Interfaith Da’wah in Indonesia: A Hermeneutic Perspective on the Hadith of Abu Daud and Bukhari

Abstract

This article analyses interfaith Da’wah (“issuing a summons,” “invitation,” or “call” and it refers to the preaching of Islam and the appeal to acquiesce to Allah) in Indonesia from the perspective of the hermeneutics of Abu Daud’s hadith and Bukhari’s hadith. Interfaith preaching is an interesting discourse in the effort to increase heterogeneity in Indonesia. The urgency of this research is to analyse the Prophet Muhammad’s way of conducting interfaith da’wah that successfully unites differences with relevant da’wah strategies. This article used a qualitative research approach and a literature study. The main data used in this research are the Hadith Abu Daud, Hadith Sahih Bukhari, and the Qur’an. The data was analysed using the hadith hermeneutics technique which is validated by using the Takhrij al-Hadis method. The results show that the level of Abu Daud’s hadith on interfaith da’wah speaks to the commandment of compassion to to be shown towards all people on earth, while the Sahih Bukhari hadith is oriented to the way the Prophet Muhammad interacted with Jews and Christians with humanistic ethical slant. The Qur’an also says that the ethics of interfaith da’wah are contained in prophetic values that can be implemented in society. In the Indonesian context, interfaith da’wah has several roles, namely: Understanding and appreciating differences, Supporting tolerance and harmony, Building inclusive policies, Overcoming religious conflicts and tensions, and Strengthening national identity.