See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/259497285

THE ISLAMIC EDUCATIONAL TRADITION IN KERALA: HOW IT PRACTICED THE

CONCEPT OF KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAM*

Conference Paper · December 2013

CITATION READS

1 6,143

1 author:

Shafeeq Hussain Vazhathodi Al-Hudawi

Yanbu University College
39 PUBLICATIONS 137 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Curriculum Enhancement Coordinator View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Shafeeq Hussain Vazhathodi Al-Hudawi on 02 January 2014.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 THE ISLAMIC EDUCATIONAL TRADITION IN KERALA:
HOW IT PRACTICED THE CONCEPT OF KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAM*

Dr. Shafeeq Hussain Vazhathodi Al-Hudawi,

Senior Lecturer (Curriculum & Instruction)
Department of Foundations of Education, Faculty of Education, UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI
MALAYSIA, shafeeq@utm.my, shafeeq75@gmail.com

Nizar AC,
Research Scholar, Dept. of Philosophy, University of Hyderabad.
nizarac@gmail.com

*Paper presented in Kerala Muslim Heritage Studies History Conference 2013, held by Kerala Muslim
Heritage Foundation, at JDT Islam Campus, Kozhikkode, Kerala, India from 22-24 December 2013.

Introduction
The classification of knowledge was not an issue of concern in the Islamic scholarship for many
centuries. In Islam, the concept of knowledge is comprehensive. The belief that the Ultimate
Knowledge rests only with Almighty Allah, signifies both the wholeness and holiness of the
concept. The wholeness connotes the integral nature, comprehensiveness and ‘unitary character’
of all sciences; the revealed, intellectual, scientific, experimental or inspirational. It denotes their
inter-related quality and wholesome nature, rather than their inevitability, to the understanding of
the total Reality (Amjad, 1992). The holiness, on the other hand, connotes the ‘sacredness’ of
knowledge.
However, with the expansion of Muslim kingdom to different parts and into the cradle of
developments in the Greek and Roman thoughts of earliest time made some serious confusion
with regards to the classification of knowledge among Muslims. Accordingly and due to the
contact with Hellenistic sciences in early ninth century AD, Muslim thinkers formulated several
classification of knowledge, in various terms and directions. The knowledge system of
Hellenistic and Western world explicitly divided the religious and material education in opposite
to each other. The influence post European renaissance and progress of science made the drift
between them deeper. In this context the classification of Imam al-Ghazali which concentrated
on religious, intellectual, physical and worldly knowledge is noteworthy. He concludes that
expertise in science other than the religious sciences, although not obligatory upon every Muslim
on individual basis, it is obligatory on all Muslims on a collective basis. As per this idea, most of
the educational systems and universities in Islamic world developed extensive combination of
both religious and other types of sciences in their education system.
According to the history of Islamic knowledge tradition of Kerala, this system of combination
has somewhat prevailed from earlier times in pallidars. 101 works of 74 authors were used as the

1
text books in pallidars. They include some texts in astronomy (ilmul falaque ) and
mathematics(ilmul hisab).They studied the astronomy, mathematics and history along with
religious texts. But, the evolution of Indian state system and secular educational institutions
caused to reshape the knowledge division and its maintenance. Ponnani syllabus had emphasized
on the theological knowledge than the logical and rational topics (ma’aquulath), it was the result
of Makhoom family’s touch to the Sufis and doctrines (thariqah). Philosophy and rational
science were the core subjects of nizamiyyah syllabus. They want to make their students talented
by the strength of ma’aquulath. Mishkath was the only hadeeth text taught in nizamiyyah way of
education. The rahimiyyah syllabus was focused on the hadeeth and related study than rational
science and logic. Any of these system did not ultimately were justifiable with the crux of
Islamic conception of knowledge which did not make such a division between material and
religious knowledge. But, hopefully the emerging Islamic universities in Kerala would stress on
the genuine Islamic concept of knowledge. In this paper I search that to what extent Muslim
education system in Kerala has associated with the knowledge concept of Islam, and how much
both Islamic and western conception of knowledge has been influencing them, and should be the
focal core of emerging university models in this regard.

