Operationalizing al-Qawiyy and al-Amīn: Asymmetric Competence–Integrity Decision-Making in Islamic Teacher Management

Abstrak

Islamic schools often struggle to find teachers who are both pedagogically capable and morally reliable, yet they usually quote the Qur'anic criterion for this problem rather than apply it. This qualitative single-case study examines how the Qur'anic pair al-qawiyy (strong, competent) and al-amīn (trustworthy) in QS. al-Qaṣaṣ [28]: 26 is interpreted and operationalized as a framework for managing teachers at SD Fastabiqul Khairat Samarinda, Indonesia. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with twelve purposively selected informants, participant observation, and document analysis, and were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis with source and method triangulation. The findings show that the two attributes operate as paired criteria across the employment cycle: a Qur'an and worship gate followed by dual-track selection, a one-year mentored probation with parallel programs for competence and for amānah, an appraisal instrument weighted equally between teaching competence and discipline-spiritual conduct, and a four-category competence-integrity matrix for retention and promotion in which integrity deficits are sanctioned more strictly than competence deficits. The study also reports three frictions that qualify the model: the Qur'an-first gate narrowed the applicant pool; the integrity track could soften competence demands; and integrity sanctions operated partly through attrition rather than counseling. The study contributes an operational, context-specific model that moves Islamic human resource management from normative exegesis toward explicit indicators, thresholds, and decision rules, while acknowledging that the model presupposes institutional autonomy and religious homogeneity and therefore cannot be generalized to all Islamic schools.