The current shift in religious authority in Indonesia is not merely a change of medium—from mosque loudspeakers to TikTok algorithms. It marks a profound anomaly…
View More The Post-Truth Era: The Collapse of the Pesantren Walls
Kategori: Opinion
Examining the Medina Charter as a Modern Constitution
Debates keep resurfacing over a familiar question: does a state built on a constitution—what we now call constitutionalism—stand at odds with the Qur’an? At the…
View More Examining the Medina Charter as a Modern Constitution
The Diba’an Tradition Among Santri
Back when I was still a student—one among many—in a pesantren tucked away in Nglawak Village, Kertosono, life moved to the rhythm of weekly traditions.…
View More The Diba’an Tradition Among Santri
Islam and the Dilemma of Religious Freedom
As it is commonly framed today, the ideal of religious freedom sits within the language of human rights—an inheritance shaped largely by the Christian West.…
View More Islam and the Dilemma of Religious Freedom
Pesantren and the Gender Question
At the most fundamental level, human beings stand equal. Hierarchies belong only to the relationship between the Creator and the created. Among people, differences arise…
View More Pesantren and the Gender Question
The Archipelago’s Web of Scholars: From Early Studies to a Working Theory
The idea of a network of ulama offers a powerful lens through which to read the history of Islam in the Indonesian archipelago. As far…
View More The Archipelago’s Web of Scholars: From Early Studies to a Working Theory
Interfaith Cooperation in the History of Islam
Even today, a segment of the Muslim world still leans heavily on a ghazawah mindset—framing relationships with other faiths through the lens of conflict. It…
View More Interfaith Cooperation in the History of Islam
A Retrospective on Pesantren
Why does Indonesia have pondok pesantren—religious boarding schools with almost no equivalent even in the lands where Islam first took root? And can an institution…
View More A Retrospective on Pesantren
Sheikh Nawawi and Multatuli
#Reflecting on the Colonial Bias Still Living Inside Us Banten is marâh labîd—“a resting place for birds that come and go.” Marâh Labîd is also…
View More Sheikh Nawawi and Multatuli
Toron, Tradisi Mudik Masyarakat Madura
Bagi anak rantau, mudik Lebaran merupakan momen istimewa yang selalu dinanti-nantikan. Setelah sekian lama hidup jauh di tanah perantauan, kembali ke kampung halaman terasa seperti…
View More Toron, Tradisi Mudik Masyarakat Madura