Qashash Al-Qur’an as a Character Education Strategy in Islamic Education: a Theoretical Analysis and Contemporary Relevance

Abstract

The character crisis in the modern era highlights the urgency of a comprehensive educational approach, where stories (qashash) in the Qur’an emerge as a very potential method. Qur’ānic narratives contain profound moral and spiritual messages, relevant in shaping the personality and character of the whole individual. This article presents a critical analysis of the fundamental role of Qur’ānic qashash in student character development amid contemporary challenges, highlighting its relevance as an effective and theory-based pedagogical instrument. The research adopts a qualitative approach with an extensive literature study method. The character crisis in the modern era highlights the urgency of a comprehensive educational approach, where stories (qashash) in the Qur’an emerge as a very potential method. Qur’ānic narratives contain profound moral and spiritual messages, relevant in shaping the personality and character of the whole individual. This article presents a critical analysis of the fundamental role of Qur’ānic qashash in student character development amid contemporary challenges, highlighting its relevance as an effective and theory-based pedagogical instrument. The research adopted a qualitative approach with an extensive literature study method. The research findings show that Qur’anic qashash substantially contribute to character education through several theoretical mechanisms. First, these stories serve as powerful symbolic models, in line with the tenets of Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (1977). Learners can observe and internalize the behaviors and moral consequences of prophetic figures and other individuals, which facilitates the development of moral self-efficacy. Second, the Qur’anic qashash facilitates meaning-rich narrative learning, as emphasized by Jerome Bruner’s Narrative Theory (1990), enabling learners to build a comprehensive cognitive framework in understanding ethical dilemmas and life values. Third, this method holistically supports comprehensive character education, aligned with Thomas Lickona’s (2009) framework, which includes cognitive (moral understanding), affective (moral feeling), and behavioral (moral action) dimensions. Practically, these stories have proven effective in instilling fundamental values such as patience, justice, firmness of faith, honesty, and social ethics. Furthermore, the Qur’anic qashash contribute significantly to the development of essential soft skills in the 21st century, including empathy, interpersonal communication skills, and a sense of social responsibility, through the presentation of inspiring examples of character interactions.