Deconstructing the Kiai and Santri Relationship: A Critical Review of Power and Cultural Dynamics

Balya Ziaulhaq Achmadin, Mohammad Asrori, Ahmad Barizi

Abstract


This study aims to reveal the dynamics of the relationship between Kiai and santri in traditional pesantren. This research deconstructs the relationship between Kiai and Santri in the Indonesian socio-cultural context. Through a critical approach, this study examines the dynamics of power and cultural influences that color the relationship. By analyzing various sources, this study reveals the complexity of the Kiai and Santri relationship that goes beyond the traditional teacher-student relationship. The results show that the relationship between Kiai and santri in traditional pesantren is built on the basis of strong religious and cultural values. Kiai holds a central role as a spiritual leader and teacher, while santri place themselves as obedient and respectful students. This relationship is characterized by a clear hierarchy, where Kiai has great authority and influence over santri. However, the dynamics of this relationship do not always run smoothly. There are potential conflicts that arise due to differences in interpretation of religious values, differences in socio-economic backgrounds, and the influence of changing times. Kiai are required to be able to maintain a balance between maintaining traditional values and adjusting to the demands of the times and their relevance to social and political changes affecting the relationship between Kiai and Santri


Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap dinamika hubungan antara Kiai dan santri di pesantren tradisional. Penelitian ini mendekonstruksi hubungan Kiai dan Santri dalam konteks sosial-kultural Indonesia. Melalui pendekatan kritis, penelitian ini mengkaji dinamika kekuasaan dan pengaruh budaya yang mewarnai hubungan tersebut. Dengan menganalisis berbagai sumber, penelitian ini mengungkap kompleksitas hubungan Kiai dan Santri yang melampaui relasi guru-murid tradisional. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa hubungan Kiai dan santri di pesantren tradisional dibangun atas dasar nilai-nilai religius dan kultural yang kuat. Kiai memegang peran sentral sebagai pemimpin spiritual dan guru, sementara santri menempatkan diri sebagai murid yang patuh dan hormat. Hubungan ini ditandai dengan hierarki yang jelas, di mana Kiai memiliki otoritas dan pengaruh yang besar terhadap santri. Namun, dinamika hubungan ini tidak selalu berjalan mulus. Terdapat potensi konflik yang muncul akibat perbedaan interpretasi nilai-nilai agama, perbedaan latar belakang sosial-ekonomi, dan pengaruh perubahan zaman. Kiai dituntut untuk mampu menjaga keseimbangan antara mempertahankan nilai-nilai tradisional dan menyesuaikan diri dengan tuntutan zaman serta relevansinya dengan perubahan sosial dan politik memengaruhi hubungan Kiai dan Santri

Keywords


Kiai; pesantren; relationship dynamics; santri; socio-cultural context

References


A’la, A. (2006). Pembaruan Pesantren. Z. Alba (ed.). Pustaka Pesantren.

Abd. Rahman, R. (2016). Metode Ijtihad Komisi Fatwa Majelis Ulama Indonesia. Nukhbatul ’Ulum, 2(1), 159–166. https://doi.org/10.36701/nukhbah.v2i1.11

Abdullah, M., Thohir, M., & Rukiyah. (2021). The Arom of Islamization of Java in The Literature of Pesantren: Study of The Rahman Faithur Book by K.H. Sholeh Darat. E3S Web of Conferences, 317, 03008. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202131703008

Abubakar, I. (2020). Pesantren Resilience: The Path to Prevent Radicalism and Violent Extremism. Studia Islamika, 2, 397–404. https://doi.org/10.36712/sdi.v27i2.16766

Achmadin, B. Z. (2023). Studi Islam Konteks Materi Dakwah Islam Perspektif Bahasa Al- Qur’an. Muta’Allim: Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 2(1), 29–47. https://doi.org/10.18860/mjpai.v1i2.1125

Achmadin, B. Z., & Fattah, A. (2023). Effectiveness of Kitab Kuning Based Learning in The Development of Qur’an Hadith Material for PAI Study Program Students. In Annual International Conference on Islamic Education for Students, 2(1), 135–144. https://doi.org/10.18326/aicoies.v2i1.550

Achmadin, B. Z., Kawakip, A. N., Nafis, M. M., Rahman, A., Sayed, E., & Ghaffar, A. (2024). Reorienting Pesantren Education in East Java: A Critical Analysis of the Thought of Zamakhsyari Dhofier and Abdurrahman Mas’ud. AL-Fikru: Jurnal Ilmiah, 18(1), 41–63. https://doi.org/10.51672/alfikru.v18i1.415

Aulia, R. N. (2018). Pesantren-based environmental management in equatorial areas. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 2019). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5061868

Derrida, J. (1994). The deconstruction of actuality: an interview with Jacques Derrida. Radical Philosophy 68, No. Autumn.

