Akhlak refers to a person's behavior, manners, and attitudes. In Islam, akhlak includes moral and ethical aspects that regulate the behavior of each individual in accordance with existing religious teachings. Morals can also refer to noble and praiseworthy traits that must be possessed and demonstrated by each individual, such as honesty, kindness, patience, and respect for others. There are several kinds of morals in the Islamic context, including the morals of nation, state, and organization. Examples are as follows:
- The Akhlak of Nation and State: Covers obligations and recommendations in the context of nation and state, such as deliberation, upholding justice, amar ma'ruf nahi munkar, and the relationship between leaders and the led.
- Organizational Akhlak: Involves the practice of morals in an organizational context, requiring mature mental, moral, and intellectual attitudes, as well as values such as tolerance, transparent communication, and the development of one's mental and moral attitudes.
In today's digital era, there are many ethical and character challenges that each individual must face. Technology and modernization is one of the factors that influence how morals, ethics, and the way individuals behave with each other. In this context, it can be seen the importance of understanding and developing the morals of organization, nation, and state, which includes aspects such as ethics, morals, and good behavior in our lives so that it does not cause bad or negative things. The negative challenges faced in today's digital era such as:
- The negative influence of social media and technology. Social media and digital technology affect how individuals interact and disseminate information, which can affect the morals of students and society as a whole. The use of social media often causes changes in adolescent morals, especially in social, religious and moral aspects. This is due to the proliferation of negative and uneducative content that is ultimately unfiltered by the current generation.
- Materialism, consumerism, and loss of privacy. The digital era brings changes in the way students and society deal with materialism, consumerism and maintaining their privacy. This happens because people can easily access online shopping sites and are tempted by the cheaper prices.
- Low moral formation in the younger generation. Today's young generation has challenges in adapting to the changing times and their existence which requires early moral education and research on morals in the digital era.
Moral development in the digital era is needed to embed morals, manners, and personal qualities into every individual. Even the teachings of the Prophet also emphasize the importance of maintaining ethical values, morals, and manners within each individual. The Prophet teaches several moral principles that are relevant in the modern era such as honesty, justice, patience, and respect for others. In the digital era, where information is quickly disseminated and privacy is easily threatened, the Prophet's teachings emphasize the importance of faith, piety, and akhlak in dealing with the various ethical and character challenges that arise. This includes developing good mental and moral attitudes, using technology responsibly, and maintaining the values of loyalty to the country and unity in the face of the impact of digitalization in the current era.
Ways that can be done to develop akhlak in the digital era include:
- Strengthening faith and devotion to Allah SWT: Increasing trust in Allah, practicing and also teaching individuals an understanding of the teachings of the Prophet can help overcome the worries and uncertainties of living in today's digital age.
