FROM HARD ROCK TO HADRAH: Music and Youth Sufism in Contemporary Indonesia

: Many studies on Islam in Indonesia usually focus on Islamic movements from social, economic, or political perspective. One missing viewpoint that does not get much attention or even completely ignored is the spiritual life of the Muslim youths. This study would examine and analyze the growth of the Syeikhermania and their attachment to Hadrah music of Majelis Shalawat Ahbab al-Musthofa led by Habib Syeikh Abdul Qadir Assegaf, an Arabic-descent Muslim preacher. Unlike Muslim youth organizations that are enthusiastically active in political movements that tend to be radical, Syeikhermania plays a role in creating harmony and tolerance. They transform spiritually from Hard Rock to Hadrah music. Therefore, this study disclosed the participation of the Muslim youths in the Majelis Shalawat Ahbab al-Musthofa which is motivated by the need for spiritual protection and expressing their identity as Muslim youths in contrast to the liberal and secular cultures on the one hand and fundamentalist and radicalist groups on the other hand.

A. Introduction ome people think that youths usually spend their time having fun, looking for pleasure through various activities such as sports, watching music performances, and other entertaining activities. Rarely is it to find them who get involved in religious organizations or spiritual brotherhoods. This fact seems to prove the secularism thesis that religion will be human's history due to the modernization of civilization as a result of science and technological developments. 1 One of the youth groups who actively get involved in religious activities is Syeikhermania. Thousands of Syeikhermania from various cities usually attend Majelis Ahbab al-Musthofa wherever it performs. They come to the event by riding motorbikes while waving flags 1 Habib as the descendant of the Prophet from the Hadramaut chain among the youths, youths' experiences in following the Islamic learning forum as well as factors prompting them to participate in the Majelis Ta'lim (Islamic-learning forum) taught by Habib. Alatas (2009), and Zamhari and Howell (2012) emphasize the growth of urban Sufism is a factor describing the development of the Majelis Ta'lim followed by young people. Meanwhile, Rijal (2020) explains why a greater number of non-sayyid Muslim youths join the Majelis Ta'lim in the last decade. Following the argument of Asep Bayat (2010), in his study on Muslim youths in Iran and Egypt, Rijal (2020) argues that Indonesian Muslim youths who participate in the Majelis Ta'lim and Habaib's religious forum is not only to fulfill their spiritual needs but also to express themselves as pious people amidst the uncertainty, unsatisfactory, and limited space of Jakarta for urban youths. A study of Ahbab al-Musthofa by Nur Rosyid (2012) concludes that there is a process of relational change into commoditization which is called a "religious franchise" in the community of Ahbab al-Musthofa, as can be seen from the highly standardized events and products such as stage, audio, and visual types of equipment, etc. It is, therefore, whether realized or not, the global business logic of franchise influences the contextualization of shalawat tradition. 4 Different from previous studies, this study will examine Syeikhermania as a subcultural phenomenon with its unique socio-cultural functions. Syeikhermania is a community member of the Majelis Ahbab Al-Muthofa (AM) which uses Hadrah music in its religious event. Ahbab Al-Muthofa's headquarter is in Surakarta, Central Java.
AM usually performs in cities and towns throughout the country. The development of AM is followed by the establishment of Syeikhermania nationwide. Syeikhermania defines itself as the follower of Syaikh Abdul Qadir Assegaf. They perform traditional rituals such as tahlilan, yasinan, and mauludan as well as shalawatan. They declare that they are the Prophet's lovers who practice shalawat. After observing and interviewing some Syeikhermania, they identify themselves as the follower of moderate Islam (tawasuth) and tolerant (tasamuh), namely ahlusunnah waljamaah. They distinguish themselves from other groups with extreme ideologies such as Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia and other Salafi-Wahabi groups who are against the tradition and rituals that they practice. This study was conducted in 2018-2019 by observing the Majelis Ahbab al-Mustofa and conducting deep interviews with some Syeikermania activists and the officers of AM. Besides, several publications on Ahbab al-Musthofa are also taken as sources of data. This study employs a qualitative method. To attain a good and deep understanding, this study combines text analysis and ethnography. In the beginning, this study discusses the profile of Habid Syeikh Abdul Qadir Assagef as the central figure of AM, the role model of Syeikermania. In this part, the author analyses the establishment of the Habib's Majelis Ta'lim and its development including its popularity and how it could attract a large number of Muslim youths. The second part will discuss Syeikermania in terms of the history and social background of its members. The third part elaborates the cultural and structural context as a framework of youths' involvement in Hadrah music. The fourth part examines the perspective and perception of Syeikhermania on Majelis Ahbab Al-Musthofa with its musical instruments as a means of da'wah. Meanwhile, the last will analyze the meaning of Syeikhermania's participation in the da'wah forums. Habib Syeikh, prayers, and links to social media, radio, youtube channel, and some live streams.
In every event, Habib Syeikh mostly emphasizes more on morality and Sufism practices than rigid legal doctrines of Islam. This is what distinguishes this Majelis from other global Muslim movements such as the Salafi-Wahabi group which strictly holds and teaches its followers a set of theological and legal doctrines. On several occasions, Habib Syeikh invites the audience to be a pious person by being obedient in performing prayers, doing good deeds, and avoiding evils. Those messages were not only delivered only in his speeches but also through his music lyrics. Many of his followers felt being guided, serenity, and peace as well as happiness and entertainment by attending Majelis Shalawat Ahbab al-Musthofa.

