<![CDATA[This study examines how pesantren education can move from akhlak (normative ethics) toward ethical competence, using discussions of ethical dilemmas as a pedagogical bridge between the two. A scoping review followed the Arksey and O'Malley framework, refined by Levac et al. and the Joanna Briggs Institute, with reporting guided by PRISMA-ScR. A systematic search of Scopus and ERIC yielded 369 records, of which 78 were retained after stepwise screening. Thematic synthesis identified four themes: pesantren as a normative ethical ecology, the expansion of pesantren functions toward reflective education, ethical-dilemma discussion as a pedagogical bridge, and ethical competence as an operational extension of akhlak. Building on these themes, the study proposes the Akhlak, Dilemma, Ethical Competence (ADK) Model, a seven-stage iterative cycle linking moral values, lived experience, dilemma situations, guided ethical dialogue, moral reasoning, decision-making, and reflective action. Unlike cognitive-oriented character education approaches, the ADK Model treats ethical competence as the operational language of akhlak rather than a replacement for it, and positions the normative authority of pesantren alongside deliberative pedagogy rather than against it. A structural tension between pesantren authority and deliberative pedagogy emerges as both a conceptual finding and a practical implementation challenge, particularly in Salafi pesantren. The ADK Model offers an initial framework for operationalizing ethical-dilemma discussion within Islamic education and provides a basis for future empirical validation across pesantren typologies]]>
