Tahfiz-based Model on Akhlaq of Adolescents (TMAA): Views from Selected Tahfiz Associations in Malaysia

Abstract

At present, the moral collapse of adolescents has become more alarming given the frequencies of crimes such as rape, adultery, drugs and abortion that have been reported in mainstream mass media. It is regarded to be attributable from lack of religious education within family unit, as well as being forsaken by their career-driven parents. Thus, the goal of this research is to identify the issues with respect to moral decay among youngsters and propose a Tahfiz-based Model on Akhlaq of Adolescents (TMAA) by reflecting the perspectives of selected experts from the Association of National Tahfiz al-Quran Institutions (PINTA) and Association of Madrasah Tahfiz Al-Quran Malaysia (PERMATA). The design adopted for this study is qualitative, using a semi-structured interview instrument on the Chairman/representative of chosen tahfiz association and followed by content analysis to analyze the interview data. From the finding, it is revealed that young people’s moral, particularly those of Muslims, can be moulded by the training and education methods utilized in Malaysian tahfiz institutions' curricula. Nevertheless, neither public nor private tahfiz institutions in our country are places to house morally challenged youngsters, leading parents to reserve it as a last resort for their children’s rehabilitation. These Qur'anic-based Islamic educational institutions ought to be held to the same standards as other mainstream learning establishments in our country, given the Qur'an's stature as the Divine Word. Therefore, it is appropriate to highlight the proposed development of TMAA as one of the efficient options to address the moral collapse of adolescents in order to produce a generation of future leaders with high morals in accordance with the requirements of Islamic law.