AL JAM’IYATUL WASHLIYAH AND THE TRANSMISSION OF RELIGIOUS SCIENCES IN INDONESIA FROM PRE-INDEPENDENCE TO THE REFORM ERA

Abstract

This study examines the strategies of Al Jam’iyatul Washliyah in strengthening Arabic language studies as the primary foundation for the transmission of religious sciences (‘ulūm al-dīn) from Pre-Independence to the Reform era. Employing a historical approach through library research, this study traces the madrasah curriculum at various levels—ranging from Tajhīziyyah, Ibtidā’iyyah, Thānawiyyah, Qism al-‘Ālī, to contemporary madrasahs—and explores Arabic-language texts as well as works of local scholars that were used as references. The findings indicate that Al Washliyah consistently positioned Arabic not merely as a linguistic skill but also as an epistemological instrument for understanding classical Islamic texts, preserving the Shāfi‘ī school, and reinforcing the tradition of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah. The curriculum was designed to emphasize the integration of linguistic sciences (‘ilm al-ālah such as naḥw, ṣarf, balāghah, and manṭiq), mastery of kitāb kuning, and the teaching of core religious disciplines including tafsīr, ḥadīth, fiqh, uṣūl al-fiqh, and taṣawwuf. This strategy was further reinforced through the role of Al Washliyah scholars (‘ulamā’) as teachers, authors of textbooks, and producers of scholarly discourse in Arabic, thereby safeguarding the continuity of the chain of transmission (sanad) across generations. The study concludes that Al Washliyah successfully developed a distinctive model of religious sciences transmission in Indonesia by integrating Arabic language proficiency, classical turāth, and the demands of modern education. Consequently, the strengthening of Arabic within Al Washliyah is positioned as both a cultural and intellectual strategy to preserve the continuity of the Islamic intellectual tradition in the Nusantara while simultaneously addressing contemporary challenges.