CONCEPTUAL AND PRACTICAL DIMENSIONS OF ISLAMIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE: A CASE STUDY OF THE ECONOMICS PROGRAM AT THE IIUM Mohamed Aslam Mohamed Haneef & Ruzita Muhammad Amin Introduction In the 1980s, the understanding and practice of Islam in Malaysia entered a new phase. The global Islamic resurgence coupled with local Malaysian factors saw numerous important events talcing place. First, in 1981 Dr. Mahathir Mohamed became Malaysia's fourth prime minister. Second, in 1982 the opposition Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) was taken over by new leadership that claimed total commitment to setting up an Islamic state and rejecting nationalism and ethnic politics. Also, in the same year, Anwar Ibrahim, then the president of the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM), joined Dr. Mohamed's government, winning the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) youth movement's presidency and joining the UMNO-led cabinet as a junior minister. The Mohamed administration, unlike its predecessors, openly support­ ed Islamic reform at all levels of society. Islam's role became more than ceremonial; it became a source of values for development, facilitated through the Inculcation of Islamic Values Policy (in 1981) and the estab­ lishment of numerous Islamic institutions such as the Islamic Bank of Mohamed Aslam Mohamed Haneef is head of the Departmem of Eco11omics in the Kulliyoh of Economics ond Mo11ogeme111 Scie11ces, l111emotio11a/ Islamic U11iversity, Malaysia Ruzita Mohammad Amin is Assistallt Professor in the Departme111 of Economics i11 the Kum.yah of Eco,wmics a11d Ma11ageme111 Scie11ces, l111emational Islamic University. Malaysia Haneef & Amin: Dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge 1 89 Malaysia and the International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM) in 1983. Although many see these developments as being merely politically motivated to counter the influence of PAS, it is without doubt that Dr. Mohamed was quite consistent with his earlier Views which he expressed in The MurCry Dilemma. In his book he described Islam as the “greatest single influence on Malay value concepts and ethical codes,” thus being a positive factor to develop the Malays.’ In the educational sphere, numerous local organizations called for an Islamic university. The IIUM was to be a bold experiment by the Malaysian govemment--a Malaysian manifestation of the deliberations of the First Conference on Islamic Education held in Makkah in 1977.2 The aim of the IIUM model was to disseminate Islamic knowledge based on the epistemological foundations of revelation and reason, the latter being understood within the scope of the former. Since 1990, one of its main activities has been implementation of the Islamization of Knowledge agenda. In 1983 the University opened with 180 students and two faculties, law and economics. The University now has more than 8,000 students studying almost all branches of knowledge leading to undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate degrees. It was the expressed desire of those who established the IIUM that its graduates function as agents of Islamization, both locally and internationally. Thus, the IIUM was presented as an alternative to the secular higher education institu- tions which were seen as promoting westernization or secular modem- ization. In 1987, the government, through the IIUM, set up the Intemational Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) with the objec- tives of promoting and undertaking serious research in Islamic philoso- phy, kaldm (theology), science, and civilizational issues. In 1992, the govemment set up the Institute for Islamic Understanding (KIM) under the auspices of the prime minister‘s department, with the objective of providing a proper understanding of Islam to all Malaysians, especially the non-Muslims. This paper focuses on the IIUM and, specifically, the economics pro- gram which has undergone numerous developments since 1983. Its aim is to analyze the program’s successes and shortcomings vis-his the Islamization of Knowledge agenda. First, the paper discusses briefly the the IIUM’s historical background. Second, the paper gives a general overview of the bachelor of economics program during the years 1983 to 1994. Third, the paper analyzes the developments that occurred over two distinct phases of the program And last, the paper explains the experi- ence of the IIUM economics pro- and relates it to the Islamization agenda and debate. 190 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 14:2 The International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM) During an official visit to the United Arab Emirates in January 1982, the prime minister, Mahathir Mohamed announced the setting up of the IIUM. In February 1982, a short concept paper (based on the Makkah Conference in 1977 and on the numerous writings and deliberations of Muslim scholars) was prepared which led to the preparation of a detailed project proposal for the IIUM. In August 1982, the proposal was approved by the Malaysian cabinet and in February 1983, the legal sta- tus of the university was given royal assent. In April 1983 a draft consti- tution of the university, in the form of a “memorandum of association” and “articles of association,” was finalized, and in May 1983 the univer- sity was officially registered. Although having an international board of governors (consisting of the governments of the Republic of Maldives, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Turkey, the People’s Bureau of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, and the Organization of Islamic Conferences), for all admin- istrative, academic, and financial purposes, the IIUM was essentially a Malaysian university. This point is significant because as a Malaysian university, the IIUM would have to respond primarily to Malaysia’s needs as well as to the aims and objectives of Islamic education in gen- eral. On July 16, 1983, the first batch of 180 students began registering in the fields of economics and law. In October 1987, 126 of them grad- uated. The philosophy of the IIUM was expounded in the First World Conference on Islamic Education in Makkah in 1977 and included the knowledge is a unified whole of which “revealed knowledge” is its most important component and center; the purpose of acquiring knowledge is to assist the seeker in playing his role as Allah’s servant (‘abd) and vicegerent (khabfuh) on earth; and the all-embracing scope of Islamic education nurtures the cognitive, spiritual, and