Volume IV: Society, Culture, and Local Ecological Wisdom

Islam and Local Wisdom in ASEAN: From Pesantren Tradition to Modern Cultural Expression

  • Ahlidin Jamaluddin UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Indonesia

Keywords

Indigenization of Islam; Pesantren (Islamic Boarding Schools); Malay-Nusantara Culture; Islamic Popular Culture; ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

Abstract

This research investigates the relationship between Islam and local wisdom in the ASEAN region, tracing its development from the traditional Islamic boarding school (pesantren) to contemporary forms of cultural expression. Using a qualitative, library-based method underpinned by historical and sociological analysis, the research argues that Islam in the Malay-Nusantara world has historically flourished through a process of "indigenization" (pribumisasi Islam), where universal religious values are contextualized within local cultural idioms. The pesantren is identified as the primary institution for this acculturation, utilizing its five core elements --the dormitory (pondok), mosque, students (santri), teacher (kyai), and classical texts (kitab kuning)- to preserve scholarly traditions while remaining rooted in local society. The study further explores how these expressions have transitioned into the modern public sphere through popular culture, including Islamic film, music (nasheed), and fashion, which circulate across national borders, particularly between Indonesia and Malaysia. The article concludes that this continuity from tradition to modern expression constitutes a shared Malay-Islamic cultural capital that can strengthen regional integration through the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, provided that local culture is substantively accommodated rather than merely commodified.

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