Wahyudi Akmaliah
Imam Aziz passed away from a heart attack early in the morning on 12 July 2025. Hundreds of Indonesians paid tribute to him on their social media platforms. These tributes consistently acknowledged his significant contributions as an organic intellectual, not only through his published works but also through his active involvement in progressive Islamic initiatives. He championed the cause of the voiceless at the grassroots level, both individually and collectively, by founding and participating in various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and educational institutions. Following his passing, many tributes portrayed him as a key inheritor of Abdurrahman Wahid’s (popularly known as Gus Dur) intellectual and moral legacies. Undoubtedly, to some extent, his achievements echoed Gus Dur’s path, particularly in terms of social engagement and advocacy for marginalised communities. He also served as one of the leaders of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) (2010-2021). However, Gus Dur was not the sole figure who shaped his commitment to human rights and social justice. In contrast, there are many reasons why he then became a radical thinker with a deep commitment to promoting social change within Indonesian society.
The formative years
Muhammad Imam Aziz was born in Pati, Central Java, on 29 March 1962. He is the first of five siblings. His father, KH Abdul Aziz Yasin, was a student of KH Ali Maksum Krapyak, and served as Rais Aam (supreme leader) of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) from 1981 to 1984. His mother’s name was Fathimah and his grandfather was a prominent religious village leader who was actively engaged in political affairs. However the political transition from Sukarno’s presidency to Suharto’s authoritarian New Order regime left him deeply traumatised. As recounted in one of Imam Aziz’s writings, his grandfather was involved in the 1971 general election during the early New Order period, supporting the Nahdlatul Ulama Party (Partai NU) in Pati.
At the time, military personnel and village officials, staunch supporters of the ruling Golkar Party, systematically removed NU-related symbols, campaign materials and billboards. In response, Imam’s grandfather secretly organised a mock voting session at his house to educate local residents on how to vote for Partai NU. This act led to his arrest and detention for four days at the local Koramil (Military Sub-District Command). This experience left a lasting impression on Imam, even though his father never openly spoke about it. While Imam’s grandfather became disillusioned with politics, going so far as to forbid his children from listening to the radio or reading newspapers, his father took a different path. As an Islamic teacher who commuted between home and the madrasah (Islamic school), KH Abdul Aziz Yasin remained open-minded. He subscribed to a newspaper, instilling in his children, including Imam, a habit of reading and an early exposure to public discourse and critical thought.
From a young age, Imam Aziz’s father decided to send him to study at Pesantren Mathali’ul Falah (an Islamic boarding school) in Kajen, Pati, Central Java, under the guidance of KH Sahal Mahfudh. KH Sahal would later serve as Rais Aam of Nahdlatul Ulama (1999–2014) and Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) from 2000 to 2014. Imam Aziz remained at the pesantren for nearly 17 years and developed a close relationship with his kiai, a bond that profoundly shaped his intellectual and spiritual growth. One of the key influences he absorbed was the concept of Fiqh Sosial (Social Jurisprudence), which sought to reinterpret and reformulate classical Islamic legal thought to address contemporary social realities, ultimately serving as a moral-ethical guide for the maslahah ummah (public good).
During his years as a santri (Islamic scholar), as noted by Hairus Salim, Imam Aziz often spent his time, including studying and even sleeping, near the cemetery of Syaikh Ahmad Mutamakkin, a prominent seventeenth century Islamic scholar known for his pivotal role in the spread of Islam in the Pati region. In his later years at the pesantren, he was introduced to social science literature through publications such as Prisma, published by the LP3S Institute. Under the guidance of KH Sahal Mahfudh, who actively encouraged such intellectual exploration, Imam Aziz's intellectual horizons expanded beyond classical religious texts, fostering his engagement with broader social and political discourses. These early exposures laid the intellectual foundation for his later scholarly development. They also strengthened his commitment to social engagement and activism, particularly when he began his undergraduate studies in 1979 at the Department of Islamic History and Culture, Faculty of Adab, at the State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Sunan Kalijaga.
