This analysis examines the critical
challenges and opportunities facing Islamic education in the
contemporary era. It argues that the digital revolution, while granting
unprecedented access to information, simultaneously threatens the
traditional teacher-student knowledge chain (isnad) and exposes learners
to unvetted content, making it difficult to discern authentic
scholarship. The modern educational landscape, still dominated by
secular, Victorian-era bureaucratic models focused on standardization,
is contrasted with Islam’s historical apprenticeship approach, which
emphasized legacy, mastery, and ethical formation.
A
central tension identified is between a modern paradigm of
research-for-its-own-sake, often devoid of an ethical framework, and
Islam’s directed model of knowledge-seeking, which is consciously
tempered by divine accountability and jurisprudential regulations.
Furthermore, the current fragmentation among Islamic institutions, each
following different scholars and curricula, hinders the development of a
unified, recognized body of qualified scholars.
The
conclusion calls for a proactive future strategy: the development of
standardized core syllabi across major Islamic sciences, the
establishment of a recognized international accreditation body, and a
cautious approach to external influences that seek to set the research
agenda. By integrating the ethical strengths of its tradition with
structured, collaborative modernization, Islamic education is positioned
to catalyze a new golden age of human development, effectively
transmitting knowledge for the betterment of global society.
This paper was submitted to the Islamic Education Workshop - Networking Conference with International
Institute of Islamic Thought at the St. Joseph Mosque, Trinidad, on 11/07/2017
