Epigraph
(Reading Time:
Approximately 5-6 minutes)
إِنَّ هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ يَهْدِى لِلَّتِى هِىَ أَقْوَمُ
"Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most upright."
— Qur’an, al-Isrā’ (17:9)
"The corruption of knowledge comes from blind
following, where the intellect is suspended and truth is measured by
personalities rather than by evidence."
— Ibn Khaldūn, Muqaddimah
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Georges
Clemenceau (1841–1929), the renowned French statesman, once observed:
"War is much too serious a matter to be entrusted to the
military."
This
assertion, pointed, provocative, and deeply reflective, can be applied to the
contemporary teaching of Islamic Studies, perhaps with even greater urgency.
The
instruction of this profound and sensitive discipline is far too consequential
to be left solely to traditional clerics or, for that matter, to those holding
degrees in Islamic Studies — whether MA, MPhil, or even PhD — without a broader
intellectual and moral framework. In Pakistan’s current religious and academic
landscape, formal qualifications alone often fail to guarantee depth,
impartiality, or Qur’anic fidelity.
Too often,
Islamic education in our context functions not as a bridge toward shared
understanding but as a tool for entrenching sectarian allegiances. Instructors
— sometimes inadvertently — glorify their sectarian interpretations, rarely
subjecting them to critical scrutiny or independent thought. The Qur’an, rather
than being approached as a living and dynamic source of moral guidance, is
frequently reduced to a static text interpreted exclusively through inherited
dogma.
This
narrow, and at times rigid, pedagogical model contributes to the perpetuation
of problematic theological ideas, such as:
- That Jihad is primarily
a militant endeavor for Islam’s expansion
- That Khilafah must be
re-established through political or militant struggle, often idealizing
early history without contextual nuance
- That Muslims are guaranteed
salvation merely by virtue of their religious identity — mirroring the
very presumptions the Qur’an critiques in the Children of Israel
- That non-Muslims are to be
viewed categorically as kafir in the most pejorative and
exclusionary sense
These
latent yet perilous assumptions often go unchallenged. Alarmingly, they persist
in the religious imagination, although the Qur’an itself repeatedly contests
such notions.
What is
needed is not merely reform in curriculum but a reimagining of Islamic
Studies as a discipline rooted in intellectual honesty, Qur’an-centric
interpretation, historical awareness, and moral reasoning. It must rise above
emotional rhetoric and uncritical loyalty to inherited sectarian paradigms.
The
teaching of Islamic Studies must, therefore, be entrusted to individuals who
combine academic integrity with spiritual sensitivity — people drawn not only
from seminaries or universities, but also from civil society: scholars,
educators, professionals, and thinkers who approach the Qur’an directly,
engaging it with humility, rational inquiry, and a commitment to universal
ethical principles.
Only then
can Islamic Studies evolve into a truly transformative discipline, one that
nurtures hearts, sharpens minds, and bridges divisions.
Aamir
Yazdani
