Reconstructing Tawhidic Humanism: Nurcholish Madjid and the Transformation of Intellectual Da’wah in Contemporary Islam

Abstract

This study examines the ethical and humanistic dimensions of tawhid in the thought of Nurcholish Madjid and their implications for the transformation of contemporary intellectual da’wah. The study responds to the growing tendency of religious formalism, ideological polarization, and the weakening of ethical public engagement in contemporary Muslim societies. While previous scholarship has extensively explored Madjid’s ideas on pluralism, secularization, democracy, and Islamic neo-modernism, limited attention has been paid to the interconnections among tawhid, human dignity, rationality, intellectual freedom, pluralism, and intellectual da’wah within a unified framework. Employing qualitative library research with an interpretivist orientation, this study combines intellectual-historical analysis, hermeneutic interpretation, and critical discourse analysis of Madjid’s major writings and relevant scholarly works. The findings reveal three interconnected dimensions in his thought: tawhid as the theological basis of human freedom and dignity; rationality and intellectual freedom as foundations of critical religious consciousness; and pluralism, equality, and mutual respect as ethical principles for public life. Based on these dimensions, the study reconstructs tawhidic humanism as an analytical framework linking transcendence to human dignity, rationality, and plural coexistence. Within this framework, intellectual da’wah is understood as a dialogical and transformative process aimed at fostering critical religious consciousness, social responsibility, and ethical engagement in diverse societies.