By: Adlan Daie
Political Analyst; General Secretary of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Indramayu Regency
This is a “retrospective” note—an exercise in looking inward—identifying what the author views as at least three fundamental challenges facing the PBNU (Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama) under the leadership duo of *Rais Aam* (Supreme Leader) KH Miftahul Akhyar and General Chairman KH Abdul Hakim Mahfuz (Gus Kikin).
These challenges are: maintaining the organization’s direction, preserving trust, and reaffirming NU’s discipline as a *Jam’iyah Diniyah wal Ijtima’iyah*—an organization that is simultaneously religious and socio-communal in nature.
These are the primary tasks for the PBNU leadership duo—KH Miftahul Akhyar and Gus Kikin—who bear the mandate of the 35th NU Congress. Held at the “historic” NU *pesantren* (Islamic boarding school) of Tambak Beras in Jombang, the congress has just concluded amidst a whirlwind of dynamics and political tensions.
Public criticism—however harsh, and even when voiced by NU’s own “cultural *kiai*” (traditional religious scholars) regarding the perceived decline in the organization’s values and morality during the congress—must be accepted with an open mind for the sake of introspection; it cannot simply be dismissed as inconsequential noise.
NU will not fade due to external pressure, but it will weaken if it loses its direction; it will lose the “soul” of its strength as a *Jam’iyah* if it relies solely on external parties, and it will become fragile if it loses its independence.
NU was not founded in adherence to the trends of “global modernism” theories; rather, it emerged from the convergence of “divine signals” and the responsibility of *khilafah* (stewardship) on earth.
NU began as a *jama’ah*—a social ecosystem and a religious subculture rooted in the *pesantren* community—before being structured into a *Jam’iyah*, a formal organization established to meet administrative requirements for state relations.
In other words, the strength of NU’s cultural ecosystem predates the structural strength of its *Jam’iyah* organization. NU exists, grows, and thrives because it is nurtured by its *jama’ah* (community of adherents)—not, conversely, by its formal *Jam’iyah* (organizational structure).
NU’s strength lies not in its capacity to capitalize on assets held by the *Jam’iyah* itself, but rather in the powerful bonds forged by a shared perspective on the religious principles of *Aswaja* (Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah).
Initiatives by NU members to establish a social ecosystem—such as *pesantren* (Islamic boarding schools) and educational institutions—cannot have their governance co-opted by the formal NU structure; the structure’s role is limited to affirming and strengthening the religious *manhaj* (methodology) underpinning them.
This is what distinguishes NU; it cannot be fully compared to typical Islamic mass organizations built upon structural power “from the top down,” which subsequently develop organic wings to create new social ecosystems.
Therefore, NU should not be perceived merely as a force for practical politics or a bargaining tool for “political power-sharing” beyond its capacity as a *Jam’iyah*—except, perhaps, for the politics of safeguarding the nation’s moral compass and public ethics based on *Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah* principles.
In other words, viewing NU solely as a practical political force creates a constant temptation to engage in activities beyond the *Jam’iyah’s* capacity, often leading to the neglect of its true direction and priorities.
Without consistency in upholding these elements, NU—as a *Jam’iyah* and Islamic mass organization—risks, in the words of senior political analyst Fahri Ali, merely “floating”: busily adapting to the currents of power rather than determining the nation’s future direction.
Without such consistency, the PBNU leadership over the next five years will gradually blur priorities, erode its own legitimacy, and inevitably loosen organizational control to accommodate the demands of political power.
What NU needs as a *Jam’iyah* is not perfection, but the readiness to stand firm in upholding fundamental principles when the surrounding social ecosystem weakens, and to act with clarity when pressures mount. At this juncture, the PBNU leadership resulting from the 35th NU Congress is called upon to do more than simply manage policy and administrative order; they must also ensure that the organization does not speak with a multitude of voices that could weaken its direction or compromise the principles of the *jam’iyah* (the organization).
This must be the focus and priority agenda for PBNU following the 35th NU Congress—a conscious effort to ensure the organization loses neither its direction nor its authority, and that the *Nahdliyyin* (NU community) do not lose their trust in it.
Congratulations to KH Miftahul Akhyar (Rais Aam) and Gus Kikin (General Chairman of PBNU) on their term of service for 2026–2031. This is a profound mandate—one that is not defined by the strength of the position in securing access to power…
…but rather by the magnitude of the “values” and “legacy” to be passed down to the future generation of NU. History will record it all.
Wassalam.
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