ii

CONTENTS Islamization of Knowledge: Its Inevitability and Problems of Practicability in Nigeria - Rafiu Ibrahim Adebayo

iii

ISLAMIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE: ITS INEVITABILITY AND PROBLEMS OF PRACTICABILITY IN NIGERIA

Rafiu Ibrahim Adebayo

Introduction Every society, be it primitive or modern, simple or complex, has a process through which its cultural values, norms and behavioural patterns are transmitted to its young and potential members. Education has been a major vehicle for transmission of these values. Some people therefore have used the instrumentality of education as the central nerve of a community's existence not only for the preservation of their cultural values but to also impose such on others. Thus, the supposed value-free education has been contended to be value-laden. The imposition of alien cultures and values has been attracting chains of reactions and resistance in the Muslim world. Such resistance culminated in the birth of the Islamization of knowledge programme in the contemporary generation. Islamization of knowledge is not a new concept in Islam. There have been individual efforts by Muslim scholars to change the destiny of Muslim education for the better even before the colonial invasion of the Muslim world. A sort of what Talat Sultan describes as "partial Islamization" was carried out by scholars like Rashid Rida, Jamaluddin Afghani, Akbar Allahabadi, Muhammed Ali Jauhar, Sayyid Qutb, Muhammed Marmaduke and some others.1 Scholars like Sayyid AbulAIa Mawdudi, Hassan al-Banna and Muhammed Iqbal also made remarkable efforts towards having comprehensive and dynamic concepts of Islamization of education in their speeches and writings. Recently, this movement has received fresh impetus through the works of Syed Ali Ashraf, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas and Ismail Raji al-Faruqi. Here in Nigeria, the efforts of Shaykh Usman ibn Fodiyo, his brother Shaykh Abdullah Ibn Fodiyo and his son Muhammed Bello could not be overemphasized. The urge to restore a pure Islamic education system became a global issue in 1977, through the pioneering work of Syed Ali Ashraf, when the first World Conference on Muslim Education was held in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, of which he was the organising secretary. Between then and now, six of its kind have been organised. Apart from the world conferences on Muslim education, there have been conferences on Islamization of knowledge. The first International Conference on Islamization of Knowledge was held at Lugano, Switzerland in 1977. In 1982, the second of its kind was organized in Pakistan by the National Hijrah Centenary Celebration Committee of Pakistan, the International Islamic

University of Islamabad and the International Institute of Islamic Thought. Two years later (i.e. 1984), the Third International Conference on Islamization of Knowledge was held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The fourth in the series was held in Sudan in January 1987. All these are indications that the programme of Islamization is a global programme which has been generally accepted by the Muslims to check further erosion of their worldview, culture and achievements by the so-called Western system of education. In Nigeria, quite a good number of seminars, conferences, workshops and discussions have been organized with the aim of taking the Islamization of knowledge programme to the academic staff and students in campuses of higher institutions across the country. More than 200 seminars on the relevance of Islamization of knowledge to various disciplines have been organized in various universities, colleges of education, polytechnics and even secondary schools. The Nigeria office of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIITN) has also sponsored some workshops and seminars on Islamization of knowledge in collaboration with some institutions of higher learning and Islamic boards. For example, the Workshop on Islamization of Knowledge held on Sha'ban 20-22. I409/ March 27-29, 1989 at Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University. Sokoto was jointly organized and sponsored by the University's Centre for Islamic Studies. the IET, the Muslim World League and the IIITN. Also the IIITN. in conjunction with the Muslim Forum of Bayero University Kano jointly organized and conducted a one-day seminar on Islamization of knowledge in July 1996. Another national workshop on Islamization of knowledge was jointly organized by the IIITN and Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University in May 2000.2 The body also co-organized a National Higher Institutions Convention of Muslim Students (NHICOMS) with the MSSN National headquarters in February 2001 at the University of llorin.3 In April 2002, the Institute, in collaboration with the Nigerian Association of Model Islamic Schools (NAMIS), jointly organized a conference on Islamization of knowledge at Ibadan, Oyo State.4 In May of the same year, it co-organized International Workshop on Muslim Educational Reform in the Muslim World with the Faculty of Education, Bayero University Kano, where more than twenty papers were presented.5 From all these indications, the programme could be said to have attained some levels of acceptability in Nigeria, yet there are still some impediments to its progress, and this forms the basis of this paper. Islamization of Knowledge: A Critique of its other names The term "Islamization of knowledge" has been given different names depending on the perspectives of different scholars. To some, it is "faith-based education", while to others, it is "Islamization of education" or rather "Islamic education". To Aisha Lemu. it is "conceptual transformation of knowledge". Her argument is that the term Islamization of knowledge gives the impression that knowledge is not by itself Islamic and thus needs to be reframed and coloured to be made Islamic.6 This view is equally shared by Shafiq, who considers the phrase "Islamization of knowledge" as misleading, for all knowledge is sacred and a blessing of Allah.7 Anis Ahmad prefers the usage of the term "value centred education system" so as to make it a global education and break its monopoly by

