Reinterpreting Jamāl al-Dīn al-Qāsimī’s Concept of the Ideal Educator in Response to the Crisis of Teacher Role Modeling in the Digital Age

Abstract

The crisis of teacher role modeling in the digital age has become one of the serious challenges in the world of education. The development of information technology and social media has not only brought convenience to the learning process but has also raised various ethical issues that have led to a decline in the moral authority of educators. This study aims to analyze the concept of the ideal educator in the book Adāb al-Dāris wa al-Mudarris by Jamāl al-Dīn al-Qāsimī and to reinterpret it in the context of the crisis of teacher role modeling in the digital age. This study employs a qualitative approach using library research. The primary source of this study is the book *Adāb al-Dāris wa al-Mudarris*, while secondary sources consist of books and journals relevant to Islamic education, teacher role modeling, and digital ethics. The data were analyzed using content analysis. The results indicate that the concept of the ideal educator according to al-Qāsimī encompasses four main dimensions: spiritual, personal, pedagogical, and social. The crisis of teacher exemplary behavior in the digital age arises from the weakening of the internalization of these values in contemporary educational practice. Through the lens of Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and Mike Ribble’s concept of Digital Citizenship, this study found that the values of adab proposed by al-Qāsimī remain relevant as an ethical foundation for rebuilding teachers’ integrity, professionalism, and exemplary conduct in the digital age. Thus, al-Qāsimī’s concept of the ideal educator can serve as an alternative solution in addressing the growing crisis of exemplary conduct within modern educational settings.