CONCEPT OF KNOWLEDGE TECHNOLOGY AND ART
Read by the name of your Lord who created, He has created man from a clot of blood, Read,
and your Lord is the Most Merciful, Who teaches (man) by the medium of kalam, He teaches man
what he does not know (QS. Al-'Alaq : 1-5). Iqra' is taken from the root word which means to gather.
From collecting, various meanings are born such as conveying, studying, deepening, researching,
knowing the characteristics of something, and reading both written and unwritten texts. (M. Quraish
Shihab, 2007:433) In the Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language, technology is defined as
"technical skills based on exact scientific knowledge and based on technical processes".
Technology is the science of how to apply science to harness nature for human well-being and
comfort. The term technology is a product of science. From a cultural point of view, technology is
one of the cultural elements as a result of the practical application of science. Although basically
technology also has objective and neutral characteristics. In certain situations, technology is no
longer neutral because it has the potential to be destructive and the potential for power.
The meaning is different. Science is knowledge that has been classified, systematized, and
interpreted so as to produce objective truth and has been scientifically tested for truth, while
knowledge is anything known by humans or everything that humans obtain either through the five
senses, intuition, experience, or premonition. So science or science is a set of human knowledge
that is collected through an assessment process and can be reasoned or accepted by reason. In
other words, science can be defined as a collection of human collective rationalizations or as
systematic knowledge. In secular thought, science has 3 characteristics, namely objective, neutral
and value-free, while in Islamic thought, science must not be value-free, both in local value and
universal value. B. Integration of Faith, Knowledge and Charity in Islam The word knowledge in its
various forms is repeated 854 times in the Qur'an. This word is used in the sense of the process of
achieving knowledge and the object of knowledge. Ilm in terms of language means clarity, therefore
everything that is formed from the root of the word has the characteristic of clarity. Islam is a perfect
religious teaching, its perfection can be illustrated in the integrity of its core teachings. There are
three core teachings of Islam, namely Iman, Islam, and Ikhsan. The three core teachings are
integrated in a system of teachings called Dinul Islam. In the Islamic view, between Islam, science,
technology and art there is a harmonious and dynamic relationship that is integrated into a system
called Dinul Islam. In it, there are three main elements, namely creed, sharia, and morals, in other
words faith, knowledge, and pious deeds. In the Qur'an surah Ibrahim, Allah has given a beautiful
illustration of the integration between faith, knowledge and charity: Do you not notice how Allah has
made the parable of a good sentence (Dinul Islam) like a good tree, its roots firmly pierced to the
earth) and its branches soaring to the sky. The tree bears its fruit every season with the permission
of its Lord. God made these parables for people so that they would always remember. (Q.S Ibrahim:
24-25).
The verse describes the integrity between faith, knowledge and charity or creed, shari'ah and
morals by considering the logic of the building of the Islamic din like a good tree. Faith is identified
with the root of a tree that supports the upholding of Islamic teachings. Science is like a tree trunk
that produces branches and branches of science, while charity is like fruit and trees are synonymous
with technology and art. Science and technology developed on the values of faith and knowledge will
produce righteous deeds. Furthermore, good deeds will not be worth charity if the good deeds are
not built on the value of faith and the right values. Science and technology that is separated from
faith and piety will not have worship value and will not produce benefits for mankind and the
environment will even become a catastrophe for human life.
The Obligation to Pursue Knowledge and Practice Islam pays great attention to the
importance of science, technology, and art in the life of mankind. Human dignity is not only
determined by his worship of Allah, but also determined by his ability to develop science, technology,
and art. Even in the Qur'an Itself Allah states that only those who are knowledgeable are truly afraid
of Allah. Man is the most perfect creature of God's creation. Its perfection is because it is equipped
with a set of potential. The most important potential is intellect. The intellect functions to think, the
result of thinking is science, technology, and art. Rosul has obliged his people to seek knowledge as
he said: Tholabul ilmi faridhotun 'ala kulli muslimin wa muslimatin. Seeking knowledge is an
obligation for Muslim men and women. In addition, Allah promises that, whoever has knowledge,
Allah will raise the degree of those who have knowledge by several degrees (alMujlà: 11). Al Ghozali
also said about the virtues of a knowledgeable person as follows: "Whoever has knowledge, guides
people and makes use of his knowledge for others, like the sun, in addition to illuminating himself,
also illuminates others. He is like fragrant musk oil Implications of the Development of Science and
Technology in Religious Life If the use of a single product of technology has neglected a person from
dhikr and tafakur, and led to the collapse of human values, then it is not the result of technology that
must be rejected, but we must warn and direct humans who use that technology.
