Reconstructing Cross-Madhhab Islamic Brotherhood in the Modern Era: Sayyid Muhammad al-Maliki’s Epistemology of Moderation and Anti Takfir

Abstract

The contemporary Muslim ummah faces internal fragmentation due to sectarianism, takfir (excommunication), and the erosion of classical ethics of disagreement (adab al-ikhtilaf), a crisis intensified by digital-age polarization. This study reconstructs the epistemology of cross madhhab unity as articulated by Sayyid Muhammad bin Alawy al-Maliki (1944–2004) and examines its relevance for multicultural Islamic education. Employing a qualitative library research design with an intellectual-historical approach, the study analyzed al-Maliki’s major works, particularly Mafahim Yajib an Tushahhah, using thematic content analysis and hermeneutic interpretation. Al-Maliki diagnosed disunity as confusion between foundational creed (ushul) and jurisprudential branches (furu’), truth monopolism, and loss of adab al-ikhtilaf. He proposed an epistemology grounded in Ahlul Qiblah (any Muslim facing Mecca is immune from takfir), reframed ikhtilaf as intellectual heritage, and operationalized unity through prophetic love (mahabbah), civil dialogue, and sanad-based transmission. Empirical evidence from Indonesia shows that regions with dense al-Maliki alumni networks, such as East Java, maintain religious tolerance scores of 73.9/100 and rank “highly harmonious” on the national Religious Harmony Index (73.7), though causal links remain preliminary. Al-Maliki’s framework offers an actionable pedagogy of moderation for multicultural Islamic education, with direct implications for curriculum design, digital literacy, and cross-madhhab peacebuilding.