Fitrah, Habituation, and Environment: Reconstructing the Concept of Parenting from Al-Ghazali and Ibn Khaldun

Abstract

This conceptual article aims to reconstruct the concept of child-rearing through the dialectic of three key concepts, fitrah, habituation, and environment, as formulated by al-Ghazali in Ihya' Ulum al-Din and Ayyuha al-Walad, and by Ibn Khaldun in the Muqaddimah. This study employs a qualitative approach using library research methods through the collection of primary texts, scientific journals, and relevant academic sources. Data were analyzed using content analysis techniques with a descriptive-comparative approach. The findings indicate that al-Ghazali regards Fitrah as a sacred potential preserved through Riyadhah and early moral habituation, with environment functioning as a supporting or corrupting factor, while Ibn Khaldun positions habit ('Adah) and social environment ('Umran) as more determinative forces in character formation, understanding fitrah in more neutral terms. A synthesis of both frameworks yields a three-pillar parenting model, safeguarding fitrah, systematic habituation, and environmental engineering as a collective responsibility, positioning caregivers as active architects of children's formative environments. The novelty of this study lies in its integrative synthesis of a theological-normative classical framework and a sociological-empirical classical framework into a single operational parenting model relevant to Muslim families and Islamic educational institutions, including pesantren, in addressing parenting challenges in the contemporary digital era.