Reconstruction of Islamic Civilization – Book Religious Capitalism Dr. Suwarsono Muhammad’s work is considered to have successfully changed the direction of discussions on Islamic civilization. This book shifts the focus of the discourse from lamenting the past (retrospective) to optimistically looking to the future (prospective).
This view was expressed by economists Akhmad Akbar Susamto, Ph.D., on the book review agenda at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) on Wednesday (3/6).
According to Susamto, the majority of literature on the Muslim world today tends to be stuck in the past. Many studies focus solely on answering why Islamic civilization declined, why economic institutions stagnated, or why Muslim countries lagged behind in development.
However, Suwarsono takes a different approach. He doesn’t stop at historical diagnosis, but instead uses it as a stepping stone to building the future.
“The question now is moving forward. What civilizational strategy can we build? How can Islam regain its presence in a world dominated by capitalism, modern science, and geopolitical shifts?” Susamto said.
From Diagnosis to Civilization Reconstruction
Susamto believes that this shift in focus is the main advantage of the book. Religious CapitalismWhile other thinkers were busy debating the causes of the decline of the people, Suwarsono chose to combine these various diagnoses into a concrete solution.
This solution is formulated in a big concept, namely Religious Capitalism.
One of the important points that Susamto appreciated was the author’s firmness in distinguishing between the reconstruction and reproduction of civilization.
- Reproduction of Civilization: Trying to relive the past raw (literally).
- Reconstruction of Civilization: Taking historical values that are still relevant, reinterpreting them, then arranging them into a new form that suits the challenges of the times.
“Suwarsono isn’t inviting us to reminisce. With this approach, we can avoid two pitfalls at once: romanticism about past glories and resignation (fatalism) toward current decline,” Susamto explained.
See also: The Revival of Islamic Civilization Requires Three Main Pillars
Expanding the Scope of Islamic Economics
Besides offering a revival strategy, this book also succeeds in expanding the scope of discussion on Islamic economics.
So far, discussions on Islamic economics in Indonesia have tended to revolve around technical banking issues, such as contracts, usury laws, zakat, and Islamic financial instruments.
Book Religious Capitalism breaking down these limitations by touching on much more fundamental macro aspects, including:
- History of world trade capitalism.
- Changes in the global geopolitical map.
- The important role of intellectuals and the bourgeoisie (entrepreneurs).
- The development of science as the main infrastructure of civilization.
The book review was attended by academics and students actively discussing the future of the Muslim community. Through the concept of religious capitalism, Suwarsono offered an alternative perspective: Islamic revival cannot be achieved by imitating the past, but by intelligently responding to the challenges of the present. (ID)
Author: Ihsan Darmawan
Photographer: Ihsan Darmawan
Editor: Sakinatudh Dhuhuriyah
source https://www.umy.ac.id/en/kapitalisme-religius-strategi-rekonstruksi-peradaban-islam/
Categories: Islamic Banking, Islamic Finance, Power of Islam