IMPORTANCE OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
IMPORTANCE OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION
CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
Ms Moqheeta Mehboob
Edutop
Hyderabad, India
edutopm@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
This paper explores the essence of Islamic education by comparing its applicability in the past and present times. The paper also identifies the challenges faced by institutions and communities in implementing Islamic education in its real sense and will look into the possible and practical solutions.
Historically, Islamic education was seen as a holistic approach that covered both religious sciences derived from divine revelation and acquired sciences gained through human intellectual faculties.
All types of knowledge were believed to be complementary meaning that empirical, sensory and intellectual knowledge were never divorced from divine knowledge. Therefore, there was no dissolution of knowledge from its unitary form.
But today’s islamic education is compartmentalized which is contradictory to the Islamic tradition. Secular education and islamic education are put in two separate boxes and given different levels of importance. Whereas, Islam is a holistic religion and every knowledge is from Allah.
Observation suggests that in current times, the purpose of education has become to focus mainly on one type of knowledge that prepares the mind for the workforce.
Through this paper, I want to prove that education in the Islamic spirit is universal and relevant to all mankind which has no segregation between “religious” and “secular” knowledge. And Comprehensive Islamic Integrated Curriculum is the key in solving the problem of disintegrated education system.
True Islamic education is not a mere theological teaching or the teaching of the Quran , Hadith and Fiqh.
Within the system of Islamic education most knowledge is intertwined with the acceptance awareness and awe of the Divine. Thus building a connection and faith that disjointed, almost superficial teaching of facts cannot.
According to Dr. Bilal Philips, Islamic studies should be an integral part of every subject, not related to just one Islamic studies class.
The implementation of an integrated curriculum is an important step towards producing balanced growth as well as developing a more complete persona combining both the practical and spiritual. Therefore, an ideal model of integrated Islamic curriculum should be thoroughly designed.
It is hoped that this study could inspire curriculum developers, schools founders and administrators in striving for academic excellence in Muslim education by providing a clearer picture of the concept of ‘integrated Islamic curriculum’ and its application.
Working on students alone will not give the desired results. The new integrated approach should reach out to all stakeholders of the institution - A top down approach in educating every stakeholder should be practised. School management need to be aware and involved in the new change, teachers need to be trained, parents need to be informed of the value of the integrated studies, community should also be involved in this new change. Thus, all parties must show concern on how to develop an Integrated Islamic Curriculum as a means to produce an Integrated Islamic personality in accordance with Allah’s will.
A few ideas on practically implementing the islamic education are;
Islamic Integration in all subjects at Islamic schools
Weekend Islamic schools for children of secular schools
Weekend Islamic schools for parents
Islamic study programs for secular schools
I believe that secular education can be turned into Islamic Education by bringing in the real source of knowledge - Quran and Hadith. Every learning can be turned into a form of ibadah and every child can be helped to connect with His creator.
INTRODUCTION
Islamic Education is not just Islamic adaab, values, attire, language and just an islamic studies period in one full day of school.
A comprehensive definition of Islamic education composed at the First World Conference on Muslim Education in Makkah in 1977 is in the following words:
Islamic Education should aim at the balanced growth of the total personality of man through the training of man’s spirit, intellect, his rational self, feelings, and bodily senses.
Islamic education should emphasise on the following concepts:
(i) A lifetime learning;
(ii) The belief that the Islamisation of Education is scientific knowledge – the knowledge that originates from Divine norms and ideals.
(iii) To have the ability of see every learning as ibadah and to able to connect every creation to its creator.
In sum, the ultimate of Islamic education is in `the realization of complete submission to Allah on the level of the individual, the community and humanity at large.(Dr.Solehah Bt.Hj.Yaacob, Malaysia)
Purpose of Education
The purpose of education for development of Islamic society is to prepare the students for a life of purity and sincerity and not to cram their heads with facts.
