The interaction of Islamic countries with the Western world, especially after becoming part of Western imperialism, shaped contemporary political thought in the Islamic world. The three foundations formed contemporary Islamic thought, which emerged towards the end of the 19th century AD. According to Munawir Sjadzali, the first factor was the collapse and fragility of the Islamic world due to internal factors, which prompted the reform and purification movement. The second factor is Western intervention in the political sovereignty and territory of the Islamic world, which results in the domination or colonization by Western countries over most of the territory of the Islamic world. This undermines good relations between the Islamic world and the West and fuels hostility and anti-Western attitudes among Muslims. Third, the West's superiority in organization, science, and technology.
In the 19th century, government reforms had a significant impact on Islamic law and institutions; This changed the basis of its legitimacy, which originally originated from Islam, to be more interactive with Western thought. Some responded favorably to these changes and embraced Western ideas, while others opposed them and created different Islamic political theories. In terms of politics, Jamaluddin al-Afgani proposed to replace the caliphate with a republic, encouraging change and renewal in Islamic politics.
However, he did not provide further information on how his proposed system of government would be implemented. He believed that the rise and reform of Muslims depended on political issues, especially liberation from colonial occupation.
In society, socio-political institutionalization is often based on a particular religion or thought. Almost all aspects of society, including the economy, depend on prevailing religious beliefs. The institution was established to allow those who hold control over religious thought to exercise vertical mobility when this religion is deeply understood. In their society, the religious elite developed into a socio-economic elite. During this social process, conflicts and tensions arose as religious renewal movements sought to replace traditional thinking.
Islam was widespread in both levels of Indonesian society in the 19th century. Since then, the majority of Indonesians have accepted Islam as their religion, both in urban and rural areas. After Islam became the dominant religion, many people believe that Islam managed to combine the spiritual and mystical aspects of Hindu-Buddhist teachings. However, Islam that developed in Indonesia is still considered to have some different characteristics from Islam that developed in the Arabian Peninsula. Many people believe that Islam in Indonesia has mystical elements and has been adapted to local traditions that have existed for a long time in society. This change is considered one of the factors that help the acceptance and development of Islam in Indonesia.
Islam has shown an accommodating nature towards traditions as long as they do not contradict the main principles of Islam. Because of the desire to be easily accepted, the spread of Islam with such characteristics was driven by the state of Islamic decline that began as early as the 11th century. The period of Islamic decline began with the breakup of the Islamic central power, such as Baghdad, into small dynasties spread throughout the Islamic realm. This dispute among the Islamic powers then disrupted the progress of Islam as a whole.
Thus, a taqlid attitude began to emerge, with some individuals unconditionally devoted themselves to the ulama. The teachings conveyed by the ulama usually focus on rituals and are adjusted to the customs of Indonesian society at that time. Since Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaah has a more tolerant attitude than other Islamic groups, this can be done easily.
In general, Deliar Noer argues that Islamic traditionalists tend to focus on religious issues in a narrow sense and sometimes deviate from the teachings of the founders of Islamic legal madhhabs. This is due to the compatibility between Islamic Sufism and the elements of mysticism known in the Hindu pagan tradition, especially among the Javanese people. Traditionalist groups, especially in the countryside, have managed to gain a large following. Geertz identified traditional student groups as "old-fashioned" or traditional.
Traditionalist Islamic thought develops heavily dependent on the support and actions of its support groups. As explained by Zamakhsyari Dhafier, "traditional Islamic thought" refers to Islamic concepts that remain strong in the perspective of scholars in various fields.
As explained above, the state of the Islamic community in Indonesia is closely related to the unfavorable progress of Islam around the world. As a result, Muslims are trapped in stagnant thinking, trapped in excessive mysticism, and subject to Western colonialism. This situation encouraged the international Islamic reformist movement. Most Indonesian people are encouraged by intellectual contact to renew Islamic thought. The first step is to get rid of conventional thinking that hinders Muslims' efforts to free themselves from colonialism, poverty, and ignorance.