CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION MATERIAL IN ISLAM: A NEW INTERPRETATION OF THE CONCEPT OF THE UMMAH

Abstract

This article is aimed at revealing the range meaning of the term ummah and reformulating it in the current modern context. The reconstruction of a comprehensive understanding of the concept of the ummah can become the main education material in the content of citizenship in Islam. The term is stated in the Qur’an 64 times in 24 different chapters, surah, through two expressions of meaning. First, it is used in homonym with several meaning like certain time, model, animals, related to term ummî, or genie. Secondly, it is used in terms of unification of religious community with its all branches. As comparison, in the Madinah Carter the term is used in two senses of meaning. First, in the article 1, with likely exclusive sense, it is used to mean an organization or community that shares a same religion. Secondly, in the article 25, with more inclusive sense, it is used to mean a pluralistic community. The two kind of using the term ummah indicate that Islam has given clear identity to the concept of ummah and taught a spirit of universality. It is important to explain this valuable material to broaden the horizons of Islamic religious education teachers in fiqh siyasah insight.