Internalizing Multicultural Islamic Values through the Tahfidz Al-Qur'an Program: A Model of Character Formation in an Indonesian Islamic Boarding School

Abstract

This study investigates how multicultural Islamic values are internalized through the tahfidz al-Qur'an program and how this process contributes to the character formation of female students at Al-Ishlahiyyah Islamic Boarding School. Although previous studies have shown that pesantren promote multicultural values through habituation and moral education, limited research has explained the educational mechanisms through which these values become embedded in students' everyday behaviour within tahfidz programs. This study employed a qualitative case study approach using observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Data were analysed through thematic analysis to identify patterns of value internalization and character formation. The findings reveal that multicultural Islamic values including tolerance, justice, equality, democracy, and religious humanism are internalized through an integrated educational process consisting of daily Qur'anic memorization, muroja'ah, teacher role modelling, and communal pesantren life. Rather than functioning as separate instructional strategies, these educational practices collectively create a process of religious habituation that transforms multicultural values into students' individual and social character. The study further demonstrates that the tahfidz al-Qur'an program operates as an integrated educational ecosystem, connecting religious learning, multicultural value internalization, and inclusive character formation. This conceptual perspective extends existing discussions on multicultural Islamic education by explaining how multicultural values are translated into lived educational experiences within the unique socio-religious context of pesantren.