Madrasas beyond Java: Al Washliyah and the Making of Sunni Religious Authority

Ja'far Ja'far; Mannan Mannan; Efrini Panjaitan

doi:10.51672/alfikru.v20i1.1116

Authors

Ja'far Ja'far Universitas Islam Negeri Sultanah Nahrasiyah Lhokseumawe
Mannan Mannan Universitas Islam Negeri Sultanah Nahrasiyah Lhokseumawe
Efrini Panjaitan Sekolah Tinggi Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan Budi Daya Binjai

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51672/alfikru.v20i1.1116

Keywords:

Madrasah, Sunni Theology, Shâfiʿî school, Al Washliyah

Abstract

This paper explores the historical, philosophical, and curricular foundations of the Al Washliyah madrasas as institutions dedicated to preserving Sunni theology and the jurisprudential tradition of the Shâfiʿî legal school beyond Java. The study examines the organizational documents, institutional development, and curricula of Al Washliyah using a historical approach and library research. The findings show that the Al Washliyah madrasas emerged from the intellectual traditions of Maktab Islamiyah Tapanuli and Madrasah Al-Hasaniyah, both of which emphasized a strong commitment to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamâ‘ah and the Shâfiʿî legal school. This commitment has been institutionalized through a structured educational system that incorporates the study of the classical Islamic scholarly tradition (turâth) in theology (ʿaqîdah), Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), legal theory (uṣûl al-fiqh), Qur’anic exegesis (tafsîr), hadith, and Arabic language studies. Al Washliyah madrasas function not only as Islamic educational institutions but also as institutional mechanisms for transmitting and reproducing Sunni scholarly authority across generations. As such, they play a vital role in preserving the continuity of the Sunni intellectual tradition and fostering successive generations of ulama in Indonesia.

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