Basically, Muhammadiyah is a reform movement. The movement of Tadjid fil-Islam. The most profound essence of the Islamic movement established by Kyai Haji Ahmad Dahlan is the flame of reform/renewal. This characteristic is more prominent than other characteristics. Theology, ideology, and action model of Muhammadiyah are renewal leading to Islamic modernism or reformism. Those reform endeavors are actualized to break the stagnation of ummah by fostering a progressive Islamic teachings. In addition, Muhammadiyah has pioneered the system of modern Islamic education, health, and social services, community empowerment through Al-Ma'un movement, women's movement in the public through 'Aisyiyah, and reform works which revive the advancement of Islamic world and modernization of civil life. This reform is departed from the theme of al-ruju ila al-Qur'an wa al-Sunnah, namely a return to the Qur'an and the Prophet's Sunnah. The endeavours of purification of Islam to pursue the authentic teachings, as well as to establish a progressive Islam. Despite it frequently assumed to be ad-hoc, the span of twentieth century Muhammadiyah reform is a breakthrough. In the advance, directly and indirectly, it has been a state of mind for the majority of Muslim in Indonesia, including the previous oppositions.

This book explores the connections between traditional Islamic education, rising religious intolerance, religious attitudes to gender, campaigns for curricula innovation and modernisation, and politics and society in Indonesia. Drawing on extensive original research and the deep experience of the authors, the book highlights tensions between traditional Islamic educators and modernisers, and between different understandings of Islam, emphasising the importance of these issues for the future of Indonesia.

The Muhammadijah (or Muhammadiyah) movement was founded by Ahmad Dahlan in 1912 and evolved to emphasize religious and secular education, personal moral responsibility, and a tolerance for other faiths. It is the second largest Islamic organization in Indonesia with an estimated 30 million followers. In 1970, James L. Peacock spent eight months in Indonesia immersing himself in the thinking, religious practice, and daily lives of Muhammadijah followers. Published in 1978, this historical and ethnographic study was one of the first books about this major Islamic reform movement and is considered an insightful and relevant work to this day.

In recent times, there has been intense global interest on and scrutiny of Islamic education. In reforming Islamic schools, what are the key actions initiated and are they contested or negotiated by and among Muslims? This edited collection brings together leading scholars to explore current reforms in Islamic schools. Drawing together international case studies, Reforms in Islamic Education critically discusses the reforms, considering the motivations for them, nature of them and perceptions and experiences of people affected by them. The contributors also explore the tensions, resistance, contestations and negotiations between Muslims and non-Muslims, and among Muslims, in relation to the reforms. Highlighting the need to understand and critique reforms in Islamic schools within broad historical, political and socio-cultural contexts, this book is a valuable resource for academics, policymakers and educators.