Religious Studies: An International Journal

Curriculum Revolution in Muslim Classrooms: Contemporary Reforms from the Gulf to Southeast Asia

Zakarya Qudri Amin — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the "curriculum revolution" currently underway in Muslim classrooms, analyzing contemporary reforms of Islamic education across a vast geographical and socio-political landscape, specifically comparing efforts in the Gulf states and Southeast Asia. The research operates on the premise that globalized challenges—ranging from economic diversification needs to counter-extremism efforts—have necessitated fundamental shifts in how religious and secular knowledge are integrated and delivered. The study contrasts two distinct drivers of reform: In the Gulf states, reforms are often top-down, state-mandated, and primarily focused on modernizing curricula to support high-tech, post-oil economies while maintaining doctrinal conformity and national stability. Conversely, reforms in Southeast Asia (e.g., Malaysia and Indonesia) are often characterized by more decentralized, bottom-up movements, aiming for greater religious pluralism, democratic citizenship, and balancing traditional pesantren or madrasah education with modern skills development. By employing a comparative policy and content analysis, this paper assesses the scale and impact of these curriculum changes on learning materials, pedagogical practices, and teacher training. The findings highlight both the common challenges—such as overcoming institutional inertia and negotiating religious authority—and the varied successes in producing graduates equipped for the 21st century. Ultimately, the article illuminates how these curriculum revolutions reflect the diverse national projects of modernization within the Muslim world.

State, Mosque, and Classroom: Comparative Policy Frameworks for Islamic Education in Muslim-Majority Nations

Hafith Abbas — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article presents a comparative policy analysis of the varied and often tension-filled relationship between the State, the Mosque, and the Classroom in shaping Islamic education across Muslim-majority nations. While the essential goal of Islamic education—the spiritual, moral, and intellectual development of the individual (tarbiyah and ta’lim)—remains constant, the policy frameworks governing its provision, curriculum, and funding differ significantly based on national history, political ideology, and the state’s approach to religious authority.The study identifies and contrasts three primary models of governance: State Control, where religious schooling is fully nationalized and integrated into the public system (e.g., Turkey or Indonesia's strong ministerial oversight); Dual System, where state-run secular education exists alongside largely autonomous, Mosque-affiliated madrasah networks (e.g., Pakistan or parts of Sub-Saharan Africa); and Managed Partnership, where the State provides funding and regulatory standards to communal or private Islamic institutions in exchange for curriculum compliance (e.g., Malaysia). By examining these models, the research explores the resulting outcomes in three key areas: curriculum integration (secular vs. religious content), teacher accreditation, and the citizenship formation of graduates. The findings illuminate how policy choices determine the balance of traditional religious knowledge with modern skill acquisition, offering critical insights into the ongoing efforts to reform Islamic education to meet both theological imperatives and contemporary developmental goals.

FORTRESSES OF IDENTITY UNDER THE STATE'S SHADOW: A Comparative Study of Madrasas in Preserving Islam in Indonesia and The Republic of Tatarstan, Russia

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study explores how Islamic educational institutions preserve identity under the shadow of the modern state by comparing madrasas in Indonesia and Tatarstan (Russia). Both operate under vastly different political skies, Indonesia as a Muslim-majority democracy with a state-recognized Islamic education system, and Tatarstan as a Muslim republic within a secular federation still marked by Soviet legacies. Yet both share a common calling: to defend faith, culture, and community within the constraints of power. Using comparative historical and policy analysis, the research draws from national laws, ministerial decrees, official curricula, and scholarly literature to uncover how madrasas negotiate survival. Findings reveal two distinct paradigms of resilience. In Indonesia, the madrasa functions as a fortress of integration: protected and regulated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, it balances Islamic authenticity with national pluralism through a tripartite curriculum and institutional alignment. In Tatarstan, by contrast, the madrasa emerges as a fortress of cultural survival: rebuilt after Soviet repression, it preserves Islam by fusing faith with Tatar ethnic identity and aligning with the state’s notion of “traditional Islam.” Despite their differences, both models show that the madrasa is not a relic but a living institution, adaptive, political, and deeply rooted in the moral imagination of its people. The study concludes that the preservation of Islamic identity is less about isolation than negotiation: a dynamic process shaped by how institutions read, respond to, and sometimes repurpose the state’s shadow.

Public and Private in Muslim Education: Funding, Control, and Autonomy Across Different Systems

Abou Yakuub Mahmoud — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article undertakes a comparative analysis of the complex dynamics between public (state-funded) and private (non-state) provision in Muslim education across diverse global contexts, framing an investigation into how varied systems of funding, control, and institutional autonomy fundamentally shape the educational experience and outcomes for Muslim students. The research identifies three main overlapping models: fully public systems, where the state entirely funds and manages the curriculum, leading to lower institutional autonomy but higher standardization; fully private/Waqf systems, historically self-funded through endowments or community tuition, enjoying high autonomy but often facing challenges in quality assurance; and hybrid systems, where private institutions receive significant state subsidies in exchange for curriculum compliance and regulatory oversight, creating a delicate balance between public control and private autonomy. By analyzing policy documents and case studies from multiple countries, this paper explores the trade-offs inherent in each system, revealing that the source of funding and the degree of state control directly impact pedagogical freedom, curricular flexibility, and the ability of institutions to balance traditional religious learning with modern skill acquisition. The study offers insights crucial for policymakers navigating the tension between national educational goals and the community's desire for religious self-determination.

Epistemological Models in Islamic Education from Morocco to Malaysia

Walter Hayden — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article explores the epistemological models underpinning Islamic education across a wide geographical and cultural spectrum, specifically contrasting the approaches found in Morocco and Malaysia. The study posits that despite the shared core tenets of Islam, the ways in which knowledge is defined, acquired, validated, and transmitted have developed along divergent paths shaped by local intellectual traditions, colonial legacies, and modern state frameworks. In Morocco, the epistemological model often emphasizes a deep-rooted Maliki fiqh tradition and ulama-led institutions, prioritizing continuity with classical Islamic scholarship and a more unified, textual-based understanding of religious knowledge. Conversely, in Malaysia, the model is characterized by greater engagement with modern, often state-controlled educational structures, integrating diverse sources of knowledge and negotiating between traditional madrasah learning and modern scientific curricula, reflecting a more pluralistic and adaptive epistemology. By employing a comparative analysis, this research identifies the key pedagogical implications and curriculum differences resulting from these distinct epistemological stances. The findings illuminate how varied interpretations of "Islamic knowledge" lead to different educational outcomes, offering critical insights for policymakers and educators seeking to harmonize Islamic principles with contemporary educational needs in a globalized world.