An articulte presentation by Dr. Aisha Al-Harthi from Sultan Qaboos University, about Islamic Philosophy and its impact in education

1. Islamic Philosophy
in Education
Dr. Aisha Salim Al-Harthi
For
EDUC 2003: Foundations of Education
College of Education
Sultan Qaboos University

2. What is Islamic philosophy?

3. Three Perspectives in Islamic Philosophy
Al-Gazzali: more religious
explanation of education
Ibn Rushd
Ibn Tufail
Al-Baironi
Al-Kindi
Ikhwan Alsafa : ‫الصفا‬ ‫اخوان‬
Focus on the individual development and
rationality
A group of teachers in the
forth Hijri century in Al-
Basra, who created a group
“Lovers of Philosophy” , who
published numerous
messages about social and
political reform.
Taha, H.(2007). Contemporary Educational hinking and its philosophical Roots. Jordan: Dar Al-Mssira
Ibn Khaldoun:
Use of knowledge to
build the Islamic nation

4. Metaphysics=Reality
 Oneness is an important metaphysical concept and answers
the riddles of the universe (Unified world, integrated
universe)
 Universe - uniformity, purposefulness and interdependence
 Universals exist before things
•All mankind are expected to believe in Allah
•Fitrah/‫:الفطرة‬ Recognition of Allah is imprinted on the souls
of all Adam’s descendents
•Clarifies the true position of mankind as the vicegerent (‫)خليفة‬ of
Allah on Earth
•Gives man complete trust in Allah (real submission to Allah)

5. Testimony of Faith

6. Metaphysics=Reality
 Relationship between man and universe -> harmony not
conflict.
 Guides to happy life committed to virtue, purity, justice, and
peace.
 Leads to obeying Allah’s commands
 Other pillars of faith depends on pure monotheism

7. Epistemology- Knowledge
 The totality of life: spiritual, intellectual,
religious, cultural, individual, etc.
 Religious and intellectual
 Islamic education deals with all field of
knowledge
 Man: mind & spirit
 Mind & senses

8. Axiology- Values
 Unchanging Religious Values:
 Individual and society

9. Principles of Education in Isalm
These principles are based on Al-Azhar philosopher “Mohammed Abdo”.
)Taha, H.(2007). Contemporary Educational Thinking and its philosophical Roots. Jordan: Dar Al-Mssira(.

10. Principles of Education in Isalm
These principles are based on Al-Azhar philosopher “Mohammed Abdo”.
)Taha, H.(2007). Contemporary Educational Thinking and its philosophical Roots. Jordan: Dar Al-Mssira(.

11. Purposes of Education
 The ultimate goal for creating mankind:
To know and worship Allah
 “ ‫ن‬ِ” ‫دنو‬ُ‫نو‬‫ب‬ُ‫نو‬‫ع‬ْ‫ُب‬ ‫ي‬َ‫ْع‬‫ل‬ِ” ‫ال‬َّ ‫ل‬ ‫إ‬ِ” ‫س‬َ‫ْع‬ ‫َسن‬‫إل‬ِ” ‫نولا‬َ‫ْع‬ ‫ن‬َّ ‫ل‬ ‫ج‬ِ” ‫ل‬ْ‫ُب‬‫لا‬ ‫ت‬ُ‫نو‬ ‫ق‬ْ‫ُب‬ ‫ل‬َ‫ْع‬‫خ‬َ‫ْع‬ ‫م ا‬َ‫ْع‬ ‫نو‬َ‫ْع‬ ”
 Prepare Muslim youths in a balanced
way (life and after-life)
 Develop goodness, piety, fear of Allah
in the individual, tolerance,
brotherhood, love, rightness, ability of
self-expression and shouldering
responsibility, opportunity to the
individual to live an ideal, pure and
happy life.

