A STUDY DF THE ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF EDUCATION IN THE LIGHT OF ITS CONCEPTS OF MAN AND SOCIETY ABSTRACT Cftes^isf ^ubmitteb For the Award of the Degree of Bortor of ^liilo^opl)p IN EDUCATION BY ZAFAR ALAM -fA36^ Under the Supervision of n^. AH Akhter Khan Dr. Ishtiaque Ahmad Zilli Reader Dept., of Education Reader Dcpl., of History DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 1981 A STUDY OF THE ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF EDUCATION IN THE LIGHT OF ITS CONCEPTS OF MAN AND SOCIETY ABSTRACT For the Award of the Degree of Qottor of ^liiloiSopl)? IN EDUCATION BY ZAFAR ALAM -fA36^ Under the Supervision of n>L. All Akhter Khan Dr. Ishtiaque Ahmad Zilli Reader Dept., of Education Reader Depl., of History DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 1981 1 Introduction; It is generally felt that while other aspects of Islam have received comparatively greater attention from the researchers, its educational aspect has remained largely neglected. / The present study is an attempt to present, analyse and evaluate the Islamic concept of education in the idealogical background of Islam. It includes, among other things, the aims and objectives of education, the place and role of the teacher, the nature of curriculum, and the methods of teaching in the Islamic system of education./in view of the Researcher's lack of command over Arabic language, he has mostly used the authentic sources available in English and Urdu languages. Findings: \ ^^^J ^"'^^^ According to Islam, God is the Cause of the creation of the Universe, and the universe was created for the man. Man is God's vicegerent on earth. Equality of man is an important article of Islamic faith.) Islamic concept of individual responsibility gives to man the freedom of choice and action. Man's dignity^ in Islam, lies in the fact that he should completely surrender to God. Islam 2 urges the believers to lead collective life. In its social order Amir supervises both the mundane and the supra-mundane affairs. Fahsha, Munkar, Baghy, Sukhriyya, Lamz, Tanabuz bil alqab, Zann, Tajassus and Ghibah are the major causes of disintegration of Islamic society. Equality, fraternity, justice, promotion of virtue and suppression of vice, moderation are recognised as characteristics of the Islamic society. Parent's, relative's, non-Muslim's and neighbour's rights are fully protected. Nikah is considered the bond of family life in Islam. In Islam the beginning and the end of all knowledge, in fact of everything, is Allah, and Wahy (revelation) is the most reliable source of knowledge. Morality, likewise, is rooted in the fundamental beliefs of Islam and in the ultimate analysis, in God Himself. Islam has its own theory of beauty and art. Education, in Islam, aims at developing and harmonising the physical, mental, emotional, moral and spiritual aspects of life for enabling men and women to shoulder the responsibilities of Khilafat (Vicegerency of God on earth). Their role in life is, therefore, seen as apparently human but essentially divine. The teacher in Islamic society is regarded not as a mere seller or dispenser of knowledge but as the prophet's heir. In this exalted position, he is expected always to be mindful of the covenant taken by God from the whole of the human lot at the beginning of the creation. His role is to revive and refresh this covenant. He is the non-conformist and the precedent-setter for his students. His kindness, compassion and consideration etc. are to encourage the students in the process of learning. He is to honestly accept his ignorance about the facts unknown and not to flaunt his ignorance as knowledge. Islamic curricula is not confined only to religious information. It is, rather, to cover the whole gamut of life, mundane as well as supramundane, material as well as spiritual, individual as well as social. It gives no way to segregation of knowledge into the sacred and the secular. It has a unified visualisation of life herein and hereafter. The Islamic principles come and serve as principles of curriculum construction as well. 4 The Islamic method of teaching includes every item considered essential for the tfeaeh'tag-learning process. Motivation, creation of interest, raising of level of aspiration, presentation of the subject matter in the graded form, continuity of instruction, drawing of inferences, evaluation, home assignment, etc. are all taken care of as essentials in the Islamic methadology. It is also believed that with the application of this methadology the evil influences of anti-Islamic theories can be kept under check, if not rule out. The Islamic sources, including its Holy scriptures, are believed to be containing all the necessary provisions required for building a sound system of education. The system of education based on the Islamic concept of education, if put in force, is believed to be well equipped to serve the Islamic idealogy, conserve the Islamic society and enrich the Islamic Culture. A STUDY OF THE ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF EDUCATION IN THE LIGHT DF ITS CONCEPTS OF MAN AND SOCIETY fRhtiii ^uhmittth For the Award of the Degree of fiottor of |Bt)iIos!optip IN EDUCATION BY ZAFAR ALAM UiKtor tlM» SupMvtoion of Nt. Alf Akhter Khan Dr. Ishtiaque Ahmad ZilH Reader D«pt, of Education Roller D«pt., of fiistory DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 1901 9 m \39* T4366 A STUDY OF THE ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF EDUCATION IN THE LIGHT OF ITS CONCEPTS OF MAN AND SOCIETY. CONTENTS Page 1. Actoowleayement ... 