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Religious Curricular Offerings in the Muslim World: Challenges and Prospects in the Light of Strategic Planning, Social Networking, Modern Technological Advancement and Globalization of Islamic Knowledge
By
Dr. Norlain Dindang Mababaya and Dr. Mamarinta Omar Mababaya
 

Presented by Dr. M. Omar Mababaya during the International Seminar on Religious Curricular in the Muslim World: Challenges and Prospects held at the International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on September 6-8, 2005.

 Download the PDF version of this paper.

Contents

Title

Abstract

I. Introduction

II. Religious Curricular Offerings in the Muslim World: Prevailing Challenges

III. Problems with Existing Religious Curricula

IV. Balanced Religious Curricular Offerings in the Muslim World: Prospects in the Light of Strategic Planning, Social Networking, Modern Technological Advancement and Globalization of Islamic Knowledge

      The Need for Strategic Planning Approach to Curriculum Development
      Social Networking
       Coping with the Technology and Knowledge Revolution  
       Globalizing Islamic Knowledge

V. Quality Islamic Studies Curriculum through an International Accrediting Association

VI. Conclusions and Recommendations

Bibliography

Appendices
      Appendix 1:  Some Universities and Religious Curricular Offerings in the    Muslim World
     Appendix 2: Globalizing a Well-Balanced Islamic Studies Curriculum: The Case of Wisdom International School for Higher Education (WISHES) and Its Online Learning System

 

 

Abstract

The paper explored and discussed the challenges underlying the religious curricular offerings in the Muslim world, as well as the prospects for improvement in the light of strategic planning, social networking, modern technological advancement and globalization of Islamic knowledge.

The authors reviewed and analyzed available information on existing religious curricula in certain institutions of higher learning across the Muslim world. They also explored and expounded the challenges of cultural invasion emanating from global technology revolution, inability of the Muslim world to cope with the fast-changing knowledge revolution, lack of research and technology orientation, poor quality of graduates in the Muslim religious schools (due to traditional methods of teaching, teachers' incompetence, lack of resources, irrelevance of curriculum to societal needs, etc.), unemployment, extremism, Islamophobia, lack of cooperation and networking among Muslim educational institutions, excessive secular tendencies among Muslim graduates who have no basic knowledge of Islam, terrorism and other sources of instabilities. These challenges are discussed in relation to religious curricular offerings in the Muslim world.

The authors likewise discussed some prospects for improvement and change, in the light of strategic planning, social networking, modern technological advancement and globalization of Islamic knowledge. They argue that well-balanced religious curricular offerings can be designed and developed through appropriate strategic planning process. The curriculum plan should be made, taking into account current technological advancement, globalization and democratization of Islamic knowledge, global sharing of electronic and library resources, social capital creation and potential partnership for a world-class Islamic open university as envisaged by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).

The authors also proposed a well-balanced curriculum that is responsive to the need for globalizing Islamic knowledge, using a third-generation web-based global learning system in a database-driven modular, object-oriented dynamic learning environment. In addition, they suggested that there should be an international accrediting association for Islamic Studies (e.g., World Accrediting Association for Islamic Studies, WAAIS) under ISESCO to screen the relevance of the Islamic Studies subjects in the development of the students' aqeedah and eeman (Firm Belief and Faith), righteous deeds and ideal personality, and knowledge of doing Da'wah according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

 

I. Introduction

Muslims and Muslim countries are faced with tremendous and frightening challenges.[1]  We Muslims have reached the bottom of weakness in all aspects of development. In the field of education, we are poor compared to the non-Muslims in terms of researches and advancements in science and technology.  In the development of moral values and personality, we are labeled not only as "extremists" but also as "terrorists". We become very weak in practicing the real teachings of Islam that will make us ambassadors of peace instead of extremism.  Our failure to do Da'wah with true knowledge and beautiful wisdom reflects our weakness. Thus, non-Muslims do not appreciate the excellence of Islam; instead they label it as an "evil" religion.

The root cause of the weakness of the Muslims is due to their having left the clear and pure religion of Islam. The proliferation of deviant groups of innovators has further weakened them, and they have become too weak to withstand the tests of time and humiliation. These weaknesses can be overcome through the Qur’an and the Sunnah.[2]

Islam is the solution to the world's perplexing social problems.[3]  When the Muslim society fails to remain in the right path and the Qur’aan and Sunnah are abandoned, and the way of Allaah is turned to a lonely track where not many Muslims would want to follow, the doors of calamities are opened and the bright future is sealed. The popular belief among people today is that our contemporary world has made a great progress in civilization and materialism and this general belief has made many nations vie with one another to catch up with this industrial progress. But all this is at the expense of piety and honesty. Industrialization progresses but spiritualism retrogresses! Materialism is promoted and adherence to religious teachings is relegated. This lack of awareness in matters of religion is the main cause of the Muslim weakness.[4]

Education in the Muslim world which is supposed to play the noble role of Islamic awareness has failed for various reasons:  First main reason is that there are more existing secular schools, colleges and universities compared to Islamic educational institutions. This is due to the increasing demand for secular institutions that prepare students for employment, high salary, fame, and other material or worldly benefits after graduation.  More Muslim parents send their children in secular schools especially in non-Muslim countries or universities run by non-Muslims for the sake of "quality" worldly knowledge. They do not care whether their children whose minds are still young and susceptible to cultural shock will adopt non-Islamic cultural values. Second the Islamic curricular offerings in most Islamic educational institutions are not based on authentic knowledge of Islam – i.e., according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah.  Third, Islamic curricular offerings do not help develop the students: 1) to have the right aqeedah and eeman (firm belief and faith) that will make them sincere, devoted and God-fearing Muslims; 2) to have ideal personality or righteous manners and conduct that will make them attain success and peace with themselves, their families, neighbors, friends, the Muslim leaders or those who are in the authority, peace with other fellow Muslims as well as non-Muslims in the society (local, national and international level);  and 3) to be able to do Da'wah effectively or convey the true Message of Islam which is Tawheed (Absolute Oneness of Allah) according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Fourth, there is no international accrediting body in the Muslim world that could screen the curricular offerings in Islamic Studies among different Islamic educational institutions to ensure that subjects related to these three important courses in Islamic Studies, namely: 1) Aqeedah, 2) Personality Development and 3) Da'wah) are offered in the light of authentic sources. Fifth, in general, the Muslim educators, policy makers and curriculum development makers are not responsive to the needs of the Muslim students taking Islamic Studies in coping with modern technological advancement and globalization of knowledge.

The educational system in the Muslim world, which follows the western secular system of education, has been preparing every learner primarily toward success in this materialistic world, obviously in response to the fast changing science and technology. As a result, school or educational institutions in the Muslim world offer various non-Islamic courses which are being loaded with so many subjects and continue to undergo revisions to keep abreast with change and modernity.  More and more educational institutions are being established towards this end.  Unfortunately, most of these schools, colleges and universities do not offer well-balanced curricula that will develop learners to achieve success both in this world and the life hereafter.