While studying at IAIN, Imam Aziz dedicated much of his time to activities beyond the classroom, actively engaging in student movements and campus journalism, as well as penning short opinion pieces for various national newspapers. He served as the chair of the Yogyakarta branch of the Pergerakan Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia, PMII (Islamic Student Movement) from 1986 to 1987 and as editor-in-chief of Arena, the campus student publication, from 1987 to 1988. These experiences led him to join the Komite Solidaritas Korban Pembangunan Kedung Ombo (Student Solidarity Committee for the Victims of Kedung Ombo Development) in Salatiga, Central Java, where he participated in public demonstrations, including an incident in which he unfurled a protest banner in front of military troops. He also reported on the demonstration, and his article was published in the local newspaper Kedaulatan Rakyat as the headline under his initials, at a time when most national newspapers declined to cover the protest. His deep involvement in activism and journalism significantly shaped his worldview, although it contributed to his delayed graduation, which he eventually celebrated in 1992.
From an idea to a social movement
Together with a few colleagues from NU, Imam Aziz co-founded LKiS (Lembaga Kajian Islam dan Sosial, (the Institute for Islamic and Social Studies) in 1992 as an alternative forum for critical Islamic thought and social movement. The institute placed particular emphasis on issues of social justice and political economy at a time when Suharto’s New Order regime continued to marginalise traditionalist Islamic voices. The significance of LKiS grew more visible under the leadership of Gus Dur as Chairman of PBNU, particularly following NU’s return to the Khittah in 1926. This shift marked a transformation in NU’s orientation, specifically from formal political party engagement to a renewed focus on religious, social and cultural activism. Under this framework, LKiS became one of the broader social movements that encouraged young NU activists to initiate social change through the establishment of religious, social and cultural networks.
When the Suharto regime fell and Gus Dur became President of Indonesia, one of his most notable initiatives was issuing a public apology in March 2000 to the victims and families affected by the 1965–1966 violence. In response to this political opening, Imam mobilised a group of young NU activists to establish Masyarakat Santri untuk Advokasi (Muslim Community for Social Advocacy), later known as Syarikat Indonesia. The initiative aimed to foster cultural reconciliation between the perpetrators and victims of the 1965–1966 mass violence, many of whom were affiliated with the NU community, while others had been associated with the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and its affiliated organisations. Despite facing criticism from several NU elite leaders and followers who viewed the initiative as controversial, Imam remained committed to the reconciliation process. He and his team began by collecting data and testimonies through interviews with survivors and their families. Based on these findings, Syarikat initiated a series of local cultural reconciliation efforts between former perpetrators and victims in various areas of Central and East Java. These efforts culminated in a significant historical moment: a major reconciliation forum held in 2003, which marked a rare and courageous attempt to confront the legacy of violence within the broader NU community.
In 2018, Imam Aziz co-founded Yayasan Bumi Cendekia, an educational foundation that includes both high schools and pesantren. The institution represents a synthesis of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah (Aswaja) values and modern educational curricula, enriched by international perspectives and experiences. Despite these significant contributions, Imam Aziz never sought public recognition for his work. This modesty, coupled with his grassroots engagement, positioned him not as a traditional kiai who fosters patron–client relationships typical of traditionalist Islam, but as a quiet leader who fostered empowerment rather than dependence. With his calm and nurturing demeanor, and his openness to collaborative learning, especially through advocacy work and engagement with critical social science and Islamic thought, Imam Aziz mentored a new generation of leaders within NU’s younger ranks. This posture stands in stark contrast to the current culture of social media visibility, which often rewards self promotion and performative activism.
Undoubtedly, Imam Aziz’s enduring commitment to marginalised communities and his efforts to ground Islamic critical thought in real social practice remain a powerful lesson for NU members today. His legacy serves as a reminder that the core values of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah (Aswaja) that consist of tawassuth (moderation), tasamuh (tolerance), tawazun (balance) and i‘tidal (justice) must be upheld for the public good, rather than being co-opted to serve the interests of the privileged few. This ethical stance stands in stark contrast to recent developments, such as the formal endorsement by NU’s General Leadership Board of corporate-led mining initiatives, which many critics view as a departure from the organisation’s foundational theological and moral principles.
Wahyudi Akmaliah (wahyudiakmaliah@gmail.com) is a researcher at the Research Centre for Society and Culture, National Research and Innovation Agency (PMB-BRIN), Jakarta.
