Islamic Ethnopedagogy and Religious Moderation: Lessons from the Kajang Indigenous Community in Indonesia

Moderate Islam (wasatiyyah) has become a crucial paradigm in addressing religious radicalism and promoting social harmony in plural societies, particularly in Indonesia. This study explores how the indigenous Kajang community in South Sulawesi transmits moderate Islamic values through a localized ethnopedagogical system embedded in everyday cultural practices. Employing a qualitative critical ethnographic approach, the research draws on in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis involving traditional leaders, families, and youth, with data analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model. The findings indicate that educational practices in the Kajang community are deeply rooted in cultural rituals, oral traditions, and daily social interactions. Core Islamic values, such as tauhid (monotheism), honesty (lempu), simplicity (kamase-masea), and ecological responsibility, are conveyed through role modeling by elders, communal participation in adat (customary) practices, and continuous reinforcement within the family. These mechanisms foster lived expressions of religious moderation aligned with the principles of tawassuth (moderation), tawazun (balance), and ta‘adul (justice). The study concludes that the Kajang ethnopedagogical model offers a culturally grounded framework for nurturing moderate Muslim identities and provides valuable insights for Islamic education reform in pluralistic contexts.