The Ethical-Dialectic Relationship of Islam and Indonesia: Reviewing Ahmad Syafii Maarif’s Thought
Main Article Content
Abstract
Ahmad Syafii Maarif—affectionately known as Buya Syafii—is one of the Indonesian leading Muslim intellectuals and is a well-known national figure. This article examines Maarif’s Islamic thought and his dialectical-ethical link between Islam, national identity, and humanity. Using an in-depth textual analysis of the primary sources and supported by selected secondary sources, this study attempts to reveal Maarif’s intellectual legacy. This study concludes that Maarif was a Muslim intellectual who developed the model of a religious and democratic state. He bases his main argument that Islam does not need to be placed in a ‘binary opposition’ to the political reality and the national consensus, i.e., Pancasila as the last stated entity evidently accommodates the teachings of the Qur’an. He insisted that the ethical principles of Pancasila, which are in line with Islam, should be absorbed into public life in order to bring forth the right nation and the right state. To him, Islam in Indonesia must thus manifest itself as an ‘ethical entity’ to become the basis for modern Indonesia. He also called Muslims in Indonesia and elsewhere to comprehend the universal moral message of the Qur’an which has a versatile and immutable reach.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Licensing
© The Author(s). Published by Department of Aqidah and Islamic Philosophy, Faculty of Ushuluddin and Philosophy, Sunan Ampel State Islamic University Surabaya, Indonesia.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
References
Abbas, Megan Brankley. Whose Islam? The Western University and Modern Islamic Thought in Indonesia. California: Stanford University Press, 2021.
Abdillah, Masykuri. Responses of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals to the Concept of Democracy (1966-1993). Hamburg: Abera Verlag, 1997.
Ansor, Muhammad. “Post-Islamism and the Remaking of Islamic Public Sphere in Post-Reform Indonesia”, Studia Islamika, 23 no. 3, 2016.
Anwar, M. Syafii. Pemikiran dan Aksi Islam Indonesia: Sebuah Kajian Politik tentang Cendekiawan Muslim Orde Baru. Jakarta: Paramadina, 1995.
Aspinall, Edward and Ward Berenschot. Democracy for Sale: Pemilu, Klientelisme, dan Negara di Indonesia. Jakarta: Buku Obor, 2020.
Azra, Azyumardi. “Kelas Menengah Muslim Indonesia: Sebuah Pengantar” in Wasisto Rahardjo Jati, Politik Kelas Menengah Muslim Indonesia. Jakarta: LP3ES, 2017.
-----. Islam Nusantara: Jaringan Global dan Lokal. Bandung: Mizan, 2002.
-----. Jaringan Ulama Timur Tengah dan Kepulauan Nusantara Abad XVII dan XVIII: Melacak Akar-akar Pembaruan Pemikiran Islam di Indonesia. Bandung: Mizan, 1995.
-----. The Origin of Islamic Reformism in Southeast Asia: Network of Malay-Indonesian and Middle Eastern Ulama in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Honolulu: Allen & Unwin and University of Hawai’i Press Honolulu, 2004.
Bayat, Asef. Making Islam Democratic: Social Movements and the Post-Islamist Turn. California: Stanford University Press, 2007.
-----. Post-Islamism: The Changing Faces of Political Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Beck, Herman L. “An Introduction to Ahmad Syafii Maarif: The Man and This Book” in Ahmad Syafii Maarif, Islam, Humanity, and Indonesian Identity: Reflection on History. Leiden: Leiden University Press, 2016.
Berger, Peter L. and Thomas Luckmann. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in The Sociology of Knowledge. New York: Penguin Books, 1979.
Brym, Robert. Intelektual dan Politik. Jakarta: Grafiti, 1993.
Budiatri, Aisah Putri., et. al. Demokrasi Tanpa Demos: Refleksi 100 Ilmuwan Sosial Politik tentang Kemunduran Demokrasi di Indonesia. Jakarta: LP3ES, 2021.
Burhani, Ahmad Najib. “Transmission of Islamic Reform from The United to Indonesia: Studying Fazlur Rahman’s Legacy through the Works of Ahmad Syafii Maarif”, Indonesia and the Malay World 41, no. 119, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639811.2012.750097.
