MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, SURAKARTA – Muhammadiyah has called for a more peaceful, inclusive, and progressive approach to da’wah in the digital age.
President of Muhammadiyah Haedar Nashir mentioned that Muhammadiyah da’wa should also posit principles of peace, unity, religious reinforcement, and responsiveness to dynamic societal changes.
“Our society is religious, but their religiosity and religious orientation is diverse,” said Haedar at the opening of the national meeting of the Muhammadiyah Council for Islamic Communications in Surakarta on Friday (September 22).
Challenges of da’wah in the digital age, according to Haedar, are getting complex, mainly as people are dealing with the advancement of digital information technology, which has led to, among other things, the erosion of civility.
“Muhammadiyah da’wah may also play a role in calming conflicts since it reflects enlightening religious values,” said Haedar.
In the context of Indonesia, Haedar said that the nation’s development should be about physical and spiritual well-being because the nation is religious, is based on Pancasila, and has a noble culture.
“We should become a progressive nation, but not a secular or agnostic nation. We should also become a religious nation,” said Haedar.
The religiosity of Indonesia should be progressive, so the nation is not left behind. This hope and reality have led Muhammadiyah to focus on building hospitals, schools, and universities and empowering grassroots.
“No matter what people’s religion or political orientation is, Indonesian people should be united to become a pillar of progress and unity in Indonesia,” said Haedar.
Thus, Muhammadiyah da’wah methods are expected to be adaptable to the advancement of information technology. However, it is essential to ensure that da’wah’s instruments or tools are not placed as the goal and do not lead to dehumanization.
