Nahdlatul Ulama's Perspective on Religious Moderation for Global Peace and Justice

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest socio-religious organization in Indonesia, has a significant task in conveying Islamic teachings. The distinctive Islamic teachings brought by NU have four basic sublimations: tawasut, tawazun, tasamuh, and ta'adul. The value of tawasut (moderation) brought by NU as a way of thinking is urgent in society, both related to religion, social, politics, and even the domestic sphere. With this value of moderation, NU's presence can provide a legal umbrella for the values of Islamic teachings that have been misinterpreted by some groups, such as radicals who misunderstand the verses of jihad with inhumane offensive actions reinterpreted into a methodological argument for self-defense by applying the meaning of tolerance. This study found that NU's idea of moderation (tawasut) is reflected in three main areas: interfaith relations, gender relations, and contemporary legal ijtihad. NU emphasizes the importance of tolerance based on respect for existence, not theological truth, in the interreligious realm. In gender relations, NU rejects patriarchal domination and offers a reconstruction of women's jurisprudence based on maqasid al-sharia and hermeneutics. In modern legal istinbat, NU relies on scientific approaches such as tahqiqul manath, assessing legal validity based on the current illat and benefits, as in the case of the halal status of four types of crab, previously considered questionable.