Between Blessings and Acceleration: The Perceptions of Female Students at Raudlatul Ulum 1 Putri Islamic Boarding School Regarding the Implementation of the Al-Miftah Lil Ulum Method

Luluk Hurin Ain (Universitas Al-Qolam Malang)
Muhammad Husni (Universitas Al-Qolam Malang)

Journal of General Education and Humanities
Vol. 5 No. 5 (2026): October

This study aims to describe the implementation of the Al-Miftah Lil Ulum method and analyze students’ perceptions of its application in relation to the perceived acceleration of ilmu alat (Arabic grammatical sciences) learning and the value of barokah at Raudlatul Ulum 1 Putri Islamic Boarding School. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation involving four Ula-level students and three ustadzah as informants. Data validity was established through triangulation, while the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings show that Al-Miftah Lil Ulum is implemented systematically through the gradual delivery of learning materials, provision of examples, memorization of grammatical rules, exercises, and oral and written evaluations. Students perceived the method as making nahwu and sharaf easier and more structured to understand. Students perceived accelerated learning through their increased ability to understand learning materials, recall grammatical rules, respond to questions, and begin applying these rules when reading kitab kuning (classical Islamic texts). Al-Miftah was not perceived as a replacement for the study of classical Islamic texts but as a foundation for strengthening students’ mastery of ilmu alat. The findings further indicate that students did not perceive learning efficiency and barokah as mutually exclusive. Rather, students understood greater ease in learning as compatible with the usefulness of knowledge, sincerity, proper conduct, respect for teachers, and the practical application of knowledge. These findings suggest that students negotiate pedagogical efficiency with traditional pesantren values, positioning Al-Miftah as a complementary learning method within the existing educational tradition. In the context of Raudlatul Ulum 1 Putri Islamic Boarding School, the findings suggest that such pedagogical innovation can be accepted without displacing the values and traditions embedded in pesantren education.