy in the Naqshabandiyyah Al Mrikiyah Text

Abstract

<p>Tariqah Naqshabandiyyah in Indonesia comprises several sects, each having a different style and character; one of them is Naqshabandiyyah Al Mrikiyah. The Naqshabandiyyah Al Mrikiyah sect is a tariqah group with an indigenous Javanese style and a teaching character that accommodates the culture and beliefs of the local community. This paper aims to explore the three realities that have developed among the Naqshabandiyyah Al Mrikiyah sect in adapting Javanese culture within its teachings and the meaning contained in each ritual. It includes the reconstruction of theosophical concepts, the development of alternative theosophical teachings according to the locality, and the exploration of the hermeneutical meanings contained in their teachings. The data for the study were generated from the Naqshabandiyyah Al Mrikiyah teaching books by reading, recording, and grouping theosophical teachings according to their characteristics and through interviews with members of the congregation regarding the Javanese philosophy. This study reveals that Naqshabandiyyah Al Mrikiyah developed the concept of theosophy by giving it an innovative and inclusive meaning to local culture. The Naqshabandiyyah Al Mrikiyah sect also offers an epistemology of the contextual meaning from religious texts with productive hermeneutics. This article recommends a massive study of the existing tariqah orders in Indonesia with a locality perspective to determine the acceptance of Indonesian society towards those tariqah orders. This article contributes to the conception and meaning of tariqah that comes with the prevailing local wisdom style, such as religious rituals performed by many tariqah orders in Indonesia.</p>