If the results of technology were originally thought to be able to divert humans from their
identity and purpose of creation, their presence was rejected by Islam from an early age. Therefore,
it is a big problem for human dignity regarding how to combine mechanical abilities for the creation
of technology, with the maintenance of its natural values. How to direct technology that can go hand
in hand with Rabbani values, or in other words how to combine thought and dhikr, knowledge and
faith? Technology can have a positive impact in the form of progress and welfare for humans, and
vice versa, it can have a negative impact in the form of inequalities in human life and the environment
that results in the destruction of the universe. Technological neutrality can be used for the greatest
benefit to human life and or used for the destruction of humanity itself. Sciences developed on the
basis of faith and piety to Allah SWT, will provide a guarantee of benefits for the lives of mankind,
including the environment. Allah promises in His words: "Allah will raise up the status of those who
believe and have knowledge ......". (Q.Sal-Mujlà 58:11). Similarly, the damage to nature and the
environment is caused by human actions themselves. Many of them betrayed
Definition of Islam and Culture The term Islam comes from the word "aslamayuslimu-islaam"
which means obeying or accepting and embracing Islam; The root word is "salima" which means safe
and prosperous. From that word was formed the word mashdar "salaamat". From this description,
it can be stated that the meaning contained in the word Islam is peace, welfare, salvation, surrender,
obedience and obedience. The meaning of the word Islam is essentially surrender, submission,
obedience and wholehearted obedience to the Divine will. The Divine Will that must be obeyed
wholeheartedly by man. The benefit is not for Allah Himself, but for the benefit of man himself. As
the last religion of revelation, Islamic sharia provides guidance to humans regarding all aspects of
life. Islam is a system of faith, sharia and morals that governs human life and life in various
relationships. Therefore, Islam is a religion that declares obedience to God with the book of the
Quran as a guide and guidance accompanied by explanations from the Prophet Muhammad PBUH,
both with words, deeds and exemplary examples from him which are called the hadith of the prophet
or sunnah of the prophet. Islam is like a perfect palace, based on faith and with a pillar of sincere
worship. Both function to form noble behavior and morals. Islam has the concept of balancing
worldly and ukhrawi interests, so that the sharia and its laws function to strengthen and maintain the
building of Islam for the benefit of the world and the hereafter. Culture is a term derived from the
word culture which gets the prefix "to" and the suffix "an". In the General Dictionary of Language
Indonesia is said that culture is the mind and reason. This word comes from the Sanskrit word
"buddhayah" which is the plural form of "buddhi" (mind or intellect). "Mind" means intellect, behavior
and norms, while "daya" means the result of human creation. Thus, culture is all the works, karsa
and creations of humans in society. Therefore, culture is the result of the activities and creation of
human intellect such as beliefs, arts and customs. In the Western World, the term culture can be
equated with culture or civilization which E.B. Tylor interpreted as a complex whole including
knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man
as a member of society. This limitation on culture states the material and non-material aspects of
the culture itself, as Tylor stated that culture is a whole complex that includes knowledge, beliefs,
art, morals, laws and other abilities as well as habits acquired by humans as members of society.
Furthermore, Ralph Linton, proposed a more specific cultural boundary, according to which he said
that culture is "a culture is the configuration as of learned behavior and results of behavior whose
components elements are shared and trasmistted by the members of a particular society". This
statement implies that culture or culture is considered a distinctive property of humans, even though
various studies have been carried out later on non-human primates. B. Cultural Elements The culture
of every society or ethnic group consists of large elements and small elements that are part of a unity
that is unitary. There are several elements contained in culture or known as cultural universals,
which include human life tools and equipment; livelihoods and economic systems; community
system; language (oral and written); Art; knowledge and religious system (belief system).
Furthermore, when understanding these cultural elements, we can know about the existence of
cultural elements that are easy to change and there are also elements of the power that is difficult
to change. Volatile cultural elements include; art, language, technology.
