ABSTRACT
A comprehensive study of Islam’s classical pedagogical tradition is still a desideratum in Western scholarship. Although certain aspects of education in Islam in medieval times have been examined recently in a number of publications, the theory of education as an area of medieval Muslim scholarship has not yet received the attention that it deserves.2 This study makes a step towards completing modern scholarship’s understanding of this issue by examining the educational views of two highly influential medieval Muslim thinkers: the philosopher and logician Abe Navr al-Farabc (d. 339 a.h./950 c.e. in Damascus), and the theologian and mystic Abe pamid al-Ghazalc (d. 505/1111 in qes). Al-Farabc is known as one of the pivotal and most original representatives of classical Islamic philosophy; medieval Muslim thinkers referred to him as “The Second Teacher,” with Aristotle being “The First.” Al-Ghazalc, on the other hand, received the highest praise for his work on orthodox Sunni theology and mysticism and he is still considered a major religious authority by Muslims today. Al-Ghazalc was greatly influenced in his own learning by al-Farabc and Ibn Scna, especially by al-Farabc’s use of Aristotelian methodology and conclusions.3 Yet, he was also very critical of his predecessor for his adaptation and presentation of Greek metaphysics in an Islamic mode. Given the similarities and the tensions between the outlooks of these two sages, an exploration of their educational ideas in one study seems fitting. Thus, this essay first discusses the educational views of each of these scholars separately before examining which ideas they have in common and where they significantly differ in their views on education. Whether, or to what extent, their pedagogical ideas hold significance for us today is explored at the end of this investigation.
