ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues for the need for the madrasah to rethink education for Muslim children and to re-envision an education that provides for the children's holistic development in a changing world – spiritual, moral, intellectual, aesthetic, emotional and physical. It provides the readers a good appreciation of the social, political and cultural contexts in selected countries within which the madrasahs operate, and the challenges from both inside and outside the madrasahs. The book also provides contemporary examples of some of the curriculum and pedagogical reform processes at work including suggestions of how students can connect their religious heritage with contemporary issues. It describes how Muslim communities in different countries have worked to make the madrasah stay relevant, and the extent to which these efforts have been successful.
