KH. Maimun Zubair’s Perspective on the Ittibā‘ Al-Fuqahā’ and its Relevance to Indonesia’s Socio-Religious Life

Abstract

This article examines KH. Maimun Zubair’s thought on ittibā‘ toward jurists and its relevance to socio-religious life in Indonesia. Using a qualitative library research design and an intellectual biography approach, the study analyzes al-‘Ulamā’ al-Mujaddidūn Raḥimahum Allāh Ta‘ālā wa Majāl Tajdīdihim wa Ijtihādihim, especially the chapter on following jurists in the textual formulations of school-based legal works without fanaticism toward a single school. The data are interpreted through descriptive-analytical reading and content analysis. The findings show that KH. Maimun conceptualizes ittibā‘ as an epistemological discipline that protects religious authority, maintains the continuity of legal schools, and prevents lay Muslims from unsupported claims of ijtihad. Ittibā‘ is not blind obedience; rather, it is a responsible adherence to scholars who possess sanad, competence, and the methodological instruments of legal reasoning. In contemporary Indonesia, this idea is relevant to strengthening religious literacy, moderation, pesantren authority, and social resilience amid fragmented digital religious authority.