SHAYKH AHMAD SURKATI'S ISLAMIC EDUCATION THOUGHT AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION AT MADRASAH AL-IRSYAD IN INDONESIA

Abstract

Educational backwardness and discrimination against society, particularly the Hadrami Arab descendants in Indonesia, have long persisted. Such conditions resulted in low levels of education and limited religious understanding. The non-Alawiyin Hadrami community lacked formal schools until the establishment of the Al-Irsyad madrasah, in contrast to the Alawiyin who had already founded Jamiat Al-Khair. Furthermore, the Hadrami community for decades endured persistent stereotypes shaped by societal perceptions, often being regarded as an exclusive group detached from the local population. This study aims to examine the intellectual thought and contributions of Shaikh Ahmad Surkati in educating and fostering the Hadrami Irsyadi community through the Al-Irsyad madrasah. Employing a qualitative methodology with a historical-philosophical approach, the research draws upon data spanning 1915 to 2025, collected through library research and field observation. The findings reveal that Shaikh Ahmad Surkati played a pivotal role in establishing Al-Irsyad madrasah with a modern Islamic educational system, recruiting teachers from abroad, integrating religious and general subjects, and nurturing the Hadrami community to develop self-confidence. Moreover, his efforts facilitated the Hadrami’s integration into society, dispelling notions of exclusivity.