In Islamic educational theory, knowledge is gained in order to actualize and perfect all dimensions of the human being. From an Islamic perspective the highest and the absolute model of perfection is the prophet Muhammad saw, and the goal of Islamic education is that the Muslims should take the Holy Prophet saw's life as a model for themselves in every affair of life and should mold their character and personality according to it.
لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا -33:21
There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr (1984: 7) states that while education does prepare humankind for happiness in this life, its ultimate goal is the abode of permanence and all education points to the permanent world of eternity’.
Overview of Islamic Education
The shape and design of Islamic education varies from one country to another as a result of the massive changes that occurred in the Muslim world over the past many years, Educational institutions in the Muslim world offer varying mixes of Islamic and general education. (Abdalla, et.al., 2006: 16):
Based on this review of the content of Islamic education, the following topics are usually taught in educational institutions that focus primarily on Islamic education.( Sayyed Farooq Shah + UJER)
1. Exclusively Islamic education
2. Islamic education with minimal general education;
3. Mixed Islamic and general education
4. Mixed Islamic and high quality of general education
5. General education with minimal Islamic education
6. Exclusively general education
7. High quality general education with some Christian education
The content of Islamic education includes the following:
1. Quranic Interpretation (Tafsir)
2. Prophet’s Sayings and Practices (Hadith)
3. Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh)
4. Islamic Beliefs (‘Aqaid)
5. Arabic Language
6. Islamic Rituals
7. Islamic History
8. Islamic Manners and Values
In the Quran the importance of science and knowledge of what He created is very often emphasized “Say: Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?” (al-Zumar 39: 9),
هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ - 39:9
and those who have knowledge will definitely be increased to high ranks “Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, in high degrees” (al-Mujadilah 58: 11).
اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ - 58:11
Challenges in carrying out Islamic Education
The Islamic education in today’s time is losing its foothold because of its divergent educational objectives, one “Islamic” and one “modern”. The lack of clear and specific vision is leading to the irresolvable problems in the Muslim education system.
Muslim world is facing the problem of educational dualism i.e. the existence of two systems of education, namely the national, modern secular system and the traditional, Islamic religious system.
One has to understand the purpose of secular curriculum in order to know how it is affecting the Muslim thinking. Secular education is based on five core principles:
The sovereignty of man, as though supreme.
Basing all knowledge on human reasoning and experience
Unrestricted freedom of thought and expression
Unwillingness to accept 'spiritual' truths (naturalism)
Individualism, relativism and materialism
In various attempts to revive Islamic education and its integrated nature, Muslim intellectuals have encountered numerous challenges, and the biggest among them was reconciling the dualism between the religious and the academic education system.
Hassan (2010) theorised that Muslims have actually attempted to reintegrate the two education systems and their efforts have resulted in one of the following types:
• the completely secular system where only academic subjects are taught;
• the predominantly religious educational system where few academic subjects are taught;
• the predominantly worldly educational system where few Islamic subjects are taught;
• the system that offers a balance of Islamic and academic subjects; and
• the system where the two streams, Islamic and academic, are brought into meaningful and dynamic interaction with one another.
Dr Bilal Philips states,’For us to achieve Islamic education,we have to bring all the bodies of knowledge that we have inherited from western civilization within umbrella of Islam.The most noted issue that we are facing when absorbing the knowledge from the west is lack of morality. Morality came from bible,which was removed when education was secularized’.
Upon understanding the urgent need of providing better Islamic education, many individuals across the countries have set up Islamic schools. However, not many schools have done justice to the real meaning of Islamic education.
The students are given an islamic dress code, place and time to pray, everyday one teaching period of islamic studies, but then it is limited to only that. The spirit of Islam doesn’t permeate into every aspect of school day.
The subjects are taught in isolation. There is no connection between subjects or with Quran and the Creator. One period is allotted for Islamic studies and rest of the subjects are taught as it is. Integration of Islam into every subject is the key to revive our islamic education stream.