behavioral aspects of the human personality in the light of Islamic ‘ q i h h (creed), shari’ah (law), and ukhluq (morality). The university’s ultimate aim was to produce morally and spiritually strong, mentally rational, physically fit, and professionally equipped individuals who would develop the Muslim ummah and achieve progress that is in harmony with Islamic ideals? Reestablishing the supremacy of Islam in all fields of knowledge (i.e., by w i n g and infusing knowledge with Islamic values and principles in its broadest sense)5 was seen as necessary in order to address following:3 Haneef & Amin: Dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge 191 socioeconomic problems. Thus, the IIUM was envisioned as “an Islamic university and not a university merely about I~lam’~-truly different from the many existing universities in the Muslim world that tended to perpetuate the educational dichotomy between the religious and the modem. It was the expressed objective of the IIUM to create profession- als who, while being educated in their traditional values, were able to function and change contemporary society according to the vision of Islam. To achieve this goal, the IIUM curriculum combined courses in Islamic civilization and worldview, which would be compulsory for all students? with contemporary disciplines found at other universities. The integration process presupposes the availability of qualified teachers and a proper curriculum. As we will show later, these two ingredients were not sufficiently available to the IIUM. It must also be stated here that the “excessive division of academic disciplines” (i.e., of specialization) was not envisaged when the university was established? The process of integration in the IIUM was planned at two levels. The first was at the kulhyuh (college) level where the academic staff were expected to present the Islamic perspective of the various disciplines (in this case, economics), requiring the processes of de-westernization and the infusion of Islamic values (discussed later). The second level involved what was called the Center for Fundamental Knowledge (CFK), which was envisioned as a central body that provided both for- mal university level courses (courses offered through lectures) as well as nonformal activities for students from all faculties. It is necessary to establish a Centre which . . . coordinates not only with other disciplines but also with agencies which super- vise the nonformal activities of the students towards the fulfill- ment of the concept of integrated education so that there will not emerge a contradiction between what is being taught and what is being practiced in the process of personality formation in a university based on Islamic principles? The formal courses offered by the CFK were considered core courses. The nonformal activities constituted the compulsory weekly haluquh turbi.yah ul-Zslumiyuh (Islamic education meeting) and the ‘ibadah camps held every semester throughout the four years of studies.’O The core component at the IIUM was considered so important that failure in any of these courses would result in failure to obtain a degree. Within the above mechanism, the CFK had a central objective-abol- ish the artificial barriers that divided religious sciences from convention- al sciences and instill the conviction within the students that their role in society is to be “Islamic agents” who solve contemporary problems by example. 192 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 14:2 With the expansion of the university, the CFK was transformed into the Department of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage in the College (Kulliyah) of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (IRKHS), which also offered its own degree progmns. Contrary to its original purpose, the Department of IRKH has played a relatively small role in changing the lives and education of students in other departments. Even so, this change has had a significant effect on the education process at the university. The Economics Program at the IlUM (1983-1994) The economics program offered by what is now the College of Economics and Management (then, the College of Economics) was one of the two inaugural programs of the IIUM (established in May 1983). Among the College’s objectives for the program were the following: In general, to contribute to the cause of Islam as a complete way of life through the study of economics founded upon the shari’ah. Specifically, to produce graduates who will play an important role in society and who are not only technically efficient and competent but are also imbued with Islamic values.’ ’ Also mentioned was the objective of teaching and education in relation to the concepts of ta’db, ta‘lim, and tarbiyah.” The above objectives translate into the creation of graduates of adab, i.e., graduates who manifest the understanding and implementation of Islamic education and act as “agents of change,”13 and . . . graduates who are well equipped with required technical skills blended with Islamic spiritual values so that they can play a meaningful role in society after It should also be noted that the faculty of economics was conceived of as an integrated unit without departments or divisions so as to avoid unhealthy compartmentalization.’5 Economics was seen as part of the whole framework of knowledge based on tawhid. The curriculum of the program depicted the early aspirations of those who were involved in set- ting up the university. To attain the stated objectives, the economics pro- gram was quite unique in its curriculum, syllabus, and pedagogy. The framework of the program, as stated in the 1986 Memorandum for Degree Recognition, was as follows: 1. Every course is presented from an Islamic perspective. Western economic theories will be presented and then critically analyzed from an Islamic viewpoint. 2. The program generally adopts a comparative approach. 3. The program hopes to “devalue” economic concepts from all alien values (and to infuse Islamic values where possible). Haneef & Amin: Dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge 193 4. 5. 6. 