Values and Tradition Inheritance in the Pesantren

Abstract

In Indonesia “Pesantren” ("Islamic Boarding School") is the oldest Islamic institution. Physically,the Pesantren have undergone changes; however, the tradition has not changed greatly since there is a more systematic effort to maintain it. To be able to understand the Pesantren, it is necessary to understand the history and traditions that shape it. This paper discusses the traditions that exist in Pesantren. The analysis used historical records confronted with empirical values of the current Pesantren. The historical analysis used a variety of literature and secondary data, while for the empirical analysis, observations and field participations in the two Pesantren, namely,  Pesantren Raudlatul Ulum, Cidahu, Pandeglang Regency, Banten and  Pesantren Sidogiri, in Pasuruan, East Java were conducted. Based on the assumption that the traditions in Pesantren are local reality which is specifically constructed, the analysis of this paper used a hermeunetical and dialectical constructivist paradigm.From the results of field observations and literature reviews, there are traditions that grew in the early birth of this type of Pesantren, and they have continued to influence the attitudes and perspectives of the actors running the Pesantren today. These traditions can be categorized into: acculturation as the tradition of cultural contacts, Sufism and the  Kitab Kuning (yellow book) as the tradition of thought, and obedience as the social order tradition. These traditions have continued to be transferred from generation to generation,enabling it able to survive (resilience) up to the present time.

Keywords: tradition, pesantren, aculturation, sufism, kitab kuning (yellow book), obedience