Recontextualizing Birr Al-Walidayn: Parents’ Ethical Responsibility in the Face of Children’s Character Crises in the Digital Age

Sania Arisa Sinaga; Alwi Fazri Tanjung; Mardian Idris Harahap; Rahayu Fuji Astuti

doi:10.58485/jie.v5i2.771

Authors

Sania Arisa Sinaga Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
Alwi Fazri Tanjung Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
Mardian Idris Harahap Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
Rahayu Fuji Astuti Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58485/jie.v5i2.771

Keywords:

Birr al-walidayn, parenting, children’s character, digital age, Islamic education

Abstract

The rapid advancement of digital technology has had a significant impact on children’s behavior and character development. This phenomenon is marked by a decline in social awareness, increased dependence on digital devices, and a reduction in the quality of social interactions in daily life. These conditions present new challenges for parents in fulfilling their responsibilities regarding their children’s education and character development. This study aims to reexamine the concept of birr al-walidayn as an ethical foundation for understanding parental responsibilities in addressing the crisis of children’s character in the digital age. This study employs a qualitative approach using content analysis, based on a review of primary sources namely the Quran and hadith and supported by relevant scholarly literature on parenting and character education. The results indicate that birr al-walidayn is not only understood as a child’s obligation toward parents but also encompasses parents’ ethical responsibility to educate, guide, and shape their children’s character. This study offers a conceptual contribution by providing a broader interpretation of birr al-walidayn, emphasizing the importance of integrating Islamic values and digital literacy into contemporary parenting practices. Therefore, parents play a crucial role in raising children who are responsible, possess moral integrity, and are able to navigate technological advancements wisely. A reinterpretation of birr al-walidayn can serve as a relevant ethical framework for strengthening children’s character education in the digital age.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

’Ulwan, A. N. (2024). Tarbiyatul Aulad fil Islam Pendidikan anak dalam Islam. Khatulistiwa Press.

Al-Maraghi, A. M. (1946). Tafsir al-Maraghi. Mustafa al-Bab Al-Halabi wa Awladuh.

Anidar, J., Nursyamsi, N. Diminurman, A., & Engkizar, E. (2026). Building religious character in students: a qualitative study of youth information and counseling centers. Jurnal Konseling Dan Pendidikan, 14(1), 194–204. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.29210/1158400

Baroud, N., Ardila, Y., Akmal, F., & Sabrina, R. (2025). Opportunities and Challenges for Islamic Education Teachers in Using Artificial Intelligence in Learning. Muaddib: Journal of Islamic Teaching and Learning, 1(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.67055/3m3axg25

Efendi, E., Jaafar, A., & Engkizar, E. (2026). Muslim Women’s Leadership in Conflict Management in Higher Education. Tadris: Jurnal Keguruan Dan Ilmu Tarbiyah, 11(2), 826–838. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24042/tadris.v11i2.30474

Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Hamzah, M. I., Syafril, S., Febriani, A., Oktavia, G., & Satrial, A. (2026). Quran Teachers’ Skills as Pedagogical Foundations: Conceptual and Practical Insights into Nine Competencies. Muaddib: Journal of Islamic Teaching and Learning, 2(1), 22–38. https://doi.org/10.67055/xt598c43

Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Hamzah, M. I., Syafril, S., Oktavia, G., Febriani, A., & Albizar, A. (2026). Tartil Method as an Effective Strategy for Transforming Students’ Positive Attitudes in Learning the Qur’an. Journal of Quranic Teaching and Learning, 2(1), 50–63. https://doi.org/10.67055/y3htyp95

Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Sarianto, D., Ayad, N., Rahman, A., Febriani, A., Oktavia, G., Puspita, R., & Rahman, I. (2024). Analysis of Quran Education Problems in Majority Muslim Countries. International Journal of Islamic Studies Higher Education, 3(1), 65–80. https://doi.org/10.24036/insight.v3i1.209

Ependi, N. H., Pratiwi, D., Ningsih, A. M., Kamilah, A., Wijayanto, P. W., Dermaw, H., Hutapea, B., Yusuf, M., Indarwati, S., N., A., T., E., S., S., Wibowo, tito parta, & Kurnia, muhammad rizal. (2023). Pendidikan Karakter.

