Revitalization of Hadith Education Within the Context of Islamic Gerontology: An Analytical Study of Prophetic Themes in Empowering Positive Ageing

The global trend of population ageing has become an increasingly pressing issue, including in Muslim communities.In the context of Islamic gerontology, the wellbeing of older adults extends beyond the material and physical, with serious attention needing to be given to spiritual, emotional, and psychospiritual balance.Despite extensive global discussions on active ageing, the integration of Prophetic traditions into gerontological education remains underexplored, particularly within Muslim-majority contexts such as Malaysia.Current scholarship on Islamic gerontology has largely prioritised Qur'anic studies, while hadith education, despite being the second most authoritative source of Islamic guidance has received limited pedagogical attention.This research seeks to fill this critical gap by reviving the position of Prophetic traditions as the foundation for developing an educational module relevant to the needs of the elderly, empowering them through sincere and actionable Islamic values.The primary objective of this research is to uncover pivotal Hadith themes that are most relevant to the elderly.Methodologically, this study is qualitative in nature through document analysis and semi-structured interviews with three groups of informants which are Hadith scholars, teachers and residents of Madrasah Ibn Mas'ud.Data were analysed thematically to determine major patterns.Results show that Hadith-based themes of worship and spirituality, preparation for the Hereafter, patience and acceptance of tribulations in life, simple acts with immense rewards, and cleanliness and moderation in lifestyle greatly help in enhancing spirituality, religiosity motivation, and emotional stability among older adults.This research has deep implications for the empowerment of Islamic education policy under the context of gerontology and Hadith pedagogy literature as a psychospiritual intervention with sustainable impacts.