The Abstract outlines the paper's core research question regarding whether the Qur'anic term Islām signifies a specific institutionalized religion or a generic moral attitude of self-surrender. It highlights the context of responding to Nurcholish Madjid's inclusive theology and religious pluralism. Using comparative and content analysis of Qur'anic linguistic structures (such as definite articles and pronouns), the abstract summarizes three key findings: the dual nature of universality (partial/temporary vs. comprehensive/perennial), pre-Prophetic Islam as multiple Millah, and post-Prophetic Islam as a single Dīn, concluding that Islām in the Qur'an is closer to being defined as the name of a religion.

The Introduction contextualizes religious pluralism and divine salvation globally and within Indonesia, noting major debates sparked by thinkers like John Hick and official responses like the 2005 MUI fatwa. It introduces Nurcholish Madjid's view that Qur'anic Islām refers to an inner moral attitude of submission to God rather than solely an institutionalized faith. The section identifies a critical research gap: the lack of a systematic, thematic, and linguistic analysis of all Qur'anic verses mentioning Islām, and outlines the paper's comparative and content methodologies aimed at resolving whether Islām is primarily a generic attitude or a defined religion.

From Jakarta to Chicago:
This section traces the intellectual trajectory and educational background of Nurcholish Madjid (1939-2005). Born in Jombang, East Java, Madjid studied at Darul Ulum, Pesantren Gontor, and IAIN Jakarta, where exposure to figures like Harun Nasution initiated his shift toward Islamic modernism. His early BA thesis already reflected a focus on the universal meaning of the Qur'an. His involvement with the HMI student organization and subsequent postgraduate studies at the University of Chicago under Fazlur Rahman and Leonard Binder consolidated his inclusive theology, aligning his ideas with scholars like Muhammad Asad, Yusuf Ali, and Wilfred Cantwell Smith despite domestic controversies.

Islām: Between Particularity and Universality:
This section examines Madjid’s interpretation of Islām as generic submission to God, referencing verses Q 3:19 and Q 3:85. Madjid used Ibn Taimiyyah’s concepts to distinguish between General Islam (submitting to God regardless of organized religion) and Specific Islam (adherence to Prophet Muhammad's teachings), supported by scholars like Muhammad Asad. To test this hypothesis, the author presents a thematic table analyzing all eight Qur'anic occurrences of Islām. The analysis reveals that Islām always appears as a defined noun (ism ma‘rifah) and is frequently paired with Dīn without being attached to any prophet other than Muhammad, indicating a specific, defined religion.

Is Islām Single or Multiple?:
This section explores whether Islām is single or multiple by contrasting Madjid’s view of multiple outward manifestations of submission with the Qur'anic usage of Millah and Dīn. Through a comprehensive distribution table of Millah (occurring 19 times across 17 verses), the author demonstrates that Millah refers to partial, temporal quasi-religions assigned to specific earlier prophets and communities (such as Ibrahim). In contrast, Dīn—as analyzed through Naquib al-Attas's semantic framework—represents a comprehensive, perennial, and universal religion entrusted exclusively to Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.). A visual diagram illustrates the transition from pre-Muhammadan multiple Millah to post-Muhammadan single Dīn.

The Conclusion summarizes the paper's main findings in response to Madjid’s religious pluralism. Applying Arabic grammar rules regarding defined and undefined nouns, the study confirms that while Islām originally carries a generic meaning of self-surrender, its Qur'anic usage establishes a clear distinction between pre-Prophetic partial/temporary revelations (Millah) and post-Prophetic comprehensive/perennial religion (Dīn). The author asserts that Madjid’s focus on the generic meaning overlooked the integrated Qur'anic system, concluding that Islām in the Qur'an is ultimately best defined as the single, universal name of the religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).

References:
The References section provides a complete, alphabetical list of academic literature, books, journal articles, tafsir works, and primary sources cited throughout the paper. Key entries include works by Nurcholish Madjid, M. Amin Abdullah, Muhammad Asad, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, al-Shahrustānī, Greg Barton, M. Quraish Shihab, Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī, Frithjof Schuon, and John Hick, alongside Indonesian scholarly commentary and official decrees from the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI).

The Abstract serves as a condensed overview of the entire research paper, outlining its core thesis, problem statement, literature context, methodology, and primary conclusions. The study addresses a pivotal yet frequently neglected question in the discourse on religious pluralism and inclusive theology: whether the word Islām in the Qur'an signifies the name of a specific institutionalized religion or merely a general moral attitude of self-surrender to God.

