REFRAMING SUFISM AS A FRAMEWORK FOR RELIGIOUS MODERATION: Negotiating Islamic Authority and Social Cohesion in the Indonesian Majelis Pengkajian Tauhid Tasawuf (MPTT-I)

Muhammad Riza (Institut Agama Islam Negeri Takengon)
Ridwan Nurdin (Institut Agama Islam Negeri Takengon)
Ibnu Qodir (Institut Agama Islam Negeri Takengon)
Dicky Wirianto (STAI Nusantara Kota Banda Aceh)
Mardianto Mardianto (Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara)

MIQOT: Jurnal Ilmu-ilmu Keislaman
Vol 50, No 1 (2026)

While religious moderation has become a central discourse in Indonesia’s pluralistic society, existing studies have largely examined it through legal-political and institutional frameworks, leaving its spiritual-ethical dimension, particularly the role of Sufism (tasawuf), insufficiently explored. This study addresses this gap by examining how Sufi traditions serve as a conceptual and practical resource for constructing religious moderation at the grassroots level. Using a qualitative case study of the Majelis Pengkajian Tauhid Tasawuf Indonesia (MPTT-I) congregation in Aceh, this research employed purposive and snowball sampling to gather data from key informants, including Abuya Amran Wali Al-Khalidi, district leaders (wali nanggroe), and MPTT-I members. The data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model, consisting of data collection, condensation, display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that MPTT-I integrates three major Sufi traditions, namely falsafi, sunni, and akhlaqi, into its spiritual teachings. These traditions form a moral-spiritual framework that nurtures religious moderation through values such as balance (tawâzun), acceptance of diversity, self-restraint, tolerance, compassion, and communal harmony. This study contributes by proposing a Sufism-based model of religious moderation, showing that moderation emerges not only from policy or doctrine but also from embodied spiritual practice.