Azyumardi Azra on Islamic fundamentalism and wasathiyah: insights into contemporary Islamic thought in Indonesia

Azyumardi Azra is recognized as a prominent Indonesian Islamic thinker who envisions Islam as a religion that is ‘smiling and colorful’—full of peace, tolerance, and inclusivity. He emerged as a key advocate of ‘wasathiyah’ Islam, or Islamic moderation, promoting a balanced approach to the relationship between religion and the state. Azra criticizes Muslims who remain entrenched in conservative and traditionalist thinking that seeks to merge religion with politics, using religious symbolism to shape the political system. He argues that such an approach threatens the pluralistic nature of a democratic country. At the same time, Azra rejects the notion of a fully secular state, advocating instead for a harmonious relationship between religion and the state, where both can support each other Using the integrative literature review method by analyzing some previous studies about Islam Fundamentalism and Azra’s thought, this article aims to reconstruct Azra’s ideas on Islamic fundamentalism and his opposition to agendas such as ‘khilafatism’ and the strict implementation of Islamic law. In response to these ideologies, Azra proposes ‘wasathiyah’ Islam as the ideal model for balancing religion and state.