7. h The program has certain core subjects in ‘uqidah, shari’ah and akhluq (offered by the Centre for Fundamental Knowledge and the faculty itself). The Arabic language is very central to the objectives of the pro- gram. After a strong foundation in the Islamic perspective in economics, the fourth-year courses become more conventional economic To ensure correct understanding, a limited number of options are offered. the next section we show that the framework described above courses. underwent modifications, especially in 1990. The modified framework created students who possibly lacked the ability to grasp the “integrated whole” of knowledge and education in Islam. Ironically, this develop ment was due, in part, to misunderstanding the Islamization of Knowledge work plan put forward by Isma‘il al-Faruqi. For the purposes of further analysis, this paper refers to the following documents: Graduation Requirements for the Bachelor of Economics, 1983/84 course outlines for selected courses involving “Islamic content,” various reports of committees and subcommittees of the College, set university and college documents on their objectives, philosophy, reports of external assessors (Bruce Glassburner, Ziauddin Ahmad examination questions, 1983-1994 (selected courses and years). While the above documents can be analyzed from numerous angles, the paper aims to make an evaluation in light of the objectives set out by the faculty itself and in relation to the agenda of Islamization of knowl- edge; hence, the concentration on the “Islamic” content of the progmn and its effectiveness in promoting Islamization. The paper also concen- trates on the “worldview and civilizational” aspects of Islam presented in the program. General Observations and Analysis After examining and analyzing the documents above, two broad phases in the program can be identified Phase 1 (1983-1990) and Phase 2 (1990 to the present)-although the intermediate years (1988-1989) saw gradual changes taking place. For clarity of observation, the years 1983/84 and 1993/94 have been selected to represent Phases 1 and 2, respectively, in the analysis that follows. and 1993/94; 1986-1994; up between 1986 and 1994; and rationale: and Ghouse Ahmad Shareef);16 and 194 Phase 1 Credit Hours Requirement (1983/ 84) University Courses 38 Fundamental Knowledge Courses 22 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 1 4 2 Phase 2 (1993/ 94) Credit Hours 22 12 Languages English and Bahasa Malaysia Courses Our’anic Laneuaee Courses 8 8 Requid-Kulliyuh ( C h G e ) and Department Courses Elective Courses [To Select any one of Kulfiyuh (College) Required Common Courses Department Required Courses 10 0 33 39 82 the Packages: Concentration i;n Economics, Minor in Accounting, Minor in Business Administration or Minor in Shari’ah]** 15 72 33 I Total Requirements for Graduation 135 I 127 Notes: * Qufanic language courses are not credited for 1993D4. ** In 1983/84, only a concentration in economics was offered, with specialization in development or international areas. either Curriculum Between Phases 1 and 2, graduation requirements were found to have been reduced from 135 to 127 credit hours (see Table 1). While the total number of hours was reduced, college courses or thefurd kgiiyuh (elec- tive courses in Table 1) increased from 97 to 105 credit hours. At the same time, the “core” Islamic orfurd ‘uyn courses offered by the CFK (fundamental knowledge courses in Table 1) were reduced from 22 cred- it hours to 12. This, however, does not provide the entire picture because the reduction also involved a change in the number of CFK courses from 11 courses to only 4 (see Table 2). The main reason for this change was to avoid the risk of creating unwanted imbalances in the academic pro- gram as suggested by the college and university subcommittees set up to review the CFK/IRKH courses. Another reason was the perception that some of the CFK/IRKH courses were irrelevant or were being taught ineffectively in relation to economics. The college, on the other hand, had increased its own Islamic courses from 5 in Phase 1 to 7 in Phase 2 (see Table 3). While this may have offset the reduction in CFK/IRKH courses, the overall changes show a movement from one that emphasizes the worldview and civilization of Islam to one that is limited to fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Also, in this respect, while the report by Ahmad commenting on the lack of Arabic and fiqh content was partially addressed by the introduction of additional courses, it seems to have been done at the expense of the CFK/IRKH courses. Hence, it is not 195 Haneef & Amin: Dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge Table 2: CFK/IRKH Courses in 1983184 and 1993/94 course code Course Title Credit Hours Year 1 Semester 1 AA 110 Year 1 Semester 2 AA 111 Year 2 Semester 1 AA 210 AA211 Year 2 Semester 2 AA 212 Year 3 Semester 1 AA 310 AA 311 Year 3 Semester 2 AA 312 Year 4 Semester 1 AA 410 AA 411 Year 4 Semester 2 AA 412 Introduction to Islam and its ‘Aqidah Introduction to the Qur’an Introduction to the Sunnah Introduction to the Shari’ah Fiqh of the ‘1-t (Acts of Worship) Ethical Philosophy of Islam The Preaching of Islam Islamic Civilization 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Modem and Contemporary History of Islam 2 Islam and Society 2 Islamic Thought and Contemporary Issues 2 Total 22 Phase 2 (1993/94) College (KulEyah) Courses (To complete any 4 courses or 12 hours) IRKH 101O/A Science of the Qur‘an 3 IRKH 1020/A Science of Hadith I 3 IRKH 1050/A Biography of the Prophet 3 IRKH 11 1O/A Islamic Du‘wuh I 3 IRKH 112O/A Islamic ‘Aq-hh 3 IRKH 115O/A Fiqh of the ‘Ibddit 3 IRKH 1210/A Man in the Qur‘an and Sunnah 3 Note: CFK refers to Centre for Fundamental Knowledge courses offered in 1983/84; IRKH refers to Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences courses which were offered in 1993194. surprising that Shamef pointed out that the 12 credit hours of CFK/IRKH courses, carrying only 9.2 percent of the total curriculum, were insuffL cient and very “imbalanced.” , W e the Islamic input overall has declined, it should also be mentioned that the economics content was already sufficient in Phase 1. This was supported by Glassbumer, who commented that as far as the economics content of the program was con- cerned, the IIUM economics program in Phase 1 had more than ade- quately covered the areas in contemporary economics. In fact, compared to economics majors in universities in the United States, where students take 24-36 credit hours of economics courses, the 97 hours required by 1% The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 142 Table 3: Required College (Kulliyah) Islamic Courses in 1983/84 and 1993194 course code Course Title Credit Hours Year 1 Semester 1 Year 2 Semester 1 Year 2 Semester 2 Year 3 Semester 2 Year 4 Semester 2 QK 4413 Regional Coopemtion among Muslim Countries 3 Phase 1 (1983/84) QK 1113 Economics I* 3 QK 2013 Fiqh for Economists I 3 QK 2023 Fiqh for Economists 11 3 QK 3613 History of Islamic Economic Thought 3 Total 12 ECON 1710 ECON 