Darulfunun Institute

Institute for Development, Research and Initiatives (IDRIS)

Category: Insight

  • Islamic Moral Development of Students in the Era of Globalization: A Case Study at Nurul Chotib Islamic Boarding School, Academic Year 2025/2026

    » AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

    This study aims to analyze the process of students’ moral development at Nurul Chotib Islamic Boarding School, identify the internal and external challenges encountered in the moral development process, and examine the supporting and inhibiting factors influencing moral development in the era of globalization. This research employed a qualitative approach with a field research design. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation involving the boarding school manager, administrators, female teachers (ustadzah), and students selected using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, while data credibility was ensured through source and technique triangulation. The findings indicate that students’ moral development is implemented through religious habituation, exemplary behavior of caregivers and teachers, the enforcement of boarding school regulations, and continuous supervision of students’ daily behavior. The study also reveals that differences in students’ backgrounds, the influence of social media, digital technology, and peer interactions constitute significant challenges in the moral development process. Supporting factors include a religious environment, structured programs, and collaboration among boarding school personnel, whereas the main inhibiting factors are social media exposure, limited self-discipline, and peer influence. This study contributes to the development of Islamic education by providing a comprehensive understanding of students’ moral development in the context of globalization and offers practical recommendations for strengthening moral education in Islamic boarding schools.

  • Contextual Theology in the Pergi Tepat Tradition of the Panai Ethnic Community: The Relationship between Humans, Ancestors, and God in Pesisir Selatan Regency

    » AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

    Grave pilgrimage remains an integral part of community life in various regions of Indonesia. However, this practice often gives rise to differing perspectives, as it is understood as a form of cultural heritage, a religious practice, or even a tradition considered to be inconsistent with religious teachings. This study aims to describe the implementation of the Pergi Tepat tradition, analyze the relationship between humans, ancestors, and God, and examine it through the perspective of Stephen B. Bevans’ contextual theology among the Panai community in Silaut District, Pesisir Selatan Regency. This research employed a qualitative descriptive field research approach. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that Pergi Tepat is a hereditary grave pilgrimage tradition carried out through a series of customary rituals that embody respect for ancestors, social solidarity, and religious values. The study also found that the tradition constructs a triadic relationship among humans, ancestors, and God, in which ancestors are understood as symbolic mediators who remind the community of their history and identity, while God remains the ultimate focus of all prayers, hopes, and expressions of faith. Stephen B. Bevans’ contextual theology demonstrates that culture serves as the context in which faith is understood, experienced, and expressed through the lived experiences of the community. Therefore, the Pergi Tepat tradition represents an expression of contextual theology that integrates local culture, respect for ancestors, and devotion to God in the religious life of the Panai community.

  • Strengthening Critical and Ethical Reasoning through the Socratic Dialogue Method Based on the Epistemology of Islamic Philosophy in Madrasah Aliyah, Agam Regency

    » AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

    Strengthening critical and ethical reasoning has become a strategic necessity in Madrasah Aliyah education amid increasing social complexity and information disruption. Learning practices at MAN 2 Agam, MAS MTI Ghobah, and MAS Mu’allimin Sawah Dangka remain predominantly characterized by normative and factual approaches, thereby limiting opportunities for reflective dialogue. This article examines the effectiveness of a reflective, dialogical, and participatory Islamic philosophy approach in enhancing students’ reasoning abilities. The study employs Participatory Action Research (PAR), encompassing the stages of problem identification, strategy design, implementation of dialogical problem-posing classrooms, and continuous reflection. The intervention was carried out through Islamic philosophy workshops, Socratic dialogue, and the integration of exploratory and evaluative questioning. Students’ participation in classroom discussions demonstrated more active and purposeful engagement, accompanied by an improved ability to construct rational arguments in a more systematic manner. The dialogical process was characterized not only by the exchange of ideas but also by the emergence of ethical considerations in every response expressed by the participants. Meanwhile, teachers’ instructional practices underwent a noticeable transformation, particularly in their questioning techniques, which shifted from one-way transmission toward analytical and reflective exploration. These findings indicate that the Islamic philosophy approach is capable of fostering a meaningful and functional integration of rationality and morality within madrasah learning.

