The Ulama and The State Politics During Pandemic: A Study on the Covid-19 Related Fatwa of the Council of Indonesian Ulama

Abstract

This study examines the contemporary dynamics of the relationship between the Council of Indonesian Ulama (Majelis Ulama Indonesia/MUI) and the Indonesian government. As far as the MUI is concerned, the council has experienced a changing position concerning the Indonesian state relationship, from being the custodian of the government (khÄdim al-ḥukÅ«ma) to the custodian of the Indonesian Muslim community (khÄdim al-umma). This changing position appears mainly through MUI legal opinion (fatwÄs). Considering the current situation in Indonesia, where the Covid-19 pandemic has stormed, this article analyzes the relationship between MUI and the government. It examines MUI's fatwÄs issued during the pandemic, especially those related to public worship, economy, and health. This article argues that MUI's related fatwÄs on Covid-19 indicate a new turnback with MUI and the Indonesian state relationship. The fatwas show a strong direction that MUI leads to the position of khÄdim al-ḥukÅ«ma rather than khÄdim al-umma.