Meanwhile, cultural elements that are difficult to change include religion (belief system),
social system and cultural knowledge system are also divided into two, namely small culture, and
great culture. Small culture is a culture that is in a society whose scope is small (embraced by only
a few people) or also called local culture. While a large culture is a culture that is embraced by many
people with a wide number of adherents. When small cultures and large cultures are interconnected
through the process of assimilation, it is likely that the small culture will be excluded or defeated by
the large culture. This shows that the existence of the big culture is so strong and wide that it can
easily and quickly enter into a small culture that is embraced by only a few people. C. The
Relationship between Religion (Islam) and Culture Religion is a field that can be distinguished from
culture, but not separated. Religion has absolute value, it does not change due to changes in time
and place. Meanwhile, culture, even based on religion, can change from time to time and from place
to place. Therefore, religion is a primary need, on the other hand culture is a secondary need. Culture
can be an expression of religious life. Thus, the high and low expression of a person's religious
diversity can be seen from the level of cultural expression. As a historical fact, religion and culture
can influence each other, because in both there are values and symbols. Religion is a symbol that
symbolizes the value of obedience to God. Culture also contains values and symbols so that humans
can live in it. Religion needs a symbol system, in other words religion needs religious culture This
shows the relationship between religion and culture so close. But it should be noted, the two need
to be differentiated. Religion is something final, universal, eternal (parennial), and knows no change
(absolute). Meanwhile, culture is specific, relative and temporary. Religion without culture can
indeed develop as a personal religion; However, without religious culture as a collective, there will
be no place.
The interaction between religion and culture can occur by, first, religion influencing culture
in its formation. The value is religion, but the symbol is culture. An example is how prayer affects the
building of his life. Second, culture can influence religious symbols. In this case, Indonesian culture
influences Islam with pesantren and kiai originating from padepokan and pesantren. And third,
culture can replace the system of religious values and symbols. Religion and culture have two
similarities, namely the value system and the symbol system. Both are easily threatened whenever
there is a change. Both religion and culture provide insight and perspective in living life in accordance
with God's will and humanity. Thus, the two complement each other in the context of harmony in
human life. So culture is an effort to embody oneself in an effort to uphold its existence in life. So that
culture is a dynamic arrangement of ideas and activities that are interconnected and influence each
other continuously so that religion as a basis seeks to be the foundation of human salvation.
Therefore, in principle, religion and culture are subjects and objects, which are both found in humans.
1. The Function of Religion and Culture in Human Life People's lives, as can be seen from the
elements of religion and culture that have many connections, there are some people who do not
know very well how to place religion in the realm of culture that concerns social life. Human life in
society must be related to religion and culture, especially since it is very closely related to daily life.
There are many perspectives on what is the importance of religion in culture.
Basically, religion is a guideline for life that comes down from God, and culture is the
knowledge that humans have as habits that become permanent behavioral experiences. From this,
it can be seen that religion and culture are two very important ties. Culture exists because of the
encouragement of results and values. Culture continues to increase as time goes by humans
develop culture and also culture can develop humans so that humans are nicknamed cultured
creatures. In the context of the presence of culture as a result of the encouragement of these values,
religion places itself. In this case, religion has functions that play a very important role in human life.
These functions can be seen in the following ways: a) Religion provides mental peace, b) Religion
instills social virtues, c) Religion increases social solidarity, d) Religion is an agent of socialization
and social control, e) Religion increases welfare, f) Religion provides recreation to humans, g)
Religion functions to strengthen self-confidence and g) Ag
Al-Millah The terminology of millah is found in the Quran. This term is used to refer to the
cultural situation related to the sharia of the Prophet Ibrahim AS.or a group of holy humans, who
adhere to the religion of Allah, and practice the sharia system, as well as those who carry out spiritual
tasks in their lives and civilizations. Millah means religion, sharia, law and way of worship. Millah as
mentioned in the Quran, its meaning is aimed at Muslims. 2. Al-Ummah Another term that is
commonly used in Islam, in relation to the culture of al-ummah. This term contains the meaning of
Muslims in the form of a collective society. This term is used in the Qur'an to refer to Muslims as the
best ummah (Q.S. Ali Imran:110). The word "ummah" is taken from the Arabic word "umm" which
means mother. In the Qur'an there is 64 times the word ummah, 13 of which used the plural word
"umam". If you look at the use of the word ummah in the Quran, this word has several understanding.
