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12 pages, 217 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Imagination, Secularism and the University: The Presence and Consequences of Islamic Education

by Mujadad Zaman

Religions 2024, 15(3), 330; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15030330 - 09 Mar 2024

Viewed by 592

Abstract

This paper asks the question, ‘What does Islamic education mean for the 21st century university?’ To begin with, the paper addresses the modern university as an institution facing numerous challenges, which can be conceived of by understanding the nature of the ‘academic imagination’. [...] Read more.

This paper asks the question, ‘What does Islamic education mean for the 21st century university?’ To begin with, the paper addresses the modern university as an institution facing numerous challenges, which can be conceived of by understanding the nature of the ‘academic imagination’. In so doing, this argument draws on the fundamental elements of thought itself by foregrounding imagination as a primary route by which knowledge is conceived, created and disseminated. At root, it is an argument that suggests that to understand the university is to apprehend its imaginative functions. ‘Problems of the imagination’ are thereafter defined as ‘depth perception’, ‘vertigo’ and ‘paralysis’, respectively. In light of these challenges, the rise of Centers of Islamic Theology in Germany, and Islamic education as a discipline in particular, are considered as uncharted paths towards a discussion of the dilemmas of contemporary academia. Methodologically, the paper is a philosophical reflection on the role of the future of the university and the place of Islamic Theology and Islamic education therein. As such, use of the contemporary literature on higher education, as well as classical works on Islamic education, shall be employed for the purposes of the argument. In so doing, this paper turns the normative discussion of contemporary Islamic education on its head: from how we may make room for such education in the modern university, to consider how its presence may help the institution and its imaginative conundrums. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Islamic Education: Challenges and Opportunities)

13 pages, 229 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrating Intercultural Philosophy into the High School Curriculum: Toward a Deliberative Pedagogy of Tadabbur in Diasporic Muslim Education

by Wisam Kh. Abdul-Jabbar and Yousra Makki

Religions 2024, 15(2), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020189 - 03 Feb 2024

Viewed by 847

Abstract

This article explores the pedagogical aspects of intercultural philosophy and identifies instructional strategies for Islamic school curricula in diaspora. It combines Western teaching methods peculiar to deliberative pedagogy with the Islamic notion of Tadabbur, Arabic for ‘to deliberate’ and ‘carefully consider’ the [...] Read more.

This article explores the pedagogical aspects of intercultural philosophy and identifies instructional strategies for Islamic school curricula in diaspora. It combines Western teaching methods peculiar to deliberative pedagogy with the Islamic notion of Tadabbur, Arabic for ‘to deliberate’ and ‘carefully consider’ the outcomes. It aims to provide insights into implementing intercultural philosophy as pedagogy and highlights examples of its application in Muslim educational contexts. How can intercultural philosophy be implemented in class, especially in the high school curriculum in diaspora? It emphasizes the potential benefits and compatibility of intercultural philosophy from a Muslim educational perspective. It offers practical insights and examples for educators who seek to integrate intercultural philosophy into their curricula. Bridging the gap between East and West provides a unique perspective on incorporating diverse philosophical traditions using the same teaching strategies. More specifically, this article introduces Tadabbur through instructional strategies such as Think–Pair–Share and the 5E instructional model, which use deliberative pedagogy. Intercultural philosophy, therefore, contributes to the cultural and religious diversification of curriculum theorizing and implementation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Islamic Education: Challenges and Opportunities)

21 pages, 362 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tracing the Tracts of Qaṣaṣ: Towards a Theory of Narrative Pedagogy in Islamic Education

by Muhammad Fawwaz Bin Muhammad Yusoff

Religions 2023, 14(10), 1299; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14101299 - 16 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1806

Abstract

The concept of narrative holds a pivotal position in the Qurʾān, yet it has been subject to inadequate scrutiny and insufficient representation in pedagogical discourse concerning Islamic education. The present work endeavours to rectify this gap in knowledge by employing the technique of [...] Read more.

The concept of narrative holds a pivotal position in the Qurʾān, yet it has been subject to inadequate scrutiny and insufficient representation in pedagogical discourse concerning Islamic education. The present work endeavours to rectify this gap in knowledge by employing the technique of constructivist grounded theory to the Qurʾān and major exegeses, with a particular focus on the term qaṣaṣ, which pertains to the notion of narrative. This article delves into the profound tracts and maqāṣid (objectives) that qaṣaṣ hold in the Qurʾān and contemplates their exhortation for education on Islam and modern pedagogy. The analysis reveals that the qaṣaṣ present in the Qurʾān serves as a fundamental framework that directs the essence of the narrative pedagogy model of teaching and learning between the pedagogue and learner. Through typological figuration, the listener’s contemplation leads to a re-evaluation of conventional notions surrounding the dynamics between teacher and student and the dissemination of narrative within a pedagogical setting. The triad of truth, beauty and explication are fundamental pillars within this Islamic framework for narrative pedagogy, representing the essence of the human condition concerning education. Because these domains emerge from the concept of qaṣaṣ, the integration of the framework into Islamic education is a matter of utmost importance, given its centrality in the Qurʾān to foster and perfect the principles of Muslims and their sense of self. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Islamic Education: Challenges and Opportunities)

