Integrating Spiritual Habituation into Character Education: Dhuha Prayer and Qur'an Recitation at Elementary School

Abstract

Character education plays an important role in shaping students' moral, spiritual, and social development at the elementary school level. This study aimed to analyze the implementation of communal Dhuha prayer and Qur'an recitation (murojaah) as strategies for strengthening Islamic character, emotional regulation, and learning focus among second-grade students at SD Muhammadiyah Aimas. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach with observation, documentation, and reflective analysis as the primary data collection techniques. The participants consisted of 32 second-grade students. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman, including data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed that the structured implementation of Dhuha prayer and murojaah created positive changes in students' discipline, honesty, patience, social responsibility, emotional stability, and academic concentration. Students became more orderly during school activities, showed better self-control, and demonstrated improved focus during classroom learning after participating in spiritual routines. The study also found that consistent teacher guidance, positive reinforcement, and supportive school environments contributed significantly to the effectiveness of the program. This research concludes that collective spiritual habituation activities can serve as an effective and contextual model for strengthening character education in Islamic elementary schools.