12. Curriculum
 Curriculum: based on Holy
Quran and Sunna
 Religious and intellectual
 Islamic education deals
with all field of knowledge

13. Teaching Methods
 Dialogue, induction, deduction, personal experience, intuition,
discussion, note-taking, and analogy
 Ethics: islamic ethics in curriculum, morals, teaching and
managing the classroom.
 Al-Gazzali:
 Practical application of knowledge
 Divine Intuition: learners use inductive methods to learn about the physical
world helped by divine revelation of the truth. (learners try and Allah help
them succeed)
 Ibn Khaldoun: Human mind is limited and directed by Allah.
 ”‫قليل‬ ‫إل‬ ‫العلم‬ ‫من‬ ‫أوتيتم‬ ‫“وما‬
 Self-study: reasoning; seek knowledge; why; rationalization of things

14. What is reasoning???
 To use all mental efforts in order to produce legislative rules
for the text, whether it is Quran or Sunnah.
 Many texts in Quran and Sunnah are not clear or definitive in
their meaning
 Rules are changeable from time to time- flexible rules
 Face new matters people face
 Analogy (only for scholars)
 Related to reasoning= new matters similar to old matters take the same
judgment
 Drugs=alcohol

15. Classroom Management
 Al-Gazzali:
 Learning environment is characterized with love
and the teacher is looked as a guardian
 Teachers are role models for their students.

16. Role of the Teacher
 Teachers: inheritors of prophets' knowledge ”‫البنبياء‬ ‫ورثة‬ ‫“العلماء‬
 Teachers’ morals= affect students’ behaviors
 Al-Gazzali: teachers should display strong commitment to Islamic
ethics and values.
 Teachers’ motivation and ethics
 More responsibilities; honest; loyalty for the job=Allah
 Deal better with students; humility, brotherhood; shouldering
the responsibility
 Teach students to use reasoning= everything is created for a
reason= reflect on the universe; evidence

17. Role of the Learner
 Students: seekers of knowledge & obligated to learn
 Al-Gazzali: Learner should display total commitment to
learning
“‫ل ى‬َ‫ ى‬‫إ‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ق ا‬ً‫ا‬‫رقي‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ط‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ه‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ب‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫له‬ ‫لل‬َّ‫ه‬ُ ‫ب هل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫سلهل‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫م ا‬ً‫ا‬ ‫ل‬ْ‫ًم‬‫ع‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ه‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫فهي‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫غ ي‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ت‬َ‫ ى‬‫ب‬ْ‫ًم‬‫قي‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ق ا‬ً‫ا‬‫رقي‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ط‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ك‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ل‬َ‫ ى‬‫س‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ن‬ْ‫ًم‬ ‫م‬َ‫ ى‬
‫م‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ل‬ْ‫ًم‬‫ع‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ل‬ْ‫ًم‬‫ا‬ ‫ب‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ل‬ِ‫ل‬‫ط ا‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ل‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫له ا‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ت‬َ‫ ى‬‫ح‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫ل‬‫ج‬ْ‫ًم‬ ‫أ‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ع‬ُ ‫ب هل‬ ‫ض‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ت‬َ‫ ى‬‫ل‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ة‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ك‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ئ‬ِ‫ل‬‫ل‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫م‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ل‬ْ‫ًم‬‫ا‬ ‫ن‬َّ‫ه‬ ‫إ‬ِ‫ل‬‫و‬َ‫ ى‬ ، ‫ة‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ن‬َّ‫ه‬‫ج‬َ‫ ى‬ ‫ل‬ْ‫ًم‬‫ا‬”

18. Evaluation
 Evaluation of what?
 Process: formative evaluation
 Product: What is the product?
 Behavior: observation
 Attitude: self report
 Thinking: tests
 For what?
 Modifying behavior?
 Level of understanding?

19. Dilemmas in Education
 Muslim teachers ethics: do they observe Islamic ethics in practicing
their profession of teaching? (e.g. teacher demonstration?)
 Is education still valued today as the Islamic philosophy emphasize it
to be?
 Is there a duality of education in Muslim educational system between
the needs for development in Islam and in the Western view of
development?
 Are teacher education programs in Muslim universities more
westernized, and teach teachers to teach youths in western ways,
aims, and visions?
 Do educational philosophies in Muslim countries reflect the
principles of education in Islam? ‫وﺗﺮﺳيﺦ‬ ،‫اﻹﺳﻼﻣﻲ‬ ‫الﺪﻳﻦ‬ ‫بمبادﺉ‬ ‫اﻹﻳمان‬ ‫ﺗﺄﻛيﺪ‬
‫للﺴلﻮﻙ‬ ‫ﻣعيارا‬ ‫وﺟعلﻬا‬ ،‫اﻻﺟﺘماﻋية‬ ‫العﻼﻗاﺕ‬ ‫وﺗﻮﻇيﻔﻬا‬ ‫الﺪﻳﻨية‬ ‫الﻘيﻢ‬‫ﰲ‬ .