3510 ECON 351 1 Phase 2 (1993/94) CouCge (Kuuiyah) Courses Foundation of Islamic Economics Transactions in Islamic Economy I Transactions in Islamic Economy I1 3 3 3 Departntent Courses ECON 3550 Usul Fiqh I 3 ECON 3551 Usul Fiqh I1 3 ECON 4010 History of Islamic Economic Thought 3 ECON 4610 Issues in Islamic Economics 3 Total 21 Note: * Economics 1 was an introductory course on Islamic economics. the IIUM were more than sufficient. Therefore, the increase of econom- ics courses to 105 hours in Phase 2 may not have been necessary to achieve a “balanced” curriculum. Contrary to the above, we would argue that a “balanced curriculum in an Islamic framework actually requires either an increase in the cFK/IRKH courses coupled with a reduction of purely economics cours- es, or an increase in courses where “integration” or at least a c o m p - tive approach is adopted (which was not the case, as the next section will show). In this instance, the replacement of the CFK/IRKH courses with more conventional economics courses has led the program and the uni- versity further away from achieving its objectives. The issues of which CFK/IRKH courses should be offered and how they are to be taught and by whom are additional issues that need to be considered very carefully. Even if some of the cFK/IRKH courses were not directly related to eco- nomics or were being taught ineffectively, their elimination is not justi- Haneef & Amin: Dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge 197 fied. In this situation the problem is the lack of qualified teachers to staff the CFK/IRKH courses. Approach In addition to the changes as discussed above, there is sufficient evi- dence to indicate that the approach taken in teaching some of the cours- es in the program has changed between phases 1 and 2 toward a some- what more dichotomized rather than an integrative one. In order to show this, a periodic analysis was undertaken using final examination ques- tions of selected required courses in the program. The assumption here is that the degree of Islamic*content in a course (whether or not it was explicitly stated in the course outline) should best be reflected in the final examination questions. In this analysis, “Islamically oriented” questions were defined as questions that specifically relate to the Islamic perspec- tive of the subject (or a critical evaluation of conventional views). These were then computed as percentages of the total number of questions. A similar method was used for nonessay (multiple choice and true/false) questions. From the results in Table 4, it can be seen that as far as the existing “Islamic courses” are concerned, such as Foundations of Islamic Economics (QK 11 1 3 K O N 1710), Fiqh for Economists I and 11 (QK 2013/ECON 3510 and QK 2023/ECON 3511), History of Islamic Economic Thought (QK 3613/ECON 4010), and Issues in Islamic Economics (ECON 4610), there has been a consistently high Islamic content, as expected, throughout the period. However, for conventional courses, there has been a clear reduction in the Islamic content. For instance, the course Economics 11 (QK 1123) had a 6.25 percent Islamic content in the final examination questions in the 1984/85 session, but this percentage dropped to zero in the other following two sessions. This is true even after the replacement of this course with two new courses, Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 1510) and Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 1610), by the 1993/94 session. The same pattern of exclusion of “Islamically oriented” ques- tions across the sessions can be seen for Microeconomics/Inter- mediate Microeconomics I (QK 21 14/ECON 21 10) and Macro-eco- nomics/Intennediate Macroeconomics I (QK 2124/ECON 2310). The latter, however, experienced a more gmdual reduction in Islamic content. In the 1984/85 session, the “Islamically oriented” questions comprised 33.33 percent of the entire paper but only 14.29 percent and 11.82 per- cent in the 1986/87 and 1989/90 sessions, respectively. By the 1993/94 session, none of the questions had an Islamic content. The course Economic Analysis Ihtermediate Microeconomics 11 (QK 3 114/ECON 21 1 1) experienced a fluctuating mnd in its Islamic content, first increasing to 55 percent in the 1986/87 session from 33.33 percent in 1984/85 but’then declining to only 10 percent in 1989/90. Data for the Table 5: Islamic Content Analysis of Final Examination Questions-Bachelor of Economics Program Code Course Title 1984/85 1986/87 1989/90 1993/94 1984/85 (%) 1986/87 (%) 1989/90 (%) 1993/94 (%) ECON 17101 Foundations of Islamic Economics/ 10/10 10/10 8 3 1 0 12/12 100 100 85 100 QK 1113 Economics I ECON 1510 Principles of Microeconomics AOn 0 BOIWMK:) ECON 1610 Principles of Macroeconomics A015 0 BO/ZO(M/C) 0 (QK 1123) (Economics 11-Micro+Macro)** 0.5/8 016 On 6.25 0 0 ECON 21 10/ Intermediate Microeconomics 11 In* 018 AOn 0/8 14.29 0 0 0 QK 21 14 Microeconomics BO/;?O(MIC) ECON 2310/ Intermediate Macroeconomics I1 2/6 In 1.311 1 0/6 33.33 14.29 11.82 0 QK 2124 Macroeconomics ECON 21 1 I / Intermediate Microeconomics IY AO/20* 3.316 AO/ZO(Tff) n.a. 33.33 55 10 1i.a. QK 31 14 Economic Analysis 1 BO/ZO(M/C) BOnO(M/C) ECON 231 I / Intermediate Macroeconomics 111 1/5* 0.3/6 A0/62(M/C) 2/8 20 5 0 25 ECON 4810/ Research Methodology 1/8* 1/8 1/9 In 12.5 12.5 11.11 14.29 QK 3223 QK 2013 QK 2023 QK 3613 Thought ECON 4610 Issues in Islamic Economics 617 85.71 C216 C0.515 QK 3124 Economic Analysis I1 BOB ECON 35101 Fiqh for Economists I 7n* 6/6 8/8 5/5 100 100 100 100 ECON 351 I / Fiqh for Economists 11 616 616 7 n 515 100 100 100 100 ECON 40101 History of Islamic Economic 6/6* 8/8 8/8 616 100 100 100 100 ECON 3010 Malaysian Economy 115 20 Notes: * Indicates 1985/86 data since 1984/85 data are not available. ** Economics I1 was replaced by Rinciples of Microeconomics and Rinciples of Macroeconomics in the 1993194 session. MK: indicates multiple choice questions. Percentages are based on essay-type questions only. From 1984/85 until 1989/90. course codes began with QK. Fractions indicate the number of Islam-oriented questions to the total number of questions in the various parts or the entire question paper. (Decimal points in the numerator indicate only the portion of one question that is Islamically oriented.) Tff indicates truelfalse questions. n.a. indicates data not available. Haneef & Amin: Dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge 199 1993/94 session, however, are not available to be commented on. Similar fluctuations can also be seen for two other courses. In Economic Analysis Wtermediate Macroeconomics 