MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, MALANG – At the 27th Tarjih National Conference conducted in Malang in 2010, Muhammadiyah addressed the role of Islam in culture and arts. It emphasized Islam’s dual nature: a religion of mercy that brings benefit and well-being to humanity, while also safeguarding people from harm and damage.
Essentially, Islam plays a crucial role in guiding and refining cultural development within society, ensuring it aligns with the high dignity of humankind. This reflects Muhammadiyah commitment to promoting cultural progress that adheres to religious principles.
To understand and guide cultural development, Muhammadiyah classifies existing culture into three main categories.
The first category encompasses cultural practices and creations that do not contradict the teachings of the Quran and Hadith. This type of culture is not only accepted but also recognized, and in some cases, can even be a source of Islamic law. A principle of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) states that “customary law can be used as a source of law,” as long as it doesn’t conflict with the Quran and Sunnah (the teachings and practices of Prophet Muhammad).
The second category acknowledges cultural practices that may have initially contradicted Islamic law but were later adapted to comply with Islamic teachings. An example is poetry recited during the Jahiliyah period (pre-Islamic Arabia), which might have contained elements of polytheism or other errors. After the arrival of Islam, poetry recitation remained permissible, but the content had to avoid anything that violated Islamic teachings, such as polytheism, innovations in religion (bid’ah), or elements that supported injustice.
The third category comprises cultural practices that clearly oppose Islamic law. This includes any human creations that violate the Quran and Sunnah or contain elements of polytheism, innovations in religion, superstition, injustice, and other negative aspects.
From a religious perspective, Muhammadiyah views singing and music as worldly transactions (mu’amalah). As another fiqh principle states, “everything is permissible (mubah) until there is a textual evidence (dalil) that prohibits it.”
By establishing these three categories, Muhammadiyah provides clear guidelines for understanding and evaluating cultural practices within society. This approach aligns with their goal of guiding the community in developing a culture that adheres to Islamic teachings while avoiding practices that contradict religious values. Ultimately, they aim to foster progress that upholds human dignity.
Reference:
Majalah Suara Muhammadiyah, Edition 9, 2018.
