Islamic Educational Epistemology and the Transformation of Learning Methods in Pesantren

Abstract

The era of Society 5.0 presents a dualistic paradox for Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) in Indonesia: the imperative to modernize educational methodologies while simultaneously preserving the authenticity of turats (classical Islamic intellectual heritage) and the sanad of scholarly transmission. This study aims to investigate the epistemological transformation of Islamic education within pesantren by specifically analyzing the shifts and integration of Bayani (textual), Burhani (rationalempirical), and Irfani (intuitivespiritual) epistemologies in the context of digital learning transformation. Employing a qualitative approach with a literaturebased study design and philosophical analysis grounded in the frameworks of Muhammad Abed AlJabiri and M. Amin Abdullah, this research synthesizes data on digital infrastructure development in 2024 and recent curricular implementations. The findings indicate that the dominance of Bayani epistemology, as manifested in traditional sorogan and bandongan methods, is undergoing an integrative dialectic with Burhani reasoning through the adoption of Active Learning, ProblemBased Learning (PBL), and digital literacy practices, as exemplified in the curriculum of SMA Trensains Tebuireng. Nevertheless, Irfani epistemology remains crucial as the ethical foundation for shaping santri’s digital consciousness and moral discernment. This study concludes that an integrative “Triadic Epistemological Model” is required to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, transforming sorogan into adaptive personalized learning and bandongan into collaborative digital discourse without eroding the fundamental values of pesantren education.