Englisia NOVEMBER 2013 VOL. 1 NO.1, 17-27 Maskur State Islamic University of Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh Character education is necessary to be seriously concern in facing modernization. It is believed that character is one of elements to reach the aims of education. Precise- ly, education is an effort to form inner strength, behavior, as well mind. This article focuses on method and strategy to build the character which subsequently build per- sonality refers to the Islamic fundamental sources namely as being commanded by Allah through His Prophet. There are some ways being introduced in the article to form good personality through building character optimally. First is to infuse positive thinking upon Allah as the Creator of good and bad personality. Second, good per- sonality could only be reached by strongly cling to values as it was conducted by the Prophet. Third is inculcating simple act though it may seem elementary but key factor in forming one’s character which subsequently form one’s personality. Keywords: Character Education, Positive Thinking, Inculcation INTRODUCTION First and foremost, education is an effort to construct behavior, inner strength, character, and creativity as a concrete implementation of the hidden cur- riculum in facing a daily societal interaction. In line with the Prophet undertaking to the world to correct human being behavior. A variety of disciplines to be taught and studied is exclusively to raise soul awareness that Allah instruct the people to think His greatness signs. But, it must bear in mind that true awareness will not be reach if only rely on brain as the symbol of intelligence and arrogance of power which some- times bring about the proud because no synergistic togetherness between brain and heart. CHARACTER EDUCATION IN PRODUCING  ISLAMIC PERSONALITY  Character Education In Producing Islamic Personality 18 | Englisia Vol. I No. 1 Nov 2013 A multidimensional challenge is a blur portrait colored almost all aspects of life is to be suspected come from educational output. Education is an institutional mechanism that accelerates the development of the national character, and as an agent of positive virus spreading which allegedly had ignored the affective elements in learning. The times past of some nations and countries and its socio-cultural disparities prove that education is believed to be fortress upon modernization influences in maintaining unity, ideology, and national identity through education. It indicates that education is a vital element should not be ignored for the manifestation of the hu- man understanding cognitively and affectively as is expected of a religion, country and nation. Again, the past proves that to reach a predicate of a developing nation is in- sufficient if only to learn and to develop science, but also to create an excellent learning process referring to the supreme sources as being introduced by Allah through His Prophet. These must be implemented thoroughly in a strategic scale by leaders, intellectuals, public, and younger generations as well. This holistic and stra- tegic learning process subsequently produces a great strength to encourage the revival of a characterized civilization. Character could not be inherited, either be bought, nor be changed. It must be built and developed consciously through non-instant process. It is not innate which could not be changed as a fingerprint. Everyone is potential to be a good per- sonality if only refer to the religious teachings. Sayyed Hosen Nasr, a professor in Islamic studies and also a prominent Islamic Philosopher says that “Islam religion of humanity which is direct Divine injunction to establish order in human society and within the human soul and at the same time to make it possible the interior of life, to prepare the soul to return unto its Lord and enter the Paradise”. Hence, only by instilling the religious values in act and habit that civilized society could be accom- plished. Maskur Englisia Vol. I No. 1 Nov 2013 | 19 Character based education Education plays great role in civilizing if it is functionalized to run a process of transferring religious and cultural values. It leads to bright future that could not be reached with the exception through a certain process. Education is an attempt to reach a single intelligence which accommodate intelligence, emotional, and spiritual quotient. These three elements could not be separated between one and another as loss one of them will reduce a potential intelligence. Thus, these elements must be interrelated functionally. Fundamentally, education is an effort to put humans as an intact human who emphasizes the quintessence of human as individuals and as social beings in pre- paring a better life. The point of education is to shape the attitudes for the sake of achieving the happiness in the world and in the hereafter. Attitude is more than enything else. It determines whether people are successful and able to enjoy life. Thus, the establishment of faith-based character is paramount to success and peace as it is the sources for variety of actions. Character education has been a widely concern of various countries in pre- paring intelligent human and qualified future generation in conformity with the hope of a nation and a country. It is in a broad sense is as a deliberate action of all dimensions of educational institution life to foster optimal character development. Character-based education are supposed to be understood comprehensively and holistically. It