*THE 51ST MUI ANNIVERSARY IN 2026, REVIVES THE SPIRIT OF BUYA HAMKA, THE FIRST GENERAL CHAIRMAN OF THE MUI*
By: Adlan Daie
(Political analyst, Secretary General of the MUI, Indramayu Regency)
Indramayu, July 31, 2026
Haji Abdulkarim Amrullah, commonly known as Buya Hamka, was not only the first Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), he was also one of the few Islamic mass organizations that laid the foundations for “why there must be an MUI in Indonesia.”
He is a cleric, writer, and literary figure. He is steadfast in his stance, speaking coherently with Malay rhymes. Reflecting on the 51st MUI anniversary in 2026 is crucial for reviving the existential spirit of the MUI “legacy” Buya Hamka.
In his speech at the 2nd Anniversary of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), August 7, 1977, entitled “Why the Ulema Council Must Exist” (published in “Kiblat” magazine, no. 8/XXII/1977), Buya Hamka emphasized:
“The establishment of the MUI does not mean that the government will arbitrarily use religious experts for its own interests, because such a government will lose the trust of the people,” Hamka said in his speech.
“Similarly, clerics who participate in the MUI but consider their position prestigious, closer to the government but far from the people, such clerics have lost their spirit,” Hamka explained further.
Buya Hamka has long since passed away. He was present in his time. Every leader has a defining moment, and each era always produces its own leaders. That is the historical cycle of “sunnatullah.”
In the spirit of the Quran, past history is not about what Robert N. Bellah calls “leaps”—past events folded by time—but teaches us about values and wisdom for Treading and climbing the path of the future (Q.S. Al-Hasyr, 18).
That is our reflection on the 51st anniversary of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in 2026, namely, taking the spirit of Hamka’s steadfast leadership at the helm of the MUI during his time to adapt it in a “muqtadlol hal” (contextual) manner, without shifting from the foundation of religious principles.
Hamka, the most legendary General Chairman of the MUI in the history of MUI’s service in Indonesia, is not to be “cultivated” personally, but his steadfastness in leading the MUI amidst the pressures of the political regime of his era must become the cornerstone for navigating MUI’s work.
Hamka and the Ulama: The ulama who served in the MUI had a difficult time maintaining the morals of the people in their era, but our service today and in the future at the MUI is no less difficult and complex, demanding the courage to uphold the honor of religious institutions.
The challenge facing the MUI and religious institutions in the era of democracy and social media algorithms as the epicenter of power is the escalation of shifts in religious authority and polarization that are changing the way people seek guidance. Morals.
The influence of religious authorities is beginning to be tested by the influence of political forces. The traditional authority of religious institutions is slowly being “stripped away,” no longer monopolizing moral guidance. The essence of spirituality is beginning to be eclipsed by celebrity content.
Without the firm leadership of the MUI, as a religious authority, it faces the challenges of social “disruption” mentioned above. The “divine” values of divinity, the “guide” for the struggle for a just and civilized humanity, could shift.
The authority of religious institutions will lose their “guts,” fearing being bullied, serving only for praise, merely accessories to religious symbols—in Ibn Athoillah’s diction, called “mujamalah”—beautifying lip service.
Indonesia, in the final consensus, is not a “religious state” (Islam), but it is certainly not a “secular” state in the Western conception. Rather, it is a Pancasila state, with its divine foundation as the ethical boundary for the struggle for humanity and justice. It must not be defeated by the “tyranny of the political majority” of democracy.
Therefore, the MUI and other religious organizations that previously Born as a social liberation movement, it must not become trapped in mere maintenance of structures, losing its courage.
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) must not lose its critical power, nor degenerate into a tame ceremony: solemn in places of worship, but paralyzed in the face of inequality, greed, and moral decay.
The MUI is present and present in Indonesia, with its absolute Muslim majority, as emphasized by Buya Hamka, to “preach” to the government so that “the government does not lose the trust of the people” on the one hand, and on the other hand, “the MUI does not lose its core.” That is the point.
Happy 51st Anniversary of the MUI in 2026, serving the people, collaborating for the common good.
Wassalam.
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