Relevansi Pemikiran KH. Imam Zarkasyi Dalam Pengembangan Lembaga Pendidikan Al Azhar Center Baturaja

Abstract

This study explores the relevance of KH. Imam Zarkasyi’s educational thought in the development of Islamic education at Al Azhar Center Baturaja. As a reformer and founder of Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor, Zarkasyi introduced an integrative model that harmonized religious values with intellectual advancement. His educational philosophy emphasizes the formation of insan kamil complete human beings who balance spiritual, intellectual, moral, and social dimensions. Using a qualitative descriptive field research approach, data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation to analyze how Zarkasyi’s ideas are contextualized in Al Azhar Center’s educational practices. The findings reveal that Zarkasyi’s principles sincerity, simplicity, self-reliance, discipline, and responsibility are deeply embedded in the institution’s curriculum, management, and learning culture. Education at Al Azhar Center Baturaja not only focuses on academic achievement but also cultivates moral integrity and social responsibility through daily habituation and character formation. The integration of religious and general sciences, supported by modern pedagogical methods, reflects Zarkasyi’s vision of education as a transformative process that prepares students to contribute meaningfully to society. Thus, his educational legacy remains a vital foundation for building a progressive Islamic education system that is spiritually rooted, intellectually dynamic, and socially relevant