The Relevance of KH. Ahmad Dahlan’s Thought to the Development of Contemporary Islamic Education

Rifadlin Amin; Satriyani Fauzi; Nurain Madjojo; Mustamin Giling; Ansar Tohe

doi:10.58485/jie.v5i2.679

Authors

Rifadlin Amin Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ternate, Indonesia
Satriyani Fauzi Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ternate, Indonesia
Nurain Madjojo Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ternate, Indonesia
Mustamin Giling Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ternate, Indonesia
Ansar Tohe Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ternate, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58485/jie.v5i2.679

Keywords:

KH. Ahmad Dahlan, contemporary Islamic education, Muhammadiyah, integration of knowledge, digital transformation

Abstract

Islamic education in Indonesia faces a dual challenge: the growing demands of modernization on the one hand, and the need to preserve an authentic Islamic identity on the other. This article aims to examine the relevance of the educational thought of KH Ahmad Dahlan, the founder of Muhammadiyah, in responding to the challenges of contemporary Islamic education during the 2020–2025 period. Using a qualitative approach specifically content analysis supported by historical-critical analysis this article examines primary and secondary sources on Dahlan’s thought as well as the current state of Islamic education. Key findings indicate that the five core concepts of Dahlan’s thought namely, the integration of religious and secular knowledge, an orientation toward righteous deeds, openness to modernity, equal access to education, and the application of critical-reflective methods resonate strongly with the agenda for the transformation of contemporary Islamic education, including in the context of the digitization of learning, the development of competency-based curricula, and character building. This article concludes that the reactualization of Dahlan’s thought provides a relevant and operational epistemological framework for the development of Islamic educational institutions in the digital age.

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