The second session of the Cendekiawan Lestari Series (CLS) in 2022 returns! The Malay Heritage Foundation (MHF) invited Ustaz Abdul Manaf Rahmat, Head of Da’wah and Worship Department, Al-Taqua Mosque as the guest speaker to share his perspectives on Islamic Education in the Malay archipelago in three aspects – traditional, modern and the future.
MHF Assistant General Manager, Mr. Muhammad Fadli Idris, gave a short welcoming address to audiences on-site and those who tuned in via FB Live and YouTube before handing it over to MHF Chairman Dr. Norshahril Saat, who introduced the speaker and later moderated the session. He also thanked the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and Rohan · Mah & Partners LLP (RMP) for supporting CLS 2022.
Saturday, 16 July 2022 – Ustaz Abdul Manaf Rahmat, an experienced and respected religious leader in the community, began the CLS session by sharing that the purpose of Islamic education is to nurture and educate individuals to be knowledgeable, wise, benevolent and virtuous human beings. It is, therefore, vital for humans to dedicate themselves to the Almighty. Knowledge of Islam is required to uphold His commandments and prohibitions and understand how to perfect their devotion to Him. According to Ustaz Abdul Manaf, worship has a broad meaning and includes the role of humans as the ‘caliph of God’ to prosper the earth. Hence, Muslims need to equip themselves with knowledge of Islam. The purpose of Islamic education is as broad as the meaning of religion itself, which encompasses an effort to transfer pure religious values by providing training and teaching of sciences to prepare Muslims with skills and expertise to strengthen their livelihood and discharge humanitarian obligations. This means that such education is not separate between religious knowledge and other scientific knowledge.
Ustaz Abdul Manaf cited Japan which underwent tremendous changes and recovered from World War II’s trauma and became an Asian powerhouse during the economic boom, where the country rapidly became the world’s second-largest economy after the United States. Singapore has also enjoyed sustained economic growth since its independence, where it evolved from a low-income country to a high-income one. However, Islamic education in the Malay Archipelago has yet to progress in a similar vein. Ustaz Abdul Manaf shared that our minds are still colonised even after independence, unlike ‘Asian Giants’ such as Japan and Korea, which have made leaps and bounds in progress over the past decades. He stressed the need to shift from the imprisoned mind and review the concept of Islamic education in madrasahs and classes. Ustaz Abdul Manaf opined there is always room for improvements to shape Islamic education. It must be kept relevant and carry out the task as a ‘caliph’ to revitalise the earth based on an integrated knowledge for safety and well-being and carve a civilised society.
Delving into the local Islamic education here in Singapore, Ustaz Abdul Manaf felt something is lacking in the system regarding its meaning, purpose, and the ultimate goal for the students upon graduation. He opined that the present system, though very comprehensive and rich in content, gives birth to graduates equipped with only 50% of Islamic knowledge. Core components such as Islamic philosophy, which in the broadest sense means the world view of Islam, derived from the Islamic texts concerning the creation of the universe and the will of the Creator, are not covered wholesomely. Ustaz Abdul Manaf acknowledged that this remains a challenge for everyone as a community. He affirmed that madrasah graduates could make a more meaningful contribution toward shaping society and partake in the nation-building process.
Ustaz Abdul Manaf next shared that the role of ‘Pondok is not only associated with the meaning of Islam but also incorporates the symbol of authenticity of the Malay community. This education institution functions as an organisation for the study of religious knowledge preserves Islamic traditions and produces both Muslim scholars and leaders. In recorded history in Malaysia, Islamic educational institutions have evolved from al-Quran schools informally and developed into a traditional religious school known as pondok. It plays a significant role in nurturing and educating the community in the early fourteenth century A.D. before and during colonisation. These pondoks are managed and administered by individuals or communities. Both teaching and learning are based on the mazhab (school of legal thought) Asy-Syafi’i, one of the four major traditional schools of religious law in the Sunni branch of Islam, in terms of jurisprudence and belief. The journey was not smooth sailing either. At one point, there was not much support from the community, and there was a strong possibility that Islamic education in pondoks may not be sustainable. As such, the community must continue showing full support in ensuring that pondoks produce religious scholars and leaders. In the early twentieth century, the heat of Islamic revival peaked. Positive developments took place in Malay education as an impact of the current reform movement, pioneered by Jamaluddin Al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh. An awareness that the existing system is incapable of meeting the challenges of modernisation sink in. Several madrasahs were established as an alternative measure to meeting the global challenges. Ustaz Abdul Manaf cited Madrasah Al-Mashur Al-Islamiyyah, established in 1916 in Penang. The curriculum is quite comprehensive, covering the Arabic language, mathematics and geography. Students are also encouraged to participate in debates and public speaking.
Ustaz Abdul Manaf then discussed the similarity in Islamic education in Indonesia, starting from al-Quran and boarding schools known as ‘pesantren’. A prominent feature of traditional Islamic education in Indonesia is its focus on religious sciences. Pesantren is where ‘santri’ or students acquire knowledge. The development of educational institutions in the early days envisioned combining the context of ‘Indonesianness’ with Islam. Firstly, the basis of education is to carry out the sacred mission of spreading the message of Islam to discharge the duty as a caliph. For example, a teacher fuses Islamic values into the teaching and learning process in the classroom. Secondly, preserving the teachings of Islam through education. This can be done by inheriting religious communities’ teachings, culture and customs. Education serves as a vehicle for transferring religious values. Therefore, the preservation of Islamic teachings is seen not only from knowledge but also from the formation of morals and decency.
Thirdly, Ustaz Abdul Manaf shared the main focus is on Islamic scientific education. Last but not least, he added, is the learning system. In the pesantren term, ‘sorogan’ is geared towards an individual approach, whereas ‘bandongan’ is oriented towards group guidance. Modern Islamic education follows the needs and interests of the country and society. Its distinctive features provide means for advancement and the perfection of the individual and the community, leading to happiness in this world and the hereafter. Hence, it is essential to reconstruct Islamic education in this modern era by solving the dichotomy – integrating the two sciences, be it in philosophy, curriculum, methodology, and so on.
In the 1990s, the madrasah system integrated pesantren-style religious subjects with general secular subjects. Islamic schools are becoming more popular due to good teaching and learning quality, which resulted in two types of madrasahs. The first type is the general madrasah, similar to public schools that adopt the national curriculum and maintain the values of Islamic schools. Madrasah Diniyyah is the other type that integrates the madrasah system and pesantren learning to complement the national curriculum and religious studies. This integration is deliberately infused with the vision to shape and produce leaders with both a national and Islamic identity.
Before concluding his lecture, Ustaz Abdul Manaf highlighted the importance of the Muslim community, whose responsibility is to ensure that Islamic education in madrasahs continues to shape a knowledgeable, wise, benevolent and virtuous society. It is equally important to improve the curriculum and expose students to the study of scriptures and contemporary scholars, which can help foster critical thinking and embrace diverse perspectives. Ustaz Abdul Manaf stressed that human capital needs to be further strengthened – especially educators or asatizahs with the knowledge that matches their qualifications – to remain relevant and produce results in the teaching and learning process. In addition, a culture of reading through activities such as seminars, discussions, dialogues, and talks among Muslim and non-Muslim students should be encouraged and intensified. He added that fostering interest in writing as a vehicle for da’wah is imperative as it is a legacy for the next generation to fight for in restoring the excellence of Islamic civilisation to humankind.
A Q&A session followed the presentation, with Ustaz Abdul Manaf answering questions posed by the attendees on-site and those tuning in via Facebook Live. CLS is one of our initiatives to provide a discursive platform for featuring ideas and perspectives from prominent figures and key thought-leaders in the Singapore Malay community. Close to 20 participants attended the second CLS session in 2022, and almost 400 people were reached via FB Live.
Follow MHF on Facebook and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter for regular updates on all MHF events, webinars, lectures, and more exciting news on Singapore’s Malay arts and heritage scene. Would you like to consider supporting the foundation’s initiatives to ensure that the heritage of the Malay community in Singapore continues to be protected, preserved, and promoted as part of the national agenda (Singapore story)? In this case, you may do so by supporting us through a one-time or monthly donation here.
Useful Links