Islam goes for a well-balanced life.  According to Shaikh Saleem Al-Hilaalee in his enlightening and scholarly paper entitled, "The State of the Ummah", [5]

 Indeed the words "aakhirah" (Hereafter) and "dunyaa" (this worldly life) appear in the Qur’an an equal number of times. This is an indication that a Muslim should maintain a balance between this world and the Hereafter, so he performs righteous deeds and seeks the pleasure of Allah; and he works in this world within the limits of the Shariah (Islamic Law) to obtain a lawful sustenance, in order to provide for himself and have no need to beg. However, if the balance is not kept, corruption appears. For example, if the Ummah inclines more to worldly matters - forgetting the Hereafter and the meeting with Allah - it is overcome with weakness and humiliation. If, however, the tendency is in the opposite direction, the Ummah forgets this world and then becomes in need of people - extending its hands towards them submissively. But the Muslim should be distinguished, strong and honourable - as Allah says in the Qur’an: "And to Allah belongs all honour and to His Prophet and to the believers." (Surah Al-'Imraan 3:101)

Educational institutions which are purely secular in nature have produced many secular or non-practicing Muslims who destroy their lives by indulging in such immoral practices as broken homes, divorce, juvenile delinquency, adulteries and fornication, increasing number of homosexuals, aids, drinking intoxicants, drug addictions, gambling, etc. 

In today's modern age, secularism becomes dominant in the Muslim world and Muslims in general have relegated Islam to nothing but rituals. The secularism of the post-modern age is known to be “ruled by the ideas of self-interest, self-indulgence, and excess."[6] In his speech, “Islam and Civil Society: The Path to Transformation” at The International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS) in Jakarta on 22 December 2004, Raja Nazrin Shah Crown Prince of Perak, Malaysia remarked that "The Islamic way of life cannot be compartmentalized into spiritual and material."[7]  There must be an end to this imbalance and imperfection as Islam is the perfect religion and way of life that goes for a well-balanced life and development. Khalid Baig in his article, "What is Wrong with Our Education System?" asserts: 

This dichotomy must end. We cannot move forward without revamping our education. We cannot fully establish Islam in our societies without producing educated citizens and leaders needed for an Islamic society. The time is now to develop Integrated Islamic curriculums and remove secular biases from all of our education. Merely establishing more schools is not the answer. Developing educational institutions that can teach every subject in the wholesome Islamic context is. It is a monumental task. But without it we’ll continue to spread ignorance in the name of education.[8]

Education (to be an effective tool in developing the society) must develop man's total personality – in order to be physically fit, economically and materially sufficient, politically stable, socially responsive and morally as well as spiritually upright.  In short, education must respond to man's needs for development and success both in this temporary world and the life here after, which is the eternal world.  This is the kind of education that the Muslim Ummah needs. Muslim leaders and educators need to aspire and work for the benefit of the Muslims and Islam by developing the quality of education with relevant curricula that is responsive to the total development and success of the Muslims.  Non-practicing Muslims with all their various un-Islamic practices and behaviors have created very bad image not only for the Muslims but also for Islam as a whole. This results to Islamophobia, misunderstanding, and conflict between Muslims and non-Muslims, thereby making many parts of the world unsafe. Unfortunately, not many Muslim individuals and institutions are doing Da'wah according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, the rest are adopting the wrong approach that makes non-Muslims hate Islam. There are non-Muslims in the west who are not satisfied with the so-called "war against terrorism" and want to turn the continuing global war against terrorism into "war against Islam":

A part of the neoconservative intelligentsia in Washington is trying to turn the Bush administration's "war against terrorism" into a war against Muslim civilization and the Islamic religion… Islam itself is America's enemy because Islamic religion and civilization are intolerant, hostile to Western values, proselytizing, expansionist and violent.

…A segment of the evangelical Protestant community in the United States adds to this an assertion that Islam is "evil." …The Muslim is the enemy - man, woman and child - because of his or her cultural and religious identification… [9]

Non-Muslims in the West continue to stick to their preconceived notions of Islam because they see many Muslims misbehaving and acting outside the fold of the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

 

II. Religious Curricular Offerings in the Muslim World: Prevailing Challenges

While it is true that there are madaris (Islamic schools), colleges and universities teaching Islamic Studies based on authentic knowledge of Islam according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, their students and graduates face a lot of problems vis-ŕ-vis their counterparts in secular educational institutions.  These include the problems of low quality education (due to traditional methods of teaching, teachers' incompetence, lack of resources, irrelevance of curriculum to societal needs, etc.), unemployment, underemployment, low salary or income, job misplacement, failure to do Da'wah effectively, extremism, and even terrorism.

Many graduates of madaris or Islamic institutions do not get employed because several educational institutions in the Muslim world which are supposed to accommodate them (as teachers/lecturers of Islamic Studies, Qur'an and/or Arabic) after graduation are secular in character.  They do not offer Islamic knowledge (Islamic Studies, Qur'an and Arabic) from elementary/formative stage to higher studies.  Likewise, various industries and other sectors cannot employ them as they do not have the necessary knowledge and skills (English language and communication, Computer, typing skills and other relevant subjects) to qualify them to work as secretaries, administrative assistants, managers, directors, etc.   By the same token, many Islamic Studies graduates who get employed are exploited in terms of low salaries and unfair job terms and conditions. In the field of da'wah, the graduates can only convey the message of Islam to the Arabic speakers or those whose language they know.  If they do not know English, which is the dominant international language, they become ineffective unless someone will interpret their Da'wah message. 

Unfortunately the September 11 (2001) event has made the West associate Islam to terrorism. They also brand madaris as terrorist organizations:

Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Islamic religious schools known as madrasas (or madrassahs) in the Middle East, Central, and Southeast Asia have been of increasing interest to U.S. foreign policy makers. Some allege ties between madrasas and terrorist organizations, such as Al Qaeda, and assert that these religious schools promote Islamic extremism and militancy. Others maintain that most of these religious schools have been blamed unfairly for fostering anti-U.S. sentiments and for producing terrorists…

Although there are a few schools that teach secular subjects, in general madrasas offer a religious-based curriculum, focusing on the Quran and Islamic texts. Beyond instruction in basic religious tenets, some argue that a small group of radicalized madrasas, specifically located on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, are spawning a militant form of Islam and calling on Muslims to fight nonbelievers and stand against what they see as the moral depravity of the West. Other observers suggest that these schools are wholly unconcerned with religious scholarship and focused solely on teaching violence. A recent study by USAID denotes the links between madrasas and extremist Islamic groups as “rare but worrisome,” but also adds that “access to quality education alone cannot dissuade all vulnerable youth from joining terrorist groups.” [10]

Recently, however, The New York Times, (June 14, 2005, Washington) published a study by Peter Bergen and Swati Pandey, entitled "The Madrassa Myth".  The study is based on empirical finding that negates the widespread assumptions of the war on terrorism that the Muslim religious schools known as madrasas, catering to families that are often poor, are graduating students who become terrorists. Both scholars and researchers examined the educational backgrounds of 75 terrorists behind some of the most significant recent terrorist attacks against Westerners:

We found that a majority of them are college-educated, often in technical subjects like engineering. In the four attacks for which the most complete information about the perpetrators' educational levels is available - the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, the attacks on the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, the 9/11 attacks, and the Bali bombings in 2002 - 53 percent of the terrorists had either attended college or had received a college degree. As a point of reference, only 52 percent of Americans have been to college. The terrorists in our study thus appear, on average, to be as well educated as many Americans.

