Presented at a workshop in Durban May 16, 2016 by
Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)
Being invited to
speak at and write a foreword for the proceedings of the 1st
International Islamic Epistemology and Curriculum Development Conference held
at the Muslim University of Morogoro 9-11 August, 2014 gave me an opportunity
to reflect on the role of education reform in the renaissance of the ummat.
Reform of education must be preceded by reform of the knowledge taught in
schools and universities. Knowledge reform is preceded by epistemological
reform. We therefore need an Islamic epistemological reform to spear-head our
renaissance.
Epistemology, a
major branch of philosophy, is the science of knowledge, ‘ilm al ‘ilm. It is the study of the origin, nature, methods, and
limits of knowledge. The aim of
epistemology is certainty, yaqeen.
The scope of epistemology includes distinguishing reality from appearance,
separating perception from reality, and evidence for truth of a claim. Islamic epistemology has fixed parameters from the Qur’an and
the sunnat within the tauhidi paradigm and taking into
consideration space-time variables. It is characterized by objectivity, istiqamat,
and three sources of knowledge: 1. Knowledge from revelation, ‘ilm al
wahy or ilm naqli, 2. Rational knowledge, ilm ‘aqli, and 3.
Empirical knowledge, ilm tajriibi. Sheikh al Islam Ahmad Ibn Taymiyah proved conclusively that there is no contradiction between
‘ilm aqli and ‘ilm naqli so there is no need to revisit this
issue.
Epistemological change is the key to social change. Islamic
civilization started as a knowledge revolution in Makka with the revelation of surat
iqra. Islamic
dawa in the Arabian Peninsula was a knowledge and methodology revolution
that underlay the future Islamic civilization. The Qur’anic methodology inspired the empirical method and inductive logic.
Muslim scientists inspired by the Qur’anic methodology experimented and developed
science and technology. They corrected mistakes in Greek science that were not
based on empirical evidence. They passed on to Europeans a corpus of knowledge
in various disciplines that triggered the European renaissance.
Interactions
between Muslims and Europeans in the Near East (during the crusade wars) and Spain
(during the Muslim era in Andalusian modern Southern Spain) enabled Europeans to
learn the empirical method from Muslims. This triggered the European knowledge
renaissance in the 12th century and the 14-17th centuries
of the Gregorian calendar. The renaissance was triggered by translation of
Arabic manuscripts of natural
science, philosophy and mathematics into Latin. The first universities in Europe depended on books
translated from Arabic. Robert Grosseteste (ca. 1168–1253) was the first European to make extensive use of the thought of Ibn Sina and Ibn Rushd
and was the first to use the experimental method in Europe (1). Roger Bacon (c.
1214–1294), one of the pioneers of European science, was inspired
by the writings of Grosseteste (2) . He mastered Arabic texts on the science of
optics by Ibn Hytham and was influenced by AlKindi and Ibn Sina (3).
The knowledge
renaissance was the basis of modern European power. Renaissance was followed by
a religious revolution (reformation), a thought revolution (enlightenment and
rationality), a scientific revolution (physical and biological sciences), and a
technological revolution (agriculture and industry). These were followed by political
revolutions, a communication revolution, and an information revolution. These
successive revolutions made Europe a world power. Starting in the 16th
century of the Gregorian calendar, Europeans controlled and colonized many
parts of the world and by the end of the 19th century of the
Gregorian calendar they dominated the world. European domination today will
continue for a few more decades because of their knowledge ascendancy. While
Europeans developed the Muslim World stagnated because of knowledge decay. Knowledge
decay in the ummat started in 3rd-6th centuries of
the Hijri calendar when Muslims migrated away from the Qur’anic call for
seeking knowledge, empirical research, and active ijtihad.
Renaissance or revival
(tajdid) of the ummat will
occur through educational and knowledge reform hence the emphasis on Islamic universities and Islamic schools. It has
to face and solve the challenge of dichotomy in the Muslim education system. This
dichotomy pits the traditional Islamic education system emphasizing religious
sciences (ulum al diin) against the imported
European education system emphasizing secular sciences (uluum al dunia). Integration of the 2 systems has been difficult
because of lack of a sound conceptual basis.
An epistemological reform leading
to integration of knowledge (IOK) is the way forward and was the motto of this
conference.
