Pendidikan Agama Islam Berbasis Maqashid Asy-Syari'ah (Hifdzhul Aqli) Dalam Pengembangan Berpikir Kritis Santri Di Ma'had Hawa Lita'limil Qur'an Cianjur

Abstract

Islamic religious education within the pesantren tradition cannot be separated from the fundamental objective of Islamic law to safeguard the intellect (hifdz al-‘aql) as one pillar of maqashid asy-syari‘ah, particularly amid contemporary demands that position critical thinking as an essential competency for santri. This study aims to describe and analyze the implementation of maqashid asy-syari‘ah-based Islamic education, specifically the hifdz al-‘aql dimension, in developing santri’s critical thinking skills at Ma‘had Hawa Lita‘limil Qur‘an Cianjur. A qualitative case study approach was employed. Data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews with caregivers and santri, and documentation studies, then analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that Ma‘had Hawa integrates Qur‘anic memorization with the study of Islamic sciences (hadith, tafsir, and fiqh), Arabic linguistics (nahwu-sharaf and calligraphy), tajwid-tahsin, and daily adab habituation as a unified curriculum oriented toward preserving and developing santri’s intellect. The learning pattern that requires santri to weigh evidence, understand the rationale (‘illat) behind rulings, and reflect meaningfully on Qur‘anic recitation has been shown to cultivate critical reasoning that remains grounded in revelation. This is reflected in a significant improvement in santri’s adab, akhlak, and Qur‘anic recitation quality. The study recommends strengthening reflective, maqashid-based learning models as an alternative for developing critical thinking with an Islamic character in pesantren education.