Abdul Mu’ti Discusses Walisongo’s Da’wa in Java and the Assimilation of Islamic and Western Culture

MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, KUDUS–General Secretary of Muhammadiyah Abdul Mu’ti talked about Islamic-Arab civilization and the West at the Pasamuan Perayaan Ta’sis 488 Masjid Al Aqsa on Thursday evening (8/2).

Mu’ti said that the Islamic-Arab civilization and the western civilization ran peacefully and aren’t in contrast. Both supported each other and generated a new culture, assimilation between Islam and the West.

Cultural patterns can be seen in the way of eating and fashion. For example, the West or Europe in the early days had a culture from Christianity, and Muslim women wore tightly closed clothes before their attire shifted to what they are today.

Mu’ti, the Professor of Islamic Education, mentioned that Western women’s clothes are now a symbol of protest against male domination over women.

“European women’s attire is a protest and liberation to express various apsects in their lives,” said Mu’ti.

Besides, jazz, which now becomes a trend in Europe, does not belong to white European people. Instead, jazz symbolizes black people’s political objection to political pressure.

In the beginning, jazz was the music of the lower-class community, but it belongs to the upper-class community nowadays. Thus, art is a pillar of civilization.

One of the benchmarks for the high and low civilizations is arts such as music, fine art, and architecture. Art can also be used to see cross-cultural acculturation.

In Indonesia, the Menara Kudus Mosque shows acculturation that Sunan Kudus deliberately combined Hindu and Islamic elements and values.

“The strength of Wali Songo as Islamic preachers in Java is their ability to assimilate, adapt, and adopt local culture, so it remained to exist. They also acculturate the culture by adding new values, but the form remained similar,” said Mu’ti.

Indeed, Islamic culture has become the main structure of cultural formation in Indonesia. Islam turns cultural power and unconsciously adheres to various Indonesian cultural expressions.