The background of the inquiry is situated within the modern Indonesian intellectual landscape, specifically responding to the influential inclusive theology formulated by Nurcholish Madjid. Madjid argued that Islām in the Qur'an primarily denotes a universal attitude of self-surrender that can encompass followers of various true religions beyond the historical boundaries of organized Islam. The abstract notes that existing literature on Madjid's pluralism has largely focused on his concept of Islam as a common ground among religions, without adequately conducting a rigorous, integrated examination of the linguistic and contextual usage of the word Islām itself within the Qur'anic text.

To address this gap, the study sets out to examine selected Qur'anic verses mentioning Islām, analyzing their internal Arabic grammatical structures—including particles like the definite article al- (the) and attached pronouns like hum (their)—to determine which interpretation aligns more closely with the Qur'an's contextual intent. The scope of the investigation touches upon two broader theological topics: the universality of Islam and the historical formation process of the religion. In terms of presentation, the paper structures its argument by providing a brief intellectual biography of Madjid before proceeding to the textual analysis.

At the methodology stage, the literature study employs two primary analytical methods: comparative analysis and content analysis. The comparative method is used to juxtapose different Qur'anic verses containing the word Islām, while the content method is applied to deduce systematic conclusions based on established Islamic scholarly paradigms.

The abstract summarizes three main research findings resulting from this analysis:
1. First, while Islām carries a generic root meaning of self-surrender from the outset, the universality of teachings associated with Islam is divided into two distinct historical categories: partial and temporary universality, which applied to different groups across various ages prior to the advent of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.); and comprehensive and perennial universality, which applies from the time of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) onwards.
2. Second, pre-Prophetic Islam manifested historically in the form of Millah, which was multiple and varied according to specific prophets and communities.
3. Third, post-Prophetic Islam is the finalized, unified entity designated as Dīn, which is single.

Based on these findings, the abstract concludes that the word Islām in the Qur'an is ultimately closer to being defined as the name of a specific, unified religion rather than an abstract, uninstitutionalized moral attitude.

The Introduction establishes the theoretical, social, and academic context of the research, opening with a discussion on the multi-faceted definitions of religious pluralism. The author notes that when pluralism is understood broadly as an "-ism" aimed at peacefully managing the undeniable reality of human religious diversity, it receives near-universal acceptance. However, when religious pluralism is linked directly to the concept of divine salvation—particularly within the Muslim world—it becomes a subject of intense theological debate and social segregation. Under this salvation-oriented view of pluralism, major world religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Chinese traditions are treated as equally valid paths to attain salvation from the same God. The section quotes philosopher John Hick's preface to Frithjof Schuon's work, which posits that religions converge metaphysically at their divine apex while differing exoterically below.

In the Indonesian context, this debate has sparked significant public controversy and social division, despite official interventions such as the 2005 fatwa issued by the Indonesian Council of Muslim Scholars (MUI) opposing religious pluralism, liberalism, and secularism. Adherents on all sides of the debate claim Qur'anic justification for their stances. Among Indonesian public intellectuals, the late Nurcholish Madjid (1939–2005) was a primary proponent of religious pluralism grounded in inclusive theology. Madjid contended that the Qur'anic term Islām does not merely refer to a specific institutionalized religion as understood in modern times, but fundamentally signifies an inner moral attitude of self-surrender to the One and Only God. According to Madjid's view, any individual who truly submits to God—regardless of whether they belong to Christianity, Judaism, or other faith traditions—can be considered a Muslim in the generic sense.

The Introduction highlights a major research gap: despite extensive public debate, scholars have rarely conducted a systematic, thematic analysis that collects all Qur'anic verses containing the word Islām and evaluates them as an integrated, unified system. To demonstrate this gap, the section reviews several previous studies on Nurcholish Madjid:
- Nasitotul Jannah's article analyzed Madjid's contributions and controversies, noting his promotion of the "anonymous Muslim" concept and inclusive theology, but lacked a comparative systems-based examination of Qur'anic terminology.
- M. Amin Abdullah's book chapter focused on Madjid's broader intellectual engagement with nationalism, modernity, and Islamism, omitting a detailed examination of Madjid's semantic interpretation of Islām.
- Studies by Cahaya Khaeroni and Zainal Abidin approached the subject more closely by discussing Madjid's classification of "General Islam" (Islam Umum) and "Specific Islam" (Islam Khusus) via Ibn Taimiyyah, yet they also lacked an integrated, thematic analysis of Qur'anic verses.

