Religion and Modernization in The Perspective of Islamic Educational Institutions (A Study on Al-Azhar Karanganyar Islamic Boarding School)

Abstract

This research aims to examine the modernization carried out by Al-Azhar Foundation in terms of Islamic education. Al-Azhar Foundation established Al-Azhar International Islamic Boarding School (IIBS) with international standards for its curriculum, which is also based on modern Islamic boarding schools. The technique used in this research is hermeneutics, in which the author explains the meaning and purpose of the text. This research is significant as Al-Azhar is not only related to the national education system, but also an inseparable entity in the history of Islamic education in Indonesia. Al-Azhar is an Islamic school aligned with the Islamic boarding school (pesantren) and madrasa system, considered national treasures of Islamic education. Based on this purpose, this research analyzes the modernization of al-Azhar in terms of Islamic education from two angles; (1) The subject of Islamic education in al-Azhar and its curriculum structure. This part is necessary to reveal the ideology inherited through the curriculum; and (2) Internationalizing al-Azhar. This angle is useful as an explanation of the educational values embraced by al-Azhar.