Education and methods of teaching in Islam in the era of Az-Zarnooji

Abstract EN

Education has always been a major concern of the Muslim peoples.

It was launched by the Prophet Muhammad who was not only the preacher of a new religion and the head of the new community, but also an effective teacher and an enthusiastic promoter of learning.

Islam is a knowledge-based religion, a religion of the Book.

Since Muslim civilization has religion as a unifying factor, it is naturally based on the Qur'an and the tradition (Hadith).

As soon as the mosque became the place of worship, it also became the first school in Islam and the main place for spreading Islamic education.

Education as a profession was approached by the Arabs seriously and with great care.

They tried to understand the nature and the capabilities of their pupils and examined the teachers' responsibility for making learning happen.

We know very little about the methods and teaching patterns in pre-medieval and medieval times.

Muslim historians have rather concentrated upon political and military activities and neglected social and educational topics.

However, there is an important book written in the late twelfth century by a great Moslem who played a major role in the field of education but went unnoticed by most researchers, Burhan ad-Din/al-Islam Az-Zarnooji (hereafter referred to as A-Z) which he developed in his book Ta’lim al-Muta’llem-Tariq at-Ta’llum which is in my translation – Instructing (Teaching) the Learner: Methods of (Self) Learning, or Instruction of the Student: The Method of Learning as quoted in Von Grunebaum and Theodora Abel, 1947, or Teaching the Learner the Methods of Learning as quoted in Reda, 1979).

In A-Z's small but rich booklet, his educational percepts are well constructed and logically exposed.

He stresses the importance of "educational values".

Getting his inspiration from the Qur'an and considering its value in successful education, the author asserts that thinking is the source and the motivator of achievement.

Thanks to the importance of Instructing (Teaching) the Learner: Methods of (Self) Learning", A-Z can be considered as one of the fathers of the modern theories of teaching.