Islah Demi Marwah Jamiliyah
JAKARTA The internal conflict between the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board looks difficult to find common ground. This is because the two camps, namely PBNU General Chair Yahya Cholil Staquf or Gus Yahya and PBNU Rais Aam Miftachul Akhyar, each argued that the decisions they made had a solid basis.
Starting from the results of the PBNU Syuriyah daily meeting, November 20, 2025, which considered Gus Yahya to have defamed the organization for presenting the icon Peter Berkowitz in the highest NU cadre leadership training, namely the Nahdlatul Ulama National Leadership Academy (AKN NU).
The meeting considered Gus Yahya's actions to have violated the NU Association Regulation Number 13 of 2025, so it decided that Gus Yahya was asked to resign and be given three days after the decree was received. If in three days he has not resigned, Gus Yahya is declared dismissed from the General Chair of PBNU.
PBNU General Chair Yahya Cholil Staquf. BETWEEN/Asep Firmansyah
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PBNU's Syuriyah Katib, Sarmidi Husna emphasized that the decision asking Gus Yahya to resign was clear considering that Gus Yahya's actions were said to have fulfilled the violation of the PBNU Association Regulation. Because the Syuriyah Daily administrator considers inviting people, pro-Zionist resource persons are damaging the reputation of the association, destroying the good name of the association, and it also violates Qanun Asasi and Ahlussunnah's understanding of the wal Jamaah An-Nahdliyah. It has been categorized as an article that can be dismissed," he explained.
Deputy Secretary General of PBNU, Nur Hidayat, explained that in PBNU Regulation Number 01/X/2023 in particular Article 3 paragraph 1 it was stated that the honorable dismissal of the management functionaries with the positions of Rais Aam and the General Chairperson of PBNU up to the level of the branches was decided in the Plenary Meeting according to the management level.
Then Article 7 paragraph 1 explains that the dishonorable dismissal of the management functionaries with the positions of Rais Aam and the General Chair of PBNU up to the level of the branch management was decided in a plenary meeting according to the management level. This rule was handled by Rais Aam Miftachul Akhyar, Katib Aam Akhmad Said Asrori, General Chairperson of PBNU Yahya Cholil Staquf, and PBNU Secretary General Saifullah Yusuf on October 27, 2023.
Meanwhile, regarding the article that Gus Yahya violated was Article 8 letter a of the NU Association Regulation number 13 of 2025, the rules that were born from the National Conference of Alim Ulama, the Nahdlatul Ulama Grand Conference in 2025. This article explains that dismissal with respect to the functionaries of NU management can be carried out because they take actions that defame the association.
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Meanwhile, Gus Yahya insisted that the mandate of the congress that gave the position of chairman cannot be broken by the argument of Rais Aam's camp. Referring to the Articles of Association (AD/ART) which was ratified through the Lampung Congress in 2022, Gus Yahya emphasized that the general chairman could only step down through the congress or holding an extraordinary congress (MLB).
In the AD/ART results of the 34th NU Congress in Lampung 2022, Article 73 states that the congress is the highest deliberation forum in NU that discusses many things, including AD/ART. One of the most crucial is to determine the election of the General Chairperson of PBNU. The congress is considered legal if it is attended by 2/3 of the total region and the legitimate branch/branch.
The MLB is stated in Article 74, where paragraph (1) explains, MLB can be held if the highest leadership of PBNU such as Rais Aam or the General Chair commits a serious violation of AD/ART. Paragraph (2) states that MLB can be held with a proposal of at least 50 percent plus 1 of the total area and branches with the provisions of participants when MLB refers to the provisions of the congress, namely 2/3 the number of regions and the legitimate branch/branch.
Furthermore, Article 75 relates to the Alim Ulama National Conference which is the highest forum after the congress. This forum gave birth to Association Regulation Number 13 of 2025 as Gus Yahya's main argument was dismissed from his position as General Chair.
However, Article 75 paragraph (6) confirms that the Alim Ulama National Conference cannot change the AD/ART, the congress decision, and does not choose a new board. The chapter is then closed with Article 77 which states, Further provisions on national level deliberations will be regulated in the Nahdlatul Ulama Association Regulation.
