cover
Contact Name
Muhammad Istiqlal
Contact Email
m.istiqlal@iainsalatiga.ac.id
Phone
+6285729356143
Journal Mail Official
m.istiqlal@iainsalatiga.ac.id
Editorial Address
Jl. Kartini No. 2 Salatiga, Sidorejo, Kota Salatiga, Jawa Tengah 50711
Location
Kota salatiga,
Jawa tengah
INDONESIA
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
ISSN : 27208893     EISSN : 27160297     DOI : https://doi.org/10.35672/jnus.v1i1.4
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies publishes articles on Nahdlatul Ulama topics from various perspectives, both in literary to NU from the perspective of law, fiqh, politics, culture, education, ideology, boarding schools, economics, NU leaders thoughts and other perspectives related to Nahdlatul Ulama.
Articles 55 Documents
Good Governance in LAZISNU (Perspective Islamic Accounting and Donation Based Crowdfunding) Mubtadi, Novendi Arkham
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
Publisher : Lakpesdam PCNU Kota Salatiga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35672/jnus.v6i1.39-53

Abstract

Governance in zakat management organizations (OPZ) is a crucial issue because ZIS funds (zakat, infaq, and sadaqah) constitute a public trust (amanah) that requires transparency, accountability, and sharia compliance. At the same time, the expansion of digital channels through donation-based crowdfunding creates opportunities to broaden fundraising, yet it also demands robust digital governance standards to build donor trust. This study aims to analyze LAZISNU’s good governance from the perspective of Islamic Accounting through Sharia Enterprise Theory (SET) and to assess the effectiveness of donation-based crowdfunding governance on LAZISNU’s online platform. The study employs a qualitative method using a literature review and program document analysis with two approaches: (1) mapping LAZISNU’s programs into the three SET dimensions contribution to Allah (education and health), contribution to humans (economic empowerment), and contribution to nature (disaster relief) as a basis for moral-spiritual and social accountability; and (2) evaluating crowdfunding effectiveness by comparing platform donation achievements against program targets and information disclosure indicators. The findings show that LAZISNU’s program implementation and ZIS fund management tend to align with SET because the program portfolio represents worship, social, environmental dimensions. However, donation-based crowdfunding governance is assessed as not yet effective, as reflected in low online donation achievements relative to targets during the evaluation period, indicating weak trust-building mechanisms through progress updates, impact evidence, and adequate disclosure. This study recommends strengthening digital governance through integrated reporting (audited financial reporting, program output–outcome reporting, and sharia compliance reporting), regular and transparent platform updates, clearer fund utilization flows, and volunteer/community mobilization strategies to expand campaign reach. These findings provide a reference for policymakers and OPZ managers in improving good governance systems and enhancing the effectiveness of digital-based fundraising.
The Role of Jaka Laras Kenthongan Arts in Shaping Social Interaction among Nahdliyyin Communities in Sinduraja Village Alfania, Akhsani
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 (2023): Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
Publisher : Lakpesdam PCNU Kota Salatiga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35672/jnus.v4i2.72-87

Abstract

Modernization and the growing preference for popular-culture entertainment often undermine the sustainability of traditional arts; however, in Sinduraja Village (Kaligondang, Purbalingga), kenthongan performed by the Jaka Laras group has persisted and functions as a social meeting space for local residents. This study addresses two main questions: (1) how the existence of Jaka Laras kenthongan is maintained in Sinduraja Village and (2) how community members perceive the influence of this existence on social interaction. Employing a qualitative case-study approach, data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews with the founder, community leaders, performers, and village government representatives, and documentation. Credibility was strengthened through triangulation, and analysis followed an interactive model (data collection, data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing). The findings indicate that Jaka Laras’s continuity is sustained through intergenerational transmission, regular rehearsals and performances, and social support from residents and village authorities, accompanied by selective adaptation in performance packaging without altering the tradition’s core values. At the same time, residents perceive Jaka Laras as increasing the frequency of gatherings, discussions, and social bonding, while reducing tendencies toward individualism, thereby strengthening community cohesion and social capital. The study concludes that Jaka Laras kenthongan not only endures as a traditional art form but also effectively shapes local social relations. Recommendations include strengthening youth–child regeneration programs, enhancing village facilitation (rehearsal spaces and cultural agendas), and conducting comparative studies across villages or kenthongan groups to map variations in preservation strategies and their social impacts across different socio-cultural contexts
Buka Luwur Sunan Kudus sebagai Praktik Keagamaan Islam Nusantara: Ritual, Sakralitas Simbolik, dan Kontestasi Makna “Berkah” (Studi Persepsi Warga Nahdlatul Ulama di Kudus) Devina Varadila, Rika Fitri
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024): Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
Publisher : Lakpesdam PCNU Kota Salatiga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35672/jnus.v5i2.131-154

