MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA – The 48th Congress of Muhammadiyah (Muktamar Muhammadiyah) in Surakarta yields a document called “Risalah Islam Berkemajuan” (The Triatise of Progressive Islam). This document is a continuation and affirmation of the enlightenment movement of Muhammadiyah in the second century.
According to President of Muhammadiyah, Haedar Nashir, Progressive Islam is not a madzhab (school of thought) but a worldview and a religious view.
“However, the religious perspective is formulated based on the ideas alive within Muhammadiyah, including issue-based thinking, Manhaj Tarjih (methodology of religious interpretation) which has references to the Quran and Sunnah, and historically has references and connections to the Islamic thought of the era of Kiai Dahlan,” said Haedar.
In the opening speech of the Ramadan Preaching 1444 H of Muhammadiyah at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta on Friday (24/3), Haedar mentioned that the Triatise of Progressive Islam still needs further elaboration.
“First, the concept of referring to the Quran and Sunnah requires enrichment. Later, the Muhammadiyah Council for Tarjih and Tabligh will collaborate to enrich how we codify the verses and hadiths of the Prophet to become a comprehensive reference on Islam, which has advanced thinking dimensions, builds advanced civilization, and formulates all the values. We composed all of them in the 2010 Congress (Muktamar) that Islam is dinul hadarah (a civilization religion),” said Haedar.
Further elaboration is essential due to historical facts of Islamic civilization that has existed for more than seven centuries and foreign researchers stating that the glorious civilization began with Prophet Muhammad in teaching Islam.
“This seven-century journey is a vital historical trace, which we need to sketch out, not just to remember. We have to construct the era of Islamic glory and grandeur,” said Haedar.
The elaboration is to reaffirm Muhammadiyah’s position in bringing Islam as a progressive movement deeply rooted in the homeland, and having universalism and cosmopolitanism sourced from civilization in Medina Al-Munawarah.
“We have the flexibility because we are restricting Islam in one cultural region, including the Archipelago (Nusantara). On the other hand, Islam that we build and develop is Islam that remains present on the earth but does not lose its universal character. That is an important point for reconstruction that the position of Progressive Islam is within a grand sketch but has a great distinction that we can present in this country,” said Haedar.