Concept of Knowledge
The Islamic worldview develops the idea of knowledge so closely to its concept of belief
(Açikgenç, 1996). That is, “īmān (belief) not only presupposes a certain level of knowledge, but
is also a particular mode of knowing” (Osman, 1991, p. 231). The Holy Qur’an obliges Muslims
to acquire knowledge, in the same vigour and emphasis that the Holy Qur’an commands them to
have faith in Almighty Allah and other higher truths. Knowledge is so integral to faith (īmān)
that the realization and comprehension of the principles of faith is not possible without
knowledge. That is why ‘Islam is essentially a religion of knowledge;’ and the pursuit of
knowledge is a ‘religious obligation’ (Osman, 1991, p. 1).
Knowledge is an essential condition of healthy faith (īmān), because without knowledge of the
elements of faith, an unflinching faith in itself is inconceivable. A man needs ‘will-power’
supported by his ‘rational’ power, in order to be able to submit his feeling, thoughts and
behaviour, words and deeds, and action and aspirations willingly and whole-heartedly to the
Almighty Allah (al-Attas, 1989, p. 2). It is knowledge which creates this will-power and rational
support. This, on the other hand, refutes the claim that Islamic Religious Education is ‘inherently
indoctrination’ process, because understanding various elements of faith, indeed, require
‘ratiocination’ (Osman, 1991).
Put in different words, the above elaboration proves the practical aspect of the concept of
knowledge in Islam. That is, it is based on the nature, conduct, psychology, role and destiny of
man, his relationship and duties towards himself, the cosmos and supremely Allah. The
discussion about man is arranged into two main themes. First, the presumed roles he should be
playing as the servant of Allah as well as the vicegerent of Allah. Second, regarding various
internal and physical faculties and constituents of man, which make the knowledge possible to
him. Man is not just a constantly changing physical (badan/jism) body, but man also have the
spiritual, psychic and physical dimensions as well, each having corresponding faculties,
attributes and limitations, which collectively imposing a heavy responsibility on man’s destiny
while living on the earth (al-Attas, 1990).

2
Discussing, the second theme first, as a physical being, man is constantly changing. He is
confined within the bounds of time and space, his powers are limited, for his life on the earth is
for a limited period (Ashraf, 1989). The psychic dimension refers to the supernatural character
of man and the cognitive and rational faculties of intellect (‘aql) and human mind. As a spiritual
being, the inner nature of man is defined by various transcendental components of spirit (rūh),
soul (nafs), heart (qalb) and intellect. These premier constituents refers to the metaphysical,
primordial, spiritual and transcendental existence of man, i.e, to the life ‘which extends beyond
this world’. So, the knowledge system should be wide and able to lead the man in all these three
dimensions.
The various faculties in man can be grouped corresponding to the physical, psychic and spiritual
constituents, their functions are not atomistic, but architectonically united. Thus, ‘they make it
possible for man to become the steward (khalīfah) of God’ (al-Ghazali). They are fashioned by
Allah in due proportion to contribute proportionally to his balanced growth. They together,
perform psycho-physical and spiritual- moral functions and are mould to be so. Thus, Islam does
accept neither the fetish of empiricism, nor of the rationalism. Islam points out the inherent
limitations of human knowledge and understanding. It calls for ‘integration between the
cognitive and the sensitive imagination of the human soul’ and accordingly approves creative
and innovative thinking (Osman, 1991, p. 5). In short, various faculties such as the five physical
senses and the rational and spiritual faculties of intellect (al-‘aql al-salīm) are approved as tools
of man for acquiring the different kinds of knowledge.
Then, to discuss the first theme, Islam also conceives of man, at once, in two levels; as ‘abd
Allah (servant of Allah) and khalīfat Allah (vicegerent of Allah); the former with significant
personal and individual connotations while the later with social and communal connotations.
The concepts of ‘abd and khalīfah constitute the philosophy of the Islamic concept concerning
man's status in this universe. To have the knowledge about the roles and duties, as servant and
deputy of Allah on the earth, is essential as man’s existence itself. The vicegerency on earth
implies that man should function as an integrated being comprehensively, harmoniously and
creatively in all the dimensions of his personality: physical, spiritual, moral, intellectual and
aesthetical (Rahman as summarised by Mahdi, 2004).
Islam looks upon all the various sciences as the central means to salvation of the soul and to the
attainment of human happiness and prosperity in this life as well as in the hereafter. The
multiplicity of methodologies such as intellectual exercise and intuition, reasoning and logic,
experimentation and observation, scientific reasoning, therefore, relate to the multiplicity of
realities and of man’s place in that reality. But they are unified by the coherent vision of based
upon the idea of al-tawhīd (Osman, 1991). Knowledge about all these are required in due
measures, for keeping a balance between nourishment of body and soul. But the criterion for any
knowledge, according to al-Ghazzali, “is its usefulness in leading human being to those moral
states that facilitate the attainment of ultimate happiness and achieving purification of the mind
and soul and (al-Zeera, 2001, p. 77).

