The compatibility of liberal ideology within Islamic education
This research talks about the compatibility of liberal ideology within Islamic education. The study is aimed at responding the following research questions. (1) What constitutes liberal ideology in Islamic perspective (or widely known as liberal Islam)? What issues are being promoted? (2) What encompasses Islamic education? (3) To what extent does liberal ideology compatible with doctrines and practices within the tradition of Islamic educational system? Which issues are compatible, and which ones are not? This study is aimed at: (1) describing what liberal ideology constitutes in Islamic perspective (or widely known as liberal Islam), including what issues are being promoted. (2) Elaborating what Islamic education encompasses. (3) Examining the extent to which liberal ideology is compatible with doctrines and practices within the tradition of Islamic educational system, which issues are compatible, and which ones are not. This study is mainly a literary analysis of descriptive undertaking. Data provided by previous researchers and all other data relevant with the topic of discussion that are contained in books, journals as well as other types of publications will also be utilized and analyzed. The data were dealt with by using content analysis technique to grasp its real meaning. The findings of this research are as follows: Liberal ideology in Islamic perspective is not what is perceived by many in the social or political terms, but liberalism in the context of Islamic thought in the Muslim world, commonly called Islamic liberalism. Liberal Islam can be described as a critical reinterpretation and reexamination of sharia (Islamic law) and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) to make them relevant to contemporary modern life. In other words, it refers to all traditions in the interpretation of Islam whichare based on human reasoning or rational discourse. With regard to Islamic education, it is guidance of physic and mental based on law derived from the religion of Islam aimed at forming the main character according to Islamic measurements. In terms of instruction, Islamic Education is to mean education in all branches of knowledge taught from the Islamic point of view. On theoretical perspective, what liberal Muslim thinkers had championed with regard to women's rights especially with reference to an access to education is in line and relevant with the hope of Islam.On the practical level, however, the right of women in getting an access to education is still problematic. Looking at the reality in Muslim society, we can say that the rights of Muslim women to access education is still not as good as that of men. In some societies in the Muslim countries women's education is deemed unnecessary. Unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that women are still denied the benefit of a proper education in some, mainly patriarchal, Islamic societies.