Reconstructing Religious Moderation in Islamic Religious Education: A Historical Perspective on the Prophet Muhammad’s Socio-Religious Practices

Abstract

Discourse on religious moderation in Islamic Religious Education has largely been examined through normative and contemporary approaches. At the same time, the Prophet Muhammad’s socio-religious practices have rarely been systematically reconstructed as a source of values for Islamic Religious Education. This study aims to analyze the Prophet Muhammad’s social practices in Medina, identify principles that substantively correspond religious moderation, and reconstruct them into pedagogical principles for Islamic Religious Education. This study uses qualitative, literature-based research with historical, conceptual, and reconstructive approaches. Primary sources include the Qur’an, hadith, sīrah nabawiyyah (the biography of the Prophet), and literature on the Medina Charter, while secondary sources include academic books and journal articles on religious moderation and Islamic Religious Education. The literature was purposively selected based on its relevance, academic credibility, and alignment with the research focus. The data were analyzed through content analysis, including data reduction, classification, historical interpretation, conceptual analysis, and reconstructive synthesis. The findings identify six values: ukhuwah (solidarity), al-‘adālah (justice), tasāmuḥ (tolerance), shūrā (mutual deliberation), iṣlāḥ (peace and reconciliation), and tawāzun (balance). The study contributes a conceptual framework linking historical practices, substantive values, moderation principles, pedagogical principles Islamic Religious Education, providing a foundation for developing cooperative, equitable, inclusive, dialogical, peaceful, and balanced Islamic Religious Education.