Basic Beliefs of Islam - A new approach to the teaching of Islamic concepts at Secondary School Level
By: Dr Sayyid Qasim M M Kamoonpuri, Ph.D.

Review:

In modern educational establishments, students are familiar with scientific methods which involve empirical explanations of natural phenomena. Analytical judgement and empirical justification are the pre-requisites of Islamic faith. What is real can only be accepted to be real by reference to empirical evidence of its existence. While other kinds of explanations of Islamic concepts obviously exist, they are not attractive for the college students who are accustomed of scientific treatment of the problem.

Thus, this is an exciting opportunity to teach Islamic concepts in a college where students are being taught science subjects. This would facilitate to demonstrate the deep relationship of science and Islam.
Although the medium of instruction in all our schools is English, teachers are advised to use Islamic terminology which refers to certain aspects of reality in clear and unambiguous manner. The English equivalents of Islamic terms cannot adequately transform the total contents and original concept in a comprehensive way. Such precautionary measures are well maintained in science. For example, the English term for calcium carbonate is chalk, but a chemist always prefers to say calcium carbonate rather than chalk because it specifies more clearly the chemical affinity between calcium and carbon than the term chalk does.

Each chapter contains a large amount of information about the subject matter. But sometimes it becomes difficult to identify, what are the most important points and what is the core concept? To aid the teacher as well as the students, a brief section of core concept has been added at the end of lengthy chapters. This is not strictly a summary of the chapter; rather they are the most important points that are repeated to concentrate more.

Finally, I am obliged to mention that there are some disputed topics discussed in this book. I hope that such topics will be taught in purely academic manner and will not offend the adherent of any school of thought. These topics have been discussed in this book because they are the inseparable part of our basic faith. We have employed the rational approach rather than the conventional course, to reduce gap, to dilute confusion, and to increase awareness of facts on both sides.