The purpose of education has become different to the purpose of creation whereas the purpose of Islamic education is to prepare the Muslims to live in this world peacefully and gain the eternal benefits of the hereafter that was outlined in the Quran and then concurrently to reinforce stability and progress of the human society.
A step towards successful Islamic education
All Muslim individuals should realize that education is the most crucial prerequisite to revive the excellence and Islamic identity of the Ummah in which their thoughts, actions and attitudes manifested in an Islamic way of life.
The significance of a truly Islamic educational system is in its ultimate aim of covering both acquisition of knowledge for the satisfaction of intellectual curiosity and material gain. It aims also to develop a rational and righteous individual who is able to carry the responsibilities of spiritual, intellectual and physical welfare of his self, family, society and mankind as a whole‟.
Education, cannot just mean gaining knowledge of the creation. Education, if it is to be holistic, should include knowledge of human being as he is the centre stage of it all, knowledge of Allah, who is the Creator and the Creation.
The main purpose and approach of Islamic education should be:
To include an Islamic perspective in the curriculum, which reflects the contribution of Islam and Muslims to civilization
To ensure that all students gain knowledge and understanding of the Islamic legacy
To unify the educational system by removing "the dualism of sacred and secular from education"
To prevent Muslims being influenced by "Godless ideologies".
To emphasize that Islamic teaching is relevant to every aspect of life and every ‘subject’ of the curriculum.
There are many Muslim intellectuals and institutions who have come forward in providing tangible solutions in the implementation of integrated curriculum.
Dr Bilal Philips has come up with a global project called LPI (Lesson Plan Integration). Through this project he aims to reach out to all the Islamic schools and provide them with Islamic integrated lesson plans as well as comprehensive Teachers Training in how to execute the lesson plan and also enhance the islamic knowledge required by teachers.
The International Islamic School in Gombak, claims that it emphasizes on the formulation of a curriculum that caters for the development of a balanced and holistic Islamic personality. Its curriculum attempts to manifest the blueprint of an integrated curriculum where Islamic teachings and values are imbedded across all subject areas.
Ghazali Basri, also supports the idea of integration and he claims that an
integrated knowledge is essential in developing every aspect of human potentials and
producing a well-balanced being.
Ascend, a new educational organisation provides schools with customised Islamic Integrated lesson plans.
Any person or organisation which wants to adopt islamic integrated teaching as teaching methodology should understand the following;
The philosophy of education should be Islamic philosophy
The sociology of education should be as per Islam.
The outcome of education should be Islamic culture.
Solutions
Integrated Education plan needs to be designed using the Qur’an and Hadith as the main reference.
Integration should be introduced from earliest age of 3 to 4 years at the nursery. The absorption rate amongst younger children is great and it is good to lay the right foundation from an early age.
All subjects need to be integrated. But following is the order of priority for discipline-reform: natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, applied sciences and technology
The environment should also be taken into consideration in order to achieve the success of the educational process of integrating values.
Teachers should be trained on the ‘What, Why and How’ of Integrated Curriculum.
Schools can take up custom made Islamic integrated lesson plans.
Teachers should use Islamic methods,aspirations and spirit in their teachings for the students to understand and be more inclined to mould themselves the Islamic way.
The psychology of the stakeholders of education should be understood as per Quran since the subject of Quran is human beings and its objective is guidance.
Weekend Islamic classes related to the subjects should be conducted for children as well as parents who do not attend Islamic schools
Interesting islamic programs should be designed that can be taken to secular schools to educate others about Islam and the creator.
A few extracts from Edutop’s Islamic integrated lesson plan are inserted. The topic of teaching is Adaptations and the plan is designed for fifth grade students.
Greet the children warmly.
Make them recite the dua - ‘Rabbi Zidni Ilma’
Remind them the class rules.
Ask the children to name some plants that grow in desert regions, some plants that grow in tropical regions.
Can a mango tree grow in a desert? Why not? Because Allah swt has designed it to live in a different region.
Ask the class, where have you seen plants grow (All the different places where the plants can grow) Encourage children to explore their thinking.
