WEEK 4 (Topic 3)

Islamic Perspectives on Education and Schooling

In this topic, I have learned about Muslims perspectives on schooling and education. Basically, religion is a system of beliefs, practices and philosophical values shared by a group of people which is it defines the holiness, helps explain life and offers salvation from the problems of human existence. The relationship between religion and education is both targeting the formation of the individuals, they consider that any initiative for progress or change should visualize changing the individual first. 

    Besides that, there are four Muslim scholars who give their perspectives about education. Firstly, Ibn Sina who is considered as the most famous of Muslims philosopher. According to Ibn Sina, education is to contribute to overall growth of the individual physically, mentally and morally. Not only focus on moral but also pays attention to intellectual development, importance of knowledge, personality related to body, mind and character. Thus, he believed that the parents should take the responsibility of educating and raising a child to produce a good human being. Secondly, Al-Ghazali also one of the top Muslim thinkers. According to Al-Ghazali, education should cultivate man to abide by the teaching of religion for salvation and happiness in the eternal life and hereafter. Children education falls under parents' responsibility which is the children should be exposed about Quran, Prophets and religion, respecting parents, elders and good behavior towards others. Al-Ghazali believes in putting theoretical learning into practice. Thus, if the parents, and later the teachers, brought the child up in righteousness he would live happily in this world and the next and they would be rewarded by Allah for their good deed. Thirdly, Ibn Khaldun the founder of abd philosophy of sociology. According to him, education consists of the moral, intellectual training and teaching of human to bring out the potential with man for better character and personality. The educational system of any society should be formulated in accordance with the ideology of the society. In term of teaching, Ibn Khaldun discouraged the method of teaching which did not help students to think and solve problems by their own. Thus, teachers should teach and act as parent towards the students and avoid harsh punishment to them. Lastly, Al-Farabi named as the Second Teacher because of he established logic within the Islamic culture and had a great desire to understand the universe and humankind. According to him, education concerned with the human soul, prepare individual from early age to be a good member of society and own perfection. It is because, theoretical and practical perfection comes from the society as it is the society nurtures individuals to become a free man. Thus, the goal of education is to combine learning with practical action as the purpose of education is to be applied and perfection is when it's transformed into action.