The Politics of Religious Moderation from the Perspective of Siyāsah Sharʿiyyah
A Socio-Legal Study of Pesantren in Kediri, Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24252/mazahibuna.vi.68381Keywords:
Siyasah Shar‘iyyah, Islamic Legal Politics, Religious Moderation, Pesantren, Socio-Legal StudiesAbstract
Religious moderation has become a strategic agenda in Indonesia and has been institutionalized through various legal and educational policies. Existing studies predominantly examine religious moderation from pedagogical, sociological, and policy perspectives, whereas its governance dimension remains underexplored, particularly within the framework of Siyāsah Sharʿiyyah. This study investigates how Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) operationalize religious moderation as a form of Islamic public governance and proposes a Siyāsah Sharʿiyyah-based model of moderation governance. Employing a socio-legal approach and qualitative empirical methods, the study was conducted at three pesantren in Kediri, Indonesia: Pondok Pesantren Lirboyo, Pondok Pesantren Darussalam Sumbersari, and Pondok Pesantren Kedunglo Al-Munadhdhoroh. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis involving kiai, teachers, students, and policymakers and were analyzed thematically through the lens of Siyāsah Sharʿiyyah. The findings reveal three interconnected models of religious moderation governance: tradition-based governance rooted in classical Islamic scholarship, community-engagement governance promoting social solidarity and interreligious coexistence, and adaptive governance addressing digital-era challenges. These models demonstrate that religious moderation in pesantren extends beyond the implementation of state policies and functions as a collaborative governance mechanism integrating religious authority, public participation, and welfare-oriented objectives. This study contributes to the literature by proposing a conceptual model that bridges state regulations, pesantren institutions, and Islamic principles of public welfare, thereby enriching contemporary debates on Islamic governance, religious moderation, and comparative Islamic legal studies.
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