Muhammadiyah

A brief history of Persyarikatan / Pergerakan Muhammadiyah or Muhammadiyah movement in Indonesia.

Muhammadiyah (full name: Persyarikatan Muhammadiyah) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Muhammadiyah, literally means “followers of Muhammad” (from Arabic). The organization was founded in 1912 by Ahmad Dahlan in the city of Yogyakarta as a reformist socioreligious movement, advocating ijtihad – individual interpretation of Qur’an and sunnah, as opposed to taqlid – the acceptance of the traditional interpretations propounded by the ulama.

At the moment, Muhammadiyah is the second largest Islamic organization in Indonesia with 29 million members. Although Muhammadiyah leaders and members are often actively involved in shaping the politics in Indonesia, Muhammadiyah is not a political party. It has devoted itself to social and educational activities.[1]

Muhammadiyah is an Indonesian Islamic social organization well known for providing education and health services. It views these activities as the best way for propagating Islam, empowering the ummah and improving the social conditions of Muslims. Muhammadiyah was established in Jogjakarta in 1912, in the decade that saw the emergence of civil associations and political organizations in Indonesia on a national scale. Some observers have seen the decade, therefore, as the first flowering of civil society in Indonesia and the beginning of the nationalist movement in Indonesia. [2]

—-
[1] Wikipedia
[2] Questia.com