Daengku: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Innovation
Vol. 6 No. 4 (2026)

Beyond Ritual Formalism: Islamic Existential Pedagogy and The Ontology of Care

Mohamad Ali (Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta)
M Mukalam (Universitas Gadjah Mada)
Muhamad Subhi Apriantoro (Muhamad Subhi Apriantoro)



Article Info

Publish Date
08 Jul 2026

Abstract

This study aims to reconstruct the ontological foundation of K.H. Ahmad Dahlan's Al-Ma'un Theology by employing Martin Heidegger's concept of Sorge (care), while formulating its implications for the direction of contemporary Islamic education. The study is motivated by the tendency of Islamic education to become ensnared in ritual formalism and mere cognitivism, thereby losing its transformative power. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical method with an existential phenomenological approach, this research finds that Al-Ma'un Theology is not merely a philanthropic doctrine, but a manifestation of "authentic existence." K.H. Ahmad Dahlan (1868-1923) positions amal (social action) as a mode of human "care" (Sorge) toward the world, which is ontologically equivalent to the human endeavor to transcend the meaningless crowd (Das Man). The fundamental implications for Islamic education encompass three aspects: the repositioning of educators as facilitators of the students' self-disclosure; a shift in curriculum orientation from textual mastery toward social praxis; and a definition of educational success measured through the active engagement of the subject in solving humanitarian problems. This research concludes that Al-Ma'un-Heideggerian-based Islamic education is a humanizing pedagogy realized through concrete action within the reality of the world

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Journal Info

Abbrev

daengku

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Other

Description

The Daengku seeks to publish high-quality research papers, review articles, and book reviews that make a contribution to knowledge through the application and development of theories, new data exploration, and/or scientific analysis of salient policy issues. The Scope of the Daengku includes the ...