Integrating Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah into Digital Islamic Education: Examining Its Impact on Students' Religious Literacy, Critical Thinking, and Ethical Character Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65310/h6v3c591Keywords:
Critical thinking, Digital Islamic education, Ethical character, Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah, Religious literacy.Abstract
Digital transformation has reshaped Islamic education, yet technological adoption alone does not ensure deeper religious understanding, critical reasoning, or ethical development. This study examines the integration of Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah into digital Islamic education as a normative pedagogical framework for strengthening students’ religious literacy, critical thinking, and ethical character. The study employs a quantitative quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control-group design, complemented by structured questionnaires, competency-based assessments, and scenario-based ethical tasks. The framework connects digital learning activities with the higher objectives of protecting and developing religion, intellect, dignity, life, and responsible social conduct. The findings indicate that Maqāṣid-oriented digital learning provides a stronger basis for contextual religious interpretation, critical evaluation of information, and ethically reasoned decision-making than technology-centered instruction alone. The approach also supports more coherent integration between cognitive, religious, and moral learning outcomes. The study contributes theoretically by extending Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah into digital pedagogy and methodologically by operationalizing religious literacy, critical thinking, and ethical character within a unified educational model. These findings offer practical implications for designing value-based digital Islamic curricula in contemporary higher education across culturally diverse and technologically evolving learning environments.
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