Three churches in Surabaya exploded within minutes of each other on May 13, 2018. The bombers were a single family, including children. Two weeks later, Muslim scholars from 30 countries met in Bogor, Indonesia, to formalize a response grounded in Islamic theology rather than security measures alone.
Their answer: wasatha.
The concept comes from verse 143 of Surah Al-Baqarah, where the Quran describes Muslims as “ummatan wasathan,” a middle community. What started as a theological discussion in Bogor has become the foundation for how Indonesia and Malaysia now approach religious moderation. Universities teach it. Government ministries fund it. Islamic organizations have built entire programs around it.
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The Quranic Foundation
Wasatha appears in a verse about changing the qiblah, the direction Muslims face during prayer. Early Muslims originally prayed toward Jerusalem. When God commanded them to face Mecca instead, some rejected the change. The verse identifies those who accepted it as a balanced community, positioned to witness truth.
Islamic scholars have interpreted “wasat” to mean justice, excellence, and the middle position between extremes. The word itself carries weight in Arabic, referring to the best part of something, not just what sits in the middle.
What Bogor Changed
The World Muslim Scholars consultation in May 2018 produced what became known as the Bogor Message. Seven principles:
Tawassuth: Holding to the middle path in religious interpretation I’tidal: Maintaining fairness and proportionality in action
Tasamuh: Accepting differences without compromising core beliefs Syuro: Resolving disagreements through consultation Islah: Working toward reform that benefits everyone Qudwah: Leading through example rather than coercion Muwathonah: Recognizing citizenship as compatible with faith
These were not new ideas. But making them explicit, backed by scholars with credentials across the Muslim world, gave local organizations something concrete to work with.
Muhammadiyah, which runs thousands of schools and hospitals across Indonesia, adopted the framework immediately. So did Nahdlatul Ulama, the country’s largest Islamic organization. Between them, they reach tens of millions of Indonesian Muslims.
How It Works on the Ground
Abdul Mu’ti, Muhammadiyah’s Secretary General, broke wasatha into five practical applications during an August 2024 presentation in London.
First, Muslims should demonstrate goodness that others want to emulate. Second, they need balance between religious devotion and worldly participation. Third, they must apply justice in how they evaluate knowledge and make judgments. Fourth, they should avoid both rigid fundamentalism and complete abandonment of religious practice. Fifth, they have responsibilities as citizens of their countries.
Indonesia implements these ideas through its Islamic universities. UIN Salatiga developed measurement tools in 2024 to assess whether students actually understand wasatha or just memorize talking points. Early results show that students grasp tolerance more easily than balance, which requires ongoing judgment calls rather than fixed rules.
Malaysia takes a different approach. The government created official wasathiyyah programs run through ministries. Critics say this centralizes control over religious interpretation. Supporters argue it prevents radical groups from filling the vacuum.
The contrast shows up in results. Indonesian Islamic organizations operate independently but align with government counter-extremism goals. Malaysian programs have more funding but less grassroots credibility.
The Pushback
Conservative scholars argue that wasatha gets used to water down authentic Islamic teachings. When everything becomes about moderation, where do you draw lines on fundamental beliefs?
Mohammad Hashim Kamali addressed this in his 2015 book for Oxford University Press. He argues that wasatha does not mean compromising on core theology. It means avoiding excess in how those beliefs get practiced and imposed on others.
The debate plays out differently across countries. In Indonesia, it happens through competing interpretations from various Islamic organizations. In Malaysia, government control makes the discussion more constrained.
Meanwhile, liberal critics worry that moderation talk can silence legitimate challenges to authority. If religious leaders label criticism as extremism, wasatha becomes a tool for control rather than balance.
Why This Matters Beyond Southeast Asia
Muslim-majority countries across the Middle East and North Africa watch what happens in Indonesia and Malaysia. If wasatha can reduce extremism while maintaining religious identity, it offers a model others might follow.
But the concept only works when communities see it as authentic Islamic teaching rather than government messaging. That requires scholars with religious credibility, not just bureaucrats with budgets.
The test will come in how the next generation understands these ideas. Islamic universities in Indonesia now graduate thousands of students each year who studied wasatha as part of their curriculum. Whether they apply those principles in their mosques, schools, and communities will determine if this becomes a lasting shift or just another failed initiative.
Right now, wasatha represents the most organized attempt by Muslim-majority countries to counter extremism using Islamic theology itself. The Surabaya bombers believed they were following their faith. Organizations promoting wasatha argue they were following a distortion. Which interpretation wins will shape Islam’s future in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation and beyond.
