Islamist Research Articles

Fenomena Krismuha (Kristen-Muhammadiyah) dalam Pandangan Abdul Mu’ti: Perspektif Hermeneutika Jorge J. E. Gracia

This article delves into the phenomenon known as “Krismuha” (Kristen-Muhammadiyah), which refers to the dynamic interaction and relationship between Christian and Muhammadiyah communities, as discussed in Abdul Mu’ti’s work, Kristen Muhammadiyah. The study focuses on such interactions within predominantly non-Muslim regions, employing Jorge Gracia’s hermeneutic theory as an analytical framework. The primary questions explored are: (1) how Abdul Mu’ti conceptualizes the Krismuha phenomenon in Kristen Muhammadiyah, and (2) how this phenomenon can be interpreted through the lens of Jorge Gracia’s hermeneutics. The research utilizes a qualitative methodology, relying on library-based research techniques. The findings indicate that Abdul Mu’ti was motivated to write Kristen Muhammadiyah due to the naturally evolving relationship between Christians and Muhammadiyah members, characterized by voluntary association, mutual comfort, and openness, while still maintaining distinct identities. This unity exemplifies how peaceful coexistence amid diversity—anchored in mutual respect—can foster harmony and well-being within communities. The book further demonstrates that Muhammadiyah, as an Islamic movement, upholds values of pluralism and inclusivity, extending openness to non-Muslim groups.

Hasan al-Turabi's Pragmatic Approach to Establishing an Islamic State in Sudan

This research examines the pragmatic approach of Hasan al-Turabi, a key figure in the Sudanese Islamic movement, in fighting for an Islamic state. Using qualitative analysis that combines the concepts of pragmatism and social movement theory, this study reveals al Turabi's strategy in translating Islamic ideals into political action, including building alliances with various religious factions and exploiting revolutionary momentum. Findings demonstrate al-Turabi's success in advancing Islamization and shaping Sudan's socio-political landscape but also faced challenges in the consistent implementation of Sharia and protection of the rights of marginalized groups. Comparisons with Islamist figures such as Rached Ghannouchi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlight the particularities of the Sudanese context and variations in the strategies and outcomes of political Islamist movements. This study deepens our understanding of the complex dynamics between political pragmatism and religious idealism in Muslim countries, with important implications for inclusive governance. Through a critical exploration of al-Turabi's legacy, this research contributes to discussions about the future of Islamic politics that accommodates diversity and protects the rights of marginalized groups.

Becoming an Abla

Abstract This article analyses the performance of homemaking and religious practices of six Turkish Muslim women who made hicret (migration) to Brazil, focusing on the domestic space of their shared apartment. Their reasons to migrate combine personal motivations and a sense of responsibility to spread the world view of the Turkish Islamic movement of which they are participants. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, I explore their everyday practices in the production of an ideal Muslim self and the making of a home in order to understand the effects of the community's domesticities on their individual trajectories. The analysis shows that the performance of those everyday practices produces a moral and affective bond to the movement and its religious leader, conditioning home to a specific spatial and moral structure.

A “Maverick Salafi Political Jihadist” in a Turbulent Period: A Biographical Study of Dr Fauzi

<p>A biographical study through the lens of Mills’ sociological imagination and Erikson’s identity crisis provides a unique understanding of Dr Fauzi AR, a dedicated Islamist. Fauzi grew up in a devout Muslim family in Kauman, Yogyakarta, the heartland of the modernist Islamic organisation Muhammadiyah. He was educated in Muhammadiyah schools and eventually became a qualified medical doctor. He was politically active in the Islamic United Development Party and joined Laskar Jihad, a Salafi-Wahabi paramilitary group, during the inter-religious conflict in Maluku in 2000. This article argues that the political turbulence during the democratic transition in 1998–1999 led Fauzi to have an identity crisis, which spurred his desire to participate in jihad (holy war). Afterwards, Fauzi became a reformed “maverick post-jihadist,” in that he was unpredictable yet competent. He was unorthodox in his methods, remaining active in mainstream political Islam through the United Development Party while also engaging in physical jihad, which is contradictory because participation in partisan politics is forbidden by the Salafi doctrine. He also remained a heavy smoker although smoking is forbidden by Salafi religious decree. He further defied Salafism by supporting his wife in an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the national parliament as a member of the secular-nationalist party Gerindra in the 2009 election. This case study of Fauzi AR reflects the complex and multifaceted nature of political Islam and Islamic movements in the post-Soeharto era, including those who resorted to extremism and violence to achieve greater Islamisation of society.</p>

