Political Reform in Islam: an Analysis of Modernist and Traditionalist Thought

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.

Initially, the reform movement carried out by modernist groups in Indonesia was triggered by the purification movement of Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab in the Arabian Peninsula, as well as the work of Jamaluddin al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh in Egypt. Muslims in urban areas were the first to realize the spirit and substance of this revolution of Islamic thought. Compared to rural communities, urban communities are more susceptible to external influences geographically and culturally. They identified themselves as a group of Islamic modernists because they followed the reformist teachings that developed in the early 19th century. Initially, the reform movement carried out by modernist groups in Indonesia was triggered by the purification movement of Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab in the Arabian Peninsula, as well as the work of Jamaluddin al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh in Egypt. Muslims in urban areas were the first to realize the spirit and substance of this revolution of Islamic thought. Compared to rural communities, urban communities are more susceptible to external influences geographically and culturally. They identified themselves as a group of Islamic modernists because they followed the reformist teachings that developed in the early 19th century.

The emergence of various Islamic modernist groups such as Al-Irsyad, Jami'atul Khair, Muhammadiyah, and the Islamic Trade Union, as well as various other modern educational institutions, shows how strong the reform or modernization movement of Islamic thought driven by reformists is.

The characteristics that distinguish it from the traditionalist group are these modernist characteristics. First, they believe that the door of ijtihad is always open. As a result, they oppose the practice of taqlid and believe that the teachings of Islam must be logical.

Various reform movements have raised concerns for Islamic traditionalists in West Sumatra and Java. In West Sumatra, a traditionalist reaction emerged from the indigenous peoples led by Datuk Sutan Maharadja, which initially emerged from differences in the inheritance distribution system. In Java, traditionalists responded by founding NU as an organization that sought to prevent the spread of apostate ideas.

However, there are currently efforts to bring these two groups closer mentally and physically. In a circular in 1935, Kiai Haji Hasyim Asy'ari, leader and teacher of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and Kiai Mahfudz Siddiq, the general chairman of the organization, acknowledged ijtihad in many ways.

Traditionalist groups are not always silent. They started changing their group as well. They first organized themselves by establishing Nahdhatul Ulama in 1926 and the Tarbiyah Islamiyyah Association in 1929. They carried out propaganda openly, introduced the classical system with the curriculum, and published magazines and brochures that mimicked the methods of modernist groups. There is agreement and approach between the two groups---traditionalists and modernists---when these changes come into the traditionalist class. Although each of them maintained their own stance on some religious issues, both realized that the pillars of Islam and faith were the basis of their teachings for the most part.

In general, both modernists and traditionalists realize that their differences lie in the issue of furu' (branches of religion), while they agree on the core of their teachings. As a result, they began emphasizing the importance of unity and tolerance in 1935. Many of them even collaborated on propaganda journeys for the benefit of Islam, showing the same way. In addition, both groups agree that Islam includes aspects of religion and societal issues, including politics.

Based on the above description, it can be concluded that, although there are differences between modernist and traditionalist groups, which sometimes lead to conflicts, those differences and conflicts are more related to the way they view the teaching of Islam. Therefore, a thought can be polluted because of the problem of furu'iyah, which means that it is different but includes the problem of principle.