Reconstructing Scholarly Authority through Islamic Education

Abstract

This study addresses the contemporary shift where public perception often prioritizes popularity over moral and intellectual integrity, thereby leading to a misconception of scholarly authority. The purpose of this study is to analyze the concept of the ideal ulama' according to Ibn Jamā‘ah in his book Tadhkirat al-Sāmi‘ wa al-Mutakallim fī Adab al-‘Ālim wa al-Muta‘allim (published by Dār al-Baṣā’ir al-Islāmiyyah, Beirut, 3rd edition, 2012 CE/1433 AH) and to contextualize it within the modern world. This study adopts a qualitative approach utilizing a library research method focused on textual analysis. The primary data source is derived from the work of Ibn Jamā‘ah, supplemented by various relevant secondary literature. Data collection was carried out through documentation, while data analysis employed descriptive analytical methods. According to the research findings, an ulama's ideal personality integrates intellectual, spiritual, and moral aspects, such as fear of Allah (khashyah), upholding the dignity of knowledge, exemplifying asceticism (zuhd), upholding integrity, and exhibiting dedication to the advancement of knowledge. These principles are still very important while dealing with the problems of modernity. As a result, this idea provides a crucial normative basis for rebuilding ulama's academic and moral authority in the modern period.