Epistemology in Practice: A Compassion-Based Ecological Knowledge Formation System at Peacesantren Welas Asih

Abstract

English

Islamic education in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) is generally still based on a transmissive learning model that places text as the primary authoritative source and reinforces a hierarchical relationship between educators and students. This pattern often limits students' participation in the knowledge production process. Contrary to this tendency, Peacesantren Welas Asih in Garut presents an educational approach that integrates compassionate values, spiritual dimensions, and ecological awareness as the foundation for knowledge formation. This research views this approach as an epistemic practice within contemporary Islamic education. The research employed a qualitative case study design, using data collection techniques including participant observation; in-depth interviews with students, boarding school administrators, and learning facilitators; and a review of curriculum documents and learning projects. The data obtained were analyzed using thematic analysis, drawing on the frameworks of epistemic justice and critical Islamic pedagogy to understand the dynamics of knowledge development within the Islamic boarding school environment. The results indicate that students at Peacesantren Welas Asih are positioned not merely as recipients of knowledge but as active subjects and producers of knowledge through critical reflection, spiritual practices, and direct involvement in various social and ecological activities. Knowledge is derived not only from religious texts but also from life experiences, social relationships, and interactions with nature, which are recognized as legitimate epistemic media. These findings indicate an epistemic shift in Islamic education that challenges the separation between religious and worldly knowledge. In this context, compassion emerges as an alternative epistemology that serves as a foundation for understanding religiosity, building social relationships, and living life in a more contextual, reflective, and transformative way.

Indonesian

Pendidikan Islam di banyak pesantren masih didominasi oleh pola transmisif yang menekankan otoritas teks dan relasi hierarkis antara guru dan murid. Peacesantren Welas Asih di Garut menawarkan pendekatan alternatif yang mengintegrasikan welas asih, spiritualitas, dan kesadaran ekologis dalam pembentukan pengetahuan. Studi ini memposisikan pendekatan tersebut sebagai praktik epistemic dalam konteks pendidikan Islam. Dengan menggunakan desain studi kasus kualitatif, data dikumpulkan melalui observasi partisipatif, wawancara mendalam dengan santri, pengasuh, dan fasilitator, serta analisis dokumen kurikulum dan proyek pembelajaran. Analisis tematik dilakukan menggunakan kerangka epistemic justice dan critical Islamic pedagogy. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa santri di Peacesantren Welas Asih tidak hanya menjadi penerima, tetapi juga produsen pengetahuan melalui refleksi, praktik spiritual, dan keterlibatan dalam proyek sosial-ekologis. Pengetahuan tidak bersumber tunggal dari teks, melainkan juga dari pengalaman, relasi, dan interaksi dengan alam sebagai medium epistemik yang sah. Studi ini menunjukkan gejala pergeseran epistemik dalam pendidikan Islam, yang menantang dikotomi antara ilmu agama dan ilmu dunia. Konsep welas asih di sini tampil sebagai epistemologi alternatif—bukan hanya nilai moral—yang mendasari cara memahami keberagamaan, relasi sosial, dan kehidupan secara lebih kontekstual dan transformatif.

Keywords

• critical pedagogy
• environmental awareness
• epistemic practice
• Islamic boarding school
• knowledge formation