20 CURRENT DEVELOPMENT ON AL WASHLIYAH ULAMA: The Problem of Ulama Tradition and Its Revitalization Imam Yazid 1 Abstract: Al Jam’iyatul Washliyah is an organization established by the ulama in 1930. This organization has garnered significant attention from Muslims due to the presence of ulama within its ranks. However, over time, the organization has faced challenges related to a scarcity of ulama. This study aims to investigate the factors contributing to the scarcity of ulama within Al Washliyah and highlight the importance of revitalizing the ulama for the organization. Employing a literature review with a historical approach, this study reveals two key findings. First, the scarcity of ulama can be attributed to a decline in public interest in acquiring in- depth religious knowledge and the secular nature of the political system. Second, Al Washliyah has not been adequately proactive in cultivating new ulama, thereby failing to uphold the tradition established by the organization’s founders. This study complements the literature on the contemporary development of ulama studies in Indonesia. Keywords: Al Washliyah, ulama, Sunni, Shâfi‘iyah, tradition Article history: Received: May 31, 2023 | Revised: June 5, 2023 | Accepted: June 15, 2023 | Available online: June 30, 2023 © The Author(s) (2023). Published by Centre For Al Washliyah Studies. JIU is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN ULAMA Volume 01, Number 01, June 2023 DOI : https://doi.org/10.30821/jiu.v1i1.5 1 Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia, e-mail: imam.yazid@uinsu.ac.id