MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, MAKASSAR – The Chairperson of the Muhammadiyah Council for Education, Research, and Development Bambang Setiadji encouraged “entrepreneurial jihad” in the Islamic world.
Bambang argued that entrepreneurship is essential to the economic empowerment of Muslims and to prevent the community from falling behind in terms of development.
He emphasized the importance of research and development in modern entrepreneurship, noting that many successful businesses, particularly in technology, rely on extensive research and significant investments.
“Failure in entrepreneurship reflects a broader failure in terms of overall progress, equipment, management, and even weaponry. All of these can only be achieved through entrepreneurship,” said Bambang at Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar on Friday, September 4.
Beyond economic growth, Bambang highlighted the social benefits of entrepreneurship, particularly in job creation. He argued that entrepreneurship is a powerful tool for alleviating poverty, as it provides employment opportunities.
The situation of the poor is more concerning than that of the needy. The term “poor” refers to those who have no income at all because they are unable to work, while “needy” describes people who face financial difficulties but still have some means of income, despite being limited.
Bambang cited the Islamic teaching of zakat and sadaqah (charity) to highlight the importance of giving back to the community, and argued that providing employment is a form of charity.
Looking to the future, Bambang suggested that the Islamic world could achieve economic dominance by combining the financial resources of Middle Eastern countries with the abundant and skilled workforce of other Muslim-majority nations. He noted that the global Muslim market, which represents 2.5 billion people, presents a significant opportunity for Muslim entrepreneurs.
“The global Muslim market is a huge potential market that is currently being targeted by major global corporations. Indonesia itself is one of the largest Muslim markets in the world,” said Bambang.
