Efforts to Improve Students’ Ability to Read Classical Islamic Texts through the Nabdatul Bayan Book at Ma’had Darul Lughah Wal Karomah Probolinggo

Abstract

The ability to read kitab kuning (classical Islamic texts) is an essential competence for pesantren students, as it serves as the foundation for understanding classical Islamic scholarship, including fiqh, tafsir, hadith, and ethics. However, field realities indicate that many students still experience difficulties in reading unvowelled Arabic texts, particularly in terms of accuracy of vowelization, understanding sentence structures, and reading independently. This study aims to analyze the learning strategies of the Nabdatul Bayan book, examine the improvement of students’ ability to read classical Islamic texts, and identify supporting and inhibiting factors in the learning process at Ma’had Darul Lughah Wal Karomah Probolinggo. This research employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive research design. The research subjects consist of one teacher, twenty-four students, and one ma’had administrator. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, while data analysis was conducted using the Miles and Huberman model. The findings indicate that the learning of the Nabdatul Bayan book is implemented systematically through gradual instruction of nahwu and shorof rules, the application of bandongan and sorogan methods, practice in reading classical texts, and routine evaluation. The implementation of these strategies has proven effective in improving students’ reading abilities in terms of reading fluency, accuracy of vowelization, understanding sentence structures, and reading independence. Furthermore, students’ perceptions of the use of the Nabdatul Bayan book show highly positive responses. The main supporting factors include the concise structure of the book, teacher competence, and a conducive pesantren environment, while the inhibiting factors include differences in students’ initial abilities and limited learning time.