11 (QK 3124/ECON 2311), the content was 20 percent in 1984/85 but declined to 5 percent and 0 percent in 1986/87 and 1989/90, respectively. In 1993/94, however, the “Islamically oriented” questions reemerged with 25 percent content of the entire paper. For Research Methodology (QK 3223ECON 4810), the content declined from 12.5 percent in 1984/85 and 1986/87 to 11.11 per- cent in 1989/90, but increased to 14.29 percent in the 1993/94 session. No comparison can be made for Malaysian Economy (ECON 3010), which is relatively new, but the Islamic content of the final examination is quite high at 20 percent of the entire test. Out of the 13 courses analyzed, 5 of them were “Islamic” courses. The other 8 courses were regular courses, which, from the above analysis, should contain some degree of Islamic orientation in approach (at least a comparative approach) within the context of Islamization of knowledge as adopted by the IIUM. However, at least 4 of these courses have shown a total exclusion of Islamic orientation as implied by the fact that even- tually the f d examination questions had no Islamic content, a process which had started as early as 1986/87. If this phenomenon reflects the dichotomy between Islamic and conventional courses, which is the very element that the Islamization of knowledge tries to reconcile, then even with the increase in the number of Islamic courses over the years, the program has actually regressed to a certain extent in terms of the inte- gration process. One reason given for the increasingly dichotomized approach was the perceived problem that the Islamic critique of conventional economics tended to be rather simplistic and repetitious. In addition, the unequal levels of analyses between the conventional and Islamic approaches (the former being highly developed with sophisticated models and analyses, while the latter being in its initial stages) had led students to perceive that “Islamic economics” was inferior to conventional economics. This argument cannot be justified. Although the levels of analyses dif- fer greatly because Islamic economics requires substantial conceptual formulation, exposure to the existing critiques can still benefit students (although they may be repetitious). However, repetition in itself is some- times unavoidable and may even be necessary to stress important ideas and concepts; hence, it should not be seen as negative.” If the current Islamic economic analysis is found to be weak in the existing literature, instead of separating Islam from economics, students and teachers should become more engaged in developing rigorous critiques and tech- niques to develop the Islamic economic discipline. In fact, the adoption of the dichotomized approach may have contributed to the slow progress 200 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 142 made in research by the teachers of Islamic economics. Witness the scarcity of related journal articles and publications in the last 8 years. In addition, the lack of enthusiasm in developing an Islamic approach to economics and to a certain extent, the repetition problem, could be caused by teachers not possessing the necessary qualities and knowl- edge. Most of them are Western trained scholars and thus are not suffi- ciently exposed to the Islamic worldview; they lack the knowledge of the Islamic legacy-necessary ingredients for the integration process in the Islamization of knowledge. Consequently, a certain lack of confidence on the part of the teachers exists when undertaking research. Therefore, the problem is not just the inadequacy of existing literature, but involves the quality of the teachers themselves who need development before they can contribute positively. The next section discusses this issue in relation to the Islamization work plan itself. Structure In its initial stage, the economics program was completely structured. Students had to take specific courses in specific semesters. The struc- tured program was useful in that it enabled the “systematic” accumula- tion of knowledge necessary to make the comparative analysis between the Islamic and conventional perspectives as implicitly required in the program objectives. This was especially true with reference to the CFK/IRKH courses in which the Qur’an, hadith, the sirah of the Prophet, and Islamic history and civilization were offered in specific semesters to develop the students’ Islamic worldview as well as their understanding of what Islam as a civilization is all about. It provided the students with the basic Islamic premises of economics and then moved on to the conven- tional approach. In 1990, the full credit-hour system was introduced along with the above-mentioned changes in the course requirements and the orientation of examination questions. Students became free to take any course they wanted whenever they wanted as long as they met the prerequisites, which generally excluded courses on Islam provided by the CFK/IRKH. While this system provides the advantage of being flexible, it lacks the systematic and gradual conveyance of the core Vurd ‘uyn) knowledge necessary to produce the kind of students who are able to use their study at the university as a period of inculcating adab (i.e., undergoing the process of tu’dib or education). In the last five years students have rele- gated the core (CFK/IRKH) courses to the “short semesters” or even to the last year of study, allowing them to concentrate first on their eco- nomics courses (which are now seen as the core courses). Discussions with students and their representatives indicate that they do not consider thefur4 ‘uyn courses important. Many even see these courses as “irrele- vant.” Clearly, they spend more time and effort on their economics Haneef & Amin: Dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge 201 courses, considering them of direct consequence in their fume cmrs- demonstrating a weakness in the education process at the IIUM. We do not advocate a rigid system; however, the failure to require pre- requisites, which surely must include CFK/IRKH comes if we are talk- ing about Islamic education, has led to some problems in relation to our stated objectives. In this respect, a structured program is more effective, especially with regard to the core courses which familiarize the students with the Islamic worldview, its concepts, and their relationships. It is also our view that in order to achieve the objectives of the university and of Islamic education in general, this worldview and its corresponding val- ues must be established in the minds and hearts of the students first, before proceeding to