Partisipasi ahl al tariqah dalam politik nasional: kasus Tarekat Qadiriyah wa Naqsyabandiyah Rejoso Jombang Jawa Timur

This study attempts to uncover the potential factors underlying the political participation of the adherents of Tarekat Qadiriyah wa Naqsyabandiyah Rejoso, Jombang and the response of the society. As a descriptive qualitative study, the data were collected using participant observation and in-depth interview with the prominent figures of the tarekat members, and analyzed using a sociological-political approach. The finding is that most of them state to adhere to a certain political party, thus having a better access to political elites either in local or in central office. That, consequently, causes not only the degradation of society's appreciation towards the tarekat instructors, but also conflict among the tarekat followers.