Betawi youth Abu Bakar has expressed support for the proposal of an Extraordinary Congress (MLB) of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), emphasizing the importance of full compliance with NU’s latest Constitution and Bylaws (AD/ART).
The support was conveyed in response to recent internal dynamics within PBNU. Abu Bakar assessed that the MLB option could be a constitutional, dignified solution—provided its implementation strictly adheres to organizational rules.
“We fully support every effort to resolve PBNU’s dynamics, including the MLB option, as long as it is in line with and does not violate Nahdlatul Ulama’s AD/ART,” Abu Bakar stated firmly in Jakarta.
Jakarta: A Relevant Historical Hub and Host
Abu Bakar highlighted Jakarta’s relevance as the host for the MLB, based on strong scholarly sanad (chain of transmission) ties.
He reminded that NU’s founders—including Hadratus Syekh Hasyim Asy’ari and Syaikhona Kholil Bangkalan—have a teacher lineage connected to Syekh Nawawi Al Bantani and ultimately to Syaikhul Masyaikh Junaid al-Batawi.
“Syaikhul Masyaikh Junaid al-Batawi, a Betawi ulama from Pekojan, West Jakarta, was the first Imam of the Grand Mosque of Mecca from the archipelago. This scholarly sanad connection shows that Jakarta has deep historical roots in the heart of NU’s civilization,” he explained.
Therefore, he stated that if the MLB option is to be implemented, Jakarta is the most appropriate place to:
1. Resolve organizational issues constitutionally.
2. Maintain the unity of the NU community.
3. Serve the predecessors and ulama.
Teachers’ Spirit for NU’s Unity
Abu Bakar emphasized that resolving PBNU’s dynamics must be based on the spirit of humility and respect for teachers, quoting the saying:
“Lawlā al-murabbī mā ‘arraftu rabbī”
(If not for the teacher, I would not have known my Lord.)
“Teachers are the pillars of civilization. Nahdlatul Ulama must return to the spirit of serving teachers. Jakarta, as PBNU’s center and the hub of Betawi’s scholarly sanad, is ready to be a resolution venue that brings benefits to the unity of NU and the Indonesian state,” Abu Bakar concluded.
