Daftar Isi:
  • The discourses on the application of shari’a law through state enforcement have become public concerns in Indonesia and constituted a controversial issue. The idea of the application has been brought up by a number of Muslim politicians and Muslim groups and organizations that consider shari’a the best solution for the multi-dimension of socio-economic and political crisis upon the downfall of the New Order Regime in 1998. They believe that shari’a enforcement not only fits the spirit of democracy, assuming that the majority of the population in the country is Muslims but also offers a comprehensive solution to the crisis. Unfortunately, this idea is not grounded on a comprehensive apprehension to the nature of shari’a itself and pluralistic Indonesian society but more on political impetus, namely a strong plea to realize an Islamic state that integrates the state and religion and Islam and politics. By examining the Kompilasi Hukum Islam, as one example of shari’a legislation in Indonesia, this article demonstrates the problems of Islamic reform that most proponents of shari’a application have overlooked. It argues that the application of religious law by the state must consider the methodology of the law and its impacts on broader society.