Burhanuddin, Jajat. “Traditional Islam and Modernity: Some Notes on the Changing Role of the Ulama in Early Twentieth Indonesia”, in Azyumardi Azra, Kees van Dijk, and Nico J.G. Kaptein, Varieties of Religious Authority: Changes and Challenges in 20th Century Indonesian Islam. The Netherlands and Singapura: International Institute for Asian Studies and Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2010.
-----. Ulama & Kekuasaan: Pergumulan Elite Muslim dalam Sejarah Indonesia. Bandung: Mizan, 2012.
Cesari, Jocelyne. When Islam and Democracy Meet: Muslim in Europe and in the United States. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.
Chen, Naiwan and Tsai-Chen Yang. “Islam and Democracy: A Dynamic Perspective”, Japanese Journal of Political Science 17, no. 3, 2016. https://doi:10.1017/S146810991600013X.
Ciftci, Sabri. “Islam, Social Justice, and Democracy”, Politics and Religion 12, 2019. https://doi:10.1017/S1755048318000810.
Ciftci, Sabri., F. Michael Wuthrich, and Ammar Shamaileh, “Islam, Religious Outlooks, and Support for Democracy”, Political Research Quarterly 72, no. 2, 2019. https://doi: 10.1177/1065912918793233.
Dematra, Damien. Si Anak Kampoeng Berdasarkan Kisah Buya Syafii Maarif. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2010.
Diamond, Larry. Developing Democracy: Toward Consolidation. Yogyakarta: IRE, 2003.
Effendy, Bahtiar. “The Crescent and the End of History: Some Notes on the Compatibility of Islam with Democracy” in Fuad Jabali and Jamhari (eds.), Islam in Indonesia: Islamic Studies and Social Transformation. Jakarta-Canada: Indonesian-Canada Islamic Higher Education Project, 2002.
-----. Islam and the State in Indonesia. Singapura: ISEAS, 2003.
Elbasani, Arolda and Olivier Roy. “Governing Islam and Religious Pluralism in New Democracies”, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies 19, no. 1, 2017. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2016.1201983.
Elson, R.E. “Nationalism, Islam, ‘Secularism’ and the State in Contemporary Indonesia”. Australian Journal of International Affairs 64, no. 3, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357711003736493.
Esposito, John L. and Voll, John O. Makers of Contemporary Islam. USA: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Facal, Gabriel. “Islamic Defenders Front Militia (Front Pembela Islam) and its Impact on Growing Religious Intolerance in Indonesia”, TRaNS: Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia 8, no. 1, 2020. http:// doi:10.1017/trn.2018.15.
Fadl, Khaled Abou El. Islam and the Challenge of Democracy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003.
Graves, Elizabeth E. Asal-usul Elite Minangkabau Modern: Respons terhadap Kolonial Belanda abad XIX/XX. Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia, 2007.
Hashemi, Nader. Islam, Secularism, and Liberal Democracy: Toward a Democratic Theory for Muslim Societies. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Hefner, Robert. “Islam and Institutional Religious Freedom in Indonesia”, Religions 12, no. 6, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12060415.
Hilmy, Masdar. “Muslim’s Approaches to Democracy: Islam and Democracy in Contemporary Indonesia”, Journal of Indonesian Islam 1, no. 1, 2007.
Huda, Nor. Islam Nusantara: Sejarah Sosial Intelektual Islam di Indonesia. Jakarta: Raja Grafindo, 2015.
Huwaydi, Fahmi. Demokrasi, Oposisi, dan Masyarakat Madani: Isu-isu Besar Politik Islam. Bandung: Mizan, 1996.
Ibrahim, Azhar. “Being Authoritative but No Authority? Muslim Religious Intellectuals in Shaping Indonesian Islam Discourse” in Norsharil Saat and Ahmad Najib Burhani (eds.), The New Santri: Challenges to Traditional Religious Authority in Indonesia. Singapura: ISEAS, 2020.
