- Organizational Renewal: Haedar Nashir’s new book examines organizational renewal and leadership as central to Muhammadiyah’s progress.
- Digital Transformation: The book highlights a decade of digital initiatives, including platforms and online membership services.
- Transformative Leadership: Haedar calls for transformative, collective leadership to keep Muhammadiyah responsive to changing times.
JAKARTA, Indonesianpost.com — Muhammadiyah’s development in recent years reflects an Islamic outreach movement increasingly adapting to digital disruption.
Over the past 10 years, the organization has pursued tajdid, or renewal, through digital initiatives including the SatuMu platform, the MASA app and updates to online registration and management of Muhammadiyah membership cards, known by the Indonesian abbreviation KTAM.
These developments are explored in “Muhammadiyah: Organisasi dan Kepemimpinan Pergerakan” (“Muhammadiyah: Organization and Movement Leadership”), a new book by Muhammadiyah Chairman Haedar Nashir. Published by Suara Muhammadiyah, the book was launched at a gathering for introductions and fellowship on Thursday evening, November 12, in Palu, Central Sulawesi.
In the book, Haedar explains that Muhammadiyah, as a movement grounded in religious understanding and ideology, has at least two essential dimensions: organization and leadership.
As an organization, Muhammadiyah provides a framework for members to come together and put their religious and ideological values into practice in pursuit of shared goals, guided by rules, boundaries and procedures. Haedar argues that an organization requires continuous renewal.
“Renewal goes beyond technical matters because its purpose is to keep the organization a living force within Muhammadiyah,” Haedar said.
On leadership, Haedar emphasizes that leaders drive the movement: they lead, influence, steer and even reshape the organization to sustain renewal. He describes Muhammadiyah’s leadership as collective, collegial and structured, while noting that challenges and problems persist alongside progress.
“Muhammadiyah remains relevant across time and place, always adapting and able to respond to the challenges of the times,” Haedar said.
Muhammadiyah therefore needs leaders who embody its religious understanding, ideology and organizational principles as they carry out its mission of Islamic outreach and renewal. Haedar describes this as transformative leadership rooted in the movement’s purpose, enabling Muhammadiyah to remain adaptable and responsive to changing times.
“The central conclusion of this book is that organization and leadership in Muhammadiyah embody the spirit of a movement — of harakah — always active, alive, growing and engaging with changing times,” Haedar said.
Haedar warned that Muhammadiyah would weaken if that spirit faded within its organization and leadership. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that Muhammadiyah would become increasingly dynamic and progressive, with its progress depending on an organization and leadership that sustain the movement’s spirit.
“I hope this book proves useful and becomes one of the references that help us develop Muhammadiyah into an outstanding, forward-looking movement,” Haedar said. [Muhammadiyah/Bilah]
