Issues in the Management of Majelis Taklim in Tigalingga Subdistrict

Abstract

Majelis taklim play a vital role in strengthening religious education, social cohesion, and community empowerment. However, weaknesses in organizational management can undermine the effectiveness and sustainability of their activities. Therefore, this study aims to analyze management issues in majelis taklim in Tigalingga Subdistrict and identify the factors influencing the implementation of management functions. This study employed a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and documentation involving 12 informants, comprising majelis taklim leaders and administrators, religious figures, and community members actively participating in majelis taklim activities. Data were analyzed using an interactive analysis model consisting of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that the majelis taklim have implemented the four basic management functions—planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling—but these functions remain informal and unsystematic. Five interrelated management issues were identified, namely undocumented planning, unclear organizational roles, limited managerial competence, low member participation, and geographical and infrastructure constraints. These issues interact to reduce organizational effectiveness and hinder the sustainability of majelis taklim activities. Conceptually, this study contributes to the literature on community-based Islamic education management by demonstrating that the effectiveness of management functions in rural majelis taklim is shaped by the interaction between organizational capacity and local contextual conditions, thereby providing an integrated explanation of management challenges that extends previous studies focusing primarily on descriptive management practices.