Comparative Study of Al-Imam Al-Shafi'i and John Dewey Thoughts About the Concept of Education in Islamic and Western Perspectives
Authors: Hassan Wan Zulkifli Wan , Al-Maamari Khalid Khalfan Muslem Salim , Keng Lim Kar 
Published: July 2024

Al-Imam Al-Shafii was a 9th century Islamic scholar whose scientific ideas were greatly inspired by the Islamic religion and world. Dewey, on the other hand, was an American philosopher and educator who lived in the late 19th century, and whose beliefs were inspired by the democratic aspirations and scientific worldview of the Western tradition. During the time of al-Shafii, there were many developments in religious knowledge and other sciences. The Muslim community at that time was very earnest in the scientific activities of Islamic knowledge including educational practices. But some Muslims are influenced by philosophical trends. To overcome this, Al-Shafii' presented a moderate approach or wasatiyyah in the field of education by applying the Islamic approach and the philosophical approach for the purpose of developing a generation that still adheres to Islam. Education on the other hand, could only be pursued by certain groups during John Dewey's time. Traditional education is considered inefficient for the American country when there is a shift from a society based on agro activities to an industrial society that requires a lot of professional energy. As a result, it pioneered democratic education and progressive participatory education. The purpose of this study is: (1) To find out the educational practices of al-Shafii's thought. (2) Knowing the educational practices of John Dewey. (3) To find out the comparison of the educational practices of al-Shafii and John Dewey. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach to examine the comparison of two educational practices from two different perspectives with a type of bibliographic research. Data analysis techniques in this research use documentation techniques through primary reference sources and other reference sources that support this research. The results of this research are: (1) education is an effort to find the truth within oneself, develop noble principles, an effort to purify oneself, and steps to get closer to God. The purpose of education is to seek knowledge, form one's identity and achieve eternal happiness. Teachers act as educators, supervisors, guides, and role models for their students. The educational evaluation method used is self-reflection. (2) Education, according to John Dewey, is a continuous process of growth and development that involves the active and direct involvement of learners in developing their understanding of the world. Education seeks to prepare students to participate fully in a democratic society while also developing their abilities and capabilities. The teacher's role in education is to facilitate and supervise learning. He highlights the educational curriculum as valuable practical content for teenagers with problem-solving strategies and a youth-centered approach. Report procedures, documentation and observation, discussion, and summative evaluation are part of John Dewey's educational evaluation. (3) Similarities and differences, as well as advantages and disadvantages, of al-Shafii and John Dewey's educational thought can be observed. Both are comparable because they both emphasize that the material presented to students should be relevant to students' lives. The difference is, al Shafii prioritizes the creation of noble morals and the study of religious sciences, while John Dewey, from a pragmatist perspective, emphasizes the practicality and usefulness of education for life in the world. The superiority of al-Shafii's concept is to apply religious values as a preparation for the afterlife, although his educational concept is considered difficult in adapting to current educational institutions. While the advantage of John Dewey, his emphasis on experiential learning allows students to learn through direct experience and active involvement. But there is a limited focus on core knowledge.