Southeast Asian Journal of Islamic Education

The Values of Character Education in Digital Da'wah: Analyzing Gus Iqdam’s TikTok Content and Its Impact

2025-06-01T18:14:21+08:00

This study investigates how character education values are communicated and internalized through digital Islamic preaching on TikTok, focusing on the sermons of Gus Iqdam, an influential Indonesian preacher whose content resonates with millions of young followers. While his videos are widely consumed and celebrated for their humor and relatability, many audience members engage with the content passively, without translating the moral messages into real-life behavior. This research aims to explore the core character values conveyed in his digital sermons and assess their impact on audience comprehension and behavioral change. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected through systematic content observation of selected TikTok sermons, semi-structured interviews with 50 active followers, and content analysis of the values embedded in the sermons. The findings reveal that Gus Iqdam promotes key moral values such as honesty, patience, empathy, respect, and responsibility through storytelling, humor, and everyday analogies. His casual language and culturally grounded delivery style serve as a bridge that connects moral lessons with the lived realities of young audiences. Interview data indicate that many followers felt personally influenced to reflect and act upon these values, although not all engagement led to transformation. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how digital religious content can function as a medium of informal moral education, offering valuable insights for educators, preachers, and digital content creators aiming to reach and impact today’s digital-native generation.

Modern Pesantren: Shaping Future Leaders Based on Islamic Values

2025-06-01T18:15:12+08:00

This research aims to analyze the educational strategies implemented at Al-Kautsar Islamic Boarding School in shaping future leaders based on Islamic values. The main focus of this study includes three aspects: strengthening foreign languages, integration of religious and general subjects, and a contextual approach through evaluation and self-development of santri. This research used a qualitative method with a case study approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with caregivers, teachers, and santri, as well as observation and documentation. Data analysis techniques used the Miles and Huberman interactive model, which consists of three main steps, namely data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results showed that foreign language strengthening is carried out through language zone programs and international student exchanges. Santri are accustomed to using Arabic and English actively in daily life, which aims to form self-confidence and global da'wah abilities. This strategy creates an immersive environment that encourages natural and contextualized language use. The integration of religious and general studies is implemented by inserting Islamic values in science and technology materials, so that students are able to see science as part of the signs of Allah's greatness. Meanwhile, the contextual approach and evaluation system based on Islamic values are carried out through weekly muhasabah, moral evaluation, and continuous character building. This strategy plays an important role in shaping the personality of students who are disciplined, responsible, and have good character.