Scope and Characteristics of the Islamic Education Course

This study examined the scope and defining characteristics of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) and their implications for instructional design. A descriptive-analytical library research approach employed qualitative documentary analysis of scholarly articles and educational books, prioritizing publications from 2021 to 2026. Relevant materials were identified, selected, thematically classified, interpreted, and synthesized without collecting primary empirical data. The synthesis identified five interconnected curricular domains: the Qur’an and Hadith, Islamic creed, morality, jurisprudence and worship, and the history of Islamic civilization. These domains provide complementary foundations for religious understanding, ethical formation, historical reflection, and practical competence. Defining characteristics include value-oriented learning, the integration of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor dimensions, character formation, spiritual and social responsibility, and responsiveness to learner differences. Instructional planning requires alignment among educational objectives, domain-specific content, appropriate methods, learning resources, student participation, and assessment procedures. Textual interpretation, ethical discussion, practical demonstration, and historical inquiry serve different competencies and should not be treated as interchangeable. Digital media may broaden access to religious materials, but their credibility, relevance, and use require critical evaluation and teacher guidance. The study offers a conceptual framework for coherent, contextual, and student-centered instruction, while its effects on actual classroom learning remain unverified and require further empirical investigation.