  • Strategies of Islamic Religious Education Teachers in Implementing Students’ Noble Character

    » AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

    This study aims to analyze the strategies employed by Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers in implementing students’ noble character (akhlak mulia), describe the implementation of affective learning in fostering students’ moral development, and identify the supporting and inhibiting factors encountered in the process at MTs Al Qodiri IV Jember. This research employed a qualitative descriptive approach. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation involving the principal, Islamic Religious Education teachers, homeroom teachers, and students. The collected data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, consisting of data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing, while data validity was ensured through source and technique triangulation. The findings reveal that PAI teachers implement noble character education through exemplary behavior (uswah hasanah), religious habituation, advice (mau’idzah hasanah), and persuasive supervision. The implementation of affective learning reflects Thomas Lickona’s three dimensions of character education, namely moral knowing, moral feeling, and moral action, which are integrated into classroom instruction and religious school culture. Supporting factors include the pesantren-based environment, teachers’ commitment, and religious habituation programs, whereas inhibiting factors consist of digital media influence, peer pressure, and students’ diverse family backgrounds. This study contributes to the development of character education by presenting an adaptive strategy for integrating affective learning with Islamic values in a pesantren-based formal school, thereby enriching the discourse on Islamic character education in the digital era.

  • Strategies of Islamic Religious Education Teachers in Implementing Students’ Noble Character

    » AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

    This study aims to analyze the strategies employed by Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers in implementing students’ noble character (akhlak mulia), describe the implementation of affective learning in fostering students’ moral development, and identify the supporting and inhibiting factors encountered in the process at MTs Al Qodiri IV Jember. This research employed a qualitative descriptive approach. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation involving the principal, Islamic Religious Education teachers, homeroom teachers, and students. The collected data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, consisting of data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing, while data validity was ensured through source and technique triangulation. The findings reveal that PAI teachers implement noble character education through exemplary behavior (uswah hasanah), religious habituation, advice (mau’idzah hasanah), and persuasive supervision. The implementation of affective learning reflects Thomas Lickona’s three dimensions of character education, namely moral knowing, moral feeling, and moral action, which are integrated into classroom instruction and religious school culture. Supporting factors include the pesantren-based environment, teachers’ commitment, and religious habituation programs, whereas inhibiting factors consist of digital media influence, peer pressure, and students’ diverse family backgrounds. This study contributes to the development of character education by presenting an adaptive strategy for integrating affective learning with Islamic values in a pesantren-based formal school, thereby enriching the discourse on Islamic character education in the digital era.

  • Visual-Based Information Technology as a Predictor of Islamic Religious Education Learning in the Merdeka Curriculum

    » AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

    Digital technologies are increasingly used to support student-centered instruction under Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum, yet quantitative evidence from Islamic Religious Education (IRE) remains limited. This study examined the association between visual-based information technology and IRE learning. A cross-sectional explanatory survey involved 40 participants (33 students and 7 IRE teachers) purposively selected from one public junior secondary school. Two eight-item questionnaires used a four-point Likert scale, and internal consistency was acceptable for visual-based information technology (Cronbach’s ? = 0.799) and IRE learning (? = 0.778). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, assumption tests, a two-tailed Pearson correlation with 5,000-sample bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrapping, and simple linear regression. Mean scores were 23.80 (SD = 5.85) for visual-based information technology and 24.15 (SD = 5.66) for IRE learning. Regression residuals were normally distributed (W = 0.959, p = 0.150), and no significant deviation from linearity was detected, F(16, 22) = 1.545, p = 0.170. A strong positive correlation was found, r = 0.861, p < 0.001, BCa 95% CI [0.764, 0.929]. Visual-based information technology significantly predicted IRE learning, B = 0.833, SE = 0.080, ? = 0.861, t = 10.454, p < 0.001, explaining 74.2% of the variance (R² = 0.742). The findings indicate a substantial association, but causal interpretation is limited by the single-school, cross-sectional, self-report design.

