Humanizing Islamic Education Management: Integrating Faith, Culture, and Organizational Wisdom

Abstract

The rapid modernization of education has brought new managerial paradigms that often prioritize structure, performance, and competition over human and moral development. Within Islamic education, this shift creates a pressing concern: how to preserve the human spirit of learning while maintaining institutional effectiveness. This study explores how Islamic education management can be humanized through the integration of faith, culture, and organizational wisdom. Employing a library research approach, it examines classical Islamic concepts of leadership, cultural ethics, and collective decision-making in relation to contemporary organizational theories. The findings reveal that humanizing management begins with faith-based consciousness that views administration as an act of service and stewardship (khilafah). Culture provides the contextual soul of the institution, fostering empathy, belonging, and shared meaning. Meanwhile, organizational wisdom transforms routine management into a reflective practice grounded in ethical discernment. Together, these dimensions construct a human-centered model of Islamic education management that values people over procedures and wisdom over control—balancing professionalism with compassion, and governance with grace.