Akulturasi Islam dan Budaya Jawa dalam masyarakat Indonesia melalui Dakwah Sunan Kalijaga

Abstract

This article discusses the acculturation of Islam and Javanese culture in Indonesian society through the preaching of Sunan Kalijaga. Community life in the archipelago, especially in Java, shows a close integration between local culture and Islamic teachings. This process was influenced by the da'wah carried out by Walisongo, with Sunan Kalijaga as the central figure. Sunan Kalijaga uses an innovative da'wah approach, combining elements of local culture with Islamic teachings. This method makes Islamic preaching more easily accepted by the Javanese people because it does not force them to abandon the traditions they have long adhered to. Sunan Kalijaga believes that a deep understanding of Islam will make people's old habits slowly change into practices that are in accordance with Islamic teachings. His syncretic approach—which combines Javanese traditions with Islamic teachings—makes it easier to accept Islam because it respects and maintains local values. This integration not only helped spread Islam in Java but also became an integral part of people's lives, without eliminating their cultural identity. Thus, Sunan Kalijaga's adaptive and wise preaching played an important role in forming a unique culture in Java, where Islam and local culture blend harmoniously. The spread of Islam through cultural acculturation is a characteristic feature of the history of the development of Islam in Java, creating a distinctive and sustainable cultural identity. This effective da'wah produces a society rich in cultural and religious values.