Islamic Education

An Islamic "Wisdom-Based Cultural Environment" in a Western Context

Bibliographic Data

ID3556209
AuthorsFella Lahmar (0000-0002-7872-6069, Markfield Institute of Higher Education, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume11
Issue8
Pages409
Publication date2020-08-07
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel11080409
OpenAlexW3047932095
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited13

As the number and types of Islamic schools in a Western context have increased, so too have the questions on their purpose and impact in pluralistic Western societies. Amid this increasingly complex environment, questions are raised, both internally and externally, to determine the nature of Islamic educational goals, schools' knowledge and pedagogical practices. Analysis in this paper draws on multiple sources of data: classical and contemporary literature on education in Islam; the Department for Education (DfE) school census and the Office for Standards in Education; Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted); and empirical case-study data extracted from the author's PhD thesis on diversity in Islamic schools in Britain conducted during 2008-2012 and subsequently revised during 2018-2019 by following up emergent themes. This paper argues for a need to develop an "Islamic wisdom-based culture" promoting action ('amal) which nurtures the holistic growth of learners in ethical areas (akhlāq), aesthetics (dhawq/jamāl) and develops a sense of freedom (huriyyah). By doing so, the paper draws primarily on Bennabi's analysis of the role of culture (thaqāfah) in the civilisation cycle, Ibn-Khaldūn's analysis of freedom and dignity in educational practice embedded in his discussion of the meanings of humanity) Al-insāniyyah) and Gadamer's analysis of "practical wisdom". Firstly, it contextualises Islamic schooling in Britain into a neoliberal pluralistic context. The wisdom inherent in Islamic education is explored through critical dialogue during the process of learning and action. The discussion then considers three key elements of "wisdom-based cultural environment" for Islamic education

Civilization · Dignity · Environmental ethics · Epistemology · Geography · Humanity · Islam · Islamic culture · Pedagogy · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Theology · Western culture · Education and Islamic Studies · Islamic Finance and Banking Studies · Law · Linguistic, Cultural, and Literary Studies · Philosophy