For example, in QS. Al-Ra'du:30 states "Prophets are sent to their people in every age.". In the Qur'an,
it is also explained that the ummah has the meaning of the belief of a group of people, as enshrined
in QS. Al-Zukhruf: 22-23, "Indeed, we found that our fathers belonged to a religion (ummatin) and we
were followers of their footsteps." The word ummah is also interpreted as a society that is
responsible for the integrity of its group, namely exercising rights and fighting for the justice of QS.
Al-A'raf: 159). For example, Prophet Ibrahim is considered a people who believes in Allah and carries
out his responsibilities as an apostle to his people. Likewise, the prophets Moses followed Allah's
commands, did good and stayed away from evil. 3. Al-Tsaqafah Another word whose meaning refers
to culture in Islam is al-tsaqafah and is usually combined with "al-Islamiyah", meaning the entire way
of life, thinking, values, attitudes, institutions and artifacts that help humans in life and development
based on Islamic law. In Arabic, alTsaqafah means that a person's mind or intellect becomes sharp,
intelligent or has high expertise in a certain field.
Furthermore, the filling of alTsaqafah means correcting something, becoming better than the
situation that was not so good before, or becoming disciplined. The term al-tsaqafah can also mean
high acuity, intelligence, and expertise, which is acquired through the educational process. So this
term emphasizes to humans to always use their minds before acting and producing culture. 4. Al-
Hadharah The terminology al-Hadarah is used to refer to human life as a collective and high
civilization (civilization). The term a-lhadarah comes from the root word "hadhara – yahduru –
hadaratan" which means to live in a crowded area of the country or place, which distinguishes it from
a quiet country or place. The terms "hadar" and "hadarah" in classical Arabic refer to areas inhabited
by humans in the form of cities or relatively advanced lives. This term has the meaning that cultural
indicators that are considered advanced and high are by Al-Tamaddun The term Al-tamaddun comes
from the Arabic language whose meaning is often aligned with the term civilization in English.
Civilization itself originally originated in French. Until 1732, this word referred to the legal process
until at the end of the 18th century this term had a broad meaning not only limited to law, but also
the most advanced stage of a society. According to the Greeks, a society that does not have a city is
a society that is uncivilized, does not have civilization. Collingwood defines civilization as a process
of achieving a stage of civil society life or becoming more polite. The result is an urban society, a
society that has a refined mind. Johnson stated that civilization is a state of opposition to barbarian
life, which reaches a high stage of civility.
The concept of culture in Islam also involves the term al-tamaddun, and Islamic culture is
called al-tamaddun al-Islami. This term comes from the root words maddana, yumaddinu and
tamaddunan, whose arith is to come to a city. Maddana also means building cities or becoming a
tribe or someone who has civilization. From this term maddana emerged the advanced term
"madinah" which means city and "madani" which comes from the word "al-madaniyah" which
means civilization and prosperity of life. This term was originally used by Ibn Khaldun, a famous
Islamic sociologist. In social developments in Southeast Asia, the term madani was so actively
popularized by Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy prime minister of Malaysia. The meaning of this
term summarizes civilized behavior like urban people, refined in manners, and prosperous in
material achievements. 6. Adab Among the terms related to the concept of culture in Islam, which is
always used by scholars, including in Indonesia, is the term "adab" or the word formed by civilization.
Ismail Faruqi stated that adab means culture or culture. In this context, we study the Hadith of the
Prophet Muhammad PBUH which means: "God has given me the education of adab, addabani, and
God has improved or perfected the pen
In Indonesian, the word "adab" or "civilization" is often used in various literature. The term
civilization usually refers to the same meaning as the civilization of the English language. This word
has the meaning of a cultural element that is considered to contain high and advanced values.
Civilization is usually associated with things that reach a stage of perfection in a certain time and
space. However, if this term is used on the basis of advanced judgment, then it is relative. In the
history of mankind, the term was used for various advanced civilizations, such as the Indus,
Sumerians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Incas, Occidental, Oriental, and others. The Qur'an also explains
about these various civilizations, but most of them have been swallowed up by the era. Only a part
of it is alive, developing, and continuing to this day. B. Interpretation of Culture In Islamic history,
there are various concepts about culture. Some thinkers state that Islam is a revelation of Allah and
belongs to heavenly religions. Thus, Islam is not a culture, but as stated by Natsir (1954) Islam is a
source of strength that encourages the emergence of a culture. Islam is a religion that was revealed
by Allah from the heavens, through the angel Gabriel, by revealing it to the Prophet Muhammad.
