Children’s Character Education in the Qur’an: A Thematic Study in Contemporary Exegesis and Its Relevance to the Core Values of SPMAA

Abstract

Children’s character education is a fundamental issue that has been a concern of the Qur’an since its revelation, as illustrated in exemplary stories of child-rearing, such as Luqman’s advice to his son. This study aims to identify the concept of children’s character education in the Qur’an according to contemporary interpretations, as well as to examine its relevance to the core values upheld by the Sumber Pendidikan Mental Agama Allah (SPMAA) Islamic Boarding School Foundation, namely the Three Great Projects of Humanity: Getting to Know Allah Intimately and Fundamentally, Training Oneself to Recognize the Unseen Enemy, and Cultivating Belief in the Hereafter. This study employs a qualitative method using a literature review (library research) and thematic exegesis (maudhu’i) analysis, by compiling Qur’anic verses on children’s education and examining their interpretations in contemporary exegetical works such as Tafsir Al-Mishbah, Tafsir Al-Munir, and Tafsir Al-Azhar. The results of the study indicate that the three core values of SPMAA are substantially aligned with the principles of character education in the Qur’an, namely the instillation of tawhid as the foundation of moral character, the cultivation of self-discipline (mujahadah an-nafs) as a means of maintaining moral integrity, and the instillation of awareness of the Hereafter as the foundation for generosity and responsibility. These findings reinforce the argument that local-value-based Islamic boarding schools, such as SPMAA, can serve as an operational model for Qur’anic character education for children within the community.