| Summary: | Though there is a growing body of literature on Syed Sheikh al-Hadi, few focuses on his
contributions to the educational reform. Thus, this study analyzes Syed Sheikh al-Hadi’s views on
the educational reforms. Al-Hadi was discontent with the traditional Islamic education in Malaya
because of its inadequacy to prepare the future generation to meet the challenges of modernity.
For this purpose, al-Hadi emphasized the reform of Islamic education system through the
madrasah, which would offer both the religious and secular subjects. Further, al-Hadi proposed the
Malay-Anglo school: integrating the positive elements of the Malay school with the English school
for the benefits of the Malay students. In order to revitalize the society, al-Hadi emphasized that
women’s education needed to be addressed urgently. Besides contributing to theoretical
discussion, al-Hadi was also involved in various capacities in the establishment and management
of several madrasahs: Madrasah Iqbal Islamiah, Madrasah al-Hadi dan Madrasah al-Masyhur. This
study adopts the textual study approach in examining the relevant primary sources. At the same
time, it connects the text with the larger socio-historical contexts, which shaped the production of
ideas and text.
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