The negotiation strategy of transnational Islamic networks : the case of Jama’ah Tabligh in Indonesian pesantren

Abstract

This thesis examines the negotiation and adaptation carried out by Jama'ah Tabligh as one of the transnational movements present in Indonesia. In contrast to other more general studies, this study focuses on the negotiations and adaptations carried out by Jama'ah Tabligh in the pesantren. It should be noted that since the mid to late 20th century, Jama'ah Tabligh, present in Indonesia, has brought major changes in the culture of Indonesian pesantren. They have collaborated their transnational ideas and internalized them into Indonesian pesantren. This change has even led to rapid development, with a shift in the orientation of the pesantren becoming a “Pesantren Tabligh” that has established almost 300 branches throughout Indonesia. Pesantren Tabligh has taken a significant role in the spread of Jama'ah Tabligh and its mobilization in various regions in Indonesia. This research shows the negotiation and adaptation carried out by the Jama’ah Tabligh through the institution of pesantren as one of the ways to spread and mobilize their dakwah. This research uses Quintan Wicktorowicz's resource mobilization theory, which states that the key to a social movement mobilization lies in emphasizing the type of formal organization, accommodating the role of informal institutions and social networks, and diagnostic framing. In practice, this research is qualitative field research with the sample of Pesantren Al-Fatah as one of the largest Pesantren Tabligh in Southeast Asia and Pesantren Darus Sunnah as a branch pesantren of al-Fatah. This research was conducted from February to June through interviews, discourse analysis based on the history of Pesantren Al-Fatah books, content analysis, and documentation. Interviews were conducted with 14 participants, consisting of the leaders of both male and female pesantren, three teachers, one radio staff, and several santri. This study argues that Jama’ah Tabligh has various strategies to negotiate and adapt to the context of Indonesian society today with the rise of Tabligh Pesantren. This study found that Jama'ah Tabligh has negotiated its strategy through the institution of pesantren by building student teams as an innovation in the spread of da'wah. They also established branch pesantren as a cadre base that serves as a strategic center to train Jama’ah Tabligh members and alums to establish branch pesantren. These pesantren utilize their social networks to spread the values of Jama'ah Tabligh as a more effective strategy for member regeneration. They also use modern communication advances such as Radio Trangkil FM to broadcast their ideas widely. On top of that, this study also shows a shift in the apolitical claims of Jama’ah Tabligh, especially those in pesantren, due to the political tradition in Indonesia that makes pesantren a warehouse for patronage activities.