The Intellectual Legacy of Kitab Kuning and Its Relevance to Contemporary Islamic Education

The kitab kuning represents the intellectual heritage of Indonesian pesantren, playing a pivotal role in shaping the identity and ethos of Islamic education. However, ongoing educational transformations and the rise of digitalization pose challenges to the accessibility and methodological relevance of these texts. This study aims to explore the position, function, and contemporary relevance of the kitab kuning within Islamic education, while formulating a model of critical appreciation that integrates tradition with pedagogical innovation. The research employs a library study. Search strategies encompassed databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, SINTA, and university repositories, using keywords including kitab kuning, pesantren, digitalization of kitab kuning, and Islamic education, covering the period 1980–2024. The sources analyzed consist of classical texts (primary) and scholarly literature (secondary). Findings indicate that the kitab kuning continues to hold epistemological and pedagogical significance, yet requires methodological reinterpretation and contextual integration to contribute effectively to modern Islamic education curricula. The novelty of this research lies in the formulation of a framework for critical appreciation that combines hermeneutical analysis with modernization theory as a foundation for the renewal of the pesantren curriculum.