Al-Lughah al-’Arabīyah fī al-ma‘āhid al-Islāmīyah bī Indūnīsīyā: Mushkilātuhā wa ṭuruq ḥallihā

This article discusses the urgency of learning Arabic in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) in Indonesia, reveals the problems, and offers suitable solutions. This study applies descriptive, historical, analytical, and library research methods by managing data from primary and secondary sources. In addition, this article also uses field studies from several pesantrens in Indonesia, starting from determining the sample to collecting data through interviews, conducting observations, filling out questionnaires, and collecting documents. This investigation found that pesantrens gave an essential position to Arabic as a tool in understanding Islamic teachings and knowledge. The problems encountered were internal in studying syntax (naḥw) and morphology (ṣarf), and external problems related to teachers, students, methods, facilities, and communities. This study offers solutions to simplify syntax (naḥw) and morphology (ṣarf) learning methods, conduct language training, enrich contrastive studies, develop linguistic curriculum, and provide facilities and communities.

Islamic on Screen: Religious Narrative on Indonesia's Television

The digital era does not necessarily replace television as a source of information, including about religion. Television remains vital in the construction and dissemination of religious information in Indonesian society. The survey conducted by PPIM in 2018 shows that 33.73% of Generation Z (youth) access television as a source of religious knowledge (Saputra 2018). The previous research by Alvara in 2020 also found that 54.2% of respondents listen to and watch religious sermons from television (Alvara 2020). Therefore, PPIM UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta through Media and Religious Trend In Indonesia (MERIT) conducted a research entitled “Preaching on Screen: Television and Religious Narrative in Indonesia”, which ran from July to December 2020. The research found that moderate and conservative of islam are highly dominating on television programs in Indonesia.This research is also driven by the significance of television in disseminating religious knowledge demonstrated by the widespread proliferation of religious programs produced on television. These religious programs are broadcasted not only during Ramadan month but also on daily basis. The significant role of television as a source of religious knowledge is also illustrated by the high public interest in watching religious programs. For example, the "Damai Indonesiaku" program produced by TVOne successfully gains a share of 10.42% in the month of Ramadan and 8.33% on normal days (Tirto 2018). The program "Kata Ustadz Solmed" broadcasted by SCTV (Surya Citra Televisi), enjoys a high rating of 31 shares, which is much higher than the soap opera with the highest rating of only 15 shares. In addition to religious programs on public television stations, currently, many TV stations use satellite frequencies to exclusively broadcast religious programs for example RodjaTV, Ihsan TV, and Surau TV. In fact, with the rapid development of the internet, many televisions use Youtube platform to broadcast their religious programs such as CokroTV, Al BahjahTV, YufidTV, TVMU (TVMuhammadiyah), Nabawi TV, and so on.

Doing Hijrah Through Music: A Religious Phenomenon Among Indonesian Musician Community

This paper studies the variants of hijrah movements among Muslim youths in Bandung, Indonesia, in responding music. Hijrah (to migrate spiritually) was first interpreted as abandoning the past sinful life into the path of Islam. In its development, it is defined as leaving behind “un-Islamic” activities, including music. The latter meaning of hijrah conveys to ex-musicians performing hijrah to completely abandon music and even destroys their musical instruments. Among hijrah groups, Gerakan Pemuda Hijrah conveys the detrimental effects of music for Islamic morality and faith. For them, music will drive Muslims to the jāhilīyah (ignorance), shirk (polytheism) and bid‘ah (innovation/heresy). Amidst this situation, Komunitas Musisi Mengaji (KOMUJI) emerges to practicing hijrah by performing musical activities and even employing “musicking” as a way to attain the true path of Islam. This paper reveals the different views of those groups concerning music and hijrah, as well as shows an alternative path amid Islamism and globalization.

