ABSTRACT
All forms and systems of education flourish in sociohistorical, political and cultural contexts. So is the case with education in the Muslim world. Among many other factors, religion has always played the most influential role in forming and informing education in Muslim societies. Faith-based knowledge served as an important catalyst for the development of Muslim intellectual thought and education. As Muslims view faith and education as two inseparable halves of their belief and thought, they trace the root of their faith and knowledge in the Qurʾan and the Prophet’s Sunna, studied through his sayings (hadith). On the contrary, industrialisation and economy dictate the broader educational context in the modern Western world. The Western governments attempt to make changes and adjustments to their education systems by reforming and restructuring their types of schools, educational curriculum, textbooks, teaching and learning materials and assessment methods so that education meets the industrial and economic needs. Contemporary Muslim education bears the influence of both the traditional Muslim approach to knowledge and the modern Western education system. Considering the influence of these two approaches and methods on education, this chapter explores and analyses the questions of whether contemporary Islamic education and pedagogies are fit for purpose and whether they meet the needs of students and expectations of parents and societies in the 21st century and can establish a reliable and strong platform for dialogue with other societies and education systems in the modern and fast-changing world. These questions are addressed in the following four parts. Part one explores and discusses Muslim traditions of learning, with a key focus on their historicity and internal dynamism. Part two analyses the inward dynamism of Islamic education and intellectual tradition. Part three discusses contemporary Islamic education and pedagogy. The final part discusses the way forward, recommendations and conclusion.
