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The accelerating global ecological crisis, manifested in deforestation, biodiversity collapse, and extreme climate change, fundamentally reflects a deep-rooted moral and spiritual deterioration within modern humanity. Islamic Religious Education (PAI) holds a unique strategic position to address this crisis by systematically integrating naturalistic intelligence, the eighth dimension of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory, into the character formation process of students. This qualitative library research employs content analysis and conceptual analysis techniques applied to relevant primary and secondary academic sources published between 2019 and 2026. The study pursues three objectives: (1) to examine the conceptual and theological foundations of naturalistic intelligence within the Islamic educational framework; (2) to identify the reciprocal relationship patterns between naturalistic intelligence and the formation of religious-ecological character in students; and (3) to formulate integrative Islamic education management strategies for optimizing naturalistic intelligence. Findings reveal that naturalistic intelligence possesses robust theological grounding in Islamic tradition, anchored in the concepts of tafakkur, ayat kauniyah, khalifatullah fil ardh, and scientia sacra, none of which are peripheral but rather central to the Islamic worldview. The relationship between naturalistic intelligence and religious-ecological character is bidirectional and mutually reinforcing, operating through three sequential pathways: from naturalistic intelligence to theological consciousness, from theological consciousness to intrinsic ecological motivation, and from intrinsic motivation to consistent religious-ecological behavior. Islamic education management can optimize naturalistic intelligence development through four strategic pillars: reconstruction of the PAI curriculum based on ayat kauniyah, development of innovative eco-theological pedagogy, construction of an eco-conscious school culture, and strengthening of school-family-community partnerships. This study advances the concept of "Spiritual Eco-Literacy" as an original paradigmatic contribution to 21st-century Islamic education.

This research examines the practices of a B4 class teacher at RA Takhrimah Tungkop in identifying children’s Multiple Intelligences (MI) through authentic observation during an activity of printing moon shapes using banana stems. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach with data collected through in-depth interviews and participatory observation. Data were analyzed thematically and supported by source and technique triangulation to ensure the validity of the findings. The results indicate that the teacher’s understanding of the MI concept was still focused on linguistic, logical-mathematical, and visual-spatial intelligences. Despite this limited conceptual scope, the implementation of authentic observation during the art-based activity successfully revealed a broader range of children’s intelligences. The moon-printing activity demonstrated indicators of visual-spatial intelligence through shape recognition and composition, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence through hand–eye coordination and motor control, and intrapersonal intelligence reflected in children’s ability to manage emotions, maintain focus, and show persistence during the task. Repeated observations accompanied by anecdotal records enabled the teacher to construct individual and continuous MI profiles for each child. These profiles can be utilized to design more varied, contextual, and child-centered learning strategies that align with the characteristics of early childhood learners in the Raudhatul Athfal setting. The practices observed also illustrate the connection between Gardner’s MI theory and Islamic early childhood education grounded in concrete learning activities. The findings support the development of child-friendly learning environments and encourage teacher creativity in conducting activity-based assessments. This study recommends strengthening teacher competencies through training in authentic MI assessment and further research using a research and development approach.