CHILDREN’S MORAL EDUCATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF UMAR BIN AHMAD BARAJA IN AL-AKHLAQ LI AL-BANIN AND ITS RELEVANCE TO THE CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT

Abstract

This study is based on the importance of children’s moral education as the foundation for personality formation from an early age, especially amid the problem of moral decline in the contemporary era. This study aims to analyze Umar bin Ahmad Baraja’s concept of children’s moral education in Kitab al-Akhlâq li al-Banîn, Volume 1, and to examine its relevance to the current educational context. This research employs a qualitative method with a library research approach, namely by examining the contents of the text as the primary source, supported by relevant secondary literature. The findings show that, according to Umar bin Ahmad Baraja, children’s moral education must be instilled through habituation from an early age and arranged in stages, covering morality toward Allah SWT, the Prophet Muhammad SAW, parents, siblings, relatives, and neighbors. Moral education is understood not merely as the delivery of advice, but as the formation of concrete behavior in the form of gratitude, respect, obedience, affection, social concern, and self-control. This concept emphasizes that children’s morals are built upon a strong spiritual relationship, which is then manifested in harmonious social life. This study concludes that Umar bin Ahmad Baraja’s thought remains relevant in addressing contemporary moral issues among children, such as declining respect for parents, sibling conflicts, weakening kinship ties, and reduced concern for neighbors. Therefore, the findings of this study are useful as a reference for developing a moral education model based on Islamic values in families, schools, madrasahs, and Islamic boarding schools.