INTERPRETASI SIMBOLIK ATAS NARASI KEAGAMAAN KH. ABDUL GHOFUR LAMONGAN

Abstract

This study aims to discover the motives and content of the meaning of symbolic narratives used by scholars in Indonesia to spread and strengthen the teachings of Islam in Indonesia. The use of symbolic narratives has been widely used by early Islamic preachers in Indonesia. The narratives were presented to provide easier understanding to the people of Indonesia by their perceptions of the world. One of the scholars who preserve this missionary pattern is KH Abdul Ghofur. To obtain the meaning of the religious symbols used by the Kiai Ghofur, This study uses the semiotic method of Roland Barthes. The use of symbols in religious narratives carried out by Kiai Ghofur is at the level of connotative meaning. Meaning can be understood by looking at the concepts that are believed by the people associated with these symbols. With this concept, the meaning of the ape-snake symbol indicates Sufistic values in the Islamic tradition. The symbol of the mustard tree is intended to symbolize unity. Whereas, the symbol of boat-aircraft shows the incorporation of traditional and modern nature in the education system in his Pesantren (Islamic Boarding School).