Classification of knowledge
In Islamic concept of knowledge (ilm), there is a hierarchy which sets the criteria on what should
be known and learned by humans. Everything is knowable, however the world of knowable are
so extensive. Although humans are so keen to quest after knowledge and truth from the birth to

3
death, they live in the world for a limited time. Their abilities are limited. It is in this regard, the
Holy Prophet Muhammed (s) tells, in general that, “Wisdom is the lost property of the Believer,
let him claim it wherever he finds it”. He is talking about wisdom- wisdom is some sort of
knowledge arrived after some time and thought. The purpose is at the core of the exercise. The
Holy Qur’an well manifests this purpose. The purpose is attainment of the salvation of the soul
and to the attainment of human happiness and prosperity in this life as well as in the hereafter.
The Holy Qur’an calls its verses āyāt (sing. āyah) as well as the signs of nature as āyāt (signs),
both as ‘signs’. Whereas the verses of the Holy Qur’an are the ‘linguistic’ signs, the natural
events and things are ‘phenomenalogical’ signs, “as if one meaning (linguistic) is a mirror for the
other (phenomenalogical). It recognizes other sources of knowledge -such as anfus (sing. nafs,
souls), āfāq (sing. ufuq, the far-off horizons), the annals of human history accumulated through
the centuries which contain naba’ and qasas (wisdom), using various means of sam‘ (auditory),
basar (visionary) and fu’ād (reflective) observation, contemplation, the introspection and the
archeological surveys- as valid sources of knowledge. In other words, the proper study of
anything knowable, whether they be the microcosm of the atom or the macrocosm of the stars,
the depth of the self, the conduct of society, or the march of history, if done under the guidance
of the Revealed truth will complement the Truth of Revealed Knowledge; “for ultimately they
are derived from the same source: God, the Originator of all things” (Daud, 1980).

There are many other classifications as well. They all recognize Revelation as the highest source,
that knowledge obtained through revelation is certain without doubt. The also recognize rational
sciences as well sense perception and empirical observation as sources of knowledge. This is
denoted by the classification of Imam al-Ghazali (R) of knowledge, which is as follows:
A. The religious sciences (al-ulum al-shar’iyyah)
1. The sciences of the fundamental principles (al-usul); The sciences of divine unity (Ilm al-
tawhid), prophethood, the hereafter, and the sources of religious knowledge.
2. The sciences of branches (ilm al-furu’) or derived principle; The sciences of man’s
obligation to God, to society, and to his own soul
3. The auxiliary sciences (muqaddimat): The science of writing and branches of the
linguistic science
4. The supplementary sciences (mutammimat): The Qur’anic sciences, tradition,
jurisprudence and the biography of prophets, companions of the Prophet and illustrious men
B. The Intellectual sciences (al-ulum al-aqliyyah)
1. Mathematics: Arithmatic, Goemetry, Astronomy and astrology, Logic
2. Physics or natural science: Medicine, Meterorology, Mineralogy, Alchemy
3. Metaphysics
(Rosnani, 2004, pp. 238-239)
Put it shortly, the concept of knowledge is so extensive to cover the compendium of sciences in
the Revealed, Intermediary Human Sciences as well as Physical and Natural categories, but
designed within the Revealed faith-centred framework. The developments and discoveries
outside the Revealed-faith framework, for certain, have their own contributions; and Islamic
education could benefit from them, but after ‘purging’ the impurities and sieving them in the
mould of Islamic Worldview. It is in this respect, that the Revealed faith-related principles,
themes and values play the harmonizing and integrating role, giving the intellectual endeavour a

4
purpose (Shafeeq, 2011). Consequently, the curriculum of the ‘Islamic education institutions,
necessarily should not be confined in the ‘pure religious studies’, rather to be extended to cover
the humanities, social sciences as well as physical and natural sciences. Figure 1 summarizes
these points, rather denotes to the ‘unitary consistency of the Islamic worldview’, and by
extension, the unitary and holistic nature of Islamic education.

Revealed Sciences

Intermediary Physical and

Human Sciences Natural Sciences

Figure 1: Islamic Education’s Fields of Enquiry

Islamic Education Tradition in Kerala

Roland Eric Miller (1974), undertook an in-depth study on Islamic trend in south-west Indian
Muslims, who then popularly were known as Mappilas. He discusses the madāris in Kerala
under chapter four on political, social, economic and educational issues facing the Mappila
Muslims community from a historical point of view. Miller (1974), primarily criticizing the
formal turnabout of Muslim religious scholars on issues the Muslim, and their failure even to
deal effectively with the sacred principles of Islam. That the then Muslim religious scholars saw
themselves as mere transmitters of the past knowledge, not as providers of creative solutions to
various socio-cultural and socio-economic issues was the main problem. They failed to guide the
Muslim community when they were struggling to cope up with the rapid changes happening
around and were looking ‘for men of integrity, who combined the deep and wide knowledge of
religion with an understanding of contemporary world and its problems’ (pp. 370-373, as cited
in Shafeeq 2011, p. 27).
“The Mappilas had maintained a defensive attitude against the changes that were taking place in
society and had remained essentially pre modern in outlook” (Miller, p. 204, as cited in Ibid) . It
was indifference to secular education that was responsible for Mappila inequality with other
communities and for the loss of their good characters. By being uneducated, Mappilas not only
hindered the advance of their own community and the nation but, also the Islamic faith itself
(Miller, p. 207, as cited in Ibid). By the turn of 20th century, the leaders of the community
realized that the traditional opposition to secular education had placed the Mappilas in an
impossible situation. The modernist leaders further thought that traditional group is further
responsible for blocking their progress, retarding the community economically and creating a
‘public image and private mentality of backwardness’ (Miller, 1976, p. 206, as cited Ibid).
In response, modernists came up with the interpretations of Islam and set up institutions that
combined both traditional Islamic as well. They went for a radical overhaul of the traditional
system of religious education, running literally thousands of madrasas-cum- schools in the state.
As Zubair (2005) notes, religious scholars who follow the tradition of Islam so closely, were
indifferent to Muslim modernists approach to total overhauling of the traditional system of
Islamic education. Nevertheless, their stance was not total negation of mainstream education

5
system. They played proactive roles in response to the emergence of new Muslim religious
organizations. Selectively and cautiously, they actually facilitated for it. Zubair (2005) in a
recent study on ‘Development and Modernisation of Religious Education in Kerala: The Role of
the Samastha Kerala Jameyyat ul-Ulama (All Kerala Scholars’ Association)’, discusses the
contribution of this group of scholars in general fashion. He challenges the general notions that
the traditionalist ‘ulamā’ are necessarily and wholly opposed to ‘modernity’. He notes that far
from being wholly opposed to change, the traditionalist ‘ulamā’ are responding creatively to the
demands of modernity by attempting to fashion their own Islamic version of it.
According to Miller (1976), “their attitude was one of gradualist approach and cautious
compromise, as opposed to submission and hostility” (p. 303). The ‘ulamā’s readiness to accept
some of the forms of modernity, but ignoring its spirit, lead to events like the birth of Farook
College, near Feroke, Calicut in 1948, the formation of Muslim Education Association (MES) in
1964, and gradual dissemination of modern modes of education among Muslims. Although, a
multi-faceted change gradually gripped all sectors of the Muslim community, the traditional
system of religious higher education continued in its old style without any change. Furthermore,
the idea of ‘integration of Islamic and modern sciences’ especially in those madāris which cater
for Islamic religious higher education was not favourably received by the traditional Muslim
scholars. As a result, “most of the experiments to integrate both religious and secular stream of
education were limited to primary levels” (Zubair. 2005, p. 8).
Dars System
The first mode of public education in Islamic religious studies started in Kerala through Dars in
mosques. Dars simply means a lesson given to students, or a course of study. The Dars was a
prototype of the system that the Prophet himself had arranged in Madīnah, the Suffah School.
The oldest Dars is the one held at Tanur Valiya Kulangara Mosque at Tanur, Malappuram where
eminent scholars from Yemen, Egypt, Hadhramaut, and Hijaz are said to have conducted classes
(Islamic Encyclopaedia Malayalam, 2005). Another important one was conducted at the Jum‘ah
Masjid at Ponnani, in the district of Malappuram which was, as a centre of Muslim learning,
called the ‘little Makkah’ of Malabar” (Randathani, 2005, p. 5). Shaikh Ahmad Zainuddin, the
lesser or second Makhdūm who wrote Fat’h al-Mu‘īn in jurisprudence, was attached to the
Ponnani Dars. The system worked well till the earlier part of the 20th century, and ceased to
survive with its traditional glory as stagnation gripped the Mappilas Muslims (Miller, 1974, p.
367). Other famous durūs were held in mosques of Kodungallur, Quilon, Calicut, Ponnani,
Chaliyam and Tanur (Zubair, 2006).
The Keralite Islamic educational curricula in the past and the present put the jurisprudence (fiqh)
in forefront of their teachings while the north Indian scholars gave the prime concern to the
commentaries of Qur’an and Hadith. This was because of the uncommendable influence of
Shaikh Ahmad Zainuddin and the like who were mainly focussed on the jurisprudence, on the
Keralite Muslims. Though this system gifted many high talented Muslim scholars and jurists to
the Keralites, later on, unfortunately it became a cause for the stagnancy even in other religious
fields of education.

6
Books taught in Durūs

Regular Dars
Faith (Aqīdah), Moral science (Akhlaq), ‘Asharat Kutab (10 short treatises on
Islamic mysticism (Tasawwuf), and fiqh various subjects in one compilation),
(‘Ibādāt) ‘Umdah al-Sālikīn wa ‘Uddah al-Nāsikīn
Arabic Syntax and Grammar Zanjān and Ajnās and Alfiyyah
Hadīth Mishkāt al-Masābih
Shāfi’ī jurisprudence Fat’h al-Mu‘īn
Advanced Dars
Qur’anic exegesis Tafsīr al-Jalālain and Tafsīr al-Baidāwi
Hadīth Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
Shafi’ī jurisprudence Mahalli and Thuhfatul Muhtāj
Geometry Uqlaidis (Euclid)
Astronomy Tashrīh al-Aflāk
Rhetorics Muktasar al-Ma‘āni, and Mutawwal
Logic Tashrīh al-Mantiq, Sharah al-Tahdīb,
Qutbi and Mulla Hasan
Philosophy Maibadi
Medicine Al-Rahmat

Compiled from Ali; Pasha, 2005; Zubair, 2005

The Islamic tradition of higher education which was inclusive of all branches of knowledge
relevant to human life was, towards the end of 19th century, left behind. And the Dars system
transformed in to a bare skeleton of knowledge in fiqh, Qur’an, Hadīth, and that too without the
spirit. It was in this regard in 1908, Chalilakath Kunchahmed Haji (d. 1919) attempted to revive
the authentic tradition of Dars system by re-introducing subjects such as Arabic language,
Arabic grammar, philology and rhetoric, logics, theology, Islamic Jurisprudence, tasawwuf,
tafsīr, Hadīth, Munāzarah, History, Geography, Astronomy, Engineering (handasah),
Mathematics and Malayalam in the Dars curriculum. Changes made by introducing the teaching
tools like globes, maps, chart, model and blackboard as well as the examination system. It thus
should be seen just the need of time, than being a reformation. The Dars, named as Madrasah
Darul Uloom, however continued only for a period of ten years, and made a revert to the
conventional, not the authentic Dars tradition. By upgrading into as an Arabic College in 1969,
its collapse was completed and it was permanently cut off the tradition.

7
Sharī‘ah Colleges
During these years, another group of institutions being inspired by the models of Darul Uloom,
Deoband in Uttar Pradesh and Bāqiyāth al-Ṣālihat Arabic College in Tamil Nadu, were
established as new avenues to impart Islamic religious higher education in Kerala.
Mostly, such experiments flourished under the leadership of Kerala graduates of higher
Seminaries like Bāqiyāth al-Ṣālihat Arabic College, Lathīfiyah Arabic College, Darul Uloom
Umarabad in Tamil Nadu. The founding leaders of most of the Islamic educational
organizations were also were the products of these higher seminaries. The fact that after
completing the primary level education, Kerala Muslim had to take the refuge for higher study at
Tamil Nadu or at some northern parts of India, made them think to start such a system in Kerala.
Many reform-oriented scholars were in the forefront in a bid to change the prevailing
‘conventional’ Dars system.
As Zubair (2006) observes, with the establishment of the Al-Jami‘a Al-Nooriya al-‘Arabiya in
1962 at Faizabad, Perintalmanna, the trend of transferring the traditional mode of learning from
mosques to separate building, with divided classes and provisions for examinations and
certificates started to crop up among Kerala Muslims. But in fact, these changes were very
superficial for the curricula remained narrow, cut off from the authentic tradition teaching
subjects like Munāzarah, History, Geography, Astronomy, Engineering (handasah),
Mathematics along with subjects directly related to religion such as ‘Arabic, the Qur’ān and
Tafsīr, Hadīth, theology and practical studies related to propagation of Islam (Da‘wah)’ (Miller,
1974, p. 369).

Dualistic system of Education

The dualistic system of education came to being by the colonial and foreign influence. In India,
the British introduced bifurcation in Indian education system for the first time. Though the
madāris during the Muslim rule failed to promote the wide knowledge system of Islam, the
instructions in them were not bifurcated into religious and secular streams. But, during the
British rule , in contrast to the British arrangement to teaching just legal aspects, the ‘ulamā’
focused more on safeguarding the ‘religious’ aspects. There happened a clear fight in the concept
of knowledge between the ‘ulamā’ and some Muslim intellectuals who started to ignore their
heritage instead of synthesizing the ‘inherited’ with the newer ones. On the one hand, the
narrow-concerns and isolationist stands of both the ‘ulamā’ and the ‘the reformists’, the hastiness
of the latter, and the absence of any cooperation between them, made any chances of integration
almost impossible. As a result, the traditionalists “rather reinforced the interpretation of the
concepts of knowledge and education in Islam to be narrow and parochial” (Daud, 1998, p. 27).
On the other hand, the modernists among Muslims started to overhaul the education system,
supplanting the traditional system with new European and Western models, but unaware of
‘philosophical and epistemological problems of modern secular scientific knowledge’ (Daud,
1998, p. 27).
In Kerala, these two trends did not exist in a confronting or exclusivist way, although the
mainstream system of secular education is so prevalent and almost all Muslim children get
educated in them. What makes Kerala significantly different, especially in the education sector is
that the traditionalist ‘ulamā’, far from being wholly opposed to change, responded creatively to

8
the demands of modernity by attempting to fashion their own Islamic version of it (Zubair,
2005). The ‘ulamā’s readiness to accept some of the forms of modernity, but ignoring its spirit,
lead to events like the birth of Farook College, near Feroke, Calicut in 1948, the formation of
Muslim Education Association (MES) in 1964, and gradual dissemination of modern modes of
education among Muslims. According to Miller (1973), “their attitude was one of gradualist
approach and cautious compromise, as opposed to submission and hostility” (p. 303). Thus, they
continuing the traditional system of religious higher education in its own style, they did not
receive the idea of ‘integration of Islamic and modern sciences’ especially in those madāris
which cater for Islamic religious higher education very favourably.

Efforts of Reforms and Analysis of Practices in Kerala

Many Indian scholars and intellectuals starting from Sir Sayed Ahmad Khan (1817-1898), Shibli
Nu‘mani (1857-1914), Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938), Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958),
Abul A‘la Mawdudi (1903-79) and others called for a changes in traditional religious education
system (Parveen, 2005). Similarly, many Indian scholars who wrote on traditional education in
madāris in India have also raised the question of the reform of the madāris curricula, for madāris
according to them do not in fact represent traditional system of religious education, but rather are
just remnant of the system of the period of Muslim rule in India (Mawdudi, 1985). In Kerala
also, various efforts were made.
Though various trends of reforms in Islamic educational tradition were put forward in Kerala,
like the Dars tradition, the narrow-conventional Dars tradition (including Sharī‘ah College), the
Arabic college tradition and Arts and Islamic Courses (AIC), they were also found ineffective.
The very present condition of Islamic higher education sector in Kerala stands now with the new
experiments like Darul Huda which meant to provide integrated modern and Islamic education.
But, even this has to pursue a long walk to reach back to routes of profound Islamic heritage.
The focal point of these various demands for change was that, in the present times, the madāris
and their graduates fail to serve the socio- economic and political needs of the present Muslim
community; meaningfully respond to the changing needs of contemporary Indian society at
large; they contribute only in a limited way to fulfilling the religious needs of its graduates, lest
the modern and worldly needs (Mawdudi, 1985; Sikand, 2005).
The limited curriculum, lacking of education in modern sciences and modem languages as well
as any understanding of different cultures, closure against any influences from the outside, more
interest in 'the other within' rather than integration into the outside world can be considered as
the various limitations and deficiencies of madāris. Because of these limitations, according to
Jan-Peter and Hartung (2006), “although many representatives of madrasa institutions are open
to and interested in dialogue with outsiders, they are able to dialogue on the same level because
they lack any secular understanding of religion, which dominates most discourses in the West”
(p. 11). Although various measures such as modernization, reformation, integration, and
Islamization were put forward as strategies in order to support madāris to open up to the
challenges of the 21st century, Muslim educationists are of the view that, no accepted theory of
Islamic education has yet been formed.
The failure of madāris system resulted seriously in failure of maintaining a comprehensive
Islamic worldview. The spirit of Islam was neglected, the prestigious heritage of Muslims was

