Peran Organisasi Muhammadiyah Pada Masa Mempertahankan Kemerdekaan di Sulawesi Selatan

Abstract

The proclamation of Indonesian independence on August 17, 1945, did not immediately bring stability, but instead gave rise to a series of serious challenges in the form of the threat of resurgent colonialism and internal separatist unrest. In this context, the role of religious-based community organizations became very strategic, but academic studies on Muhammadiyah's contribution at the regional level particularly in South Sulawesi remain very limited. This study aims to examine the historical role of Muhammadiyah in South Sulawesi in maintaining Indonesian independence, encompassing the dimensions of armed struggle, political diplomacy, social empowerment, and the roles of its key figures. The study uses a historical approach with historical research methods that include four stages: heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography. Data were collected through the study of archival documents, primary organizational sources, contemporary newspapers, interviews with historical figures and witnesses, and various secondary sources in the form of books and scientific journal articles. The results show that Muhammadiyah in South Sulawesi plays a significant multidimensional role. Institutionally, this organization has been present since 1926 and has built a solid network of cadres in various regions. During the armed struggle, its cadres were actively involved in the fighters' militias, and its ulama issued fatwas (religious edicts) for jihad, which had a significant impact on mass mobilization. Through diplomacy, Muhammadiyah figures implemented a strategy of struggle from within in confronting the formation of the State of East Indonesia. Furthermore, a network of charitable organizations, including schools, clinics, and mosques, served as social infrastructure that supported the ongoing struggle. Muhammadiyah in South Sulawesi was not merely a peripheral actor, but a major force that contributed significantly to maintaining Indonesian independence, leaving behind an institutional, value, and epistemological legacy that remains relevant to the contemporary era.