Pious Young Educated Salafis: Educational practices and experiences within the Salafi community in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara

Abstract

The Salafi community is recognised as one of the most conservative Muslim groups, adhering to the strictest interpretations of Islam, which often differ from the typical practices observed in Indonesia. This community has notably emerged within the religious landscape of Bima, contributing to the reinforcement of Islamic practices among the locals through various forms of Islamic education. Historically, Bima was part of an Islamic kingdom, where Islamic education and traditions were deeply embedded in the local culture. Salafi-based education offers an alternative approach with distinct yet appealing features for the community. For Salafis, education is perceived as the most effective strategy for advancing their agenda of disseminating their purist interpretation of Islam in the region. This research aims to analyse the growth of educational practices within the Salafi community in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, with a particular focus on the experiences of young Salafi women.

Based on an intensive four months of ethnographic fieldwork, this thesis reveals that Salafi education, through its pedagogical systems and social practices, has culturally produced a specific model of a pious young, educated subject. It draws on the conceptual umbrella of 'the cultural production of educated person' proposed by Bradley Levinson, Douglas Foley, and Dorothy Holland (1996) which emphasises the interplay of structure and agency. Young Salafi women engage in Salafi educational practices and discourses by bringing "emotional aspects" into their learning processes. Emotions evoked by these young women indicate an active agency, working as a "motivational mechanism" that drives more intense and continuous learning practice to achieve perfection. The pious, educated subjects are thus characterised not only by their acquisition of Salafi-oriented knowledge but also their self-identification as lifelong learners, striving to attain perfect religious competence. This specific model of a pious, young, educated person is further articulated in the way they imagine and aspire to their future lives. Show more