12 pages, 255 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Constructing the Concept of Student Well-Being within Indonesian Islamic Higher Education

by Muhammad Zuhdi and Kustiwan Syarief

Religions 2023, 14(9), 1140; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14091140 - 06 Sep 2023

Viewed by 910

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates teachers’ and students’ conceptualization of well-being at an Islamic higher education institution in Indonesia. Drawing on a constructivist research design, data for this study were collected via interviews with three experienced teachers and a focused group discussion with eight [...] Read more.

This qualitative study investigates teachers’ and students’ conceptualization of well-being at an Islamic higher education institution in Indonesia. Drawing on a constructivist research design, data for this study were collected via interviews with three experienced teachers and a focused group discussion with eight students. The collected data were analyzed using a thematic analysis framework assisted by the NVIVO Pro 11 application. The results of this study reveal that, for the teacher participants, well-being should be conceptualized with reference to spiritual and transcendental dimensions (chaironic). For the student participants, meanwhile, genuine positivity with mutual respect and understanding (eudemonic) should be more emphasized. Nevertheless, both teachers and students believe that subjective well-being (hedonic) is particularly important in the fulfillment of physical and material needs on campus. This study also uncovers that, besides a context-driven conceptualization of well-being, a set of preconditions is required in order to make well-being part of campus culture, university policies, and teaching and learning practices at Islamic higher education institutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Islamic Education: Challenges and Opportunities)

17 pages, 456 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Balancing Differences through Highlighting the Common: Religious Education Teachers’ Perceptions of the Diversity of Islam in Islamic Religious Education in Finnish State Schools

by Niina Putkonen and Saila Poulter

Religions 2023, 14(8), 1069; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14081069 - 20 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1376

Abstract

Muslims are Finland’s largest and fastest-growing religious minority. In Finnish state schools, the number of pupils studying Islamic religious education (IRE) has almost doubled in a decade, and IRE has its own national curriculum, which is based on the general principles of Islam. [...] Read more.

Muslims are Finland’s largest and fastest-growing religious minority. In Finnish state schools, the number of pupils studying Islamic religious education (IRE) has almost doubled in a decade, and IRE has its own national curriculum, which is based on the general principles of Islam. Pupils are diverse in terms of their languages, cultures, ethnicities and in their religious and worldview backgrounds, religious diversity being reflected in the religious education curriculum content in which the diversity of Islam is addressed. In this study, we examine the diversity of Islam in IRE. The research results are based on interviews with IRE teachers (N = 17) working in comprehensive schools in the capital region of Finland, and we use data-driven content analysis to explore teachers’ perceptions. This study shows that IRE teachers use balancing pedagogical tools in order to deal with the diversity of Islam. According to the findings of our study, dealing with this diversity in religious education requires a dialogicity that both highlights and blurs differences related to diversity. Religion-related dialogue in IRE provides an arena for a balanced discussion about religious differences as well as what they have in common. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Islamic Education: Challenges and Opportunities)

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25 pages, 348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Religious Learning Environments of Austrian Muslim Youth: An Empirical Analysis of Religious Educational Processes

by Mehmet H. Tuna, Jonas Kolb and Zekirija Sejdini

Religions 2023, 14(8), 1002; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14081002 - 04 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1209

Abstract

In recent decades, Islamic education and the religiosity of young Muslims have received considerable attention in academic research in German-speaking countries. However, an analysis of the different learning environments of religious education and their respective significance has yet to be carried out so [...] Read more.

In recent decades, Islamic education and the religiosity of young Muslims have received considerable attention in academic research in German-speaking countries. However, an analysis of the different learning environments of religious education and their respective significance has yet to be carried out so far. Using Austria as an example, this paper explores these different processes of religious education among Muslim adolescents. Based on qualitative guided interviews, the experiences and learning processes in the family, in the mosque, in the school, and online are depicted from the learners’ perspective. In this way, this paper assigns Muslim adolescents a constitutive role in the analysis. In this context, we discuss how the understanding of education, pedagogical approaches, and person-centredness differs in the learning environments of Muslim religious education. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Islamic Education: Challenges and Opportunities)

13 pages, 271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rethinking Islamic Religious Education in Europe Based on Empirical Research

by Fahimah Ulfat

Religions 2023, 14(5), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050590 - 29 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1133

Abstract

The question of God is one of the central themes of religious education. Therefore, research in the field of concepts of knowledge and faith can provide a substantial basis for the work of educators and teachers and, thus, for the foundation of Islamic [...] Read more.

