Integration of Islamic Values in Arabic Language Learning Based on the Independent Curriculum at MAN 4 Tanah Datar

Abstract

Arabic language instruction in madrasahs holds strategic potential for fostering students’ religious character. However, the integration of Islamic values into Arabic teaching based on the Merdeka Curriculum has not been fully carried out in a systematic and contextual manner. This study aims to describe the forms of Islamic value integration in Arabic instruction, analyze teachers’ strategies in connecting content with Islamic principles, identify implementation challenges and solutions, and evaluate the alignment between instructional planning and classroom practice. The research employed a qualitative case study approach, using in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and lesson plan documentation as data collection techniques. The participants were Arabic language teachers and the principal of MAN 4 Tanah Datar. The findings reveal that teachers tend to focus on linguistic aspects and have not yet comprehensively integrated Islamic values into instructional content. Moreover, instructional documents such as lesson plans do not fully reflect religiously nuanced teaching practices. These results highlight a gap between the ideal potential of Arabic instruction and its actual classroom implementation. Therefore, strengthening teachers’ pedagogical capacity and developing teaching materials that explicitly link Arabic language learning with Islamic character formation in line with the Merdeka Curriculum are urgently needed.