Contesting Sunni Orthodoxy: Wahhabism in the Chechen Conference and the Thought of Hasyim Asyari
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Abstract
This study aims to comparatively analyse two contrasting constructions of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāah (ASWAJA) orthodoxy: the global definition advanced by the 2016 Chechen Conference and the traditional-local thought of KH. Hasyim Asyari in Indonesia. The significance of this research lies in its urgency to understand how Sunni orthodoxy is constructed and maintained amid tensions between global discourse and local religious authority. Employing a qualitative approach and content analysis method, the study focuses on two primary texts-the official Chechen Conference statement and Hasyim Asyaris Risālah Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāah-supported by secondary literature and contextual analysis. The findings reveal that the Chechen definition of ASWAJA is rigid and exclusive, explicitly excluding Wahhabi and Salafi-Takfiri groups, while Hasyim Asyari offers a contextualised and adaptive orthodoxy grounded in sanad, ijmāʿ, and local religious practices that are ethical and moderate. The implications of these findings underscore the need to consider historical, social, and epistemological dimensions in formulating Sunni orthodoxy, and highlight the importance of adopting a more inclusive approach to preserve Muslim unity in the face of ideological fragmentation. This study offers an original contribution by juxtaposing two paradigms that are rarely compared systematically, opening new avenues for research on orthodoxy, religious authority, and the glocalisation of Islam in Indonesia.
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