Negotiating Islamic identity among urban middle-class Muslims : cases from Islamic private tutoring institutions in Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

This study delves into the intricate religious identity challenges faced by urban middle-class Muslims as they navigate their roles as modern Muslims. The increasing prevalence of secularism as the impact of modernity, Islamism phenomena in the urban city, and Islamic revivalism's impacts offers educated Muslims an opportunity to establish non-formal Islamic education platforms in the form of Islamic private tutoring institutions through intellectual discourse, aiming to influence urban middle-class Muslim families in shaping their children's Islamic identity. To achieve its objectives, this study employs Brekhus concepts of "marked identity" and "unmarked identity". It demonstrates how the marked identity group can exert influence over the unmarked identity group under certain circumstances. Employing qualitative research methods and socio-political approaches, this investigation conducts in-depth interviews and close observation of two prominent non-formal Islamic education namely Alif iqra and Igralabs both located in Jakarta. This study argues that Islamic private tutoring institutions as non- formal Islamic education have a role in shaping urban middle-class Muslims' Islamic identity amid modernity. The ability of educated Muslims to revive Islamic knowledge in a modern way provides a complete picture of Islam which attracted urban middle-class Muslim families. This process not only fosters a sense of modern Muslim identity but also instills a moderate Islamic identity aligned with the values of the Qur'an and Sunnah. It sheds light on the complexities of Muslim dilemmas in shaping their distinct religious identity.