Bahtiar Effendy (Courtesy of Bahtiar Effendy)

Bahtiar Effendy, a prominent Muslim scholar whose body of work elucidated and helped shape the complex relations between Islam and the state in Indonesia, died in a Jakarta hospital early on Thursday. He was 60.

His death triggered an outpouring of grief from his closest colleagues who believed that, as a public intellectual, the late scholar had left an important legacy for the country, in which Islam — how it is interpreted and practiced by its followers — has long been a dominant political force.

His seminal book, Islam and the State in Indonesia, published by Ohio University Press, is now considered a classic among scholars of Indonesian Islam.

"Without reading the book, it is impossible for anyone to understand properly the position of Muslims in the country," said Center for the Study of Religion and Democracy (PUSAD) director Ihsan Ali Fauzi.

The book highlights the tension between Muslims who believe that the concept of a democratic nation state is un-Islamic and other Muslims who believe to the contrary that the Quran is compatible with democracy and does not specify a political system.

Bahtiar, according to Sarah Moser in her review of the book, sided with the latter, quoting the Muslim scholar as saying that "there is no legitimate basis to put Islam in a contradictory position to the modern political system".

Born in Ambarawa, Central Java, on Dec. 10, 1958, Bahtiar finished his elementary education in his hometown and then enrolled in Pabelan pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Muntilan, Magelang, Central Java. Bahtiar then continued his education at the Ushuluddin Faculty of IAIN Jakarta, the former name of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN Jakarta), graduating in 1986.

He went on to obtain a master's degree in Southeast Asian studies from Ohio University, Athens, in the United States in 1988, and less than four years later in 1991 obtained a master's in political science from Ohio State University, Colombus, where he also obtained his PhD in political science in 1994.

Other than academia, Bahtiar, who came from a Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) family, was also active in Muhammadiyah, the nation's second-largest Islamic organization after NU.

"As a pesantren student, he had a strong commitment to the interests of Muslims. That is why he was concerned about and engaged in [solving] the problems of political Islam in Indonesia," said former Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin, who was also a close friend of Bahtiar.

Muhammadiyah leader Haedar Nashir praised Bahtiar’s expertise in political science and the serious and focused analysis in his works.

“His book Islam dan Negara [Islam and the State] and his introduction for the Indonesian translation of The Failure of Political Islam by Olivier Roy are very profound and factual.

"He provided sharp and wise insights to Muhammadiyah on how to respond to the political dynamics [of the country],” Haedar said in a statement as quoted on muhammadiyah.or.id.

Bahtiar was a professor at his alma mater UIN Jakarta and taught at the University of Indonesia (UI) Graduate School as well as Jakarta Muhammadiyah University (UMJ) where he was also the head of the graduate department from 2001 to 2004. Bahtiar was also the UIN Jakarta graduate program head and dean of the School of Social and Political Sciences.

Bahtiar published a number of books, including INSIGHT: Essays on Islam and Public Affairs, a collection of his essays published in The Jakarta Post.

Bahtiar also coauthored Merambah Jalan Baru Islam (Finding a New Path for Islam) in 1986 with Fachry Ali. A staple in political Islamic studies, the book has also become a classic among Indonesian scholars.

As a political scientist, Bahtiar was known to be careful when speaking to the media to maintain his "academic standards", author Hamid Basyaib wrote in his obituary of Bahtiar.

"For journalists or an audience who think they understand politics through the sporadic remarks of its actors, Bahtiar's explanations were often filled with political science terminology that was not easily understood."

Bahtiar died while receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of Cempaka Putih Jakarta Islamic Hospital following a prolonged illness, according to the family of the deceased.

Bahtiar Effendy was buried at the Lemperes public cemetery in Depok, West Java, on Thursday afternoon, with hundreds of people attending.

“I have lost a friend, a discussant who at times I disagreed with. I hope the deceased gained husnul khatimah [died in peace],” Din said after the funeral as quoted by Antara.

Other public figures have expressed condolences and loss over the death of Bahtiar.

“I feel lost. He was a close friend of mine,” Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said.

“Prof. Dr. Bahtiar Effendy was one of the thinkers who worked hard to prepare the Islam International Indonesia University. May his spirit never fade away, a manifestation of his whole sincerity. Very remarkable,” former religious affairs minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin tweeted on Thursday.