From Fiqh to Political Advocacy: Muhammadiyah’s Ecological Movement in the Post New Order Indonesia

This paper investigates how Indonesia’s Islamic modernist movement, Muhammadiyah, is responding to issues such as environment degradation, global warming and climate change. Muhammadiyah has not adopted the ecology paradigm used by Islamic environmentalism group, focusing instead on theological reform and social and economic welfare and justice, but members of its elite have begun inserting ecological concerns into the organisation’s programmatic orientation. This paper argues that, although these efforts are not well organized and maintained, they have enormous potential to transform Muhammadiyah into a right-green organization, as demonstrated through its progressive initiative on the environment and its efforts institutional and theological reform (fiqh of water) and in its involvement in judicial review of state policy (known as ‘jihad konstitusi’/judicial review) as political advocacy practice. However, the main feature of Muhammadiyah’s environmental activism is its continued emphasis on economic justice rather than on building ecological security and conservation movement.

The Politics of Syariatisation in Indonesia: MMI and GARIS' Struggle for Islamic Law

This paper addresses the deficiency of the doctrinal approach in Islamic legal studies. There is an emergent need to comprehend Islamic law from the standpoint of its practical aspects: that is, how the law is intended to produce certain results, whether it gives expected results, and whether an identifiable result is consistent with the reason for the law as one might have expected. This paper examines the discourse of legal Islamization from the perspective of its practical aspects, that is, how the idea is developed, campaigned, and impregnated in Muslim societies. A study of the organizations Majlis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) and Gerakan Reformis Islam (Garis) shows that both groups had different concerns. While MMI focused on the theoretical legal system, Garis was more concerned with the practical realm of law; yet the two are the same in orientation as they are both concerned with how everyday life is regulated for Muslims.

The Word ‘Lebai’ and Its Ethnic Origins: Reassessing an Early Designation for Muslim Religious Officials in the Malay World

This article proposes a new etymon for the Malay word lebai (minor religious official/scholar), namely the Sino-Muslim term libai (禮拜, worship or religious service conducted in a mosque). Scholars have traditionally argued that lebai, a loanword introduced during the early stages of Islamization, derives from the Tamil leppai (or lebbai), likewise signifying (amongst other things) a minor religious official/scholar. On this basis, it has been argued that Tamil Muslims acted as Southeast Asia’s earliest Islamic officials. This article critically reassesses the evidence underlying this attribution. By tracing the earliest known Malay usage of lebai to Java –where it emerged alongside Sino-Muslim influences associated with Cirebon, Gresik and Demak– the etymon libai is proposed: since the Song dynasty (960-1279), Sino-Muslims have used the noun libai as a designate for religious affairs (particularly prayers) conducted in a mosque. This study suggests that lebai originates with this term, making it indicative of Sino-Muslim influence during Java’s Islamization.

Kebangkitan Konservatisme Islam: Politik Identitas dan Potret Demokrasi di Indonesia

Leonard C. Sebastian, Syafiq Hasyim and Alexander R. Arifianto (eds). 2021. Rising Islamic Conservatism in Indonesia: Islamic Groups and Identity Politics. London and New York: Routledge.This volume discusses the rise of Islamic conservatism in Indonesia that is opposed to the values of pluralism, tolerance, and religious freedom. The authors argue that Islamic conservatism presents an enormous challenge to Indonesia as a multi-religious country that adversely affects its social, cultural, and political situations. They are concerned that Islamic conservatism may distance Indonesia from religious inclusion, and in fact, it may bring the country closer to religious exclusion. They are also worried that religious intolerance is increasingly on the rise, as shown in the cases of the prohibition of the establishment of churches in Muslim neighbourhood, the abuse of the blasphemy law to punish minority groups, the establishment of exclusive ‘sharia’ housing complexes that is intended only for ‘like-minded’ Muslims, and vigilante-style persecutions such as threats, verbal harassment, and physical intimidation against people or groups who are opposed to the perpetrators’ religious views. In addition, the authors also emphasize that there is an ongoing movement among supporters of Islamic conservatism to signify their religious boundaries and at the same time reject those who do not follow their path.

