Epistemé: Jurnal Pengembangan Ilmu Keislaman
ISSN : 2502-3705 (online) | 1907-7491 (print) DOI Prefix : 10.21274 by Crossref Editor in Chief : Syaifudin Zuhri (Scopus ID: 55552822200) Publisher : UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, Indonesia Frequency : Semi-Annual (June and December Edition) Type : Peer-reviewed Citation Analysis : Sinta|Google Scholar |Garuda |Moraref|DOAJ|Index Islamicus
UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, Indonesia
Epistemé: Jurnal Pengembangan Ilmu Keislaman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Licensing Copyright © The Author(s). Published by Pascasarjana, Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah State Islamic University Tulungagung, Indonesia. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0.
BETWEEN FAITH AND FREEDOM: The Qur’an and the Childfree Lifestyle
This article deals with the childfree lifestyle through the lens of the Qur’an, a topic that has recently become controversial in Indonesia. Public opinion is divided: supporters argue that choosing not to have children is a matter of personal freedom, while opponents claim it contradicts social and religious expectations that married couples should try to have offspring. Using Gadamer’s hermeneutical perspective alongside Qur’anic interpretation, the article highlights several verses that encourage procreation—such as calls to increase descendants, praise for having noble offspring, and descriptions of children as a source of reward in the afterlife. These verses suggest that Islam generally discourages couples from intentionally avoiding children. However, the study also emphasizes that Qur’anic meaning is dynamic and must continually engage with contemporary realities, including the childfree trend. In this light, the childfree choice is explicitly forbidden but may be considered acceptable when supported by reasonable motives and when it contributes to personal or social benefit. This approach allows Islamic teachings on family and lineage to be understood in dialogue with contemporary realities.
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NEGOTIATING THE SACRED: Rajah, Orthodoxy, and the Digital Reframing of Islamic Symbol
The phenomenon of the rajah as an Islamic talisman occupies a contested discursive space between theological legitimacy and strong condemnation as a practice of shirk. This debate is rooted in the diversity of the Prophet’s hadith, which, on the one hand, allows ruqyah as long as it is free from elements of shirk, but on the other hand, categorically condemns all forms of talismans. Whereas previously the relevant authority of the rajah was determined through fatwas issued by religious scholars and local religious practices, now the discourse has shifted to the digital realm, mainly through memes and educational content that represent sacred symbols in the form of criticism, satire, and esoteric narratives. This article employs a netnographic approach to discuss the construction of meaning of the rajah in memes on social media and netizens’ responses to them, while also analyzing them from the perspective of hadith interpretation. The study argues that netizen involvement does not stop at spontaneous reactions, but forms a continuum of discourse: from humorous deconstruction to firm normative affirmation, then continuing to historical-esoteric interpretations. These findings confirm that rajah in the digital public sphere is a locus of popular theology that negotiates Islamic orthodoxy, local traditions, and contemporary digital culture.
FLEXIBILITY AND UNCERTAINTY: Ambiguity in Pre-Modern Islamic Law in Dialogue with Modern European Culture
This article deals with the concept of ambiguity in pre-modern Islamic theology and law, highlighting its role in supporting flexibility and adaptation in various social and political contexts. By referring to the works of scholars such as Anver Emon, Wael Hallaq, and Thomas Bauer, this article shows that ambiguity is not a sign of weakness but rather an intellectual strategy that allows Muslim societies to face the complexity of diverse social realities. Through an analysis of classical Islamic thought, this article reveals how uncertainty and probabilistic decision-making became an integral part of the development of Islamic law and theology. This article argues that the pre-modern Islamic world, particularly in the Sunni tradition, adopted a dynamic policy of ambiguity, which promoted social cohesion and inclusiveness. This article also highlights how the concept of ambiguity in the Sunnis’ tradition can contribute to dialogue between Islamic moral traditions and modern European moral culture, by paving the way for deeper understanding and closer cooperation in today’s multicultural and pluralistic societies.
