[1] ABIM was established by Ustaz Wahab Sulaiman on 6 August 1971[2] during an international trend of Islamic revivalism.

Yayasan Anda, a private school known as the "Institute", served as a centre for its promotion of Islamic education.

[4] According to Bubalo and Fealy, ABIM was inspired and influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood, which the authors describe as both a socio-political movement and intellectual tendency or current within Islamism.

[5] The group reached its height during the late 1970s with a call to return to the basics and the true teachings of Islam through advocacy channel.

In the 1980s decade, ABIM renewed its approach through the concept of "partnership in nation building" with the government.