Forbidden Visibility: Queer Activism, Shari‘a Sphere and Politics of Sexuality in Aceh

This article aims to explain why organized queer activism emerged in Aceh, but could endure only in about six years (from 2008 to 2014). It is argued that this has mainly caused by massive expansion of ‘shari‘a spheres’ since 2001 supported by national and local government and parliament legal-political back up and societal religio-cultural forces on the one hand, and weak nature of the queer movements as counterpublics, characterized with the inadequate resources mobilization, especially in leadership and in getting support from its social movement communities during the crises on the other hand. Shari‘a, which is heteronormative, have been used as discursive and embodied disciplinary power of sexuality for normalizing and excluding the queer (including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender/LGBT). Their organized visibility triggered the issuance of the Qanun Jinayah in 2014, which includes punishment for same-sex activities. It caused them to dissolve their own queer organizations.

Voices from Indonesian Legislative on Religious Education Policy

Religious violent extremism remains a problem for Indonesia. Recently, three consecutive attacks carried out by violent religious extremists — a suicide bombing in front of a Cathedral Church in Makassar South Sulawesi, the discovery of several prepared high explosive bombs in Condet Jakarta, and a female lone wolf attack on the Indonesian Police Criminal Investigation Agency — shocked the public (Fakta-data di Balik Bom Bunuh Diri, 29 Maret 2021; Polisi sebut Terduga Teroris Condet & Bekasi, 2021; Teroris Penyerang Mabes Polri, 2021). It may not be surprising since there were some early indications from various studies that some Indonesian people still have religious attitudes and behaviors that are exclusive, closed, anti-citizenship, anti-state, and even pro-violence (PPIM, 2016, 2017, 2018; Puspidep, 2017, 2018). The PPIM study results (2018) show that around 58.5 percent of students tend to be religious radical, and 51.1 percent tend to be intolerant to differences within Muslim groups. Then, as many as 34.3 percent of students are intolerant to non-Muslim groups. Radical views that are intolerant toward those who are different are the first step to violent extremism. These studies are a reminder that violent extremism is a problem for all of Indonesian society. Therefore, PPIM surveyed the perceptions of the public, students, teachers, and Indonesian Members of Parliament on violent extremism.In Indonesia, political parties have a vital role. Political parties develop policies, laws, and regulations. Another strategic part is that political parties become important actors in crystallizing citizens' political aspirations, including rules related to religion and religious education (Mujani & Liddle, 2018; Muhtadi & Mietzner, 2019; LIPI, 2018, 2019). Through their representatives — who are elected through a regular fair election once every five years — in the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, political parties have an essential role in determining public policy through their function as a check and balance institution for the Government. The enactment of religious education as a compulsory subject for all students at all levels has become a debate among the Indonesian public, and whether the Government should regulate religious issues in public education. The issue of religious education in public schools is essential as PPIM's research suggests that the religious subject's teachers may contribute to students' radical views (PPIM, 2017).

Al-Sajā’ir wa shabakat al-‘ulamā’ al-Miṣrīyīn fī Nusantara: Dirāsah fī makhṭūṭ “Bāb fī bayan shurb al-dukhān”

This study reveals on fatwas concerning cigarettes in the Archipelago in the 19th century. The primary source is an Arabic manuscript from Kuningan, West Java, digitized by DREAMSEA, entitled “Bāb fī Bayān Ḥukm Shurb al-Dukhān”. It does not only use arguments from sharia, the interpretation of ulama, and health reasons but also refers to myths and conspiracies. This study finds that this manuscript mentions the existence of ḥaram (prohibited) and makrūh (not legally forbidden but discouraged) on cigarettes referring to two Egyptian ulama in the 17th century. Through analyzing fiqh and social history, this philological study discloses the connection between its author with the Egyptian’s ulama networks as a new center for ideas of Islamic civilization aside from Haramayn. Hence, the arguments of the manuscript openly consider many aspects of sharia in responding to such a new tradition (cigarettes) in the Muslim community. This is different from similar manuscripts discussing this kind of fatwa in the 19th century which only judge as haram so that it is considered politically as a form of a critique against the colonial’ tobacco business policies.