the Muslims.8 To Kasule, the phrase "reform of disciplines" is preferable in order to avoid taking the Islamization process as a revolutionary movement and to avoid any semantic confusion.9 The usage of the phrase "faith-based education" shows the relationship between faith and education. Education without faith is regarded as merely a means of training clever devils. It is aptly described by Mutahheri thus: Knowledge without faith is a sharp sword in the hand of a drunken brute. It is lamp in the hand of a thief to help him pick up the best articles at midnight. That is why there is not the least difference in the nature and conduct of the faithless man of today who has knowledge and the faithless man of yesterday who had no knowledge. After all what is the difference between the Churchills, Johnsons, Nixons and Stalins of today and the Pharaohs. Genglis Khans and Attilas of yore?10 The term "faith-based education" is also controversial. Faith means different things to different cultures. To the West for instance, it means "belief without proof or "blind faith" which is devoid of reasoning. This is contrary to the teaching of the Qur'an that encourages man to reason and ponder on the creatures, The term "Islamic education", though appropriate in this context, is too wide to convey the specific, yet it can be over narrowed. In Nigeria, it is taken to mean Islamic religious knowledge (IRK) or Arabic language among other school subjects, whereas, the concept in question is more than that. The adoption of the word "education" in place of "knowledge" raises a vital issue vis-a-vis neutrality of knowledge. The justification or otherwise of the Islamization of knowledge could be ascertained or denied by virtue of whether or not knowledge is neutral. To the proponents of the neutrality of knowledge, knowledge is universal, value free and neutral irrespective of where and how such knowledge is derived. Thus, knowledge is free of any cultural or environmental influence. On the other hand, the opponents of the neutrality of knowledge strongly hold the view that knowledge is greatly influenced by the value system of where such knowledge develops, the methodology used to derive it and by the predominant worldview of the environment in which it is derived.11 Knowledge, as generally believed, is one of the attributes of Allah. He is the Source of all knowledge. It is our assertion therefore that man's perspective of the world must be universal and neutral irrespective of tribe, race or colour, just as the differences in tribe or race do not raise any doubt in the sweetness of honey anywhere in the universe. However, one doesn't deny the fact that the sweetness of honey can be doubted by the state of health of one who tastes it or by virtue of what was previously contained in the container of that honey. Thus, while we strongly concur with the neutrality of knowledge and its universality, it is expedient to note that the means through which knowledge is being perceived or transmitted is not devoid of cultural prejudices. In other words, the means of acquiring knowledge (education) as well as the instrument of perception (reasoning) are greatly influenced by cultural and environmental factors, hence the need for them to be permeated with Islamic teachings so that knowledge is traced back to it originator, Allah. In short, education is a means of transmitting culture from one generation to

