Mohamed, Najma (2012-03)
environmental question. However, closer scrutiny reveals a burgeoning green
movement amongst Muslims the world over. While scholarly works initially
elucidated the scriptural basis for Islamic ecological ethics (ecoethics), efforts are
now centred on translating the ecoethics of Islam into practice. The educational
landscape of Islam is frequently put forward as the primary arena for imparting its
ecological teachings. This thesis examines the connections between Islam, ecology
and education, and investigates the revival of Islamic ecoethics by way of
environmental education in the educational landscape of Islam broadly, and the
maktab in particular. The maktab, the foundational educational establishment in
Islam, remains underutilised despite its important place in the educational life of
A liberation ecotheology research framework was employed to display the richness
of traditional resources and institutions in meeting contemporary environmental
challenges. Through a conceptual analysis of sacred texts, traditions and
contemporary thought on Islam, ecology and education, this thesis constructs an
eco-justice ethic of Islam and draws out the pedagogical implications for
implementing this ecoethic. Content analysis, of environmental education activities
in the broader educational landscape of Islam, provides insights into environmental
teaching and learning. Environmental education in the maktab, which plays a
pivotal role in imparting the elementary teachings and values of Islam, is brought
into focus by way of a curriculum review which examines the environmental
elements encapsulated in two maktab curricula produced in South Africa.
Implications for environmental teaching and learning in the maktab, are then
This thesis affirms the important position of religious thought as a determiner of
environmental action. It presents, from within a liberatory tradition of Islam, a
theocentric eco-justice ethic which is based on the sovereignty of God, the
responsible trusteeship of humankind and the intrinsic value of Creation. It puts
forward an activist, transformative approach to environmental education, premised
upon an integrated knowledge structure and educational objectives which require
reflective and critical engagement with all ecological knowledge, responsible
environmental action, and social transformation. And it proposes a transformative
approach to environmental education to bring the liberatory intent of the Islamic
environmental tradition into focus, both in the broader educational landscape of
Islam, as well as the maktab.
Muslims own a fair share of the global concern around the earth’s health and wellbeing.
To varying degrees, they continue to draw upon religious teachings to shape
their values, beliefs and attitudes towards life - including the environment.
Revitalizing ecological ethics in the educational establishment of Islam provides an
impetus to not only uncover Islam’s environmental tradition, but to affect Muslim
awareness and action on the ecological question.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ondanks die feit dat Islam ‘n sosiale krag in die lewens van baie van sy aanhangers
is, beklaag hedendaagse geleerdes die stilte van Muslims op die omgewings-vraag.
Nadere ondersoek toon egter ‘n ontluikende groen beweging onder Muslims die
wêreld oor. Terwyl navorsing tot dusver die skriftuurlike basis vir die Islamitiese
ekologiese etiek (ekoetiek) verklaar, is pogings nou gevestig op die omskepping van
hierdie ekoetiek in die praktyk. Die opvoedkundige landskap van Islam is dikwels na
vore gebring as die primêre arena vir die oordra van sy ekologiese leerstellings.
Hierdie tesis ondervra die verband tussen Islam, ekologie en opvoeding, en
ondersoek die herlewing van die Islamitiese ekoetiek deur middel van
omgewingsopvoeding in die opvoedkundige landskap van Islam in die algemeen, en
die maktab in die besonder. Die maktab, die belangrikste grondlegging-stigting in
Islam, bly onderbenut ten spyte van sy belangrike plek in die opvoedkundige lewe
‘n Bevrydings-ekoteologie navorsing raamwerk was in diens geneem om die rykdom
van die tradisionele middele en instellings van die Islamietise ekoetiek na vore te
bring. Deur middel van ‘n konseptuele analise van heilige tekste, tradisies en
hedendaagse denke oor Islam, ekologie en opvoeding, bou hierdie tesis ‘n ekogeregtigheids
etiek van Islam, en ontrek die pedagogiese implikasies vir die
uitvoering van hierdie ekoetiek. Inhoud analise van omgewingsopvoedingaktiwiteite
in die breër opvoedkundige landskap van Islam bied verder insigte tot
omgewingsopvoeding praktyke aan. Omgewingsopvoeding in die maktab, wat ‘n
belangrike rol speel in die oordra van die basiese leerstellings en waardes van Islam,
is by wyse van kurrikulum-hersiening ondersoek. Hierdie hersiening ondersoek die
omgewings-elemente vervat in twee maktab kurrikulums wat in Suid-Afrika
geproduseer is. Implikasies vir omgewingsopvoeding in die maktab word dan ontrek.
Hierdie tesis bevestig die belangrike posisie van godsdienstige denke as ‘n bepaling
van omgewings-aksie. Dit bied, binne ‘n bevreiheids-tradisie in Islam, ‘n
teosentriese eko-geregtigheids etiek aan wat baseer is op die opperheerskap van
God, die verantwoordelike herderskap van mensdom en die innerlike waarde van
die skepping. Dit poneer ‘n transformatiewe benadering tot omgewingsopevoeding
wat berus op ‘n geïntegreerde kennis struktuur en opvoedkundige doelwitte wat
reflektiewe en kritiese omgang met ekologiese kennis vereis; verantwoordelike
omgewings-aksie; en sosiale transformasie. Dit bied ook aan dat die Islamitiese
omgewings-tradisie deur middel van ‘n transformatiewe benadering tot
omgewingsopvoeding, beide in die breër opvoedkundige landskap van Islam sowel
as die maktab, na vore gebring kan word.
Muslims besit ‘n groot deel van die wêreldwye besorgdheid oor die aarde se
gesondheid en welstand. Tot wisselende grade, gaan hulle voort om hulle waardes,
oortuigings en houdings teenoor die lewe, insluitend die omgewing, op
godsdienstige leerstellinge te baseer. Om nuwe lewe in die ekologiese etiek van
Islam in die opvoedkundige vestiging te blaas, bied ‘n geleentheid aan om nie net
Islam se omgewings-tradisie te ontbloot nie, maar ook om die bewustheid en
optrede van Muslims op die ekologiese vraag te beïnvloed.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20280