The Tahkim Council And Islah As Solutions
So, how is the resolution of the internal PBNU conflict? PBNU Syuriyah Katib, Sarmidi Husna, revealed that Gus Yahya could take the complaint mechanism to the Tahkim Assembly. This is because the Tahkim Council is the official space for resolving internal PBNU disputes as stipulated in the Nahdlatul Ulama Association Regulation Number 14 of 2025, and the mechanism is already running and is under the authority of the big management.
"If he is not pleased or disagrees with this decision, then he can or we invite him to use the right to express his objections at the Nahdlatul Ulama Council. In PBNU there is already the Tahkim Council. The internal conflict can be resolved through the Tahkim Council. There are already regulations," he said.
He explained that the position of the Tahkim Council was the same as that of the Constitutional Court. The process at the Tahkim Council took place in the form of a trial led by nine judges of the organization. The forum will examine and test the decision of Syuriyah's daily meeting on the basis of the issuance of a letter of dismissal.
Therefore, he asked all parties to respect the internal PBNU mechanism and not to take this issue out of the organization. He emphasized that conflict resolution remains within the authority of the NU structure. "Internal problems must be resolved internally," continued Sarmidi.
Another solution was made by a number of NU kiai who formed the Nahdlatul Ulama Deliberative Forum to discuss the internal PBNU conflict. In the forum initiated by KH Anwar Manshur (Lirboyo) and KH Nurul Huda Djazuli (Ploso), at least 10 kiai were present in person or online at the Al-Falah Ploso Islamic Boarding School, Kediri, East Java, last Sunday, November 30.
The first is KH Anwar Manshur (Lirboyo), the second is KH Nurul Huda Djazuli (Ploso), KH Ma'ruf Amin (via Zoom), KH Said Aqil Siroj (via Zoom), KH Abdullah Kafabihi Mahrus (Lirboyo), Then KH Abdul Hannan Ma'shum (Kwagean), KH Kholil As'ad (Situbondo), KH Ubaidillah Shodaqoh, KH dr Umar Wahid (via Zoom) and KH Abdulloh Ubab Maimoen (via Zoom).
The meeting of the elderly kiai at PP Al Falah, Ploso, Kediri Regency, East Java, Sunday (30/11/2025). The Kiai Sepuh NU Forum urges that there be islah in the ranks of PBNU. BETWEEN THE ANTARA/HO-Forum Kiai Sepuh NU
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The result of the NU Deliberative Forum is asking all parties to islah. The Nahdlatul Ulama Elderly Forum expresses deep concern over the current conditions within the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board and hopes that this will happen soon," said Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School Spokesperson, KH Oing Abdul Muid or Gus Muid.
In addition, the Nahdlatul Ulama Elderly Forum also called on the parties at PBNU who are in conflict to refrain and stop statements in the media. "Moreover, it is related to things that can expose disgrace and have the potential to damage the dignity of the jam'iyyah," he added.
Gus Yahya responded positively to the call for the NU Elderly Forum, inviting all ranks of PBNU and Nahdliyin to follow up on the decision. According to him, the call is a form of concern for the conditions and efforts to maintain organizational integrity in the midst of the polemic of his dismissal by the PBNU Syuriyah. "The excitement must be carried out in the spirit of ukhuwah, maturity, and shared responsibility as the bearer of the mandate of the 34th NU Congress," he said.
He emphasized that the greatness of the organization must not be defeated by differences of opinion. Therefore, the dawuh of the Kiai in the Masyayikh forum is an important guidance for PBNU to maintain the peace of the people and the continuity of NU from the central structure to the grassroots. "With full sincerity, I submit to the people. Hold back, maintain the atmosphere, and seek islah," he continued.
Secretary General of PBNU, Amin Said Husni said, islah is the only constitutional way to resolve the internal PBNU conflict. He considered, through islah, both Gus Yahya and Miftachul Akhyar could jointly prepare the NU Congress to choose a new management.
NU can be divided if it is not islah and agrees for next year's congress. If NU breaks, it will not only be the people who are at odds. But NU as a whole. Even this nation also loses," he said.