the other and thus has cultural and environmental influences. Hence, education needs to be Islamized or else the Muslim community would be at the risk of undoing its world-view. We are persuaded to prefer Islamization of education rather than Islamization of knowledge. However, whatever is our own view. "Islamization of knowledge" has taken its own identity and it is the most popular term among others, used for the process of entrenching the Islamic world-view in the content and method of education. Khalil Imad al-Din has rightly divided the process of Islamization of knowledge into two levels. The first level is the theoretical level, which sheds light on the aims and position of the Qur'an and other Islamic teachings in relation to modern knowledge. The second level, which is the practical level, has to do with the entrenchment of the Islamized disciplines in the conventional educational system of Muslim societies at all levels.12 To the best of our knowledge, there have been efforts from various quarters at articulating a clear theoretical vision for the Islamization of knowledge programme. Though these efforts are commendable and productive, some issues are not yet properly addressed. This forms the basis of Shehu's arguments for an educational agenda by the Nigerian Muslims. The five-point agenda suggested by him are: (i) Revitalization of the mainstream Islamic education system to eliminate what he called "its disdainful condition". (ii) Setting up a taskforce on education enrolment and acquisition to mobilize and sensitise the ummah towards education: (iii) Organizing special education programme for the handicapped and the disabled in the ummah: (iv) Formulating a policy on female education; (v) Organizing a special remediation programme.13 The big question now is, why do we need to theorize a new concept of educational system in the name of Islamization of knowledge? Or what benefit will the Muslims derive from this programme of Islamization? The answer to this is considered in the next sub-topic. The Inevitability of the Programme Education is generally believed to be a strong weapon for the facilitation and promotion of national unity and international understanding, removal of social inequalities, poverty and other vices, and provision of adequate manpower for economic development. It is. however, sad to note that in spite of the level of education of her citizens as well as the natural endowment of the nation, Nigeria is still lagging behind morally, economically, socially and politically. This has encouraged scholars from various fields to search for alternative means of realizing national development through education. This had been put in motion even before the exit of the colonial masters when there were commissions over commissions. This started in 1916 when the British government came up with the first Education Ordinance. The government's further involvement in the education business was facilitated by the application of the report of the Phelps-Stokes Commission to the

Nigerian education scene when the colonial masters themselves realised that education should be adapted to African condition. In the independence era, scholars are still dissatisfied with the nation's education. A pointer to this is the assertion of a group of seasoned educationists at a national seminar held at Bagauda, Kano in 1980 that Nigerian ethical value is in a state of coma, while bribery, corruption, nepotism, organised robbery, drug abuse and other vices are the order of the day. The body thus called for innovation and changes and advocated for a new philosophy called 'developmentalism'.14 Ukadike also notices that the "prevailing political situation has constituted an unpleasant jar to Nigeria's nerves and the stench of corruption in high places has given her a racking stomachache".15 While he contends that a faulty educational system had been inherited from the colonial masters, he suggests citizenship education as a measure to inculcate discipline in Nigerian youth. In the same vein, the Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Nigerian Educational Research Council and University of Port Harcourt, organized a National Conference on Moral Education in Port Harcourt. There, it was concluded that Religious Education had an important role to play in any effective moral programme.16 The mugging of the existing educational system as well as the agitation for change from one system to the other is considered a serious setback in the existing educational system. Oloyede emphasizes this assertion when he asserts: The situation is so bad that whenever there is, at least in Nigeria, a specific social contention, there is the call for curriculum review to incorporate the specific issue, whereas functional education does not require instruction in every social phenomenon to ensure appropriate response from the truly educated. The clamour in Nigeria for the inclusion of sex education, drug abuse, cultism, indiscipline and corruption, road safety and patriotism in the formal institution curricula is clear vindication that the education itself cannot address social or moral issues unless the educated person is specifically trained for the specific matter. This is just one of the numerous defects in modem education.17 The secularized system of education adopted throughout the world can be traced to Rene Descartes (1596-1650), a French philosopher who successfully threw away gnosticism or revelation as a source of knowledge into the dustbin and shifted emphasis on rational thinking and empiricism. The acceptance of the 'bucket theory' otherwise called tabula rasa theory of the mind, where knowledge received through our senses is considered the only true knowledge, is a great problem to the Muslim ummah. This is not because its acceptance is inimical to the spirit of Islam, but for the fact that it has separated wahy from 'aql knowledge. Scientific epistemology in the Western context becomes an infallible and impeccable paradigm of enquiry while revelation as a source of knowledge is relegated to the lowest ebb. The fact remains that the common sense theory of knowledge is not free of illusions, aberrations and uncertainties and this can only be rectified by the illuminating light of the infallible source of knowledge, wahy. This, to the best of our knowledge, is what the Islamization of knowledge programme is aiming to achieve.

