Pesantren (Madrasah) of South Sulawesi in 20th Century

 Pesantrens are important social and educational institutions, which contribute to the perpetuation and adaptation of the Indonesian Muslim tradition either in local, national and even international spheres. Historically, these institutions have acted as agents of social change within the cultural fabric of society. According to Salim (2001), at least three factors contribute to the importance of pesantren. First, pesantren is instrumental in the development of Muslim tradition. Pesantrens traditionally provide legitimation for rural society and they are acknowledged as cultural symbols and effective media that influence social change. Second, studies on pesantren are rarely conducted either by local or Western scholars. In this sense, Abdurahman Wahid believes that there is a misunderstanding of the role of pesantren due to a lack of serious research and studies. Therefore, scientific research on the one hand must endeavor to give a real description of the strengths and potential of pesantren to enforce change, on the other; it may offer constructive criticism of the role of pesantren. Third, the pesantren tradition is not static but dynamic as it preserves the continuity of tradition and accepts changes.

In the 20th century, pesantren with its traditional teaching methods and system faced crucial challenges not only from the modern education system introduced by the Dutch but also from Muslim community, which began to adopt modern educational systems. Some pesantrens such As’adiyah (Sengkang), DDI (Mangkoso, Parepare, Pinrang), Hasan al-Yamani (Polmas), deal with Islamic education and greatly contribute to the enhancement of the national educational program. This pesantren attracted many santris both from local community and from outside of the South Sulawesi province. There have been many students who came from different regions of South Sulawesi such as Wajo, Soppeng, Bone, Sidrap, Maros, Luwu-Palopo, Gowa, Jeneponto and many others. The students of this pesantren also come from different provinces such as East Kalimantan, South East Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Nusatenggara (NTT), Riau and Jambi.

In Java and South Sulawesi, however, the strength of an Islamic education is not found in madrasah (religious school) as in most Islamic countries, but in the pesantren system. Unlike most pesantrens in Java, which are owned by the kiyai, most pesantrens in South Sulawesi are not owned by a kiyai but by the Islamic community around the pesantren. There are some reasons: First, the intellectual chain of Ulama is not limited to certain family. Second, the Gurutta (kiyai) him self does not want to own that pesantren due to this pesantren for him is a merely a tool of ibadah. Third, most pesantren are donated by the local Government and Muslim community.

Gurutta H. M. As’ad al-Buqisy established Pesantren As’adiyah in 1930 and played a decisive role in the emergence of some well-known pesantren and religious leaders in South Sulawesi. They are Pesantren Yastrib established by Gurutta H. Daud Ismail (Soppeng), Pesantren DDI by H. Abdul Rahman Ambo Dalle (Mangkoso, Parepare, Pinrang), Pesantren al-Furqan by H. Muh. Abduh Pabbajah (Parepare), Pesantren Ma’had al-Hadith by H. Junaid Sulaiman (Bone), Pesantren Al-Urwah al-Wutsqa by H. Abdul Muin Yusuf (Sidrap). , and the Pesantren Nurul al-Junaidiyah by H. Abdul Azis (Luwu Utara).

One of the unique features of Indonesia since its independence in 1945 is that the country has adopted a dual system of education. Even though, the Indonesian government has developed modern secular education however, the government also believes that the traditional Islamic education such as Pesantren and Madrasah that has evolved over many centuries must not be abolished or neglected.