el-Tarbawi

Pesantren Feudalism or Ta'dzim? Contesting Western and Islamic Epistemologies in Digital Discourse.

Muhammad Umar Ibnu Malik — 2026-06-17

The digital era has intensified discursive contestations surrounding the kiai–santri relationship in pesantren (Islamic boarding schools). This study aims to map the dialectic between Western paradigms of feudalism and the Islamic tradition of ta'dhim (traditional reverence and obedience) within the digital public sphere. Employing a descriptive qualitative method and Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis, this study examines a limited empirical scope consisting of four viral social media contents and in-depth interviews with two key participants. The findings suggest that participants and pesantren-based narratives tend to frame ta'dhim not as a form of structural oppression, but rather as a mechanism of respect, identity formation, and a means of sustaining traditional values amid contemporary social change. Ultimately, this discursive interplay highlights how pesantren communities navigate traditional authority while adapting to modern decentralized digital spaces, suggesting a need for broader empirical exploration to fully capture these evolving dynamics.

Reconfiguring Religious Authority in Islamic Education: Toward a Pedagogical Model of Critical Religious Literacy

Fahmi Khumaini — 2026-07-22

This article examines the reconfiguration of religious authority in Islamic education by conseptualizing authority as a pedagogical formation rather than merely as a sociological or media-related phenomenon. The study responds to the tension between classical sources of authority grounded in ‘ilm, adab, sanad, teacher-student relations, and scholarly recognition, and contemporary sources mediated by formal institutions, academic credentials, bureaucratic certification, public communication, and algorithmic visibility. Employing library research with a historical-conceptual approach, this article analyzes selected scholarly works on Islamic intellectual tradition, educational institutions, pesantren, modern Islamic education, and digital Islam. The findings indicate that religious authority in Islamic education is formed through four interrelated dimensions: epistemic depth, ethical formation, institutional credibility, and digital literacy. The article concludes that Islamic education should cultivate critical religious literacy by enabling students so they can distinguish scholarly legitimacy from popularity, credentials from competence, and digital visibility from epistemic accountability.

Institutionalising Peace Education in Pesantren: Pedagogical and Institutional Pathways To Anti-Violence Character Formation

Zamzami Sabiq — 2026-07-27

This study investigates how peace education is institutionalised within the pedagogical and organisational practices of an Islamic boarding school (pesantren) to foster anti-violence character formation among students. Using a qualitative case study, data were collected from 8 participants selected through purposive sampling, including kiai, teachers, students, administrators, and alumni, through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. The findings reveal three key patterns. First, peace education is embedded in everyday religious learning and character-based pedagogy grounded in the values of prophecy, compassion, respect, and moral responsibility. Second, institutional mechanisms—including mediation practices, counselling, ta’zir (educational disciplinary measures), and curriculum integration—reinforce the internalisation of non-violent values. Third, the leadership of the kiai, together with community and family engagement, strengthens the sustainability of peace education beyond the classroom. This study advances peace education scholarship by proposing an institutional model of peace education in pesantren, demonstrating how religious pedagogy and institutional culture operate together to cultivate anti-violence character within an Islamic educational setting