Looking at it from another perspective, the modern education system is materialistic in nature and the products and graduates of this system are duly imbued with ideas of materialism and comfort of this terrestrial life with no regard for the afterlife. Kanu Oji rightly observes the extent of materialism among Nigerians when he writes: Everyone is materially conscious that anything which is not evaluated in terms of naira or any other material gains is not worth doing well. It has gone to the extent that today personal merit will not serve you as much as money will. Enter into a depth of our society and give a naira to one man and give a lecture on morality to the other and see who will respect you most.18 With the materialistic nature of our educational system, everybody becomes reckless in struggling for money. Acquisition of knowledge becomes a means of acquiring wealth and not for services to the community. Little wonder then that academics neglect their duty of making scientific and technological innovations that would benefit the society, but instead divert their attention to lucrative businesses to enrich themselves overnight. Those in pubic offices engage in fraudulent acts for personal gain. "Ten percent kickback" syndrome is now a condition to be fulfilled when awarding contracts. The method of getting rich through dubious means is multi-dimensional and far beyond what the Nigerian police can curb. Even the Nigerian police are too money- and material-conscious to the extent of mounting roadblocks for the purpose of shamelessly and illegally extorting money from helpless motorists. There is no doubt that the type of knowledge and training given to Nigerian citizens is devoid of the consciousness of Allah. Anybody who is not aware of his accountability on the Day of Reckoning will undoubtedly live an unfettered life and will try by all possible means to fell huge trees of morality for him to gain access to the crooked path that leads to quick wealth. Thus a new attempt is needed whereby whatever discipline a child is exposed to will be geared towards realizing and recognizing the existence and presence of an Omniscient and Omnipotent God, his Creator. It is when this is done that the Muslims will be able to rectify the shortcomings of secular education and its features, which make it incompatible with the Islamic teachings and culture. The features as listed by Oloyede include lack of consciousness of the existence and Omnipotence of Allah, excessive materialism, culture of unbridled pursuit of vain desires (pleasures) as the object of education; culture of sceptism, arrogance, absolute reliance on techniques, tight compartmentalization of disciplines and excessive subservience to ancestors and 'worship' of secular 'saints' who are taken as unchallengeable in the different disciplines.19 The end result of the type of education having these characteristics is idiomatically summed up by Maulana Ali Adam when he writes: The new world order envisaged by the Americans represents the establishment of one pseudo religion in every country of the world, material progress is to be worshipped, its own templesgigantic factories, cinemas, televisions, chemical laboratories, dance halls and

huge electricity generating plants. The high priests of these temples are the bankers, engineers, film stars, captains of industry and record breaking sportsmen and women. Worship in the religion of the new world order is the craving for power and pleasure. The culture of this way of life requires countries and individuals to be armed to the teeth, to confine morality to the level of practical utility alone and to make material success the highest criterion of good and evil.20 To conclude this aspect, we assert that knowledge is not static. Day-in, dayout new developments and discoveries are emerging. The Muslims are thus in serious need of keeping themselves abreast of these developments with a view to relating them to Islam and to guide against accepting ideas that are alien to their faith. This can only be achieved through undertaking the Islamization of knowledge. The effects of non-adherence to this step are summarised by Sulaiman when he says: If Muslim scholars fail to explain new phenomena in line with the teachings of Islam, the generality of Muslims will not know the permissibility or otherwise of the phenomena. Secondly, inferiority complex will be entrenched in their minds when they are made to believe that Islam has no provision or explanation for the new phenomena.21 The Problem of Practicability It needs to be mentioned that there are appreciable efforts towards implementing the theories of Islamization at various level of education. These have taken various forms, ranging from "spraying" some verses of Qur'an and prophetic hadith, expounding scientific facts from the Qur'an and hadith, searching for scientific proof of the Qur'an, searching for disparity between Islamic and European concepts, to emphasizing the contributions of Muslims to intellectual development and critical examination of non-Muslim writers on Islam. In recent times, some Islam-related courses are being introduced into some Faculties and Departments in the Usman Dan Fodiyo University and Bayero University Kano, here in Nigeria. That notwithstanding, the theoretical framework of Islamization of knowledge has not been properly transformed into the expected practical level. What we are trying to emphasize here is that the entrenchment of the Islamized disciplines in the conventional education system of Muslim ummah has remained a myth to a large extent. The programme is still wobbling in the face of numerous efforts of its protagonists. Some factors militating against the practicability of the programme are now considered. (a) Problem of Personnel One of the greatest problems confronting the programme is personnel. This has to do with both the staff and students teaching and pursuing the programme

