Meeting the intellectual challenge created by Eurocentric knowledge is the central task facing the Muslims. This requires decolonization of education, via a modern day Ghazali Project.

1. Decolonization of
Education: An Islamic
Perspective
• Dr. Asad Zaman
• Tuesday 29th Apr, 2024
• Hammad bin Khalifa
University
• Download these slides
from: bit.ly/AZ2HBKU

2. Everyone Agrees that
Muslims are in Decline
Author Syed Abul-Hassan Ali Nadwi
Arabic: “Maza khasiral alam bi inhitatil muslimeen”
English: Islam and World: The Rise And Decline Of
Muslims And Its Effect On Mankind
Urdu: Insani Dunya par Musalmanon kay Urooj Aur
Zawal ka Asar.
Summary & Access to full-text PDFs: bit.ly/azrdm
See also: Dr Israr Ahmed: Rise and Decline of the
Muslim Ummah: bit.ly/IsrarRAD

3. Massive
Disagreements on
CAUSE of decline:
• Western Analysts: We are the greatest civilization
which ever existed on the planet. So, be like us, if
you want to progress.
• Western-influenced Muslims: Democracy,
Secularism, Rule of Law, etc
• We have fallen behind in knowledge: Science and
Technology.
The Final Message remains relevant for our guidance.
• Renewal of Faith (Tableegh)
• Eliminate Bid’at & Shirk (Salafi)
• Recreate Khilafah (Political Islam)
• Emphasize the Heart and Human Aspects (Service,
Tasawwuf)

4. Tragedy:
• We do not even know the central battleground. We are
wasting our energies in fighting each other, and in
fighting peripheral battles.
• We do not have the weapons required to fight the
central battle.
• Meanwhile, the enemies have manufacture powerful
weapons, which are currently in use against us, on an
UNCONTESTED battleground
• The Ghazali Project (for decolonization of education)
provides an analysis, diagnosis, treatment, and plan of
action. This is to be discussed in this talk.

5. Knowledge is at the heart of Islam
Read, in the name of thy Lord who created … and gave to
mankind knowledge which they did not have
This knowledge launched a revolution in world history,
catapulting ignorant and backward Bedouin in world
leadership.
Today, Muslims are again ignorant and backward. Does
this knowledge have the same power today, to
revolutionize our lives, and the world?
TRAGEDY: Most Muslims DO NOT THINK SO!
Today, Most Muslims are convinced that the path out of
our current darkness requires guidance from the West!

6. Decolonization of Knowledge
• COLONIZED MINDS: Today, we Muslims believe – and
demonstrate with our actions – that guidance for
solutions of our modern problems is only available
from the West. The Quran no longer has the power
to guide us.
• SUCCESSFUL DECOLONIZATION OF MINDS =>
Understanding that the final message of God the
mankind is complete and perfect, and far superior to
any knowledge which can be produced by mankind.
That it is just as revolutionary today as it was 14
centuries ago.

7. A Deep & Difficult Dilemma
http://bit.ly/AZddd
The Quran is Revolutionary Today
• Why are Muslims unable to
utilize this knowledge to launch
a revolution?
• Why can’t the Ulema design a
path to uplift the Umma?
• Why are multiple massive efforts
launched on BASIS of study of
Quran failing to produce
significant effects?
Western Knowledge is the only PATH!
• The Power of Western
knowledge is so obvious, that it
seems IMPOSSIBLE to deny.
• It shapes every moment of our
modern lives.
• HOW can it possibly be inferior
to the knowledge of the Quran,
which seems to provide no
guidance for our modern lives?

8. Questions to be discussed/answered
• What is a Colonized Mind? Education in Harmful Knowledge
• What is Decolonized Mind? Able to see the NOOR of the Quran
• Colonialism ended 70 years ago: Why are minds still colonized?
• What is the process by which minds are colonized today?
• How can we counteract this process?
• Comprehensive SOLUTIONS: The Ghazali Project
Sequence of 10 lectures on “How to Launch and Islamic Revival”
http://bit.ly/azlir

9. Why the Quran appears irrelevant & obsolete
Jahl-e-Murakkab:: Compound Ignorance
• We think we HAVE this knowledge.
• We have been UNABLE to use it to find solutions to modern
problems.
• THEREFORE, this knowledge does NOT have the power to solve
modern problems.
• INSTEAD, we must turn to Western corpus of knowledge to find
solutions today.

10. Penetrating the Veil of Over-Confidence:
Unjustified belief that we KNOW the message
ْ‫ل‬ِ‫ل‬ ‫ى‬َ‫ب‬‫و‬ُ‫ط‬َ‫ف‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ب‬‫ي‬ ِ
‫َر‬‫غ‬ َ‫أ‬َ‫د‬َ‫ب‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬َ‫ك‬ ُ‫د‬‫و‬ُ‫ع‬َ‫ي‬َ‫س‬ َ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ب‬‫ي‬ ِ
‫َر‬‫غ‬ ُ‫م‬َ‫ال‬ْ‫س‬ِ‫اإل‬ َ‫أ‬َ‫د‬َ‫ب‬
ِِ‫ا‬َ‫ب‬ َ‫ر‬ُ‫ُغ‬
“Islam began as a something strange and it will return to being strange,
so blessed are the strangers.”
ِ‫ب‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ع‬‫ا‬َ‫ر‬ِ‫ذ‬ َ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ْر‬‫ب‬ِ‫ش‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ْر‬‫ب‬ِ‫ش‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬َ‫ق‬ َ‫ان‬َ‫ك‬ ْ‫ن‬َ‫م‬ َ‫َن‬‫ن‬َ‫س‬ َّ‫ن‬ُ‫ع‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ت‬َ‫ت‬َ‫ل‬
ْ‫ع‬ِ‫ب‬َ‫ت‬ ،ٍّ ََ َ‫ر‬َُُْ ‫وا‬ُ‫ل‬َََ‫د‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫ل‬ ‫ى‬َّ‫ت‬ََ ،ٍ‫ا‬َ‫ر‬ِ‫ذ‬
ُ‫ه‬‫و‬ُ‫م‬ُ‫ت‬
ْ‫م‬
The Prophet‫ﷺ‬ said, "You will follow the ways of those nations who
were before you inch by inch, so much so that even if they entered a
hole of a lizard, you would follow them."

11. Indirect Approach to
Revolutionary Knowledge
contained in the Quran
• Instead of searching through Quran, Hadeeth,
and our Intellectual Tradition, look at History
• How did this knowledge change the world?
• The external effects of this knowledge:

12. Central Questions for
Muslims Today
What was revolutionary about the message of
the Quran?
What was the methodology used by early
Muslims to launch a world revolution, UNIQUE in
human history?
The Quran is NOT a theoretical textbook: It
teaches theory and practice together, about how
to launch a world revolution

13. The First Wahy:
Read, in the name of Thy Lord who created man
… and gave him knowledge that he did not have
Many arts – agriculture, languages, reading and
writing, iron-works, etc. were revealed via
Prophets to mankind.
But the most important knowledge was revealed
in the final revelation of God to mankind,
complete and perfect for the guidance of
mankind, for all times to come.
BURNING QUESTION: What was this knowledge?
Do we still have it?

14. Impact of Revelation on
World History
Launched a Civilization which enlightened the world for a
thousand years.
Roots of all Uloom of today go back to Islamic philosophy
and science.
This fact has been suppressed in Eurocentric Histories.
However, distortion of history is of little importance.
What is important is that this knowledge is STILL the most
important. The Quran still contains complete and perfect
guidance for us today.

15. Muslims look to West for Guidance!
BUT, the Muslims are no longer looking to the Quran for guidance.
WHY? Why have Muslims failed to look to the Quran for guidance?
More importantly – those who HAVE looked, have failed to find
answers in the Quran to our modern problems.