is not merely an integration of subject matters, approaches, methods, and evaluation models because not subject matters’ substances has no synchronization with the character be developed. According to Lickona that charac- ter education is related to the concept moral knonwing, moral felling, moral behavior. The aim of character education is to teach specific values that could be broadly accepted as the cornerstone of good behavior and responsibility which so- called moral behavior. It deals with human relationship with the Creator, self soul awareness, and interaction with others which is embodied in thoughts, attitudes, Character Education In Producing Islamic Personality 20 | Englisia Vol. I No. 1 Nov 2013 feelings, words, and actions in accordance with the religious norms. Shortly, it aim is to build brevity, patience, controlling ability, fairness and wise attitudes. In facing the continuous cultural changes that there must be a commitment and real implementation of the character education in all aspects of the educational spheres including educational stakeholders, instructors, students, society as well as the curriculum. It may be said that one should has two important features to be pos- sessed such as mindset changes, and paradigm changes in action and interaction. The thinking paradigm should be reform that character education does not only take place in one dimension as producing people with sequence of knowledge but more important is to create educational climate where in which educational stakeholders truly aware that character elements must be frequently conducted though it may seems elementary. In a nutshell, educational environment should be molded as self- actualization in a broader dimension. Nowadays education is shifted to narrow implication on the teaching tenden- cy that is oriented on numerical assessment based where it lead the students to be instant human who could not be produced for long term advantages. It may deal with cognitive and brain teasers where education more focus on left brain oriented and ignore right brain. Teachers and educators are only able to transfer academic sciences which only fulfill the students needs cognitively and neglects affective do- main which is in fact as penetration on developing students’ character optimally. What is mean by optimal character development is reaching success cognitively along with another domain to nature maturity, attitudes, behavior in compliance with the purity of human creation purposes namely to get happiness in the world and in the hereafter that through mind controlling. The increasing deterioration of character because of neglecting religious values, were the concern of the Prophet’s companions and previous religious schol- ars. It is what so-called “hypocrites intellectual “knowledgeable in tongue” but stupid in heart and action”. Blur picture of education in forming moral concept and eti- quette as pedagogical educational messages both pedagogically - controlled and non pedagogical controlled bring about a controversial within one’s personality such Maskur Englisia Vol. I No. 1 Nov 2013 | 21 as piety and wickedness, tenderness and violence, corrupter and philanthropist, cor- ruptor and worshiper, honest and lie, love and hatred, diligent and laziness. These are continuously alongside between one and another. For this reason, character ed- ucation is absolute answer to accurate and to overcome the weakness of the emer- gence worse personality attributes for the sake of molding good personality in accord with the religious values. A person will be personally characterized if only she or he grow in character- ized environments. Therefore, a partial understanding of the character education that only to know but not to bring it into realization is precisely contradictive toward character building. Education is a touching process in instilling values through modeling in a total action which sets out moral for the sake of moral building as self actualization of the students in their daily lives. Character education is not only bound by the classroom environment but rather an approach on a solid pedagogi- cal principles namely to produce people with an awareness that character is neces- sary to be form based on the religious values in order to reach good personality. Basically, emotional quotient is one of supported elements in assuring the educational qualified output. To develop character it is not just implemented inte- grated curriculum where the students neither learn closely related to the intercon- nected unit of subject matters nor centered curriculum which only discuss students’ life. Character education deals with divinity. It is supposed to lead one know who the Creator is. Theodore Roosevelt said that “To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society”. Morale is a core to form a solid personality in accordance with the directives of religious instructions. First and foremost moral be presented is believe in Allah wholeheartedly for it encourages people to be rational, create people awareness that nature is governed by one law, encourage people not rely on and enslaved by something beyond noble purpose of human namely to spread goodness and justice in the context of worship to God. Character Education In Producing Islamic Personality 22 | Englisia Vol. I No. 1 Nov 2013 In terms of tauhid (oneness), one should believe that Allah plays a great role in changing one’s character. In Law of Attraction that a person will get whatever she or he believe to be