Adi Hidayat, Deputy Chair of the Muhammadiyah Council for Islamic Propagation, addressed the relationship between Islam and art. He emphasized that Islam does not reject art entirely, but rather classifies its products based on specific criteria.
According to Adi Hidayat, permissible art hinges on the artist’s faith. The artwork itself should reflect that faith and promote good deeds. Additionally, it should serve as a reminder of Allah and potentially act as a tool to convey Islamic values and defend the religion’s nobility. When an artwork fulfills these criteria, it can be considered a positive contribution for the artist. Adi Hidayat cites Ash Shu’ara verse 227 as the foundation for these guidelines.
“Islam doesn’t oppose culture itself. Instead, it engages with the cultural expressions that naturally arise from human character,” said Adi Hidayat at the Muhammadiyah Ramadan Preaching Series at the Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta (UMJ) on Tuesday (March 19).
As Ash Shu’ara verse 227 suggests, art forms are not inherently forbidden, but rather the content they produce is what undergoes classification.
Adi Hidayat goes on to illustrate this point with music. “Even during the Prophet Muhammad’s time, music existed. However, the focus wasn’t on banning it entirely, but on the positive or negative effects it produced,” said Adi Hidayat.
Negative forms of art are not necessarily discarded entirely. Adi Hidayat suggests that such art can be reformed and redirected towards more positive ends. This perspective highlights the challenge for Muhammadiyah in promoting positive cultural expression through da’wa. The organization must find ways to engage with different artistic forms and encourage the creation of art that is both aesthetically pleasing and morally uplifting.