economics. Islamization can only occur effectively if the subjects (through the teachers and students) are first imbued with the necessary prerequisites (worldview) for undertaking Islamization. The current sequencing of courses in the program demonstrates this misunderstanding of what Islamization entails. If in Phase 1, Economics I (introduction to Islamic economics) were taught in year 1, semester 1 together with an introduction to Islam and its ‘uq-khh followed by Economics II (introduction to conventional economics), in phase 2 the prerequisites for Foundation of Islamic Economics (replacing Economics I) would be principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics (both replacing Economics II). Although the structure of Wase 1 was correct, the reason for the change can be found not only in the developments at the IIUM but also in the development and misunderstanding of the Islamization work plan itself. The IlUM and Islamization of Knowledge: Past, Present, and Future The economics program at the IIUM has enabled us to present a case study, albeit a prehminary one, of Islamization of knowledge in practice. Looking at the initial objectives of the IIUM and, in particular, the College (Kulhyuh) of Economics (the framework upon which it sought to achieve its objectives) and comparing the experience of Phase 1 with phase 2, we can say that the understanding of the Islamization process was somewhat different in the first phase and the second. Numerous rea- sons can be given for the changes that have taken place. While the= have been positive improvements in the economics curriculum and syllabus, in terms of the number of fish and contempomy courses as well as in terms of coverage and depth over the two phases, as far as achieving the objectives of the IIUM and of Islamic education in geneml are con- cerned, there is still great room for improvement. The origml aim of the IIUM was to integrate knowledge, i.e., acquire and understand knowledge from the twin epistemological foundations of 202 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 142 revelation and reason (as understood within the bounds of revelation). There was no direct reference to Islamization and al-Faruqi‘s 1982 work plan18 was not directly incorporated into the university’s agenda in 1983. The system, however, seems to have created a greater dichotomy and confusion of what Islamization is and the process that it entails. The main reason has been the failm to p r e p the two ingredients necessary in Islamization, i.e., qualified teachers and the understanding of the Islamization process itself. The curriculum and syllabus only reflect this failure. The initial attempt to integrate, as seen from the curriculum and the formal/informal educational structure in 1983, had the objective of pro- ducing “total” individuals who were not only intellectually developed but spiritually and physically developed as well. The pioneers were com- mitted to this idea but, as mentioned earlier, there existed a major obsta- cle-qualified manpower. Experiencing almost immediate pressure to expand, new staff were brought in on the assumption that they could understand the objectives of the IIUM and transmit the appropriate knowledge within the framework of the Islamic educational philosophy. However, this was not the case and toward the end of phase 1, the efforts at integration reached a plateau. There was a dire need for new commit- ment and direction in the IIUM agenda. In 1988, with the arrival of ‘AbdulHamid Abu Sulayman as the rector of the IIUM, one of the fmt programs organized by him was a reevaluation of the IIUM’s progress and problems. Significant changes were introduced, and the Islamization of Knowledge agenda assumed a prominent role in the IIUM’s educa- Unfortunately, the Islamization agenda never had the opportunity to take firm root within the academic staff due to the high turnover of staff caused by the large number of contract staff hired to meet the rapid expansion, and also due to the absence of many senior staff (who had left either to other Islamic institutions in Malaysia or to pursue their doctor- ates). While qualifed manpower shortages (especially in relation to scholars who were familiar with Islamization) increased, demand for university education in Malaysia and the ever increasing “encroach- ment” of market forces into university education in Malaysia are all legitimate factors for the shortcomings in the efforts at Islamization. This section concentrates on the Islamization process itself, which had, in its original work plan, certain potential shortcomings that were expe- rienced at the IIUM when combined with the other factors mentioned above. These shortcomings were recognized, and some of them were addressed in the revised edition of the work plan. However, Islamization still stalled and therefore we posit an additional factor. The Islamization of Knowledge plan of al-Faruqi was always presented in the form of a twelve-step plan. This did injustice to tional goals. Haneef & Amin: Dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge 203 al-Faruqi’s document. While the plan itselflg was always quoted, the prerequisites for the plan as given in his book were frequently over- looked and often not even read by scholars, especially those who con- sidered working at the IIUM as merely a job. Al-Faruqi’s discussion on the “malaise of the ummah” is relatively known, but his views in the sec- tion entitled “The Task‘’m generally are not. His discussion in “Instilling the Vision of Islam” clarifies his priority in conveying a compulsory study of Islamic civilization as a prerequisite to his Islamization of Knowledge plan. Al-Faruqi states very clearly: It would be a great step forward if Muslim universities and col- leges were to institute compulsory courses in Islamic Civilization as part of their basic studies program for all students. This would provide the students with faith in their own religion and heritage . . . but it is not enough?l He also indicates that instilling the vision of Islam is a priority where- by, “it must be the guiding, determining first principle of every disci- pline, of every pursuit, and of every human action,”22 in order to Islamize knowledge; i.e., to redefine and reorder the data, to rethink the reasoning and relating of the data, to reevaluate the conclusions, to reproject the goals in a way to make the disciplines enrich the vision and serve the cause of ~ ~ i a m ? ~ It is quite clear that while the twelve-step plan is his more important contribution (for which he has received both praise and criticism), the “prerequisites to Islamization” (his courses on Islamic civilization which instill the Islamic vision) form a very important part of his “total plan.” Not only should it be compulsory for all students, but it should be made compulsory for all academic staff as wellF4 The importance of this can- not be over emphasized. Al-Faruqi cautions that teachers in Muslim uni- versities, who do not possess the vision of Islam and are not driven by its cause, present the greatest calamity to Islamic education.25 The change in approach taught in the economics program courses neglected this aspect of al-Faruqi’s work plan and contributed to the increasingly dichotomized and patchwork-like Islamization. The criticisms that are leveled against the Islamization of Knowledge program can be avoided only by implementing its prerequisites first. If they are not, then the twelve-step plan along with al-Faruqi’s qualifica- tion that their “logical order defines the order of priority belonging to each step”26 could justify the criticisms of S a r G 7 and Nasr.28 Stemming from this basic misunderstanding and neglect, another prob- lem manifests itself. Al-Faruqi’s call to produce textbooks has led some 204 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 14:2 scholars to replicate conventional economic textbooks and merely add “Islamic” comments and footnotes. This futile attempt at “Islamization” only leads to confusion among students and “economizes” Islam rather than Islamizing economics. This leads to creating textbooks that do noth- ing more than legitimize and justify conventional theories and tools (as increasingly is the case in contemporary [Islamic] finance literature), albeit with superficial modifications that attempt to prove that Islamic economics is as sophisticated and rigorous as conventional economics. This does not do justice to the noble objectives of the Islamization of Knowledge plan and only leads to the trap of making Islamic economics a mere “special case” of western neoclassical economics.29 The partial understanding, presentation, and interpretation of al-Faruqi’s work plan has contributed to the situation in the economics program at the IIUM. In addition, in the case of Malaysia and the IIUM, Nasr’s3” view that the Islamization of Knowledge project has been “shaped more by political discourse than levelheaded academic understanding” has some credence. Since the IIUM is funded by the Malaysian government, it also has to consider Malaysia’s national educational interests which, due to its booming economy, requires an increasing number of (espe- cially Burniputera3’) professionals. In some ways, political expediencies have forced the IIUM to push beyond its capacities and possibly to sac- rifice some level of quality for greater quantity. It could be argued that the IIUM may have entered the phase of “diseconomies of scale” with its rapid expansion. It should also be noted here that most of the attention in the Islamization of Knowledge agenda has been to the reorientation of Western trained scholars to become agents of the Islamization process. Little attention has been given to the traditionally trained scholars. As for this group, the Islamization of Knowledge agenda as originally presented by al-Faruqi does not seem to have much to say. The revised work plan (1989) and recent publications of the IIIT have acknowledged the poten- tial contribution of this group.32 In the IIUM, this has resulted in the establishment of the Kulliyyah of IRKHS and especially in the Department of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage, where mainly traditionally trained students are exposed to modern contemporary sci- ences and subjects. At this point, it is still too early to evaluate the suc- cess of this venture, but this is certainly a positive development in the integration process. Another group of students who need to be given special attention are the graduates of the IIUM themselves. Graduates of the IIUM relatively are better exposed to the idea of Islamization. Hence, greater focus should be placed on getting these graduates to return to the university as teaching staff. Certainly the Faculty of Economics and Management has not been very successful in getting them to return due to the lure of a Haneef & Amin: Dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge 205 booming Malaysian economy. In addition, the more dichotomized approach in Phase 2 seems to have alienated the students from realizing the importance of the integration process. This could be one reason why there is still a very small number of students/graduates who are actively involved in the Islamization agenda. Conclusion This paper has attempted to analyze some of the conceptual and prac- tical problems that directly relate to the Islamization of Knowledge agenda, with special refeGnce to the economics program at the IIUM over the last fourteen years. Due to a variety of factors, including the par- tial understanding and presentation of al-Faruqi's work plan, we found that the economics program of the IIUM has not been able to provide the students with the Islamic worldview or vision necessary for the integra- tion process to occur. This, coupled with the increasingly dichotomized approach to the teaching of economics, has resulted in not achieving the objectives of the program or the IIUM. In addition to the local scenario of Malaysia, a central cause of the problem has been the lack of qualified lecturers who are able to understand and contribute to the Islamization of Knowledge process. Another important cause of the problem has been the partd under- standing and presentation of al-Faruqi's work plan, which neglects the prerequisites of Islamization. The IDT has recognized these problems and in recent writings its current president, Taha Jabir al-'Alwani, pro- posed positive modification^?^ His clear elucidation of the need to understand the Islamic legacy and its epistemological or methodological principles first, puts the neglected or overlooked aspects of al-Faruqi's work in better focus. This positive development must be seen as a natur- al response to the debate that has taken'place over the last fifteen years, mainly in the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences.34 We hope this positive development and debate will contribute to the present review exercise that is being undertaken by the Department of Economics at the IIUM. Realization of some of the problems and will- ingness to make changes constitute part of the solution that will hope- fully see Phase 3 of the economics program move forward in line with the noble objectives set out by the IIUM-the Islamization of econom- ics and education in gened. Notes 1. Mahathir Mohamed, The Mulay Dilemma (Kuala Lumpur: Times Book.. International, 1970), p. 155. Dr. Mohamed's use of Islam should be seen in the context of his views concerning the economic backwardness of the Malays. 