To fill this critical literature gap, the present study aims to offer a thematic linguistic analysis of selected Qur'anic verses dealing with Islām. By examining Arabic grammatical structures such as the definite article al- (the) and pronouns like hum (their) in relation to the universality and formation process of Islam, the research seeks to determine whether Islām is closer to a generic attitude or the name of a specific religion. Methodologically, the study relies on qualitative literature analysis utilizing comparative and content methods, preceded by an examination of Madjid's biographical background and intellectual development.

From Jakarta to Chicago:
This section provides an in-depth intellectual biography of Nurcholish Madjid (1939–2005), tracing the development of his thought across key geographical and educational phases to explain how his inclusive theology was formed. The author emphasizes that no intellectual idea arises in a vacuum, describing Madjid as a neo-modernist Muslim scholar whose ideas were continuously shaped by his schooling, social milieu, and contemporary challenges. Unlike many Muslim scholars who experienced a paradigm shift from traditionalism to modernism only after encountering Western educational institutions, Madjid had already adopted an Islamic modern paradigm prior to beginning his formal studies in the United States.

Born in Jombang, East Java, on March 17, 1939, Madjid began his education within a traditional Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) environment at Darul Ulum boarding school in Jombang. He subsequently moved to Pesantren Gontor, a modern Islamic educational institution widely recognized as the pioneer of modern Islamic schooling in Indonesia. Madjid's primary paradigm shift from traditionalism to modernism occurred during his undergraduate studies at the Jakarta State Islamic Institute (IAIN Jakarta). In Jakarta, he encountered a diverse and challenging intellectual environment under the leadership of Harun Nasution, the Rector of IAIN Jakarta and a pivotal figure in introducing modern and progressive Western paradigms to Indonesian Islamic thought.

During his time at IAIN Jakarta, Madjid authored his Bachelor of Arts thesis titled "Al-Qurān: 'Arabiyyūn Lughatan Ālamiyyūn Ma'nan" (Al-Qur’an: Arabic in Words, Universal in Meanings). This early work demonstrated that even as a young scholar, Madjid was preoccupied with the idea of Islamic universality—specifically how a revelation communicated in the specific Arabic language contained universal meanings applicable to all humanity. This early foundation later expanded into his broader concepts of cosmopolitan Islam.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Madjid was an active student activist, serving two consecutive terms as national president of the Islamic Student Association (Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam – HMI). Through HMI, he collaborated with other progressive young thinkers such as Johan Effendi and Ahmad Wahib. His intellectual promise was recognized internationally when he presented a paper at an academic seminar attended by prominent Islamic scholars Fazlur Rahman and Leonard Binder. Impressed by Madjid's passion for Islamic thought, both scholars recommended him for postgraduate studies at the University of Chicago in the United States.

The Chicago period served as a phase of consolidation and strengthening for Madjid's thought, crystallizing the ideas that would form his inclusive theology. During this time, Madjid identified strong resonances between his own views on the meaning of Islām and those expressed by scholars such as Muhammad Asad, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, and Wilfred Cantwell Smith. Upon returning to Indonesia, Madjid taught at the State Islamic Institute Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta and later established Paramadina University as a platform to seed ideas of modernity, Islamic reform, and Indonesian contextualization. While Madjid's ideas—particularly regarding secularization and pluralism—contributed significantly to modernizing Indonesian Islamic discourse, they also sparked fierce criticism from scholars such as Mohammad Rasjidi, Abdul Qadir Djaelani, and Faisal Ismail.

Islām: Between Particularity and Universality:
This section addresses the core debate between particular and universal interpretations of Islām, contrasting Nurcholish Madjid’s conceptual framework with a detailed Qur'anic linguistic analysis. Etymologically, the Arabic word al-islām derives from the verb root aslama-yuslimu, meaning "to surrender" or "to submit." In Islamic terminology, it signifies an individual's conscious self-submission to God. The person practicing this submission is termed a Muslim, while the religion adhered to is named Islam.

Madjid focused heavily on submission as the core spirit of religion, arguing that the essence of Islam is surrendering to Allah, the Creator of heaven and earth. Based on this premise, Madjid reinterpreted key Qur'anic verses such as Q 3:19 ("inna al-dīna ‘ind Allāh al-islām") and Q 3:85 ("wa man yabtaghī ghayr al-islām dīnan"). While orthodox Muslim scholars traditionally translate Q 3:19 as "indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam," Madjid rendered it as "the true religion in the sight of the One and Only God is a pure self-surrender to Him, which is in the Qur’an known as al-islām." Similarly, he interpreted Q 3:85 to mean that any adherence other than pure self-surrender to God cannot be accepted.

