Multicultural Narratives in Islamic Cultural History Textbooks: Content Analysis of Grade VII Madrasah Tsanawiyah Materials

Representing Islamic Values: Contemporary Indonesian ‎Children’s Literature as a Resource for Religious Literacy

This study aims to examine the potential of contemporary Indonesian children's literature as a catalytic medium in the teaching of religious values, religious literacy, and character formation among students in Islamic elementary schools (madrasah ibtidaiyah). Employing a qualitative approach and content analysis, the research explores the representation of values related to aqidah (faith), akhlaq (ethics), and ibadah (worship) within ten selected novels from the Kecil-Kecil Punya Karya (KKPK) series published by Mizan. The findings reveal that children’s literature is capable of conveying Islamic teachings in a contextualized manner, using narratives that resonate with the world of young readers. Values such as birrul walidain (respecting parents), prayer, Qur’an recitation, and wearing the hijab are portrayed through the behavior of main characters, dialogues, and storylines that are simple yet profoundly meaningful. Furthermore, children’s literature contributes to enhancing empathy, moral awareness, and the religious identity of young readers. The study also finds that integrating children’s literature into the madrasah curriculum can serve as an effective strategy for strengthening character education rooted in Islamic values. Through a non-dogmatic approach, children's literature facilitates the natural and enjoyable internalization of religious values. As an implication, teachers and policymakers are encouraged to utilize children’s literature as an integral component of thematic learning in Islamic schools.

Internalizing Multicultural Islamic Values through the Tahfidz Al-Qur'an Program: A Model of Character Formation in an Indonesian Islamic Boarding School

This study investigates how multicultural Islamic values are internalized through the tahfidz al-Qur'an program and how this process contributes to the character formation of female students at Al-Ishlahiyyah Islamic Boarding School. Although previous studies have shown that pesantren promote multicultural values through habituation and moral education, limited research has explained the educational mechanisms through which these values become embedded in students' everyday behaviour within tahfidz programs. This study employed a qualitative case study approach using observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Data were analysed through thematic analysis to identify patterns of value internalization and character formation. The findings reveal that multicultural Islamic values including tolerance, justice, equality, democracy, and religious humanism are internalized through an integrated educational process consisting of daily Qur'anic memorization, muroja'ah, teacher role modelling, and communal pesantren life. Rather than functioning as separate instructional strategies, these educational practices collectively create a process of religious habituation that transforms multicultural values into students' individual and social character. The study further demonstrates that the tahfidz al-Qur'an program operates as an integrated educational ecosystem, connecting religious learning, multicultural value internalization, and inclusive character formation. This conceptual perspective extends existing discussions on multicultural Islamic education by explaining how multicultural values are translated into lived educational experiences within the unique socio-religious context of pesantren.

NEGOTIATING HYBRID IDENTITY: THE MUHAMMAD CHENG HOO MOSQUE AND CHINESE MUSLIM COMMUNITY INTEGRATION IN BERASTAGI

This study examines how the Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque in Berastagi symbolizes Chinese Muslim identity within a predominantly non-Muslim Karo society, addressing a gap in understanding hybrid identity formation among "double minority" groups in non-Muslim majority contexts. Employing a qualitative ethnographic approach grounded in Peter L. Berger's sociology of religion — specifically his social construction of reality framework — and interpretive symbolic anthropology, data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with ten key informants comprising a mosque founder and nine Chinese Muslim converts, and historical document analysis. Data were analyzed using Peirce's semiotic framework, operationalizing architectural elements as icons, indices, and symbols of hybrid cultural meaning. The findings reveal that the mosque's distinctive architecture — featuring red-gold color palettes and pagoda-style roofs integrated with Islamic spatial principles — functions as a visual manifestation of hybrid identity through the processes of externalization, objectivation, and internalization. Beyond its ritual function, the mosque operates as a strategic public space enabling the Chinese Muslim minority to express dual identity, strengthen internal cohesion, and navigate their "double minority" status in a Karo-majority environment. The inclusive spatial design fosters inter-ethnic tolerance and religious harmony, receiving support from local authorities and cross-religious figures despite demographic asymmetry. This study contributes to Islamic Community Development scholarship in multicultural settings by demonstrating that culturally-adapted religious architecture can serve as a non-confrontational mechanism for minority resilience, social integration, and intergenerational transmission of hybrid identity, while maintaining full Islamic theological integrity.

