Challenging Western Dominance: Islamic Intellectual Paradigms of Education in al-Ghazali, Ibn Qayyim, and al-Zarnuji

Charles, Charles
Hayat, Ade Putra
Artika, Febria Sri
Herdianto, Herdianto

Jurnal Ushuluddin
Vol 33, No 2 (2025): December

Modern educational systemsoften prioritizecognitiveoutcomesat the expense of moral and spiritual development, resulting in graduates who may be academicallyproficientyet ethically or spiritually unfulfilled. This study aims to reconstruct a holistic educational paradigm inspired by the pedagogical philosophies of three Islamic intellectuals—Al-Ghazali, Ibn QayyimAl-Jawziyyah,and Az-Zarnuji—by examining their conceptualizations of purposive learning, moral cultivation, and the role of the educator.Employinga qualitative literaturereview,the research analyzes primary classical texts and compares their holistic framework with Western holistic educational traditions such as Waldorf and the Humboldtian model. The findings reveal a tripartite pedagogical structure: spiritual purification (tazkiyat al-nafs), ethical integrity as a safeguard against intellectual hubris, and etiquette-infused teacher–student dynamics.Whensynthesized with Western models thatemphasizecreativity, individuality, and interdisciplinarygrowth, these elementsoffer a robust paradigm for integrated human development. Ultimately, this framework proposes an education reoriented toward cognitive, ethical, and spiritualwholeness.