ISLAM, EDUCATION, AND MIGRATION IN INDONESIA: Religiosity Left-Behind Muslim Migrant Workers’ Children in East Java
This article examines the religiosity of left-behind children, who are students at Islamic educational institutions, due to their parents' migration. While several studies on Indonesian migrants primarily highlight their religious activities abroad, this study focuses on the religiosity of ‘left-behind’ children in Jember, East Java, to understand the impact of migration on the religiosity and education of children. Left-behind children refer to those whose parents migrate for work, education, or other reasons, leaving them behind in their home countries with relatives or guardians. Several studies suggest that this situation can have a significant impact on the psychological and developmental well-being of children. The data were collected using a qualitative research design, which included participatory observation in informal Islamic education institutions and in-depth interviews with several education facilitators for children under 18 years old. To understand the religious dynamics among these children, this research employs El-Menouar’s dimension of religiosity as an analytical framework. The results identify two main issues appeared within the fields of Islamic education and migration studies: the conditions of children’s religiosity in the context of parental separation and the absence of informal education within the family and the proposal of the concept of Religiosity Left-behind as a new category to understand the spiritual and religious challenges faced by children of migrant workers. This research emphasizes the urgency of strategic interventions from educational stakeholders, including higher religious education institutions and civil society organizations, to design a sustainable program for the development of religiosity aimed at enhancing the quality of Islam and spirituality among children in left-behind situations.
BACK TO BASICS: Nurturing Religious Moderation through the Co-Parenting Models of Islamic Education in Multicultural Indonesia
This article seeks to discuss the role of co-parenting in shaping Islamic education within families and how this practice contributes to fostering social and religious harmony in a pluralistic society. This article employs a qualitative approach, collecting data through interviews with selected interlocutors to explore the parenting models used by each parent. This article argues that the co-parenting model emphasizes the cooperation of all family members, with effective communication serving as a crucial tool in building a holistic Islamic education that promotes harmony within the family. The article also highlights the importance of incorporating universal Islamic values into family education to shape children’s character and morals, aligning with sharia principles and promoting respect for diversity, thereby contributing to the harmonization of the religious and social spheres. Furthermore, the interviewees expressed a preference for both parents to be actively involved in the Islamic education process within the family environment. This desired involvement not only strengthens family ties but also creates a well-rounded learning experience for children. This study demonstrates that the stability of co-parenting provides a robust theoretical and empirical foundation to support the development of a model that can be applied in various Muslim family contexts, with the ultimate goal of fostering harmony within a broader religious dynamic.
Piety, Social Pressure, and Riya’: Religious Practices of Yogyakarta Urban Muslim Youth in Digital Media
This article examines the relationship between piety, social pressure, and riya’ among urban Muslim youth in Yogyakarta who use social media to express religiousity, and the way the youth negotiate to deal with the contradiction between displayed piousness and religious norms. Employing a phenomenological approach this article explore the negotiation of ambiguity among urban Muslim youth, in particular the urban students actively involved in lecture series branded "Ngaji Filsafat" conducted by Dr. Fahruddin Faiz. This article argue that not only digital media provide space for youth to express their piety, it also offer bigger social pressure to gain social validation for their (digital) existence, in the form of likes and followers, for instance. The social pressure increases ethical ambiguity, where expressions of online piety can be considered as violating a moral principle of religiosity, namely riya’. Finally, this article contributes to debates on the intersection of religion and media, especially on the aspect of individual negotiation space in responding to biases and dilemmas arising from the hybridity of the two.
RELIGIOUS MODERATION FOR INDONESIAN MUSLIMS IN DIASPORA: The Pojok Moderasi Beragama of the Indonesian School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
This article deals with the establishment of the Pojok Moderasi Beragama at the Indonesian School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of its efforts to promote religious moderation among the Indonesian diaspora in the region. The initiative is driven by concerns over the vulnerability of the diaspora community to radical Islamic ideologies, such as Wahhabism and other transnational Islamic movements prevalent in the Middle East. As such, the establishment of the Pojok Moderasi Beragama at the Indonesian School in Riyadh represents a strategic preventive measure. Employing an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach, this article explores the implementation of “moderate” programs aimed at establishing the Pojok Moderasi Beragama. Initially, all teachers underwent comprehensive training to enhance their understanding of religious moderation and its practical application in the school setting. Simultaneously, mentoring activities facilitated the gradual development of religious moderation, ultimately leading to the creation of the Pojok Moderasi Beragama by leveraging the school’s existing assets. This article argues that teachers have significantly improved their understanding of religious moderation, encompassing pluralism, tolerance, and interfaith dialogue. Furthermore, it captures the progressive development of the Pojok Moderasi Beragama, which effectively utilizes the school’s resources, including the library, school website, and social media platforms.
