AbdulHamid AbuSulayman: The Pioneer of Intellectual and Educational Reform of Contemporary Islamic Education

Abstract

This article examines the intellectual legacy and educational reform efforts of Dr. AbdulHamid A. AbuSulayman (AHAS), a prominent contemporary Muslim thinker and reformer, with particular attention to his role in advancing the Islamization of Knowledge (IOK) and reforming Muslim education. Situating his work within the broader historical context of educational reform in the Muslim world, the article traces the evolution of reformist thought from pre-independence movements to post-colonial challenges that necessitated a rethinking of educational philosophy, curriculum, and institutional structures. Drawing primarily on qualitative analysis of AHAS’s major writings, complemented by interpretive insights based on the author’s personal observation, interaction, and professional experience, the study explores AHAS’s diagnosis of the crisis of the ummah, his theoretical framework for educational reform, and his emphasis on Islamic aṣālah grounded in the higher objectives of the Sharīʿah. The article further analyses how AHAS translated theory into practice during his tenure as Rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) from 1988 to 1998, highlighting key reforms in curriculum restructuring, integration of Islamic revealed knowledge and human sciences, academic governance, and the establishment of initiatives spanning higher education, teacher education, basic schooling, early childhood education, and even parenting. The findings demonstrate that AHAS’s reform agenda was holistic, praxis-oriented, and rooted in a Qur’anic worldview, aiming to address the intellectual, moral, and civilizational challenges facing the Muslim world. The article concludes that AHAS represents a rare example of an educational reformer who successfully bridged theory and practice, leaving a lasting institutional and intellectual legacy in contemporary Islamic education.