Muhammadiyah

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Sunni Islam organization based in Indonesia

title: "Muhammadiyah" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["muhammadiyah", "islamic-organizations-established-in-1912", "indonesian-national-awakening", "salafi-groups", "islamic-organizations-based-in-indonesia", "1912-establishments-in-the-dutch-east-indies"] description: "Sunni Islam organization based in Indonesia" topic_path: "society/religion" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammadiyah" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Sunni Islam organization based in Indonesia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox organization"]

FieldValue
nameMuhammadiyah Society
native_namePersyarikatan Muhammadiyah
native_name_langid
logo_captionInsignia of Muhammadiyah
imageFlag of Muhammadiyah.png
size200px
captionFlag of Muhammadiyah
formation18 November 1912
logoMuhammadiyah.svg
typeIslamic organization
purposeSocio-religious, economics, education, and health
headquartersYogyakarta and Jakarta, Indonesia
region_servedIndonesia
membership28 million
leader_titleChairman
leader_nameHaedar Nashir
leader_title2Secretary-general
leader_name2Abdul Mu'ti
publicationSuara Muhammadiyah
affiliationsSunni Islam (Islamic modernism)
website
::

| name = Muhammadiyah Society | native_name = Persyarikatan Muhammadiyah | native_name_lang = id | logo_caption = Insignia of Muhammadiyah | image = Flag of Muhammadiyah.png | size = 200px | alt = | caption = Flag of Muhammadiyah | formation = 18 November 1912 | logo = Muhammadiyah.svg | type = Islamic organization | purpose = Socio-religious, economics, education, and health | headquarters = Yogyakarta and Jakarta, Indonesia | region_served = Indonesia | membership = 28 million | leader_title = Chairman | leader_name = Haedar Nashir | leader_title2 = Secretary-general | leader_name2 = Abdul Mu'ti | publication = Suara Muhammadiyah | affiliations = Sunni Islam (Islamic modernism) | website = Muhammadiyah (), officially Muhammadiyah Society () is a major Islamic non-governmental organization in Indonesia. The organization was founded in 1912 by Ahmad Dahlan in the city of Yogyakarta as a reformist socioreligious movement, advocating ijtihad - individual interpretation of Qur'an and Sunnah, as opposed to Taqlid - conformity to the traditional interpretations propounded by the ulama. Since its establishment, Muhammadiyah has adopted a reformist platform mixing religious and secular education, primarily as a way to promote the upward mobility of Muslims toward a 'modern' community and to purify Indonesian Islam of local syncretic practices.

At the time of Dahlan's death in 1923, the organization reported a membership of 2,622 men and 724 women, mostly residents of Yogyakarta. Numbers grew steadily — 10,000 in 1928, 17,000 in 1929, and 24,000 in 1931. By the 1930s, moreover, it had begun to establish branches beyond Java, the main center of population, throughout Indonesia, and today it is said to be the second largest Islamic organization in Indonesia (behind Nahdlatul Ulama) with 29 million members in 2008. The membership is largely urban and middle class in composition. Although Muhammadiyah leaders and members are often actively involved in shaping the politics in Indonesia, Muhammadiyah is not a political party. It has devoted itself to social and educational activities.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Masjid_Besar_(Muhammadiyah)_Yogyakarta,_Kota_Jogjakarta_200_Tahun,_plate_before_page_89.jpg" caption="The [[Kauman Great Mosque]] became the background for the founding of the Muhammadiyah movement"] ::

On November 18, 1912, Ahmad Dahlan— a court official of the kraton of the Yogyakarta Sultanate and an educated Muslim scholar from Mecca—established Muhammadiyah in Yogyakarta. There were a number of motives behind the establishment of this movement. Among the important ones are the backwardness of Muslim society and the penetration of Christianity. Ahmad Dahlan, much influenced by Egyptian reformist Muhammad Abduh, considered modernization and purification of religion from syncretic practices were very vital in reforming this religion. Therefore, since its beginning Muhammadiyah has been very concerned with maintaining tawhid and refining monotheism in society.

