Teologi Asy’ari dalam Islamisasi Budaya Jawa: Kajian atas Transformasi Kemben dan Bahasa

Abstract

The Islamization of Javanese culture was a gradual and accommodative acculturation process, distinct from the trade-driven pattern found along the Malay coast. This study aims to analyze the role of Ash'ari theology, founded by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, as an epistemological framework in the Islamization of Javanese culture, particularly regarding the transformation of kemben attire and the Javanese language. The research employs a qualitative library-research approach, combining content analysis and historical analysis of primary sources such as classical kalam texts and Javanese Islamic manuscripts, alongside secondary sources including academic journals and books. The findings reveal that three pillars of Ash'ari doctrine the balance between naql and 'aql, the concept of kasb, and the moderate affirmation of divine attributes provided a philosophical foundation for the accommodative da'wah practiced by Javanese scholars, gradually shifting kemben toward more modest attire and inducing lexical Islamization of the Javanese language through the pegon script. The study affirms that religious moderation in Java constitutes a theological legacy rooted long before the modern era.