Idrus Marham: President Prabowo Is Steadfast as a True Muslim

Idrus Marham has assessed that President Prabowo Subianto can be understood as a figure who brings Islamic values to life through his leadership.

Idrus made the remarks in response to widespread public discussion surrounding the book ‘Islam Ala Prabowo’.

“Prabowo is indeed not a santri, but President Prabowo is a true Muslim. His life reflects the values and spirit of Islam. But Prabowo’s Islam is not like our Islam. Some people grow up in the santri tradition, while others are born into a homogeneous Muslim family environment. Prabowo has had a different religious experience,” said Idrus.

According to Idrus, Prabowo’s religiously plural family background makes the steadfastness of his faith as a Muslim all the more interesting to consider objectively.

Prabowo grew up in a family known for its multi-religious background, yet he has maintained his identity and conviction as a Muslim.

“Amid a multi-religious family, maintaining one’s faith is not a simple matter. Therefore, do not judge someone’s Islam solely by whether they come from a pesantren family or not. There is a dimension of steadfastness of faith that must also be respected,” he said.

Idrus contended that the measure of a Muslim should not stop at how eloquently one speaks about religion or how deeply one masters religious texts.

“Does not the Qur’an give great attention to orphans and the poor? Does faith not always carry consequences in deeds? A true Muslim is therefore not merely someone who is clever at understanding religious texts, but someone capable of translating religious values into concrete action,” he said.

Idrus also reminded that Islam should not be understood dichotomously in relation to science. Islam, in his view, holds a holistic outlook on life.

For that reason, the development of science, technology, innovation, education and civilisation should not be positioned in opposition to religion.

“Islam is universal, comprehensive or holistic, integrated and flexible. We must not dichotomise religion against science. Islamic civilisation in fact once experienced a period when religious knowledge, philosophy, medicine, mathematics, astronomy and various disciplines flourished within a single civilisational ecosystem,” he said.