Dhofier, Z. (1990). Traditional islamic education in the malav archipelago: Its contribution to the integration of the malay world. Indonesia Circle. School of Oriental & African Studies. Newsletter, 19(53), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/03062849008729746

Dhofier, Z. (2011). Tradisi Pesantren : Studi Tentang Pandangan Hidup Kiai dan Visinya Mengenai Masa Depan Indonesia (Ed. Rev.,). LP3ES.

Faisal, A., Pabbajah, M., Abdullah, I., Muhammad, N. E., & Rusli, M. (2022). Strengthening religious moderatism through the traditional authority of kiai in Indonesia. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2022.2150450

Fauzi, A. (2018). E-Learning in Pesantren: Learning Transformation based on the Value of Pesantren. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1114, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1114/1/012062

Fauzi, M. L. (2012). Traditional islam in Javanese society: The roles of kyai and pesantren in preserving islamic tradition and negotiating modernity. Journal of Indonesian Islam, 6(1), 125–144. https://doi.org/10.15642/JIIS.2012.6.1.125-144

Hamdi, S. (2015). The recovery of a non-violent identity for an Islamist pesantren in an age of terror. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 69(6), 692–710. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357718.2015.1058339

Humaisi, M. S. (2019). Pesantren education and charismatic leadership: A qualitative analysis study on quality improvement of islamic education in pondok pesantren nurul jadid paiton, probolinggo. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 7(7), 1509–1516. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2019.070704

Idris, S. (2015). Pembaruan Pendidikan Islam di Indonesia. Kreatif: Jurnal Studi Pemikiran Pendidikan Agama Islam, 13(2), 148–165. http://ejournal.iaimbima.ac.id/index.php/kreatif/article/view/90

Irawan, B. (2022). Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), Sufism and environmental conservation practices in Indonesia. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 78(4). https://doi.org/10.4102/HTS.V78I4.7073

Isbah, M. F. (2020). Pesantren in the Changing Indonesian Context: History and Current Developments. QIJIS (Qudus International Journal of Islamic Studies), 8(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.21043/qijis.v8i1.5629

Ismail, F. (2011). The nahdlatul ulama: Its early history and contribution to the establishment of Indonesian State. Journal of Indonesian Islam, 5(2), 247–282. https://doi.org/10.15642/JIIS.2011.5.2.247-282

Jailani, I. A. (2012). Pendidikan Pesantren sebagai Potret Konsistensi Budaya di Tengah Himpitan Modernitas. Karsa, 20(1), 76–87.

James, S. (n.d.). The Erosion of Patron-Clien Bonds and Social Change in Rural Southeast Asia. Journal of Asian Studies, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.2307/2053176

Kawakip, A. N., & Sulanam. (2023). The Practice of Shared Values and Islamic Educational Identity Evidence from a Pesantren in East Java, Indonesia. Journal of Indonesian Islam, 17(1), 27–53. https://doi.org/10.15642/JIIS.2023.17.1.27-53

Khasan, M. (2010). Pesantren, sufisme dan tantangan modernitas. Dimas: Jurnal Pemikiran Agama untuk Pemberdayaan, 10(1), 111–132.

Khulusinniyah, K., & Wassalwa, A. (2017). Reorientasi Nilai-nilai Kepesantrenan Pada “Santri Kalong” Pondok Pesantren Salafiyah Syafi’iyah Sukorejo. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Indonesia, 1(2), 237–249. https://doi.org/10.35316/jpii.v1i2.52

Majid, N. (1997). Bilik-Bilik Pesantren. Paramadina. https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8113/44/8/085201

Manshur, F. M. (2020). Typical literary works of pesantren on righteousness teaching within cultural transformation. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 11(4), 114–148. https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85098731476

Mappiasse, S., & Hayadin, H. (2022). Students’ Religious Tolerance: Comparing Muslim Students at Public Schools and Pesantren. Journal of Indonesian Islam, 16(2), 326. https://doi.org/10.15642/JIIS.2022.16.2.326-351

Marzuki, M., Miftahuddin, M., & Murdiono, M. (2020). Multicultural Education in Salaf Pesantren of Religious Radicalism in Indonesia. Jurnal Cakrawala Pendidikan, 39(1), 12–25. https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v39i1.22900

Mas’ud, A. (2004). Intelektual Pesantren Perhelatan Agama dan Tradisi (1st ed). Yogyakarta : LKiS Yogyakarta.

