Muhammadiyah's Manhaj Tarjih: Creed or Methodology?

In coffee shops, WhatsApp study groups, and even in the classrooms of preachers, a question often arises with a hint of suspicion: “Is Manhaj Tarjih actually a new school of thought? A new creed within Muhammadiyah?”

That question is natural, but the definition must be firm: Manhaj Tarjih is not a creed. It is a methodology. The error of equating the two can have fatal consequences. If we consider Manhaj Tarjih to be a creed, we would imagine something sacred, final, and beyond criticism. In reality, from the beginning, Muhammadiyah designed it as a tool for ijtihad that is very open to criticism and development.

What is Creed, and What is Methodology?

Muhammasting already has a clear formulation of its creed, as stated in the ‘Matan Keyakinan dan Cita-Cita Hidup Muhammadiyah’ (Text of Belief and Life Aspirations of Muhammadiyah). It states that Muhammadiyah adheres to the Islamic creed sourced from the Qur’an and Sunnah, following the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah school of creed.

Creed belongs to the realm of ‘tsawabit’—unchanging fundamentals. It concerns the oneness of Allah, prophethood, and the Day of Judgment, which do not change with the times. Meanwhile, Manhaj Tarjih belongs to the realm of ‘mutaghayyirat’—the ways in which we understand religion that can evolve. The official definition from the Majelis Tarjih dan Tajdid of the Central Leadership describes it as “a system containing a collection of insights, sources, approaches, and methods” in the process of tarjih.

Thus, the formula is simple: Creed answers the question of WHAT we believe. Manhaj Tarjih answers HOW we believe and formulate those beliefs.

Why Must It Be Called Methodology, Not Creed?

There are three fundamental reasons.

First, its history of creation. The Majelis Tarjih was established in 1927 not to create a new creed. KH Mas Mansur proposed it because the expanding Muhammadiyah was experiencing many secondary religious disputes (furu’iyah). There was a need for an institution to mediate using the strongest evidence. Therefore, from its inception, it was an institution of weighing opinions, not a creator of beliefs.

Initially, the work of Tarjih was merely selecting the most preponderant (rajih) opinions of scholars. Over time, its meaning expanded to become synonymous with ijtihad itself. It no longer merely selects, but digs directly from the Qur’an and Sunnah to answer new problems that even classical scholars had not discussed.

Second, its content consists of methods, not dogma. Within Manhaj Tarjih, one will not find a new declaration of faith. Instead, what is found are working tools:

Sources: The Qur’an and the Acceptable Sunnah (As-Sunnah Al-Maqbulah).

Approaches: Bayani (based on text), Burhani (based on reason and science), and Irfani (based on spiritual sensitivity and wisdom).

This trilogical approach is what makes Muhammadiyah unique. It is neither a rigid textualism that rejects science, nor a liberalism that abandons sacred texts. When the Majelis Tarjih discusses the ‘Fiqh of Water’ or the ‘Fiqh of Disaster,’ the evidence regarding water is studied via the Bayani approach, while hydrological and climatological data are presented via the Burhani approach, and the value of responsibility as a caliph is presented via the Irfani approach.

This is methodological work, not the establishment of a creed.

Third, the consequences are different. If Manhaj Tarjih were a creed, then a different method would imply heresy. However, the very nature of Manhaj Tarjih is tolerance and openness. Within the Manhaj documents, it states a vision of tolerance and non-affiliation with any specific school of thought, yet it is not anti-school of thought.

Muhammadiyah never declares those who do not use Manhaj Tarjih to be disbelievers. However, Muhammadiyah requires its members to understand religion through a method that can be accounted for, rather than through mere imitation.

Conclusion

Placing Manhaj Tarjih in its proper place as a methodology is a way to preserve the purity of Muhammadiyah itself. If we regard it as a creed, we will create a new, exclusive sect. If we understand it as a methodology, we are actually nurturing the original spirit of Muhammadiyah: a movement of renewal (tajdid) that liberates the community from blind imitation (taqlid), through a way of thinking that is systematic, open, and firmly rooted in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Manhaj Tarjih is not meant to be believed in. It is meant to be used.