Sufism and Shi’ism in Indonesia Convergence or Divergence

Sufism and Shiism, which became popular in Indonesia at the same time with the spread of Islam, are two effective influences in the country. These two currents have had a significant and active presence in different social and political levels and scientific and cultural centers of the country from the past to the present. Allamah Hamzah Fansouri is the first Indonesian Sufi to follow the Qadiriyya sect, which first made it popular in the country. In addition, other forms of Sufism such as Naqshbandiyya, Qadiriyya Naqshbandiyyah, Tejaniyah, Cheshtiyyah, Shazliyah, Rafayiyah, Shatariyah, etc. have emerged in this country. Indonesia’s nine famous saints are the first religious scholars in Indonesia, some of them Shiites, Sadat and some Sunnis. The Organization of the Islamic Movement is considered the official organization of the traditional Sufis of the contemporary era in this country. In recent times, there have been two reform movements in traditional Sufism that have brought about many changes in the minds of the people of this country. First, the reform movement led by the Mohammadiyah Organization, and second, the introduction of various ideas of the new world. In the latter, secular attitudes and materialist beliefs quickly penetrated the land, and the ultimate example is the current of liberal Islam. On the other hand, the role of Shiite Muslims who have joined the country is not hiden. The existence of various documents and artifacts points to the presence of Shiites and the formation of Shiite governments in the past in parts of Indonesia, such as the islands of Sumatra, Aceh, Pasa and Malacca. In the contemporary period, Shiites are present in many parts of Indonesia and play a role in various social, scientific and political situations. Due to the fact that some extremist and anti Shiite currents have started their activities in this country during the current period, they have gained considerable influence in many religious and scientific institutions and centers of this country. Communication or divergence between Sufism and Shiism, and possibly constructive interactions between them, is critical to strategic and extremist currents. Due to the intertwining of Shiite and Sufi communities in the country, the connection and interaction between the two has long been common. These links can be found in the form of religious and doctrinal ties, practical and behavioral ties, social and biological ties. Also, various strategies can be proposed to approximate it, which have been discussed in this study. The present study examines Sufism and Shiism in Indonesia and convergence or divergence, as well as ways to create convergence and interaction between the two, and concludes that convergence points between Shi’ism and Sufism are so strongly influenced by divergence. This research is based on descriptive and analytical methods with the method of library collection along with field studies and reports that have played a key role in the formation of this dissertation.