Transcript Qur`anic way of life

Qur’anic Foundation of
Islamic Education
Dr. Q Abdus-Sabur
Adjunct Professor of Education
Virginia Commonwealth University
http://home.comcast.net/~qabdussa
Workshop Objective
• Imams as
teachers
• What do
teachers teach
• Teaching the
curriculum
www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.a
spx?aeid=1119
‫( سورة المائدة‬Al-Ma'idah)
•
ْ
‫ين َكفَ ُرواْ ِمن ِدي ِن ُك ْم فَالَ ت َ ْخش َْو ُه ْم‬
‫ئ‬
‫ي‬
‫م‬
‫و‬
‫ي‬
‫ال‬
َ ‫س الَّ ِذ‬
ِ
َ
َ
ْ
َ َ
ْ ‫َو‬
ُ ‫ت لَ ُك ْم ِدينَ ُك ْم َوأَتْ َم ْم‬
ُ ‫اخش َْو ِن ْاليَ ْو َم أ َ ْك َم ْل‬
‫علَ ْي ُك ْم‬
َ ‫ت‬
‫اإل ْسالَ َم ِدينا‬
ُ ‫ض‬
ِ ‫نِ ْع َمتِي َو َر‬
ِ ‫يت لَ ُك ُم‬
• This day have those who reject faith given up
all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but
fear Me. This day have I perfected your
religion for you completed my favor upon you
and have chosen for you Islam as your
religion.(5:3)
Role of Imam
• The primary responsibility of an Imam is
to teach…
• What do we teach?
– Qur’an?
– Sunnah?
– Do we also teach cultural practices?
• Black nationalism
• Imitate Arab, African, Pakistani, Etc.
‫( سورة الحجرات‬Al-Hujuraat)
• ‫س ِإنَّ َخلَ ْقنَ ُكم ِمن ذَ َك ٍر َوأُنثَى َو َجعَ ْلنَ ُك ْم‬
ُ َّ‫يَ أَيُّ َه الن‬
ُ
ِ َّ َ‫شعُوبا َوقَبَ ئِ َل ِلتَعَ َرفُوا ِإ َّن أ َ ْك َر َم ُك ْم ِعند‬
‫اَّلل أَتْقَ ُك ْم ِإ َّن‬
‫ير‬
ٌ ‫ع ِلي ٌم َخ ِب‬
َ ‫اَّلل‬
َ َّ
• O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a
male and a female and made you into nations and
tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may
despise each other). Verily the most honored of you
in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous
of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well
acquainted (with all things). (49:13)
What should we teach
• The religion of Islam is based on
Qur’anic principles
• They are “Universal” and applicable to
all human societies (cultures)
• We, as teachers, must teach Islam in
the context of our American culture.
We must teach …
• The “Qur’anic way of Life”
• There can be a difference between what
is perceived as
– an “Islamic” way of life and
– a “Qur’anic” way of life
Islamic way of life
• Sometimes what is considered an
Islamic way of life contains cultural
practices some of which are
contradictory to Qur’anic principles
• Examples
– Women are inferior to men
– Dress
– Nationalism
Women are inferior to
men
• For Muslim men and women for believing
men and women for devout men and women
for true men and women for men and women
who are patient and constant for men and
women who humble themselves for men and
women who give in charity for men and
women who fast (and deny themselves) for
men and women who guard their chastity and
for men and women who engage much in
Allah's praise for them has Allah prepared
forgiveness and great reward. (33:75)
Dress
• O ye children of Adam! We have
bestowed raiment (clothing) upon you to
cover your shame as well as to be an
adornment to you but the raiment
(clothing) of righteousness that is the
best. Such are among the signs of
Allah that they may receive admonition!
(7:26)
Nationalism
• Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) farewell
khutbah.
