A presentation discussing the kind of education Islam emphasizes on children in comparison to that of Western perspective.

1. Child Education:
Islamic Perspective VS Secular Perspective
Presenters:
Hendon Alias – G1111334
Siti Naquiah Mohd Hanapi – G1224090
Lecturer:
Dr. Nor Azian Md Noor
Subject:
Advanced Educational Psychology – EDP6203

2. Presentation Outline
1. Video Presentation
– Animation showing the conception, prenatal development, and birth of human being with
evidences from the Qur’an entitled “Islam and Qur’an: how we were born?”.
2. Child Education from Islamic Perspective: An Overview
– Based on the journal article written by Asmaa’ Mohd Arshad entitled “A Comparative
Analysis of al-Ghazali and Miskawaih on Child Education”.
3. Child Education from Secular Perspective: An Overview
– Based on the journal article written by Erik Erikson entitled “The Problem of Ego Identity”.
4. Comparison of Islamic and Secular Perspectives on Child Education
– From the perspectives of al-Ghazali, Miskawaih, and Erikson.
5. Discussion of Selected Article on Child Education
– Based on the newspaper article by Thomas L. Friedman entitled
“How About Better Parents?”

3. 1. Video Presentation
Animation showing the conception, prenatal
development, and birth of human being with
evidences from the Qur’an entitled “Islam and
Qur’an: how we were born?”.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lHzM4_8IjQ

4. 2. Child Education from Islamic
Perspective: An Overview
Based on the article written by Asmaa’ Mohd
Arshad entitled “A Comparative Analysis of Al-
Ghazali and Miskawaih on Child Education”.

5. 2.1. The Concept of Family in Islam
Nucleus of Muslim society – special structure with mutual expectations prescribed by
religion, reinforced by law, and internalized by individuals. [Hammudah ‘Abd al-‘ati]
Plays a vital role to transmit the religious and ethical values of Islam at the
early stages of individuals’ lives.
Aims at forming an ideal personality which represents the identity of the
society as a whole.
A father is mainly responsible to inculcate his child with proper education (yuhsina
adabahu). [Prophet Muhammad PBUH]

6. 2.2. Proper Education (Yuhsina Adabahu)
Symbiotic
relationship of Islamic
creed (‘aqidah) and
good character
(akhlaq)
Love of reciting
the Qur’an
Foundational
framework for every
sphere of human life
Love of the prophet
The perfect man (al-insan
al-kamil) and the best
model of conduct (sunnah)
guided by Qur’an
Love of the family
members
Foundation to develop
religious values and
ethical conducts to form
an ideal personality

7.  Child education is a
prophetic instruction
based on the concept of
children as a trust (al-
amanah) and parents as
the trustees of God.
 Each child is naturally
born with an innate
disposition to recognize
the true lordship of God
(fitrah).
2.3. The Concept of Children in Islam
The actualization of these concepts require a
comprehensive educational process (ta’dib):
• Ta’lim (knowledge transmission)
• Tarbiyah (good breeding)
• Riyadah (self-discipline)
• Tazkiyat al-nafs (soul purification)
• Tahdib al-akhlaq (character refinement)
Knowledge acquisition
+
Spiritual and physical discipline
=
Good character traits (husn al-khuluq)
al-Ghazali
(1058 – 1111)

8. 2.4. Childhood Inner Development
1. Faculty of desire
The first and the oldest to
appear. Most difficult to
restrain and discipline.
i.e. The appetite for food –
baby’s instinct seeking for
milk without instructions.
2. Faculty of intellect
Nursing infants first learn via
five senses – touch, smell,
taste, sight, hearing.
Upon completion, a child
learns via imaginative spirit.
i.e. A dog runs away seeing a
stick that used to hit it.
Birth –
Discernment
(Tamyiz)
3. Faculty of anger
Exists in a child approaching
age of seven. Indispensable
need for self-protection.
i.e. Feels angry if anyone
tries to take his or her
belongings.
4. Faculty of discernment
Ability to distinguish
between good and bad.
Modesty  reasoning 
religious accountability.
Logical aptitude appears –
ja’izah and mustahilah.
i.e. 5 – 2 = 3 or 5 > 2
Discernment –
Puberty
(Bulugh)
Miskawaih (932 – 1030)
Miskawaih’s idea of the course of natural order (al-nizam al-
tabi’i) has lead al-Ghazali to develop four faculties of the soul

