Educational Thought in the Works of Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Qurashi, Known as Ibn Abi al-Dunya (d. 281 AH)

Abstract

This study aimed to introduce Ibn Abi al-Dunya and highlight his scholarly standing, while identifying key educational concepts embedded within select works of his that are related to education. The researcher used the descriptive method based on analysis and deduction. The study yielded several conclusions, the most significant of which is that the Muslim Ummah possesses an authentic educational philosophy that is suitable for all times and places. This indigenous thought negates the need to import Western educational theories and ideas that may conflict with the core principles of Islam. The findings also indicate that al-Hafiz Ibn Abi al-Dunya was one of the early scholars of the Muslim community who devoted their lives to the call to Allah Almighty, the reform of the Ummah, and the dissemination of Islamic teachings and rulings. His concept of education is rooted in an authentic Islamic worldview centered on the purification of the human soul through perfecting faith and moral character. In light of these conclusions, the study recommends a return to the sources of Islamic educational thought as represented in the scholarly contributions of Muslim scholars throughout history. It also calls for the extraction of these original educational ideas from their scholarly works, as well as the need to diversify educational methods used in raising children within our institutions. Such diversity should align with the intended educational objectives and with the characteristics and developmental needs of children, in order to realize the sound upbringing of the human being whom God intended to be His vicegerent on Earth.