C. Hard Rock and Hadrah Fans Club
The music groups usually have fans; some of them are fanatic which then establish a community such as Orang Indonesia (OI) for the fans of Iwan Fals, Baladewa of Dewa 19, Fans Rhoma Irama dan Soneta Group (FORSA), and Slanker of Slank. The members of these music groups have different social backgrounds based on the music genre they like. Similar to those fans group, the followers of Majelis Shalawat Ahbab al-Musthofa lead by Habib Syeikh, are mostly the youths who then established a group called Syeikhermania. The media of da'wah used by Habib Syeikh is Hadrah (Shalawatan) music that is composed of verses/lyrics containing moral values and advice that want to create a distinct segment. On the Youtube channel, there are hundreds of his shalawat videos with millions of viewers. Habib Syeikh also released several (at least 10) shalawat albums. Many of them are in the Arabic language and some of them are in Bahasa and Javanese languages.
Teosofia: Indonesian Journal of Islamic Mysticism, Vol. 9, No. 2, 2020 http://journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/teosofia According to his followers, Syeikhermania is a community that loves reciting shalawat for the Prophet Muhammad sincerely because of the encouragement of Habib Syeikh as the leading figure of Majelis Ahbab al-Musthofa. The name "Syeikhermania" is derived from the name of Habib Syeikh. They named it Syeikhermania as they feel that Habib Syeikh excites them by his advice to always recite shalawat upon the prophet and to leave the worldly pleasure. 5 Syeikhermania was established in 2009 by Muhammad Miftahudduha (Gus Duha). Most of Syeikhermania's members are teenagers, male and female. They are those who seek self-identity and need guidance. In their opinion, Habib Syeikh can guide them by his affection for the teenagers so that they feel comfortable with him.
The establishment of Syeikhermania is different from the fanbases of other music groups in Indonesia. A music fan community is usually established by the music management to organize the fans as the market. Syeikhermania was established neither by Habib Syeikh nor his management but it was naturally established and developed. Furthermore, Habib Syeikh did not even know about the establishment of the Syeikhermania community. In an interview on TV9 (2015)  culture with its arts and music join Syeikhermania as a traditional community with its unique music genre; from a glamorous lifestyle to a religious one, from pop music to shalawat, from hard rock to hadrah.

D. Music and Youth Sufism
The Majelis Shalawat Ahbab al-Musthofa which is usually attended by a huge number of Sekhermania is a fascinating phenomenon. Hundreds of thousands of people crowd the event whatever the condition is. Rain will not make anyone leave the event.
They are faithfully waiting for Habib Syeikh to recite shalawat and giving godly counsel. Cars, buses, trucks, motorbikes, and other kinds of vehicles with stickers and writings of Syeikhermania make a long line of a parade on road. In the area of the event, some people also open many stalls that look like a market. The Majelis Shalawat Ahbab al-Musthofa is usually conducted in the evening, after Isya's prayer around 20.00 until 23.00. Habib Syeikh's presence is always waited by thousands of audiences and therefore, when He arrives, audiences enthusiastically welcome him. To calm down the crowd, in the beginning, Habib Syeikh invited them to recite shalawat upon Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
"Let us recite shalawat upon the most honored man on earth. Therefore, we must recite it in an honor way too; no smoking, no need to stand up and jump! Just be seated!" To start the agenda, Habib Syeikh usually explains briefly the biography of the prophet. Anytime, the name Muhammad is called, the audiences reply with shalawat loudly. Amidst the crowd, there are flags with the logo of Syeikhermania from various chapters such as Sykhermania Surabaya, Cirebon, Semarang, Kediri, Lamongan, Gresik, Aceh, and Lampung. There are also flags with logos of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), political parties, and football clubs. Flags of Slankers (fans of Slank) and OI (the fans of Iwan Fals) are also found. Everyone enjoys the music beat and Hadrah played by the AM's group with the high quality of sound equipment. Following that, Simtud Duror, a work by Habib Ali bin Muhammad Al-Habsyi, is also recited. It is then followed by singing several Javanese songs such as padang bulan and kereta jawa. In between, Habib Syeikh delivers moral advice and the biography of the Prophet. The shalawat and Hadrah music are supported by traditional Arabic music instruments such as terbang, jidur, and tambourine. Some of the group members play roles as backing vocalists of Habib Syeikh in reciting shalawat and other proses and poetries. AM's musical performance is an important part of the event.
Therefore, Habib Syeikh composed several songs in Javanese and Indonesian languages which were recorded and sung on many occasions. During the performance, In this small meeting, they also read maulid for social and religious purposes such as asking for protection and blessing from God in their lives. The participants experience a deeper feeling when reciting the maulid. Therefore, the Sufism rituals and discussions become more intense.

