Many reform movements in Islamic society set a return to the Scriptures as the basic ideological tenet. Supporters of the reform movements insist on the re-establishment of the true doctrine in the Quran and Hadith as a way to transform the unsatisfactory reality, hoping that, through this, an ideal society can be realized. With their revivalistic orientation, reform movements tend to propose a negative view of changes from the West. A different perspective can be found in Islamic reformism which maintains that, by returning to the basics of Islam, escape from backwardness and pursuit of progress can be achieved. Reformism is also called modernism because of its favorable attitude toward changes from the West and the pursuit of progress based on modern changes. The purpose of this article is to examine the modernist character of Islamic reformism supported by an Indonesian organization, Muhammadiyah. Founded in the early 20th century, Muhammadiyah has maintained popular influence to this day. This paper analyzes how Muhammadiyah activists understood modern change in the early days of the organization’s establishment, attempted to harmonize Islam with modern change, and through what doctrines justified the acceptance of Western civilization. It is maintained that an integrated view of progress, reason, and praxis in the non-religious sphere was the core ideology supporting the compatibility between Islam and modern change.