Child Education: Islamic Perspective VS Secular Perspective

Presenters:Hendon Alias – G1111334

Siti Naquiah Mohd Hanapi – G1224090

Lecturer:Dr. Nor Azian Md Noor

Subject:Advanced Educational Psychology – EDP6203

Presentation Outline1. Video Presentation

– Animation showing the conception, prenatal development, and birth of human being with evidences from the Qur’an entitled “Islam and Qur’an: how we were born?”.

2. Child Education from Islamic Perspective: An Overview– Based on the journal article written by Asmaa’ Mohd Arshad entitled “A Comparative

Analysis of al-Ghazali and Miskawaih on Child Education”.

3. Child Education from Secular Perspective: An Overview– Based on the journal article written by Erik Erikson entitled “The Problem of Ego Identity”.

4. Comparison of Islamic and Secular Perspectives on Child Education– From the perspectives of al-Ghazali, Miskawaih, and Erikson.

5. Discussion of Selected Article on Child Education– Based on the newspaper article by Thomas L. Friedman entitled

“How About Better Parents?”

1. Video Presentation

Animation showing the conception, prenatal development, and birth of human being with

evidences from the Qur’an entitled “Islam and Qur’an: how we were born?”.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lHzM4_8IjQ

2. Child Education from Islamic Perspective: An OverviewBased on the article written by Asmaa’ Mohd

Arshad entitled “A Comparative Analysis of Al-Ghazali and Miskawaih on Child Education”.

2.1. The Concept of Family in Islam

Nucleus of Muslim society – special structure with mutual expectations prescribed by religion, reinforced by law, and internalized by individuals. [Hammudah ‘Abd al-‘ati]

Plays a vital role to transmit the religious and ethical values of Islam at the early stages of individuals’ lives.

Aims at forming an ideal personality which represents the identity of the society as a whole.

A father is mainly responsible to inculcate his child with proper education (yuhsina adabahu). [Prophet Muhammad PBUH]

2.2. Proper Education (Yuhsina Adabahu)

Symbiotic relationship of Islamic

creed (‘aqidah) and good character

(akhlaq)

Love of reciting the Qur’anFoundational

framework for every sphere of human life

Love of the prophetThe perfect man (al-insan

al-kamil) and the best model of conduct

(sunnah) guided by Qur’an

Love of the family membersFoundation to develop

religious values and ethical conducts to

form an ideal personality

Child education is a prophetic instruction based on the concept of children as a trust (al-amanah) and parents as the trustees of God.

Each child is naturally born with an innate disposition to recognize the true lordship of God (fitrah).

2.3. The Concept of Children in Islam

The actualization of these concepts require a comprehensive educational process (ta’dib):

• Ta’lim (knowledge transmission)• Tarbiyah (good breeding)• Riyadah (self-discipline)• Tazkiyat al-nafs (soul purification)• Tahdib al-akhlaq (character refinement)

Knowledge acquisition +

Spiritual and physical discipline=

Good character traits (husn al-khuluq)

al-Ghazali (1058 – 1111)

2.4. Childhood Inner Development 1. Faculty of desireThe first and the oldest to appear. Most difficult to restrain and discipline.i.e. The appetite for food – baby’s instinct seeking for milk without instructions.

2. Faculty of intellectNursing infants first learn via five senses – touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing.Upon completion, a child learns via imaginative spirit.i.e. A dog runs away seeing a stick that used to hit it.

Birth – Discernmen

t (Tamyiz)

3. Faculty of angerExists in a child approaching age of seven. Indispensable need for self-protection.i.e. Feels angry if anyone tries to take his or her belongings.

4. Faculty of discernmentAbility to distinguish between good and bad. Modesty reasoning religious accountability. Logical aptitude appears – ja’izah and mustahilah. i.e. 5 – 2 = 3 or 5 > 2

Discernment – Puberty

(Bulugh)

• Miskawaih (932 – 1030)• Miskawaih’s idea of the course of natural order (al-nizam al-

tabi’i) has lead al-Ghazali to develop four faculties of the soul

“Every child is born endowed with the sound natural disposition (al-fitrah); it is only his parents

who make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian.” (Prophet Muhammad SAW)

Nature

Some children are naturally born with good character traits:‘divine grace’ and ‘perfect innate disposition’ (bi-jud Ilahi wa kamal fitri)

But majority of men acquire good character traits via:1. Heredity (al-nasab)2. Habituation (al-I’tiyad)3. Learning (al-ta’allum)4. Association (al-mukhalatah)