4 2. introduction ... 6 3. ontological Beliefs and Postulates of Islam. 10 (a) Cause of creation; 11 I. The story of Ad<am and Eve ... 13 II. The universe ... 22 III.Guidance ... 25 IV, Ibadah (Worship) ... 29 V. ' ilm ( Knowledge) ... 32 (b) Concept of Man in Islam; ... 34 I. Struggle between Man and Satan (Devil) - - An Islamic belief, 37 II, unity of Mankind (wahadati Adam). 45 III.Man a responsible being' ... 49 IV, Is Man totally free ? ... 52 V, Divine characteristics in Man. 54 VI, Human Nature. ... 56 VII,Man* s Dignity. ,,, 58 (c) Concept of Society in Islams 63 I. Significance of society in Islam. 64 II. Idealogical Foundations of the Islamic Society. •.. 67 Ill,Social change in the islamic society. ... 70 IV. causes of disintegration of Society- The islamic view. 74 V. Characteristics of the islamic Society. 85 page, 4. Eplstemological Beliefs and Postulates of Islam. 96 (a) Nature of Truth .. 97 (b) Nature of Knowledge 102 (c) Nature of Educand. 115 I. Study of the Natural phenomena 115 II.Revelation a reliable source of Knowledge. 117 III.Educand* s behaviour—An Islamic Approach, 119 IV. Talab- al-ilm (Search for knowledge in Islam). ... 122 V. Etiquettes for the Educand. ... 127 5. Axiological beliefs and postulates of Islam 135 {a) Islamic Theory of Morality, 136 (b) Aesthetics in Islam. 154 I. Islamic Theory of Beauty 156 II. Islamic Theory of Art creation. 167 6. Aims and objectives of Education in islam. 17 5 (a) individual aim of Education. .... 178 (b) Social aim of Education. .... 180 (c) Aims of Education in the light of the Islamic concept of Truth and knowledge... 18 6 (d) inculcation of Islamic Values as one of the objectives of Education. .... 19 1 7. Teacher in the Islamic system of Education. 200 (a) The Prophet as a teacher. .... 201 (b) The Place of Teadher in islam .... 207 (c) His qualities. ,,,, 217 (d) His role. 226 page 8. IsXamic Concept of Curriculum. • • 247 (a) Traditional Background of Islamic Curricula. • • • 248 (b> salient Features of Islamic Curricula, ..• • • • 253 (c) principles for developing islamic Curricula. • • • 259 I. unity of knowledge. ... 259 II, presumptions and conjectures should 265 not be followed. •*• 269 III.God does not place burden beyond endurance. 272 IV. Specialisation in Education. ... 27 5 V. Tawheed- the essence of Islamic curricula. 280 (d) content of Education. 281 I. perennial knowledge. ... 289 II. Acquired knowledge, ... 9. Method of Teaching in the islamic system of Education. 307 (a) Motivating the students for learning. ,., 313 (b) Drawing students' attention towards the lesson, 319 (c) Explanation and Analysis of the content. 324 (d) Receptivity to instruction. 330 (e) Gradation and continuity in Education. 331 (f) Conclusion of the lesson, 336 (g) Techniques for coverage of the content, 338 I. Repetition, 342 II. Questioning. 346 Ill.Discussion, 3 50 IV, Note taking, 353 (h) Discipline, 3 56 10* Conclusions, 362 11, Bibliography. 377 A_C_K_N_p_W_L_E_p_G_E_M_E_N_T The present study is the outcome of the valuable suggestions of my two respectable learned teachers Mr.Ali Akhter Khan, Reader, Department of Education and Dr.Ishtiaque Ahmad zilli. Reader, oeptt, of History,Aligarh Muslim university Aligarh.I can never forget their co-operation in course of my research work.I do not find adequate words to thank them for their co-operation. It is with great pleasure that I extend my gratitude to prof.Dr.Moiz Manzar of patna who.spared his valuable time to go through the draft of this thesis.And it is on his thought provok­ ing comments that this thesis was at some places enlarged and developed. I remember Maulana Afzal Hussain saheb,Educationist and Ex-General secretary,jamat-E-Eslami Hind, whose interest in my topic of study was a source of inspiration for me but whose expectations I could hardly fulfil. I express regard to my respectable and learned teacher Maulana Mohammad Irtezauddine saheb H=iziq Ziaye who provided me with some relevant material on the subject of this study. I am thankful to Mr.Mansoor Ahmad, I.F.S.,( Retd.), Divisional Forest officer, or.Mrs.Shahnaz Begum,Lecturer, English Department, Mahila College sasaram and Prof. Azhar Hussain Saheb who helped and encouraged me in course of my study, I am very much thankful to my father and my wife without whose co-operation this work could not be completed.