Taaththur al-Daawat al-Islahiyya fi Andunisya bi-Dawat al-Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab (Matbu within Buhuth Nadwat Dawat al-Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab)
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Taaththur al-Daawat al-Islahiyya fi Andunisya bi-Dawat al-Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab (The Influence of Reform Movements in Indonesia by the Call of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab) is an academic research treatise written by Najih Abd Allah, director of the Maskumambang Islamic Institute in Gresik, Indonesia . It was presented as a conference paper during the "Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Week" organized by Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh and subsequently published within the proceedings volume Buhuth Nadwat Dawat al-Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab .
Historical Background and Scope
The author begins by citing Lothrop Stoddard’s description in The New World of Islam regarding the decline and stagnation of the Muslim world during the eighteenth century, presenting the movement of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab as the initial catalyst for modern Islamic revival . The treatise examines the religious landscape of Indonesia prior to reform, categorizing the population into three broad groups:
- Nominal Muslims (referred to by some as "Red Muslims") who retained syncretic beliefs mixed with animism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, practicing little beyond circumcision, marital declarations, and orienting deceased bodies toward the qibla .
- The Santri community, centered around traditional boarding schools (pesantren), who practiced religious rituals under the influence of sectarian adherence (taqlid), innovations, and myths .
- Western-educated elites under colonial rule who viewed religion merely as private ritual detached from social, cultural, and economic life .
Emergence of Reform Movements in Indonesia
The study documents the rise of Salafi reformist currents that aimed to purify Islamic creed, eliminate blind following, and return directly to the Quran and the Sunnah . The earliest phase began in Sumatra in 1802 CE when returning pilgrims—most notably Haji Miskin and his associates (known as "The Eight Tigers")—brought back Wahhabi teachings from Mecca . This led to the Padri War (1822–1837 CE) against traditional local elites and Dutch colonial forces, culminating in Dutch control of West Sumatra .
Later reform in Sumatra shifted toward educational and journalistic efforts through figures such as Muhammad Abdullah Ahmad (1878–1933 CE), Abdul Karim Amrullah (1879–1945 CE), Muhammad Jamil Jambek (1860–1947 CE), and Tayyib Umar (1874–1920 CE) . These scholars established the Thawalib Sumatra schools and published periodicals such as al-Munir, al-Bayan, al-Bashir, and al-Itqan . The treatise also traces reformist developments across Aceh, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, the southeastern islands, and Maluku .
The work surveys major twentieth-century reformist societies in Java, including:
- Muhammadiyah (founded in 1912 in Yogyakarta by Ahmad Dahlan, d. 1923 CE), which established an extensive network of schools, universities, hospitals, and orphanages throughout Indonesia .
- Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiyyah (founded in 1914 in Jakarta under the leadership of the Sudanese scholar Ahmad Surkati), whose prominent students included Abdurrahman Baswedan and Umar Hubaysh .
- Persatuan Islam (Persis, founded in 1923 in Bandung through the initiative of Zamzam al-Palembani), prominently guided by Ahmad Hassan—author of Tafsir al-Furqan and editor of the magazine al-Mudafiʿ ʿan al-Islam—whose disciples included former Prime Minister Mohammad Natsir .
The author additionally highlights independent institutions, including the Amiriyya and Sa'diyya schools in Sulawesi, the Sultaniyya Islamic school in Sambas under Muhammad Basyuni Imran, the Teachers' School in Amuntai established by Abdurrahman, the National Islamic Institute in Central Java, and the Maskumambang Islamic Institute in Gresik .
Influence of Kitab al-Tawhid
A central portion of the treatise focuses on the reception and impact of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's primary theological text, Kitab al-Tawhid . Despite the physical scarcity and difficult acquisition of copies in Indonesia, the book served as a prescribed textbook or key reference in several religious institutes, including the National Islamic Institute in Kebarwon and the Maskumambang Institute .
The author contrasts the book's direct scriptural method with conventional scholastic theology (kalam) taught in traditional curricula, which revolved around abstract rational proofs and the system of "fifty creedal points" (al-ʿaqaʾid al-khamsun) regarding divine attributes . Instead, Kitab al-Tawhid emphasized the distinction between tawhid al-rububiyya (divine lordship) and tawhid al-uluhiyya (exclusive worship of God), directly addressing practical deviations . The treatise outlines specific theological and practical effects generated by the circulation of the text in Indonesia:
- Clearing widespread misconceptions and hostility regarding Ibn Abd al-Wahhab's movement .
- Increasing scriptural citation of Quran and Hadith in sermons, articles, and religious treatises .
- Diminishing scholastic and philosophical disputes over abstract theological points .
- Curtailing grave veneration, including removing structures over tombs and halting the veneration of sacred trees, stones, and springs .
- Reducing annual memorial death celebrations (khaul / dhikra al-hawl) and ceremonies dedicated to Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani involving sacrificial roosters .
- Weakening the trade in amulets, charms, and talismans, alongside diminishing public trust in fortune-tellers and claimants of sainthood .
- Fostering broader religious awareness, adherence to Islamic law, and growing interest in reformist literature despite persistent counter-currents and sectarian resistance .
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