Islam is not a product or part of culture. On the other hand, culture is not part of the heavenly religion.
Culture created by humans. The two stand alone, but can relate and form a specific culture. Another
group of thinkers states that al-Islam does not only consist of "religion" or "religion" (a collection of
doctrines that govern the relationship between man and God), but Islam consists of religion and
culture at the same time, namely al-din which is based on the Quran and al-Hadith and is perfected
by ijtihad (religious interpretation).
Thus, al-Islam as a religion is a religion of revelation and a heavenly religion whose scope of
teachings includes religious and cultural aspects at the same time. Islam, in addition to regulating
aspects of religious rituals, also contains teachings that can be used as cultural principles.
Mohammad Natsir in his writings in the late 1930s has explained various principles of Islamic culture
which in essence are teachings that contain the spirit of intiqat or "power to judge" and investigate
the truth instilled by Islam in its adherents. The results of this Muslim thinking in history have shown
the earth how Muslims have prepared to accept the multiculturalism of previous nations: Greek,
Roman, Persian, Indian and others. For Natsir, religion comes to awaken, awaken and enflame the
mind of thinking, so that humans use it as well as possible as a blessing of the Most Beautiful God.
However, he also reminded the function of religion in controlling or limiting reason. Religion comes
to flow reason following the right flow, don't go in any direction. Islam does not come to let go of the
intellect like releasing a horse in the middle of the racecourse. Religion regulates what is forbidden
and what is told. Thus, the thinkers of the Islamic movement basically agreed to distinguish "religion"
as the revelation of Allah and "culture" as the work of man. Contextual the two have a relationship,
not standing on each other. Therefore, human culture must be based on and shaped by religious
teachings (Ad-din). Not the other way around. Religion directs the right direction in culture or
civilization. Humans are creatures that have various weaknesses, for that they need to be guided by
religion. But on the other hand, humans are the caliphs (leaders) on this earth, with various
advantages. Especially when compared to animals, human culture continues to develop in the
space and time it travels, throughout the ages. In the Islamic view, aqidah, sharia, and morals, if
carried out seriously, will affect the formation and development of cultural elements such as politics,
economy, social, technology, education, and others. What is emphasized is the implementation of
Islamic teachings. The influence will arise in behavior. However, in formulating the concepts, it is
first sought out relevant teachings and regulates the field of
Characteristics of Islamic Culture and Its Implementation The characteristics of Islamic
culture are based on the teachings of Islam with two sources, namely the Quran and Hadith. Thus,
all activities or cultural results must refer to religious teachings. Another characteristic of Islamic
culture is balancing the needs of the world (material) and the hereafter (ukhrawi). In addition, another
characteristic of Islamic culture is that it lays three things as the basis, namely: faith, morals, and
knowledge. Faith as a complete belief in the Oneness of God. This characteristic is very important in
Islamic culture because it gives birth to a society that not only emphasizes the material aspect, but
also emphasizes the spiritual aspect, balancing the interests of both. This same faith is the basis of
the relationship between all Muslims of the world, as one brother. Morals and knowledge are also
important in Islamic culture. These two aspects form the most important thinking in Islamic culture
since the time of the Prophet Muhammad until now. Even moral issues are given intense emphasis
in the Quran. Other characteristics of Islamic culture are its universal, open, able to pass through all
ages, tolerance, and integration in various natural differences. Islam contributes to the unity of
various differences in nations, languages, and races. It has been proven by history that Islamic
culture has crossed space and time throughout the ages and contributed to world civilization.
Islam's view of human beings and their culture is as contained in the Qur'an, Surah Al-Hujurat:13 "O
people, indeed We created you from men and women and We made you nations and tribes so that
you may be acquainted, indeed your glory in the sight of Allah is the fearful among you."
Definition of Democracy in Islam Democracy in Islam is considered a democratic system in
the conceptual framework of Islam, a lot of attention is paid to several aspects in Islamic concepts
that have been rooted for a long time, namely deliberation (shura), consent (ijma'), and independent
interpretative judgment (ijtihad). The need for deliberation is a political consequence of the human
caliphate. The issue of deliberation is clearly mentioned in the Qur'an Surah 42:28, which contains a
command to the leaders in any position to settle their affairs by deliberating. Thus, there will be no
arbitrariness from a leader to the people he leads. In addition to deliberation, there is another thing
that is very important in the issue of democracy, namely consensus or ijma'. Meanwhile, ijma
(consensus) has long been accepted as the concept of official ratification in Islamic law. Consensus
plays a decisive role in the development of Islamic law and makes a huge contribution to the law.