DEFINING MUSTAHIQ: The Entangled Practice of Zakat and Religious Authority in Contemporary Madura, Indonesia
This article deals with the Islamic legal reasoning behind the designation of Islamic religious leaders (kiai) in Madura as mustahiq zakat, highlighting the negotiation between fiqh, socio-political dynamics, and cultural interests in Indonesia’s evolving Muslim society. The kiai play a central role in both religious and socio-political domains. This article explores the justification for their eligibility to receive zakat and their responses to this designation. Employing a qualitative approach, data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis. The findings reveal that kiai have engaged in an internalization process by interpreting the category of fi sabilillah as a legal basis to include themselves as mustahiq zakat. Their interpretation is constructed through three strategies: externalization, objectification, and internalization. Furthermore, as holders of religious authority, kiai expand this interpretation to legitimize their right to zakat within a broader socio-religious framework.
THE FATWAS OF AHMAD KHATIB MINANGKABAU (1860-1916) AND RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY IN INDONESIA
Ahmad Khatib originated from Minangkabau, West Sumatra and after his settlement in the Holy City of Mecca in 1877, he grew into a scholar in Islamic sciences of great repute and eventually died there in 1916. His written work, educational and other activities have played a vital part in the exchange of religious ideas between Mecca and the Malay-Indonesian archipelago and make him an important person in the history of Islam in Southeast Asia. In my paper I will go in detail into a fatwa he gave on the question of whether or not it was allowed to sell chickens to Chinese. The paper aims to shed light on the mufti-ship of Ahmad Khatib and will look into the wider implications of the issue as far as religious authority is concerned, in particular into its locus.
SEEKING JUSTICE IN ISLAMIC LEGAL PLURALISM: The Dispute of Child Best Interests in Marriage Dispensation in Indonesia
The principle of the best interests of children must be the main consideration in adjudicating applications for marriage dispensation. However, its implementation becomes problematic when faced with provisions on the ability to grant marriage dispensations for urgent reasons. This article examines how the best interests of children are implemented in legal applications for marriage dispensation in religious court. It employs a socio-legal approach with a maqāsid al-syarī'ah cum-mubadalah perspective. This article proposes that the principle of the best interests of children is yet considered by judges effectively in deciding the cases. This does not reflect the protection of the child’s life, heredity, intellect, property, and religion, and does not consider the unique experiences of women both biologically and socially. Judges have a biased perspective in measuring the meaning of maturity and readiness of girls to marry, ignoring children's rights in education and reproductive health, and subordinate women in the spiritual realm.
NEGOTIATING THE RULE OF LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN INTERFAITH MARRIAGE REGISTRATION IN CONTEMPORARY INDONESIA
The Supreme Court Circular Letter Number 2 of 2023, which prohibits the registration of interfaith marriages in Indonesia, aims to provide legal clarity following longstanding debates fueled by the abstract nature of existing norms. While the circular seeks to enforce uniformity in marriage regulations, it raises concerns regarding human rights, especially the rights to freedom, equality, and the pursuit of happiness, which are central to democratic governance. This article seeks to examine interfaith marriage registration by utilizing normative and human rights perspectives to explore its legal foundations and implications within Indonesia’s modern context. The analysis highlights tensions between national law and international human rights conventions, suggesting that interfaith marriage registration should be recognized as a legal right that upholds citizens’ freedoms, religious autonomy, and equality before the law. By situating interfaith marriage within Indonesia’s framework of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), legal statutes, and human rights conventions, this article highlights the importance of balancing legal uniformity with the protection of individual rights in a democratic, constitutional state.
RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE IN CHANGING INDONESIA: The Political Struggle and Movement of Hidayatullah
This article seeks to endeavors and strategies of an Islamic organization, Hidayatullah, to survive in changing political regimes in the New Order to Reformation period of Indonesia. It was established as an Islamic educational and dakwah (Islamic proselytizing) institution in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, in 1973. Despite socio-political changes in the country, it has expanded to several provinces in Indonesia which transformed it to become the largest Islamic educational institution with 402 branches of Islamic schools. The organization focuses its activities on Islamic education and dakwah through various ways including printed media such as Suara Hidayatullah magazine, distributed weekly to its branches, mosques, and schools. Based on a literature review of Suara Hidayatullah magazine and interviews with Hidayatullah prominent figures, this article delves into the struggles and movement of Hidayatullah through its dynamics and transformation in socio-political changes in Indonesia. This article argued that in political dynamics and transformation within Hidayatullah organization show the resistance and resilience to survive in the socio-political crisis of Suharto’s New Order era (1966-1998), which discriminated against Islam as a political ideology and in the aftermath of reformation. One of the strategies to comply with the political repressions is to declare Hidayatullah as an Islamic organization like Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah in 2000. This transformation process proves Hidayatullah’s strategic foresight and adaptability in socio-cultural and political changes.
