Twists and turns of Islamic education across the Islamic world

Knowledge has a central place in Islamic traditions. For Muslims, knowledge is not only a form of worship, but it is also an integral part of the code of conduct of the Muslim. Therefore, Islamic education should play a crucial role in the life of Muslims. However, given the diversity of the Muslim world and its spread across the world, Islamic education has experienced twists and turns to reflect this diversity. This diversity is also reflected in the ways in which Islamic knowledge is transmitted because of a range of influences, including, on the one hand, the social, cultural and political milieus of Muslim societies and, on the other, such critical issues as national educational policies and practices of these societies. This paper examines the development of Islamic education since its earliest history by focusing on the internal as well as the external factors that have shaped its development across the Muslim world. It also discusses changes and reforms that have taken place in the context of the on-going debate on the place of Islamic education in a globalized and secular world.