  • A Comparative Study of Al-Farabi’s and Immanuel Kant’s Epistemology on Rationality

    » AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

    Rationality is a central theme uniting Islamic and Western philosophical traditions, although the two proceed from different metaphysical frameworks. This paper aims to comparatively examine the epistemology of Al-Farabi (d. 950 CE), known as the “Second Teacher” after Aristotle, and Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), the founder of critical philosophy, regarding the source and limits of human rationality. A qualitative-descriptive library research method with a philosophical comparative approach was used, drawing on primary translated texts and recent scholarship (Abbaszadeh, 2017; Masykur, 2025; P. Müürsepp et al., 2024). The findings show that Al-Farabi views rationality as a graded faculty of the soul that reaches perfection through emanation from the Active Intellect, situating reason within a hierarchical, metaphysically optimistic cosmos in which philosophy and religion converge on the same truth (Suleimenov, 2019; Zeraoui & Gonzalez Uresti, 2021). Kant, conversely, views rationality as the subject’s own structuring activity, organizing experience through a priori forms and categories while critically confining theoretical reason to the realm of phenomena, leaving the noumenal realm beyond its reach (Anderson, 2022; Katrechko, 2023). Both place reason as the primary source of certainty not derived solely from sense experience, yet differ fundamentally in their metaphysical orientation: Al-Farabi’s emanative-cosmic model versus Kant’s critical-transcendental model. This comparison is expected to enrich contemporary Islamic epistemological discourse in dialogue with modern Western philosophy.

  • Guided Inquiry Learning and Students’ Achievement in Islamic Religious Education: A Correlational Study in an Indonesian Islamic Junior High School

    » AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

    Guided Inquiry Learning has been widely recognized as a learner-centered instructional approach that promotes active knowledge construction, critical thinking, and meaningful learning. However, empirical evidence regarding its relationship with students’ academic achievement in Islamic Religious Education (IRE) remains limited, particularly within Indonesian Islamic junior high schools. This study aimed to examine the relationship between Guided Inquiry Learning and students’ examination-based achievement in Islamic Religious Education. A quantitative correlational design was employed involving 43 seventh-grade students at SMP Muhammadiyah 2 Boyolali Program Khusus, Indonesia, selected using total sampling. Data on Guided Inquiry Learning were collected through a 25-item validated and reliable questionnaire, while students’ academic achievement was measured using official Islamic Religious Education examination scores. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, assumption testing, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression. The findings revealed that Guided Inquiry Learning was not significantly associated with students’ examination-based achievement (? = 0.088; t = 0.568; p = 0.573), explaining only 0.8% of the variance in academic achievement (R² = 0.008). These findings suggest that examination scores may not fully capture the broader educational outcomes fostered by Guided Inquiry Learning, such as critical thinking, conceptual understanding, inquiry skills, and reflective learning. The study contributes to the growing literature by extending Guided Inquiry research to the context of Islamic Religious Education through a correlational approach using examination-based academic achievement as the primary outcome measure. Future studies are encouraged to incorporate broader indicators of learning outcomes and more comprehensive analytical models to better understand the educational contributions of Guided Inquiry Learning.

  • Waqf as an Instrument of Islamic Governance: Advancing Social Justice, Conflict Resolution, and Sustainable Human Development

    » Perwakilan: Journal of Good Governance, Diplomacy, Customary Institutionalization and Social Networks

    Waqf has been among the most stable institutions in Islamic civilization, used in funding diverse services such as education, health care, social assistance, and public services and administration throughout Muslim societies. Despite this rich legacy, scholarship to date has primarily analyzed Waqf from legal, historical, and financial perspectives, with relatively little emphasis on the role of waqf as a form of governance and a tool for achieving sustainable public policy. This article conceptualizes Waqf as a tool for Islamic governance that can be leveraged to advance social justice, support conflict prevention processes, and achieve sustainable human development. Using a qualitative conceptual research design through an integrative review of literature, the study integrates Classical Islamic Political thought, maqasid al-Shariah, Institutional Governance theory, social capital theory, and Sustainable Development discourse into a multidimensional framework of analysis. This yields the Waqf Governance for Sustainable Development (WGSD) Framework. The study demonstrates how ethically governed waqf institutions can operationalize Islamic governance principles into demonstrable outcomes on human development through investments in such areas as education, health care, entrepreneurship, environment conservation, legal services, social security and community mediation. By reframing waqf from a philanthropic endeavor to a governance institution that complements existing states institutions, while addressing issues of social justice, equity, participation and public benefit, the article provides a new dimension to the waqf literature. The study concludes that reforming waqf governance, professionally managing it, leveraging new technologies and integrating waqf policy into broader public policy creates a potent mechanism for inclusive and sustainable development and lasting peace in Muslim societies.