The Decline of Pashtuns and the Rise of Fundamentalism in Afghanistan

This study examines the decline of the Pashtuns as a nationalist group in Afghanistan. It also focuses on the fundamentalist narrative of Pashtun converted into Taliban. The Taliban has used the Pashtun to support their hardcore Islamist ideology. The authors argue that Pashtun declined due to the Taliban's strong beliefs in their extreme doctrine in Afghanistan. The article also focuses on identity and polarisation in Afghanistan and the role of minority groups in the country. The analysis of the article revolves around discourse from the historical perspectives related to the decline of Pashtuns. This article focuses on Pashtun, Taliban, and other minority groups using historical secondary data.

Apolitical Salafi: Between Religious And Citizenship Identity In Indonesia

The phase of Islamic resurgence in Indonesia since the 1980s and 1990s is characterized by the emergence of new dynamics within the Islamic movement, which have reshaped the religious landscape. One of these is Salafism, which was introduced through the Islamic movement originating from the Middle East. This group promotes the purification of Islamic teachings amid the various challenges faced in advancing the development of the movement. Therefore, this study focused on Apolitical Salafi group (political quietism), which has grown significantly in Indonesia. This qualitative study involved data collection through observation and in-depth interviews with key Salafi figures, followed by thorough data analysis. The results showed that Apolitical Salafi movement provided a new space for religious da’wah (preaching), specifically among the upper-middle-class and millennial generation in society. Conversely, this movement also avoided association with general elections, political parties, democratic practices, and resisted rulers because these activities are considered secular. In conclusion, Apolitical Salafi movement created a paradoxical ideological space for religion. This means that religious identity of Salafi Muslims should conform to its teachings, and as Indonesian citizens, they need to avoid interference in political affairs (political isolationism).

Islamic Underground Movement: Islamist Music in the Indonesian Popular Music Scene

Since the fall of the New Order regime in 1998, music has become a site of religio-political resistance among the new Islamist generation in Indonesia. This research examines the emergence of Islamist music on the Indonesian underground music scene to show the deepening influence of the Islamist movement among urban Muslim youth and the shifting strategy of the new Islamist generation from structural politics to cultural politics. The emergence of Islamist music indicates how a new generation of Islamists negotiates an Islamist worldview with contemporary popular culture. By maintaining the aggressive character of underground music, they adopt the Western popular culture as a code of resistance against the secular cultural hegemony. They also use popular music as a cultural approach or a strategy to promote the Islamist ideology to all urban Muslim youth.

Ecological Intersections of Religious Ideology, Agency, and Identity: Voices of Iranian English Language Teachers

Parallel with the growth of research on the role of religious ideologies in teachers’ professional lives, the present study drew on an ecological perspective and explored how religious ideology (i.e., Islamic principles) intersected with Iranian English language teachers’ agency and identity. The study was methodologically situated within a narrative inquiry methodology, and data were collected from narrative frames and semi-structured interviews. Data analyses revealed that Islamic principles intersected with teachers’ agency and identity in three major ways: Islamic principles as a humiliating cult, agency-demolishing nature of ideology, and resisting Islamic ideologies. The study shows that, on the one hand, ideology can serve as a source of humiliation and harm to teachers’ agencies and identities. On the other hand, teachers also influence ideology by not only showing resistance, but practicing certain instructional initiatives that raise students’ awareness of the destructive nature of Islamic principles. The study concludes with implications for teachers on how to communalize their agentic initiatives so that they can construct their identities in more constructive ways.

