The Concept of Islamization of Knowledge Among the Undergraduates of The Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic Language: Present and Future

Abstract

Purpose

The Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic Language is the only faculty that teaches Islamic sciences in both Arabic and Tamil languages in Sri Lanka. Students of this faculty learn in different fields at both general and specialization levels; but there are no prior efforts in scientific research on the extent to which the faculty has achieved the theory of Islamization of knowledge among its students. This research aims to obtain an answer to the question “How is the Islamization of knowledge achieved among students of the Faculty of Islamic Studies and the Arabic Language? What are the opportunities and challenges that face in applying this theory?”

Method

This research uses descriptive and analytical methods through mixed approach quantitative and qualitative.  The questionnaire was given to 60 male and female students of the third year to explore the students’ attitudes in it, and an interview was conducted with ten lecturers to find out the opportunities and challenges in applying this theory, and the results were analyzed using the descriptive approach with the help of MS Excel.

Results/findings

This faculty applies this concept to moderate level, without using the term Islamization of knowledge.

Conclusion

the faculty aims to be a well-known national center for integrating Islamic studies and the Arabic language in the related fields of study, and in the faculty’s curriculum there are subjects related to Islamic studies and the Arabic language; But some of them did not achieve the required goal, such as linguistics, and some of the subjects related to social sciences and humanities.