From 1913 to 1918, Muhammadiyah established five Islamic Schools. In 1919 an Islamic high school, Hooge School Muhammadiyah was established. In establishing schools, Muhammadiyah received significant help from the Budi Utomo, an important nationalist movement in Indonesia in the first half of the twentieth century, which provided teachers. Muhammadiyah has generally avoided politics. Unlike its traditionalist counterpart, the Nahdlatul Ulama, it never formed a political party. Since its establishment, it has devoted itself to educational and social activities.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Muhammadiyah_Central_Executive,_1937-1943.jpg" caption="Muhammadiyah Central Committee of 1937–1943. (From left to right) Sitting: KH. Faried Ma'ruf, KH. [[Mas Mansur]], H. Hasyim. Standing: H. Moehadie, HA. Hamid, RH. Durie, H. Abdullah, KH. Ahmad Badawi, H. Basiran Noto."] ::

In 1925, two years after the death of Dahlan, Muhammadiyah only had 4,000 members but had built 55 schools and two clinics in Surabaya and Yogyakarta. After Abdul Karim Amrullah introduced the organisation to the Minangkabau people, a dynamic Muslim community, Muhammadiyah developed rapidly. In 1938, the organisation claimed 250,000 members, managed its 834 mosques, 31 libraries, 1,774 schools, and 7,630 ulama. Minangkabau businesspeople spread organization to the entire of Indonesia.

During the 1965-66 political turbulence and violence, Muhammadiyah declared that the extermination of the Communist Party of Indonesia constituted Holy War, a view endorsed by other Islamic groups. (See also the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66). During the events surrounding the 1998 fall of Suharto, some parts of Muhammadiyah urged the leadership to form a party. Therefore, the leadership, including Muhammadiyah's chairman, Amien Rais, founded the National Mandate Party. Although gaining large support from Muhammadiyah members, this party has no official relationship with Muhammadiyah. The leader of Muhammadiyah said the members of his organisation are free to align themselves with political parties of their choosing, provided such parties have shared values with Muhammadiyah.

In 2008, with 29 million members, Muhammadiyah was the second-largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, after Nahdlatul Ulama.

Doctrine

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Masjid_Muhammadiyah_Padang_2019_(2).jpg" caption="Muhammadiyah's Taqwa Mosque in [[Padang]], West Sumatra"] ::

Muhammadiyah adheres to the Sunni tradition of Islam, with its theological orientation historically influenced by Ashʿarī thought, especially in early doctrinal texts such as Kitab Ngakoid and the 1929 Himpunan Putusan Tarjih. While the movement emphasizes returning to the Qur’an and Sunnah as the ultimate sources of religious understanding, it does not identify with Salafism as it is commonly understood today. Instead, Muhammadiyah promotes a purification of Islamic belief and practice from elements regarded as bidʿah (unwarranted innovation), superstition, or shirk (polytheism), while maintaining respect for traditional Sunni scholarship. It does not formally align itself with any particular theological or legal school (madhhab), but engages in collective ijtihad through its Tarjih Council. Muhammadiyah encourages critical engagement with the texts through both naqli (scriptural) and careful aqli (rational) reasoning, especially in matters of public welfare. Though the movement has been compared to reformist thinkers such as Muhammad Rashid Rida or Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah, Muhammadiyah’s theological framework remains rooted in Indonesian Islamic intellectual traditions and maintains a more moderate and institutional approach than modern Salafi movements.

Muhammadiyah strongly opposes syncretism, where Islam had coalesced with animism (spirit worship) and with Hindu-Buddhist elements that were spread among communities from the pre-Islamic period. Muhammadiyah opposes the tradition of Sufism that allows a Sufi leader (shaykh) to be the formal authority over Muslims. As of 2006, the organization was said to have "veered sharply toward a more conservative brand of Islam" under the leadership of Din Syamsuddin the head of the Indonesian Ulema Council. However, some factions of Muhammadiyyah tend to espouse the modernist movement of Muhammad Abduh rather than the Salafi doctrines of Rashīd Rîdá; which has been described as "rigid and conservative". Muhammadiyah refused to condemn LGBT people, because it believes that publicly condemning people affiliated with those identities and orientations would not help them "return to normalcy".