This shift in translation carries profound theological implications. By replacing "Islam" (as an organized religion) with "pure self-surrender" (as a general moral attitude), Madjid sought to broaden the term beyond historical religious boundaries. Referencing Ibn Taimiyyah, Madjid divided Islam into two categories:
1. General Islam (Islam Umum): The universal spirit of self-surrender to God observed by sincere believers across all true religions (including Christians and Jews) throughout history.
2. Specific Islam (Islam Khusus): The specific religion, laws, and practices associated strictly with Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) and his followers.

Madjid supported his argument using translations and commentaries from scholars like Muhammad Asad and Abdullah Yusuf Ali, who rendered al-islām in Q 3:19 and 3:85 as "self-surrender" or "submission to His Will." Asad argued that Qur'anic terms must be understood according to their original meaning to the Prophet's immediate audience, where "Muslim" applied to historical figures prior to Muhammad, such as Prophet Ibrahim (Q 3:67, "kāna ḥanīfan musliman") and the disciples of Isa (Q 3:52, "biannā muslimūn"). Madjid also cited Q 29:46 ("wa ilāhunā wa ilāhukum wāḥid wa naḥnu lahū muslimūn") as proof that all true Abrahamic religions share an equal status in their submission to the same God.

To re-evaluate Madjid’s proposition, the author conducts an empirical textual analysis of all occurrences of the word Islām in the Qur'an, summarized in Table 1. The table documents eight specific verses:
1. Q 3:85 - "Wa man yabtaghī ghayr al-islām dīnan" (Defined, Single)
2. Q 3:19 - "Inna al-dīna ‘ind Allah al-islām" (Defined, Single)
3. Q 5:3 - "Wa raḍītu lakum al-islām dīnān" (Defined, Single)
4. Q 6:125 - "Yashraḥ ṣadrahū li al-islām" (Defined, Single)
5. Q 39:22 - "Afaman sharaḥallāh Yashraḥ ṣadrahū li al-islām" (Defined, Single)
6. Q 61:7 - "Wahuwā yud‘ā ilā al-islām" (Defined, Single)
7. Q 49:17 - "Qul lā tamunnū ‘alāyya islāmakum" (Defined, Added possessive)
8. Q 9:74 - "Wa kafarū ba‘da islāmihim" (Defined, Added possessive)

Analyzing these occurrences through Arabic grammar (citing al-Galāyīnī), the author stresses that all eight instances appear as defined nouns (ism ma‘rifah)—six as single nouns with the definite article al- (al-Islām) and two as possessive construct nouns (ism muḍāf). In Arabic syntax, a defined noun denotes specificity, clarity, and a concrete entity rather than indefinite ambiguity. Crucially, al-Islām is never grammatically linked to any prophet other than Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.). Furthermore, in three verses (Q 3:19, Q 3:85, and Q 5:3), al-Islām appears alongside al-Dīn (religion), utilizing grammatical tools of differentiation (Adāt al-Tamyīz) and restriction/emphasis (Adāt al-haṣr). This structure proves that while God recognizes the historical existence of various human religions, the single religion acceptable to Him is the defined, institutional entity revealed to Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).

Is Islām Single or Multiple?:
This section addresses whether the Qur'an presents Islām as a single religion or a collection of multiple religious manifestations, critically comparing Madjid’s views with the distinct Qur'anic usages of Millah and Dīn. Madjid asserted that the outward manifestations of al-Islām are naturally multiple across time and space, meaning that different historical religions (such as Judaism and Christianity) represent valid, distinct forms of submission to the same God. Consequently, Madjid viewed the religion of al-Islām as inherently multiple in its outward forms.

In opposition to Madjid’s model, the author highlights that the Qur'an systematically distinguishes between two different concepts: Millah and Dīn. To establish this distinction, the paper presents Table 2, which catalogs the distribution of the word Millah (and its verbal derivatives) across 17 Qur'anic verses (19 total occurrences):
- Millata abīkum Ibrāhīm (Q 22:78) - Related to Ibrahim and al-Dīn
- Millata Ibrāhīma ḥanīfan (Q 6:161) - Related to Ibrahim and al-Dīn
- Millata Ibrāhīma ḥanīfan (Q 4:125) - Related to Ibrahim and al-Dīn
- Millata Ibrāhīma (Q 3:95, Q 16:123, Q 2:135, Q 2:130) - Related to Ibrahim
- Millata ābā’ī Ibrāhīma wa Isḥāqa wa Ya‘qūba (Q 12:38) - Related to Ibrahim, Ishaq, Ya'qub
- Millatahum (Q 2:120) - Related to Jews/Christians
- Millata qawmin (Q 12:37), Millatihim (Q 18:20), Millatikum (Q 7:89), Millatinā (Q 14:13, Q 7:88) - Related to specific peoples
- Al-Millah al-ākhirah (Q 38:7) - General mention
- Verbal derivatives: Tumlā (Q 25:5), Yumlil/Yumilla (Q 2:282)