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MUHAMMAD ASAD’S POLITICAL THEORY REVISITED: Epistemological Review on Contemporary Islamic Politics in Global South
The article examines Muhammad Asad’s epistemological ground, reflected in his works on the principle of Islamic governance and its basic constitution and foundational structure. In this regard, he formulated the constitutional ideas of the Islamic state, whose constitution contains the provision of Islamic law that practices and implements the norms and postulates of the Divine Writ. This idea was partly enshrined in some of Global South constitutional law, whose political establishment was formed in 1947. It essentially discussed Muhammad Asad’s political ideas and their underlying philosophy as espoused in his works. The work was conducted using qualitative approaches to library research. The data were analyzed using descriptive, analytical, and comparative techniques. The finding shows that Muhammad Asad had formulated a comprehensive theoretical framework of the legal aspect of Islamic governance drawn up from the fundamental principle and doctrine of the sharia and its moral norms deriving from the Qur’anic and the sunnah bases while advocating democratic ideals and principles based on conventional practice and requirement of the modern context of the nation-state.
MEDIATING COUNTER-RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE IN CONTEMPORARY INDONESIA: A Critical View
This article seeks to analyze the pros and cons regarding radicalism on YouTube. The focus of this article is on how the concept of counter-radicalism is expressed in the LogIn content on the Deddy Corbuzier and Ustaz Abdul Somad Officials YouTube Channel. On other hand, this article also examines how the effectiveness of the two channels in the context of deradicalizing religious understanding and countering intolerance. Methodologically, this article uses a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach based on Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional theory: text, discourse practice, and socio-cultural. This article argues that the percentage of success in countering intolerance and radicalism in LogIn content (religious dialogue) is more than the content of Ustaz Abdul Somad Official. Deddy Corbuzier’s YouTube channel—which broadcasts the LogIn program—has more subscribers than Ustaz Abdul Somad Official. Furthermore, the concept of delivering dakwah (preach) in the LogIn program is also more varied, attractive, and contemporary. Thus, it is more interesting to netizens from various religious backgrounds, rather than the content of Ustaz Abdul Somad Official.
THE PEACOCK IN SUFI COSMOLOGY AND POPULAR RELIGION: Connections between Indonesia, South India, and the Middle East
In various cultural and religious contexts, from West Asia to Southeast Asia, we come across a number of quite similar creation myths in which a peacock, seated on a cosmic tree, plays a central part. For the Yezidis, a sect of Sufi origins that has moved away from Islam, the Peacock Angel, who is the most glorious of the angels, is the master of the created world. This belief may be related to early Muslim cosmologies involving the Muhammadan Light (Nur Muhammad), which in some narratives had the shape of a peacock and participated in creation. In a different set of myths, the peacock and the Tree of Certainty (shajarat al-yaqīn) play a role in Adam and Eve’s fall and expulsion from Paradise. The central myth of the South Indian Hindu cult of the god Murugan also involves a tree and a peacock. The myth is enacted in the annual ritual of Thaipusam, like the Nur Muhammad myth is still enacted annually in the Maulid festival of Cikoang in South Sulawesi. Images of the peacock, originating from South India, have moved across cultural and religious boundaries and have been adopted as representing the different communities’ peacock myths.
This study documents how multicultural education is constructed and implemented in a local pesantren in Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia, namely PBBI (Pesantren Bali Bina Insani). It demonstrates that the multicultural education in this pesantren is based upon the reality of religious, cultural, ethnic, group, and gender diversity that exists surrounding the pesantren. Teaching and administrative staff of this pesantren consist of Muslims and Hindus. Students come from the different socio-cultural backgrounds. Inclusive and tolerance values are incorporated into the curriculum of the pesantren. Multicultural education in this pesantren has become a strategic instrument for adaptation to the Hindu environment where it is located. The pesantren teaches students how to implement Islamic teaching on pluralism and inclusivism in their daily activities.
