SPs Theater Room UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS: The Graduate School of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta held the 2782nd Thesis Exam at the SPs Theater Room of UIN Jakarta, on Friday, August 15, 2025 with candidate Abdul Fatah Amrullah.

Fatah is a student of the Master of Islamic Studies study program with a concentration in Sharia. Fatah wrote a thesis entitled "Fiqh Muwāṭanah: A Study of the Concept of Citizenship from the Perspective of 'Abdullāh bin Bayyah and Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī ".

This research departs from a fundamental question: how does Islam view the issue of equality of citizens in the context of the life of a pluralistic nation and state? Using qualitative methods, Fatah specifically focuses its study on the thoughts of two prominent contemporary scholars, namely 'Abdullāh bin Bayyah and Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī, who are known for their progressive ideas in responding to social dynamics.

In contrast to some earlier thinkers, such as Sayyid Quṭb, who tended to deny equal citizenship status for non-Muslims in ideological states, Fatah argued the opposite. According to him, views that distinguish the status of citizens based on religion are no longer relevant and tend to be counterproductive in the context of modern countries that uphold the principle of universal equality.

In his research, Fatah found that the idea of fiqh muwāṭanah, or jurisprudence, developed by Bin Bayyah and al-Qaraḍāwī, provides a strong normative basis for guaranteeing equal rights and obligations for all citizens without discrimination. This concept challenges conventional Islamic law approaches and offers a more inclusive and integrative framework.

This thesis is not only limited to theory. Fatah considers that fiqh muwāṭanah has great potential to be a practical solution in strengthening the life of the nation and state. More than that, this concept can serve as an adaptive legal governance framework, capable of reformulating the relationship between Islam, the nation-state, and the concept of citizenship in modern politics.

This study found that both Bin Bayyah and al-Qaraḍāwī succeeded in developing a paradigm of Islamic law that sought a common ground between the authority of religious texts and the demands of ever-evolving social reality. Through this synthesis, citizenship jurisprudence can remain relevant and responsive to the changing times, making it a vital guide for modern society.

The main argument carried out in this thesis is that the distinction of citizenship status embraced by some Muslim thinkers in the past has significant limitations in the current context. Therefore, this research is in line with the views of a number of contemporary scholars, such as Kamali, Scott, and Abdel-Hayy, who call for a reformulation of the concept of citizenship to go beyond the boundaries of religion.

The construction of fiqh muwāṭanah offered by Bin Bayyah and al-Qaraḍāwī succeeded in fulfilling the principle of equality of rights and obligations of citizens through a contextual methodological approach. This paradigm is a strong foundation to encourage equal political participation and create an inclusive and peaceful coexistence of society.

With the results of this research, Fatah made an important contribution to Islamic discourse and citizenship in Indonesia, showing that fiqh has the flexibility to adapt to modern realities. This thesis is clear evidence that the Islamic idea of citizenship can be a solution, not a problem, in building a more just and equal society.

Abdul Fatah Amrullah successfully defended his thesis under the guidance of Prof. Dr. JM Muslimin, MA, and was tested in front of a board of examiners consisting of Prof. Dr. Yusuf Rahman, MA, Prof. Dr. JM Muslimin, MA, Prof. Dr. Abdul Halim, M.Ag and Dr. Masyrofah, M.Si.

After paying attention to the thesis writing, the comments of the examiner team and the candidate's answers, the examiner team determined that Abdul Fatah Amrullah graduated with the predicate of Very Satisfactory. Abdul Fatah Amrullah is the 2782nd master in the field of Islamic Studies, in the master's program of the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. (JA)