However, for most of the history of Islam, consensus as one of the sources of Islamic law tends to
be limited by the consensus of scholars, while the consensus of the people mostly has a less
important meaning in the lives of Muslims. In modern Muslim thought, the potential for flexibility
contained in the concept of consensus finally gets a greater channel to develop Islamic law and
adapt to changing conditions. In a broader sense, consensus and deliberation are often seen as an
effective foundation for modern Islamic democracy.
Islam as a religion that includes spiritual and political issues has made a significant
contribution to political life in Indonesia. First, it is marked by the emergence of Islamic-based
parties and nationalist parties based on Muslims. Second, it is characterized by the pro-active
attitude of Islamic political figures towards the integrity of the unitary state of the Republic of
Indonesia, since the independence process, the period of defending independence, the period of
development to the reform period. Islam has contributed a lot to Indonesia, such as: forming civic
culture (state culture), national solidarity, jihad ideology, and the realization of unity and unity
(Kuntowijoyo). Regarding the integrity of the country, for example, Muhammad Natsir once called on
Muslims not to contradict Pancasila with Islam. In the Islamic view, the formulation of Pancasila is
not something that is contrary to the teachings of the Quran, because the values contained in
Pancasila are also part of the values contained in the Quran. In history, it is also proven that for the
sake of the integrity of the unity and unity of the nation, Muslims are willing to eliminate seven words
from the precepts to the first Pancasila, namely the words "The obligation to carry out the sharia for
its adherents". Finally, Indonesian Muslims can agree to Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution as the
basis of the state, in order to uphold the unity and integrity of the nation, also because the values of
Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution are justified by the teachings of Islam. On the other hand,
Pancasila also functions as a nuctuation of agreement between various groups to realize common
political unity for the glory of the Indonesian nation.
The Concept of Politics in Islam The life of the Prophet shows that he held political power in
addition to religious power. When he and his companions migrated to Medina, the activities he
carried out were to create a stable and harmonious life system by uniting all the people of Medina in
a socio-political system under his rule known as the Medina agreement. The Prophet did not force
Jews and Christians to convert to Islam, but he wanted all the people of Medina to respect the
agreement they had agreed to. After the Prophet had political power in Medina, he also made an
agreement with the ruler of Mecca so that there would be no dispute between the two powers, even
though in later developments the ruler of Mecca reneged on the agreement he signed, triggering wars,
such as the battles of Badr, Uhud, and others. Islam does provide a complete foundation for human
life, including political life. But Islam does not specify concretely what form of political power is
taught in Islam. Muslims have different opinions about the political position in Islamic law. The first
opinion states that Islam is a complete religion. In it, there is, among others, a constitutional or
political system. In other languages, the political system or also called fiqh siyasah is an integral part
of Islamic teachings. Furthermore, this group argues that the constitutional system that must be
emulated is the system that has been implemented by
Second, groups that hold that Islam is a religion in the Western sense. This means that
religion has nothing to do with state affairs. According to this school, the Prophet Muhammad was
only an Apostle, just like the other apostles who were in charge of delivering God's treatises to all the
world. The Prophet is not in charge of establishing or leading a country. The third school rejects that
Islam is a complete religion that contains all life systems including the constitutional system, but
also rejects the idea that Islam is like the Western opinion that only regulates the relationship
between man and God. This school holds that in Islam there is no constitutional system, but there is
a set of ethical values for the life of the state. History proves that the Prophet besides his position as
a Messenger, he is also the head of State. The Prophet controlled a territory, namely Yastrib which
later became Medina al-Munawwarah as the Prophet's territory, as well as the center of his
government with the Medina charter as the basic rule of his state. After the Prophet's death, his
position as head of state was replaced by Abu Bakr which was the result of the agreement of friendly
figures, hereinafter called the caliph. His system of government is called the "caliphate". This
"caliphate" system lasted until the leadership was under the rule of the last caliph, Ali. The system
of government after Ali took the form of a kingdom, even though the kings who became rulers
declared themselves as caliphs, in the system of government, the caliph was not democratically
elected but appointed from generation to generation. This system of empires lasted until the end of
the seventeenth century, when the Ottoman Turks began to suffer defeats from Europeans. At the
end of the seventeenth century, almost all Islamic countries fell into the trap of Western colonizers.
