Classical Foundations of Islamic Educational Thought

Abstract

Over the past decade, discussions on Islamic educational thought have becomepopular mainly due to the political situation particularly as it concernsthe interaction between Islam and the West. However, regardless ofpolitical considerations, most Western scholars seem to have paid less attentionto Islamic education as a concept worthy of attention. In this context,Classical Foundations of Islamic Educational Thought, which is arecent publication on this topic, plays an exceptional role. Making someof the major classics on Islamic education available in parallel English-Arabic texts, this volume is an indispensible compendium for students andscholars alike.The main editor, Bradley J. Cook, has a lot of practical experiencein the field of Islamic education. In addition to his academic endeavorsand remarkable publications on education, Cook has had the advantage ofteaching in a number of Muslim countries including Egypt and the UnitedArab Emirates, where he also held several executive positions. With theassistance of Fathi H. Malkawi, a Jordanian-born educator, Cook has managedto make a good selection of texts on a variety of educational subjects,which reflect both educational rules in classical Islamic thought and theholistic attitude of Muslim educators who consider learning as part of themoral and spiritual growth of those reading this volume ...