2. ABIM (led initially by Anwar Ibrahim) in particular, which was intellectually led by numerous international scholars such as Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Atlas, Malik Bennabi, Khurshid Ahmad, and Isma'iI al-Faruqi, was leading this call. Many 206 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 142 observers see the manifestation of the IIUM as one of the reasons Anwar Ibrahim joined Dr. Mohamed‘s administration. (Anwar, who is now deputy prime minister of Malaysia, has been the IIUM’s president since 1988.) 3. International Islamic University Malaysia, The Philosophy and Objectives of the International Islamic University and Their Implications for the Islamic Discipline of the University Community (unpublished document, 1983), pp. 1-2. 4. Ibid., p. 10. 5. Ibid., pp. 3-4. 6. Ibid., p. 4. 7. Ibid., p. 7. 8. Ibid., p. 14. 9. “Susunan Program Akademik,” prepared by a special committee and accepted by the steering committee of the U.I.A. project in 1982: 4, in International Islamic University Malaysia, The Philosophy, p. 16. 10. Nonformal activities play a crucial role in the moulding of personalities in Islamic education. However, in the present context, the discussion on the role of nonformal activ- ities in Islamic education is beyond the scope of this paper. 11. International Islamic University, Malaysia, Memorandum for Degree Recognition (unpublished document, August 1986). 12. International Islamic University, Malaysia, Kulfiyah of Economics and Management Hanclbook 1990/91 (Malaysia: Kulhyah of Economics and Management, IIUM, 1990). 13. For a detailed exposition of contemporary literature on Islamic education, .see the Islamic Education Series by Hodder and Stoughton/King Abdul Aziz University, being the Proceedings of the First World Conference on Muslim Education, 1977, especially the volume on Aims and Objectives of Islamic Education, edited by al-Atlas (1979). 14. International Islamic University, Malaysia, The Philosophy, p. 14. 15. Ibid., p. 14. 16. Ziauddin Ahmad, Assessment of the Bachelor of Economics Programme of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (unpublished document, 1987); see also Ghouse Ahmed Shareef, Report of Dr. Ghouse Ahmad Shareef (unpublished document, 1994); and Bruce Glassburner, The Curriculum in Conventional Economics at the International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Report of the External Assessor (unpublished document, 1986). Text references to Ahmad, Shareef, and Glassburner refer to these documents. 17. In fact, this could be partially true even in the 97 credit hours in Phase 1 and 105 hours in P h a e 2 of economics courses offered in the program, which does have a sig- nificant amount of overlapping material. 18. Isma‘il R. al-Faruqi, Islamization ofKnowledge: General Principles and Work Plan (Islamabad: International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1982). 19. Isma‘il R. al-Faruqi, Islamization of Knowledge: General Principles and Work Plan (Hemdon: International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1987). 39-47. This edition is a reprint of the 1982 edition. 20. Ibid., pp. 8-16. 21. Ibid., p. 13. 22. Al-Faruqi, Islamization of Knowledge (1982), p. 16. 23. Ibid., p. 20. 24. This is now being seriously considered in the IIUM a. part of its staff develop ment program. 25. Isma‘il R. Al-Faruqi, Islamization of Knowledge: General Principles and Work Plan (Hemdon: International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1989), p. 8. This edition is the second and revised version of the 1982/1987 edition. See also ‘AbdulHamid A. AbuSulayman, Crisis in the Muslim Mind (Hemdon: International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1993) and ‘AbdulHamid A. AbuSulayman, Islamization: Reforming Contemporary Knowledge (Hemdon: International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1994). 26. Al- Faruqi, Islamizaton ofKnowledge (1987), p. 39. 27. Sardar‘s criticism of effoas to develop Islamic economics should be seen in this light. Although we do not entirely agree with Sardar’s evaluation of contemporary Islamic literature. we do admit that many weaknesses stem from neglecting the prereq- uisites to Islamization. See Ziauddin Sardar, Islamk Futures: The Shape of Ideas to Come (London: Mansell, 1983, pp. 94-104. Haneef & Amin: Dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge 207 28. Syyed Vali Reza Nasr, Islamization of Knowledge: A Critical Review (Islamabad International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1992). 29. This point was brought up by Waleed El-Ansary in a discussion with one of the authors. See also Sardar, Islamic Futures, pp. 198-217. 30. Nasr, Islamization of Knowledge: A Critical Review (1992). 31. Bumiputera refers to the Malays and other indigenous people in Malaysia, the majority of whom are Muslims. 32. For example, Toward Islamization of Disciplines (Herndon: International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1989); and Taha Jabir al-‘Alwani, Islamization of Knowledge: Yesterday and Today (Herndon: International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995). 33. Al-‘Alwani, Islamization of Knowledge. 34. For example, J.S. Idris, “The Islamization of the Sciences: Its Philosophy and Methodology,” American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 4, no. 2 (1987); I. Ba-Yunus, “Al-Faruqi and Beyond Future Direction in Islamization of Knowledge,” American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 5, no. 1 (1988); Fazlur Rahman, “Islamization of Knowledge: A Response,” American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 5, no. 1 (1988); Taha Jabir al-‘Alwani, ‘Toward an Islamic Alternative in Thought and Knowledge,” American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 6. no. 1 (1989): 1-12; Ibrahim A. Ragab, “Islamic Perspectives on Theory Building in the Social Sciences,” American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 10, no. 1 (1993): 1-21; Louay Safi, ‘The Quest for Islamic Methodology: The Islamization of Knowledge Project in its Second Decade,” American Journal of Islamic Socral Sciences 10, no. 1 (1993); and Yasien Mohamed, “Islamization of Knowledge: A Critique,” American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 11, no. 2 (1994): 282-294.