Dimensions of Islamic Entrepreneurship Model: Evaluating the Elements of Entrepreneurial Ventures and Entrepreneurs from Islamic Perspective

The concept of Islamic entrepreneurship has gained popularity in recent past with the involvement of religion and ethics to business practices. In relation to the developing interest in the domain of Islamic entrepreneurship, various theorists and scholars have offered their insights and varied postulations regarding the different forms and frameworks of Islamic entrepreneurship model as well. This paper offers a fresh perspective by proposing an Islamic entrepreneurship model with a dual set of pertinent factors. These elements are dissected into two major dimensions referred to as eemaan (faith) and asbaab (means) to encompass the essential factors pertinent to the proposed model in order to offer a comprehensive theoretical underpinning to the concept of Islamic entrepreneurship. The factors in “eemaan” category include Islamic attributes of business and entrepreneurs like taqwa, tawakkal, abidance to halal and haraam, and interest-free dealings among others; whereas the factors discussed under the category of “asbaab” factors include contemporary business essentials and generic qualities of entrepreneurs including creativity, innovation, business structure, objectives, and operations to name a few. The model expounded in this study is actually hinged upon the premise that Islam is a complete code of life and hence provides a concrete and clear pathway to success not only in this world but also in the world-hereafter. The Islamic ideology which in fact transcends beyond the attainment of business profits focuses on the attainment of “falah” implying ultimate success. The paper endeavors to offer a renewed perspective to the theory of Islamic entrepreneurship by presenting a holistic approach to understand various aspects of Islamic entrepreneurship by consolidating both the dimensions of deen and dunya in order to successfully achieve falah which is the basis of dual motive of attaining goodness and prosperity in both worlds in the context of Islamic entrepreneurial perspective.

How do Islamic movements in the 19th and 20th centuries in Egypt help define Islamic modernity?

This research article explores the concept of multiple “modernities” as a counter to Western modernity, with a specific focus on the modernization of Islam. The paper provides a historical context to the modernization of Islam by examining 18th, 19th, and 20th-century Islamic reforms and their impact on the religion while staying true to its core principles. It also examines the influence of globalization on Islamic nations, using Egypt as an example. The article challenges the Western-centric narrative of modernity by emphasizing that modernity is not confined to Europe and can emerge under different conditions in diverse regions. The study highlights the Tajdid movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Salafat movement as examples of Islamic modernization efforts. The research demonstrates how these movements aimed to reform Islam while addressing global political, social, and economic changes. The article concludes that Islamic modernity is a dynamic and multifaceted phenomenon that combines traditional Islamic teachings with contemporary contexts.

Historicity Muhammadiyah: What was the Idea of the Founder of Muhammadiyah as a “Progressive Islamic Movement?”

This research aims to examine the historicity of KH Ahmad Dahlan, founder of Muhammadiyah, in emphasizing the theological principles of tajwid and ijtihad, describing the concept of development used by KH Ahmad Dahlan as an intellectual reaction to the social, political and economic challenges faced by Indonesian society during the Dutch colonial rule. This research uses systematic literature observation (SLR) methodology to identify, disseminate, and analyze all relevant research to answer research questions using the 7P technique. This research increases scientific knowledge about the Islamic reform movement, how insight into the theological principles it offers especially in the modern era, and how the concept of "Islamic Development" responds to the unique aspects of Globalization will be discussed in detail. The final results show the involvement of empowerment from the leaders of the Muhammadiyah movement to create effective educational and promotional initiatives to improve Islamic identity in society. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji historisitas KH Ahmad Dahlan, pendiri Muhammadiyah, dalam menekankan prinsip-prinsip teologis tajwid dan ijtihad, menggambarkan konsep pembangunan yang digunakan oleh KH Ahmad Dahlan sebagai reaksi intelektual terhadap tantangan sosial, politik dan ekonomi yang dihadapi oleh masyarakat Indonesia selama pemerintahan kolonial Belanda. Penelitian ini menggunakan metodologi systematic literature observation (SLR) untuk mengidentifikasi, menyebarluaskan, dan menganalisis semua penelitian yang relevan untuk menjawab pertanyaan penelitian dengan menggunakan teknik 7P. Penelitian ini meningkatkan pengetahuan ilmiah tentang gerakan reformasi Islam, bagaimana wawasan tentang prinsip-prinsip teologis yang ditawarkannya terutama di era modern, dan bagaimana konsep "Perkembangan Islam" menanggapi aspek-aspek unik Globalisasi akan dibahas secara rinci. Hasil akhir menunjukkan keterlibatan pemberdayaan dari para pemimpin gerakan Muhammadiyah untuk menciptakan inisiatif pendidikan dan promosi yang efektif untuk meningkatkan identitas Islam di masyarakat.