Activities

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Smk_pelayaran_muhammadiyah_tuban.jpg" caption="Tuban]], East Java"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Rs_pku_muhammadiyah_mayong.jpg" caption="Jepara]], Central Java"] ::

Muhammadiyah was noted as a Muslim reformists organization. Its main activities are religious practice and education. It has built modern Islamic schools, differing from traditional pesantren. Some of its schools are also open to non-Muslims. In 2006 there were around 5,754 schools owned by Muhammadiyah.

It also functioned as a charitable organization involved in health care. In 2016, it owned several hundred non-profit medical clinics and hospitals across Indonesia.

Universities

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Muhammadiyah_University_of_Malang,_2019.jpg" caption="Muhammadiyah University of Malang campus in [[Malang]], East Java"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Kampus_Universitas_Muhammadiyah_Makassar_(Drone_2).jpg" caption="Muhammadiyah University of Malang campus in [[Makassar]], South Sulawesi; it has one of the tallest buildings in the city"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Universiti_Muhammadiyah_Malaysia.jpg" caption="Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia in Perlis, Malaysia; the first Muhammadiyah university outside Indonesia"] ::

As of 2024, Muhammadiyah has 89 universities which are spread out in several provinces of Indonesia, such as:

Media

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/MuhammadiyahHQ.jpg" caption="One of Muhammadiyah head offices in [[Jakarta"] ::

Muhammadiyah published their own magazine called Suara Muhammadiyah (English: The Voice of Muhammadiyah). Initiated by Ahmad Dahlan himself, it was first published in 1915, making it one of the oldest publications in Indonesia. Its contents consist of information on the doctrine of the movement and reporting on Muhammadiyah's activities.

Organization

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Muhammadiyah_Demonstration_in_Head_Office_01.jpg" caption="Demonstration by the youth movement of Muhammadiyah in Muhammadiyah head office"] ::

The national headquarters was originally in Yogyakarta. However, by 1970 the committees dealing with education, economics, health and social welfare had been relocated to the national capital, Jakarta.

Muhammadiyah is supported by several autonomous organizations:

The central committee structure consists of five advisors, a chairman with several deputies, a vice chairman, a secretary general with some deputies, and a treasurer with some deputies.

List of leaders

::data[format=table]

NumberPhotoNameTerm startTerm endDeliberation PlaceDescription
1.[[File:Ahmad Dahlan.jpg100px]]K. H. Ahmad Dahlan1 August 191223 February 1923
2.[[File:Ibrahim bin Fadlil.jpg100px]]K. H. Ibrahim23 February 192313 October 1932
3.[[File:Hisjam bin Hoesni.jpg100px]]K. H. Hisjam10 November 193420 May 1936
4.[[File:Mas Mansoer.jpg100px]]K. H. Mas Mansoer25 June 193725 April 1942
5.[[File:Bagoes Hadikoesoemo.jpg100px]]Ki Bagoes Hadikoesoemo24 November 19444 November 1953
6.[[File:Achmad Rasjid Sutan Mansjur Konstituante Masjumi.jpg100px]]Ahmad Rasyid Sutan Mansur4 November 195325 March 1959
7.K. H. M. Yunus Anis25 March 19593 June 1962Palembang
8.[[File:Ahmad Badawi.jpg100px]]K. H. Ahmad Badawi3 June 196225 April 1968
9.[[File:Fakih Usman.jpg100px]]K. H. Faqih Usman25 April 19683 October 1968
10.K. H. Abdul Rozak Fachruddin3 October 196817 March 1971Fait Accompli
17 March 197115 December 1990MakassarThe 38th Congress
11.[[File:Ahmad Azhar Basyir.jpg100px]]K. H. Ahmad Azhar Basyir15 December 199028 June 1995
12.[[File:Amien Rais.jpg100px]]Prof. Dr. H. Amien Rais28 June 199526 April 1998
13.[[File:Ahmad Syafii Maarif July 2019.jpg100px]]Prof. Dr. H. Ahmad Syafi'i Ma'arif26 April 199831 May 2000
31 May 200025 November 2005JakartaThe 44th Congress
14.[[File:Din Syamsuddin.jpg100px]]Prof. Dr. K. H. Din Syamsuddin, M.A.31 August 20058 July 2010Malang
8 July 20106 May 2015YogyakartaThe 46th Congress
15.[[File:Haedar Nashir.jpg100px]]Prof. Dr. K. H. Haedar Nashir, M.Si.7 May 201519 November 2022Makassar
19 November 2022IncumbentSurakartaThe 48th Congress
::

