Da’wah, Negotiation and Social Piety: The Role of Kyai Ahmad Masduki Al-Jabalani in Building the Character of a Multicultural Society in Gorontalo, Indonesia

The principle of Ojo rumongso iso, but iso rumongso (don’t feel you can, but you can feel) is the value of the laughter of a young kyai from Blitar who oversees the Sirojuth Thalibiin Islamic boarding school, Sidomukti village, Gorontalo. The value of the local wisdom of the Javanese people has become a foundation in their life. In his preaching he made the community as teachers not as people who do not know anything. He studied the heterogeneous character of the Gorontalo people as initial knowledge before carrying out da’wah. The pattern of preaching is different from other preaching methods of ustadz. Masduki in his preaching he followed the behavior and entered into community activities. For example drinking coffee and playing playing cards with people in several places. He preached while drinking coffee including playing playing cards together. These two moments became media in the preaching negotiations carried out by kyai Ahmad Masduki Al-Jabalni. Gradually people became interested and began to come and study at their Islamic boarding school. This shows that social piety is more important than individual piety. This research uses qualitative research using a narrative ethnographic approach and focuses on how the da’wah carried out by Kyai Masduki in the formation of the character of the multicultural Gorontalo community. Data collection techniques were carried out by means of participant observation, in-depth interviews and documentation.