The Normative Foundations of Multiculturalism and Multicultural Islamic Religious Education in the Qur’an and Hadith

Abstract

This article aims to explain the normative foundations of multiculturalism in the Qur’an and Hadith and its relevance to the development of multicultural Islamic Religious Education (IRE). This study employs a qualitative-descriptive approach with library research methods, reviewing primary sources (the Qur’an, Hadith, classical tafsir, and the Charter of Medina) as well as secondary sources (the thoughts of contemporary scholars such as Azyumardi Azra, Nurcholish Madjid, and Fazlur Rahman). The findings show that multiculturalism in Islam is rooted in principles of recognizing diversity (Qur’an, al-Hujurat: 13; al-Maidah: 48), human equality, religious freedom, and interfaith dialogue. The Prophet’s Hadith, particularly the Farewell Sermon and the Charter of Medina, affirm the values of equality and respect for differences. These normative foundations urgently need to be applied in multicultural IRE in Indonesia to counter intolerance, discrimination, and exclusivism. This article concludes that multicultural IRE is not only an academic necessity but also a social strategy to build a peaceful, tolerant, and civilized society