Book Discussion on “Imagining The Future Society” Highlights NU and UNU Yogyakarta’s Intellectual Contribution to the Future

Yogyakarta, Indonesia - How prepared are Muslims, particularly members of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), to face the future and its rapid changes? What contributions can the Nahdliyin community offer in shaping a future society aligned with Islamic values?

These questions were at the center of a book discussion on Imagining The Future Society: Perspectives from Nahdliyyin Activists, held at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama (UNU) Yogyakarta on Thursday (April 2). The event carried the theme “Nahdliyyin and the Future of the Ummah: Reinterpreting Tradition, Innovation, and the Challenges of a New Civilization.”

One of the speakers, Muhyidin, a lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Studies (FDI) of UNU Yogyakarta, said the book—an anthology of writings by NU activists and academics—offers an important overview of the role of Islam and NU in the future.

“This book bridges the gap between NU and future-oriented issues that have mostly been discussed only among academics and activists. We must admit that many kiai and pesantren circles have not yet widely explored this theme,” he said.

Muhyidin noted that the book was inspired by remarks from PBNU Chairman KH Yahya Cholil Staquf at the 2023 NU Thought Congress. He also highlighted various essays examining the relationship between Islam and the future from diverse perspectives.

The discussions span history and technology, family and collective relations, religion and the state, as well as perspectives from classical Islamic texts and ecology. The latter two topics were written by UNU Yogyakarta scholars Muammar Zayn Qaddafy and Suhadi Cholil.

Muhyidin also emphasized an essay by UNU Yogyakarta Rector for the 2022–2026 period Widya Priyahita and FDI Dean Hamdi Putra Ahmad titled “NU in Its Second Century: Becoming an Agent of Transformation in the Era of Technology and Global Crisis.”

“This essay offers one of the most compelling critiques while providing concrete recommendations for NU to face the future, such as establishing a futuristic fiqh institution and modernizing pesantren as new knowledge ecosystems,” he explained.

Another speaker, Ahmad Suaedy, Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies at UNUSIA Jakarta, highlighted NU’s strong potential through the principles of Ahlussunah wal Jamaah (Aswaja) to play a key role in shaping a future society grounded in equality.

“Aswaja NU can serve as a spiritual foundation because its scholarly tradition is well established. Its principles of equality are deeply rooted, and its collective spirit is strong. Now we look forward to innovations emerging from UNU campuses as centers of inspiration for the NU community,” he said. [Arif]