Islamic Epistemology and Surau Education in Minangkabau: Reconstructing the Bayānī, Burhānī, and ʿIrfānī Dimensions

Abstract

The transformation of traditional Islamic education raises questions about how local educational institutions preserve religious knowledge while responding to changing social and cultural contexts. This study examines the epistemological foundations of surau education in Minangkabau through the bayānī, burhānī, and ʿirfānī perspectives and asks how these modes of knowing are reflected in its educational practices. Employing qualitative historical and library research, the study analyzes relevant historical sources, scholarly literature, and accounts of surau education in Minangkabau. Its novelty lies in reconstructing surau not merely as a traditional institution for transmitting Islamic teachings, but as an epistemological space in which textual, rational-empirical, and spiritual-intuitive modes of knowledge interact with Minangkabau cultural values. The findings indicate that surau education historically integrates bayānī reasoning through Qur’anic and religious instruction, burhānī reasoning through intellectual discussion and engagement with social realities, and ʿirfānī reasoning through spiritual practice, ethical formation, and experiential learning. This integration is embedded within the principle of adat basandi syarak, syarak basandi Kitabullah, which connects Islamic teachings with Minangkabau customary values. The study argues that the surau tradition offers an indigenous model of integrative Islamic education that can contribute to contemporary discussions on contextual, character-oriented, and culturally grounded religious education.