Abstract
Nahdlatul Wathan (NW), as the largest socio-religious organization in West Nusa Tenggara, has played a pivotal role in advancing education in the region, particularly on Lombok Island, Indonesia. Rooted in its foundational mission to promote Islamic religious education within a socio-religious framework, the organization’s early initiatives were marked by the establishment of Nahdlatul Wathan Diniyah Islamiyah (NWDI) and Nahdlatul Banat Diniyah Islamiyah (NBDI). This study seeks to trace the historical evolution of the educational system under NW’s auspices, highlighting its transformation from traditional to modern forms. Employing a historical methodology—encompassing heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography—the research examines NW’s efforts to cultivate religious consciousness among the Lombok community, primarily through the establishment and development of educational institutions, as well as its broader religious and social movements. Between 1936 and 1960, NW’s educational reforms spanned both non-formal and formal systems. Non-formal education was initiated with the founding of the Pondok Pesantren Al-Mujahidin in 1934, which operated for three years (1934–1936) before evolving into NWDI and NBDI as formal madrasah institutions. These madrasahs qualified as formal educational institutions, as their curricula aligned with government-recognized standards. The pedagogical system developed by NW represented a synthesis between salafiyah (traditional) and khalafiyah (modern) models. By the 1950s, the curricula of these madrasahs were adapted to meet the standards established by the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs. NW’s pedagogical trajectory from 1936 to 1960 began with a semi-classical pondok pesantren system in 1934, transitioned into a classical madrasah model between 1936 and 1953, and ultimately adopted the framework of the national curriculum from 1953 to 1960. Initially, this transformation reflected the influence of the Madrasah Saulatiyah system of Makkah (1936–1953), which had been adopted by TGKH Muhammad Zainuddin Abdul Madjid, the founder of NW, who completed his studies at the institution. A sustained historical investigation of Indonesia’s educational landscape—particularly Islamic schools—is crucial to understanding how Indonesian Muslims have navigated sociocultural transformations by internalizing Islamic values within their educational institutions.