Indonesian Journal of Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies (IJIIS)

From Da‘wa to Politics? Prospects of Indonesian Salafi Movements Becoming Political Parties within Lucardie’s Framework

2025-11-12T11:07:27+00:00

This paper investigates the prospects of Indonesian Salafi movements transforming into formal political parties by applying Lucardie’s (2000) framework of political project, resource mobilization, and political opportunity structures. While Salafi political participation in contexts such as Egypt, Tunisia, and Malaysia has been widely studied, systematic application of this framework to Indonesia remains limited. This study addresses that gap by employing a qualitative design based on seven elite interviews conducted in 2018 and extensive secondary literature. The analysis identifies two main factions: Traditional Salafis and Salafi Reformers. Findings show that Traditional Salafis articulate a clearer political project, primarily defensive and oriented toward protecting da‘wa spaces, yet lack the institutional resources and cultural legitimacy required for effective party formation. By contrast, Reformist-oriented groups such as Muhammadiyah, Persis, and Al-Irsyad possess robust organizational infrastructures and nationwide networks but consistently reject transformation into political parties, preferring to channel influence indirectly through education, civic engagement, and individual cadres. A paradox therefore emerges: factions with stronger political ambitions lack the capacity to mobilize, while those with resources deliberately avoid party politics. Although digital platforms and hijrah youth networks have expanded Salafi symbolic capital, these remain insufficient to overcome entrenched barriers in Indonesia’s political culture, which is dominated by moderate Islam and stigmatizes Salafi labels. Theoretically, this study contributes by extending Lucardie’s framework through the inclusion of digital mobilization and cultural legitimacy as decisive factors. Practically, it suggests that inclusive democratic spaces for non-violent Islamist actors may mitigate radicalization risks while strengthening pluralism.

Character Formation Model in Islamic Education: A Comparative Study of Hamka’s and Said Nursi’s Concept of Tazkiyatun Nafs

2025-08-27T04:42:36+00:00

Islamic education faces the challenges of modernity and a crisis of values, necessitating an integrated paradigm capable of holistically empowering humanity, particularly in character building. This study aims to comparatively analyze the model of character building through the concept of Tazkiyatun Nafs (self-purification) from Hamka (Indonesia) and Said Nursi (Turkey), using the lens of Islamic Educational Psychology. Employing a comparative literature review method of their key works, the study found that despite both grounding their concepts in tawhid (monotheism), significant methodological differences exist. Hamka emphasizes Tazkiyatun Nafs through the development of good morals (budi pekerti), local wisdom, and rational thinking as a moral fortress. Conversely, Said Nursi focuses his model on spiritual healing (iman-therapy) based on the cosmological reading of the universe (through the Risale-i Nur) to overcome the spiritual diseases of the era of materialism. Comparatively, this model offers a coherent framework for the reconstruction of modern Islamic education. Hamka’s concept is relevant for moral curriculum and social ethics, while Nursi’s concept is crucial for addressing the spiritual crisis and mental health of students. The contribution of this study is the provision of a holistic model for nurturing strong-willed and spiritually healthy individuals (insan kamil) amidst contemporary challenges.

Exploring Digital Ta‘aruf through the Lens of Maqashid al-Shariah: A Case Study of Hifz al-Din at Biro Jodoh Rumaysho

2025-11-12T07:44:56+00:00

The digitalization of social interactions has transformed various aspects of life, including the practice of finding a partner. One emerging phenomenon is the practice of digital ta’aruf, a process of introducing matchmaking between men and women conducted through digital platforms and online. This study aims to provide an empirical analysis of how hifz al-din is implemented in the digital ta’aruf system. Using a qualitative case study approach, the study specifically discusses the gaps in digital ta’aruf practices from the perspective of Hifz Al-din at the Rumaysho Matchmaking Bureau (BJR), a digital matchmaking agency based in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta. Data were collected through two months of in-depth interviews with matchmaking agency managers and other personnel. The results show that, first, the digital ta’aruf process at BJR is carried out in a structured manner in several stages supported by religious education, supervised interactions, and ethical communication guidelines. Not only does this mechanism serve as a matchmaking facilitator, it also serves to maintain religious values by guiding pre-marital interactions within the boundaries of Islamic law. Second, from the perspective of maqashid al-shari’ah, hifz al-din in this context is not limited to protecting faith, but also includes preserving moral behavior and social interaction patterns to prevent practices that lead to moral decay. Finally, the findings show that digital technology, when properly regulated, can serve as a means of protecting religion and not a threat, and can provide a reference for the development of a maqashid-based digital ta’aruf platform.

Islamic Legal Analysis of the Dual Income No Kids (DINK) Phenomenon from the Perspective of Maqashid al-Shari’ah and the Theory of Maslahah

2025-08-11T04:27:10+00:00

Dual Income No Kids (DINK) is a lifestyle choice in which married couples consciously decide not to have children in pursuit of careers, financial stability, or personal freedom. This phenomenon raises normative issues in Islam because it is not in line with the objectives of marriage, namely, to preserve lineage (hifz al-nasl) and protect life (hifz al-nafs). This article seeks to examine the phenomenon of DINK from the perspective of maqashid al-shariah and the theory of maslahah. The study is descriptive-qualitative research using a normative theological approach. The results show that the DINK decision can be justified according to sharia, provided it is based on considerations of public benefit (maslahah) and legitimate responsibility. However, if it is driven by hedonistic or individualistic motives without a valid sharia-based reason, the decision has the potential to contradict maqashid al-shariah. Therefore, a reflective, adaptive, moderate, and contextual approach in Islamic law is needed to respond to this social phenomenon, to ensure alignment with the objectives of marriage in sharia, as well as the goal of forming an excellent generation in Islam.