Fatmawati, N. I., & Sholikin, A. (2019). Literasi Digital, Mendidik Anak Di Era Digital Bagi Orang Tua Milenial. Jurnal Politik Dan Sosial Kemasyarakatan, 11(2), 119–138. https://doi.org/10.52166/madani.v11i2.3267

Handayani, S. (2020). Pola asuh demokratis dalam pembentukan karakter anak usia sekolah. Jurnal Pendidikan Karakter, 10(2), 20–31. https://doi.org/10.21831/jpk.v12i2.37652

Hatiah, H., & Muslimah, M. (2024). Peran Orang Tua dalam Pembentukan Karakter Anak di Era Digital. Jurnal Al-Qiyam, 5(1), 16–23. https://doi.org/10.33648/alqiyam.v5i1.357

Hyoscyamina, D. E. (2011). Peran Keluarga Dalam Membangun Karakter Anak. Jurnal Psikologi Universitas Diponegoro, 10(2), 144–152. https://doi.org/10.14710/JPU.10.2.144-152

Ibnu Katsir, I. bi. U. (1999). Tafsir Al-Qur’an Al-’Azhim. Dar Tayyiba.

Ilmi, H. N., & Siregar, M. F. Z. (2024). Peran Orang Tua dalam Pembentukan Karakter Anak di Era Digital. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 1(3), 10. https://doi.org/10.47134/pjpi.v1i3.642

Kalyani, L. K. (2024). The Role of Technology in Education: Enhancing Learning Outcomes and 21st Century Skills. International Journal of Scientific Research in Modern Science and Technology, 3(4), 05–10. https://doi.org/10.59828/ijsrmst.v3i4.199

Nurhayati, E., & Rahman, A. (2023). Keteladanan Orang Tua sebagai Faktor Utama Pembentukan Karakter Anak dalam Keluarga. Jurnal Obsesi: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini 8, 8(3), 1560–1572. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpi.v9i1.21045

Parwis, F. Y., Fransori, A., & Irwansyah, N. (2023). Pembentukan Karakter Anak pada Era Informasi Digital dengan Metode Smart Parenting. Jurnal Pendidikan Tambusai , 7(3), 30507–30514. https://doi.org/10.31004/jptam.v7i3.11930

Pratiwi, N., Maulana, N. A., & Ismail, A. Z. (2023). Dinamika Interaksi Keluarga dalam Era Digital: Implikasi terhadap Hubungan Orang Tua-Anak. Socio Politica : Jurnal Ilmiah Jurusan Sosiologi, 13(2), 77–86. https://doi.org/10.15575/socio-politica.v13i2.26319

Putri, D. A., & Siregar, N. (2024). Literasi digital keluarga dalam menghadapi tantangan pengasuhan anak di era digital. Jurnal Komunikasi Pendidikan, 8(1), 35–47. https://doi.org/10.32585/jkp.v8i1.4128

Ramadhani, F., & Fauziah, P. Y. (2022). Penguatan hubungan orang tua dan anak melalui pola asuh berbasis kasih sayang. Jurnal Obsesi: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 6(5), 4321–4332. https://doi.org/10.31004/obsesi.v6i5.2567

Rifai, A., Nirwana, A., Waston, Maksum, M. N. R., & Vambudi, V. N. (2025). An Ethical Framework for AI in Islamic Education: Synthesizing Maqashid al-Sharia and National Legal Regulations in Indonesia. Revista Electronica de Ciencia Penal y Criminologia, 27(27).

Salwa, N. Z., & Aini, R. (2023). Smart Parenting Dalam Membentuk Karakter Anak Di Era Digital. Abata : Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Anak Usia Dini, 3(2), 113–124. https://doi.org/10.32665/abata.v3i2.1815

Santoso, I. T., Muna, A. F., Azizah, N., Fauziah, S. N., & Indrawan, S. (2025). Analisis Pengaruh Rendahnya Literasi Digital Orang Tua Terhadap Karakter Dan Arah Pendidikan Anak Di Era Digital. ARIMA : Jurnal Sosial Dan Humaniora, 3(1), 213–218. https://doi.org/10.62017/arima.v3i1.5259

Sari, R., & Nugraha, D. (2023). Aktualisasi nilai-nilai pendidikan Islam dalam pengasuhan anak pada era digital. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 20(2), 201–214. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.2023.202-04

Shihab, M. Q. (2016). Pesan ,Kesan Dan Keserasian Al-Quran. In Tafsir Al-Misbah (Vol. 1, pp. 32–33). https://books.google.com/books/about/Tafsir_al_Mishbāh.html?hl=id&id=wKomjwEACAAJ

Tadol, N.-H. D., Neem, C., Oktavia, G., & Febriani, A. (2025). Analysis of Parental Involvement in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4. Muaddib: Journal of Islamic Teaching and Learning, 1(3), 93–108. https://doi.org/https://muaddib.intischolar.id/index.php/muaddib/article/view/20

Utami, S. (2017). Nilai-Nilai Edukatif dalam Karya Felix Y. Siauw. In MUDARRISA: Jurnal Kajian Pendidikan Islam (Vol. 7, Issue 1). Alfatih Press. https://doi.org/10.18326/mdr.v7i1.1-28