Salafiyah Pesantren and Transmission of Islamic Knowledge in Indonesia

Abstract

Salafiyah pesantren as traditional Islamic educational institutions, have played a pivotal role in preserving the continuity of classical Islamic scholarship. However, studies on pesantren history and pedagogical practices are often treated separately, resulting in fragmented analyses of their epistemological identity. This article aims to examine the historical development of salafiyah pesantren education while simultaneously analyzing the mechanisms of classical Islamic knowledge transmission through a case study of one pesantren in Indonesia. The research employs a qualitative approach with an intrinsic case study design. Informants, consisting of kyai, ustadz, and santri, were selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected through participatory observation, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and institutional document analysis, validated through source and method triangulation, and analyzed descriptively-interpretively with historical and pedagogical perspectives. The findings reveal that salafiyah pesantren consistently maintain an educational system centered on the study of classical texts (kitab kuning) and the Quran. Knowledge transmission occurs through a tiered educational system emphasizing mastery of linguistic sciences (nahwu and sharaf) and employing sorogan and bandongan methods. The central role of the kyai, the intensity of sorogan practice, and the internal cadre formation of senior santri significantly contribute to shaping scholarly character and reproducing salafiyah intellectual traditions. These findings affirm that salafiyah pesantren are not static institutions but dynamic entities capable of sustaining their epistemological identity amidst the transformations of modern education. The implications of this study provide valuable references for pesantren administrators in balancing tradition preservation with institutional adaptation, while also offering preliminary data for comparative research on pesantren with diverse characteristics.