• All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an
Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab
nor a non-Arab has any superiority over
an Arab; also a white has no superiority
over a black nor a black has any
superiority over a white - except by piety
and good action.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fund
amentals/prophet/lastsermon.html
Qur’anic way of life
• Aysha said that the character of the
Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him)
was the Qur'an. (Muslim: Hadith 1623)
• Referring to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Qur’an states, “And thou (stands) on an
exalted standard of character. (68:4)
Qur’anic Character
• Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) internalized
Qur’anic principles
• Then applied those principles in the
context of his cultural life
• Muslim Americans need to do the same
Understanding the Teaching
Process
www.upennmsa.org/.../education/pastevents.h
tml
If Imams are teachers..
• What do teachers teach?
• Pass on the belief, values, norms and
ways of understanding from older
members of society to its youth.
• If you live in an non-Qur’anic society
what is usually being taught?
• Social values, some of which may be
contradictory to Qur’anic principles (e.g. dating,
social drinking, etc.)
If Imams are teachers..
• As Imams we must totally understand
the education process
• We cannot effectively educate Muslims
(young & old) if we do not
• Important concepts used to understand
the education process
– Political Economy
– Ideology
– Schooling (any form of education)
Political Economy
• The social, cultural, economical,
political, and demographic dimensions
of a society (social classes, multicultural
highly technological)
• How its structures, processes, and
physical and mental resources give it its
character and distinctiveness (e.g.
meritocracy – the best rises to the top)
Ideology
• Refers to the beliefs, values and ways
of understanding that guide policy
formation in a society (e.g. all men are
equal but women are less equal than
men)
• Explains and justifies the society’s
institutions and social arrangements
(e.g. Black children are not very smart
so society should spend less money on
their education)
Schooling
• All activities that take place within a
society of an educational nature
• Includes schools, religious institutions,
and mass media,
• Includes planned courses & programs of
study, sports, clubs, school newspapers,
and all unplanned learning experiences
(learning moral values from TV)
Ecological Relationship
Political Economy
Ideology
Schooling
• A change in one forces a change in the
others
• Examples: America, Developing Nations,
Arab Nations
America & Western
Nations
• Political Economy – democratic,
capitalistic, liberal, highly technological
• Ideology – highly competitive,
individualistic, moral values are often
self-defined
• Schooling – highly partitioned (private
schools vs. public schools), education
focuses on individual success
African & Developing
Nations
• Political economy – agricultural, little
technology, developing economic
system, sometimes corrupt leadership
• Ideology – family centered, moral
values are passed on through
generations, strong work ethic
• Schooling – education is focused on
future economic growth of the nation
Arab Nations
• Political Economy – monarch or oligarchy,
father centered, oil wealth makes
technological growth possible
• Ideology – believe women inferior to men,
moral values based on societal interpretation
of Qur’an, deeply rooted cultural practices
• School – two systems (religious vs. secular),
often modeled after western schools, divided
on Islam vs. modernity
Muslim Americans
• Political Economy – poor or working class,
little collective political / economic power
• Ideology – believe Islam can correct
perceived social injustices, American
individualism undermines collective progress
• Schooling – usually accept the existing public
systems
Therefore for Muslim
Americans
• Political & economic characteristics are
unique
• Ideology should be grounded in Qur’anic
principles – not compromised through
tendency toward individualism
• Existing educational institutions are
inadequate (schools, mass media, &
“uninformed” religious leaders
What’s Needed
• A Qur’anic based
approach to education
• A curriculum approach
that can be used by
teacher & Imam
• What follows is such an
approach
www.athensnewspapers.com/.../1
11701/ g_alhudaislamic4.shtml
Curriculum …
the aggregate total of all
activities, academic, social, and
spiritual in an educational
setting that contributes to the
Qur'anically guided intellectual
development of individuals as
they internalize the oneness of
Allah's creation and their
subservient role therein
Testing our Definition
• Were these three components present during
the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)?
• Academic Content; Social Solidarity &
Spirituality
www.oerb.com/teachers/
curriculum.asp
Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) & Companions
• Muslims were encouraged to learn to
read; teach what they had learned; &
travel in search of knowledge
• Muslims developed a unique subculture
among the Arabs; social unity was
based on Qur'an & Sunnah
• Qur'anic principles were an integral part
of learning & Muslim life
Educating Muslim
Americans
• An effective educational program for
Muslim Americans must include these
three major components: academics,
social solidarity, and spirituality; these
components must be balanced, and
they must reinforce specific educational
goals.
