The sound was faint from a study room. It was not the rustle of\nturning pages of a classical text, as is common in pesantren (Islamic\nboarding school) recitations. Nor was it the dance of a pen on paper.\nWhat could be heard was the slow friction of fingertips moving over\nraised dots. A visually impaired santri (student) was reading Ta\u2019lim\nal-Muta\u2019allim in Braille. Beside him, another student was repeating\nmemorisation of the Al-Arba\u2019in al-Nawawiyah. In another corner, several\nstudents were studying the Matan of al-Jurumiyah and Al-Amtsilah\nal-Tashrifiyah.<\/p>\n
This scene is likely unknown to much of the public. Yet behind these\nquiet study rooms, a significant effort is underway to bring knowledge\nto everyone without exception. This raises the question: what is the\nstate of disability-inclusive pesantren?<\/p>\n
In the perspective of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, pesantren\nhave a responsibility to serve all levels of society. This view aligns\nwith the mandate of Law Number 18 of 2019 on Pesantren, which affirms\nthe institution\u2019s functions in education, dakwah (religious outreach),\nand community empowerment. Simultaneously, Law Number 8 of 2016 on\nPersons with Disabilities guarantees the right of every disabled person\nto quality education on an equal basis, free from discrimination.<\/p>\n
Traces of inclusivity are not foreign to the Islamic scholarly\ntradition. The Quran immortalises the story of Abdullah bin Ummi Maktum,\na blind companion whose situation became part of the reason for the\nrevelation of Surah \u2019Abasa. In Islamic history, Abdullah bin Ummi Maktum\nwas not marginalised due to his visual impairment. The Prophet Muhammad\nentrusted him to call the azan and carry out various important duties in\nMedina.<\/p>\n
The value of respect for persons with disabilities can also be found\nin the classical texts (kitab kuning) that have been the source of\nlearning in pesantren for centuries. In works such as Al-Majmu\u2019 Syarh\nal-Muhadzdzab by Imam al-Nawawi, Mughni al-Muhtaj by al-Khatib\nal-Syarbini, Tuhfah al-Muhtaj by Ibn Hajar al-Haitami, and Nihayah\nal-Muhtaj by al-Ramli, there are discussions regarding the blind\n(al-a\u2019ma), the deaf (al-ashamm), the mute (al-akhras), and those with\nwalking impediments (al-a\u2019raj) in various aspects of worship,\ntransactions, testimony, and social life.<\/p>\n
Although classical scholars were not familiar with the modern term\n\u2018disability\u2019, their attention to the needs and rights of these groups\nshows that issues of accessibility and humanity have long been part of\nIslamic legal discourse. In more recent developments, this perspective\nhas been strengthened by the Fikih Penguatan Penyandang Disabilitas\n(Jurisprudence for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities)\ncompiled by the Bahtsul Masail Institute of PBNU (2021), which positions\npersons with disabilities as subjects with full rights in religious,\neducational, social, economic, and political life.<\/p>\n
The commitment to inclusivity has been reinforced by the state\nthrough Law Number 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities, Law Number 18\nof 2019 on Pesantren, and Government Regulation Number 13 of 2020 on\nReasonable Accommodation for Students with Disabilities. Within the\nMinistry of Religious Affairs, this spirit is translated through\nMinister of Religious Affairs Regulation Number 1 of 2024 on Reasonable\nAccommodation for Students with Disabilities in Educational Units under\nthe Ministry of Religious Affairs, Decree of the Director General of\nIslamic Education Number 1262 of 2024 on Technical Guidelines for\nChild-Friendly Care in Pesantren, and Decree of the Minister of\nReligious Affairs Number 91 of 2025 on the Roadmap for the\nChild-Friendly Pesantren Development Programme. All these regulations\naim to ensure that pesantren become a shared home that is safe,\nfriendly, and accessible to all children of the nation, including those\nwith disabilities.<\/p>\n
However, regulations will remain mere documents if they do not\nmanifest in the study room. Therefore, the Ministry of Religious Affairs\nhas not stopped at policy formulation. In recent years, various\nclassical texts (kitab kuning) in Braille, the Quran in Braille, and the\nQuran in Sign Language have been published to expand access to Islamic\nknowledge. Texts such as Ta\u2019lim al-Muta\u2019allim, Matan Safinatun Najah,\nAl-Arba\u2019in al-Nawawiyah, Akhlaq lil Banin, Matan al-Jurumiyah, Al-Lughah\nal-\u2019Arabiyah, and Al-Amtsilah al-Tashrifiyah can now be studied by\nvisually impaired students through Braille. Meanwhile, the Quran in Sign\nLanguage opens a new path for deaf students to understand the messages\nof the Quran.<\/p>\n
Beyond being mere publishing products, the Braille classical texts,\nBraille Quran, and Sign Language Quran are symbols of a civilisation\nthat refuses to leave anyone behind. They are a statement that the path\nto knowledge must be paved for all, not just for those who are\nphysically complete. The question \u2018What is the state of\ndisability-inclusive pesantren?\u2019 is not only about the number of\ninstitutions or student statistics. It touches the very heart of\npesantren civilisation. Has the pesantren become a home that is open to\nall children of the nation? Do persons with disabilities have the same\nopportunity to recite, memorise the Quran, and tread the path of\nknowledge as other students?<\/p>\n
Pesantren must move beyond a charity-based approach and adopt a\nrights-based approach. Disability inclusion is not an act of mercy or\nsocial generosity. It is a constitutional mandate and the fulfilment of\nbasic rights. The state, through the Ministry of Religious Affairs, must\nensure that every pesantren receiving state recognition and support\nprovides reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities. This\naccommodation includes physical accessibility, inclusive learning\nmethods, disability-friendly teaching materials, and the availability of\neducators and education personnel who understand the principles of\ninclusive education.<\/p>\n
Pesantren must be a place where a blind santri can memorise the Quran\nwith his fingers, a deaf santri can understand the meaning of the Quran\nthrough sign language, and a santri with a physical disability can\naccess all learning and worship facilities without hindrance. The\nquestion \u2018What is the state of disability-inclusive pesantren?\u2019 must be\nanswered not only with words but with real action. The state must be\npresent to ensure that no child of the nation is left behind in\naccessing religious education. Because in the perspective of the\npesantren, every individual is a servant of God who has the same right\nto draw closer to Him through knowledge.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/what-is-the-state-of-disability-inclusive-pesantren-1781247157", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }