A Vision of Effective Islamic Education

Islamic society is founded on the principles of belief and righteous conduct. Islamic religious instruction, in the recent centuries, has been taught primarily as a body of information, rather than as a body of experiences.They will become moral individuals by cultivating their minds and hearts, and by having opportunities to actually see and apply Islamic values in practice.
The pervasive influence of secular materialism and its value system seriously challenges religious-minded individuals and communities. Islamic education must be able to produce Muslim youth that are able to identify, understand and then work cooperatively to solve the problems that face their community and the world in which they live and for which they are responsible. This, I believe, is the most effective form of Islamic da’wah.
This vision, in fact, is not really a "new vision," but rather a "renewed vision" of Islamic education. This is the challenge of modern-day Islamic education. The vision of Islamic education presented here makes a fundamental distinction between teaching about "Islam" and teaching about "being Muslim.". Finally, in order to achieve the goals of Islamic education it is essential to gain the active involvement of parents.
In developing our approach, we should not hesitate to benefit from recent educational research.. Effective Islamic teaching and learning must also be integrated. It must encompass and engage the whole child, spiritually, emotionally, socially, intellectually and physically. In addition, Islamic teaching and learning should be integrative across a broad range of topics and in its treatment of these topics. It should be integrative across time and place as well as integrative across the curriculum. It must integrate knowledge, beliefs, and values with action and application. Most important of all, effective Islamic teaching and learning must be value-based. By focusing on values and by considering the ethical dimensions of topics, Islamic education becomes a powerful vehicle for character and moral development, thus achieving its real purpose. Educators must realize that every aspect of the teaching-learning experience conveys values to students and provides opportunities for them to learn about values. From the selection of content, materials and activities, to the arrangement of the classroom, to class rules and management style, students are exposed to and learn values. Teachers must therefore develop a better awareness of their own values and how those values influence their behavior as role-models and what students ultimately learn from these experiences about themselves, about others and about Islam. Students must be challenged to thoughtfully examine the topics they are studying, to participate assertively in group discussions, to work productively in cooperative learning activities, and to come to grips with controversial issues. Such activities and experiences will help foster the skills needed to produce competent Muslims who are capable of presenting and defending their beliefs and principles effectively.
Finally, effective Islamic teaching and learning must be active.These are the key factors for effective Islamic teaching and learning. The vision of effective Islamic teaching and learning set forth here is based on a dynamic, rather than static, view of Islam and Islamic education. This view is rooted in the belief that the mission of Islam is to positively affect and transform the world, and that the purpose of Islamic education is to prepare young men and women who are capable of carrying out this mission—emotionally, morally, and intellectually.