The 1993 World Trade Center attack involved 12 men, all of whom had a college education. The 9/11 pilots, as well as the secondary planners identified by the 9/11 commission, all attended Western universities, a prestigious and elite endeavor for anyone from the Middle East. Indeed, the lead 9/11 pilot, Mohamed Atta, had a degree from a German university in, of all things, urban preservation, while the operational planner of 9/11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, studied engineering in North Carolina. They also found that two-thirds of the 25 hijackers and planners involved in 9/11 had attended college.

Of the 75 terrorists they investigated, only nine had attended madaris, and all of those played a role in one attack - the Bali bombing. Even in this instance, however, five college-educated "masterminds" - including two university lecturers - helped to shape the Bali plot.

Like the view that poverty drives terrorism - a notion that countless studies have debunked - the idea that madrassas are incubating the next generation of terrorists offers the soothing illusion that desperate, ignorant automatons are attacking us rather than college graduates, as is often the case. In fact, two of the terrorists in our study had doctorates from Western universities, and two others were working toward their Ph.D.

A World Bank-financed study that was published in April raises further doubts about the influence of madrassas in Pakistan, the country where the schools were thought to be the most influential and the most virulently anti-American. Contrary to the numbers cited in the report of the 9/11 commission, and to a blizzard of newspaper reports that 10 percent of Pakistani students study in madrassas, the study's authors found that fewer than 1 percent do so. If correct, this estimate would suggest that there are far more American children being home-schooled than Pakistani boys attending madrassas.

While madrassas are an important issue in education and development in the Muslim world, they are not and should not be considered a threat to the United States. The tens of millions of dollars spent every year by the United States through the State Department, the Middle East Partnership Initiative, and the Agency for International Development to improve education and literacy in the Middle East and South Asia should be applauded as the development aid it is and not as the counterterrorism effort it cannot be.[11]

Bergen and Pandey's study implies that it is imperative to study and review the curricular offerings of non-Islamic or secular courses in the Muslim world. In other words, if the Muslim world wants an effective educational system for the Ummah all the curricular offerings in all educational institutions need to be examined and reviewed.  Curricular development in the Muslim world needs to aim for a more relevant and responsive curriculum that will prepare the learners from pre-elementary to post graduate level of education to attain a well-balanced life and success, both in this world and the life hereafter. Time has come that all educational institutions need to include in the curricula the basic knowledge that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and His Messenger sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam want us to learn.  Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), the world’s Great Teacher and Educator, defined knowledge succinctly as shown in the following Ahâdîth:

Abdullah ibn Amir ibn Al As radhiAllahu anhu narrated that Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, “Knowledge consists of three things: the decisive verses (Qur’an), authentic Hadith and prescriptions rightly deduced from the two.  What is beside them is superfluous (extra).” (Ibn Majah 1/54)

‘Abdullâh  ibn Amir ibn Al-As radhiAllahu anhu narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.)  said,  “Knowledge has three categories; anything else is extra; a precise verse, or an established Sunnah (practice), or a firm obligatory duty.” (Abu Daud, 2879)

Shayk ‘Abdul ‘Azeez bin Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book “Knowledge" defined knowledge comprehensively as follows:

“Knowledge consists of many branches, but according to the scholars of Islam: “What is meant by knowledge in the absolute sense is Islamic knowledge…This is the intended meaning of knowledge in the book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (s.a.w.s.).  In the absolute sense, it is knowledge regarding Allah, His names and attributes, knowledge of His rights over His creation, and what He, the One free from all defects, the Most High, has prescribed for them. It is the detailed knowledge of the path that leads to Allah; knowledge of the purpose of our creation; and the end which the slave will result in, in the Hereafter. [12]

From the above definitions of knowledge, we can infer that the secular system of education, which does not offer Islamic Studies subjects according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, has only auxiliary place in Islam.  The Muslim world, especially those who go for secularism, need to know that non-Muslims made secular education very attractive to the Muslims as a way for the Muslims to adopt their way of life, which is actually the path to evil and, thus, to the Hellfire. Muslims need to be aware of the non-Muslims' evil plan as shown in the following statements of Graham E. Fuller[13], a former Vice-chairman of the National Intelligence Council at CIA in charge of long-range forecasting, in his work  "The Youth Factor: The New Demographics of The Middle East and The Implications for U.S. Policy":

For youth, vastly improved education is a critical necessity. It is not necessary to oversee or combat religious education—and not all of it is undesirable or backward. The main task is to provide far more secular schools and support better broadly based education for the youth of the region, especially at the elementary and secondary levels that affect most of the population. In a free competition, the religious schools will decline in influence and support when the public is able to avail itself of quality secular state education. Female education is of course essential. At the same time, it must be recognized up front that education can also lead to higher political expectations and demands on the part of a student population who will challenge more aggressively the weaknesses and failures of the state and its leaders. Education does not promote stability in the short term but is essential to longer-term state competence and stable societies. The US can do vastly more to assist in Middle East education, both in expanding access to education in the US and expanding the presence of American universities in the region, which have a extraordinary rate of success. Limitation of birthrates in these developing societies is another key to helping relieve heavy pressures upon the resources of the state and affecting future stability.  (18 January 2003, p. 4)

Indeed, non-Muslims are misguiding the Muslim youths with their so-called "quality" secular education. Muslim parents should be strong enough to resist all the evil temptations that a secular system of education does to their children.  If ever graduates of the secular universities attain materialistic power, fame and glory, they should know that in the end, their weak if not wrong faith, their moral values and un-Islamic manners, and their failure to convey the true message of Islam according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah will not save them from the torments of the hell-fire.  Muslims should go for Islamic system of education that develops them for a well-balanced life – one that will enable them to live in this world and the hereafter with success. Dr. Sheikh Saalih bin Humayd in one of his Khutbah (Friday Sermon) in Makkah Al Mukkaramah, entitled, "Islamization of the Educational System" said: [14]

Islaamic education system is the one that caters for all stages of one’s learning life from kindergarten to the highest degree and causes great change in society through reform, uprightness and regaining of the lost glory.  Islaamic education reforms the hearts and purifies the mind.  It recognises talents and human differences.

Education in the Islaamic view means creating real men, refining their intellect, safeguarding manners and actualising the goal of all fields of knowledge in order that man may be able to live his life in this world according to his noble goals and sublime objectives.

 

III. Problems with Existing Religious Curricula

An objective analysis of the institutions of higher learning offering Islamic Studies in various countries shows that their curricula need to be improved.  They offer various fields of specializations (Fiqh, Shari'ah, Qur'an, Hadeeth, Islamic Culture, Islamic History, Comparative Religion, Da'wah, Islamic Economics, Islamic Civilization, Islamic Education, Islamic Arts, etc.) in the undergraduate level that do not address the need to develop the students in a way to attain firm belief and righteous deeds (i.e., excellent character to follow the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam) and be able to do Da'wah or convey the true Message of Islam to others. In short, they offer specializations without offering first the three basic subjects in Islam, namely: 1. Aqeedah (which includes Tawheed (Absolute Oneness of Allah) and Nawaqeed Al-Islam (Things that Nullify Islam) as well as other major Sins), 2. Personality Development, and 3. Da'wah.

