Formulating Adaptive Islamic Education Policies: Conservative Resilience of Salafi Dayah Amid Digital Disruption

Zainuddin Zainuddin; Syamsul Rizal; Samsuar Samsuar; Mohd Nasir; Rita Sari

doi:10.37680/qalamuna.v18i2.9724

Authors

Zainuddin Zainuddin Institut Agama Islam Negeri Langsa
Syamsul Rizal Institut Agama Islam Negeri Langsa
Samsuar Samsuar Institut Agama Islam Negeri Langsa
Mohd Nasir Institut Agama Islam Negeri Langsa
Rita Sari Institut Agama Islam Negeri Langsa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37680/qalamuna.v18i2.9724

Keywords:

Conservative Resilience; Ethnopedagogy, Digital, Pendidikan Islam; Tengku Dayah

Abstract

This study aims to reinterpret the resilience of Salafi dayah in Aceh in facing the digital era, not as an absolute rejection of modernization, but as a conservative pedagogical strategy that preserves the continuity of Islamic knowledge, the authority of the teungku, communal discipline, and the tradition of kitab kuning. This study employs a qualitative ethnopedagogical approach by combining field observations, interviews with teungku and santri, and an examination of curriculum documents, learning routines, and disciplinary practices within the dayah environment. The findings indicate that the conservative resilience of Salafi dayah is formed through five main mechanisms: a curriculum orientation rooted in inherited traditions, the preservation of bale beut and the bandongan-sorogan methods, moral formation through bodily discipline, the charismatic legitimation of the teungku, and the selective use of digital technology. Salafi dayah do not entirely reject change; rather, they negotiate digital disruption by distinguishing technologies that support da‘wah and scholarly references from those that may weaken adab, concentration, and communal obedience. Thus, conservatism in Islamic education can be understood as a reflective form of cultural defense, rather than mere stagnation.

References

Abdillah, A., & Maskuri, E. (2022). The khidmah tradition of santri towards kyai (The review of ‘urf & psychology). Nazhruna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 5(1), 278–292. https://doi.org/10.31538/nzh.v5i1.2082

Adrianda, I., & Tisa, M. (2022). Dilema kultur dayah tradisional di Aceh menghadapi transformasi era media digital. Bayan Lin Naas, 6(2), 89–109.

Andok, M. (2024). The impact of online media on religious authority. Religions, 15(9), 1103. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15091103

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Erawadi, E., & Setiadi, F. M. (2023). Transformation of traditional Islamic education: Dayah as a modern educational institution in post-conflict Aceh. FITRAH: Jurnal Kajian Ilmu-Ilmu Keislaman, 9(2), 225–246. https://doi.org/10.24952/fitrah.v9i2.10110

Fadri, Z., & Prayoga, A. G. (2025). The Surau’s ethnopedagogy: Weaving faith and culture in Minangkabau. IBDA`: Jurnal Kajian Islam Dan Budaya, 23(2), 189–204. https://doi.org/10.24090/ibda.v23i2.14005

Fakhrurrazi, F., & Sebgag, S. (2020). Methods of learning kitab kuning for beginners in Islamic boarding school (Dayah). Nazhruna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 3(3), 296–310. https://doi.org/10.31538/nzh.v3i3.838

Fauzan, F., Murtadha, M., & Azizah, A. (2024). Development of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) textbooks based on ethnopedagogy through local wisdom in thematic learning. Fikroh: Jurnal Pemikiran Dan Pendidikan Islam, 17(2), 102–110. https://doi.org/10.37812/fikroh.v17i2.1646

Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (2019). Ethnography: Principles in practice (4th ed.). Routledge.

Hannan, A., & Mursyidi, A. F. (2023). Social media and the fragmentation of religious authority among Muslims in contemporary Indonesia. Digital Muslim Review, 1(2), 84–100. https://doi.org/10.32678/dmr.v1i2.10

Hasan, M., Taufiq, M., & Elmhemit, H. (2023). Digital transformation of Islamic education in Pesantren Madura. TADRIS: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 18(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.19105/tjpi.v18i2.10535

Hussin, N. H., & Tamuri, A. H. (2019). Embedding values in teaching Islamic education among excellent teachers. Journal for Multicultural Education, 13(1), 2–18. https://doi.org/10.1108/JME-07-2017-0040

Huwaida, H. (2015). Change and development in the Acehnese Dayah Salafi (A case study). Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun, 3(2), 279–294.

Jaenullah, J., Utama, F., & Setiawan, D. (2022). Resilience model of the traditional Islamic boarding school education system in shaping the morals of student in the midst of modernizing education. Jurnal Kependidikan: Jurnal Hasil Penelitian Dan Kajian Kepustakaan Di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran, Dan Pembelajaran, 8(4), 931–942. https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v8i4.6013

Manan, M. A. (2019). Daya tahan dan eksistensi pesantren di era 4.0. JPII, 3(2), 155–167.

Maula Bahari, F. D., & Sugiono. (2025). Transformation of Islamic education: Maintaining local wisdom values in the digital era. Journal of Educational Management Research, 4(6), 2951–2965. https://doi.org/10.61987/jemr.v4i6.1481

Meriza, I., Febriani, A., Tisa, M., & Nurdin, M. R. (2022). The existence of the yellow book in the digital era: Study in Dayah Aceh. FITRAH: Jurnal Kajian Ilmu-Ilmu Keislaman, 8(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.24952/fitrah.v8i1.4987

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. SAGE Publications.