References

References

  1. Nashir M. Si, Dr. H Haidar. (2015). "MUHAMMADIYAH: A REFORM MOVEMENT". Muhammadiyah University Press.
  2. A. Jalil Hamid, [http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/10/184420/tackle-rising-cost-living-longer Tackle the rising cost of living longer ]. [[New Straits Times]], 30 October 2016. Accessed 1 November 2016.
  3. "Muhammadiyah". Div. of Religion and Philosophy, St. Martin College, UK.
  4. (2006). "Reformation of Islamic Thought". Amsterdam University Press.
  5. It continues to support local culture and promote religious tolerance in Indonesia, while a few of its higher education institutions are attended mostly by non-Muslims, especially in [[East Nusa Tenggara]] and [[Papua (province). Champaign]]: [[University of Illinois Press]], 2010. {{ISBN. 9780252092718
  6. Peacock 1978, 45
  7. Israeli 1982, 191
  8. Europa Publications Limited
  9. Burhani (2005), p. 101.
  10. "Short History of Persyarikatan Muhammadiyah". Muhammadiyah.
  11. Burhani (2010), pp. 65-66
  12. Ricklefs, M.C.. (1991). "A History of Modern Indonesia 1200-2004". MacMillan.
  13. Ricklefs, M.C.. (1991). "A History of Modern Indonesia 1200-2004". MacMillan.
  14. Ricklefs (1991), p. 288.
  15. "Muhammadiyah Makes Overtures to Islamists". Indonesia Matters.
  16. Abu Fayadh, Faisal. (23 July 2021). "Ustadz Adi Hidayat: Kita Semua Salafi".
  17. (3 November 2017). "Muhammadiyah Itu Golongan Ahlus Sunnah was Salafiyyah".
  18. Muhtaroom, Ali. (August 2017). "The Study of Indonesian Moslem Responses on Salafy- Shia Transnational Islamic Education Institution, Shiashia". Ilmia Islam Futuria.
  19. Michael Vatikiotis. ''New York Times''. 6 February 6, 2006
  20. NASHIR, M. Si, DR. H. HAIDAR. (2015). "MUHAMMADIYAH: A REFORM MOVEMENT". Muhammadiyah University Press.
  21. "National scene: Muhammadiyah takes soft approach on LGBT - the Jakarta Post".
  22. "USINDO Roundtable With the Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah Delegation". The US-Indonesian Society.
  23. (August 2024). "Muhammadiyah urged Governot to Set Model School". Tribun Timur }}{{Failed verification.
  24. (April 2020). "Muhammadiyah to help campaign on danger of avian flu". Antara }}{{Dead link.
  25. (2020-04-02). "Tentang Suara Muhammadiyah - Suara Muhammadiyah".
  26. "Profil Muhammadiyah".
  27. "Autonomous Organizations". Muhammadiyah.
  28. "Central Organization". Muhammadiyah.

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muhammadiyahislamic-organizations-established-in-1912indonesian-national-awakeningsalafi-groupsislamic-organizations-based-in-indonesia1912-establishments-in-the-dutch-east-indies