The Synthesis of the Three Streams of Islamic Educational Philosophy by Muhammad Jawwad Ridla in the Vision and Mission of Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya (UMSURA)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the synthesis of Islamic educational philosophy as reflected in the official institutional documents Vision, Mission, and Slogan of Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya (UMSURA). The analysis employs the theoretical framework of Muhammad Jawwad Ridla, who classifies Islamic educational philosophy into three principal streams: ReligiousConservative, ReligiousRational, and PragmaticInstrumental. This study is motivated by the growing urgency to integrate Islamic values with the demands of modern higher education, which requires harmonizing spirituality, intellectual development, and social usefulness. The moral and intellectual legacy of Imam Muhammad alJawad further enriches the ethical foundation of this research. This research adopts a qualitative descriptive approach using content analysis to examine institutional documents. The findings indicate that UMSurabaya demonstrates a holistic synthesis of the three philosophical streams in its educational praxis. The ReligiousConservative stream is reflected in the strong emphasis on moral integrity, Rabbani values, and the reinforcement of AlIslam and Kemuhammadiyahan as the institution’s spiritual foundation. The ReligiousRational stream is evident in the university’s orientation toward intellectual development, research, innovation, and scientific advancement that aligns with the principles of ijtihad. Meanwhile, the PragmaticInstrumental stream is manifested through an emphasis on entrepreneurship, independence, social usefulness, and institutional governance based on the principles of good governance. The study concludes that Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya has successfully implemented an adaptive and holistic model of Islamic education through the concept of Islam Berkemajuan (Progressive Islam). This concept effectively integrates the three philosophical streams into an operational framework for modern Islamic higher education, offering a significant contribution to understanding the contemporary implementation of Islamic educational philosophy in the 21st century.