Islam, Md Nazrul and Md Saidul Islam, “Islam and Democracy: Conflicts and Congruence”, Religions 8, no. 104, 2017. https:// doi:10.3390/rel8060104.
Karni, Asrori S. (ed.). Hajatan Demokrasi: Potret Jurnalistik Pemilu Lagsung Simpul Islam Indonesia dari Moderat hingga Garis Keras. Jakarta: Era Media Informasi, 2006.
Karsono, Soni. Cendekiawan dan Transformasi Sosial: Studi Kasus Sejarah Intelektual LP3ES Era Orde Baru. Jakarta: LP3ES, 2022.
Kuru, Ahmed T. Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment: A Global and Historical Comparison. London: Cambridge University Press, 2019.
Maarif, Ahmad Syafii. “Islam, Politik dan Demokrasi di Indonesia” in Bosco Carvallo and Dasrizal (eds.), Aspirasi Umat Islam Indonesia. Jakarta: LEPPENAS, 1983.
-----. “Ukhuwah Islamiah dan Etika al-Qur’an” in Jalaluddin Rahmat, et.al., Satu Islam Sebuah Dilema. Bandung: Mizan, 1986.
-----. Al-Qur’an Realitas Sosial dan Limbo Sejarah: Sebuah Refleksi. Bandung: Pustaka, 1985.
-----. Al-Qur’an untuk Tuhan atau untuk Manusia?: Refleksi Kritis Abad Keberagamaan Kita. Yogyakarta: Suara Muhammadiyah, 2022.
-----. Al-Qur’an, Realitas Sosial, dan Limbo Sejarah: Sebuah Refleksi. Bandung: Pustaka, 1985.
-----. Islam dalam Bingkai Keindonesiaan dan Kemanusiaan: Sebuah Refleksi Sejarah. Bandung: Mizan, 2009.
-----. Islam dan Masalah Kenegaraan: Studi tentang Percaturan dalam Konstituante. Jakarta: LP3ES, 1987.
-----. Islam dan Pancasila sebagai Dasar Negara: Studi tentang Perdebatan dalam Konstituante. Jakarta: LP3ES, 2017.
-----. Islam dan Politik di Indonesia pada Masa Demokrasi Terpimpin, 1959-1965. Yogyakarya: IAIN Sunan Kalijaga Press, 1988.
-----. Islam: Kekuatan Doktrin dan Keagamaan Umat. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 1997.
-----. Krisis Arab dan Masa Depan Dunia Islam. Jakarta: Maarif Institut, 2018.
-----. Membumikan Islam: Dari Romantisme Masa Islam Menuju Islam Masa Depan. Yogyakarta: Ircisod, 2019.
-----. Mencari Autentisitas dalam Dinamika Zaman. Yogyakarta: Ircisod, 2019.
-----. Mencari Autentisitas dalam Kegalauan. Jakarta: PSAP Muhammadiyah, 2004.
-----. Otobiografi Ahmad Syafii Maarif: Titik-titik Kisar di Perjalananku. Yogyakarta: Ombak, 2006.
-----. Tuhan Menyapa Kita: Menghidupkan Hati Nurani dan Akal Sehat. Yogyakarta: Ircisod, 2020.
Madjid, Nurcholish. “Menegakkan Faham Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaah Baru” in Jalaluddin Rahmat, et. al., Satu Islam Sebuah Dilema. Bandung: Mizan, 1986.
-----. Islam Kemodernan dan Keindonesiaan. Bandung: Mizan, 1986.
Maksum, Ali. “Discourse on Islam and Democracy in Indonesia: A Study on the Intellectual Debate between Liberal Islam Network (JIL) and Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI)”, Journal of Indonesian Islam 11, no. 2, 2017. https://doi/10.15642/JIIS.2017.11.2.
Mujani, Saiful. Muslim Demokrat: Islam, Budaya Demokrasi, dan Partisipasi Politik di Indonesia Pasca Orde Baru. Gramedia: Jakarta, 2007.
Norris, Pippa and Ronald Inglehart, Sacred and Secular: Religion and Politics Worldwide. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 2004.