Mujahid, I. (2021). Islamic orthodoxy-based character education: creating moderate Muslim in a modern pesantren in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 11(2), 185–212. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijims.v11i2.185-212

Naas, M. (2003). Taking on the tradition: Jacques Derrida and the legacies of deconstruction. Stanford University Press.

Naim, N., & Qomar, M. (2021). The Actualization of Liberal Indonesian Multicultural Thought in Developing Community Harmonization. QIJIS (Qudus International Journal of Islamic Studies), 9(1), 141. https://doi.org/10.21043/qijis.v9i1.7908

Nata, A. (2018). Pendidikan Islam Di Era Milenial. Conciencia, 18(1), 10–28. https://doi.org/10.19109/conciencia.v18i1.2436

Nilan, P. (2009). The ‘spirit of education’ in Indonesian Pesantren. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 30(2), 219–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425690802700321

Patriadi, H. (2017). Surviving in the globalized world through local perspectives: Pesantrens and sustainable development. In Sustainable Future for Human Security: Society, Cities and Governance (pp. 29–47). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5433-4_3

Pribadi, Y. (2013). Religious Networks in Madura: Pesantren, Nahdlatul Ulama, and Kiai as the Core of Santri Culture. Al-Jami’ah: Journal of Islamic Studies, 51(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.14421/ajis.2013.511.1-32

Setiyani, W. (2020). The Exerted Authority of Kiai Kampung in The Social Construction of Local Islam. Journal of Indonesian Islam, 14(1), 51. https://doi.org/10.15642/JIIS.2020.14.1.51-76

Sudrajat, A. (2017). Pesantren sebagai Transformasi Pendidikan Islam di Indonesia. Vicratina: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 2(2), 64–88.

Sukowati, P. (2019). Kiai leadership model in the development strategy of the participants. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, 8(2), 579–586. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85070768825&origin=inward

Sulistyati, M. (2023). Locality, Equality, and Piety: Pesantren Ecofeminism Movement in Indonesia. Studia Islamika, 30(2), 319–348. https://doi.org/10.36712/sdi.v30i2.25175

Sutomo, S., Musnandar, A., Alzitawi, D. U. D. M., & Sutrisno, S. (2024). Religious-Sociocultural Networks and Social Capital Enhancement in Pesantren. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 10(1), 137–148. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v10i1.19997

Umar, U. (2016). Eksistensi Pendidikan Islam di Indonesia (Perspekstif Sejarah Pendidikan Nasional). Lentera Pendidikan : Jurnal Ilmu Tarbiyah dan Keguruan, 19(1), 16–29. https://doi.org/10.24252/lp.2016v19n1a2

Yani, M. T., Mahfud, C., Rangga Sa’adillah, S. A. P., Bustami, M. R., Maskuri, & Taufiq, A. (2022). Advancing the discourse of Muslim politics in Indonesia: A study on political orientation of Kiai as religious elites in Nahdlatul Ulama. Heliyon, 8(12), e12218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12218

Yasin, M., & Khasbulloh, M. N. (2022). Constructing Ethical Critical Thinking at Pesantren. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 8(2), 127–144. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v8i2.19028

Zuhri, S. (2023). Revitalization of the Salaf Islamic Boarding School: The Educational Identity of the Indonesian Nation. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 2023(107), 180–192. https://doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2023.107.011

Zulmuqim. (2020). The characteristics of pesantren in the development of islamic education in west sumatra. Ulumuna, 24(1), 132–154. https://doi.org/10.20414/ujis.v24i1.382




DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/eh.v26i2.29573

Editorial Office:
Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang
Jalan Gajayana No.50, Malang, Indonesia 65144
This work is licensed under a CC-BY-NC-SA.
el Harakah, ISSN : 1858-4357 | e-ISSN : 2356-1734
Phone : +6282333435641
Fax : (0341) 572533
Email : elharakah@uin-malang.ac.id
elharakahjurnal@gmail.com
Website : http://ejournal.uin-malang.ac.id/index.php/infopub
Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang