Azlan Othman
The State Mufti called on educators to chart a path of understanding for the students and the community to truly recognise the difference between Western and Islamic education as “this way, we hope to be able to maintain the ummah’s awareness and desire for Islamic education”.
Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned said this after officiating an international social science and education seminar jointly organised by the Social Science Education Faculty and Education Faculty of the Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB).
The seminar can be described as important and relevant in providing exposure and awareness to the community of the dimensions of the social science cluster – including aspects of history, civilisation sociology, anthropology, ecology, linguistics, education and others, he said.
The seminar is also an important vehicle in bringing awareness on the existence of social science cluster and its importance in the aspect of Islamic teachings, he said.
The State Mufti, who also launched Nadi al-Qawi al-Amin at the Social Science Education Faculty of KUPU SB, emphasised on the Islamisation of knowledge in the field of social science based on Maqasid Syariah, saying it is more significant to deal with global and local societal issues, in line with the tradition of the development of knowledge in Islamic civilisation.
It is necessary for every individual and Islamic thinker to be critical in understanding the meaning of apologetic and accommodative as a result of rational intellectual awareness, because thinking and understanding are usually influenced by emotions and beliefs taken from other than Islamic manhaj, he said.
“We should not forget, in education, there are two intersections that must be understood and known, namely the intersection of Islamic education and the intersection of Western education,” the State Mufti said.
“There are four concepts of education according to the Western perspective, starting from secular, liberal, pragmatist and materialist. In other words, education in Western civilisation is to completely marginalise religious beliefs. Compared to the concept of Islamic education, it is built on revelation and religious beliefs,” the State Mufti stressed.
Among the objectives of the seminar are to empower the role of social science education and community in the provision of human capacity in the Industrial Revolution 4.0. It is also to enhance relevant knowledge and skills through professional and scientific information sharing on social science and education relating to current issues and challenges.
The seminar’s content included the presentation of four main papers and a special forum on social science in Islamic education as well as the presentation of the seminar resolution.
In the presentation of the first main paper entitled Muslim Intellectuals in Southern Asia and the Future of the Ummah, Professor Dr Khairudin Al-Junied from Universiti Brunei Darussalam discussed the development of Islamic intellectuals that took place in the mid-20s, dubbed the Networked Islam era.
The emergence of Islamic scholars contributed to the formation of Islamic thought in the region and they helped combat the effects of influence from other ideologies, including secularism.
Meanwhile, Ra’es of KUPU SB Dr Haji Adanan bin Haji Basar in the presentation of the second main paper discussed the reality and challenges of social science education in the Brunei Darussalam education system.
He explained that social science education plays a role in shaping and developing the nation through understanding the history and origins of the nation, further shaping the nation’s civilisation.
These matters are in line with the intention of the National Education System of the 21st Century (SPN21) which is a holistic education system.