9. “Every child is born endowed with the sound
natural disposition (al-fitrah); it is only his parents
who make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian.”
(Prophet Muhammad SAW)
Nature
Some children are
naturally born with
good character traits:
‘divine grace’ and
‘perfect innate
disposition’ (bi-jud
Ilahi wa kamal fitri)
But majority of men acquire
good character traits via:
1. Heredity (al-nasab)
2. Habituation (al-I’tiyad)
3. Learning (al-ta’allum)
4. Association (al-mukhalatah)
Nurture
A father should educate his children to:
1. Discipline (yu’addibahu)
2. Attitude refinement (yuhadhdhibahu)
3. Teach good character (yu’allimahu mahasin al-akhlaq)
4. Keep away (yahfazahu) from bad companions
5. Not accustom to luxury (wa la yu’awwidahu al-tana’ ‘um)
Main objectives:
1. Maintain and develop harmonious equilibrium of the
four good faculties of the soul – knowledge, anger, desire,
justice (balanced character traits)
2. Achieve good spiritual health (sihhat al-nafs)
3. Lead children to the straight path (al-sirat al-mustaqim)
4. Strive to protect children from hellfire in the Hereafter
2.5. The Formation of Good Character

10. 1. Choose the right wife for good
genetic inheritance
2. A perfectly educated mother
transmits good upbringing
3. Wet nurse from noble origin
influences good physical, mental, and
moral characteristics from the milk
1. Parental authority to determine
peer group and protection from evil
associates (those who talk nonsense,
insult others, and accustomed to
luxurious life)
2. Avoid the amusements that
stimulate desires like poems and songs
for lovers which would implant ‘seeds
of corruption’ in the heart
1. To counter-balance the excess and
deficiency of the faculties of desire
and anger
2. Good habit is cultivated via
discipline of eating manner, sleeping
pattern, dressing, social conduct
3. Use positive reinforcement ‘reward
or punishment’ and ‘praise or threat’
based on different needs
1. Go to maktab at age seven to learn
Qur’an (al-Ghazali), traditions, poems
or stories of devout men (Miskawaih)
2. Teacher (mu’allim) has the right to
punish while parents should prepare
children to bear the punishment
3. Teacher-student relationship is
based on compassion and affection
4. Learning is a process of recollection
(al-tadhakkur) of primordial identity
2.6. Influential Factors on Child Education
Habituation
(al-I’tiyad)
Learning
(al-ta’allum)
Socialization
(al-mukhalatah)
Heredity
(al-nasab)

11. 3. Child Education from Secular
Perspective: An Overview
Based on the article written by Erik Erikson
entitled “The problem of Ego Identity”.

12. 3.1. Stages of Psychosocial Development
Age
Range
Personal
Virtue
Psychosocial
Crisis
Significant
Relationship
Existential
Question
Example
0 – 2 Hope Basic trust VS
mistrust
Mother Can I trust the
world?
Feeding and
abandonment
2 – 4 Will Autonomy VS
shame and
doubt
Parents Is it okay to be me? Toilet training and
clothing
themselves
4 – 5 Purpose Initiative VS guilt Family Is it ok for me to
do, move, and act?
Exploring and
using tools or
making arts
5 – 12 Competency Industry VS
inferiority
Neighbors and
school
Can I make it in the
world of people
and things?
Schooling and
playing sports
13 – 19 Fidelity Identity VS role
confusion
Peer group and
role model
Who am I? What
Can I be?
Social relationship
Erik Erikson (1902 – 1994)
Erikson characterizes five stages of childhood period as a function
of negotiating biological and socio-cultural forces. Each stage
identifies psychosocial crisis of these two conflicting forces.

13. 4. Comparison of Islamic and
Secular Perspectives on Child
Education
From the perspectives of al-Ghazali,
Miskawaih, and Erikson

14. Islamic Perpective
(Miskawaih and al-Ghazali)
Aspect Secular Perspective
(Erikson)
The Qur’an, hadith and sunnah of the
prophet (al-Ghazali), and historical
accounts of devout men (Miskawaih)
Framework or
references
Scientific method which is based on
case studies
Prophet Muhammad PBUH Role model No
Lead children to the right path (al-sirat
al-mustaqim) and strive to protect them
from hellfire in the Hereafter
Objectives Lead children to survive in their
surroundings (conflicting forces of
biological and socio-cultural and does
not believe in the concept of Hereafter
Parents involve directly in forming good
characters of their children and
influence the way they think and act
throughout the childhood period
Parents
involvement
While parents should guide their
children and provide them with
comfortable lives, they pride the
concept of ‘freewill’
4.1. Islamic Perspective VS Secular Perspective

15. 5. Discussion of Selected Article
on Child Education
Based on the newspaper article by Thomas L.
Friedman entitled “How About Better
Parents?”
www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/how-about-better-
parents-1.8758

16. • Family is the most important institution; nucleus in a Muslim society
• Children deserve to receive proper education provided by parents
• Each child is born with fitrah and ta’dib is the process to retain it
– Focus on balancing the four inner faculties experienced throughout childhood
• Child education in Islamic perspective:
– Form good characters based on the akhlaq of Prophet Muhammad PBUH  Lead to
the straight path  Protect individuals from the hellfire in the Hereafter
• Child education in secular perspective:
– Stages of childhood  Different conflicting socio-cultural and biological forces  Aim
to survive only in this world
• Parents must educate their children to instill good intention and respect
teachers when seeking knowledge
Conclusion

17. Q&A Session