real as long as she or he frequently affirm, visualize, and suggest something to be real. Therefore, visualization and self affirmation on good character element to be possessed is one of ways for a person to get in used to a better char- acter. The repeatedly things being visualized and affirmed then will come into sub- conscious mind which subsequently being recorded till finally will form one’s character. To form students with good character is not an easy task as it needs continuous efforts and deep reflection to create a series of moral choice that should be followed up with a concrete action. In addition, it requires amount of time. Approach to build the character There are some approaches and strategies to build the character and afterward to form personality. Firstly, manage mind and imagination. To create a concept and self motivation to change life is inherent driving force to realize the dreams to be meaningful. The words is just pre-text in education, the important thing is sympathy and empathy in attracting others. It means that imaginary concept of in changing character is a stimulus to have a good personality. Imam Gahazali said “one is what he or she repeatedly does, excellent is not an act but a habit”. In this context, someone could not be judge only through his or her deed, but the vital thing to be known is her or his habit as it shows one’s personality. Secondly, in terms of method, inculcation through modeling is also crucial way to form one’s personality. Consistency between word and act are supposed to be possessed by educators. Modeling or be an example is required to be applied as strategy to build the character. To adapt these two strategies, there are two requirements must be possessed. First , educators should serve as a good model for learners . Second , learners should emulate the noble of famous people such as the Prophet Muhammad. At a more specific spectrum of the present world, education has ambiguity values. There is a mismatch between theory and practice. In this case Maskur Englisia Vol. I No. 1 Nov 2013 | 23 the instructors should behave in his or her daily life as what she or he being con- veyed to the students. Allah says to the people in order to read as reading gives a lot of advantages to the readers. There is a saying states that few personality will be change when one reads . However , this understanding can be expanded in its meaning. What type of reading gives a positive impact upon the readers? That is to say, very little changes one’s personality when reading science book. Non-fiction book merely related to real world which sometimes ignores the feeling. Thirdly, to read literary work is one of elements in character building. One’s life is surrounded by literary work. Most of pedagogical aspects could be found through fiction readings. In fiction reading, the figures’ character are presented in a lot of imperfections, but he or she is able overcoming the problems faced in his or her life because of his or her patience, hard work, and honesty. This figure character labeling will inspire the readers to have such kind of character. A simple example can be presented as Dora Emon is more popular figure than Albert Einstein. Not many people know the historical life of Elbert Einstein although this name was recorded as the genius creator of the atomic bomb formula. But most people know Dora Emon is so famous because of his advantages character hat motivate the readers such as having good sense of loving, responsible, hard worker, diligent, mo- tivator, and some others. CONCLUSION There are some efforts must be implemented in developing the optimal character First is to emerge the positive thinking to Allah that He will gives kindness to one based on his or her thought upon Allah. Positive thinking then will create an opti- mism that life is solely for the sake of getting the blessing of Allah. Second, is to build the character is by inculcating, that is to start from simple and easy thing be conducted to get in used to better act. Third, it is necessary for one to exemplify his Character Education In Producing Islamic Personality 24 | Englisia Vol. I No. 1 Nov 2013 or her self to the goodness which attract others to follow the step his or her charac- ter. Fourth, reading literary also one way to build someone’s character as it gives inspiration to the readers to follow step of the figures being presented with their character labeling. Maskur Englisia Vol. I No. 1 Nov 2013 | 25 REFERENCES Abdullah Munir, Pendidikan Karakter, Pedagogia, Yogyakarta, 2010. Andrea Hirata, Laskar Pelangi, PT Bentang Pustaka, Yogyakarta, 2008. Andrea Hirata, Sang Pemimpi, PT Bentang Pustaka, Yogyakarta, 2008. 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Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Islamic Life and Thought, Islamic Book Trust, Kuala Lumpur, 2012. Suwito dan Fauzan, Sejarah Sosial Pendidikan Islam, Prenada Media Group, Jakar- ta. Zuchdi, Humanisasi Pendidikan, PT Bumi Aksara, Jakarta, 2009. Zubaidi, Desain Pendidikan Karakter, Prenada Media Group, Jakarta, 2011. Maskur Englisia Vol. I No. 1 Nov 2013 | 27 About the author Maskur is a senior lecturer and researcher in Department of English UIN Ar-Raniry. His research interest is concerned with intercultural education, Islamic studies and character education. He is currently teaching Islamic studies at the post-graduate program of UIN Ar-Raniry.He is one of active researcher that has conducted various researches and written books on the aforementioned areas.