Installing Quality of Gratitude in Children from an Islamic Educational Perspective

Abstract

The study aimed to identify how to raise grateful children from an Islamic educational perspective. For that objective to be achieved, the researcher used both of deductive and descriptive approaches using the method of documentary research. The study's results show that children are the real wealth of the community and the foundation of cultural building; therefore, paying attention their raising is a responsibility that must be shared by everyone; gratitude is part parcel of the Islamic doctrine, which is one of the greatest virtues; the virtue of gratitude is the attitude of the believers which in turn strengthens the bonds and expands the network of positive social relationships; It is also considered a cultural significance in any community and has many rewards for both the grateful person and commendable person; there is obvious weakness among educators in terms of raising awareness among young people of the importance of gratitude virtue and its  considerable rewards; and the Islamic methods for installing gratitude quality include: setting a role model, guidance, good advice, carrot and stick method, citing examples, storytelling, practice, habituation, and dialogue; and that the absence of gratitude was a result of a number of factors including the absence of setting a role model and the objective of education, while upholding the negative traits without regard for authentic values. In the light of the results of the study, the researcher came out with a number of recommendations including: the necessity to rebuild the moral system for children by instilling gratitude virtue in them, and strengthening it through various authentic Islamic educational methods at home, school and community so as to be a lifestyle, along with the necessity that  who are engaged in the field of curriculum development and  educational and planning development shall include the subject of gratitude more effectively in the academic curriculum in various stages of public and higher education and encouraging scientific and in-depth research related to the virtue of gratitude regarding the roles of the various educational and community institutions in the development and promotion of such virtue, which may contribute to fill the gap in the field of foundation of Islamic education​​.