A teacher should have personal competences such as being strong, stable, mature, wise, and authoritative, being able to become a role model, and having noble characters. However, some teachers do not possess the competences. Noticing the fact, a doctoral student of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) Abdul Ghofar proposed a Takziyatun Nafs (purification of the self) method to reinforce one’s personalities, particularly teachers.
At his dissertation defense on Tuesday (18/9) at Graduate School of UMY, Ghofar explained that a teacher who does not own self-confidence will misbehave towards students. “Nafs functions to encourage people to do everything, either good or bad. Several cases occurred as a teacher did violence and sexual abuse to a student. It happened since he did not have clean soul and self-determination,” declared Ghofar.
On his dissertation entitled ‘Tazkiyatun Nafs as a Basis to Reinforce Teachers’ Personal Competencies’, Ghofar concluded that the personalities emerge from a desire within someone, and the desire then becomes their behavior. Ghofar, who is also a lecturer of Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, added that deeds are controlled by nafs because nafs is a center to command people’s activities and to control human behaviors.
He also mentioned how to do tazkiyatun nafs. First, we have to try to carry out self-introspection. Second, we should repent, do self-reflection, evaluate all mistakes, ask forgiveness, and promise not to do them anymore. Third, we have to always perform good deeds. Fourth, we should make friends with pious people. Last, we should always learn and pray to Allah.
Additionally, Ghofar was the 50th graduate of Doctoral Program of Psychology of Islamic Education and the 64th graduate of Graduate School of UMY.
