Taqwim Asalib Talim al-Quran al-Karim wa Ulumihi fi Wasail al-Ilam
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- Editions
- King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran in Medina
Taqwim Asalib Talim al-Quran al-Karim wa Ulumihi fi Wasail al-Ilam (Evaluating the Methods of Teaching the Noble Quran and Its Sciences in the Mass Media) is a research treatise by Muhammad Sabtan that examines the educational methods and media channels used to teach the Quran and its related disciplines.
Background and Scope
The author introduces the work by highlighting contemporary efforts in serving and distributing the Quran, noting the establishment of the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran in 1405 AH, which produced over 124 million copies across various formats by the end of 1418 AH and published translations of Quranic meanings into twenty-one languages. The treatise addresses the necessity of Islamic media in the modern era as an educational instrument capable of reinforcing religious belief, providing sound role models, guiding youth, and conveying the universal message of Islam across various communication mediums.
Structure and Content
The treatise is organized into an introduction, two main parts (abwab), and a conclusion with general indices.
Part One: Media Outlets and Youth Guidance
Part One defines Islamic media and discusses its role as a pedagogical tool for shaping behavior and educating society. It categorizes the venues and channels associated with Quranic education into five major mediums:
- Direct in-person venues: The mosque and the school, where instruction features direct face-to-face interaction (al-mubasharah wa-al-liqāʾ) between the teacher and the learner.
- Broadcast and digital media: Radio, television, and the Internet, which lack direct physical encounter but allow broad dissemination.
Part Two: Evaluation of Educational Methods
Part Two establishes pedagogical principles derived directly from the Quran, focusing on three foundational methods: dialogue (uslub al-hiwar), Quranic storytelling (uslub al-qisas), and the use of parables (uslub darb al-amthal).
The author then evaluates the teaching of the Quran and its sciences across modern media:
- Compensating for the absence of face-to-face contact: Because radio, television, and the Internet lack immediate classroom presence, instructors using these media must adopt engaging presentation styles, anticipate audience questions through question-and-answer formats, utilize visual illustrations for phonetic articulation points (makharai al-huruf), and incorporate interactive communication via telephone or fax.
- Oral transmission (talaqqi): The work stresses the traditional requirement that learning Quranic recitation cannot rely exclusively on written copies or broadcast media alone without direct oral reception from proficient teachers.
- Presenting Quranic sciences in mass media: Sabtan argues that mass media programming directed at the general public should prioritize established, consensus topics rather than contentious scholarly disagreements that might confuse non-specialist audiences. He recommends classical works like al-Burhan fi Ulum al-Quran by Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi and al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, as well as modern reference texts such as Manahil al-Irfan fi Ulum al-Quran by Muhammad Abd al-Azim al-Zarqani, as foundational material that scholars should adapt into accessible language.
- Internet applications: The treatise highlights specific programs suited for the Internet, notably the translation of Quranic meanings—referencing early English translations by Muslim scholars such as Abdul Hakim Khan, Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, and Abdullah Yusuf Ali—and the presentation of Quranic scientific harmonies, such as human embryological stages (atwar al-takhalluq al-insani), while cautioning against forcing Quranic verses to match tentative scientific theories.
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