Muhammadiyah’s Moral Politics and the Cost of Non-partisanship 

By Pradana Boy Zulian and Nur Syafiqah Mohd Taufek, ISEAS Perspective

(Excerpts)

Executive Summary

• As one of Indonesia’s oldest and biggest Muslim organisations, Muhammadiyah’s position on issues remains influential in policymaking. Its members are still co-opted by the ruling administration at the national and local levels, and its leaders often make public pronouncements to lobby for certain policies.
• In the 1980s, Muhammadiyah adopted moral or “high” politics to avoid being misperceived as a political organisation. In 1986, Amien Rais, then a key activist who later became Muhammadiyah chairman in 1995, introduced the concept of moral politics, which aims to keep the organisation politically neutral and non-partisan while allowing it to voice out on issues based on the religious principle of amar ma’ruf wan nahi munkar (advocate the good, prevent harm).
• Despite embracing a concept meant to be politically neutral, Muhammadiyah is not anti-politics. It encourages its members to build their political competence and participate in “low” politics by running as election candidates. It is considered vital for the organisation to gain support and resources for its missions through political channels.
• This dualism has proven challenging to implement and has led to confusion among Muhammadiyah members. It has also led to internal division caused by members’ rigid and intolerant attitudes in their political preferences. In fact, Muhammadiyah members’ political participation is relatively low compared to their rivals, affecting their lobbying capabilities.

..the clash in views was partly driven by the lack of consensus on political theology. This draws back to the longstanding debate in the Islamic world regarding Islam’s role in society, which is also not settled within Muhammadiyah.. ..Haedar’s opponents’ view of Islam as din, dunya wa
dawlah (religion, world, and state). To this group of people who support Muhammadiyah taking a clear stance on political leadership, Islam and the state are inseparable entities.

..diverse theological worldview impacts Muhammadiyah by not firmly constructing a coherent political theology that all members, including supporters of rival leadership factions, can agree on..

..its disengagement from formal politics has led to a scarcity
of politically competent members..

Pradana Boy Zulian is Associate Professor in Islamic Legal Studies at Faculty of Islamic Studies, Muhammadiyah University, Malang, East Java, Indonesia. He was Visiting Fellow with the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Program at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. Nur Syafiqah Mohd Taufek is Research Officer at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, for the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Program

Read the whole paper at https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2024-91-muhammadiyahs-moral-politics-and-the-cost-of-non-partisanship-by-pradana-boy-zulian-and-nur-syafiqah-mohd-taufek/ or downloadable at this link.

In related reading:

• Muhammadiyah – Google Scholar
• You searched for Muhammadiyah – ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute
• Op-Ed: Why Are They Angry? By Abdurrahman Wahid
• Syaifullah (1997), Gerak Politik Muhammadiyah dalam Masyumi. Jakarta: Pustaka Utama Grafiti.
• Haedar Nashir (2008), Khittah Muhammadiyah tentang Politik, Yogyakarta: Suara Muhammadiyah.
• KOMPASTV. (2018). PP Muhammadiyah Tegaskan Tidak Akan Terlibat Politik Praktis YouTube. Published on Aug 14, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffn49a9DbcU
• Tempo.co. (2010) “Din: Muhammadiyah Akan Tetap Kritis Pada Pemerintah”. Published on Jul 7, 2010. https://nasional.tempo.co/read/261633/din-muhammadiyah-akan-tetap-kritis-pada-pemerintah
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• Ridho Al-Hamdi (2023), Akal Politik Muhammadiyah: Menelaah Cara Berpikir dan Bertindak Warga Muhammadiyah dalam Urusan Politik Praktis, Yogyakarta: Depublish, p. 25-44.
• Ma’mun Murod al-Barbasy (2017), “Muhammadiyah dan Politik: Dilema Antara Keep Close dan Keep Distance,” Kontekstualita: Jurnal Penelitian Sosial dan Keagamaan, Vol. 34 No. 2, Desember 2017, pp. 99-125.
• Kumparan News. (2024) “Abdul Mu’ti: Kader Muhammadiyah yang Terpilih Anggota DPR Kali Ini Lebih Banyak”. Published on Mar 3, 2024. https://kumparan.com/kumparannews/abdul-muti-kader-muhammadiyahyang-terpilih-anggota-dpr-kali-ini-lebih-banyak-22HRjnetVlt/full.
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• Caleg Muhammadiyah Banyak yang Gagal, Ini Hasil Evaluasi Jipolmu, pwmu.co