RETHINKING ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN THE AGE OF UNCERTAINTY: A POST-TRADITIONAL PERSPECTIVE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59166/syaikhona.v4i2.472Keywords:
Islamic Education, Knowledge Authority, Networked Legitimacy, Post-Traditional Governance, UncertaintyAbstract
This study critically rethinks Islamic education in the contemporary age of uncertainty by developing a post-traditional governance framework responsive to ongoing epistemic, technological, and institutional transformations. Using a qualitative conceptual approach, the research synthesizes interdisciplinary perspectives from sociology, educational philosophy, governance studies, and Islamic intellectual tradition to examine changing configurations of authority, knowledge, and governance within Islamic education. The findings reveal a major shift from hierarchical and institution-centered authority toward what this study conceptualizes as networked legitimacy, where educational authority is increasingly shaped through relational interaction, digital mediation, and decentralized knowledge ecosystems. This transformation challenges conventional governance models rooted in centralized authority and rigid institutional control. However, the study argues that these changes also provide opportunities to reconstruct Islamic educational governance in ways that are more adaptive, participatory, and socially responsive while remaining normatively grounded. In response, the study proposes a post-traditional governance framework built upon three interconnected pillars: distributed governance, epistemic plurality with normative anchoring, and adaptive-reflexive management. Together, these pillars provide a governance model that integrates classical Islamic epistemic foundations with contemporary demands for flexibility, collaboration, and complexity awareness. The study contributes theoretically by bridging global educational theories with Islamic intellectual traditions and repositioning Islamic education within broader debates on uncertainty and governance transformation. Practically, it offers a conceptual framework for institutional reform and policy development. Ultimately, the study concludes that Islamic education must move beyond rigid institution-centered paradigms toward more dynamic and ecosystem-based approaches in order to remain ethically grounded, intellectually relevant, and institutionally resilient in an increasingly uncertain world.
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