ABSTRACT
Against the backdrop of a global youth culture usually depicted as aggressively disobliging, Muslim educators see a disparity between their behavioral expectations of learners and reality. Despite an emphasis on moral behavior within Muslim education current approaches seem generally unsuccessful. Can favorable dispositions and behavior known as akhlāq be developed in Muslim students, and how? The work explores alternatives in opening sensibilities to akhlāq in learners by starting out with etymological breakdowns of key words. Following this, a brief review examines the teaching of akhlāq within different Muslim educational contexts, leading on to a central argument proposing the shedding of theorized moralistic approaches in teaching akhlāq and suggesting an alternative concept of obligation in its place. Then the practical aspects of imparting are presented in providing potentially authentic learning experiences in the aesthetics of akhlāq as opposed to planned morality-based lessons. This is modeled in showing that unexpected and seemingly inconsequential events can be rendered meaningful by extending their significance beyond the immediate and shown to axiomatically call forth responses which are more of a natural obligation rather than just good manners. Concluding arguments are that akhlāq involves far more than inculcating good manners and that current thinking is inadequate in communicating the subtleties of the matter. Further penetrative thinking on the matter of Prophetic behavior by Muslim educators is required before anything appreciable can occur