10

respectively. Though many private schools wanted to give the programme a trial in their schools, the fact that there was no qualified and experienced staff to man and handle it had hindered its introduction or consolidation in such institutions. On the part of the students, the entry qualifications of some students to be admitted to the programme are not worth mentioning. Not all the students took their primary and secondary education in Islamic institutions and so could not appreciate the beauty of Islam in the Islamized courses. Furthermore, as it is difficult to talk of original contributions to Islamization of knowledge without the capacity to delve into the original Arabic sources, many of the students could not be good students of the programme. This is because they lack the necessary prerequisites for the programme; so they could not pursue it further in their academic carrier. (b) Influence of secular education Many of the personnel are products of the Western education system, which directly or indirectly means that they are likely to be Western in their outlook, orientation and attitude. Closely related to this, is the problem of some educated classes, which Lemu describes as "professional parochialism."22 Such are scholars who have been imbued with the secular mentality and consider the programme to be a threat to their prestige. Their little knowledge of the programme has let them to conclude that the programme is impossible in Nigeria and to tag those who uphold it with such epithets as fundamentalists, fanatics or terrorists, while the programme stigmatized with the purpose of' driving people away from it. It is the assumption of such scholars that whatever does not come from the West is inferior and imperfect and so they prefer to imitate the West at all costs. (c) Multi-religious nature of the society The multi-religious nature of the society, which implies that academic institutions admit candidates of different religions to various areas of disciplines, is an impediment to the progress of Islamization of knowledge in Nigeria. This situation explains why some non-Muslims are opposed to the introduction of any Islam-based course in any other department apart from that of Islamic studies. The claim of such groups is that it is an imposition of Islam on the adherents of other religions, whereas a section of the Nigeria constitution states that "no person attending any place of education shall be required to receive religious instructions or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if such institution, ceremony or observance relates to a religion not approved by his parent or guardian."23 This is not peculiar to Nigeria alone; even in Malaysia where Islam is declared the official religion, a sort of cautious Islamization is in operation, so as not to hurt the feeling of adherents of other religions. The first Prime Minister of Malaysia remarked that: Experience has shown that too much emphasis on religion will lead to misunderstanding, as Malaysia is a country of mixed population and mixed religions, and would not be congenial to the happy relationship that exists among the people today.24

11

On another occasion, he lamented: It would be a sad day indeed, if the government is pressured into introducing drastic reforms to keep up with religious (Islamic) laws. It must be remembered that the constitution proclaimed Malaysia as a secular state in which Islam is declared the official religion.25 Thus the hope of having a full Islamization of knowledge programme in an heterogeneous religious society like Nigeria is doomed. The recent adoption of the Shari'ah legal system in some states in the country has generated a lot of fracas from some quarters despite the fact that some sections of the Nigeria constitution justify the step.26 No sooner had the Shari'ah been introduced in Zamfara State than there emerged, in various sections of the Nigerian mass media, blasphemous remarks, negative reports, inciting cartoons and destructive statements about the divine law and the governor who introduced it, describing the law as barbaric and the governor a fanatic who took the step to destabilize the young democratic polity of the nation. Thus, Muslims are handicapped as they remain unenthusiastic about any Islamization programme, not because they do not appreciate its importance, but because they want to avoid being accused of religious fanaticism by adherents of other religions. (d) Government Policy on Curriculum Development, Implementation and evaluation The control of education is largely in the hands of the Federal and State Governments. Various commissions, institutions and bodies have been put in place by the federal government to ensure the smooth running of education policy. The National University Commission (NUC) for instance, was set up in 1962 but became a statutory body in 1974 with the function of overseeing and ensuring the balanced development and growth of universities. The body accredits various courses offered in universities. Ditto is NCCE at the colleges of education level. There are also the Nigerian Educational Research Council (NERC), the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) and the Comparative Education Study and Adaptation Centre (CESAC) which are established for the purpose of evolving a "more suitable system of education that is continually adapted and responsive to the nation's economic and social aspirations". Apart from these government-controlled curriculum development bodies, there are examination bodies like the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO). These government-controlled examination bodies set, administer and recommend for admission or issue certificates to candidates. These bodies are a bane to the Islamization programme as their set standards do not put into consideration the Islamization ideals. The programme is also difficult to implement in Colleges of Education because of the NCCE which designs and regulates courses offered in the colleges and does not give room for each college to design its programme suitable for its environment.