Toward a Generalizable Understanding of Rightist Movements: Utilizing the Revolutionary Right’s Value Wars in Iran (1995–2009) as a Case Study

Bringing rightist movement studies into the Iranian context, this study advances a generalizable understanding of the ideological, moral, and cultural activism of Islamist movements and their rightist counterparts. While numerous studies have discussed the economic explanation of rightist movements, I integrate Islamist movements in the Muslim world and rightist movements in the West to develop a generalizable cultural and moral explanation of rightist movements. Value and ideological conflicts, as well as moral outrage, drive this integrated understanding of rightist movements. The rise of innovative and contentious forms of millennialism in Iran—especially the increasing salience of the Jamkaran mosque, the rise of new media outlets and millennial discourses, and pertinent policies—provide evidence for proposing this generalizable understanding. I argue that the rise of performative contentions surrounding millennialism, known as Mahdaviat, within the pro-regime revolutionary rightist movement in Iran was Islamists’ ideological response to liberal threat perceptions. These threat perceptions were activated before the liberal Reform era (1997–2005). After the ascent of Ahmadinejad to power in 2005, ideological millennialism became the dominant discursive field in Iran’s state politics. Drawing on narratives of prominent Islamist figures and media personalities in Iran and events surrounding Mahdaviat, this paper advances a generalizable argument of the moral and cultural explanation of rightist movements.

Explaining the distinction between religious and political activism in Islamism: evidence from the Tunisian case

AbstractTunisia's Islamist movement Ennahda has announced a separation of political and religious work, apparently reinforcing a “post-Islamist” argument that Islamic parties have left behind religious mobilization. However, the boundary between religious and political fields is highly porous. We ask why the distinction between religious and political activism remains a point of ambiguity within Islamism. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 48 men and women who participated in the movement in the 1970s and 1980s in Tunis and Sousse, we develop a microlevel explanation of Islamist mobilization. We argue that religious and social Islamist activism is replete with political intent, which worked through three mechanisms: a counter-hegemonic ideology, an activist engagement in social transformation, and a formal organization. These findings add empirical insights to the case of Ennahda, provide leverage in explaining the politicization of Salafist movements, and underscore the legacy of asymmetric party capacities in shaping outcomes in a democratic transition.

The Educational Curriculum in the Religious Schools and its Effect on the Islamic Ideology

The Educational Curriculum in the Religious Schools and its Effect on the Islamic Ideology

The Influence of Virtual Communities on Discriminatory Attitudes in the Use of Islamic Religious Attributes in Indonesia

Various cases of legal issues attacking religious symbols have become increasingly common in Indonesia recently. These cases range from the smallest forms in the form of hate speech comments on social media, prohibitions on religious attributes, to the most serious, namely discrimination and human rights violations based on justifications for one group's disagreement with another group's understanding of religion. Discrimination in this paper sees that clothing or religious attributes are used as a form of desire to obtain more perfect worship. The aim of conducting research is related to virtual communities as mediators of this problem. The research method used is literature study and analysis sourced from the media. This article discusses how this discrimination phenomenon emerged, transformed, and threatened the harmony of diversity in Indonesia. It is also concluded that the root of the problem of this phenomenon includes three parts, namely; (1) Acts of terrorism that occurred in Indonesia, (2) the rise of the Islamic movement, and (3) the presence of public and government figures who muddied the situation.

The Impact of the Cold War on the Afghan Society

The article is devoted to the policies of the global players of the Cold War using the example of Afghanistan. Noting the features of the Afghan policy of the Cold War, the author highlighted the key content of the very concept of the Cold War, political events in Afghanistan, internal and external challenges, ethnic problems and the problem of women during the Cold War. The influence of geopolitical processes on the development, internal and external interests of Afghan society in the 20th century, the social, economic and political consequences of the Cold War, features of the development of the political system and political culture of Afghanistan, ethnic problems in Afghan public discourse, etc. are considered. The author concludes that “The Cold War of the superpowers had a direct impact on internal political developments in Afghanistan, where parties and public organizations emerged as political structures with secular or Islamic ideology. The author comes to the conclusion that the internal political unity of Afghan society was not ensured for the reason that the Afghan elite was unable to form an ideology expressing national unity, and its individual parts preferred to serve the interests of one or another player without supporting the national interests of Afghanistan.The article was prepared according to the International Academic Mobility Program, organized by the National Research Institute of the Communications Development (Moscow) for young scientists from foreign countries.