Tell the class that Allah swt, in order to show His supreme ability has created plants both on land and inside water.
Benefits of Islamic Integrated Education
Prepares the future generation to work as agents of Allah.
Inculcates in the child the sense of; humility, equity, integrity, justice and other values based on Islamic ethics.
Develops in the child a spirit of enquiry and creativity through the exploration of nature.
Makes him conscious of his responsibility to develop himself and his environment for the benefit of human race and his consequent accountability in the next world.
Produces a conducive Islamic environment for the proper upbringing of the child and the development of his faculties
All round development of the child, spiritual, moral, physical, mental, cultural in preparation for the adult life.
CONCLUSION
The meaning of Islamic education differs according to the writer and perspective. For me, its same as purpose of Education that is Character Excellence and Performance Excellence in order to achieve the purpose of creation.
Muslim educational institutions all over the world which understand the real purpose of education are demonstrating the willingness and ability to provide an integrated curriculum which is Goal Centric, Solution Centric and Individual centric in the context of Islam.
This integrated Islamic curriculum is the best proposition in solving the issue of dualism by not segregating religious and non-religious education. Both of them should be unified and integrated in Muslim education and its universal applicability will make sure harmonious and safe living for all mankind, irrespective of diverse ethnic and religious inclinations.(Islam is Peace)
The highest priority of intellectual curiosity should be Allah and Maarifat of Allah. Only then everything will fall in place and all our pursuits will be to seek the pleasure of Allah by obeying him in all areas of life both public and private.
To bring back the Creator in the textbooks is the only option of giving meaning and purpose to education. In the verse below, the Quran tells us that Allah sent the Prophet for the following purpose
كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولًا مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ - 2:151
We sent among you a Messenger of yourselves, who recites to you Our Signs, purifies your lives, instructs you in the Book and in Wisdom, and instructs you what you did not know. (2:151)
The above verse is considered as the prophetic methodology of teaching. In the first step itself the Prophet recites to us Allah's signs.
This one verse is enough to prove that Creator has to be the prime part of Education. And integration is the only way making the curriculum holistic and meaningful and reviving the Islamic education.
References:
Sayyed Farooq Shah , Safdar Rehman Ghazi , Miraj-ud-Din , Saqib Shahzad , Irfan Ullah (2015). Quality and Features of Education in the Muslim World. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 3 , 243 - 257. doi: 10.13189/ujer.2015.030401.
http://irep.iium.edu.my/2470/1/Islamic_School_Curriculum.pdf
https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Islamization_of_Knowledge
https://en.islamway.net/article/13433/what-is-an-islamic-education
https://www.tc.columbia.edu/cice/pdf/25707_7_1_Douglas_Shaikh.pdf
Pearls for You: Aisha Vicky Koolen, Manchester UK
Shaista Rafeeq: Sheffield, UK
Bulliet R. W. (1994). Islam: The view from the edge. New York : Columbia University Press.
Cornell, V. J. (2002). Religion and philosophy. In S. L. Douglass (Ed.), World eras: Rise and spread of Islam, 622-1500 CE. (pp. 335-336). Farmington Hills, MI : Gale Group.
Effective Implementation Of The Integrated Islamic Education Maimun Aqsha Lubis
Islamic Education Department Faculty of Education,Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Historical, Political, and Socio-Cultural Perspective M. Noor Sulaiman Syah STAIN Kudus, Central Java, Indonesia
Douglass, S. L. & Dunn, R. E. (2001). Interpreting Islam in American schools. In H. Donnan (Ed.), Interpreting Islam. (pp. 76-98). London : Sage Publications.
Abdalla, Amr, et.al. 2006. Improving the Quality of Islamic Education in Developing Countries: Innovative Approaches.
Al-Alwani, Taha Jabir. 2006. Islamic Thought – An Approach to Reform. London,UK & Washington, USA: International Institute of Islamic Thought.
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment