Strengthening Student Character Through the Implementation of Religious Moderation in Islamic Education

Strengthening the character of students is an important issue in Islamic education, especially when students are faced with intolerance, violence in the name of religion, the spread of extreme narratives in digital spaces, and the weakening of moral orientation in social life. This research aims to analyze the theological and conceptual foundations of religious moderation in Islam, explain its contribution to strengthening the character of students, and formulate strategies for its implementation in Islamic education. The research uses a qualitative approach with library research methods. The main sources include the Al-Qur'an, books of interpretation, policies of the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia, as well as relevant scientific articles; Supporting sources include reputable journal articles published in the 2015–2026 range. Data were collected through documentation searches with the keywords religious moderation, character strengthening, and Islamic education, then analyzed using content analysis. The validity of the study is strengthened through triangulation of sources and theories. The research results show three main findings. First, religious moderation has a theological basis in the concept of ummatan wasathan, which emphasizes balance, justice, and avoidance of excessive attitudes. Second, the values of tawassuth, tawazun, i'tidal, and tasamuh contribute to the formation of a religious, critical, fair, tolerant, responsible, and democratic character. Third, more comprehensive implementation can be carried out through curriculum integration, dialogical learning, teacher example, strengthening religious literacy, inclusive school culture, as well as school, family, and community partnerships. The novelty of the research lies in the formulation of a character-strengthening model based on religious moderation through a whole-school approach that integrates theological, pedagogical, school culture, and family partnership dimensions.