The Epistemology of Islamic Religious Education Grounded on Sufism: A Philosophical Reflection on the Thought of Abuya K.H. Dimyati of Banten

Abstract

This study aims to reconstruct the epistemology of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) based on Sufism by examining the philosophical thought and educational practice of Abuya K.H. Dimyati of Banten. The epistemological crisis in contemporary Islamic education, marked by the dominance of rationalism and cognitive formalism, has led to a disconnection between knowledge and spirituality. Employing a philosophical–hermeneutical approach, this research interprets Sufi epistemology as an alternative foundation for an integrative and transformative paradigm of Islamic education. The data are drawn from primary texts related to Abuya Dimyati's teachings, the educational practices of Pesantren Cidahu, and scholarly literature on Islamic epistemology and Sufi pedagogy. The findings reveal three core principles shaping Abuya Dimyati's epistemology of education; ʿilm al- ḥaqīqī (true knowledge as divine illumination), mursyid (the teacher as a mediator of barakah and revealer of maʿrifah, and qalb salīm (the purified heart as an epistemic organ). These principles constitute a holistic system of knowledge that harmonizes rationality, spirituality, and morality. The study contributes to the contemporary discourse on Islamic epistemology and offers a philosophical foundation for the renewal of Islamic education that unites reason, revelation, and inner consciousness.