A Community-Based Qur’anic Literacy Mentoring Model for Children in Sampe Cita Village, Kutalimbaru, Deli Serdang

Abstract

This study aimed to formulate a community-based Qur’anic literacy mentoring model for children in Sampe Cita Village, Kutalimbaru Subdistrict, Deli Serdang. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach within an interpretive paradigm. Data were collected through passive participant observation and semi-structured interviews with Qur’an teachers and mosque administrators at Al-Furqon Mosque. The findings showed that children’s Qur’anic literacy abilities varied considerably. Some children were able to read Iqra’ or the Qur’an but were not yet fluent in the articulation of Arabic letters (makharijul huruf), the application of long and short vowel rules, and basic tajwid. The main obstacles included children’s limited attention spans, the influence of electronic devices, limited parental support, a shortage of Qur’an teachers, and less varied learning methods. Based on these findings, a competency-cluster and community-synergy model was considered relevant. Children were grouped into small groups of five to seven members according to their reading ability rather than their age. Beginner learners were directed toward strengthening the Iqra’ method, whereas more fluent learners were guided in basic tahsin, memorization of short surahs, and the habituation of daily prayers. The model also involved mosque youth as peer tutors, Qur’an teachers as primary mentors, mosque administrators as facility providers, and parents as home-learning companions. Weekly evaluations and communication books served as monitoring instruments to continuously track children’s progress. This model may serve as an alternative approach to Qur’anic literacy mentoring that is compatible with the social conditions of rural communities.