E. Syeikhermania as a Subculture
Syeikhermania is a subculture. Started from the small Majelis Ahbab al-Musthofa in one of the Javanese cultural centers, in Solo, Syeikhermania spread out nationwide, in cities and towns. Habib Syeikh and his activities not only influence people in Java, where Habib Syeikh come from, but also many cities in Indonesia and abroad such as Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Singapore. As a subculture, Syeikhermania has five functions: First, the function of a magical solution for socioeconomic structural problems. Syeikhermania's presence at the Majelis Shalawat Ahbab al-Musthofa is motivated by the encouragement they get during the event.
They expect to get life motivation to face challenges in their lives. In every events, the participants can sell various products to other participants. The second function is a collective identity which is different from that in schools and workplaces. As a sub- The third function is space-winning and alternative narration for social reality.
The fact that the contemporary Muslim community experiences polarization and the domination of liberalism, intolerance, and terrorism issues. What Habib Syeikh does is a smart effort from the cultural Islam perspective. In that context, the Majelis Shalawat conducted by Habib Syeikh supported by Syeikhermania is effort to unite the Muslim community from various organizations, political parties into one community, namely "The Lover of the Prophet" which has a message of peaceful Islam; Islam rahmatan lilalamin. This, at the same time, is an alternative for Islamic discourse that is different from others which tend to be more intellectual and are spread in academic forums such as seminars and classes, or socio-political forums which gives a stereotype to the Muslim community for being polarized and disunited. Imaduddin's perspective, for instance, relates Syeikhermania with nationalism education. 7 The fourth function is to give more meaningful free time. Some people assume that subculture is a negative activity. Syeikhermania is an example of a positive subculture. Syeikhermania is different from motorbike gangs, underground music fans, homeless people, etc. The number of participants which reaches 10.000 -100.000 in every regular event of 2-3 hours shows the meaningfulness of the events for the audience.
The fifth function is as a complementary solution for the dilemma of existential identity. Modernity brings changes and causes an identity crisis for some people. Traditional groups and young urban Muslims in need of spirituality find a "common house" to shelter their existence (Sobirin, 2019). In this context, Habib Syeh with his Majelis Shalawat plays a role which is called by Clifford Geertz (1960) as cultural brokers and Hiroko Horikoshi (1987) as "change filter." 8 As a cultural broker, Habib Syeikh is an ulama who has power and strong influence in the local system. Even, Wicaksono (2019)  typologically unique religious-cultural group that can be described as Santri who combines two subcultures, namely the loyal music fan and fanatic football fan. This is evidenced by the fact that many Sykhermania are football club fans and/or music group fans. The flexibility of "shalawatan" and "music performance" gives Habib Syeikh benefits. So, it is no wonder that in the country, he is often invited to Majelis Shalawat, but in Singapore, he was invited by the Muslim Community in Geylang Stadium to perform a music concert.

F. Conclusion
This article discusses Syeikhermania as the followers of the Majelis Shalawat Ahbab al-Mushtofa under the leadership of Habib Syeikh in terms of the socioreligious transformation in contemporary Indonesia. Focusing mainly on the Majelis Shalawat which is supported by traditional Arabic music instruments, this study discovered the strategy and the cultural approach which succeeded in attracting a social segment of the Muslim youths. Their intense and routine presence in the Majelis Shalawat has transformed the identity of traditional santri and young urban Muslims as a subculture. As the subculture, Syeikhermania, has some functions such as magical solution function for social and economic issues, alternative collective-identity function for young people who love music, the function of space winning as an alternative narration among liberal and radical Islam, the function of more meaningful free time activities, and the function of complementary solution for the dilemma of existential identity issues of Muslim youths amidst identity crisis caused by modernity.
This study found that ritual and religious tradition can be mediated through pop culture whose markets are Muslim youths with different social backgrounds, traditionalist and middle-class urban Muslims. Preaching with the musical performance gained massive support from any circle of the Muslims. It is seen from the growth of Syeikhermania in cities and towns in Indonesia. Accommodating modern instruments and performing traditional rituals is an appealing factor to attract society's participation in the Majelis Shalawat. The touch of modernity to the traditional Muslim community in villages such as information and communication technology particularly social media and the growth of urban Muslims who need religious spaces to express their aspiration make the religious event with music performance accommodating modern nuance with appeal and piety gain more and more place in the heart of Indonesian Muslim community. By employing modern media, AM succeeded to promote and popularize the tradition and gained high appreciation from society.