UNGS2040 ISLAM, KNOWLEDGE & CIVILIZATION PRESENTATION Islamization of Knowledge � Hasan M. Talib 0417039 � Wan Aizuddin 0437867 � Wan Abdul Matiin 0429367 � Zakuan Azizi 0438447
CONTENTS � Background/Concept � Current Issue � Attempted Approaches � Proposed Process & Characteristics � Methodology � Conclusion 18/8/2005
BACKGROUND & CONCEPT � Islamization was first used by Dr. S. M. Naquib al-Attas in his book “Islam and Secularism”, first published 1978. � An approach to improve Western modern thought via introduction of modified concepts that go in line with Islamic principles and values. � The focus on knowledge as an element in need of islamization was later proposed in a comprehensive program by the Palestinian scholar, Ismail Raj'i al Faruqi, in 1982 18/8/2005
BACKGROUND & CONCEPT � To tackle the 'malaise of the ummah' pertaining to the Muslim community's desensitization and unreactivity to violations of the Islamic ethics, having been exposed to a Western/European outlook in education totally detached from the spiritual dimension of life. 18/8/2005
CURRENT PROBLEM: THE DUALITY CRISIS � Dr. Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr. in his paper presented at the 6th World Conference on Islamic Education, stated that: � There exists a duality in education systems and disciplines of knowledge i.e. � Traditional Muslim system � Imported European system 18/8/2005
CURRENT PROBLEM: THE DUALITY CRISIS � The systems are contradictory and opposing in the status quo: The 1st system is constituted by disciplines � categorized under Ulum al Deen (sciences of religion) The 2 nd system, Uluum ad Dunya (sciences � of the world) � Has led to confusion and divided loyalties among the educated Muslim elites. 18/8/2005
CURRENT PROBLEM: THE DUALITY CRISIS � Therefore proper Islamization of Knowledge proposed to close the gap and eliminate duality. � Must follow the correct strategies and mechanisms 18/8/2005
ATTEMPTED APPROACHES Some efforts taken so far, but only partially � successful: introduction of European disciplines at traditional � universities like al-Azhar, introduction of traditional disciplines at modern universities � like the International Islamic Universities in Islamabad and Kuala Lumpur, establishment of full-time schools in UK, USA, South � Africa and other countries Limited success due to relative failure in addressing � intellectual and basic conceptual issues to enable development of complete curricula and the writing of textbooks reflective of Islamic paradigms. 18/8/2005
ATTEMPTED APPROACHES � There have also been wrong approaches to Islamizing Knowledge: 'Insertion' of Qur'aanic verses and ahadith in an � otherwise European piece of writing, searching for scientific facts in the Qur'an, � searching for Qur'aanic proof of scientific facts, � searching for Qur'aanic scientific miracles, � searching for parallels between Islamic and � European concepts, using Islamic terms in place of European � terminologies, and several more. 18/8/2005
ATTEMPTED APPROACHES � These are all merely dressings of the wound that is the problem of duality and the division in the educated Islamic community, approaches that do not seek to heal the wound but merely render it more superficially tolerable. 18/8/2005
PROPOSED PROCESS & CHARACTERISTICS Thus he proposed that these characteristics must � be present in the mechanism instead: pro-active intellectual effort, � academically and methodologically � rigorous, objective, � and has practical consequences. � All the while following Islamic guidelines to � reconstruct paradigms & reclassify disciplines 18/8/2005
METHODOLOGY strong grounding in Islamic sciences namely the disciplines of 1. usulul fiqh, uluum al Quran, and uluum al hadith. reading of the Quran and the sunnah must be done with full 2. understanding and knowing the limitations of literal reading and interpretations. basic epistemological issues and their relations should be 3. given excellent clarification. the wahy (revelation) and aql (rational thought), � ghaib (the metaphysical) and shahada (the physical), � and ‘ilm (sciences) and iman (faith). � This way, each of these items can be given their rightful, balanced � emphasis and notions of mutual exclusiveness of any of these pairs e.g. faith and science can be eliminated. 18/8/2005
METHODOLOGY Encouraging greater ijtihad in the members of Islamized 4. education as opposed to the predominant practice of taqlid (imitation); and Islamic critique of paradigms and various disciplines Islamic reviews of existing text-books and teaching materials 5. must be produced in order to identify current deviations from the tauhidic episteme, and followed by the publication new and improvised textbooks and other materials establishment of specialized research institutions to continue 6. perfecting this process and developing better and more effective approaches over time basic knowledge is to be developed into applied knowledge in 7. science and technology, a move that should be done in line with the steps preceding it. 18/8/2005
STRATEGY These steps must follow this priority � in discipline reform: Natural Sciences i. Social Sciences & Humanities ii. Applied Sciences & Technology iii. Islamic Sciences iv. 18/8/2005
CONCLUSION � With this mechanism and strategy for Islamizing knowledge properly laid out, it would be wise and beneficial to no longer adhere to outdated, unsuccessful, and not to mention misleading approaches to this objective. Instead, we should tackle the problem that is the duality, right at its core with this method. 18/8/2005
REFERENCE Datamass. Scientific Method . (9/8/2005). � http://www.datamass.net/sc/scientific-method.html Datamass. Ijtihad . (9/8/2005). � http://www.datamass.net/ij/ijtihad.html Islaam. The Process of Islamization. (9/8/2005). � http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=364 Kasule Sr.,O.H.(Dr.). (1996). ISLAMIZATION (REFORM) OF � DISCIPLINES OF KNOWLEDGE: PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES. International Islamic University Malaysia. NationMaster. Encyclopedia: Islamization of Knowledge. � (9/8/2005). http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Islamization- of-knowledge 18/8/2005
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