9
lost and the religion was narrowed to the mere relation between man and his God limiting it to
just few rituals. In fact, it isolated the Muslims from being the role models who can get engage
creatively in the social activities and elevate the status of community. That the perfect
knowledge system will or can result in a great ‘Islamic’ success even in political arena was the
great lesson from the life of the great revivalist Imam Gazali. He intended the revival of Islamic
world, helping the Muslims grasp the wider meaning of knowledge in Islam through ‘The
Revival of Islamic Sciences’ . Its influence will be understood properly while we realize that
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Ayyūbi (r), the conqueror was inspired by the knowledge system of Imam Gazali
and tharbiyya (breeding or civilizing) of Shaik Abdul Qadir al Jilani. Gazali revived the religious
sciences and saved it from the encroachment of Greek philosophies through his book and Shaik
Jilani saved the people from the transient pleasure of material life and brought them to the way
of Devine piety. And thus, Ayyubi could make his tremendous political victory over the well
structured philosophical and cultural basement built by them.

Conclusion
The history of Islamic education in India is tied with the introduction of Islam in India. Thus,
different means of introduction of Islam in India determined the course of the development of
educational institutions for higher Islamic education in the North and South. Even in the changed
circumstances of contemporary world, the Islamic education institutions in India still carry the
old-baggage of Muslim rulers that at no stage of the curriculum decision making, the coupled
vision of intellectual dynamism and spiritual activisms that Islam propounds are targeted. As a
result, the graduates of these institutions fail in the wider process of identity formation in the
secular-democratic state of India. It is in fact in such contexts, the crucial need and subsequent
plan to explore new ways of imagining the role of religion to develop and implement a
comprehensive curriculum should be well coordinated (Zaman, 2002; AbuSulayman, 2009). As
AbuSulaiman (2009) has notified, “if the Muslim world wishes to set the reform agenda on the
right track, its priorities have to be reflected in an educational reform plan” (p. 43). Only when
various choices regarding the knowledge, values and skills to be imparted through Islamic
education curricula are mould in the crucible of Islam, these institutions can genuinely and most
effectively serve Muslims. The challenge that these institutions should take is to transform them
as the true bastion of believers in essence and spirit. The graduates of these institutions will have
to have deep-level mastery and proficiency of relevant authentic Islamic disciplines, working
familiarity of the modern disciplines and various intellectual skills, that they develop a holistic
approach to Islam. The deep acquaintance with the relevant modern disciplines would assist
them to appraise the modern western disciplines. Thus, they should be able to develop certain
practical intellectual and spiritual skills in the learners, and accordingly provide visionary
leadership, for these institutions should take the task of preparing scholars to fulfill the legacy of
holy prophets of Islam, both in theoretical and practical terms into serious concern.
Presented from the point of Islam, the human beings need knowledge to nourish the
transcendental and spiritual, but essential component resident in their body, i.e., the soul, along
with knowledge required to fulfill the grandness of responsibility as servant (abd) and vicegerent
of Almighty Allah (khalifah) on the earth, which is also due the presence of spiritual soul. The
revelation, thus, provides a system of beliefs, which is a direct and immediate disclosure of what
God wants man to realize on earth. Caring for the spiritual values does not mean the suppression
of the biological or social needs [28]. Therefore, the Intermediary Human and Physical and

10
Natural sciences comprise ‘all possible avenues of reflective, contemplative, and imagery
methods of acquiring knowledge.’ The hierarchy and rank of ‘knowledge’ under each source is
determined by their degree of contribution to the perfection of man’s knowledge of God, and to
‘the perfection of the soul to the point of being God-like, either directly or indirectly’ (Daud,
1990 as cited in Shafeeq, 2011).
This suggest to the wide and extensive scope as well as complex nature of the concept of
Knowledge in Islam. That is, a Muslim should develop the idea of ‘knowledge’ within the
purview of ‘faith structure,’ and thereby providing universal and objective code of ‘virtues’
which humans need to personalize and realize in the psyhco-social and civilizational dimension
of real life. Thus, in total, there are five structures within the Islamic Worldview (IW): the faith,
knowledge, virtue structures which are the theoretical and conceptual foundations of IW,
whereas the Psycho-Social and Civilization structures are applied and practical foundations.
Essential concepts, themes and practices related to ‘knowledge’ as well as the relation, pattern
and fundamental principles under each of these five domains or dimensions, therefor should be
regulated by the criteria and parameters of the Holy Qur’an and the Prophetic tradition. It is in
this regard, the institutions providing for the Islamic education should once again be revitalized.
They should be reviving the authenticity of the Islamic principles, their pragmatic worth and
ultimately the Islamic intellectual and spiritual tradition. They need to develop new insights and
experiences relevant to the socio-cultural life of the present times. From Islamic point of view
‘knowledge’ although theocentric in essence is anthropocentric from realistic and practical terms.
Hence, it is essential that institutions providing for the Islamic Education to initiate concerted
effort to gather various related scholars to develop means of practically implementing in a
collective effort (ijma’).

