ARABIC-PEGON IN THE ISLAMIC LEARNING TRADITION: Cultural Mediation, Knowledge Transmission, and Preservation in Pesantren Education
Abstract
Despite the rapid modernization of Islamic education in Indonesia, the Arabic-Pegon script faces significant challenges in its role as a traditional medium of knowledge transmission and Arabic acquisition. Previous studies have often overlooked how this script functions as a critical space for cultural mediation and identity preservation in contemporary settings. This study aims to critically analyze the role of Arabic-Pegon as a cultural and linguistic medium within Islamic education, specifically focusing on its current utility and preservation efforts. Using a qualitative case study approach at Pesantren Mambaus Sholihin Gresik, data were collected through in-depth interviews with educators and a philological-pedagogical analysis of handwritten classical texts (kitab kuning). The findings indicate that Arabic-Pegon functions beyond transliteration by connecting classical Arabic Islamic texts with Javanese linguistic and cultural frameworks. Its use facilitates students’ comprehension of complex religious concepts while maintaining localized forms of Islamic literacy and cultural identity. The study further demonstrates that pegon’s continuity is sustained through intergenerational knowledge transmission, institutional support, and adaptation to contemporary educational contexts. The study contributes to Islamic sociolinguistics by conceptualizing Arabic-Pegon as a dynamic linguistic and epistemological medium for localizing, transmitting, and preserving Islamic knowledge.