Be Masters in That You Teach and Continue to Learn: Medieval Muslim Thinkers on Educational Theory

This article presents some initial results from research for [the book] "Medieval Muslim Thinkers on Education: Insights into Islam's Classical Pedagogical Theories," planned to be completed in 2007. Sections I and II of the present article revisit certain topics also discussed in a previous article. This article started out to provide insights into the developments of Islam's classical pedagogical tradition, attempting to show that medieval Muslim scholars have made serious contributions to humanity in various areas of education. It has become evident that the theoretical considerations, which medieval Muslim thinkers offer, are highly intellectual. Yet, they also display a desire for practical wisdom about learning and teaching, along with care for the ethical, moral, and emotional aspects of education. Finally, spiritual and religious components of knowledge acquisition and learning are of fundamental significance to them, with the Qur'anic revelation and the virtues of Islam placed at the very heart of Islamic education. (DIPF/orig.).