Moser, A., & Korstjens, I. (2018). Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 3: Sampling, data collection and analysis. European Journal of General Practice, 24(1), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1375091

Munawar, M. A., & Endang, U. (2026). Transforming Islamic education curriculum in the era of religious moderation: Between digital integration and the resilience of pesantren values. Bestari, 22(2), 187–210. https://doi.org/10.36667/bestari.v22i2.1130

Mustofa, M. Y., Mas’ud, A., & Elizabeth, M. Z. (2023). Hybrid pesantren in Indonesia: Analyzing the transformation of Islamic religious education in the digital age. Al-Tadzkiyyah: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 14(1), 79–104. https://doi.org/10.24042/atjpi.v14i1.16928

Nasir, M. (2023). Abu Mudi: Resiliensi dan eksistensi Dayah Salafi di Aceh. Al-Ikhtibar: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 10(1), 36–47. https://doi.org/10.32505/ikhtibar.v10i1.6060

Nasir, M., Muhibuddin, M., & Al-Khalidi, M. W. (2023). Tengku Dayah: Era society dan ruang semeubeut. Edukasi Islami: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 12(1), 911–924. https://doi.org/10.30868/ei.v12i01.4300

Nasir, M., Rizal, S., Basri, B., & Pabbajah, M. (2024). Revolutionizing Teungku Dayah learning model: Exploring the transformative impact of technological advancements on Islamic education in Aceh. Cogent Education, 11(1), 2335720. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2335720

Nisa, D., Aimah, S., & Fakhruddin, F. M. (2024). Pesantren transformation in the digital era: Solution or threat for Islamic education. Leadership: Jurnal Mahasiswa Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 5(2), 247–260. https://doi.org/10.32478/leadership.v5i2.2712

Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847

Nugroho, A., & Astutik, A. P. (2024). Digital transformation of Islamic boarding school education. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Studies, 12(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.21070/ijis.v12i2.1723

Nurdin, S. M. (2020). Dayah & moderasi dakwah di Aceh: Suatu kajian terhadap dakwah di era digital. Jurnal Bimas Islam, 13(1), 141–160. https://doi.org/10.37302/jbi.v13i1.105

Nuriana, Z. I., & Salwa, N. (2024). Digital da’wah in the age of algorithm: A narrative review of communication, moderation, and inclusion. Sinergi International Journal of Islamic Studies, 2(4), 242–256. https://doi.org/10.61194/ijis.v2i4.706

O’Neill, W. F. (1981). Educational ideologies: Contemporary expressions of educational philosophy. Goodyear Publishing Company.

Rahman, M., & Syahminan. (2024). The existence of Dayah Salafiyah in the development of Islamic education in the era of globalization. Tafkir: Interdisciplinary Journal of Islamic Education, 5(3), 462–477.

Reivich, K., & Shatté, A. (2002). The resilience factor: 7 keys to finding your inner strength and overcoming life’s hurdles. Broadway Books.

Saepurohman, A., Badrudin, B., Erihadiana, M., Sri Lestari, A., & Alai, A. (2025). Strategic management of digital literacy initiatives in Islamic boarding schools of Tasikmalaya. Munaddhomah: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 6(2), 238–250. https://doi.org/10.31538/munaddhomah.v6i2.1711

Saiful, S. (2022). Metode pembelajaran di pesantren tradisional. Pedagogik: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran Fakultas Tarbiyah Universitas Muhammadiyah Aceh, 9(1), 85–96.

Sakti, S. A., Endraswara, S., & Rohman, A. (2024). Revitalizing local wisdom within character education through ethnopedagogy approach: A case study on a preschool in Yogyakarta. Heliyon, 10(10), e31370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31370

Saldaña, J. (2021). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Sari, R., & Anggreni, F. (2023). Rujukan ini telah tercantum pada naskah asli, tetapi data bibliografis lengkapnya belum tersedia dalam dokumen sumber.

Setiadi, F. M., Zulfikar, Z., & Erawadi, E. (2024). Cultivating religious moderation among Dayah disciples in Aceh: Insights from the Naqshbandiyya al-Waliyya Order. Nadwa: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 18(1), 43–64. https://doi.org/10.21580/nw.2024.18.1.23438

Stahl, N. A., & King, J. R. (2020). Expanding approaches for research: Understanding and using trustworthiness in qualitative research. Journal of Developmental Education, 44(1), 26–28.

Sulaiman, A., & Ahmadi, D. (2020). Empowerment communication in an Islamic boarding school as a medium of harmonization. Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication, 36(4), 323–338. https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2020-3604-20

Syaiful, M., Hermina, D., & Huda, N. (2022). Tradisi pembelajaran kitab kuning pada pondok pesantren di era digital. Al-Ulum: Jurnal Pemikiran Dan Penelitian Ke-Islaman, 9(1), 33–44.

Syaikhu, A., & Faruq, D. J. (2025). Islamic boarding school management in the digital era: Integrating tradition and innovation in Islamic education. FALASIFA: Jurnal Studi Keislaman, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.62097/falasifa.v16i02.2474

Tracy, S. J. (2020). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.

Usman, J., Syabuddin, S., & Zakaria, F. (2021). Teungku identity development: The role of Dayah community of practice. SAGE Open, 11(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211031532

Wajdi, M. B. N. (2024). Integration of technology in Islamic boarding school: Opportunities and challenges. ICESH Journal, 2(2).

Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods. SAGE Publications.

Yuwanda, T., Fadhlan, A., & Bundo, M. (2023). Digitalization of pesantren: A perspective from human capital. DAYAH: Journal of Islamic Education, 6(1), 30–48. https://doi.org/10.22373/jie.v6i1.15973.