Implementing Religious Moderation through the Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin Student Profile

A Case Study at MTsN 1 Tana Toraja

Abstract

Religious moderation in madrasah education requires more than conceptual instruction; it must be translated into routines, pedagogical interactions, and a school culture that students experience directly. This study examines the implementation of religious moderation through the Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin Student Profile (Profil Pelajar Rahmatan Lil Alamin/PPRA) at MTsN 1 Tana Toraja, a madrasah located in a religiously and culturally plural setting. The study employed a qualitative case-study orientation using observation, interviews, and documentation. Informants were selected purposively according to their knowledge and roles in the program, including school leadership, teachers, students, and community actors. Data were examined through domain, taxonomic, and comparative analysis, while credibility was strengthened through source and method triangulation, peer discussion, prolonged engagement, and confirmability checks. The findings show that religious moderation was enacted through four connected domains: national commitment, tolerance, anti-violence, and accommodation of local culture. PPRA values—especially ta’addub, qudwah, and tasamuh—were embedded in curriculum planning, classroom and co-curricular activities, daily habituation, teacher modeling, and behavioral evaluation. Local Toraja values such as Misa’ Kada Dipotuo, Pantan Kada Dipomate, karapasan, siangga, siangkaran, and sikamali functioned as culturally meaningful bridges for moderation education. Implementation was supported by a plural and relatively tolerant social environment, but faced challenges from conceptual misunderstanding, social-media influences, uneven implementation capacity, and adolescent dynamics. The study highlights contextual cultural integration and teacher exemplarity as central mechanisms for making religious moderation a lived educational practice rather than a formal program.