Ditemukan berbagai variasi atas konsepsi negara Islam di kalangan umat Islam. Konsepsi negara Islam seharusnya merujuk pada negara Madinah karena secara langsung diselenggarakan oleh Nabi Muhammad sehingga berkedudukan sebagai negara Islam yang ideal. Penelitian ini bertujuan memberikan perspektif William Montgomery Watt terhadap negara Madinah. Watt adalah orientalis yang berpengalaman di bidang studi Islam dan melakukan penelitian terhadap negara Madinah serta kedudukan Nabi Muhammad di dalamnya. Penelitian Watt dipilih karena secara tidak langsung Watt melakukan pendekatan sosiolegal dengan meneliti relasi antara realita sosial dan norma hukum di negara Madinah. Watt juga menggunakan sumber sejarah doktrinal dari mayoritas kalangan Islam untuk merekonstruksi sejarah negara Madinah. Selain itu, Watt juga menjadikan Nabi Muhammad sebagai episentrum dari penelitiannya. Penelitian ini akan melakukan pendekatan hermeneutika untuk mengetahui motif dari penelitian Watt tersebut. Penelitian ini juga akan melakukan analisis kritis terhadap hasil penelitian Watt. Kemudian, penelitian ini juga akan melakukan pendekatan teori-teori di bidang kenegaraan terhadap hasil dari analisis kritis terhadap penelitian Watt. Melalui deskripsi konsepsi negara Madinah di masa Nabi Muhammad sebagai negara Islam yang ideal, penelitian ini secara umum diharapkan dapat menjadi tambahan literatur di bidang kenegaraan Islam dan secara khusus diharapkan bermanfaat bagi pengembangan konsepsi negara Islam.

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There are various variations on the conception of Islamic state among muslims. The conception of Islamic state should refer to the state of Medina because it was an ideal Islamic state which was directly organized by the Prophet Muhammad. This study aims to provide the perspective of William Montgomery Watt on the state of Medina. Watt is an experienced orientalist in the field of Islamic studies and conducted research on the state of Medina and the position of the Prophet Muhammad in it. His research was chosen because he indirectly took a sociolegal approach by examining the relationship between social reality and legal norms in the state of Medina. Watt also uses doctrinal historical sources from the majority of muslims to reconstruct the history of the state of Medina. In addition, Watt also made the Prophet Muhammad as the epicenter of his research. This study will use hermeneutic approach to find out the motive of his research. This study will also conduct a critical analysis on the results of his research. Subsequently, this study will use theoretical approach in the field of state towards the results of that critical analysis. Through the description of the conception of the state of Medina at the time of the Prophet Muhammad as an ideal Islamic state, this research is generally expected to be an addition to the literature in the field of Islamic statehood and in particular is expected to be useful for the development of the conception of Islamic state.