Medina Society: Lessons and Their Relevance in Indonesian Education Context

Islam has extraordinary historical experience and variety in shaping the ideal society, which is encompassed by peace and respect for plurality, namely the Medina society. With the Constitution of Medina or the Media Charter, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) succeeded in building a tolerant society within diversity. This pattern of community development should be reflected and contextualized in the management of education in Indonesia, which seems to be struggling to overcome the challenge to fostering an attitude of tolerance and equality in a plural society. In the context of education management, the pattern of formation of the Medina society by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is reflected in several ways, such as managing educational organizations on the basis of the principle of unity; running school organizations in a spirit of tolerance, equality, and solidarity; and supporting the process of education and teaching in the cultivation of multicultural values. In the Indonesian context, the multicultural values of the Medina society, in general, are not being implemented in government educational institutions. However, in various nongovernment educational institutions, the values of tolerance and multiculturalism are being vigorously promoted.