K.H. Ahmad Dahlan and the Reform of Islamic Education in Colonial Indonesia

Abstract

This article analyzes the educational thought of K.H. Ahmad Dahlan in the context of Islamic educational reform in Indonesia during the colonial period. This study employs a qualitative library research method with a historical–conceptual approach. The findings indicate that Ahmad Dahlan’s educational reform emerged as a response to the dualism of the colonial education system and the stagnation of traditional Islamic educational methods. He proposed a modern Islamic education model that integrates religious and general sciences, applies a classical learning system, and emphasizes the internalization of Islamic values through social practice. This educational concept is grounded in the Islamic understanding of human creation as ‘abd Allah (servant of God) and khalifah fi al-ardh (vicegerent on earth), which requires a balance between spiritual, intellectual, and social dimensions. These ideas were institutionalized through Muhammadiyah as a movement of dakwah and tajdid (renewal) that played a strategic role in the development of modern Islamic education in Indonesia. This study affirms that Ahmad Dahlan’s educational thought remains relevant in addressing contemporary educational challenges, particularly in character education, knowledge integration, and the reform of Islamic education systems