The question of God is one of the central themes of religious education. Therefore, research in the field of concepts of knowledge and faith can provide a substantial basis for the work of educators and teachers and, thus, for the foundation of Islamic religious education. The following paper presents the results of a qualitative study on Muslim children’s relationships with God. The results provide impulses for rethinking Islamic religious education in Europe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Islamic Education: Challenges and Opportunities)

16 pages, 332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How to Read the Quran in Religious Islamic Education: What Educators Can Learn from the Work of Mohammed Arkoun

by Iddo Felsenthal and Ayman Agbaria

Religions 2023, 14(1), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010129 - 16 Jan 2023

Viewed by 2507

Abstract

The study of the Quran is central to Religious Islamic Education (RIE). Exposed to different political and social pressures, teachers in RIE still struggle between traditional approaches concerning the divine nature of the Qur’an and more secular approaches emphasizing the historicity and critical [...] Read more.

The study of the Quran is central to Religious Islamic Education (RIE). Exposed to different political and social pressures, teachers in RIE still struggle between traditional approaches concerning the divine nature of the Qur’an and more secular approaches emphasizing the historicity and critical analysis of the religious text. Mohammed Arkoun (d. 2010), an Algerian-born Sorbonne professor, offered a hermeneutical methodology for reading the Quran that was Western, scientific, and critical, and at the same time related to the Living Islamic Tradition, faith, and thought. The article analyzes Arkoun’s methodology for reading the Quran and its possible implications on RIE in a way that creates a space for creativity, criticism, and dialogue between worldviews and opens new possibilities for the faithful to teach and learn the Qur’an. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Islamic Education: Challenges and Opportunities)

14 pages, 1270 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Hard Road to Reform: Curriculum Renewal for Muslim Education in Early Twentieth-Century China

by Xunqian Liu and Yi Yang

Religions 2023, 14(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010046 - 28 Dec 2022

Viewed by 2004

Abstract

Since the early twentieth century, Chinese Muslim elites have been engaged in a movement aimed at developing a new style of education for Muslim children. These Muslim elites traveled to the Middle East and were influenced by the modernizing movement in the broader [...] Read more.

Since the early twentieth century, Chinese Muslim elites have been engaged in a movement aimed at developing a new style of education for Muslim children. These Muslim elites traveled to the Middle East and were influenced by the modernizing movement in the broader Islamic world. The new-style schools were no longer attached to mosques, and their curricula emphasized the inclusion of modern secular subjects. Islamic knowledge and disciplines began to be transmitted as modern subjects when taught in modern institutions. Based on the detailed analysis of historical documents, this paper examines the trajectories of several prominent modern institutions in Beijing to illustrate the key aspects of Muslim educational reform. The Muslim elites in charge of this educational reform share the common goals of promoting education and improved livelihoods for the urban Hui Muslims; to date, however, these goals have been only partially met, and a mismatch has emerged between the new knowledge that students have learned and the occupational composition of the Hui people in Niujie (mainly small traders). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Islamic Education: Challenges and Opportunities)

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Review

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15 pages, 802 KiB

Open AccessReview

Balancing the Communitarian, Civic, and Liberal Aims of Religious Education: Islamic Reflections

by Najwan Saada

Religions 2022, 13(12), 1198; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121198 - 08 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1718

Abstract

Balancing the communitarian, civic, and liberal aims of faith-based education presents a significant challenge to most religious education teachers. The communitarian approach to religious education is the most common, as it socializes children to become members of a given faith community. It recognizes [...] Read more.

Balancing the communitarian, civic, and liberal aims of faith-based education presents a significant challenge to most religious education teachers. The communitarian approach to religious education is the most common, as it socializes children to become members of a given faith community. It recognizes students’ rights to collective identity and belonging. The civic approach to religious education asks, “what is the preferred meaning of respect in a religiously pluralist society, and how can it be promoted in the context of a deep belief in the primacy of one religion?” This approach also concerns itself with managing religious identities in a multifaith and democratic society. Liberal religious education involves asking the question, “how can one’s own religious doctrine be taught so as to allow the widest possible scope for critical reflection within [and about] a faith tradition?”. The current review essay addresses these questions by exploring the meanings, significance, and limitations of each approach and their possible implications for Islamic education in Israeli-Arab and Muslim-majority schools. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking Islamic Education: Challenges and Opportunities)

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