The democratic climate following the fall of the Soharto regime in 1998 paved the way for the various elements of Indonesian society to re-evaluate the best way forwards for the country, which is characterised by cultural and ethnic diversity. New groups and Islamic movements came into being and made public calls for the official implementation of Sharīʿa law as the only solution to the political and economic crises gripping the country. Because these Islamists were not successful in amending the constitution through political struggle, many of them turned to social and cultural activities. This article will discuss the attempts of Muhammad Thalib, the leader of the Majelis Mujahidin and author of al-Qurʾan tarjama tafisiriyah, to critique the official government translation of the Qur'an, al-Qur'an dan terjemahnya. This article will discuss how Muhammad Thalib's translation aimed to de-legitimise the official religious discourse of the state, so that his own al-Qur'an tarjama tafsiriyah might become the most influential religious discourse in the opinion of the general public, and be perceived as the authentic call to Islam.