Appendix 1 shows the specialized fields in Islamic Studies of some selected Islamic universities and institutions in various countries. To specialize in Fiqh, Shari'a, Islamic History, Comparative Religion, Islamic Economics, Islamic Education,  Islamic Arts, etc. without knowing first the concept of right and firm belief (aqeedah), righteous deeds and personality development, and learning to do Da'wah or to share to others what we learn is useless.  This is not the relevant, responsive and effective curriculum that can answer the world's need for Muslims who know authentic knowledge of Islam, sincerely love and fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, practice Islam in its purest form to do deeds of righteousness and convey the divine message to others. Specialization in said fields of Islamic studies only applies to higher institutions whose students already know the fundamental teachings of Islam from the elementary level to high school. What the Muslim Ummah needs in the undergraduate level is to concentrate on 1.) Aqeedah,  2.) Personality Development and 3.) Da'wah. Specialization can come in the graduate studies, if needed or if we are sure that the students have sufficient educational background of the said basic Islamic subjects that are expected of every Muslim. 

If we do not teach the right aqeedah (firm belief) we produce graduates who continue holding on to their beliefs that are mixed with shirk (associating partners with Allah) because they are ignorant of the principles of Tawheed, the conditions of "La illaaha illAllah", the things that nullify our faith as well as the minor and major sins that we need to avoid.  We produce graduates doing good deeds out of riya' (show off) because they do not know that everything we think, say and do must be sincerely dedicated for the sole pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.  We produce graduates committing bid'ah (innovation in religion) because they think that Islamic faith changes according to the demands of the time and generation.  We produce graduates who become extremists in their ways, without knowing that Islam is a moderate, easy, practical and tolerant religion.  If we do not teach personality development or the characteristics of ideal Muslim men and women according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah we produce graduates who do not fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, graduates who do not follow the Sunnah and characters of the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam, graduates who do not follow the leaders among us, graduates who are liabilities, instead of assets to the societies, graduates whose attitudes and manners bring disgrace to Islam or turn people out of Islam. If we do not teach Da'wah in the light of the Qur'an and the Sunnah we produce graduates who are unmindful of their duty to convey the true message of Islam to others.  Or if they do Da'wah they result to bid'ah by making use of the Bible or other books instead of the Qur'an as their tool in inviting people to Islam.  They resort to argumentation and debates to the extent of insulting and confronting their opponents with foul language. This will keep people away from Islam instead of being lured to it by means of wisdom and beautiful preaching. Thus, the subjects on aqeedah, personality development and Da'wah are vital towards relevant and responsive curricula from the formative years to the higher education studies. Muslim policy makers, educators and curriculum experts need to consider this point very seriously, in order to make the educational system for the Muslim Ummah effective in producing the right graduates who will become assets to the Muslim community and the whole mankind at large. This will help the graduates live a balanced life – a happy life in this world and in the hereafter.

Another problem in the religious curricular offerings of Islamic institutions in the Muslim world is that they offer many subjects that are not relevant to the knowledge that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and His Messenger sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam want us to learn.  Such knowledge must be in accordance with the true teachings of Islam – i.e., the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Examples of such irrelevant subjects are the following:

Mysticism-1,  Ancient Logic-1, Early Islamic History (Omayya & Abasids), Pakistan Studies, Mysticism-2, Ancient Logic-2, General Philosophy, History of Religions, History of Sub-Continent Muslims, Modern Philosophical, Contemporary Islamic Movements, Comparative Religions-2, History of Ottamans and Maghrib Al-Islami, Methodology of Mufassireen in the Indian Sub-Continent, Ancient Philosophy, Islamic Philosophy, Ethical Philosophy, Sociology, Medieval Philosophy in Europe, Philosophical and Mystic Texts, Islamic Philosophy-2, Comparative Religions-3, Comparative Religions-4. [15]

Geography of the Muslim World & Minorities, Critical Review of Philosophy in Classical Muslim Thought, Issues in Philosophy, History of Islamic Philosophy, History of Western Philosophy, Contemporary Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Science, Formal and Symbolic Logic, Myth:  Islamic Critique, Studies of Religions I,(Judaism and Christianity), Studies of Religions II, (Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism), Evangelisation and Christian Mission.[16]

Studies In Islamic Culture and Civilization Umayyads and Abbasids, Cultural Histotry of Islam, (Abbasids), Muslim Sects, Islam in Spain and Post Abbasid Muslim East, Islam In India During the Medieval Period, Islam in the Modern World, The Settlement of Arabs in the Conquered Territories, Some Indian Muhaddithin and Their Contribution To Hadith, Indian Contribution To Fiqh, Early Sufis and Their Teachings, Tasawwuf in India, Islam In India During the Medieval Period, Islam In the Modern World, Islam in Medieval India.[17]

Arab studies, Area studies: Indo Pak Sub./West Asia, Iranian Studies: History of culture, Turkish Studies: History of culture, Arab-Muslim contribution to natural science, Contemporary Islamic world, Muslim Movements.[18]

 

By studying contemporary history, other than the history of the Prophets especially that of the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam, the history of the Prophet's Companions, particularly the righteous guided caliphs and the ten who were promised paradise and his households, we overload the students with unnecessary knowledge.  If we study history after the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam and his companions radhiAllahu anhum, we only expose students to the unwanted, despicable acts of disunity, devastating wars and annihilations which dominate the Muslim past. This will only promote hatred and mutual contempt among the various constituents of the Muslim Ummah.

Likewise, students could have devoted their time, money and efforts in studying more essential subjects pertaining to the Qur'an and the Sunnah that could make them closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala than studying Philosophy, Logic, Sociology, Mysticism, Sufism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, etc.  Islam is a comprehensive religion and so is the Islamic knowledge. Therefore, all sorts of knowledge which are irrelevant to understanding of Islam need to be phased out and replaced with the relevant curricular subjects that will develop every Muslim learner to have a well-balanced personality so that he or she will be among those who will attain success, especially ultimate success in the eternal life hereafter.

 

IV. Balanced Religious Curricular Offerings in the Muslim World: Prospects in the Light of Strategic Planning, Social Networking, Modern Technological Advancement and Globalization of Islamic Knowledge

The perplexing problems associated with the existing religious curricula in the Muslim world need a multi-faceted approach or solution.  We need to apply strategic planning, social networking, to make use of modern technological advancement, and to work toward globalization of Islamic knowledge.

The Need for Strategic Planning Approach to Curriculum Development

The concept of strategic planning is quite misunderstood by many. A set of objectives and a plan of actions do not necessarily fall under the realm of strategic planning.

Strategic planning is a continuous periodic process that applies strategic thinking towards defining the vision, mission and long-term strategic goals of the institution, and applying strategic management approach to achieving them. This is essential to the strategic planning process.[19]

Strategic planning for curriculum development and for other purposes involves group efforts. The individuals involved in the preparation of a strategic plan need to have a good grasp of the organization’s vision and mission. They have to be properly guided by the authentic Islamic values and teachings. This is because the Islamic value system has to be the foundation of a sound strategic plan, if it must produce the desired results. They have to have common understanding of the key issues facing the institution. Given a properly defined vision and mission statements, the other essential aspects of the plan need to be worked out. These include a clear outline of the key planning premises, characterization and analysis of the environment, reliable and effective strategic analysis, assessment and selection of the organization’s strategic thrust and strategic scenarios. Along these lines, key strategies and the corresponding action plans need to be developed. The scope of strategies includes key actions required, responsibilities, timing/milestone, evaluation of financial & other resource requirements, and impact/expected results.

