MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, SAMARINDA – According to Indonesia’s Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, the rise of agnosticism among youngsters has nothing to do with the religion itself, but rather by how the religious preacher present it. In his view, many preachers fail to take social realities into account.
Quoting a 2015 report by the Pew Research Center, Mu’ti, who also serves as the General Secretary of the Main Board of Muhammadiyah, explained that the followers of agnosticism and atheism are ranked third and fourth in the world’s largest religious groups.
“The current trend is not religion, but spiritualism. They (youngsters) acknowledge spirituality without associating themselves to a particular religion,” Mu’ti noted.
The Professor of Islamic Education observed that the model of da’wah practiced by religious institutions often forces the ummah to listen. The younger generations, however, desire to be listened to rather than being told what to do. Responding to the religious generational decline, Mu’ti urged ustaz or other religious preachers to become better listeners.
“We must find a way of teaching religious principles to the youngsters without being too patronizing. We often invite them to be better in ways that feel disconnected to their daily life,” said Mu’ti.
Da’wah towards young people needs to be more contextual, aligned with their current situation, even better, paying attention to the choice of language and appearance, so that the younger generations could feel more relatable.
“After all, Allah sent His passengers in the language of the people. In order to prevent the religious generational decline, we too should be empathetic listeners and make them feel included,” Mu’ti added.
Within the Muhammadiyah Community, the preaching model of Kiai Ahmad Dahlan, which maintains closeness towards youngsters, should also serve as an example. Concisely, if the preachers could remove the gap between them and the younger generations, the effectiveness of conveying religious messages must be higher.
In essence, Mu’ti explained that in order to make the life of our children aligned with religious principles, we need to present religion in a way that resonates with their daily life.
In today’s context, what needs to be highlighted and enhanced in the life of the youngsters are mental well-being and character. To be able to dive into the issue, preachers are encouraged to approach gradually and naturally, through habits and lived practice. (Bintang Adrian)
