From Memorization to Moral Formation: Applying Al-Attas’s Ta’dīb–Adab Framework to Islamiat Education in Pakistan

Abstract

Islamiat occupies a central place in Pakistan’s school system and is officially intended to cultivate moral consciousness, ethical reasoning, and value-oriented citizenship. Despite these aims, a growing body of literature suggests that classroom delivery of Islamiat often remains dominated by rote memorization, textbook dependency, and examination-oriented practices (Bhatti & Chaudhary, 2023; Tahir et al., 2022). This creates a persistent gap between the normative objectives of the subject and the lived pedagogical experience of students. This paper offers a literature-based analytical study that reconsiders Islamiat education in Pakistan through the educational philosophy of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, particularly his concepts of ta’dīb and adab (Al-Attas, 1991, 1995). It argues that contemporary Islamiat instruction has focused excessively on content transmission while neglecting character formation, reflective reasoning, and the ethical ordering of knowledge. Drawing on scholarship on Islamic education, moral pedagogy, and Pakistan’s schooling system, the paper develops a conceptual framework for reimagining Islamiat as a transformative subject rather than a merely examinable one. The study contributes to debates on Islamic education, postcolonial schooling, and values-based reform in Pakistan.