“We’re Trying to Raise Muslim Kids, Right?” Muslim Educators’ Narratives of Human Development

Abstract

For many young Muslim learners in Western societies, informal sites of Islamic education are important sources of learning and development beyond public school hours. Yet little empirical research has explored processes of human development in such sites, and existing theories of human development have largely failed to encompass onto-epistemic diversity, thus rendering invisible developmental trajectories beyond secular ones. This paper employs sensitizing concepts from both sociocultural theory and Muslim traditions, drawing from data collected through active interviewing and participant observation in a seven-month long sociocultural study in a Canadian mosque school, to make visible Muslim educators’ perspectives on human development. Subsequent narrative analysis conducted on the data highlight unique troubles, tools, timelines, and spiritual transferences in a divine life methodology of development, in contribution to the learning sciences and the ongoing, multicentric construction of Canadian culture.

Notes

1 Here, ‘Western’ is shorthand for societies in North America, Western Europe, Australia, and others characterized by a Eurocentric, secular dominance.

2 By Muslim traditions, I draw upon Mosaad’s (2022) definition of tradition, which contains senses of both scholarly lineage and renewal: “The set of transmitted principles, norms, customs, methodologies, as reflected in the intellectual disciplines whose legitimacy is conferred by their commitment to uncovering the intent of the divine commandments as revealed in the Qur’an and prophetic hadith, the range and bound of which is circumscribed by scholarly consensus” (p. 15).

3 Identified in the Qur’an (30:30): “And so, set thy face steadfastly towards the faith, turning away from all that is false, in accordance with the natural disposition which God has instilled into humans [fitra]” (italics added).

4 “Behold, your Sustainer grants abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills: verily, fully aware is He of [the needs of] His creatures, and sees them all” (Asad, 1980, p. 580; Qur’an, 17:30)

5 All place and people names are pseudonyms. Approval for the study (2014–2015) was obtained from the university’s Behavioural Research Ethics Board (BREB; H14-01892) and Jamma Mosque School itself (9/2014). Given the small size of the Muslim educational community in the city, I had a chance to speak to Amira and Tala again in a later study (BREB; H19-00275), identified in this paper as AI3 (active interview 3). They provided some additional insights into unique processes of human development.

6 Born in Canada of English/Russian ancestry, I converted to Islam in the early 2000s and started wearing a headscarf in 2007.

7 This symbol indicates an Arabic honorific translating to peace and blessings be upon him, which is often uttered after mentioning Muhammad’s name. Similarly, the symbol ﷻ translates to the most glorified, the most high, and denotes an honorific mentioned after the word Allah (God).

8 Here, Amira is referring to a verse in the Qu’ran, translated to read: Verily, God does not change people’s condition unless they change their inner selves (Asad, 1980, p. 493; Qur’an 13:11).

9 A poster on the wall of the female section detailed criteria by which women might be in the mosque, including “NOT wearing perfume” and wearing hijab that is not “an adornment in and of itself” and is not “a garment of fame and vanity.”

10 Aleyhi salaam: upon him be peace. Islamic texts identify a long line of prophets, bearing a consistent message to humanity, of which Muhammad was the last.

11 In a strongly-worded parallel, whereby actions and mediational means are rooted in sociocultural context, Wertsch et al. (1993) described “individuals can be no more intelligent than the psychology tools they employ” (p. 352)

12 Although sociocultural scholars have argued for closer analysis of gender identity and performance in learning contexts (p. 166), “In much of sociocultural theory research, gender is taken for granted and is rarely defined or analyzed.” Close analysis of the effects of gender, learning, and development in mosque schools is a rich area for further study that was beyond the scope of this study.