Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies

1-23

Authors: Azhar Ibrahim

This paper highlights and evaluates the significance of an emerging social theological discourse in contemporary Muslim Southeast Asia. It emerged partly as a response to the traditional Islamic theology inasmuch as the revivalist dakwah activism that became prominent since the 1970s. This emerging discourse is part of the continuity and extension of the reformist voices which have evolved since the late 19th century. As a theology, it puts discourse about God as its premium but extend its focus on the social dimension of faith in God, of the social message of the religion, and the social responsibility of the man and community of faith in God, and to their fellow human beings. Today there are several books and articles written which can be classified as belonging to this genre of social theology. In Indonesia this discursive theology can be found in rational, humanistic, transformative cultural, and the oppressed theologies. It opens a wider realm of participation and engagement, where theology is no longer the exclusive affairs of experts, but inclusive of the lay intellectuals who are not necessarily from a strictly religious background. It also enables the Muslim public to comprehend critically and to cope creatively with rapid social change, and its attendant problems. Theology is, after all, a human enterprise, albeit it’s strong religious commitment. To harness the potentiality of the social theology, calls for its recognition. Herein lies the need to start studying and engaging them discerningly, or to advance its critical dimensions for the benefits of the larger Muslim public.

51-79

Authors: Muhamad Ali

The problem of the relationship between nationalism and Islam has historically revealed dynamic discourses, but seems to have gained little attention. This problem is important not only in understanding the modern discourse on Islam and nationalism but also in promoting a dialogue between Islam and the West. This paper attempts to show how the best known of Muslim intellectuals from Egypt and Syria during the 19th and first half of the 20th century, managed to fuse Islamic concepts and nationalism together into a single, unified discourse. This paper approaches the question in two different ways. In order to provide a context, the first section reviews how nationalism emerged and influenced the Muslims. The next section studies how Muslim intellectuals have responded to foreign ideas in general and nationalism in particular, and how some of them have attempted to work out a compromise between nationalism and Islam.

105-134

Authors: Nafis Irkhami

Hizbut Tahrir (The Party of Liberation) is an international pan-Islamic political organization. Its goal is to unify all Muslim countries as an Islamic state (caliphate) ruled by shariah. They argued that caliphate and Islamic law should not be separated. Without a caliphate, the sharia application will never be totally accomplished. Factually, these grand themes constitute the global discourse applied by Hizbut Tahrir movements around the world. It becomes the main idea that links their global ideological ground and commonality. Hizbut Tahrir (HT) entered into Indonesia in 1982, through M. Mustofa and Abdurrahman al-Baghdadi. As in another countries, HT got repression from the government. Using a momentum of the reformation era, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) begin to socialize its ideas openly. Even in 2000, they have registered its organization at the Ministry of Domestic Affairs. This study aims to scrutinize the ideas of HTI thinking about political economy, which is devoted to the theory about the relationship between religion, state and economy, as well as the construction of public finances. This study is intended as a historical study of Islamic economic thought. The discourse of the study focuses on three questions. First, how does HTI grow in Indonesia, and why does they flourish? Second, what are the relationship between the religion, the state and the economy according to them? Finally, how is the structure of HTI’s public finances? This qualitative study was an exploratory-analysis. It was intended to analyze key concepts in a plantation of thought that has been documented, both from primary and secondary sources. It is a library research. The sources of the research are in the form of HTI’s works which have been well documented in a large numbers, including in the Pdf formats. The study found that HTI tended to see every current economic problem by reflecting it into the cultural heritage of the past. Related to this, the slogan that they have always been shouted was "Sharia is the only solution." From this philosophy it can be estimated that HTI’s thoughts of Islamic public finance, will face the problem of contextualization.