Abstract

The Buka Luwur tradition at the Tomb of Sunan Kudus represents an Islamic Nusantara religious practice that illustrates the encounter between Islamic values and local cultural expressions through ritual sequences and symbols embedded in Kudus society. This study addresses two research questions: (1) how Buka Luwur is constructed as an Islamic Nusantara religious practice through the simultaneous workings of ritual mechanisms, sacrality, and symbols (luwur cloth, nasi jangkrik, heirlooms/keris, and jamasan water) within the santri/NU community in Kauman; and (2) how differences in perception between Kauman residents as communicators/tradition managers and outside participants as communicants shape the phenomenon of ngalap barokah and create potential miscommunication. Employing a qualitative approach with a descriptive–analytical case study design, the study draws on field data (in-depth interviews with key informants) and supporting sources (documents and relevant literature), analyzed through frameworks of ritual–sacrality–symbol and perception and socio-religious communication. The findings show that Buka Luwur functions as a socio-religious institution that regulates sacred time (the peak on 10 Muharram), affirms sacred space (the Menara Mosque complex and the Tomb of Sunan Kudus), and structures collective roles, while ritual objects undergo sacralization through karomah narratives and collective memory. At the same time, divergent perceptions emerge: Kauman residents tend to interpret the ritual primarily as veneration and almsgiving, whereas some outside participants emphasize practical blessings mediated through objects, which in turn fosters ngalap barokah practices and may generate miscommunication. This study recommends strengthening meaning-making communication by tradition managers through tauhid-oriented educational narratives, proportionate explanations of symbols, and improved governance of processions and the distribution of blessings to ensure order, thereby keeping the ritual’s core functions almsgiving, veneration, and social cohesion dominant.
Ruwahan Tradition among NU Communities of Javanese and Betawi Ethnic Groups Prior to Ramadan Yusuf, Ahmad Sholahuddin
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 (2023): Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
Publisher : Lakpesdam PCNU Kota Salatiga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35672/jnus.v4i2.99-108

Abstract

Ruwahan is a living religious tradition maintained within Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) communities in Indonesia, particularly among Javanese and Betawi Muslims, as part of spiritual preparation prior to Ramadan. The tradition is analytically important because it illuminates the dynamic interplay between Islamic teachings, local culture, and social change. This study examines (1) how ruwahan is practiced in NU communities in Java and Betawi settings, (2) the meanings constructed around the ritual, and (3) the ways the tradition is transformed in contemporary social contexts. Employing a qualitative approach, the research draws on participant observation and in-depth interviews with community leaders, NU administrators, and residents involved in ruwahan observances. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis informed by cultural anthropology and the sociology of religion. The findings suggest that while ritual forms differ between Javanese and Betawi NU communities, they converge in substantive meanings: ruwahan functions as a medium for praying for ancestors, strengthening social cohesion, and internalizing Islamic values through culturally embedded practice. In the context of modernization and urbanization, ruwahan has undergone changes in format and implementation; nevertheless, it remains sustained through adaptive strategies and ongoing negotiations of meaning. The study concludes that ruwahan constitutes a dynamic, contextual expression of Islam Nusantara in contemporary Indonesian society.
Pendidikan Karakter Berbasis Nahdlatul Ulama di Pondok Pesantren Nurul Asna Salatiga: Praktik, Habitus, dan Disiplin Sosial Keagamaan Hidayah, Siti Nur
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies Vol. 3 No. 2 (2022): Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
Publisher : Lakpesdam PCNU Kota Salatiga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35672/jnus.v3i2.142-158

