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Muhammadiyah as an Agent of Social Engineering in Perspective of Development Law Theory

The Indonesian Journal of International Clinical Legal Education · Vol. 8 No. 1 (2026) · pp. 1–26

DOI
10.15294/ijicle.v8i1.44220
ISSN
2721-8368
Published
2026-04-12
Publisher
Universitas Negeri Semarang
Language
eng
License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

Abstract

The existence of Muhammadiyah as Indonesia’s largest socio-religious organization has evolved from a religious purification movement into a comprehensive legal reform force that aligns with national development. This study aims to analyzes Muhammadiyah’s role through the lens of Mochtar Kusumaatmadja’s Theory of Developmental Law, which positions law as a "tool of social engineering" to steer societal change toward modernization. Using a normative-empirical legal research method with a qualitative approach, this study examines how Muhammadiyah bridges the gap between formal regulations (law in books) and social reality (law in action). The analysis focuses on three primary pillars: Social Engineering: Through the Majelis Tarjih dan Tajdid, Muhammadiyah transforms traditional mindsets into modern, rational, and law-conscious behavior by issuing responsive fatwas that regulate social interactions (muamalah). Legal Culture: In accordance with Lawrence M. Friedman’s theory, Muhammadiyah internalizes values of discipline, integrity, and legal literacy through its vast network of thousands of educational and health institutions (AUM). Welfare State & Constitutional Jihad: The organization acts as a strategic partner to the state by providing inclusive public services and conducting "Constitutional Jihad" through judicial reviews to ensure national laws remain aligned with public interest and social justice. The study concludes that Muhammadiyah's concept of Darul Ahdi wa Syahadah provides a theological and ethical foundation for viewing the state as a field of service. This synergy between socio-religious movements and developmental law creates a sustainable model for inclusive national legal development in Indonesia.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

40 authors · 93 co-authorship links · 1 across different organisations · showing the 40 most connected

Hover or tap a name to highlight its co-authors. Double-click to open the author's page.

  • State University of Semarang
  • Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Different organisations
  • Same organisation
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Thicker line = more joint articles · bigger circle = more articles
Show as table
Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
Martitah MartitahAffiliation unknown8
Pujiono PujionoAffiliation unknown6
Yuli Prasetyo AdhiAffiliation unknown5
Rini FidiyaniAffiliation unknown4
MUHAMMAD SHIDQON PRABOWOAffiliation unknown3
Yuli Prasetyo AdhiAffiliation unknown3
Abraham AbrahamAffiliation unknown2
Windi AgustinAffiliation unknown2
Masyitha Aulia ArifaAffiliation unknown2
Saru ArifinAffiliation unknown2
Rahmawati Mohd. YusoffAffiliation unknown2
Dani MuhtadaAffiliation unknown2
I Made Widia Wirya PutraAffiliation unknown2
Gianefi SafitriDirektorat Jenderal Imigrasi1
Andry SetiawanAffiliation unknown1
Ivan Bhakti YudistiraAffiliation unknown1
SIGIT EKA PRAMONOAffiliation unknown1
NURROHMAH NURROHMAHAffiliation unknown1
RATNA WIDYANINGSIHAffiliation unknown1
Delia PangestiAffiliation unknown1
Muhamad Syahrul ApriliyantoAffiliation unknown1
Khasanah S. L.Affiliation unknown1
Harry NugrohoAffiliation unknown1
Pradita Adila LarasatiAffiliation unknown1
LAGA SUGIARTOAffiliation unknown1
Arif HidayatAffiliation unknown1
Hayyu SasviaAffiliation unknown1
Indrayana Chandra KarunaAffiliation unknown1
R. SuhartoAffiliation unknown1
Slamet SumartoAffiliation unknown1
Jafar SidikAffiliation unknown1
Asep RozaliAffiliation unknown1
Deni HaspadaAffiliation unknown1
Edi PramonoAffiliation unknown1
Sang Ayu Putu RahayuAffiliation unknown1
Altares Ainun QadisahAffiliation unknown1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/iccle/oai, first harvested 5 Nov 2026, last seen 5 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en">Muhammadiyah as an Agent of Social Engineering in Perspective of Development Law Theory</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Yves Paath</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Sanggalangi, Christian Isal</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Muh. Algifari</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Dewi Sulistianingsih</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Muhammadiyah</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Development Legal Theory</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Social Engineering</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Legal Cuture</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Welfare State</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">The existence of Muhammadiyah as Indonesia’s largest socio-religious organization has evolved from a religious purification movement into a comprehensive legal reform force that aligns with national development. This study aims to analyzes Muhammadiyah’s role through the lens of Mochtar Kusumaatmadja’s Theory of Developmental Law, which positions law as a "tool of social engineering" to steer societal change toward modernization. Using a normative-empirical legal research method with a qualitative approach, this study examines how Muhammadiyah bridges the gap between formal regulations (law in books) and social reality (law in action). The analysis focuses on three primary pillars: Social Engineering: Through the Majelis Tarjih dan Tajdid, Muhammadiyah transforms traditional mindsets into modern, rational, and law-conscious behavior by issuing responsive fatwas that regulate social interactions (muamalah). Legal Culture: In accordance with Lawrence M. Friedman’s theory, Muhammadiyah internalizes values of discipline, integrity, and legal literacy through its vast network of thousands of educational and health institutions (AUM). Welfare State &amp;amp; Constitutional Jihad: The organization acts as a strategic partner to the state by providing inclusive public services and conducting "Constitutional Jihad" through judicial reviews to ensure national laws remain aligned with public interest and social justice. The study concludes that Muhammadiyah's concept of Darul Ahdi wa Syahadah provides a theological and ethical foundation for viewing the state as a field of service. This synergy between socio-religious movements and developmental law creates a sustainable model for inclusive national legal development in Indonesia.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Universitas Negeri Semarang</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2026-04-12</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/iccle/article/view/44220</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.15294/ijicle.v8i1.44220</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">The Indonesian Journal of International Clinical Legal Education; Vol. 8 No. 1 (2026): Development Law and Social Engineering; 1-26</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2721-8368</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.15294/ijicle.v8i1</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/iccle/article/view/44220/9021</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2026 Yves Paath, Christian Isal Sanggalangi, Muh. Algifari, Dewi Sulistianingsih (Author)</dc:rights>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0</dc:rights>
</oai_dc:dc>