CULTURE IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF ISLAMIC EPISTEMOLOGY AND LOCAL WISDOM

Dakwah bi al-Hikmah: The Middle Way in Realizing ReligiousModeration in a Multicultural Society

Religious communication in Indonesia’s multicultural society must convey Islamic teachings while carefully responding to religious and cultural differences. Existing studies often discuss da’wah bil hikmah and religious moderation separately, leaving their conceptual correspondence and communicative mechanisms insufficiently explained. This study examines how the principles of da’wah bil hikmah relate to the main indicators of religious moderation and how they can be applied in multicultural and digital settings. The study used a descriptive qualitative approach based on library research. Primary sources comprised the Qur’an, particularly Surah An-Nahl (16:125), and books addressing da’wah bil hikmah and religious moderation. Relevant scholarly articles were used as secondary sources. The materials were purposively selected and analyzed using Mayring’s qualitative content analysis, with summarization, category development, and contextual explication. The findings indicate that hikmah relates to all four moderation indicators, with its strongest associations appearing in national commitment and accommodation of local culture. Mau’izhah hasanah and mujadalah billati hiya ahsan correspond more closely with tolerance and nonviolence. Their application involves audience assessment, proportionate message design, ethical method selection, and contextual adaptation across interfaith dialogue, moderation education, religious leadership, and digital communication.

MAHABBAH AND MODERATE EDUCATION: A THEMATIC HADITH STUDY IN COUNTERING RADICALISM

The spread of contemporary religious radicalism, which has fueled the growth of exclusive attitudes, intolerant behavior, and actual acts of violence within Islamic educational institutions, forms the background for this scientific study. These operational issues demand a thorough reconstruction of the governance of a spiritual-values-based pedagogical paradigm to fortify the mentality of the younger generation. The main focus of this research is a comprehensive examination of the concept of mahabbah (community) in the collection of hadith texts and an analysis of its substantial relevance as a philosophical foundation for moderate Islamic education to counter radicalism. The research steps were carried out systematically using qualitative library research methods through a thematic hadith study approach. The secondary data collection procedure in the field involved authenticity verification (takhrij), chain of narrators' continuity critique, comparative textual analysis, and normative-contextual interpretation. The research findings, from the aspect of i'tibar criticism, prove the authenticity of the hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim as sahih, strengthened by the existence of mutabi'at (authentic) and shawahid (authentic narrators). Conceptually, the values ​​of compassion embody the commandments of universal love, ijtimaiyyah brotherhood, and the implementation of the preventive method of sadd al-dzari'ah to eradicate the seeds of sectarian prejudice. The main conclusion confirms that the internalization of a compassion-based curriculum has proven successful in transforming learning spaces into inclusive, humanistic, and tolerant ecosystems. This affective guidance pattern is highly recommended for curriculum practitioners as an essential curative strategy for producing a resilient wasathiyyah generation that will face ongoing global challenges.   ABSTRAK Merebaknya paham radikalisme keagamaan kontemporer yang memicu tumbuhnya sikap eksklusif, perilaku intoleran, dan aksi kekerasan nyata di dalam satuan pendidikan islam melatarbelakangi kajian ilmiah ini. Masalah operasional tersebut menuntut adanya rekonstruksi mendalam pada tata kelola paradigma pedagogis berbasis nilai spiritual guna membentengi mentalitas generasi muda. Fokus utama penelitian ini adalah mengkaji secara komprehensif konsep mahabbah dalam kumpulan teks hadis serta menganalisis relevansi substansialnya sebagai fondasi filosofis pendidikan islam moderat untuk menangkal gerakan radikalisme. Langkah-langkah penelitian dijalankan secara sistematis menggunakan metode studi kepustakaan (library research) kualitatif melalui pendekatan kajian hadis tematik. Prosedur pengerjaan data sekunder lapangan dieksekusi lewat tahapan verifikasi otentisitas (takhrij), kritik kontinuitas sanad, analisis tekstual komparatif, hingga penafsiran normatif-kontekstual. Temuan penelitian dari aspek kritik i'tibar membuktikan otentisitas hadis riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim berada pada status sahih yang diperkuat oleh eksistensi mutabi'at serta shawahid. Secara konseptual, nilai-nilai mahabbah mengejawantahkan perintah kasih sayang universal, ukhuwah ijtimaiyyah, serta implementasi metode preventif sadd al-dzari'ah untuk meruntuhkan bibit prasangka sektarian. Simpulan utama menegaskan bahwa internalisasi kurikulum berbasis cinta kasih terbukti sukses mentransformasikan ruang belajar menjadi ekosistem yang inklusif, humanis, dan toleran. Pola bimbingan afektif ini sangat direkomendasikan bagi praktisi kurikulum sebagai strategi kuratif esensial untuk melahirkan generasi wasathiyyah yang tangguh menghadapi tantangan global berkelanjutan.