Chairman of Muhammadiyah Din Syamsuddin urged Muslims and Islamic universities not to follow a new life style, science comsumptivism. He contended that they only focus on past discoveries so that innovations in sciences from Muslims and Islamic universities do not display significant development.
The aforementioned statement was uttered by Din Syamsuddin as a keynote speaker in Pengajian Ramadhan 1436 H on Friday (19/6). The event was organized by Pimpinan Pusat Muhammadiyah (the center organization of Muhammadiyah) for three days, Friday (19/6) – Sunday (21/6) at meeting hall of A.R. Fachrruddin B Floor 5 of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY). It raised a theme of “Gerakan Pencerahan Menuju Indonesia Berkemajuan Tinjauan Multiprespektif” (“Enlightenment Movement for Betterment of Indonesia from Multi-Perspectives.
Din conveyed that the behavior of science consumptivism would hamper Muslims and Indonesian people to bring into reality a vision of being a developed nation. For one reason, they are the targets of global markets making people consumptive. “Muslims and Islamic universities are trapped into science consumptivism so that we turn into consumptive people and could not create innovations. Thus, we are supposed to recognize that there is an innovation element in Muhammadiyah’s mission raising Tajdid (renewal, ed.). It tells how to be innovative in sciences in order that we are not confined in science consumptivism,” he stated.
Being apart from the science consumptivism is one of the ways to create developed Islam and Indonesia. Din argued that religion lecturers, engaging in bring into reality developed Islam are required to include modernity, progressivity, and dynamic movement in each of their lecturers. “Besides talking that Islam is a religion of Rahmatan lil ‘alamin (blessing for the whole world and its content), they ought to elucidate that Islam is in line with the development of era (up to date). Therefore, developed Islam is not restricted by space and time, but it moves dynamically,” he informed.
He also asserted that Muhammadiyah is eager to make Indonesia go to a developed notion. However, it is not merely developed. ‘Developed’ implies contextually that Indonesia is a just, prosperous, sovereign, and prestigious nation. In addition, ‘Go to’ implies a process. “The willingness to make Indonesia developed has not been realized yet due to deviation and distortion of the vision of Indonesia,’’ he elucidated.
Din, who is also the sixth head of Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), continued that the vision of developed Indonesia had not been brought into reality because of shifts in fundamental values in Indonesia which lead the liberalization to come to Indonesia easily. Hence, Islam ought to engage in assisting this nation since, according to Din, developed Islam is not trapped into science consumptivism by involving modernity, progressivity, and dynamic movement of each teaching. Islam does not merely notice the past and the cultures. “Developed Islam will be able to make Indonesia developed. By the second century, Muhammadiyah is required to lift the development to be the excellence displaying that we are ready to compete in the world,” he told.
