Islamic thought renewal in Indonesia: the sample of societies of Muhammadiyah and Nahdat Al-Ulama

Muhammadiyah and Nahdat al-Ulamâ are the largest religious organizations in Indonesia, both of which have a large number of members and are closely related to each other. Both organizations were established long before Indonesia’s independence. Muhammadiyah was founded in 1912 by Ahmad Dahlan and Nahdat al-Ulamâ was founded by Hasyim Ashari in 1926, and Indonesia gained its independence in 1945. In this thesis, which aims to examine the actions of the largest religious organizations in Indonesia, Muhammadiyah and Nahdat al-Ulamâ and uses descriptive analysis methods, three important points have been identified: First, Muhammadiyah and Nahdat al-Ulamâ are symbols of the struggle of Islamic community organizations in Indonesia. Secondly, the leaders of these two organizations have played an active role in the struggle for Indonesian independence in their own way; While the Muhammadiyah used structural modern methods, the Nahdat al-Ulamâ used cultural traditional methods. The third is the sincerity and persistence of a founder that made Muhammadiyah and Nahdat al-Ulamâ acceptable and enabled them to exist in society to this day. It will be examined in depth in this thesis to learn more about the renewal of Islamic thought by Muhammadiyah and Nahdat al-Ulamâ.