At the start of the Foundation's New Muslim Project, I was asked to outline a home-based study course, apparently already approved in principle and with funding already allocated. As is unfortunately so often the way with such ideas, my association with the project was by all reports already being undermined even before I had finished working on the outline, and by the time I submitted the outline any prior approval or funding had vanished on the wind.
ISLAMIC STUDIES - An Open Learning Course
Proposal
To establish a course of Islamic Studies to suit the widest possible range of educational needs. The course should be suitable for new muslims, born muslims, and non-muslims with either a general or professional interest. The course should consist of a home-based study package, with access to tutors via telephone or local study centres, and with occasional residential workshops also being made available.
To provide the maximum flexibility of approach, the course should consist of two distinct parts, firstly a Foundation Course applicable to all students, leading to a Certificate, and secondly a number of Credit Courses available in a variety of possible combinations, in order to achieve either Bronze, Silver, or Gold Diplomas.
The Foundation Course
This will require approximately 40-60 hours of study, and assessment should be long distance, based on open study examinations, tutor marked assignment work, and perhaps impromptu testing using the telephone system. The course should be studied and assessed in a linear fashion, as opposed to the modular form of the Credit Courses.
All students wishing to study Credit Courses leading to a Diploma will be required to have completed the Foundation Course.
The Foundation Course should function for the non-muslims in the way that my Staff Development material does in Strathclyde, giving them a basic introduction to Islamic concepts, a little bit of Islamic terminology, some essential information, and a structure on which to hang it all. We then give them a slightly stronger taste of the Qur'an and the Prophet's personality, so that Allah has got the tools to grab them if He so wishes, and finally set it all in a global and historical perspective, so that they can identify with the Ummah while recognising that they have individual room for manoeuvre.
New muslims, despite having been attracted to Islam, often have much the same intellectual needs as non-muslims, as their attraction in my experience is rarely on an intellectual level. Not that I am saying that the Foundation course should be intellectual. I think it needs to be down-to-earth, practical, and in simple language. For born muslims it should be a piece of cake, but with so many having been given so little when it comes to understanding how their religion works and makes sense, the approach will be unfamiliar to most young muslims so the course will remain an essential preliminary for any progress in the more advanced courses. The fact that it will be easy for them also means it will act as bait for the credit courses.
Credit Courses
The 8 subjects available for study to achieve credits contributing to the various grades of Diploma, will each be divided into 2 sections with 1 credit for each section. 2 of the subjects will have a compulsory element, but apart from this restriction students will be able to choose any combination of subjects to achieve the number of credits they require.
Assessment will be on the basis of course assignments, as well as examinations through recognised local Examination Centres.
Bronze level Diplomas will require a total of 8 credits (2 from compulsory subjects). Silver level Diplomas will require a total of 12 credits (3 from compulsory subjects). Gold level Diplomas will require all 16 possible credits.
With only 2 hours study per week, it should be possible to gain credits sufficient for a Bronze level Diploma in approximately two years.
The Credit Courses are obviously based on the Open University System, though nothing like as demanding. It seemed that one of the most important markets for the courses would be young muslims, for whom the time and effort (and intellect) required for OU type courses would be excessive. Taking into account their muslim nurture and environment, however, a judicious choice of subjects should make a qualification eminently achievable.
Using the credit system also means that non-muslims wishing to go a little deeper than the foundation course, can achieve a first level qualification while still concentrating on aspects of Islam which they can justify as knowledge "useful" to them in their work. 'Islamic Heritage', 'Islam in Britain', and 'Islamic Viewpoints', provide a means of their studying Islam with a very tangible and practical approach.
Others, of course, might be more interested in a more Moral or Philosophical approach, and prefer to concentrate on Iman and Ihsan. Either way, giving a "half-way" qualification means that they get enough of a taste to want more, and it's also an excuse for get-togethers for award presentations, pep-talks and introductions to other students on the course. Gaining credits in individual subjects will also give a sense of achievement on the way.
Students should also perhaps be able to meet each other at the "local Examination Centres", perhaps a role which could be filled by ISB branches. This would mean that ISB members would have to be familiar with the content of the course, however, but a general ISB study programme based on the course materials might not be such a bad thing for the members.
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