Nurture

A father should educate his children to:1. Discipline (yu’addibahu)2. Attitude refinement (yuhadhdhibahu) 3. Teach good character (yu’allimahu mahasin al-akhlaq)4. Keep away (yahfazahu) from bad companions5. Not accustom to luxury (wa la yu’awwidahu al-tana’ ‘um)

Main objectives:1. Maintain and develop harmonious equilibrium of the four good faculties of the soul – knowledge, anger, desire, justice (balanced character traits)2. Achieve good spiritual health (sihhat al-nafs)3. Lead children to the straight path (al-sirat al-mustaqim)4. Strive to protect children from hellfire in the Hereafter

2.5. The Formation of Good Character

1. Choose the right wife for good genetic inheritance2. A perfectly educated mother transmits good upbringing3. Wet nurse from noble origin influences good physical, mental, and moral characteristics from the milk

1. Parental authority to determine peer group and protection from evil associates (those who talk nonsense, insult others, and accustomed to luxurious life)2. Avoid the amusements that stimulate desires like poems and songs for lovers which would implant ‘seeds of corruption’ in the heart

1. To counter-balance the excess and deficiency of the faculties of desire and anger2. Good habit is cultivated via discipline of eating manner, sleeping pattern, dressing, social conduct3. Use positive reinforcement ‘reward or punishment’ and ‘praise or threat’ based on different needs

1. Go to maktab at age seven to learn Qur’an (al-Ghazali), traditions, poems or stories of devout men (Miskawaih)2. Teacher (mu’allim) has the right to punish while parents should prepare children to bear the punishment3. Teacher-student relationship is based on compassion and affection4. Learning is a process of recollection (al-tadhakkur) of primordial identity

2.6. Influential Factors on Child Education

Habituation(al-I’tiyad)

Learning (al-ta’allum)

Socialization(al-mukhalatah)

Heredity(al-nasab)

3. Child Education from Secular Perspective: An Overview

Based on the article written by Erik Erikson entitled “The problem of Ego Identity”.

3.1. Stages of Psychosocial Development

Age Range

Personal Virtue

Psychosocial Crisis

Significant Relationship

Existential Question

Example

0 – 2 Hope Basic trust VS mistrust

Mother Can I trust the world?

Feeding and abandonment

2 – 4 Will Autonomy VS shame and

doubt

Parents Is it okay to be me? Toilet training and clothing

themselves

4 – 5 Purpose Initiative VS guilt Family Is it ok for me to do, move, and act?

Exploring and using tools or making arts

5 – 12 Competency Industry VS inferiority

Neighbors and school

Can I make it in the world of people

and things?

Schooling and playing sports

13 – 19 Fidelity Identity VS role confusion

Peer group and role model

Who am I? What Can I be?

Social relationship

Erik Erikson (1902 – 1994)Erikson characterizes five stages of childhood period as a function of negotiating biological and socio-cultural forces. Each stage identifies psychosocial crisis of these two conflicting forces.

4. Comparison of Islamic and Secular Perspectives on Child

EducationFrom the perspectives of al-Ghazali,

Miskawaih, and Erikson

Islamic Perpective (Miskawaih and al-Ghazali)

Aspect Secular Perspective (Erikson)

The Qur’an, hadith and sunnah of the prophet (al-Ghazali), and historical

accounts of devout men (Miskawaih)

Framework or references

Scientific method which is based on case studies

Prophet Muhammad PBUH Role model No

Lead children to the right path (al-sirat al-mustaqim) and strive to protect them

from hellfire in the Hereafter

Objectives Lead children to survive in their surroundings (conflicting forces of

biological and socio-cultural and does not believe in the concept of Hereafter

Parents involve directly in forming good characters of their children and

influence the way they think and act throughout the childhood period

Parents involvement

While parents should guide their children and provide them with comfortable lives, they pride the

concept of ‘freewill’

4.1. Islamic Perspective VS Secular Perspective

5. Discussion of Selected Article on Child Education

Based on the newspaper article by Thomas L. Friedman entitled “How About Better

Parents?”www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/how-about-better-parents-1.8758

• Family is the most important institution; nucleus in a Muslim society• Children deserve to receive proper education provided by parents• Each child is born with fitrah and ta’dib is the process to retain it

– Focus on balancing the four inner faculties experienced throughout childhood

• Child education in Islamic perspective:– Form good characters based on the akhlaq of Prophet Muhammad PBUH Lead to the

straight path Protect individuals from the hellfire in the Hereafter

• Child education in secular perspective:– Stages of childhood Different conflicting socio-cultural and biological forces Aim to

survive only in this world

• Parents must educate their children to instill good intention and respect teachers when seeking knowledge

Conclusion

Q&A Session