Intellectual Legacies for the Youth: Nurcholish Madjid’s Ideas on History and Development in Indonesia

By. M Ahalla Tsauro
(Postgraduate student National University of Singapore/NUS)

Introduction

This paper aims to present another point of view of Nurcholish Madjid, an Indonesian Muslim intellectual, through his ideas in various publications which have tended to be regarded more from an Islamic perspective. Firstly, how he viewed and interpreted Indonesian history. Through critical literary works and articles informed by his experience, personal and educational background, he gave unique and unusual viewpoints on numerous major historical events. Secondly, Madjid highlighted how national development had been implemented with varying degrees of success and failure, resulting in a slew of corrupt and manipulative practices, and the decline of the nation.

Because of the country’s overemphasis on economic growth, Madjid proposed a facet of human development that could be achieved through a fundamental stage that was based on inclusive and humanistic methods. This paper then examines the concepts presented as an intellectual legacy that can contribute and be a lesson, especially for the younger generation. On 27 March 1992, Abdurrahman Wahid wrote his opinion piece in Tempo magazine entitled “ Pendekar dari Chicago”, referring to three prominent Indonesian scholars and the first generation who graduated from the University of Chicago in the 1970s-80s. They are Amien Rais, Syafii Maarif and Nurcholis Madjid.

Although the first two names made significant impacts on the political and social aspect of society at the national level, whether in a political party such as Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN) or a religious organisation such as Muhammadiyah, Wahid noticed that Madjid had taken a different approach in dealing with various social religious and political issues at that time, emphasising openness to society and seeking a place where people could discover common values. He was able to articulate Islamic principles that address how Islam may solve a variety of social problems through an open approach that leads to inclusiveness rather than exclusivity.

Madjid was against Partai Islam (Islamic Political Party) because of their exclusivity and the use of Islam as a means to serve the political interest of a certain group of people, hence, his assertion in the statement “Islam Yes, Partai Islam No”. He also sought to criticise the stigmatisation of some Muslim circles who advocated Islamic Sharia(law) by presenting critical and liberal ideas as a counter-balance to a formal-exclusive interpretation of the religion. Wahid’s original view prompted scholars to examine Masjid’s contribution, particularly in Islamic thought, nationalism, development, and political perspective, which can be useful for future generations.

Madjid’s intellectual legacy has recently been preserved by renowned Indonesian scholars, as seen by the establishment of the Nurcholis Madjid Society (NCMS) in Jakarta, which runs a series of programmes that include monthly discussions, publication, training, seminars, and the dissemination of various concepts related to Masjid’s ideas. His wife is also active in this circle, but it is his colleagues and students that continue to manage this academic circle, with many of them being academics from Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah and the University of Paramadina.

Masjid’s ideas can also be seen in an organisation called Himpunan Pelajar Islam (Islamic Student Association), which is popular among today’s students and young activists. As a youth organisation that examines the values and spirit of Muslim students, it is easily found in almost every university in Indonesia. His experiences and reflection lead him to develop a guidebook for the organisation called Nilai Dasar Perjuangan (NDP) or The Basic Value of Struggle, which every member is required to read.

This book influenced how the organisation moves forward, how it responds to social and political issues, and how it teaches students to think critically. In these two organisations, his intellectual thoughts are well-preserved. However, the examination of his ideas can be broadened to encompass various interpretations, especially through the perspectives offered by his students or predecessors within an academic setting, most notably through his Islamic perspective. In this paper, Masjid’s legacy will be examined in terms of how his ideas may be applied to history and development, as well as what lessons can be learned that can be useful for the future generations.

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This article has been published in a book entitled “Heritage, Culture and Society: Critical Voice of Young Malays”

 

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