From this data, the author derives several key conclusions regarding Millah:
1. Millah consistently appears as a defined noun (ma‘rifah), but unlike al-Islām, it is uniquely associated with specific individual prophets (such as Ibrahim) or specific communities (millata qawmin). Citing al-Shahrustānī, the dominant Millah prior to Islam was Ibrahim's Hanīfiyyah.
2. Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) is never directly assigned a Millah of his own; rather, he is instructed to follow the Millah of Ibrahim (e.g., Q 3:95).
3. Millah represents a partial and temporal religious framework. It is "partial" because each prophet was sent primarily to a specific nation or community (e.g., Yusuf to the Israelites, Musa to Pharaoh's people, Isa to Banu Isra'il). It is "temporal" because the specific laws and forms of a Millah applied during the lifetime of that prophet and were progressively refined by subsequent prophets.
4. In verses where Millah and Dīn appear together (Q 22:78, Q 6:161, Q 4:125), Dīn always precedes Millah, indicating that Dīn (al-Islām) is the overarching, final continuation of all prior Millahs.

In contrast to the partial, temporal nature of Millah, Dīn is comprehensive and perennial. Drawing on Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas's semantic analysis, Dīn encompasses four interconnected root meanings:
1. State of indebtedness (dāna-yadīnu): A true believer recognizes total indebtedness to God for creation and existence.
2. Submission (submissiveness): To repay this debt, the debtor must submit entirely to God's ordinances.
3. Judicious authority/Judge (Dayyān): God acts as the ultimate judge who governs with absolute justice.
4. Natural human disposition (fitrah): Acting with justice and fulfilling spiritual debt is an innate human inclination.

Furthermore, Dīn is perennial because no prophet will succeed Prophet Muhammad (Q 33:40, "khātama al-nabiyyīn"), and its guidance is explicitly directed to all humanity (Q 2:185, "Hudan li al-Nās").

The section synthesizes these concepts through Image 1 ("Islam before Muhammad and Islam after Muhammad"). The diagram divides religious history into two phases:
- Pre-Muhammadan Era: Represented by multiple, small, separate circles labeled "Millah 1" through "Millah 6," illustrating that pre-Prophetic Islam was distributed across multiple partial, temporal manifestations.
- Post-Muhammadan Era: Represented by a single, large, solid circle labeled "Dīn," illustrating that post-Prophetic Islam is a single, comprehensive, fully integrated, and final religion entrusted exclusively to Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).

The author concludes that Madjid’s claim of multiple valid manifestations of al-Islām confuses the historical, partial Millahs of earlier prophets with the single, perfected Dīn established by Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).

The Conclusion summarizes the central findings of the study and reiterates its response to Nurcholish Madjid's religious pluralism. The author restates that in modern pluralism debates regarding the transcendent unity of religions, the precise Qur'anic definition of Islām—whether it constitutes a specific institutionalized religion or merely a generic attitude of submission—had not previously received an integrated, systems-based linguistic analysis. By viewing all Qur'anic verses mentioning Islām as an interconnected web of meaning rather than isolated texts, the research provides a definitive grammatical and theological clarification.

The conclusion highlights two primary findings derived from applying Arabic semantic principles regarding defined nouns (ism ma‘rifah) and undefined nouns (ism nakirah):
1. First, while the word Islām carries an inherent root meaning of self-surrender from its inception, its Qur'anic universality is structured across two distinct historical stages. In the pre-Prophetic era, universality was partial and temporary, applying to distinct nations under specific prophets. In the post-Prophetic era following Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), universality is comprehensive and perennial, applying to all humanity across all subsequent history.
2. Second, pre-Prophetic Islam manifested in the plural form of Millah—multiple, localized quasi-religions tailored to specific communities—whereas post-Prophetic Islam is the single, perfected entity known as Dīn.

