Post-traditionalist Nahdlatul Ulama and Neo-modernist Muhammadiyah: A Study of Local Muslim Thoughts in Gorontalo

Abstract

Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah have responded to the local reality of Gorontalo by new approaches of post-traditionalism and neo-modernism. The present article delves to explore the landscape of local Muslim community in Gorontalo within the discourse of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah; it also aims to investigate the model of post-traditionalist Nahdlatul Ulama and neo-modernist Muhammadiyah thoughts in understanding Islam and Gorontalo culture. The study employed a qualitative method that relies on primary and secondary data. Informants from the two Islamic organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, were involved within this study. Prior to the data analysis, the primary and secondary data were classified.The results of this study signified two points of concern: 1) the Muslim community in Gorontalo consists of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah affiliations. The two organizations have a harmonious relationship; both organizations understand and respect each other. Some of the jama’ah (follower/member) of one organization even practice the religious traditions of the other organization. 2) Nahdlatul Ulama stands on the ground of traditional school of thoughts that are responsive to the modernization, while Muhammadiyah bases its foundation on the modern thoughts that accommodate local traditions. The results further emphasized that the difference of perspective between both organizations lies around the thoughts, while the deconstruction of religious missions remain the same between both organizations. Each organization tends to stand firm on their own ideology as what originally proposed when the organization was first established.