Towards a progressive interpretation of Ummah

Abstract

This paper elaborates the discourse of the development of Ummah from various contemporary literatures that had been produced by Muslim and non-Muslim scholars and intellectuals, ranging from Muslim and Western countries. With the progressive perspective of multiple modernities and intercivilisational approach, this paper argues that the concept of Ummah should be interpreted as a modern concept of inclusive cosmopolitan-humanitarian solidarity that emphasise values of liberalism, pluralism, democracy, human rights and sustainable development. This concept has been also strengthened by a sociological representation of the tradition of Islam Nusantara. Its relative historical continuity in the process of the development of the micro sociological dimension of tradition, it explains that this concept of Ummah is not rootless. Consequently, it can be understood that its applicability is relatively possible.