Analysis of Intra-Religious Tolerance as a Manifestation of Religious Moderation among Master’s Students of Islamic Religious Education
Abstract
Intra-religious tolerance refers to the attitude of respecting and accepting differences in religious interpretations, worship practices, and organizational affiliations within the same religious community. In the Islamic context, intra-religious tolerance represents an important manifestation of religious moderation that enables internal diversity among Muslims to be managed through dialogue and mutual respect. This study aims to analyze students’ understanding of intra-religious tolerance, its manifestation in social interactions, and the challenges influencing its implementation among Master's students of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga. This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and documentation involving four second-semester Master's students of Islamic Religious Education selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman, which consists of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that students perceive intra-religious tolerance as the ability to maintain personal religious convictions while respecting differences among fellow Muslims. Such tolerance is manifested through open dialogue, academic collaboration, and harmonious social relationships despite differences in schools of thought, religious traditions, and organizational affiliations. The most significant finding of this study indicates that religious differences do not automatically lead to conflict. Instead, challenges arise when such differences are accompanied by exclusivist attitudes, absolute truth claims, and group pressures that limit openness to alternative perspectives. These findings suggest that the successful implementation of intra-religious tolerance is determined more by how individuals interpret and negotiate differences than by the differences themselves. This study contributes to the discourse on religious moderation by demonstrating that intra-religious tolerance constitutes a concrete manifestation of the principles of tasamuh (tolerance), tawasuth (moderation), and tawazun (balance) within the context of Islamic higher education.
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References
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