Book Club- The Concept of Education in Islam

Last night, I attended a book club discussing this book. Four hours before that, I was trying to finish reading it between travelling to Wardah bookstore and having dinner with my husband.

It was however not my first time reading it.

More than 20 years ago, I joined a trip organised by my university's Muslim society to the International Islamic University of Malaysia. That was where I first learned about Professor Alatas and the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation. There was a lot of buzz and excitement then as IIUM and ISTAC was moving to their new premises. Everything looked refreshing and hopeful amidst the political scandal of the century that was still unraveling in Malaysia.

Anyway, I was taken by the bookstore and the quaint old-looking books and bought whatever titles that I thought I could understand (and afford). One of them included the text of the above book.

My mind was blown away and I found myself wondering; what planet have I been living on not to know of such thinking existing and worlds never mentioned in my Western books?

However, life happened; I came back, found a job, got married, became a housewife and had five kids. I gave away the books I bought at Istac, keeping only one, and the only other token of that visit was my e-mail address, a form of the word ta'dib.

About two years ago, I re-read Prof Alatas' works again, this time with some help from the writing of his student, Dr Wan Nor, that brought some clarity into my readings.

Last night, I was reminded of this handicap I had reading his works; I didn't have a good teacher to guide me, in fact I didn't have a teacher.

In what may have been my fifth reading of the text, I didn't make it to the last third of the book which ironically became the highlight of the discussion.

On page 34 of the monograph, Prof zoomed in on the problems he wanted to solve and what will happen if they go on. Confusion and error in knowledge would lead to conditions for loss of Adab in the community and these two situations would lead to the rise of unqualified leaders in various facets of society and hence injustice.

I felt very much like a victim.

As such when a panelist commented that reform cannot be framed in near time, I choked not just for myself and my mother, but also for my daughters, granddaughters and generations thereafter.

As they went on with loaded terms in the discussions, I realise in my layman way, that the error,  at least to me, was in not acknowledging the problem and course of action while having identified them.

Before, I have wondered why Prof Alatas wanted to start with the university, but after homeschooling for more than a decade, I understand the practical reason why.

The panelist mentioned that it is to produce the teachers or reformers who will Islamise education and hence society, because when education as ta'dib is carried out then what problems highlighted on page 34 will be corrected and a just society can emerge.

As a homeschooler who has been thrown into the tunnel of curriculum planning, it is because you have to know the Man you are working towards moulding at the end of the educational journey- who should emulate the Prophet, the universal Man and the best model to mankind, that we may also become close to Allah.

Thus, the curriculum for levels before that should be building towards this vision.

The issue of de-secularisation/islamisation/synthesis of knowledge came up. What comes first?

I leave this higher order debate to the experts, but for synthesis I see hope in the blurring of subjects, cross-faculty studies, unschooling and of course Montessori education, specifically in its Cosmic Education with its vision of Vicegerent on Earth.

I do realise that this is a book club, and not an academic presentation of Prof Alatas' ideas.

A deceptively thin book, it is loaded with technicalities, especially in Arabic which I am not conversant in, and academic concepts, from philosophical to historical, that I am lacking in. There is much cross-reading needed on related areas.

While the panelists have shed much light, the monograph is missing the teacher and background notes. I feel like a homeschooler with a thin textbook but a difficult exam to prepare my child for.  As mentioned earlier, I did find some solace in Dr Wan Nor's book on Prof Alatas' works, but did not get around to reading it again for this occasion.

That day, more than 20 years ago I wondered why I was so taken with Prof Alatas' writing on education after I finished reading it.

I flat refused to become a teacher despite lacking job opportunities, I never thought I'll have children, what more homeschool them and I wondered what madness made me pursue an M.Ed in curriculum planning a decade ago when I found this educational system so stifling.

I wonder if this is one of those circles in my life that is becoming full.