Nevertheless, Wali Songo and the idea of Islam Nusantara are getting grounded, so it is not strange if the Indonesian people understand the substance of the existence of Wali Songo and the conception of Nusantara-style Islam universally.
As we all understand that the term Islam has a new and profound scope of meaning as Islam is the religion of the heavens. The archipelago or Nusantara has a specific meaning that is more directed to local wisdom and culture rooted in Indonesia. These two words have historical relevance and broad meanings so that the result of “Syncretism” produces a new, more innovative-progressive seed, namely Islam Nusantara.
In line with that, Ahmad Baso, a Muslim intellectual in his work Islam Nusantara, explained that Islam Nusantara is like a synthesis of the meeting of two superior tree seeds of different types. Still, when put together in the process of crossing, they produce a new, excellent source.
A cross between Islam and Nusantara is needed to obtain a “New Genius” with the desired unique character or traits. It’s hoped that from this cross, a new way of religion and civilization will emerge with superior characteristics due to the combination of the two advantages. This “New Genius” was later called Din Arab Jawi or Islam Nusantara.
The second meeting is needed to provide solutions to humanity’s problems in general and in particular to the problems of our nationality as a nation bound by the land and sea unity of the archipelago. We are Muslim Indonesians, meaning we must have a voice in interpreting and practising Islam. We are not just per se passive-defensive Muslims and ingest what comes from Arabia.
Not only that, Ahmad Baso explained that when Islam and Nusantara were combined or crossed, a “New Genius” emerged called Islam Nusantara. These seeds grow healthy and can survive in any environment gripping situation, auto-perfective, tolerant, and adaptive to their environment so that they can grow and thrive, do not wear out quickly, are damaged or fail to produce.
With these different crosses, it is hoped that new varieties or species will emerge that have the combined superior characteristics of the two parent species, namely populism, exoticism, high quality of civilization and resilience to various conditions and challenges of nature and the environment. And that new species is Nusantara Islam.