WHITHER ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION? Framing Islamic Education for the Present and Future
Traditionally dated from the 8th to the 14th century, historians generally agree on the period of the golden age of Islamic civilization. They count that the keys to this civilizational achievement laid on the flourishing educational institutions, scientific findings, and the births of influential Muslim scholars. This article tries to reframe the significance of education in the creation of Islamic golden age and offer a brief reminder to the importance of education for contemporary Muslim societies. It is a bibliographical study for the materials for the discussion are taken from books, journal articles, and other written sources related to the topic. The collected data were then analyzed by content analysis. This article argues that the state policies on education is the key for the past Muslim golden age. Scientific culture ranging from namely research tradition, translation tradition, reading tradition to scientific habitus are essential in the making of Muslim golden age. This historical records reserves as a reminder for contemporary Muslim to reestablish the past golden age that lies on the reformation of educational system.
THE POLITICS OF A LOCAL SUFISM IN CONTEMPORARY INDONESIA: A Closed Look at The Shiddiqiyyah Tarekat
This article discusses the politics of local Sufi group (tarekat) in Indonesia, the Shiddiqiyyah. It addresses the locality of Shiddiqiyah tarekat and its politics during New Order Indonesia and following the fall of the regime. It is argued that the Shiddiqiyah, a local tarekat with its roots in East Java and later successfully welcomes national reputation, is an example of a tarekat that utilizes nationalistic slogan to expand its influence as well as to protect the tarekat from heretic accusation. Through a series of intensive fieldwork, the article argues that the Shiddiqiyyah has successfully maintained ideological patronage to the New Order Indonesia through nationalistic slogan which has been a core value of the group. The doctrine of nationalism has been translated in Sufi and Javanese idioms and become fundamental doctrine of the Shiddiqiyyah.
RAPPROCHEMENT BETWEEN SUNNISM AND SHIISM IN INDONESIA: Challenges and Opportunities
Throughout Islamic history, we observe enmity and conflicts between Sunnism and Shiism, nonetheless there has been also reconciliation between these sects. This article examines the opportunities and challenges of Sunni-Shia convergence in Indonesia. Such a picture will reveal a better understanding of the features of Sunni-Shia convergence in the country and their relationship with the notion of ‘Indonesian Islam’. The hostility between Shiism and Sunnism in Indonesia is triggered by misunderstandings between these sects, politicisation of Shiism, as well as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. These constitute the challenges of Sunni-Shia convergence. One may also observe the ventures of Sunni-Shia convergence which have been undertaken by the scholars of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, and other Islamic civil society organisations. Grounding on these enterprises and the enduring elaboration of ‘Indonesian Islam’, the opportunities of and the prospects for Sunni-Shia rapprochement in the country are envisaged.
THE OBSERVER OBSERVED: Clifford Geertz on Religion
In his seminal Islam Observed: Religious Developments in Morocco and Indonesia from 1968, the American anthropologist Clifford Geertz (1926-2006) placed the comparative study of Muslim societies on the research agenda. In view of my knowledge on the history of Islam in Indonesia, it stroke me that the political dimension of religion did not take an important place in the book. This is the more remarkable because during Geertz’s fieldwork in Java in 1953-4 manifestations of political Islam regularly popped up, and Geertz did not only notice those, but also recorded them in his book The Religion of Java from 1960. In this paper I will go into the question of why Geertz did not give a more prominent place to political Islam in his analysis of Muslim cultures, and what concepts of both Islam and religion he used.
MUSLIM YOUTH AND PHILANTROPHIC ACTIVISM: The Case of Tangan Recehan and Griya Derma
Since the last two decades, charity movements have been flourishing in Indonesian Islamic landscape. These organisations are involving not only state sponsored organizations, but also non-government associations and professional industries. This article exclusively discusses the youth-based charity movements in two important Islamic universities in Indonesia and tries to offer a new glance of youth charity movement as to which their movement relates to the issue of identity and social welfare. The article uses a qualitative method through a systematic literature review, in-depth interview, and observation to the activities of two youth-based charity movements at two state Islamic universities in Jambi and Surabaya. This paper further argues that the spirit of philanthropic movement does not only depend on economic wealth, but also on social solidarity, Islamic principle of economic distribution, and networks among the students that have been successfully translated into both social welfare activism and humanitarian activities.