Strategy is a comprehensive pathway for colleges and universities to develop and sustain high satisfaction levels for their constituents. The strategic management process entails preparing, implementing, monitoring and reviewing the strategic plans, broad action plans, activities, tasks, resources and constraints underlying the realization of vision, mission and goals. Thus, the strategy will provide a constant reference point for all administrators in colleges and universities.

Muslim policy makers, educators and curriculum development experts need to devise a strategic plan for Islamic curricula that are relevant and responsive to the needs of the Muslim learners.  The basic parts of these subjects will have to be offered also in other fields of studies or courses so that we produce students who will attain success both in this world and the life hereafter.  This means that all Muslim learners need to learn Islam from the formative years. In the collegiate up to post graduate level, students taking non-Islamic courses like Economics, Business Administration, Engineering, Computer Science, Medicine, etc. have to study some subjects in Islamic Studies to increase their aqeedah, develop their personality and learn to do Da'wah according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah. In this way, they attain spiritual purification.  Likewise students taking Islamic Studies need to learn non-Islamic Studies subjects that will equip them for better employment and more dynamic role in the society. Shaykh Dr. Saud Ash-Shuraym, in his Khutbah (Friday Sermon) in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Shawwaal 23, 1432 (December 27, 2002), entitled "The Present Situation of the Muslims" [20] said:  "Spiritual purification can be achieved without abandoning the bodily needs and preparation for the Hereafter can be made without necessarily neglecting the life of this world. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:


“But seek with that (wealth) which Allaah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world; and do good as Allaah has been good to you and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allaah likes not the mischief-makers.” (Al-Qasas 28:77) 

As part of Allâh’s divine guidance, we also read in the Qur’ân: “And when the prayer is finished, then may you disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allâh: and remember Allâh frequently that you may prosper.” (Qur'an, Surah Al-Jumu'ah, 62:10).

The following verse -- a common supplication among Muslims -- indicates that the one who truly enjoys a successful life is one who earns good in this world and in the Hereafter:

 “Our Rabb! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter.  And save us from the torment of the Fire!”  (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:201) 

This strategic thinking for a well-balanced and responsive curriculum will make Muslims more successful than those who only wish and pray for the worldly things:

But of mankind there are some who say: “Our Lord! Give us (Your Bounties) in this world!” and for such there will be no portion in the Hereafter. (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:201)

In the eternal world hereafter, those who reject Islam and its injunctions will go to the hellfire; and only then will they realize the evil effects of secularism.[21] They will taste Allah's terrible punishments for rejecting Islam:

“Those who reject Our Signs, We shall soon cast into the Fire; as often as their skins are roasted through. We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the Chastisement: for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.”   (Qur'an 4:56)

Islamic curriculum development requires that we address our educational mission and objectives not just to attain peace, development and success in this world, but most of all to attain our ultimate Goal that is to attain supreme success in the eternal world. Our Goal as Muslims is to worship Allah (Qur’ân 51:56-58) all throughout our lives (Qur’ân 15:98-99).  Allah commands us to worship Him, to offer Him sincere devotion, and to be true in faith (Qur’ân 98:5) so that we attain the greatest bliss which is the Good Pleasure of Allâh: that is the supreme success (Qur’ân 9:71-72). In other words, we Muslims need to be united to make the true Message of Islam (Tawheed) prevail.  We need to learn, practice and share to others the message of Islam in its purest form – that is according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah. 

Worship in Islâm is a comprehensive term, which is not only confined to the daily salat (prayers) and other religious acts such as fasting, payment of zakat, pilgrimage and so on.  It is an all-inclusive term for all that Allâh loves of the inward and outward sayings, actions and deeds of a person.  In other words, worship is everything we say or do for the pleasure of Allâh, the Exalted, Most High. It includes not only rituals and beliefs, but also economic, political, social and cultural activities, and contributions to the welfare of our fellow human beings which we sincerely do to attain Allah's rewards. In short, everything we say and do in accordance with the Qur’ân and the Sunnah, with the sincere intention to please our Creator, is an act of ibadah.  

Part of worshipping Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is to be able to contribute to the promotion of peace and unity among us Muslims, which are vital in the socio-economic development and advancement of science and technology in the Muslim world.  In this way, we Muslims play dynamic role in the well-balanced development of mankind hoping that humanity will sincerely devote their worship to the Only True God and Sustainer of mankind. In curriculum development this calls for a well-balanced curriculum between the learners' material need for this temporary world and their spiritual need for the eternal world here after.  This means that it is imperative for all Muslims to learn Islam from the formative stage to higher education studies. Unfortunately, many educational institutions in the Muslim world do not offer a well-balanced curriculum according to the needs of mankind.  Other religious educational institutions offer Islamic Studies, Qur'an and Arabic.  They do not include other subjects (e.g., English, Economics, Information Technology, Computer Literacy, Psychology, etc.) that would widen the students' socio-cultural perspective of the international environment and be able to face its challenges and prospects. This kind of curriculum deprives the students the opportunities for employment. Unemployment brings many negative outcomes to concerned individuals leading to terrorism, extremism, fanaticism and other similar problems.  In addition, due to lack of knowledge of the English language graduates in the religious institutions are deprived to do Da'wah to non-Muslim English speakers. Neither can they do Da'wah in the international level through the Internet because their curriculum does not offer the basic knowledge on Information Technology (e.g., web designing).

Other educational institutions in the Muslim world offer courses that prepare students purely for this material world.  While it is true that many if not all of their students find employment or excel in the economic or material world, unfortunately many of them become too secular and unmindful of their ultimate destiny in the eternal world.  They do not only ignore their obligations to worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, but also become too materialistic and easily succumb to graft and corruptions, embezzlement, gambling, and other crimes. The curriculum that does not offer the relevant Islamic Studies subjects according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah produces students who are non-practicing Muslims.  These are the people who destroy their lives by indulging in immoral practices, such as adultery and fornication, drinking intoxicants, drug addictions, gambling, usury, graft and corruption, stealing, swindling, abductions, rebellions and the like.  With their non-Islâmic behaviors they create very bad image not only for the Muslims but also for Islâm as a whole.

