Muhammadiyah, a mainstream Islamic organization in Indonesia, was established during the pergerakan (movement) era, when several bumiputra (Indonesian) organizations emerged and demanded their rights. While most of these organizations were relatively short-lived, Muhammadiyah, which was initially unremarkable, developed into a nationwide organization. This paper describes how its founder, K. H. Ahmad Dahlan, laid the organization’s foundation and clarified his aims, placing his relationships with other organizations into perspective. Dahlan, a religious official at the Grand Mosque in Yogyakarta, was challenged by the modern school system and began reforming traditional religious education around 1908. Supported by Budi Utomo, Indonesia’s first nationalist organization, he built a madrasah, an Islamic school equipped with a modern system. He tried to encourage Muslims to adjust to modern times. Dahlan aimed to bridge the gap between Javanese who enjoyed modern education and the santri who were proficient only in religious knowledge. In the beginning he worked mostly alone, but within a few years he had educated his disciples to become cadres of the organization. He was also involved in Sarekat Islam, the first mass organization advocating for the progress of bumiputra people. Upon learning that Sarekat Islam’s leadership had failed to act on their decision to build a school for training Islamic teachers, Dahlan established a special course to train religious preachers who would teach at Muhammadiyah schools and serve as activists for the movement. Meanwhile, concerned about the widespread hostility toward Christianity in Sarekat Islam circles, he advocated for interfaith harmony and emphasized dialogue among religious leaders. Whether it was due to the division between Muslims with little religious knowledge and santri or conflicts between religions, Dahlan feared the fragmentation of society. Through his interactions with other pergerakan groups he built Muhammadiyah’s organizational base and revealed his ideals.
S. Nasu (Sat,) studied this question.