The Ethnography Study of Tablighi Jamaat’s Da’wah Communication in the Symbolic Interactionism Perspective

Abstract

This article aims to see how the three premises of Blumer's Symbolic Interactionism are able to explain the
phenomenon of the Tablighi Jamaat preaching in the form of khuruj and jaulah. The question to be answered
in this article is how Tablighi Jamaat interprets the concept of da'wah (preaching), how the meaning
constructed and how the meaning maintained or modified. Using the ethnographic method, this study looks at
how the three premises of Blumer Symbolic Interactionism work. Based on the findings and results of the
analysis, it was found that the construction of the meaning of da'wah in the Tablighi Jamaah was very different
from the general understanding of the community. According to the Tablighi Jamaat, da’wah is not a lecture
but invites others to obey the rules of Islam. The main purpose of da'wah according to the Tablighi Jamaat is
not to improve others but to improve themselves and is obligatory for every Muslim. This series of meaningful
constructs has been built since the beginning of this movement, started by Maulana Ilyas. Long before
Maulana Ilyas chose and maintained the madrasa as a method of da'wah while continuing to evaluate it to
the conclusion that madrasas were not the right solution to improve society as a whole. Furthermore, he applied
the methods of da'wah and tabligh which he obtained not from social interaction, but obtained from God's
inspired inspiration. Thus, in this phenomenon, the perspective of Blumer Symbolic Interactionism seems to
be limited and unable to explain it thoroughly.