Islam and Modernization "Social and Intellectual Globalization Studies"

Modernization always involves globalization and has implications for changes in the social and intellectual order, because it is accompanied by the entry of imported cultures into the society. According to Boeke, when the imported culture, which has more advanced elements, has a capitalist character, is faced with a local culture with a traditional character, there is a struggle between the external culture and the local culture. The struggle between the two cultures does not always end in an antagonistic model, but the elements that are left out eventually do not function and are replaced by new elements that are likely to be won by imported elements. Usually, local elements gradually decline and are no longer in demand by traditional communities.

Apart from the entry of foreign cultures, globalization cannot be separated from the issue of secularization. Globalization and secularization seem to be a package that occurs in the West and East. As a consequence, the teachings and dogmatism of religions, including Islam, which was originally sacred are gradually being dismantled by its adherents, whose views have evolved according to the realities of the times. Religion on the plains eventually became profane, so it is very fitting that the emergence of modernization is often associated with social change, an important change of social structure (patterns of behavior and social interactions).

The changes take the form, among others; a change in the traditional relationship between society, government and religion, in which the sacred-integralist society, which was previously governed by religio-political systems, moves towards a new transformation as a non-sacred pluralist society.

From such a reality, in the modern era, Muslims are often faced with a challenge, including answering the question of where Islam is in modern life, as well as what form of Islam should be presented in order to face modernization in public, social, economic, legal life. , politics and thought.

The difference in attitudes above is because Islam as a religion that was passed down among the Arabs was then adopted by non-Arab communities with different cultures, so that in understanding the teachings of Islam they ultimately have differences. From that, there are many styles of Islam, there is Iranian Islam, there is Indonesian Islam, there is African Islam, each of which represents a cultural dimension.

The Prophet Muhammad himself did not demand that his followers become a society that must realize all Islamic ideas precisely, just as he did. So it is natural that there are differences in form between Islam now and Islam in the past. This kind of thing received recognition from Hallaq, who stated that in the field of fiqh, for example, Islamic teachings grew and developed in different forms in various communities. That means, although Islam grew in the traditions and society of the Arab nation, every Muslim does not have to translate Islam accordingly. with those applied by the Arabs, but formulating it according to their social conditions.

From that, in responding to modernization, Muslims are divided into several groups. There are those who respond in the opposite way, namely with an anti-modernism attitude and ultimately anti-West. There are those who make the West a mecca and role models in the future and even for their way of life. This group views that traditional conceptions have weaknesses in the face of modernization. There is a third group that is critical, but not automatically anti-modernization and anti-Western. In the eyes of the latter group, modernization is modified if it does not conflict with the things considered by them as principles. This third group considers the West not automatically as the enemy, and at the same time does not regard the West as a great role model in everything and must be emulated. For them, the West contains an element of goodness, so they don't mind to accept it as long as they don't have to sacrifice their religion. At the same time they are also aware that the West must be treated critically, even to a certain extent it must be rejected.

All of the differences in attitudes above occur because of differences between the ideal teachings of Islam and the practices that occur in the field. These two problems (the ideal and the practical) eventually became a source of conflict among Muslims in this world. An example is the form of teachings and the concept of a state in Medina at the time of the Prophet, which has always been a utopia among Muslims.

From these different perspectives, in the Islamic world various forms of ideological thought emerged, between groups that view Islam as a model of reality (models of reality) and groups that view Islam as a model for reality (models for reality). The first one implies that Religion is a representation of a reality, while the second suggests that Religion is a concept for reality, such as human activity. In this second understanding Religion includes theories, dogmas or doctrines for a reality.

Then which attitude is most appropriate to face this modern world? Should one of the German orientalists say that the future of Islam can only exist if it is to adapt to European intellectual life?

The answer is that we cannot be religious in the same way as our predecessors in the conservative pre-modern world. No matter how hard we try to accept and carry out the legacy of the religious tradition in its golden age, we have a natural tendency to see the truth factually, historically and empirically. Neither conservatism nor modernism is the right choice. Both are historical products that need to be reviewed for validity. This means that all the typologies of thought above need no one to blame.

In this anxiety, religious people often then look for the form of their religious teachings that refer to the past in order to get their religious authenticity. Within the body of the Muslim community, there is disappointment with Islam which emphasizes the esoteric aspect, which only satisfies the cognitive aspect, Islam which sheds the forehead. People are now looking for an Islam that touches in an affective way, an Islam that sheds tears.

However, humans and society continue to walk into the future, and in front of them are faced with the progress of science, intellectual discourses and rational transactions, all of which must be addressed with changes, so that there is a long debate in religious societies, between the desire to returning to the past with the desire to make changes, between the desire to keep the traditions of the past with the desire to welcome the future. (*)

*) Author: Kukuh Santoso, M.PdI, Lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Religion (FAI), Islamic University of Malang (Unisma)

Source: https://www.timesindonesia.co.id/read/news/239297/islam-dan-modernisasi-studi-globalization-social-dan-intelellectual