Cak Nur Founded Paramadina University

Left:: Nurcholish Madjid, Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), Emha Ainun Nadjib, Yusril Ihza Mahendra (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Nurcholish Madjid is widely known as a reformer of Islamic thought. Traces of his thoughts traveled the world in a variety of mediums – from student discussion rooms to the Reboan Assembly. However, the medium was deemed insufficient. He and his colleagues started a foundation. Paramadina name.

The Paramadina Foundation aims to spread new Islamic ideas about justice, equality, freedom, and pluralism. The development is fast. In fact, to give birth to a college: Paramadina University.

The 'ninja' path that Cak Nur – as Nurcholish Madjid was called – took during his life was a line of thought. This path is the way to see existence. Therefore, Cak Nur is remembered as a comprehensive Muslim thinker.

Islamic themes that are more widespread are often incarnated as his teachings. The themes included many entering the realm of Aqidah, Tafsir, Fiqh, Kalam, Sufism, politics, to culture. The breadth of the themes that are mastered is like evidence that the scientific viewpoints they have are diverse. Not uniform.

This point of view makes him believe that Islam is like fire in life. Islam can be a solution to various problems of life. There are many more. Islam can perpetuate in politics, modernity, and culture.

He is loyal to fight for modern and humanist Islamic thought. Although not everyone can enjoy his thoughts. There are also many aliases who are at odds with Cak Nur. Even so, his thoughts to this day have proven to be part of the narrative to educate the nation's children.

"From this comprehensive and total scientific point of view, Cak Nur then believed that Islam was scientifically capable of solving various problems in Indonesia, both problems related to inter-religious and intra-religious relations, politics, modernity, culture, and computer technology which is now getting smarter as a result of this. interaction with the internet. Cak Nur is a Muslim who freely interacts and interacts with various disciplines and technological advances without any fear and worry.”

“Cak Nur also appears with an open, modern and pluralistic Islamic perspective, without discrediting, let alone threatening other people of different faiths. In the hands of Cak Nur, Islam really appears as a religion that is rahmatan lil-alamin (giving mercy to all nature) in the true sense," said Muhamad Wahyuni Nafis in the preface to the book Islam, Doctrine, and Civilization (2019).

Left:: Nurcholish Madjid, Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), Emha Ainun Nadjib, Yusril Ihza Mahendra (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Cak Nur's activeness in the line of thought led him to be involved in many discussion forums. Reboan Assembly, one of them. He and KH Abdurrahman Wahid always appear as speakers at the discussion forum. Not infrequently, grapevine thoughts to expand Islamic reform ideas from discussion arise from discussion forum activists. The goal is that the thoughts of Cak Nur and others can be preserved.

In fact, the idea of establishing a foundation to expand the idea of Islamic reform surfaced. The discussion forum activists then moved to make it happen. After going through a long struggle, the Paramadina Waqf Foundation only came into existence in 1983. Its presence accommodates many schools of thought. It includes representatives from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesian Islamic Students (PPI), and the Indonesian Student Association (HMI). Even the rulers are in it.

“Paramadina was formed on the legal basis of a foundation, officially the Waqf Foundation, which means it belongs to the people, not the exclusive property of individuals or families that can be passed down from generation to generation. The name Paramadina emerged later from the founders' discussions. The name has two meanings."

“First, parama, from Sanskrit which means prime or main (this is a suggestion from Nurcholish); and dina, from Arabic which means religion (contents of Utomo Dananjaya's proposal). Hence it was originally written separately: Parama Dina (Main Religion). Second, para, from Spanish which means for, and madina from Arabic which means civilization. The two notions are still being maintained until now, one of them is not chosen,” wrote Ahmad Gaus AF in Nurcholish Madjid's book Api Islam (2010).

The Birth of Paramadina University

Paramadina University (Source: Linkedin)

In its time, the existence of the Paramadina Waqf Foundation became a pioneer of the urban da'wah movement. His da'wah wrapped in the idea of renewal appeared in a variety of mediums. From student discussions, training, to entering the world of publishing.

The medium is a bridge for Paramadina to connect his ideas to the wider community. Moreover, the books written by Cak Nur have been widely consumed by the public. His books have influenced and changed people's mindsets. Because of that, readers of Cak Nur's thoughts come to see Islam - as Cak Nur sees Islam - as the fire of life.

“From the above conditions, it is the innovative nature of the city's da'wah movement. And as an icon of the model of the da'wah movement is the urban da'wah movement driven by Paramadina with its distinctive character, namely urban. The existence of Paramadina can be explained by looking at the sociological completeness of the emergence of the urban middle class santri."

“The mobility of Mad'u (jamaah) Paramadina, which are mostly vertical urban santris, collectively really need religious institutions with an 'urban' pattern in accordance with their new structure of life, intellectual tendencies, and culture. Paramadina itself has functioned as the heart of life for a community of urban santri in the socio-cultural and intellectual context of Islam," explained Wahyu Ilaihi and Harjani Hefni Polah in the book Introduction to the History of Da'wah (2007).

The development of the Paramadina Waqf Foundation is rapid. The aspiration to expand the ideas of renewal is getting stronger. A university became the new target of Cak Nur and his friends. Finally, two foundations – the Paramadina Waqf Foundation and the Pondok Mulya Foundation – which are oriented towards Islamic values work together. Paramadina-Mulya University was founded on January 10, 1998.

As the founder, Cak Nur is also the first chancellor. His actions as rector have made Paramadina University hailed as a modern Islamic study laboratory. Paramadina University immediately won the hearts of the general public.

"I think what we did in the 90s was a new breakthrough, introducing Islamic studies to the public in a structured, thematic, dialogical manner, enriching the Islamic da'wah that has been going on so far. The method was particularly suitable for the city's economically and intellectually well-established middle class. They are free to ask questions and discuss with lecturers and with fellow participants. I myself am sometimes a lecturer, sometimes as a resource person," concluded Komaruddin Hidayat in the book From Islamic Boarding Schools for the World (2016).

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