Integrating Multi-Madhhab Sufism in Pesantren Education

Abstract

This study examines the integration of multi-madhhab Sufism within the educational systems of Pesantren Salafiyah Syafi'iyah Sukorejo and Pesantren Zainul Hasan Genggong in East Java, employing a qualitative multi-case descriptive approach. Although both institutions formally adhere to the Sufi madhhabs recognized by Nahdlatul Ulama, namely Al-Ghazali and Al-Junaidi, field findings reveal that they organically sustain four madhhabs simultaneously: Al-Ghazali, Al-Junaidi, Abdul Qadir Al-Jailani, and Abu Hasan Al-Shadzili. Al-Ghazali dominates the cognitive domain through classical text instruction, while Al-Jailani and Al-Shadzili thrive in the ritual dimension through daily devotional practices (wirid), hagiographic recitations (manaqib), and litanies (shalawat). Al-Junaidi persists as a normative symbol without direct textual implementation, indicating that epistemic legitimacy in pesantren relies not only on textual authority but also on the charismatic authority of the kiai and oral tradition. A key difference lies in their pedagogical orientation: Sukorejo adopts an academic-institutional approach emphasizing dzauq (spiritual experiential awareness), whereas Genggong favors a personal-practical model centered on riyadlah (inner spiritual discipline) and the master-disciple relationship. This integration emerges organically from the interplay of kiai authority, local tradition, and the need for character formation, thereby preserving Sufism's relevance as the core of spiritual education without compromising its epistemic authenticity.