Curriculum development for the Muslim world, first and foremost, must be in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah.  The kind of education that Muslim policy makers, educators and curriculum experts need to plan and develop must be in line with what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and His Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam) want us to do – i.e., to make Tawheed prevail.  We Muslims need to realize that there is no development, no glory, nor complete success without earning Allah's love and pleasure; and that we can only earn His love if we believe and work deeds of righteousness and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam).  Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

 “On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness will (Allah) Most Gracious bestow Love.”  (Qur'an 19:96)

“Say (Muhammad): ‘If you do love Allah, then follow me, so Allah will love you and forgive you your sins for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’”  (Qur'an 3:31)

Muslim policy makers, educators and curriculum experts in all educational institutions in the Muslim world have to respond to the needs of the Muslim learners.  They must bear in mind that many educators in the world today including the Council of 100 Leaders during the West-Islamic World Dialogue, entitled: "Discourse on Education and the Other: Exploring the Potential Roles of Education in Promoting Harmony and Overcoming Differences" have recognized the need for a well-balanced curriculum:

 "We are not in a religious or secular world but a religious and secular world so education needs to educate people about both." [22]

Likewise, in the Newsletter of the UNESCO’s Education Sector, April-June 2002 it is interesting to note the following interesting comment: "Today schools are expected to instil values as well as provide knowledge.”[23]

Muslim policy makers, educators and curriculum development experts, therefore, need to develop or adopt well-rounded curricula for the Muslim world with educational mission and goals that reflect the above Qur'anic injunctions in order to attain Allah's pleasure and hence, success. They need to plan and work for a better curriculum, if possible the best, that will develop Muslim learners to become ideal Muslim men and women who will not only strive to learn and practice Islam in its purest form (i.e., in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah or authentic ahadith) but also to be united in actively conveying the true Message of Islam to others and be patient and steadfast. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

“And let there be (arising) from you a nation inviting to (all that is) good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.” (Qur’ân 3:104)

“By the time, verily man is in loss except (those who) have Faith and do righteous deeds, and join (together) in the mutual enjoining of Truth, and of patience and constancy.”  (Qur’ân 103:1-3)

From the above Qur'anic injunctions, effective curriculum development for the Muslim Ummah should include the teaching of knowledge of Tawheed and Aqeedah as well as those that contradict our Faith --i.e., Nawaqeed (Nullifiers) of Islam and other sins, Pillars and Faith of Islam, Concepts of Righteousness, Human Rights, Justice, Brotherhood and Peace in Islam, Halal wa Haram (Lawful and Unlawful in Islam), Seerah (Life of the Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam), Characteristics of Ideal Muslims (Men and Women), Da'wah According to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and other important subjects that will develop Muslim learners toward well-balanced life. The curriculum must be instrumental in developing Muslims to have ideal personality that will make them attain success and peace with themselves, their families, neighbors, friends, other fellow Muslims as well as non-Muslims in the society (local, national and international level) – all for the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.  The importance of developing the learners' personality need to be given emphasis in the Muslims' curricula as we Muslims are obliged to follow the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam who possessed an exalted standard of character (i.e., sublime morals) (Qur'an 68:4) and who enjoined us to excel in our manners and character as narrated in the following hadîth:

‘Abdullah Bin Amr radhiAllahu anhu narrated that Allah's Messenger sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam said, “…The best amongst you are those who have the best manners and character.”    (Bukhari 4/759)

The subject Da'wah According to the Qur’an and the Sunnah is very important to be included as part of the school curricula for Muslim learners from high school to the collegiate and graduate levels. This will make education more responsive and more relevant, not only to the needs of the Muslims, but also to the whole of mankind.  This is imperative, for Allah the Most High commands us Muslims to invite all people to His Way: 

“Invite (all) to the Way of your Rabb (Only Cherisher and Sustainer) with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for your Rabb knows best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.”  (Qur’ân 16:125)

Furthermore, Da'wah is the very Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam. Allah the Almighty had chosen Prophet Messenger sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam and had inspired him with wisdom to invite the whole mankind to worship sincerely no one but Allah the Almighty.  Knowing that Da'wah is for the whole mankind, Muslims must, therefore, invite all people to the True Message of Islam with wisdom and beautiful preaching. To be successful, we have to do it according to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, one that is free from any form of bid'ah (innovation in the religion).

In brief, curriculum development for the Muslim Ummah calls for the teaching of 1.) Aqeedah,  2.) Personality Development, and 3.) Da'wah from elementary to the PhD level. Regardless of the students' fields of specialization (i.e., either Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Medicine, Economics, Business Administration, Education, etc.) the curriculum must include subjects on these three important teachings of Islam which call for pure Tawheed for the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

On the other hand, students who are taking Islamic Studies as their chosen fields of specialization need to take other non-Islamic subjects which are useful in building a well-balanced personality or  increasing  socio-cultural perspectives and be able to respond to any challenges and prospects in today's demand for world peace, development and globalization.  An introductory knowledge of Information Technology, Computer, Economics, Psychology, Education (Principles of Effective Teaching), Guidance and Counseling, Management and Leadership Development, Public Speaking, as well as basic knowledge of the English language and communication will make develop students specializing Islamic Studies to have a well-rounded personality or wider perspective of other knowledge, beneficial to the propagation of Islam.

Likewise, students from other fields or specializations outside of Islamic Studies (e.g., Engineering, Medicine, Computer Science, Law, Education, and the like) need to be educated with the basic teachings of Islam according to the Qur'an and Sunnah that will make them assets and not liabilities to the society.  Their curriculum should include subjects on  Tawheed, character building (sincerity, fear and obedience to Allah, obedience to the Prophet, the Muslim leaders and those who are on authorities, righteousness, peace, etc.), and Da'wah with correct knowledge, wisdom and beautiful preaching according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah.  This means a well-balanced curriculum which is very vital in the development of a well-balanced personality, the kind of personality that can bring good image to the Muslim world and Islam as a whole and thus, an effective tool for Da'wah to the rest of mankind for the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. In coming up with the best curriculum for the Muslim Ummah, curriculum development experts need to evaluate the Wisdom International School for Higher Education (WISHES) Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies Curriculum (http://www.wisdom.edu.ph/degrees1.htm) and see if they can benefit from them.  They may adopt or improve the subjects which to their best knowledge will be useful for Muslim students (See Appendix 2).

Social Networking

In response to Allah's commandment for us to have a well-balanced life, it is imperative that Muslim educators and experts unite, work together and show patience and constancy to be able to come up with a well-balanced curriculum for the development and success of the Muslim Ummah. Pursuing this direction requires Muslim educators to use social networking in promoting trusts, unity and cooperation among them in line with the concept of social capital.[24] Hjollund, Paldam and Svendsen view social capital as either “people’s ability to work together”, “trust among people”, or “networks”. They argue that these three terms are closely related in that people who trust one another form networks and can work together.[25] Paldam and Svendsen further define it as the density of trust existing among group members that emanates from their ability to cooperate for mutual benefit.[26]

Social capital, as defined by Putnam, refers to features of social organization such as trust, social networks and social norms that facilitate coordination and cooperation. Social norms ľ developed through cultural mechanisms ľ can be based on religious or justice values.[27] Thus, social capital is created when people associate together in groups and organizations for justice, civic or religious purposes. Paldam said that people or individuals voluntarily cooperate because they trust that everyone else will do his part; they follow an abstract sense of duty; and they behave well for moral and religious reasons.[28]

From an Islamic perspective, the essential elements of social capital are Taqwa, sincerity (loyalty) to Allah, trust, cooperation, brotherhood, justice, commitment, consultation, leadership, unity and patience.[29] The following Qur’anic verses underscore the importance of these elements:

 O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is well-aware of what that you do. (Al-Hashr 59:18; see also Al-i-‘Imran 3:102; and Al-Ahzab 33:70-7)