Abstract

Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) carry a dual mandate: the transmission of religious knowledge (tafaqquh fi al-dīn) and the formation of students’ character through a collectively regulated way of life structured in daily, weekly, and annual rhythms. This article aims to analyze character education grounded in the Nahdlatul Ulama tradition (Aswaja an-Nahdliyah) at Pondok Pesantren Nurul Asna in Salatiga by focusing on three dimensions: practices (ritual–pedagogical), habitus (internalized dispositions), and socio-religious discipline (mechanisms of self- and community regulation). Employing a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study design, data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews with the lurah pondok/administrators/students, and internal institutional documents in April 2022, and were analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model (data reduction–display–verification). The findings indicate that students’ character is formed through the integration of classical Islamic text study (kitab kuning) and Qur’anic learning, congregational worship routines, NU-specific devotional traditions (tahlil, diba’iyah, and pilgrimage/visitation), and communal work (ro’an), which function as a “social curriculum” for instilling adab, discipline, simplicity, self-reliance, and solidarity. In conclusion, character education at Nurul Asna operates effectively because repeated practices produce a religious habitus while mobilizing socio-religious discipline through time structuring, role modelling, and community-based social control; nevertheless, challenges persist in the form of limited facilities as well as pressures from digital/gadget-oriented lifestyles and the academic workload of student–university students.
Jolenan Customary Rite as a Religious Culture of Nahdlatul Ulama Communities in Somongari Village, Kaligesing Subdistrict, Purworejo Regency Fitriani, Deasy
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 (2023): Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
Publisher : Lakpesdam PCNU Kota Salatiga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35672/jnus.v4i2.109-124

Abstract

Local traditions in Javanese agrarian communities function as both anchors of socio-religious identity and mechanisms for the reproduction of values through communal rites that connect harmony among humans, nature, and God. Drawing on the framework of customary rites as a social system, the negotiation of modernization, and NU local Islam, this article formulates five research questions: (1) how Jolenan operates as a social system that organizes community relations and reinforces collective identity; (2) how Jolenan’s socio-cultural reproduction unfolds in the face of change/modernization (continuity, adaptation of forms, and sustainability strategies); (3) how Jolenan’s symbolic meanings construct human, God, nature relations within an agrarian rite; (4) how the mechanisms of NU local Islamic integration in Jolenan through the adoption, adaptation, and integration of local-Islamic elements produce religious legitimacy; and (5) what local wisdom values are produced and internalized through social institutions (family, education, economy, village politics, and religion) in sustaining the tradition. The study employs a qualitative approach, using observation, documentation, and the review of relevant interview records (interview journals) as data sources. Data were analyzed descriptively and interpretively through thematic coding aligned with the research questions and by linking the findings to the theoretical framework. The study concludes that Jolenan functions as a social system that structures community relations and consolidates Somongari’s collective identity through patterned, repetitive, and intergenerational ritual practices from preparation to implementation. Its continuity reflects socio-cultural reproduction and adaptive capacity in negotiating modernization, for instance through strengthened performative components and increasingly organized ritual governance, while preserving core values of gratitude, kenduri, and social solidarity. Jolenan’s meanings are articulated through ojo kelalen as an ethic of remembering God within agrarian life, alongside symbols of post-harvest gratitude and communal safety, expressed through kenduri and the communal “distribution of blessings.” Religious legitimacy is achieved as NU local Islam by integrating local symbols and ancestral memory with popular Islamic practices (tahlil, Yasin recitation, shalawat, collective prayers, and almsgiving), enabling the ongoing transmission of local wisdom values through multiple social institutions.
Nyadran Semiotics and the Negotiation of Culture and Religion: A Pre-Ramadan Javanese Ritual in Kuncen Village, Karangduren, Tengaran, Semarang Regency Fadilah, Nur
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024): Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
Publisher : Lakpesdam PCNU Kota Salatiga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35672/jnus.v5i2.90-110