References
Abu Sulaiman, Abdul Hamid. (2009). The Revitalization of Higher Education: The IIUM as a
Model. In S. A. Idid (Ed.), IIUM at 25: The Path Travelled and the Way Forward (pp. 35-59).
Kuala Lumpur: IIUM Press.
Açikgenç, Alparslan. (1996). Islamic Science: Towards a Difinition. Kuala Lumpur:
International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC).
al-Attas, Syed Mohammad Naquib. (1989). Islam and the Philosophy of Science. Kuala Lumpur:
International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization.
al-Attas, Syed Mohammad Naquib. (1990). The nature of man and the psychology of the human
soul. Kuala Lumpur: Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization.
al-Attas, Syed Muhammad Naquib. (1979). Preliminary thought on the nature of knowledge and
the definition and aims of education. In S. M.-A. (Ed.), Aims and objectives of Islamic education
(pp. 20-21). Jeddah: King Abdul Aziz University.

11
al-Zeera, Zahra. (2001). Wholeness and Holiness in Education: As Islamic Perspective. Herndon:
The Internation Institute of Islamic Thought.
Amjad, Naumana. (1992). Psyche in Islamic Gnostic and Philosophical Tradition. In Ansari
Zafar Afaq (ed.), Qur’anic Concept of Human Psyche (pp. 39 – 56). Islamabad: International
Institute of Islamic Thought.
Ansari, Zafar Afaq. (1992). Qur'anic concepts of Human Psyche. Islamabad: Internation Institute
of Islamic Thought.
Daud, Wan, Wan Mohd Nor. (1989). The Concept of Education in Islam and its Implication for
Education in a Developing Country. Lond and New York: Mansell.
Daud, Wan, Wan Mohd Nor. (1998). The Educational Philosophy and Practice of Syed
Muhammad Naquib al-Attas: An Exposition of the Original Concept of Islamization. Kuala
Lumpur: International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization.
Hartung, Jan-Peter. (2006). Towards a Reform of the Indian Madrasa? An Introduction. In J.-P.
Hartung, & H. Riefeld, Islamic Education: Diversity and National Identity (pp. 11-36). New
Delhi: Sage Publications.
Mawdudi, Abul A'la. (1985). The Education. Delhi: Markazi Makthaba .
Miller, Ronald Eric. (1974). Mappila Muslims of Kerala: A Study in Islamic Trends. Greek
Canada: The Hartford Seminary Foundation.
Muhammad al’Mahdi (2004). Three Contemporary Reformers in Islam: Their Ideas on Being
Khalifah of Allah, Ampang, Malaysia: The Khalifah Institute.
Osman Bakar. (1991). Tawhid and Science: Essays on the History and Philosophy of Islamic
Science. Kuala Lumpur: Secretariat for Islamic Philosophy and Science.
Parveen, Nusba. (2005). Muslim Education Reforms in Nineteenth Century India: An Analysis of
Shibli Nu‘mani's Thought and Practice. Unpublished doctoral dissertation: Interantional Islamic
University Malaysia.
Pasha, Mustafa Kamal. (2005). Why Should We Popularise Dars? (Malayalam). Kerala, Edayur:
Blossom Books.
Randathani, Hussain. (2005). Genesis and Growth of the Mappila Community. Retrieved
January 21, 2010. www.Jaihoon.com.
Rosnani Hashim. (2004). Educational Dualism in Malaysia: Implication for Theory and
Practice. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press.
Shafeeq Hussain Vazhathodi. (2011). An Analysis of the Foundations of Islamic Education
Curriculum: Implications on the Curricula of Islamic Religious Higher Education Institutions in
Kerala. Unpublished doctoral thesis, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
Sikand, Yoginder. (2005). Bastion of Believers: Madrasas and Islamic Education in India. New
Delhi: Penguin Books.
Zaman, Muhammad Qasim. (1999). Religious Education and the Rhetoric of Reform: The
Madrasa in British India and Pakistan. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 41 (02), 294-
323.

12
 Zubair, K. (2005). Development and Modernisation of Religious Education in Kerala: Role of
Samastha Kerala Jam'eyyat ul-Ulama. New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University.

13

View publication stats