Powell, Emilia Justyna, et.al. “Islam-Based Legal Language and State Governance Democracy, Strength of the Judiciary and Human Rights”, Constitutional Political Economy 32, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10602-019-9298-y.
Power, Thomas and Eve Warburton (eds.), Democracy in Indonesia: From Stagnation to Regression? Singapura: ISEAS, 2020.
Pribadi, Yanwar. Islam, State, and Society in Indonesia Local Politics in Madura. New York: Routledge, 2018.
Priyono, B. Herry, et.al. Kratos Minus Demos: Demokrasi Indonesia: Catatan dari Bawah. Jakarta: Buku Obor, 2012.
Qodir, Zuly. “Public Sphere Contestation: Configuration of Political Islam in Contemporary Indonesia”, Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies 1, no. 1, 2011.
Quthb, Sayyid. Tafsir Fi Dzilalil Qur’an: Di Bawah Naungan al-Qur’an (Surat al-Fatihah-al-Baqarah) – Jilid I. Jakarta: Gema Insani, 2000.
Rahardjo, M. Dawam. Perspektif Mekkah: Menuju Ekonomi Islam. Bandung: Mizan, 1987.
Rahman, Fazlur. Islam: Sejarah Pemikiran dan Peradaban. Bandung: Mizan, 2017.
-----. Major Themes of the Qur’an. Chicago: Bibliotheca Islamica, 1994.
Rahmat, M. Imdadun. Islamisme di Era Transisi Demokrasi: Pengalaman Indonesia dan Mesir. Yogyakarta: LKIS, 2018.
Rais, M. Amien. Cakrawala Islam: Antara Cita dan Fakta. Bandung: Mizan, 1987.
Rakhmat, Jalaluddin. Islam Alternatif: Ceramah-ceramah di Kampus. Bandung: Mizan, 1986.
Ricklefs, M.C. Islamisation and Its Opponents in Java: A Political, Social, Cultural, and Religious History, C.1930 to the Present. Singapura: NUS Press, 2012.
Ridwan, Muhammad. “The Reflective-Accommodative Approach to the Quran: Ahmad Syafii Maarif’s Contribution towards Contemporary Approach to the Quran`”, Ulumuna 25, no. 1, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20414/ujis.v25i1.432.
Roy, Olivier. The Failure of Political Islam. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994.
Saefuddin, A.M., et.al., Desekularisasi Pemikiran: Landasan Islamisasi. Bandung: Mizan, 1987.
Salim, Arskal. “Discourse on Democracy Within Debates on State Islam Relations in Indonesia”, Journal of Indonesian Islam 2, no. 1, 2008.
Scott, Rachel M. The Challenge of Political Islam: Non-Muslim and the Egyptian State. USA: Cornell University Press, 2021.
Sirry, Mun’im. “Ahmad Syafii Maarif dan Rekonfigurasi Pembacaan Al-Qur’an” in Ahmad Najib Burhani, et.al., Muazin Bangsa dari Makkah Darat: Biografi Intelektual Ahmad Syafii Maarif. Jakarta: Serambi, 2015.
Tibi, Bassam. Islamism and Islam. New Haven: Yale University, 2012.
Wahid, Abdurrahman. Tuhan Tidak Perlu Dibela. Yogyakarta: LKiS, 1999.
Weck, Winfried, et. al. Islam in the Public Sphere: The Politics of Identity and the Future of Democracy in Indonesia. Jakarta: CSRC, 2011.
Yilmaz, Ihsan., Nicholas Morieson, and Hasnan Bachtiar, “Civilizational Populism in Indonesia: The Case of Front Pembela Islam (FPI)”, Religions 13, no. 12, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121208.
Zoelva, Hamdan. “The Development of Indonesia and Democracy in Indonesia”, Constitutional Review 8, no. 1, 2022. https://doi.org/10.31078/Consrev812.
Zuhaili, Wahbah. Tafsir al-Munir: Aqidah, Syariah, Manhaj (al-Fatihah – al-Baqarah) – Jilid I. Jakarta: Gema Insani, 2013.