12

(e)

Job security Despite the fact that the Islamization of knowledge programme has become a popular programme in Nigeria, some institutions are yet to give it a trial. Up till now, the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, University of Jos, University of Ilorin, and a host of others have not introduced any Islam-based course in other departments apart from the Department of Religions. That apart, the operation and establishment of interest free banking systems in some banks in Nigeria should be a source of inspiration for graduates of Islamic economics, but the number of such banks and finance institutions are too infinitesimal to absorb all graduates specialized in the field. The operation of some so-called Islamic financial institutions does not even encourage the pursuance of Islam-based economic-related disciplines as they follow the Western modes of operation. This is observed by a scholar who writes: Islamic financial institutions have continued to operate in identically Western modes of transactions while doing lipservice to Islamically prescribed modes of financing, economic and social activities that bring about integrated transformation and create vibrant consciousness in the ummah.27 A big question that agitates the minds of people is: where could graduate of Islamic sociology and other Islam-based disciplines secure jobs after their graduation? Thus, the fear of job security constitutes another obstacle that dampens the enthusiasm of candidates who would have otherwise liked to pursue the programme. (f) Language problem The use of an appropriate language in the Islamization programme is one of the major problems facing the programme in Nigeria. English has been the main language of communication in many parts of the world, and through it, the programme has been taken to the doorstep of every individual. It has been the major language in international conferences on Islamization of knowledge programme. Such centres as the International Institute of Islamic Thought, Pennsylvania; The Islamic Academy, Cambridge; the Islamic Institute of Advanced Studies. Washington; the Islamic Cultural Centre, Regent's Park, London; the Islamic Foundation in Leicester and the Institute of Policy Studies in Islamabad, have most of their works in English. On the other hand, it is incontestable that Arabic is the original language of Islamization by virtue of being the language of the Qur'an and of the Prophet (S.A.W.), and consequently the language of Islam. The problem is, which of the two languagesArabic or Englishshould be adopted as the official language of communication in any Islamization of knowledge programme forum? This, to us, is but a minor problem. The major problem is the inability of many students of the programme to have access to texts written on the programme in Arabic. Actually, there is no dearth of material on the programme in the Arabic language. The standard of students' Arabic is however so low that many Arabic texts are just

