Berita

Yogyakarta—There have been two common models of university in the World, namely pure Islamic University that taught the students about religious subjects only including Syariah, Ushuludin, Arabic Language, and pure conventional university that teaches the students the human knowledge such as History, Math, Geography, etc. Al-Azhar university has been the example of the first model while Harvard and Oxford university are the common model of the second one. Hence, it is very important to first dig deeper in several models applied in the world’s education system before bringing a reform of higher education curricula in the Muslim world today.

The previous address has been delivered in the third day of ITYEILDS by Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Wira Jamil Osman, Director of International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), East and South East Asia. This session was held in Amphitheatre, 4^th floor, Pascasarjana Building on July 10, 2018 and attended by approximately 150 participants. He then emphasized that the Muslim education has predominantly adopted western education system which tended to separate what is considered Islamic subject and what is regarded as human sciences encompassing engineering, technology, health and medical science. Thus, Islamization is urgently needed to deal with this serious problem.

He explained that “Islamization usually defined as a process to Islamize in term of faith, belief or worldview and thus it is applied to human beings. This secularization, especially of education has caused the loss of adab or discipline of mind, spirit and body which led to confusion among Muslims especially that related to the hierarchy of knowledge and thus, the position of its possessors. That knowledge has lost its sacredness means that we need to regain it through Integration of Knowledge.”

In this occasion, Prof. Aslam Haneef, Director at Centre for Islamic Economics, IIUM highlighted also the Integration of Knowledge (IOK) with special emphasis on Economics, saying: “IOK is de-westernizing modern economics and then infusing it with Islamic values/principles; Recasting modern economics by eliminating, amending, reinterpreting and adapting its components according to worldview of Islam and its values/principles. Both imply that focus of Islamization of Economics must include an epistemological and methodological concern something that is not usually given concern.” Since the contemporary of Islamic economics and finance relies greatly on input coming from turath and modern knowledge. In each of those two, there is substantive and methodological knowledge that have also several schools and areas. The task is thus more sophisticated.

“There is a lack of textbook in teaching Islamic Economics, while at the same time it is crucial to enhance the knowledge of lecturers based on IOK agenda. That will be a major challenge since ‘dualism’ among academics are still prevalent” said Prof. Aslam, concluding his presentation. [Aw]