MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, BANTUL – Secretary-General of Muhammadiyah Abdul Mu’ti raised concerns about a paradoxical trend in the global and Indonesian Muslims.
Speaking at the 20th-anniversary celebration of MBS Pleret, Bantul, Mu’ti highlighted the global surge in Islam, particularly in Europe. He cited statistics showing that approximately 2 of 7 billion people worldwide now identify as Muslims, with projections indicating that India might become the country with the largest Muslim population by 2050.
“The question is why Muslims in Indonesia are declining?” asked Mu’ti. “This is due to a degeneration in religious understanding,” he added.
Despite being the dominant religion in the country, many Indonesian Muslims have a superficial understanding of their faith, often reducing it to a mere identity, commonly called as “Islam KTP”, rather than a guiding principle for their lives.
“Surveys revealed that 60% of Muslims cannot read the Quran. Many Muslim students are unable to read, let alone write, in Arabic,” said Mu’ti.
This lack of understanding, Mu’ti warned, could lead to a significant decline in the influence of Islam in Indonesia. To address this issue, he emphasized the importance of strengthening the faith of the younger generation.
“A generation with a strong faith forms the foundation for building other strengths. A strong faith also builds a resilient generation that is not easily discouraged and has a strong fighting spirit,” he stated.
Mu’ti further highlighted the Islamic teaching against leaving future generations weak in faith. He quoted the Quran, emphasizing that neglecting the religious education of the next generation is a grave injustice.