13

arranged neatly on shelves in our libraries with low consultation from students. There is no doubt that this has hindered the progress of the programme at all stages, as scholars now depend on secondary sources to tap the needed information. Observation and Conclusion From the above, it becomes glaringly clear that the Islamization programme goes beyond just the reduction of religious education to a mere classroom subject. Rather, it bridges the gap between the so-called secular and religious subjects. The two are to be integrated for the purpose of achieving felicity in this world and the hereafter. At this juncture, one needs to allay the fears of those who feel that the programme of Islamization is a myth in Nigeria because of its multi-religious nature and its secularistic approach to issues. The fear of such people is that should the programme be adopted, it will lead to the marginalisation of non-Muslims or imposition of Islam on them. It is observed that in tertiary institutions where some Islam-related courses are introduced, both the Christians and a few Muslims have criticized the authorities in charge. What should be noted is that Islamization of knowledge is meant for all students professing the Islamic faith as well as any other person who, though may not profess the Islamic faith, but voluntarily consents to the exercise and wishes to broaden the horizon of his knowledge. Those who do not profess the religion must learn to be tolerant just as the Muslims reluctantly tolerated the adoption of the Gregorian calendar named after Pope Gregory as well as observation of Saturdays and Sundays, which are declared as holidays purposely to enable the Christians to worship in their churches. Both Christians and Muslims have things to share from one another. The adoption of Western education by Muslims is a good example of what they shared with the Christian missionaries. In the same vein, pilgrimage to Israel and Jerusalem is a new development among our Christian folk who learnt it from the Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah, which is a core pillar of Islam. Thus we are bound to learn from and co-operate with each other. It is our observation that secularism is a strong bane to the Islamization programme in Nigeria. It has reduced religion to a mere personal affair restricted to the four walls of the mosque. The irony of it is that the nation's constitution recognizes God as the Creator. The first statement in the 1999 constitution shows that the country places herself under the protection of God, yet it recognizes itself as a secular state. Other points raised by Quadri to debunk the assertion that Nigeria is a secular state include the oath of office sworn to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which ends with the statement: "So help me God"; the National Anthem and the National Pledge which recognize God as the source of help and supplicate to God to direct the affairs of the nation; sponsorship of pilgrimage to holy lands and donation of millions of naira to Christians and Muslims by the Federal Government to build the National Church and the National Mosque respectively in Abuja, to mention but a few.28 Thus, once it is generally believed that Nigeria is not a secular state but a multi-religious nation, it is then that religion will take its proper place and perform its role in the lives of the people and will be used as a tool for sanitizing the so-called secular disciplines. Once this is done, our educational system will produce religious men in all disciplines.

14

The adoption of Shari'ah in Zamfara State and its subsequent adoption by some Northern states is a good omen for the programme to thrive in Nigeria. The adoption of Shari'ah by these states calls for a clear understanding of what it is really about. The partial implementation of the legal aspects of the law in these states is not enough; what is required is the total Shari'ah guiding all aspects of life of the people of the States as well as inculcating Islamic knowledge and values into the pupils in schools through the expressed and the hidden curriculum. Hence, education in its entirety needs to be totally recast to make it in line with the Islamic vision of education. This development indicates that there would be a demand for relevant manpower to handle some aspects of the States from the perspective of the Shari'ah. So, a chance of employment opportunity is imminent for graduates of Islam-based disciplines. Closely related to this is the emergence of some interest-free banks in line with the Islamic banking system. Such banks need the professional assistance of graduates who have been exposed to and have undergone courses in Islamic banking for them to function effectively well, or else they become mere caricature of Islamic banks. Production of essential personnel for a programme, to us, should be a prerequisite for the commencement of such a programme. So, the training of candidates in Islam-based disciplines is a right step in the right direction, as very soon, the demand for these specialists will be more than the present supply in the Shari'ah States. It is however sad to note that Nigeria cannot boast of a single Islamic university privately established by an indigenous expatriate or corporate body. This constitutes a major setback in the implementation of the Islamization of knowledge. Most of the existing private universities in Nigeria are established by Christian individuals or denominations. A section of the 1979 constitution stipulates that: No religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils of that community or denomination in any place of education maintained wholly by that community.29 The provision of this constitution is enough evidence to show that private institutions are the best place for successful Islamization of knowledge programme. Such a university, if established by an Islamic body or a conscious Muslim individual, will be autonomous in designing its programme in favour of the Islamization programme. Perhaps the current effort of the Katsina Muslim community to establish an Islamic university, as well as the proposed Al-Hikmah University in Ilorin if eventually materialises, will prove this assertion. As regards public universities, it is hoped that the current agitation for university autonomy will assist in no small measure for the programme to succeed. Based on our observation so far, we contend that there is the need for the Muslim organizations championing the course of Islamization of knowledge in Nigeria to join hands to design their educational agenda at all levels for the programme to thrive.