The length of colonialism in one country is not the same from one country to another. In the early
nineteenth century, Islamic countries began to break away one by one from Western colonialism.
And at the same time came nationalismnationalism. The system of government for countries that
had just broken away from colonialism varied. Some appear in the form of kingdoms, sultanates and
some appear in the form of presidential cabinets or parliamentary cabinets.
System of Government in Islam According to Harun Nasution, the caliphate (government)
that arose after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, did not have a form of government, but rather
a republican model. As is well known, the first caliph was Abu Bakr and he was not related by blood
to the Prophet Muhammad. The second caliph, Umar bin Khattab also had no blood relationship with
Abu Bakr, nor did the third caliph Uthman bin Affan and the fourth caliph Ali bin Abi Talib, each other
have no blood relations. They were the companions of the Prophet and thus their relationship with
each other was a friendly relationship. Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406 A.D.) pragmatically accepted the merger
in the sense that there was no difference in principle between the caliphate system and the royal
system, he stated: "The caliphate and the kingdom are the caliphate of Allah among men for the
implementation of rules among men". Al-Mawardi (d.1058 A.D.) in his book Al-Ahkam al-
Sulthaniyyah proposes theoretical and idealistic discussions regarding the caliphate. According to
him, Allah is the absolute ruler of the universe and the principal authority of the state. Through a letter
of mandate, the authority is delegated to humans as the caliph of Allah on earth. The khilafat
institution is based on revelation, namely the statements of the Qur'an for the caliph of Allah, not
solely based on reason. The Caliph was nominated and elected by the leaders of the community,
namely ahl al-halli wa alaqdi. The caliph must follow the example of the previous caliph. The election
or appointment of a caliph must be followed by bai'at from the community. The moral idealism of the
political theory about the caliphate is further proven specifically by the qualifications of the position,
namely: Having justice, having sufficient knowledge for the interpretation and implementation of the
law, having an obedient disposition, having the courage to lead wars, being physically healthy, and
descendants of the Quraish, namely the Prophet's army.
In his position as the amir of al-mukminin, he led the people in war. The most important task
of the caliph is to maintain and implement sharia, realizing peace and welfare. He is the supervisor
and protector of Islam as well as a defender of the faith In contrast to Al-Mawardi, Ali Abd al-Raziq in
his book al-Ahkam al-Sulthaniyyah (Islam and Governance) argues that the system of government is
not alluded to by the Qur'an and al-Sunnah, therefore in Islamic teachings there are no provisions on
the shape of the state. The Prophet Muhammad PBUH, only had apostolic duties and in his mission
did not include the formation of the state. Furthermore, he stated, the caliphate system arose as a
proper development of Islamic history. The Prophet passed away and with his death there must be
someone to replace him in taking care of the affairs of the people. In this way, Abu Bakr emerged as
his caliph or successor. Abu Bakr actually had no religious duties. He is only the head of state and
not the head of religion. So did Umar, Usman and Ali. The question of the pattern and form of the
state is not a matter of religion but a matter of worldliness and is left to human reason to determine.
Therefore, Mustafa Kamal's action in 1924 AD, in eliminating the caliph from the Ottoman royal
system is not an act that is contrary to the teachings of Islam. Muhammad Rasyid Ridha gave a strong
reaction to Ali Abdulraziq's idea. Ridha felt that he made a work that specifically discusses the
position of the caliphate in Islam as an answer to the secular thinking of Ali Abd Raziq, the idea is
explained in his quite popular book Al-Khilafah al-Uzhmaa. For Ridha, the caliphate is a system of
government that must be maintained in the Islamic world to realize the unity and unity of Muslims
(jami'ah Islamiyah). At that time, Raziq's book Al-Islam wa Ushul al-Hukm was not only banned from
circulation by AlAzhar scholars, even Ali Abd Raziq was expelled from the ranks of Al-Azhar scholars.
Ridha himself wrote a book entitled al-calilafah au al-Imamamat al-Uzhama which contains a
refutation of the main discussion in Ali Abduraziq's work.
