The Concept of Ethics in M. Quraish Shihab’s Book “Yang Hilang dari Kita: Akhlak” and Its Relevance to Contemporary Islamic Education

Abstract

Purpose – This study examines the concept of akhlak as represented in M. Quraish Shihab’s Yang Hilang dari Kita: Akhlak and explores its conceptual relevance to contemporary Islamic education. The study focuses on understanding akhlak as a foundation of human personality and its relationship with spiritual awareness, self-control, personal responsibility, and social responsibility.
Methods – This study employed a qualitative approach using library research. The primary source was M. Quraish Shihab’s Yang Hilang dari Kita: Akhlak, while secondary sources included relevant books and scholarly articles on akhlak, moral education, and Islamic education. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis through the identification, coding, categorization, and interpretation of relevant textual units in the primary source to develop the main themes of akhlak.
Findings – The analysis identified four interconnected themes in Shihab’s discussion of akhlak: akhlak as the foundation of human personality, spiritual awareness as a source of moral behavior, self-control and personal responsibility as manifestations of akhlak, and akhlak as the basis of social relations and collective responsibility. These themes indicate that akhlak is presented not merely as the transmission of ethical norms but as the internalization of moral values reflected in awareness, self-control, responsibility, and concrete behavior.
Research Implications – Conceptually, these findings suggest that contemporary Islamic education can integrate moral, spiritual, personal, and social development through habituation, exemplary conduct, reflective awareness, and the cultivation of responsible behavior. However, these implications are derived from the conceptual analysis of a single primary work and therefore do not constitute empirical evidence of educational effectiveness.