A Critical-Hermeneutic Analysis of KH. Hasyim Asy’ari’s Thought and Contributions in the Context of Contemporary Education

Abstract

Academic ethics crisis, social anomie in the digital age, and the commercialization of modern education necessitate a critical reading of Islamic educational heritage. This study aims to analyze deeply and critically the educational thought and contribution of KH. Hasyim Asy'ari through a Critical Hermeneutics framework. This approach fuses the historical horizon of the text (Adab al-'Alim wa al-Muta'allim), the sociological horizon of the author's era, and the contemporary educational horizon. Utilizing a qualitative library research method with Ricoeurian and Gadamerian hermeneutics (fusion of horizons), this study reveals three key findings: (1) Hasyim Asy'ari's educational concept relies on the transcendence of adab as an epistemological prerequisite for knowledge acquisition; (2) His historical contribution successfully modernized the boarding school (pesantren) structure through curriculum synthesis in the madrasa system and the integration of nationalism (hubbul wathan minal iman); (3) Critically, the doctrine of ta'dhim and the dominance of bayani-irfani epistemology pose a risk of academic paternalism if implemented dogmatically. This study recommends a re-contextualization of ta'dhim into academic integrity and dialogic mutual respect to restore educational humanism in the era of digital disruption.