From Islamic Teaching to Social Charity: The Muhammadiyah Movement in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia; 1926-1940

Mukhamad Shokheh,Mansoureh Ebrahimi,Kamaruzaman Yusoff

doi:10.5539/ach.v10n2p58

Abstract

From the colonial period until present day, Muhammadiyah has slowly emerged as one of the largest da'wah organizations in Indonesia. The failure of colonial politics and the rise of religious revivalism provided a firm foundation for the movement’s growth, which includes its stronghold in Semarang. Its strategic use of propaganda and its several impacts on social change obtained the movement’s ascent in Semarang. The present study employs historical reviews as well as scholarly criticism and clarifications to qualitatively examine and validate the movement’s establishment. From 1929 through to 1940, the authors detail the development and dissemination of Muhammadiyah’s doctrines and its various charitable activities. The authors subsequently conclude that the Muhammadiyah movement has strengthened the position of Indonesian Muslims and effectively countered the influence of Christian missionaries. Thus, Muhammadiyah acts as a buffer, one that furthers the emergence of an autonomous Islamic civil society that brims with moral responsibility.

Highlights

The end of the 19th century marked a milestone in the development of Islam in Indonesia
Muhammadiyah became known as a movement with a remarkable and rapid level of expansion that reached most regions of Indonesia
Muhammadiyah had always been known as a preaching and renewal movement that emphasized amar ma'ruf and nahi munkar, which comprise activities that invite what is good and prevent what is evil

Summary

Introduction

The end of the 19th century marked a milestone in the development of Islam in Indonesia During this period, an important process birthed the "Institutionalization of the Ulama" (Burhanudin, 2007:13) characterized by the establishment of Islamic educational institutions and the emergence of a new class of socially responsible and active Muslim scholars (Nasikun, 1991). The first involved the transnational experience of Muslim scholars who studied in Mecca This cadre began an evolutionary legitimizing reformation of the Ulama as a social group with valid credentials for the interpretation and dissemination of sound Islamic doctrine. This process was further strengthened by the institutionalization of the pesantren as a system of Islamic education that became increasingly widespread while, at the same time, so did the network of newly credentialed scholars. The tarekat system had been important source of discourse for the transmission of Islam throughout the archipelago during the 19th Century (Dhofier, 1994:61)

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