Modernization and Purification of Islam: DII and Islamicist Separatist Movements, Muhammadiyah, Syari’ah By Joko Wicoyo

Toward a New Paradigm explores the range of voices in contemporary Indonesian Islamic discourse concerning religion, the state and society and highlights the theological foundations of Indonesian social and political discourse. The papers in this volume suggest not only that there is a new paradigm emerging within Indonesian Islam, but that the classical paradigms which have guided the study of Islam in Southeast Asia are in need of revision.

“Indonesia experience may not be an example to be copied by other Muslim nations. Being the largest among Muslim nations, Indonesia could offer itself as the laboratory for developing modern religious tolerance and pluralism. With about 90% of its more than 180 million population Muslims, Indonesia is striving to bring Islam into a positive and constructive dialogue with the demands of the age. This in itself is a good thing top observe” (pp.112-113).

It has been said that, in accordance with Bernard Lewis’ account, tolerance and its corollary pluralism are new to all religions. These are modern values, and they are a part of the challenges of modernity. Therefore it seems that one of the strategic questions is whether Islam permits some changes in some of its religious and cultural orientations as necessited by its response to the challenge of time and place, and its adaptation to different temporal and spatial milieu. In relation to this, what the reform movement promulgated by the Muhammadiyah is interesting.

In my understanding, the Muhammadiyah, has already designed to restore the teaching of Islam in their pure and original forms as manifested in the Qur’an and Sunnah, free of any element of heresy or superstition, and as true reflection of the principal characteristic of Islam. The Muhammadiyah looks at its reform as a means to reconstruct religious life in the form of pristine Islam. In this way the Muhammadiyah becomes the vindicator of Islamic precepts and all forms of rational practice against deviant and heretical tendencier. I think reform of this type is accordingly called “purification”. On the other hand, since Islam encompasses at the same time universal value, the reform of Muhammadiyah should also refer to the implementation of Islamic teaching in accordance with the demands of the developments of modern age.

Nevertheless, deviation might occur in implementing the true doctrines of the faith, due to the influence of local culture or a lack of understanding on the part of Muslim of true belief. One of the examples is the wave of Islamic militancy, demonstrated by the rise of the various radical Islamists groups which have become the hallmark of the political landscape of Indonesia since the collapse of the New Order Regime. They have been extremely active in bringing the radical Islamic discourse into the public sphere.

Surely, in Islam, purifying religious belief and practice has been an essential tenet of the reformist group, but how the purification of religious practice must be done, I think, it should be in line of the Qur’an which indicates that Islamic messages are adaptable to any cultural environment, as it has been adapted to the imperatives of the Arabian Peninsula cultural environment. Therefore it must also be adaptable to the environment of any culture of its adherents, anywhere and any time.