Consequently, the paper firmly asserts that Islām in the Qur'an is closer to being defined as the proper name of a specific, unified religion rather than an abstract moral attitude detached from organized religious commitments.

The author critiques Madjid's inclusive theology for failing to maintain a stance of true intellectual moderation (wasaṭiyyah). In Islamic scholarship, moderation implies excellence and comprehensiveness—incorporating all relevant textual evidence and logical implications into a unified system. By stopping strictly at the generic root meaning of self-surrender and disregarding the structural, grammatical, and historical distinctions established in the Qur'an between Millah and Dīn, Madjid's position isolated the term Islām from its broader revelation context, leading to an unbalanced conclusion. The paper concludes that while generic submission was the spiritual foundation required under past revelations, post-Prophetic Islām represents the complete, unified, and final religion revealed to Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) for all humankind.

References:
The References section contains the comprehensive bibliography of all scholarly sources cited throughout the research paper. The references are formatted in standard academic citation style, organized alphabetically by author surname, and encompass a wide variety of classical and modern literature across Islamic studies, philosophy, linguistics, and theology.

Key references listed in the bibliography include:
- Works by Nurcholish Madjid: Selected chapters from "Karya Lengkap Nurcholish Madjid: Keislaman, Keindonesiaan, Dan Kemodernan" (edited by Budhy Munawar-Rachman), including "Islam Doktrin Dan Peradaban," "Islam Agama Kemanusiaan," and "Cendekiawan Dan Religiusitas Masyarakat."
- Secondary literature on Madjid's thought: Academic journal articles and books by M. Amin Abdullah ("Nurcholish Madjid and Religious Pluralism in Indonesian Islam"), Zainal Abidin ("Teologi Inklusif Nurcholish Madjid"), Nasitotul Jannah ("Nurcholish Madjid Dan Pemikirannya"), Cahaya Khaeroni ("Nurcholish Madjid (1939-2005): Gagasan-Gagasan Pembaruan Pemikiran Islam Kontemporer Di Indonesia"), Greg Barton ("Indonesia’s Nurcholish Madjid and Abdurrahman Wahid as Intellectual Ulama"), and Sohirin Mohammad Solihin ("Emergence and Development of Liberal Islam in Indonesia").
- Critical responses to Madjid: Monographic critiques by Indonesian scholars including Mohammad Rasjidi ("Koreksi Terhadap Drs. Nurcholish Madjid Tentang Sekularisasi"), Abdul Qadir Djaelani ("Menelusuri Pembaharuan Pemikiran Islam Nurcholish Madjid"), and Faisal Ismail ("Sekularisasi; Membongkar Kerancuan Pemikiran Nurcholish Madjid").
- Qur'anic translation and commentary (Tafsir): Major translations and exegeses by Muhammad Asad ("The Message of the Qur’an"), Abdullah Yusuf Ali ("The Holy Qur’an: Text, Translation, and Commentary"), and M. Quraish Shihab ("Tafsir Al-Mishbah: Pesan, Kesan Dan Keserasian Al-Qur’an").
- Classical Islamic literature, theology, and philosophy: Primary classical texts including al-Shahrustānī's "Al-Milal Wa al-Niḥal," al-Rāghib al-Asfahānī's "Mufradāt Alfāẓ Al-Qur’ān," Ibn Taimiyyah commentary by Muḥammad Ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān al-Khamīs ("Sharḥ Al-Risālah al-Tadammuriyyah"), and Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas's "Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam."
- Arabic grammar and lexicography: Standard reference works including Muṣṭafā al-Galāyīnī's "Jāmi’ al-Durūs al-‘Arabiyyah" and the Arabic language dictionary "Al-Mu‘jam al-Wasīṭ" by Majma‘ al-Lughah al-‘Arabiyyah.
- Contemporary pluralism and religious studies: Books by Western and global scholars including Frithjof Schuon ("The Transcendent Unity of Religions"), John Hick ("The Fifth Dimension: An Exploration of the Spiritual Realm"), Wilfred Cantwell Smith ("The Meaning and End of Religion" and "On Understanding Islam"), Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī ("Fiqh Al-Wasaṭiyyah al-Islāmiyyah Wa al-Tajdīd"), Muhamad Ali ("Religious Pluralism and Freedom in Islam"), Sumanto Al Qurtuby ("Antara Pluralitas dan Pluralisme"), and official decrees from Majelis Ulama Indonesia ("Fatwa Majelis Ulama Indonesia Tentang Pluralisme, Liberalisme, Dan Sekularisme Agama," 2005).