16. Impact of the
Message on Word
History

17. Hodgson: The Venture of Islam
See: bit.ly/AZHodgson
Muslims are assured in the Qur’ân, ‘You have become the best
community ever raised up for mankind, enjoining the right and
forbidding the wrong, and having faith in God’ (III, 110). Muslims
succeeded in building a new form of society, which in time carried
with it its own distinctive institutions, its art and literature, its
science and scholarship, its political and social forms, as well as
its cult and creed, all bearing an unmistakable Islamic impress. In
the course of centuries, this new society spread over widely
diverse climes, throughout most of the Old World. It came closer
than any had ever come to uniting all mankind under its ideals.

18. Impact on Europe
Reconquest of Al-Andalus gave European barbarians access
to millions of books in Islamic Libraries. The Toledo
Translation Project ended the dark ages of Europe.
Flood of knowledge in conflict with Catholic teachings split
Christianity into two factions. Violent Battles for Centuries
between the two factions made population allergic to
religion.
The need for secular social science was firmly established.
Politics and Economics were detached from Moral
Philosophy.

19. The Enlightenment Project:
Rebuild Entire Stock of Human Knowledge!
Christianity had led us astray. We must firmly reject it
as superstition and ignorance. Reject the ENTIRE stock
of inherited knowledge.
Rebuild Knowledge starting from ZERO, on grounds of
reason and empirical evidence.
Firmly reject the UNSEEN. ٍِّ ۡ‫َي‬‫ُغ‬ۡ‫ٱل‬ِ‫ب‬ َ‫ون‬ُ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ۡ
‫ؤ‬ُ‫ي‬ َ‫ِين‬‫ذ‬َّ‫ٱل‬
Firmly reject the HEART. ۡ‫ب‬َ ۡ
‫ٱۡل‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫ع‬ ۡ‫م‬َّ‫س‬‫ٱل‬ ُ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬َ‫ل‬ َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َُ َ‫و‬
َََۚ‫د‬ِ‫د‬ِٔۡ‫ف‬َ ۡ
‫ٱۡل‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫ر‬ ‫ر‬َ‫َص‬
Descartes: I think, therefore I am.

20. Central Problem: Stock of Human Knowledge has
been built on Enlightenment Epistemology
The Ghazali Project; Rebuild the entire stock of human
knowledge built over the past few centuries, on
Islamic epistemological foundations. See: The
Ghazalian Webinars: bit.ly/AZwebinars
For a sequences of lectures by Recep Senturk on
Decolonization of Social Sciences: From Uniplexity to
Multiplexity, see: bit.ly/3v9FV32

21. Critical Lessons from this History
• The Dark Ages of Europe ended when translations of
knowledge gathered by Muslims reached Europe after
reconquest of Spain
• This knowledge was violently in conflict with Catholic
teachings and split the Church.
• The ESSENCE of the knowledge could NOT be absorbed by
Europeans, and REMAINS a treasure beyond their reach!!
• The Western copies we are currently mindlessly imitating are
INFERIOR to the originals. To learn the original, we must
reconnect with our intellectual tradition.

22. Fundamental Problem with
Positivist Epistemology
Sahih Bokhari: Dajjal is blind of left eye -- Abu-Jahl was known as
Abul-Hakm because he was wise in worldly wisdom, but blind in
affairs of the heart and soul.
Enlightenment epistemology leads to deep insights into the
external world. But, it blinds us to the internal nature of human
beings.
Why? Human experience is unique, not subject to scientific
study.
Society is collective activity of human beings. We cannot study
society without understanding human beings.

