Ali Ahmad Madkur
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Ali Ahmad Madkur is a twentieth-century Egyptian scholar of education and pedagogy known for his writings on Islamic curriculum theory, notably Manahij al-Tarbiyya: Ususuha wa-Tatbiqatuha (Educational Curricula: Foundations and Applications) .
Academic Career and Activities
Based in Cairo, Madkur was an academic specializing in curriculum design, educational foundations, and language instruction . He served as a member of the advisory committee for Silsilat al-Maraji' fi al-Tarbiyya wa-Ilm al-Nafs (Reference Series in Education and Psychology), an academic series directed by educationalists in Egypt and the wider Arab world alongside scholars such as Jaber Abdel Hamid Jaber and Abd al-Ghani Abbud .
Pedagogical Thought
Madkur's scholarly work focuses on developing an Islamic framework for modern educational theory and curriculum development . In works such as Manahij al-Tarbiyya: Ususuha wa-Tatbiqatuha, completed in Cairo in Jumada al-Ula 1418 AH (October 1997 CE), and Manhaj al-Tarbiyya al-Islamiyya: Usuluh wa-Tatbiqatuh (The Islamic Education Curriculum: Foundations and Applications), he argues that authentic educational reform requires grounding pedagogy in an Islamic conception of the universe, humanity, and life .
In his curriculum model, Madkur distinguishes between a comprehensive educational curriculum (manhaj) and an instructional program (barnamaj), asserting that religion constitutes a complete system for guiding human action . He organizes curriculum design around three primary foundations: the nature of knowledge, human nature and developmental psychology, and the nature of society and communal life . From these foundational principles, he systematically derives educational goals, selection of content, teaching methods, evaluation strategies, and mechanisms for curriculum reform . He also highlights the role of the Arabic language in education, treating it not merely as an instructional medium but as an integrated system of thought, expression, and communication .
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List of Works
Manahij al-Tarbiyya: Ususuha wa-Tatbiqatuha (Educational Curricula: Foundations and Applications) is a pedagogical treatise that presents a comprehensive framework for curriculum design. Published in Cairo by Dar al-Fikr al-Arabi as part of its series on education and psychology, the work grounds educational theory and practice in an Islamic worldview while addressing contemporary pedagogical principles.