The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: so make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that ye may receive Mercy. (Al-Hujurat 49: 10)

  And hold fast, all together, by the Rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves… (Al-I-Imran 3:103)

Just like human capital, as well as physical capital, social capital paves the way for communities and institutions to create various networks of mutual interests, concerns and obligations which contribute to the society’s socio-economic development.[30] It is worth noting, however, that social networks that are deviant, isolated, parochial or working against society's collective interests will likely hamper socio-economic well-being, spread disunity and create all sorts of instabilities.[31]

Social capital can be enhanced in the form of organizational networks – consisting of universities, research centers, institutions, etc.[32] Along this line, ISESCO can tap networking opportunities with others institutions like UNESCO-ESCWA, Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO),  World Islamic Call Society (WICS), Arab Gulf Fund for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND), the Kuwait-based Waqf General Secretariat, Ministry of Higher Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of  Religious Affairs in Bahrain, Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Qatar Charitable Society, and the like. These institutions have in one way or another some vital roles to play in advancing Islamic education. Learning networks also contribute to social capital creation. Knowledge sharing can be enhanced across the Muslim world via cooperation among Muslim universities and other institutions, in terms of sharing available learning resources such as e-libraries, e-books and others. They should also consider working together to form a world-class online university, where professors from various universities can be tapped to contribute positively by means of online teaching.

Coping with the Technology and Knowledge Revolution

The emergence of global technology revolution is leading to social, economic, political, and personal change throughout the world. Over time some societies will avail themselves of the revolution, and globalization will affect or change the environment in which each society lives.[33] Today’s technology revolution focuses on knowledge and information, which are replacing capital and energy as the primary wealth-creating assets -- just as the latter two replaced land and labor two centuries ago.  Thus, the current global technology revolution has produced an information society in a knowledge economy.[34]

One issue at stake now is who is best at generating knowledge, harnessing the energy of workers and making sure that it is targeted to the most productive uses.[35] Generating knowledge has become faster and easier due to the current information technology revolution. This has made the globalization of knowledge more viable now and in the foreseeable future. At the core of the current IT revolution are advances in materials science, leading to increases in the power of semiconductors, in turn resulting in rapidly declining semiconductor prices. The rapidly falling prices of IT goods by virtue of the so-called Moore’s Law has stimulated extraordinary investment in these goods, resulting in significant capital deepening. As a result, this has accelerated overall productivity growth in some countries.[36]

Ethical issues underlying the current information technology or knowledge revolution also need to be borne in mind. On one hand, hackers and criminals become rampant to exploit quick access to information and knowledge via the Internet. They use information technology and other means to commit crimes. Likewise, vast exposures to useless and obscene information, wrong dogmas and forbidden knowledge reflect the kinds of cultural invasion emanating from the so-called global technology revolution. This cultural amalgamation or invasion has the potential impact of increasing tension and conflict across different cultures.

On the other hand, current technology or knowledge revolution brings about significant improvements in human quality of life, high rates of industrial turnover, higher individual and national incomes, more efficient/effective communication and research, as well as better access to information and higher education. Thus, Muslim policy makers and educators need to encourage active participation in the development and use of information technology and communication backed up by good research activities, so that religious education will cope with the demands of the time and contribute positively to the Muslim world’s economic development.[37] There is need for Muslim governments, universities and supporting institutions to be more open and receptive to the current technological developments, such as the application of online web-based learning and library systems, which will make quality education accessible to Muslim students, learners and researchers across the globe.

Globalizing Islamic Knowledge

The information age has given way to the globalization of education. The quality of human resources is the major factor of success for all nations in the new century. The intellectual capital of a nation is becoming more important than natural resources and financial capital to a country's ability to compete in the global economy. Benchmarking for educational quality will be global rather than local. The ability to produce, absorb and disseminate knowledge will be the fundamental strength of societies, peoples and nations.

Innovations in information technology and telecommunications open unprecedented opportunities for learning to every person on the planet. The old limitations of time, distance, language, local competence and resources are rapidly disappearing. New models of the process of teaching and learning are being tested all over the world. The roles of teacher, student and researcher are being changed. From acquiring basic functional literacy to the most advanced search for new knowledge, every learning endeavor is being impacted by the new technologies. Every familiar model and practice in education the world over will have to be re-examined in light of the impact of computers and new telecommunications. Today's students must understand and master the use of the tools of technology if they are to be the global citizen knowledge workers required in the 21st Century.[38] In today's modern world, a number of universities have already embraced the concept of open or distance learning via the Internet.  There is therefore need for Muslim universities to cope with this trend and help globalize Islamic knowledge.

Globalizing Islamic knowledge can be viewed in various ways. It means making authentic Islamic knowledge available online across the globe via the Internet. It also means standardizing the Islamic curriculum under the realm of an international organization like ISESCO and implementing it worldwide through coordinated efforts and cooperation with all concerned parties, including governments, non-government organizations and universities. Globalizing Islamic curriculum is quite pragmatic, given the universality of Tawheed. All Muslims regardless of their affiliations or sects believe in the Oneness of Allah. By the same token, subjects on Personality Development and Da'wah can be standardized and offered globally via online learning and in-campus programs.

Cognizant of the need to help globalize Islamic knowledge, the authors organized the Wisdom International School for Higher Education (WISHES), a new online institution of higher learning authorized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Philippines. The WISHES Islamic Studies curriculum is based on the authentic knowledge of Islam (i.e., the Qur'an and the Sunnah).  It aims to produce sincere, God-fearing and peaceful-loving Muslims who are assets not only to their respective societies and countries but also to the international community by virtue of their adherence to the real teachings of Islam.  WISHES Islamic Studies Curriculum for college level focuses on Aqeedah, Personality Development and Da'wah. In response to the current situation, WISHES curriculum also includes the subject on "Righteousness, Human Rights, Justice, Brotherhood and Peace in Islam: Implications to Da'wah and Development".

To have a well-rounded curriculum, WISHES also includes English and Arabic languages as well as other important non-Islamic subjects  such as Education, Guidance and Counseling, Psychology, Public Speaking, Leadership and Management Development, Introduction to Computer Science, Web Development and Internet Simple Web Based Programming for non-Computer Science Students and Economics that will help develop students’ confidence, communication and leadership skills; and thus have a well-balanced personality as ideal Muslims who will play positive and great roles in building peaceful and progressive society. (See Appendix 2 for further details). For non Islamic courses (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Computer Science), WISHES includes Islamic subjects that are needed in developing the students' aqeedah, personality development and knowledge of Da'wah according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah.[39]   

WISHES as an online institution makes use of a third-generation web-based global learning system in a database-driven modular, object-oriented dynamic learning environment. It always uses the latest version of MOODLE -- Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. MOODLE is the most sophisticated yet versatile and friendly mode of delivering online courses, where professors and students can login for easy and effective teaching-learning purpose. Quizzes and final examinations (objective types of questions such as true or false, matching type, multiple choice, etc.) can be done online.  It has a timer, which the professor can set.  With time limit set for the exams, students will not be tempted to cheat. Professor can have the option whether to give students only one or several attempts to answer the questions.  Students can immediately see their marks. Professors can detect whether or not their students cheat with the number of minutes/hours spent during the examinations. It has also journal where students can submit their essays or written assignments. Students can also exchange ideas with their professors and classmates through its forum page.  This makes this kind of online learning environment a friendly and dynamic substitute or an alternative for actual classroom learning.