23. Social Science = Study of
Human Societies
The myth of objectivity (science) – social science is the
same for all societies.
Correct View of Social Science: A Human Society is best
studied via the study of the life-experiences of all members
of the society.
These life-experiences are UNIQUE, and therefore, not
subject to scientific analysis.
They can only be understood by empathy, by reading great
works of fiction, to get insights into alien life-experiences.
Positivism rules out life-experience as being outside
domain of scientific knowledge

24. Western Failure to Understand
Humans
• Western epistemology reduces Humans to their
minds – I think therefore I am.
• The homo economicus is cold, calculating, callous,
and cruel.
• Psychologists have shown that actual human
behavior is radically different from that of economic
theory. See: bit.ly/WEAbvn
• Islamic Psychologists have made great strides,
rejecting Freudian theories, and building on Islamic
intellectual heritage: Aql, Qalb, Nafs, and Ruh.

25. Multiple, Ongoing,
Projects
Recep Şentürk: Sequence of Lectures on Decolonization of
Knowledge and on Ibn-e-Khaldun – Access from bit.ly/RSdss
Uloom-ul-Umran: An Islamic Alternative to Western Social
Science bit.ly/AZUUU
(The Ghazali Project): How to Launch an Islamic Revival:
https://portal.alnafi.com/courses/how-to-launch-an-islamic-
revival
A New Approach to Islamic Economics: bit.ly/IslamicEcon2023
Even Mathematics and Statistics must be rebuilt on new
foundations!

26. Lord Macaulay: Purpose of Indian Education
Creation of a Coconut Class:
We must at present do our best to form a class who may
be interpreters between us and the millions whom we
govern; a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but
English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect.
Elite classes in Pakistan continue to respect, admire, and
love the Colonizers, and have contempt and hatred for
their own culture, heritage, and religion. This colonization
of minds is produced by Western education.

27. How did colonization of minds
succeed?
Conquest IS BASED directly on colonization of minds.
Colonization requires creation of a traitor class –
Macaulays Children
These people continue to rule, post independence.
See: The Conquest of Knowledge: http://bit.ly/AZcok

28. Rebellion of 1857 and Consequences
Critical Mistake: Deliberate abandonment of Western
knowledge.
Strong Parallels to the Mu’tazila and the Ilm ul Kalam
See: The Modern Mu’tazila: bit.ly/AZtmm

29. The Mu’tazila and Ilm ul Kalam
Shock and Awe of Greek Philosophy: Reason is primary and
Revelation is secondary: We use reason to understand revelation.
Is the Quran created? If so, then it will die, like all creations.
Applying logic to the Quran – highly disliked by orthodoxy. If
question was never raised by the early scholars, then we should not
discuss it.
Orthodox position was to avoid disputes with the Mu’tazala – it
would lead to Kufr, and was forbidden even if done to support Islam.
This was also the position taken by Ulema about Western knowledge
following 1857. This withdrawal from the field has led to disaster.

30. Necessity of Ilmul Kalam after
it became state religion
• We are in same position today.
• We need to enter into battle against Western philosophy.
• The need for a new Ilmul Kalam
We cannot afford to detach ourselves, and disengage with
Western knowledge. We cannot call this knowledge the
equivalent of carpentry, not relevant for religion.
We must enter the battlefield, and defeat them on their
own battleground, using their own tools, PLUS our
intellectual heritage.

31. Western Education Colonizes Minds
• It teaches us that the purpose of life is to make money.
• Then, knowledge is useful if it allows us to make money.
• Then, only knowledge created over the past few centuries is useful –
because this knowledge allows us to get jobs within capitalist
economies.
• Obviously, Islamic teachings are not designed to teach us how to earn
money.

32. How Can We Counter
This Message?
• We need to de-colonize the educational system. This is a
difficult and challenging task.
• We need to build an alternative to modern Western
educational systems. These new models must create deep
understanding of modern societies, and the history which led
to the creation of the modern world.
• We must replace Eurocentric history with an Islamic
perspective.
• We must rediscover Islamic Pedagogy, with its unique
approach to education. See: bit.ly/4c13knZ

