Character Building Through Islamic Religious Education

Abstract

The phenomenon of moral decadence in Indonesia, such as the increase in criminal behavior, the decline of tolerance, and the weakening of religiosity, indicates a character crisis that requires serious attention from the education sector. Islamic Religious Education (PAI) is considered to play an important role in shaping students’ character; however, its implementation has often emphasized cognitive aspects. This study aims to describe the role and existence of PAI in character formation and to identify forms of PAI material implementation as a means of moral development in schools. This research employs a descriptive qualitative approach through literature analysis and normative review of educational regulations, concepts of character education, and Islamic education theories. The data were analyzed through thematic categorization and conceptual interpretation. The findings reveal that PAI functions as a pillar of character formation through the internalization of spiritual, moral, and social values integrated into the subjects of the Qur’an and Hadith, Aqidah, Akhlak, Fiqh, and Tarikh. Future research is recommended to empirically examine the contextual, practice-based implementation of PAI in school settings