Local Wisdom in Script and Spirit: Educational and Policy Insights from Integrating Islamic Teachings with Cultural Heritage
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31849/zdk3km64Keywords:
Islamic religious education (IRE), Tafsīr manuscript tradition , Pegon script, Culturally responsive pedagogy, Contextual islamic education, Curriculum localizationAbstract
The Qur’anic tafsīr manuscript-copying tradition in Rembang, Central Java, reflects a historically significant mode of Islamic knowledge transmission that remains underrepresented in contemporary Islamic Religious Education (IRE). This study repositions these handwritten Javanese and Pegon-script tafsīr manuscripts as culturally grounded pedagogical resources capable of enriching modern instructional practice. Using a descriptive qualitative design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with Kiai, manuscript custodians, and IRE teachers and students, supported by participant observation and textual analysis of selected archived manuscripts at Masjid Jami Lasem. The findings show that the manuscripts contain vernacular idioms, metaphors, and narrative forms that contextualize Qur’anic teachings within local sociocultural realities, enhancing emotional engagement and spiritual reflection. Eighty-four percent of teachers and students reported improved comprehension compared to rote memorization, and observational data revealed that verses contextualized through local metaphors were interpreted and recalled 30 to 40 percent faster than those taught solely in classical Arabic. Although absent from current curricula, the majority of teachers supported reintegrating these manuscripts to promote dialogical learning, ethical reflection, and culturally responsive pedagogy. The novelty of this research lies in demonstrating that the Rembang manuscript tradition is not merely historical heritage but an evidence-based instructional model that strengthens curriculum localization and fosters transformative learning grounded in indigenous Islamic literacy. More broadly, the study contributes to scholarship on vernacular Islamic education by showing the relevance of heritage-based pedagogy for cultivating meaningful, dialogical, and culturally rooted religious learning in diverse Muslim societies.
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