Johor and Traditionalist Islam: What This Means for Malaysia

In a survey conducted by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in May–June 2017, one may be alarmed by the level of conservatism and exclusivism expressed by the Malay respondents living in Johor.¹ For example, 89 per cent of the Malays believed that Malaysia is an Islamic state, and 75 per cent supported the implementation of hudud laws in Johor (punitive Islamic laws which include stoning, whipping and amputation as modes of punishment).² One would expect those living in the rural states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah, the states which were once governed by conservative Islamic party PAS (Islamic Party of Malaysia), to demonstrate such views. Yet, these sentiments were expressed by Malays residing in the highly urbanized, modern state of Johor, which is ruled by a religiously moderate sultan and the Malay nationalist party, UMNO (United Malays National Organisation). Moreover, observers have regarded Johor as a bastion of moderate, cultural and Sufi (spiritual) Islam. Is Johor experiencing a wave of Salafism-Wahhabism? In this chapter, I argue that Johor is not undergoing the Salafism-Wahhabism that may be experienced in some other Malaysian states; yet, this does not necessarily translate into a less exclusivist mode of thinking among the masses.

One has to go back a century to understand the nature of Islam practised in Johor, and how its religious elites have warded off influences from the Middle East. Historically, Islam in the state was tied to the royal courts, and Sufism was the dominant mode of orientation. In 1916, Haji Abdul Karim Amrullah,³ an Islamic religious scholar (ulama) from Sumatra, who was influenced by the reformist movement in the Middle East, made a sneering remark about the Mufti of Johor. "To become a Government Mufti in Malaya is a great glory", he said. "You have an official uniform, with a whole banana-comb of epaulettes on the shoulder, a jubbah [Arabian-style garment] embroidered with gold thread, a silk turban, and your own car. The ra'ayat [people] fear and obey you, eat the scraps from your table, your spat of sireh [betel leaf]. And if you want to get married … Bismillah [anytime with God's consent]."⁴ Muftis are religious scholars whose role is to provide guidance to the Muslim community and issue fatwas (religious rulings). In Malaysia, muftis are appointed by the Malay Rulers. Ideally, an alim (singular for ulama) must not blindly serve the interest of ruling elites; instead, they must be pious individuals who protect the interests of the religious community. Haji Abdul Karim's harsh words showed that he must have felt strongly that the Johor Mufti of his time had been falling far short of those ideals.

Haji Abdul Karim and the then–Johor Mufti came from rival schools of thought.⁵ Haji Abdul Karim was a key player in the reformist/modernist movement in Sumatra, which called for Indonesian Muslims to return to the fundamentals of the Qur'an and the Hadith (sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad). The movement appealed for a "pure" Islam in Indonesia, one erased of local beliefs coloured with mysticism and irrationalism.

The reformists' position on theology, rituals and cultural practices was in fact quite similar to that held by Salafi-Wahhabi scholars. Salafism is a Sunni orientation that can be traced back to the theologian Ibn Taimiyyah (b.1263–d.1328). It urges Muslims to return to Islam's pristine past, and considers the first three generations after Prophet Muhammad's death as the ideal period for Islamic societies to copy. Salafis believe that ideas and scholarship generated by savants of these three generations should therefore be applied in contemporary social and political life. One of the main tenets of Salafism is its rejection of Islamic innovations. Its followers can, however, be either progressive or regressive in their religious outlook. For progressive Salafis, reliving the system of the first three generations after the Prophet means the upholding of its values and principles. They embrace modern social life and scientific knowledge, but promote ideals such as justice, gender equality and human rights. Some Salafis are even tolerant...