Abstract

Nyadran is a Javanese ritual tradition commonly performed prior to Ramadan through a sequence of grave cleaning (besik kubur), cemetery visitation (nyekar/ziarah), collective prayers and tahlil, and communal feasting (kenduri/manganan). This tradition merits scholarly attention because it reveals a dynamic encounter among local cultural memory, Islamic piety, and social cohesion amid the growing discourse of religious purification. The research questions are: (1) how the Nyadran procession in Kuncen Hamlet (Karangduren, Tengaran, Semarang) is carried out before Ramadan, (2) how ritual signs (objects, actions, utterances, and spatio-temporal arrangements) are interpreted by residents, and (3) how Nyadran functions socio-religiously as an arena for negotiating local tradition and Islamic devotion. This study employs a qualitative–interpretive approach with a case study design. Data were collected through participant observation across the Nyadran sequence, in-depth interviews with hamlet elders, the rois (local religious authority)/religious figures, organizing committee members, and residents, as well as document analysis for triangulation. The data were then analyzed thematically and interpretively using a semiotic ritual lens (Peircean–Barthesian semiotics and Turner–Bell ritual theory) to map sign object interpretant relations and examine processes of ritualization, liminality, and the formation of communitas. The findings show that Nyadran in Kuncen is not a mere “remnant of tradition,” but a signifying system that produces the meaning of “cleanliness” (physical–spiritual–social) as readiness for Ramadan. Signs such as mixed flowers, incense, apem–ketan–kolak, tumpeng/ingkung, communal kenduri, and the timing in Ruwah/Sya’ban function as symbolic communication devices that affirm gratitude, filial piety toward ancestors/parents, moral discipline, and communal solidarity, while also demonstrating the recontextualization of ancestral remembrance into Islamic devotional repertoires (tahlil, supplication, and almsgiving). Nyadran thus operates as an adaptive form of vernacular Islam. Recommendations include community-based documentation (audio-visual and written archives), strengthening inclusive religio-cultural literacy to explain symbolic meanings and normative boundaries, engaging youth and schools to use Nyadran as a medium for character education without imposing interpretive uniformity, sustainable governance (transparent contributions, waste management, and environmentally responsible cemetery arrangements), and further comparative cross-village studies as well as analyses of changing religious discourses and their effects on Nyadran practices.
Institutionalising Ritual and Local Authority in Pilgrimage to a Sacred Tomb: A Case Study of Ngadirojo Village, Gladagsari Subdistrict, Boyolali Regency Yulia Indriyani
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies Vol. 4 No. 2 (2023): Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
Publisher : Lakpesdam PCNU Kota Salatiga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35672/jnus.v4i2.125-144

Abstract

This article examines pilgrimage (ziyarah) to the Sacred Tomb of Mundhing in Ngadirojo Village, Gladagsari Subdistrict, Boyolali Regency, and assesses its implications for local Islamic creed (ʿaqīdah). Conceptually, grave visitation in Islam functions as a religious practice aimed at praying for the deceased, fostering eschatological awareness, and strengthening moral–spiritual orientation; however, in lived religious settings it may intersect with pragmatic motives and local symbols that can generate theological ambiguity in the absence of adequate creedal literacy. Accordingly, the study addresses the following questions: how the tomb’s sacredness is constructed and reproduced; how the pilgrimage rites/etiquette and the custodian (juru kunci) regulate practices to remain within the bounds of tawḥīd; how pilgrims’ dominant motives (educative–eschatological vs. instrumental–pragmatic) relate to experiences of “mustajab/blessing” and to the use of wasīlah/tawassul; how pilgrimage affects ʿaqīdah (both strengthening tawḥīd and posing risks of deviation); and how boundary mechanisms operate to prevent pilgrimage from shifting into cultic veneration. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the research draws on interviews with community members and pilgrims, complemented by an interpretation of the socio-ritual context to capture meanings, motivations, and local regulation. The findings indicate that the sacred status of the Mundhing tomb is produced through collective memory, saintly narratives, and the institutionalisation of ritual space (e.g., pavilion, prayer room, and designated prayer area); pilgrimage practices are guided by etiquette and by restrictions on high-risk symbols (e.g., incense), which the custodian reinforces as a boundary mechanism; pilgrims’ motives range from worshipful self-reflection (muḥāsabah) to worldly petition in which Mundhing is positioned as a wasīlah; and the impact on ʿaqīdah is dual—pilgrimage strengthens tawḥīd when supplication and reliance remain directed to Allah (SWT) and the visit functions as a space for reflection and moral exemplarity, yet it may incline toward shirk when “mustajab” is construed as an inherent power of the tomb/the deceased, making the effectiveness of ritual governance and communal tawḥīd literacy decisive for keeping the practice within orthodox creedal boundaries.
Tradisi Apitan sebagai Budaya Keagamaan Warga Nahdlatul Ulama di Desa Gebangan Kecamatan Tegowanu Kabupaten Grobogan Fitri, Anti Kurnia
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies Vol. 3 No. 2 (2022): Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
Publisher : Lakpesdam PCNU Kota Salatiga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35672/jnus.v3i2.128-141

