Evaluating Hifdhul Qur’an Learning for Santri at Pondok Pesantren Bahrul Ulum Simo Boyolali

Ahmadi Ahmadi (Institut Studi Islam Muhammadiyah Pacitan, Indonesia)
Ngatmin Abbas (Insitut Islam Mamba’ul ‘Ulum Surakarta, Indonesia)
Abdullah Abdullah (Insitut Islam Mamba’ul ‘Ulum Surakarta, Indonesia)

Islamika: Jurnal Keislaman dan Ilmu Pendidikan
Vol 8 No 4 (2026): OCTOBER

Traditional Qur’anic memorization programs in salafiah pesantren require systematic evaluation to ensure that established pedagogical practices effectively support both memorization attainment and recitation quality. This study aims to evaluate Hifdhul Qur’an learning for santri at Pondok Pesantren Bahrul Ulum Simo Boyolali by examining program planning, implementation, muraja’ah, teacher supervision, memorization assessment, and students’ perceptions. A descriptive qualitative design was employed and supplemented by questionnaire data from 43 santri. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with pesantren leaders, ustadz, and musyrif, questionnaires addressing planning, implementation, and evaluation, and relevant documentation. The findings indicate that Hifdhul Qur’an learning is organized through daily memorization targets, routine submission after the Subuh prayer, scheduled muraja’ah, and multiple learning activities, including sabaq, sabqi, tasmi’, sima’an, binadhor, bil ghoib, manzil, and mukammal. The santri generally understood the established targets and evaluated the program positively. Specifically, 48.8% strongly agreed that they understood the memorization targets, 46.5% strongly agreed that learning was conducted routinely, 58.1% strongly agreed that teachers listened attentively, and 44.2% strongly agreed that accurate tajwid constituted a central assessment criterion. Nevertheless, the program faced challenges related to boredom, fluctuating motivation, inadequate time management, limited supervisory personnel, and declining memorization quality outside the pesantren environment. The study concludes that effective Hifdhul Qur’an learning requires a balanced emphasis on quantitative memorization targets, recitation accuracy, consistent muraja’ah, constructive teacher feedback, and student-centered mentoring. These findings contribute to Islamic education evaluation by demonstrating how traditional Qur’anic pedagogy in a classical pesantren can be strengthened through systematic program assessment.