33. The first step is to discuss Purpose of Life
Second step is to discuss USEFUL and USELESS Knowledge
Useful is relevant to purpose
First Step of the Ghazali Project is AL-Munqidh min al-dalalah
Deliverance from Error: Rebuild Faith by understanding the nature of
Knowledge as a Noor which is cast into our hearts.
Purpose of Life: Learn Who You Are: bit.ly/Azwya
Useful Versus Useless Knowledge: bit.ly/LKuauk

34. Squarely Confront the Challenge Facing Youth
There is no God
• World was created by chance
• Man emerged via evolution
• Our lives are meaningless.
• Society is jungle of cut-throat
competition.
• Survival of the fittest is the ONLY
moral principles. Lie, Cheat,
Steal, everything is fine.
God Exists
• Universe was created for a
purpose.
• Man is the best of the creations
• We have potential to rise above
the angels. But also the potential
to be worse than beasts.
• Purpose is to achieve excellence,
fulfill our potential.

35. How to Acquire Faith in
God?
• Logical arguments from Ilmul Kalam remain very powerful.
• New Arguments are now available. Atheists have no
satisfactory counters to these arguments. Unfortunately, we
do not know the state of the art here.
• Ontological, Cosmological, Teleological, Big Bang, Fine Tuning,
Design
• As Ghazali noted, intellectual arguments fail to reach the
heart. The ultimate argument is the illumination of the heart
by the Noor of Allah. There are a number of known pathways
to this.

36. Second Step: Tahafat al
Falasafa
• The Puzzle of Western Social Science --
bit.ly/AZpss
• Origins of Western Social Science –
bit.ly/IR3owss
A lot of other work which debunks the best that
West has to offer is available
• Ongoing efforts on Mathematics, Statistics,
Islamic Psychology, and other area.

37. Third Step: Ihya Uloom ul
Deen
• Rebuilding the entire structure of human
knowledge on Islamic epistemological
foundations.
• Rebuilding a University Education using these
new approaches to knowledge
• Rebuilding the Social Sciences on Islamic
Foundations (Parts 1 and 2) bit.ly/AZrss1 and
bit.ly/AZrss2
• Islamic Pedagogy: bit.ly/4c13knZ

38. The Root Cause of
Muslim Decline Today?
• Failure to TRUST in the completeness and
perfection of the Final Message of God to
Mankind.
• The Challenge Facing Us: Rebuild the ENTIRE
structure of human knowledge – Economics as
a branch of Moral Philosophy
• Religious Leaders, for the most past, adopted
the strategy of the Ashab-e-Kahf. Those who
did not, could not escape being dominated
• This was a repeat of the mistake made in
countering the Mu’tazila centuries ago. The
cure lies in the Ghazali Project, same as before.

39. So, What is the Ghazali Project?
• The Enlightenment Project sought to reject all inherited
human knowledge, and rebuild the entire stock of
knowledge starting from ZERO.
• This project has lead to a few centuries of knowledge
built on toxic foundations. This has been spread over
the globe by Western education.
• The Ghazali Project seeks to reject all of the knowledge
created on foundations of the Enlightenment Project.
Instead, we need to rebuild this knowledge – NOT from
zero, but by building upon our heritage, the thousand
year plus intellectual tradition of Islam.
The Ghazali Webinars: bit.ly/AZwebinars

40. Reasons for Optimism and Hope
The epistemology and ontology developed in the Enlightenment is
absurdly fallacious, and easy to refute. Our intellectual heritage
contains powerful tools against Enlightenment philosophies.
Our failure comes from shock and awe of the West, not from the
difficulty of the intellectual challenge.
Iqbal: My eyes were not dazzled by the brilliance of Western
knowledge, They were protected by the dust of Madina & Najaf
May Allah T’aala give us the Taufeeq to rise to the challenge facing us.

41. Links to Relevant Materials
Detailed writeup of this talk, with references:
On IPS website: tinyurl.com/IPS2024Feb
On my blog: tinyurl.com/Azdeco - both original Urdu ZOOM session,
and re-recorded video in English are available from my blog post.
These slides, on SlideShare: bit.ly/AZ2HBKU