Abstract

Apitan is an annual communal rite widely recognized as sedekah bumi, a thanksgiving ceremony for agricultural abundance and a collective supplication for safety. This study examines (1) the ritual sequence of Apitan in Gebangan Village, Tegowanu District, Grobogan Regency; (2) the symbolic meanings embedded in ritual objects and performances; and (3) the social–religious and character-education values reproduced through Apitan as a lived religious culture among Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) villagers. Employing a qualitative design, data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The findings show that Apitan is institutionalized through village deliberation (rembug desa) and enacted through opening remarks, greetings, collective prayers (including shalawat, prayers for ancestors, and al-Fatihah), communal dining (bancakan/kenduri), gamelan (klenengan), and an all-night wayang kulit performance with agrarian narratives such as Sri Mulih. Symbolic interaction operates as villagers attribute shared meanings to gunungan, tumpeng, and agrarian tools, consolidating a collective understanding of gratitude, blessing, and social harmony. The tradition strengthens social values responsibility, cooperation, and concord while articulating character-education values such as religiosity, honesty, discipline, patriotism, tolerance, peacefulness, environmental care, social care, and accountability. Supporting factors include strong communal legitimacy and village governance, while the principal constraint is the cost of organizing large-scale events.
Gawan Mewah dalam Perkawinan Masyarakat Jawa di Desa Sidomulyo, Pati: Antara Pranata Budaya, Bahasa Simbolik, dan Negosiasi Adat–Syariah Nikmah, Umdatun
Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024): Journal of Nahdlatul Ulama Studies
Publisher : Lakpesdam PCNU Kota Salatiga

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.35672/jnus.v5i2.155-171

Abstract

This study examines the wedding gift tradition (gawan), which tends to be luxurious, in Sidomulyo Village, Jakenan Subdistrict, Pati Regency. This tradition is not merely a cultural procession; it also constructs standards of propriety and symbols of honor, and may generate socio-economic pressure through the stigma of “ora elok/walak” when these expectations are not fulfilled. The study addresses two research questions: (1) how the luxurious gawan tradition is practiced and interpreted as a cultural institution and a “symbolic language” in Javanese marriage; and (2) how luxurious gawan practices negotiate the relationship between custom and Islamic law (the distinction between mahar and gawan) and their implications for norms of propriety and socio-economic burdens. Using a qualitative case-study design, data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, and analyzed through data reduction, presentation, and verification. The findings show that gawan is delivered before/during the marriage contract (akad nikah) in the form of household furniture, bedroom items, kitchenware, cosmetics, and even high-value goods such as vehicles or livestock, which are publicly displayed. Gawan is understood as a form of respect for the bride and a sign of the groom’s readiness; however, its luxurious nature may shift into a status marker that increases financial burdens and narrows the space for negotiation. The distinction between mahar (a mandatory Islamic obligation) and gawan (customary/negotiated practice) often becomes blurred when gawan is treated as a social obligation; in cases of divorce, the return of gawan reveals issues of ownership and power relations over assets. In conclusion, gawan in Sidomulyo strengthens cultural identity and social solidarity, but it may cause harm if imposed as an oppressive social obligation. This study recommends strengthening community literacy regarding the Islamic distinction between mahar and gawan; encouraging family deliberation to set realistic gawan standards based on financial capacity; and establishing written agreements on the ownership status of gawan, including arrangements in the event of divorce, so that the tradition remains meaningful without becoming an instrument of pressure.