TOLERANCE WITHOUT LIBERALISM: The Local Nahdlatul Ulama and Intolerance Politics in Contemporary East Java, Indonesia
There has been a rising Islamic fundamentalism, and intolerance cases in contemporary Indonesia. The fundamentalism problem in Indonesia particularly points to the Wahhābi for its puritanical ideology as the root of the intolerance cases. This article aims to analyse Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and its responses towards the Wahhābi group. Being the forefront for the struggle against fundamentalist Muslim groups in post-New Order Indonesia, this article argues that NU adopts an intolerant approach in dealing with Wahhābi groups and their Islamic dakwah (preaching) activism. Taking a close look at a local branch of NU in Jember, East Java, the organisation’s approach is indeed ambiguous. On the one hand, NU calls for religious moderation, pluralism, and anti-violence approaches, but on the other hand, it also violates the principle of pluralism and democracy and is prone to authoritarianism for banning the Wahabi group’s rights to establish their educational institution in Jember. Based on a series of field research, this article contributes to the complexities of NU’s responses towards religious pluralism and the limits of the NU’s tolerance in contemporary Indonesia.
ARTICULATING TAKFIR: Ayman Al-Zawahiri and The Global Jihad Ideology
Takfir is an ideology of excommunicating fellow Muslims because of having different beliefs or expressing a different point of view. This article deals with the development of the takfir doctrine which separates some groups not only based on theological aspects but also on socio-political aspects, such as justifying the democratic system or collaborating with enemies of Islam. It particularly addresses the question of how Ayman al-Zawahiri globalized the takfir doctrine as a campaign against secularism, capitalism, human rights, and environmental crisis, in order to invite local jihadist groups to fight together in a global sphere.
FRAMING ANTI-AMERICAN SENTIMENT AND ITS IMPACTS ON TWO MUSLIM COUNTRIES: A Preliminary Analysis
The term “anti-American” sounds debatable in analyzing the relationship between Islamic world and United States. This term arguably stems from Huntington’s thesis on clash of civilization, which argued that the culture is the main belligerent instead of countries in the conflict. Two main cultures: the contrast between the West and Islam often eventually shapes the rivalry relationship between these two civilizations. Investigating the persistence rivalry between the two through critical literature review method, this article tries to answer the question of why Muslims are still hostile to American culture. It further argues that that media, which are mostly from Middle Eastern countries, have essential in shaping the fluctuated trend of anti-American sentiment among Muslims. This heavily depends on the impact of US foreign policy on Arab that might precipitates anti-American sentiments.
Anti-America, Muslim countries, Media, Muslims, Framing
SIBLING RIVALRIES: Disputing Religious Missionary and House of Worship in Contemporary Indonesia
The issues of religious proselytization as well as the construction of house of worship are of main contentious topics inciting tensions between religious adherents, particularly between the minority Christians and the majority Muslims in contemporary Indonesia. This article discusses these two inter-religious problems and poses a question to extent that the competition between Muslim and Christians, both in their missionary activities and the building of new house of worship, inflicting inter-religious relation in contemporary Indonesia. Taken some cases as points of discussion, this article further offers that inclusive dialogue and social justice are solutions to minimize—even to prevent—the worsening tension between Muslim and Christians.
IN SEARCH OF THE MOON: The Hisab, Ru’yah, and Kashf
This article deals with varieties of epistemological methods in calculating days of lunar calendar (hijri), mainly on the beginning date of months. Examining different methods in Indonesian Islamic-scape, it argues that there are three epistemological models which are rooted at Islamic classical epistemologies; the ahl al-hadith (textualist), the ahl al-ra‎y (contextualist), and the intuitive sufi. The ahl al-hadith emphasizes on the empirical rukyatul-hilal (witnessing the moon), whereas the ahl al-ra’y strongly concerns on the mathematically rational method. The sufi, not so popular in Indonesia but influential in some sufi circles, deploys the intuitive kashf (uncovering) method. In some cases, these three are however intertwined and in contradiction one to another. The article futher argues that different method-in-use is strongly influenced the local spesificties of diverse Indonesian Muslim’s backgrounds, and groupings.