15

Notes
1. 2. 3. T. Sultan, "The Role of Islamic Universities in the Islamization of Education", Muslim Education Quarterly, Cambridge, Vol. 14, No. 3. 1997, p. 57. The present writer personally attended this workshop and he was one of the discussants to one of the papers presented at the workshop. Though the programme was initially planned to be held at the University of Ilorin, for logistic reasons it was shifted to Abdur-Raheem Oladimeji Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Sciences. Ilorin. This writer attended this programme held between the 1st and 4th February 2001. More than two hundred proprietors of private schools, staff and other participants from nine states attended this workshop entitled "Islamization of Knowledge: An Agenda for Private Islamic Schools". The present writer was the coordinator of the conference. A paper entitled "Islamization of Curriculum: An Agenda for Model Islamic Nursery Schools in Nigeria" was presented by him. A paper entitled "Muslim Educational Reform in the South-Western Nigeria" was presented by this writer at the workshop. B.A. Lemu, "Conceptual Transformation of Knowledge: Meaning and Application," a paper presented at the Seminar on Private Model Islamic Schools organized by the I.E.T., Minna, 19th and 23rd April. 1995, p. 2. M. Shafiq, Growth of Islamic Thought in North America, Brentwood Maryland, Amana Publications 1994, p. 90. Anonymous, The Interim Report on the International Islamic Education Conference. Cape Town, Islamia College, 1997. pp. 55-57. Ibid., pp. 55-56. M. Mutahheri, Islam, Man and Universe, the Islamic Seminary. Pakistan, 1977, p. 29. B.S. Galadanci, "Islamization of Knowledge: Concept and Core Issues" in B,S. Galadanci (Ed.) Islamization of Knowledge: A Research Guide, Kano, IIIT Nigeria Office, 2000, pp. 8-10. K. 'Imad al-Din, Islamization of Knowledge: A Methodology. Herndon. IIIT, 1991, p. 22. S. Shehu, "Islamizing the Education System: Toward an Alternative Education Theory and Agenda for the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria''. A Paper presented at a 2day National Workshop on Islamization of Knowledge jointly organized by IIIT Nigeria Office and Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University. Sokoto between 15th & 16th May, 2000. pp. 23-24. A.A. Adeyinka (el a/.), "African Philosophy of Education with Particular Reference to Nigeria", in A. Akinyemi (Ed.) Book of Reading in Education Theory and Practice, Vol 1, Institute of Education, University of Ilorin, 1992. p. 115. O.J. Ukadike. "Citizenship Education: A Panacea for Nigeria's Political and Social Problems," Journal of General Studies in Education, Ila-Orangun.VoI. l. No. 1, 1996, p. 164. Decision and Recommendations of the National Conference on Moral Education held in Port Harcourt from 1st to 5th February 1982, pp. 2-3. I.O. Oloyede, "The Imperative for Reshaping and Re-Orientating the Modern Disciplines in the Islamic Perspective." A Paper Presented at a 2-Day National Workshop on Islamization of Knowledge jointly organized by IIIT Nigeria Office and Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto between 15th & 16th May 2000. pp. 12 Cited by A. Mustapha, "Islam Versus Secular Ethical Revolution in Nigeria: A Survey of Some Fundamental Contradictions": NATA1S, Journal of the Nigerian Association of Teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies. Vol. 11, No. 4, December, 1983. p. 78. I.O. Oloyede, op. cit., p. 7. Cited by R.I. Adebayo, "Islamizing Social Studies Curriculum at the Primary School Level: A Proposal to a Model Islamic Primary School", The Beagle, Journal of the Lagos State College of Primary Education, Vol. 4, No. 1 & 1. June/November 1999. p. 149.

4.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

14.

15. 16. 17.

18.

19. 20.

16

21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29

S. Sulaiman, Islamization of Knowledge: Background, Models and the Way Forward, Kano, IIIT, Nigeria Office; 2000, p. 16. S.A. Lemu, Education: Islamic Concepts and Modern Society, Minna, Islamic Education Trust, n.d., p. 7. Section 35 (1) of the 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. W.M.N. Wan Daud, The Concept of Knowledge in Islam and its Implications for Education in a Developing Country, London, Mansell Publishing Ltd., 1989, p. 115. Ibid., p. 115. See the 1999 Nigeria Constitution, Sections 4 (4), 7 & 275 (1). M.A. Choudhury, "A Critical Examination of the Concept of Islamization of Knowledge in Contemporary Times", Muslim Education Quarterly, Cambridge, Vol. 10, No. 4. 1993, p 28. Y.A. Quadri, Shari'ah: The Islamic Way of Life, Ijebu-Ode, Shebiotimo Publications. 2000, pp. 27-28. See section 35 (3) of the 1979 Constitution.

17