  • From Political Philosophy to Peace Architecture: Revitalizing Waqf within Islamic Political Thought for Community Security and Conflict Transformation

    » Perwakilan: Journal of Good Governance, Diplomacy, Customary Institutionalization and Social Networks

    In view of the chronic growth of conflicts, community insecurities, political instabilities, forced displacement, and socioeconomic inequalities in most Muslim societies, there has been a growing interest among academia and policymakers on the capabilities of indigenous governance institutions for sustainable peace and inclusive development. Despite the preponderance of state-centered approaches, liberal peace approaches, and humanitarian interventions in current peacebuilding agendas, much less attention has been paid to the constructive role of Islamic endowment (waqf) institutions as sustainable community security mechanisms and conflict resolution tools. Historically, waqf institution served not only as an institution for public charities but as one of the most robust institutions of Islamic political governance, which financially supports the implementation of policies aimed at developing education, health facilities, administration of justice, construction of public amenities, poverty alleviation, and social welfare thus contributing to social harmony and political stability. However, the waqf governance and conflict transformation functions remain understudied by the contemporary scholarship. This paper presents a conceptual framework that recontextualizes the role of waqf in the broader stream of Islamic political philosophy as an adaptive device in constructing lasting peace architecture. It employs a qualitative conceptual research design drawing from Islamic concepts of Siyasah Shar’iyyah, Maqasid al-Shariah, institution governance theory, and conflict transformation theory to explore this question based on a thorough review and synthesis of classical Islamic jurisprudence, modern scholarly works, and international policy documents. It finds out that Waqf has a great potential institutional capacity to address root causes of conflicts in a peaceful manner through equity-based wealth redistribution, social development, social protection, economic empowerment, mediation, and inclusive governance. The study presents a new model namely: Waqf Peace Architecture Framework (WPAF) that integratively links Islamic political philosophy and modern peace building strategy. It argues that reconstituting waqf as a governance institution rather than just as a charitable institution can foster community resilience, address social inequity, promote social trust and build up social capacity that transforms conflicts sustainably. The research ends with proposing recommendations for comprehensive policy reforms, institutional restructuring, and capacity development initiatives including institutional innovations and Waqf 2.0 in order to bring waqf institution into the current global peace architecture.

  • Rebuilding Communities through Waqf: Restoring Ethical Values and Social Cohesion in Contemporary Muslim Societies

    » Perwakilan: Journal of Good Governance, Diplomacy, Customary Institutionalization and Social Networks

    In the context of present-day challenges in the Muslim world such as erosion of social cohesion, growing moral decay, loss of public confidence, family disruption, disengagement among youth, and widening socio-economic disparities, while much attention has been focused on waqf as an institution to fight poverty, expand education, promote healthcare, and economic empowerment, relatively little work has been done on its function as a civilizational vehicle to reinstate morality and rekindle social bonds. This article, therefore, puts forward an argument for viewing the waqf not as just a pious endowment but as a resilient institutional form that can serve to restore the ethical values and rebuild social solidarity in Muslim communities. Through an extensive library research of classical literature on Islamic history of waqf, and its contemporary research on Maqasid al-Shariah, social capital, community building, etc, this study establishes that waqf has throughout Islamic history been utilized to enhance education, strengthen families, build trust among the general public, reinforce a sense of citizenship, preserve the environment, strengthen collective identity, etc, beyond mere economic well-being. The article then outlines a Value-Centred Waqf Framework to position waqf as a multi-dimensional tool for reinculcating values, rekindling social ties, enhancing public service, and contributing to sustainable development of Muslim communities. Ultimately, this article concludes that a regeneration of waqf by its higher objectives in the Shariah provides a viable practical approach for strengthening Muslim communities from the bottom-up so they can better navigate the social challenges they face in the current global era.