From Commentary to Curriculum: Integrating Al-caynis Works into Islamic Education Curricula

Islamic education, with its rich intellectual heritage, faces the ongoing challenge of adapting classical scholarship to meet contemporary educational demands. This study investigates the pedagogical methods of Badru-d-Dīn Al-ʿAynī, a prominent medieval Islamic scholar, and explores how his approaches can inform modern Islamic education curricula. The research aimed to identify and assess the relevance of Al-ʿAynī’s teaching methodologies particularly his use of commentary, harmonisation of scholarly opinions, and contextualization of knowledge for current pedagogical practices. A qualitative systematic review was employed, analysing both primary texts authored by Al-ʿAynī and secondary literature on Islamic education reform and curriculum development. The findings reveal that Al-ʿAynī’s methods provide a comprehensive pedagogical model that promotes critical engagement, intellectual pluralism, and contextual learning principles that align closely with modern constructivist and inquiry-based learning approaches. The study also highlights practical strategies for integrating these classical methods into Islamic curricula, including interactive learning, interdisciplinary teaching, and digital adaptation of traditional texts. Challenges identified include language barriers, institutional resistance, and the complexity of classical texts, which must be addressed through translation, teacher training, and curriculum innovation. It was concluded that integrating Al-ʿAynī’s pedagogical philosophy into modern education can revitalise Islamic learning by bridging tradition and modernity, fostering analytical and ethical competencies in students, and ensuring the continued relevance of classical Islamic scholarship in the twenty-first century. The research contributes to the discourse on Islamic educational reform by offering a historically grounded yet forward-looking framework for curriculum development