Ulema and Santri Movement During the Indonesian Revolution of 1949-1950

This article analyzes the power of Islam as a mobilizer against the invaders and defending the NKRI during the revolution in 1949-1950. This research illustrates that the Indonesian revolution is Islamic. Because Islam in that era became the power base in Indonesia. Apart from the majority Muslim population, Islam also dared to show its actions in resisting colonialism. Promoters in the Islamic movement were played by Ulema and Santri. The form of struggle of scholars during this revolution began with the call for jihad which aimed to revive the spirit of the Santri involved in the fisabilillah war. Then it was seen in his fatwa about the prohibition of Hajj to maintain Indonesia’s security from the threat of the invaders. While the struggle of the Santri by forming Islamic movements and fronts, namely the Hisbulloh and Sabilillah lascar fronts, which then attacked the British army headquarters in Surabaya. The Santri was also involved in the battle of November 10, 1945, which was incorporated with the Gerakan Pemuda Islam Indonesia (GPII). This research uses a historical methodology that includes four steps, namely heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography.
 Keywords: Ulema and Santri, Islamic Movement, Indonesian Revolution 1949-1950

Reconciling Islam with Indonesian Nationalism: Acceptance of the Arab Middle Eastern Influence During the Dutch Colonial Period

Abstract During the final decade of the Dutch colonial era, Indonesia witnessed a heated conflict over the relationship between Islam and nationalism. This paper examines several opinions within the Indonesian Islamic movement during the conflict, considering the influence of the Arab Middle East. Around 1930, behind the conflict with secular nationalists, a movement of Islamic groups sympathetic to nationalism emerged, resulting in a fierce debate from the latter half of the 1930s. At the end, those who accepted nationalism while demanding an Islamic movement and an Islamic state became the mainstream position. The rise of Indonesian Islamic nationalism was influenced by the Arab Middle East via Cairo-educated Indonesians and the writings of Arab Middle Eastern intellectuals. However, the acceptance of the influence depended on regional factors. It took some time before those writings became a contentious issue in Indonesia, and Indonesian Muslims selectively utilized the writings.

The Barelvi movement in South Asian Islam

AbstractThe Barelvi movement in South Asia—particularly in Pakistan—has long been regarded as the indigenous Islam of the region. It is equated with Sufism, and highlighted as the peaceful and moderate Islam of the majority of Muslims. In doing so, it is contrasted with competing Sunni traditions such as the Deobandis, as an explicit binary is created between the two. However, the narrative has seen a shift since 2011, with the rise of Mumtaz Qadri, who murdered a politician due to allegations of blasphemy. In this article, I trace these developments in the perceptions of, and discourses about, Barelvis in South Asia, especially over the last twenty years. In doing so I explore four key ways of being Barelvi, including love for the Prophet Muhammad, an affiliation with the founder of the movement, Sufi practices and shrines, and opposition to Deobandi Islam.

Sociodemographic Characteristics of the Iranian Revolutionary Community in Syria and Lebanon in the 1970s.

The article is devoted to the comprehensive sociodemographic analysis of the local community of Iranian Islamists acting in Syria and Lebanon in the decade preceding the Islamic revolution of 1978-79. Thus far, history of everyday life and the multitudinous activities of the Iranian Islamic opposition in Syria and Lebanon in the 1970s has never become the principal subject of a historic research and has barely received attention from Western specialists in the history of the Islamic Revolution and modern Middle Eastern history, as well as from Iranian historians, scholars and researchers working in the field of the modern history of Iran. However, for a more comprehensive understanding of the Islamic Revolution, revolutionary processes and their logical premises and outcomes, it is highly necessary to carefully consider the sociodemographic characteristics of the active representatives of the Iranian opposition movement in the pre-revolutionary period namely in the 1970s. Throughout the comparative historical analysis of the reliable memories of longtime supporters of the Iranian Islamic movement acting in Syria and Lebanon, the fundamental sociodemographic characteristics of the active members of Iranian revolutionary movement abroad (e.g. gender, age, birthplace and place of living, educational and religious background, social marital status, etc.) are thoroughly highlighted, properly described and analyzed and their sociodemographic portrait is carefully created. The received sociohistorical data may properly serve as a valuable source on the social history of the Iranian society in the pre-revolutionary period, as well as on the complex history of Iranian revolutionary movement and the modern history of the Middle East region.