Forum 1

1)      What is the philosophy of Muslim education?

 The Philosophy of Muslim education is fundamentally based on tauhid (shahadah) “Laa ilaaha illallah” and that is our concrete foundation in Islamic education. As far as I am concerned, in order to be good vicegerent of Allah (Khalifatullah) we as Muslim must connect whatever we do and learn with Allah. Apart from that, we have to do good to our environment. It is very vital to have a good connection with Allah then whatever we do we will get “barokah”. Our education system is our “ruh” so here the philosophy itself promotes that we have to Islamize the knowledge that we learn such as the required or empirical knowledge. Hence, we ought to give the priority towards our first pillar of education that is revealed knowledge or we called it as perennial knowledge to be the landmark of Muslim education as a whole. In order to reach happiness (sa’adah) and tranquility (rahmah) we need to inculcate and integrate Islam in the lesson or syllabus in school and institution. For example, we can integrate Islam by bring in the Islamic teaching or subject inside the secular school. Hence, this is where the Islamization of knowledge takes place. The students must be given such an autonomy such as freedom to voice out their opinions, freedom to move and allow them to make mistake in the learning process. These are what Islam taught us. Since Lybian leader, Muammar Al Gadaffi has given a thought on this issue that we send our immigrants to their country (Western) so that they Islamize them, it is an example on how we spread our “da’wah” throughout education system. To wrap up, therefore we have to glorify our Muslim education system rather than just blindly follow the western epistemology.

2) Find out the objective/s of the Mecca Muslim World Conference 1977.

The conference is aiming and carefully scrutinize to re-enact the Islamic Education in entire outlook such as by enforcing and inserting the Muslim young generation and all Muslim as a whole (syumul) with Islamic education and reconstruct the Islamic classification of knowledge based on historical of Islamic foundation by scholars like Al-Farabi, Al-Ghazali and Ibn Khaldun.. It covers various prospects of education (Literature, Arts and Crafts, Natural and Applied Sciences, Mass Media, Architecture, Legal education, Universal Primary Education), Philosophy, Co-curricular activities provided in institutions, Community Service and translation of languages. All of these empirical knowledge must be based upon Islamic education in nature. Hence, the conference also suggested that in order to achieve spiritual and moral excellence, Muslim education must be reform effectively and then it will indirectly affect on how Muslim behave and think in their daily life throughout various cultures. Other than that, the conference also provokes that the talented Muslim should be provided by enough scholarship in order to carry out study or research on Islamic education. The IIUM is the one that has been established due to this consideration by this conference.  Apart from education basis, the co-curricular and students’ activities must kindly adopt sunnah of the prophet in order to achieve good life and to engage with Islamic environment respectively.