THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF ADAB: RECONSTRUCTING K.H. HASYIM ASY'ARI'S EDUCATIONAL THOUGHT FOR CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC PEDAGOGY

Abstract

This study examines the epistemological dimensions of adab in the educational thought of K.H. Hasyim Asy'ari and reconstructs them as a conceptual foundation for contemporary Islamic pedagogy. Employing a qualitative library research approach, the study critically analyzes Hasyim Asy'ari's principal educational writings, particularly Adab al-'Ālim wa al-Muta'allim, alongside contemporary scholarship on Islamic educational philosophy, epistemology, and pedagogy. The findings reveal that adab extends beyond moral conduct or character formation, functioning instead as an epistemological principle that governs the ethical acquisition, validation, transmission, and application of knowledge. The reconstructed framework comprises four interrelated dimensions: ethical knowledge acquisition, epistemic responsibility, relational pedagogy, and transformative educational practice. These dimensions enable Islamic education to integrate intellectual excellence with moral integrity while addressing contemporary challenges such as digital learning, artificial intelligence, educational pluralism, and global citizenship. The study contributes a novel theoretical perspective by repositioning adab as an epistemological framework for contemporary Islamic pedagogy, thereby expanding K.H. Hasyim Asy'ari's educational thought beyond its traditional pesantren context into a dynamic paradigm for twenty-first-century Islamic education