A Critical Study of Fiqih Learning in Islamic Boarding Schools from the Perspective of Paulo Freire

Abstract

This study critically examines Fiqih (Islamic jurisprudence) learning practices at Pondok Pesantren Darul Hadis Lembar, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, through the theoretical lens of Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy. Guided by a single research question—how do Fiqih learning practices at this institution reflect or diverge from Freire's critical pedagogical concepts, including banking education, problem posing education, conscientização, and dialectical praxis—this research employed a qualitative critical case study design. Data were collected over two months (January–February 2026) through participatory observation of 43 learning sessions, in-depth semi-structured interviews with 13 informants (six teachers and seven students), and document analysis. Findings reveal four interrelated patterns: (1) the dominance of banking education characteristics, with eight of ten Freirean indicators manifested in bandongan and sorogan methods; (2) the near-complete absence of problem-posing education elements, compounded by the lack of institutionalized bahtsul masail; (3) limited development of student conscientização, with 85.7% of student informants operating at the magical-to-naïve consciousness levels; and (4) a distortion of praxis toward verbalism, wherein textual knowledge of Fiqih remains structurally disconnected from meaningful social action. This study does not seek to discredit the rich tradition of pesantren education; rather, it employs Freire's framework as a constructive reflective lens to identify structural pedagogical gaps and propose organic enrichment strategies. Transformative recommendations include institutionalizing bahtsul masail, revitalizing sorogan as reflective dialogue, integrating contextual reflection within bandongan, introducing maqashid al-shari'ah into the formal curriculum, and developing higher-order thinking evaluation components—all within the spirit of the traditional tradition itself.