Tajdid is a recurring
phenomenon in the ummat and is a sign
of its health and dynamism. Periods of tajdid alternate with periods of
ignorance (jahl). Tajdid requires knowledge, ideas and
action related by the following mathematical equation: tajdid = idea + action. Action without knowledge and guiding ideas
will not lead to true change. Ideas without action are not change at all. Tajdid, therefore, requires
and is preceded by a reform in knowledge to provide ideas and motivation on
which to build. Social change requires change in attitudes, values, convictions
and behavior of a critical mass of the population. Attitudes, values,
convictions, and behaviors are determined by the knowledge base provided by the
education system. A good integrated educational system will foster societal
revival (tajdid) and a bad one will lead to even more ignorance (jahl).
The
vision of the knowledge strategy is an upright balanced person who understands
the creator, knows his place, his roles, his rights, and his responsibilities
in the cosmic order. The mission of the knowledge strategy is conceptual transformation
of the education system from kindergarten to post graduate studies to reflect
positive moral values, objectivity, universality, and serving the larger causes
of humanity.
Integration of knowledge (IOK) is a process of
recasting the corpus of human knowledge to conform to the basic tenets of a moral
world view. IOK does not call for
re-invention of the wheel of knowledge but calls for reform, correction, and
re-orientation. IOK is evolutionary and not revolutionary. It is corrective and
reformative. It is the first step in the integration of the education system as
a prelude to integration of values and ethics for social reform. IOK has to
start with reforming the epistemology, methodology, and corpus of knowledge of
each discipline. IOK must be pro-active, academic, methodological, objective,
and practical. The vision of IOK is objective, universal, and beneficial
knowledge in the context of a harmonious interaction of humans with their
physical, social, and spiritual environment.
The
Islamic university is the vehicle for IOK. The First World Muslim Education
Conference in Makka in 1977 identified dichotomy as the main problem of Muslim
education. Islamic universities were set up to solve the problem of dichotomy
my teaching integrated curricula in Islamabad (Pakistan), Kuala Lumpur
(Malaysia), Kushtia (Bangladesh), Niamey (Niger), Mbale (Uganda). At the moment such universities are
counted in hundreds in Africa, Asia, Europe and America. The biggest challenge
facing Islamic universities is to develop IOK-based curricula and write
textbooks for them.
The
process of textbook preparation should start with general epistemology and
curriculum reform seminars to raise awareness of the problem of duality and to
propose epistemological and curricular reform as the needed solution. These should
be followed by specific seminars with discipline experts to explore IOK issues
in each discipline. Specific working groups should then be set up for each
discipline of knowledge. These groups should produce integrated course
outlines. Available reference and resource material for each course should be
collected. Then a book should be designed and structured for each course (title,
units, sections, and chapters). Each chapter should be structured as: learning
objectives, detailed outlines (headings and sub-headings), key words, the main
text, Islamic input, glossary, index, case studies, texts from Islamic sources
(Qur’an, sunnat, other books), illustrations (pictures and drawings), chapter
summary, review (questions, tests, exercises), and assignments.
An editorial
board should be set up for each book consisting of a chief editor and 1-2
co-editors in addition to chapter authors, advisors, and consultants. The board
will allocate 1-2 chapters to each writer. Regular workshops have to be held
for chapter writers and editors to review the written material preferably once
every 1-2 months. The chapters written must be tested by being used as
classroom notes for university students and getting feedback and will meet regularly
to monitor progress. It is difficult to find specialized references on Islamic
aspects of the various disciplines. We have therefore designated two libraries
one in Virginia (English references) and one in Amman (Arabic references) to
help writers get the references that they need.
External
discipline experts should review the manuscripts. The final versions should
undergo serious editing and proof reading. A special style sheet has been
prepared to guide authors, reviewers, and editors. It is envisaged that the
book will be 150-300 pages and will be published an e-book with a few printed
copies for libraries. A royalty will be paid to the authors.
It is my firm
belief that the conference at Morogoro was only the start of a future knowledge
and educational reform movement that will benefit the whole of Africa.
Omar Hasan
Kasule Sr.
- Stanford Encyclopedia of philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/grosseteste/ accessed February 9, 2015
- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/48177/Roger-Bacon. Accessed February 16, 2015
- Paul Edwards (ed) The encyclopedia of philosophy. Volume 1. Simon & Shuster MacMillan. New York 1996.
[*]
Adapted from the author’s presentation
at the 1st International Islamic Epistemology and Curriculum
Development Conference held at the Muslim University of Morogoro 9-11 August,
2014