Academic Content
• A variety of subject
offerings: academic
classes offered at
the Masjid
• Extracurricular
activities: Masjid
organized trips &
events:
www.uvm.edu/academics/
Social Solidarity
• An existing social
purpose for
schooling
• Desire for collective
participation in
society
• Works to end
excessive
individualism
ca.geocities.com/local343/
Spirituality
• Spiritual basis for all
educational
activities
• Foundation of
educational
objectives should be
grounded in
Qur’anic principles
www.divinedigest.com/
islamscript.htm
Contemporary American
Education
• These three components have
consistently been part of American
education: even today when there
is a ubiquitous claim of the
separation of church and state
1600s - late 1700s
(New England states)
• Emphasis in
reading writing ,
and memorization
of Christian
scriptures
• Centered upon
development of a
new nation
• Based on Puritan
Christian beliefs
www.gettysburg.edu/~s330558/
schooling.html
1800s - early 1900s
• Influenced by Common
School Movement
• Emphasis on
academics necessary
to participate in a
republican democracy
• Centered on unifying
immigrant, rural and
urban citizens toward
common goals
• Based on a universal
view of Christian beliefs
members.rogers.com/robandsheil
a/ frederictongallery2.html
1900s - Present
• Comprehensive high
school academic,
industrial and
commercial courses
• Two types of solidarity:
those that society
supports and those that
society discriminates
against
• Emphasis is placed on a
secular spirituality based
on enlightenment
ideology
www.waldner.de/schule/medienflu
egel/ e_kalkar.html
Danger for Muslim
• The real danger for Muslims is
the placing of emphasis on a
secular spirituality in American
educational activities.
Secular Spirituality
• Religion is "a system of beliefs and practices
by means of which a group of people
struggles with [the] ultimate problems of
human life” (J. Milton Yinger, Sociologist)
• Further, he argues that communism and
nationalism function as religions, as does
science when it becomes a "way of life" for
people rather than just a methodology.
Secular humanists …
• Believe that there is no God
• That mankind is the result of
evolutionary forces
• That we have no transcendent spiritual
qualities
• That the highest goal of human action
is to maximize human fulfillment.”
•
(
Judge B. Hand, 1987)
Cited in Warrren A. Nord from
Religion & American
Education: Rethinking a National
Imams …
• Need to understand the effects of the
above discussion on Muslim Americans
• Must teach Qur’anic principles in a way
that addresses cultural practices
inconsistent with Qur’anic principles
The Role of Schooling in a
Society
• Schools & other educational activities,
(TV, music, religious institutions, etc)
transmit the beliefs, values, norms of a
society to its members
• Imams must understand American
society, the ways in which it is consistent
and inconsistent with Qur’anic principles,
and teach these differences to believers
mongolia.worldvision.org.nz/
lightfuture.html
Religion & American
Education (Nord)
• We modern-day Americans have a spiritual problem.
There is something fundamentally wrong with our
culture. We who have succeeded so brilliantly in
matters of economics, science, and technology have
been less successful in matters of the heart and
soul.This is evident in our manner and morale; in our
entertainment and our politics; in our preoccupation
with sex and violence; in the ways we do our jobs
and in the failure of our relationships; in our boredom
and unhappiness in this, the richest of all societies.
(Religion and American Education
By Warren Nord)
So, what does it all mean?
•
•
•
Muslim institutions that adopt secular
ideology and teach classes in Arabic &
Qur’anic studies 1) understand the
importance of living according to Qur’anic
principles;
But, at the same time they may be
unconsciously teaching that Allah’s laws do
not apply to daily practices in American life.
In this case, they are in fact teaching the
separation of church & state and that is
contradictory to Islam.
Oh Allah…
Please forgive us
our shortcomings,
have mercy upon
us and save us
from the
punishment of the
Fire!