THE ASSEMBLAGE OF INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AND TOURISM: Buddhist-Muslim Relation at a Hindu-Majapahit Site in Trowulan, Indonesia
The touristic place provides discourses that are worth examining as to which how the management of the site, its internal contestation and development, as well as experiences of its visitors. Examining a heritage of the ancient Majapahit kingdom in Java, this article discusses the assemblage of tourism and religious sites and the extent the site serves as a reservoir for interreligious dialog in contemporary Indonesia. It tries to point out how interreligious dialogue is at work in this site and how surrounding communities participate and respond to the perseverance of the site. Finally, accentuating Swidler’s theory of dialogues, this paper looks at the practice of interreligious dialogue at a touristic site and how religious harmony is negotiated by Buddhist and Muslim through the site and the construction of “the other” by both religious communities.
MASCULINITY IN INTERSECTIONALITY: Oppression through Obscurity in the Muslim and Malay Community in Southeast Asia
This article investigates the appearance of a defined form of masculinity within various aspects of identity in the Muslim and Malay communities in Southeast Asia. This appearance enables for a multilayered understanding of masculinity and hegemonic masculinity which is reinforced by various institutions that fosters and defines the various components of identity. This is by itself a source of tension for men both for the expectations and performance of masculine roles as well as the struggle for a coherent masculinity despite the tensions from the different aspects of identity. Additionally, this article further posits that the very existence of masculinity in these various overlapping aspects presents an opportunity for obscurity by design for the purposes of mystifying masculinity, its functions and ultimately its authority in various institutions and situations. Therefore, the resulting tension and difficulty in defining masculinity on its own terms is the result of this purposeful obscurity where definition, enforcement, policing, and the construction of meaning can only be done through understanding the intersectional location of masculinity. To attempt to dissect this, the article explores masculinity via the following threads, where do we explore the tenets of hegemonic masculinity and the ‘normal’ man? Where are roles and definitions of masculinity obscured by design? And the following debate around the crisis of masculinity.
MOBILISING MUSLIM ORGANISATIONS AMID THE PANDEMIC IN INDONESIA: A Case Study of NU, Muhammadiyah, and GUSDURian Network
Collective action to protect individuals from all forms of threatening causes, including the Covid-19 pandemic, is urgently needed. The Covid-19 pandemic urged religious practices and traditions to adapt to a situation where a series of health protocols must be observed. In order to prevent the spread, World Health Organisation (WHO) issued strict health protocol rules. Some of these rules seem to be contradicted to traditions and religious practices. This article tries to investigate the ways religious societies react and respond to the health crisis caused by Covid-19. In this respect, this paper strives to answer the questions of how Indonesian Muslims respond to the pandemic of Covid-19, how religion contributes to the prevention of transmission and infection, and overcomes the social problems impacted by the pandemic, and to analyze obstacles faced by Indonesian Muslims to enhance collective awareness to the danger of the Covid-19 pandemic. This article argues that civil or non-governmental religious leaders and groups, in general, play an important role to prevent and overcome the pandemic and after because of their independency to make decisions and awareness to the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic. The involvement of religious leaders who have authority at the grassroots level strengthens the legitimacy of the obligation to comply with health protocols and has succeeded in reducing the rate of transmission and death and increasing healing. Religious authority owned by clergy at lower levels has also encouraged increased participation in social solidarity which is demanded instead to depart from diversity and not similarities, among others due to Covid-19.
ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF SONGKET WEAVERS IN SUKARARA VILLAGE: Work Performance and Economic Capital
This article addresses the intersection between gender, ethnicity, work performance, and economic capital. It focuses on Sasak Muslim women who weave songkets and their economic capital in Sukarara Village, Central Lombok. This article using an ethnographic approach focused on economic capital of songket weaver. The behavior, attitudes, and personalities that are inherent in weavers in their daily operations are examined holistically and particularly through qualitative research. This study found that Sasak Muslim women who weave songket fabric in Sukarara are in good performance due to their ability to use time wisely and complete tasks quickly and effectively. They are economically capable based on a lack of consumer debt, their capacity in business, their possession of investments, their ability to manage business finances, and their mental readiness for monetary turbulence. In this framework, Sasak Muslim women’s economic capital in songket weaving is separated into three roles: as the center of the family, as vehicles for personal fulfillment, and as wives.