An Integrative Model of Moral Education: Ibn Miskawaih, Al-Ghazali, and Ibn Khaldun and Their Relevance to Student Character Education

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Abstract

This study aims to construct an integrative model of moral education by synthesizing the thought of Ibn Miskawaih, Al-Ghazali, and Ibn Khaldun, and to examine its relevance to the religious character formation of students in Madrasah Aliyah. Employing a qualitative approach through library research, data were drawn from classical primary texts, Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq, Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, and the Muqaddimah, alongside contemporary peer-reviewed scholarship, analyzed through content analysis, comparative analysis, and integrative synthesis. The findings reveal that the three scholars offer complementary rather than competing frameworks: Ibn Miskawaih provides the psychological foundation through rational self-governance and habituation; Al-Ghazali contributes the spiritual dimension through tazkiyatun nafs, mujahadah, and riyadhah; and Ibn Khaldun supplies the sociological dimension through the formative power of social environment, culture, and institutional leadership. When synthesized, these three dimensions produce a unified model that is simultaneously psychological, spiritual, and sociological in its architecture. This model is directly relevant to Madrasah Aliyah, offering a principled framework capable of strengthening religious character formation in a holistic and sustainable manner. Aligned with SDG 4, this study affirms that genuine quality education must cultivate not only intellectual competence but the full moral formation of every learner.