 

V. Quality Islamic Studies Curriculum through an International Accrediting Association

Muslim educators, curriculum and policy makers from various countries offering the right Islamic curriculum need to seriously consider organizing themselves into one body that scrutinizes or reviews the curriculum of interested institutions to be members of the international Islamic accrediting organization, which can be called World Accrediting Association for Islamic Studies (WAAIS).  The said organization can be under the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). WAAIS shall recognize or give accreditation to institutions upon appropriate review (i.e., make revisions, corrections suggestions) of the curriculum based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah.  The very proof of this is the fact that the Qur'an is the Criterion (2:185 and 3:3-4).  In fact, Al-Furqan which means the Criterion is another name for the Qur'an. It means “that which distinguishes truth from falsehood and right from wrong.”  Chapter 25 of the Qur'an is called Surah Al-Furqan.  It starts with the following verse:

“Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the world's a warner.”  (Qur’an, 25:1)

By implementing the suggestion to have an international accrediting organization of Islamic institutions and universities, Muslims who truly adhere to the Qur'an and the Sunnah as well as those who want to follow True Islam will be guided to the right Islamic institutions.  They will be protected from taking Islamic Studies in various universities, especially in the west and non-Islamic countries that offer Islamic Studies and similar fields, which are not actually based on authentic knowledge of Islam.

In addition, private individuals, organizations and institutions who are educationally and economically capable to establish Islamic schools, colleges and universities based on the right Islamic curriculum can be accredited worldwide through the international Islamic accreditation organization.  This will encourage more Muslims, especially those in non-Muslim countries or Muslim countries but are governed by secular educational policy-makers, to establish more Islamic schools and institutions.

It is time to come up with international Islamic accreditation organization so that Muslims will not be dependent with existing non-Muslim accrediting associations. Muslims need to have an international independent body to accredit Islamic schools, colleges and universities worldwide. Accreditation must be based on the authenticity of the curriculum and the learning materials (textbooks and references), quality and effectiveness of teaching methodologies as well as delivery method of instructions, and qualifications of teachers and professors.  All these will contribute toward quality, relevant and responsive Islamic education -- the kind of education that will awaken mankind to adhere to the Qur'an and the Sunnah; and thus, develop every learner who studies Islam with the best personality for a well-balanced life and success.

 

VI. Conclusions and Recommendations

For the educational system of the Muslims to be effective, we need a well-balanced curriculum that will make the Muslims attain peace and development in today's trend for the advancement of science and technology and globalization and above all, ultimate success in the life hereafter. Islam is a religion and a complete way of life that offers a well-balanced way of life.  It guides us to strive hard to enjoy the material comfort, socio-cultural understanding and universal peace and prosperity in this world and at the same time to develop our spiritual aspects of life in order to enjoy everlasting peace, happiness and ultimate success in the life here after.

Muslim governments who are members of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), policy makers, educators and curriculum experts (from various universities, especially those members of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, ISESCO) as well as other government and private institutions in the Muslim world need to unite and work hand in hand to make the educational system for the Muslim Ummah more relevant and responsive to the needs of the Muslims.  This cooperation or social capital formation is needed in order to make education effective as the key instrument or tool in promoting peace, development and success both in this world and the life hereafter. The Muslim world needs to come up with a well-balanced curriculum, which will be responsive to the need for globalizing Islamic knowledge, using state-of-the-art technology. Towards this end are some vital suggestions that call for policy directions and implementation:

1. To be effective, curriculum for the Muslims from the pre-school to the graduate studies need to be redesigned in such a way that Muslims will attain a well-balanced life both in this world and in the life hereafter.

2. In globalizing access to a well-balanced education, Muslim governments worldwide through their education ministers should be united to make educational opportunities with well-balanced curriculum available worldwide.  This can be done by establishing an online international university with well-balanced curriculum or supporting the existing Wisdom International School for Higher Education (WISHES) to make it a quality international university with various course offerings to cater for the total development needs of the Muslim Ummah and the rest of mankind.

3. Upgrade Wisdom International School for Higher Education (WISHES) into Wisdom Enrichment International University (WEIU) by establishing its physical presence in the Philippines or elsewhere wherever feasible and establish branches in other countries especially where Muslims are minorities.

4. Evaluate the WISHES Islamic Studies learning materials, which are available in electronic book format for possible reproduction into books for worldwide use.

5. Muslim governments need to require all their educational institutions from elementary to tertiary or post graduate levels to have well-balanced educational curricula.

6. In implementing curriculum care should be taken in choosing or recommending appropriate textbooks.  Alhamdulillah, many Islamic books on Islam according to authentic sources were written and published worldwide in the Internet, which can be used as textbooks to implement the desired curriculum for the Muslims. For developing Muslims' characters, we suggest educators and curriculum experts to include in the curriculum the use of the books "The Ideal Muslim: The True Islamic Personality of the Muslim as Defined in the Qur’an and the Sunnah" and "The Ideal Muslimah: The True Islamic Personality of the Muslim Woman as Defined in the Qur’an and the Sunnah".  Both books were written by Dr. Muhammad ‘Ali Al-Hashimi, translated by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab and revised by Ibrahim M. Kunna and Abu Aya Sulaiman Abdus-Sabur, copyright and published by the International Islâmic Publishing House (IIPH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1999. The two books are very useful in the development of the Wisdom International School for Higher Education (WISHES) (http://www.wisdom.edu.ph) Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and Bachelor in Computer Science curricula. With the inclusion of the said subjects, we expect our students in this online institution to have good moral character, following the Sunnah of the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salaam.  Dr. Norlain Dindang Mababaya wrote a book entitled "Da'wah According to the Qur'an and the Sunnah", published by Darrussalam Publishers in 1989, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is a good textbook for Da'wah.  The Wisdom Enrichment Foundation (WEFOUND) has published the revised edition of this book in electronic format, which the Wisdom International School for Higher Education (WISHES) uses as the main textbook for Da'wah in the undergraduate level.

7. Employing Muslim scholars and writers to write Islamic books from nursery to high school on various Islamic teachings covering topics on aqeedah, personality development and da'wah. The Islamic books must be written in accordance with the level of the learners, if possible with illustrations or to be reproduced using suitable media and technology bearing in mind what is allowed in Islam in order to make learning an enjoyable activity.

8. Developing instructional materials and using advanced science and technology without sacrificing Islamic values;

9. Modernizing teaching methods and coping with innovations in education and technology;

10.  Consolidating scientific research in all fields of knowledge;

11. Conducting seminars and faculty development programs for Islamic Studies, Arabic and Qur'an  teachers and professors on the psychology, principles, methods and techniques of effective teaching as well as the use of modern instructional science and technologies that do not contradict Islamic values;

12. Increasing teachers' salaries and incentives in accordance with the increasing high cost of living;

13. Offering scholarships to poor Muslim students, especially in countries where Muslims are minorities; and

14. Organization of an international accrediting body for Islamic Studies, such as World Accrediting Association for Islamic