The Educational Contributions of the European Muslim Thinker Muhammad Asad "An Analytical Study"

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Islamic Education, Faculty of Education for Boys in Cairo, Al-Azhar University

2 أستاذ مناهج وطرق تدريس اللغة الإنجليزية كلية التربية بنين بالقاهرة، جامعة الأزهر

Abstract

The current study aimed to examine the educational contributions of the European Muslim thinker Muhammad Asad. This was achieved by exploring his early life, identifying the key circumstances and intellectual influences that shaped his thought, documenting his efforts in defending Islam and improving its image, analyzing his contributions to several contemporary Islamic issues, and revealing ways to benefit from his thought in today’s educational landscape. The research used the descriptive and fundamental methods. The study reached several conclusions, including that Muhammad Asad offered a comprehensive critique of modern Western civilization. Despite its scientific and technological advancements, he argued, this civilization suffers from a profound moral, ethical, and spiritual void. Asad criticized Western educational systems for neglecting the spiritual and moral dimensions of the human being, and for misapplying Western terminologies to Islamic concepts. His contributions were marked by his analysis of the conditions of Muslims and defend their issues such as Jerusalem and rights of Muslim women. Muhammad Asad’s writings are characterized by neutrality, objectivity, and simplified language tailored to Western readers. He played a significant role in the development of Islamic thought by presenting a renewed intellectual discourse, drawing on his personal, cultural, and intellectual experiences to engage with the Western world. His works had a wide-reaching impact in the West, contributing to a rise in conversions to Islam and an improved public perception of the religion.

Keywords

References

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