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Historical Background of KEJAWEN

The document discusses the historical background of Javanese culture and the syncretism between Islam and Javanese traditions. It explains that Javanese society has a long cultural history influenced by various systems. It developed a mystical belief system called kejawen. When Islam arrived in Java, it syncretized with kejawen traditions rather than replacing local beliefs. Over time, Javanese Islam emerged which blended Islamic and kejawen elements, integrating rituals and traditions. This syncretism can be seen in religious celebrations, teachings, and cultural aspects of Javanese society.

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Nabitha Rihi
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173 views2 pages

Historical Background of KEJAWEN

The document discusses the historical background of Javanese culture and the syncretism between Islam and Javanese traditions. It explains that Javanese society has a long cultural history influenced by various systems. It developed a mystical belief system called kejawen. When Islam arrived in Java, it syncretized with kejawen traditions rather than replacing local beliefs. Over time, Javanese Islam emerged which blended Islamic and kejawen elements, integrating rituals and traditions. This syncretism can be seen in religious celebrations, teachings, and cultural aspects of Javanese society.

Uploaded by

Nabitha Rihi
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The order of the Javanese cultural system is known wide and


complex, because the journey of the Javanese society is so long with
the various cultural systems that contributed to it
The thought system of Javanese society according to Dawami, is,
they like to think about myths and mystical things. So, any behavior of
the Javanese is not far from the aspect of belief and that is why certain
mystical thinking systems will always dominate in Javanese society. The
Javanese believe in sacred stories and tales that are more sacred than
experimental thinking.
From belief in the mystical things, then grow a Javanese belief
called kejawen
Kejawen thinking certainly can not be separated from the
mystical, spiritual, and belief. However, typical of Indonesia according
to Wongsonegoro is spirituality that is a form of devotion to God
Almighty towards the achievement of noble and perfection that in
practice like tasawuf, theosophy or mysticism.
In the concept of Sufism, kejawen has a similarity with Islam that
is prioritizing the behavior of Javanese so there is a process of
syncretism between the two great cultures. The term syncretism
contains a kind of irony, that Islam no longer appears as in its original
form, but has been mixed by local culture such as Kejawen Islam that is
far from its pure nature in its home region of the Middle East.
The emergence of Javanese Islam is preceded by the mysticism of
kejawen, because many emerging spiritual flow in Java. It also can not
be separated from the Moslems Javanese, they do not want to release
the original culture of kejawen. In the early days of the arrival of Islam
in Java, the original Javanese religion in the form of spiritual and
mystique is considered shirk. Especially in Javanese’s traditions like
‘Selametan’, incense burning and ritual worship of ancestral spirits that
are considered not in accordance with Islamic teachings. However, the
indigenous communities of Java do not want to say that the deeds they
have done and the inheritance of their ancestors is said shirk.
Therefore, Walisongo tried to take advantage of existing traditions
combined by Islamic culture in an effort to spread the religion of Islam
one of them through song (tembang) Ilir-ilir which is the original
product of Javanese’s tembang then given the mystical element of
Islamic religiosity in order to be able to knock the hearts of the people
of Java.
Viewed from the aspect of tradition, the combination of Javanese
Islam is also very inherent in the life of Javanese society such as the 1
Suro culture, where in the Javanese court is commemorated with a
heirloom carnival event or the provision of sacrifice while Islam is
commemorated by fasting, there has even been a blend in the
celebration such as reading tahli, both kenduri and nyekar. This shows
that there is a healthy link between Islam and Java.
The combination of Islam with the local culture of Java can also be
seen from the historical and anthropological aspects, as happened in
the region of Mataram, Pati and Tuban, where the region is the center
of the spread of Islam in Java taught by al-Mutamakkin. The teaching is
packed sweet through the existing understanding of the mystic kejawen
spread through the understanding of Java's neo-sufism. Therefore the
concept of sangkan paraning dumadi and manunggaling kawula gusti
can not be separated from the history of Islam Kejawen

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