Construction of a Basic Perspective on Critical Thinking in Islam

As mentioned earlier, critical thinking is about arguments. Arguments can have both formal and informal logical fallacies. This work is about informal logical fallacies. In this work, besides deliberating on main concepts such as critical thinking, arguments, and fallacies, etc, a few logical fallacies are selected, defined, analyzed, and evaluated according to Islamic perspectives. (religious, political, nationalistic, etc.) want you to join them". The other reason for committing fallacies is careless intellectual habits, it includes: "mental laziness, emotional disposition, uncritical reasoning habits, [and] one's worldview (German: weltanshaunng)". 1 To avoid making fallacies and to avoid getting misled by fallacies requires a person to be a critical at writing, reading, understanding, analyzing, and decision making. Diane F. Halpern has rightly said that "The rapidly accelerating pace of change that marks the opening of the 21st century has made the ability to think critically 1 Leclerc, Paul. 2015. Logic Informal Fallacies 2004 [cited 20-4-2015]. Available from http://faculty.ccri.edu/paleclerc/logic/fallacies.shtml. more important than at any other time in history." 2 How one can be on guard against fallacious arguments and learn how to save himself from any harm is under broader subject matter called as critical thinking. What is Critical Thinking? Critical thinking is "the process of identifying, explaining, and evaluating beliefs". 3 It "is the formation of logical inferences (Simon & Kaplan, 1989), the development of cohesive and logical reasoning patterns (Stahl & Stahl, 1991), and careful and deliberate determination of whether to accept, reject, or suspend judgment (Moore & Parker, 1994)" 4. Halpern himself defined critical thinking as "... the use of cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome". 5 In a comprehensive attempt to define critical thinking, Rick D. Rudd has quoted Pascarella and Terezini (1991) defining critical thinking as follows: "... critical thinking … involves the individual's ability to do some or all of the following: identify central issues and assumptions in an argument, recognize important relationships, make correct inferences from data, deduce conclusions from information or data provided, interpret whether conclusions are warranted on the basis of the data given, and evaluate evidence or authority,".

SCAFFOLDING JurnalPendidikan Islam dan Multikulturalisme, 2025

This study aims to examine the application of Islamic Critical Thinking as an approach in the inquiry-based learning model within the traditional Islamic educational environment (dayah), with a case study at Dayah Jamiah Al-Aziziyah Bireuen, Aceh. In the context of the modernization of Islamic education, the reinforcement of critical thinking rooted in Islamic values has become an urgent necessity to shape a generation of santri who are intellectual, reflective, and reasoned. This research employs a qualitative method with a field study approach. Primary data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews with teachers and dayah leaders, and documentation of learning activities. Data sources consisted of key informants (teachers and dayah leaders) and supporting informants (santri). The data analysis technique was conducted inductively through stages of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The results indicate that the integration of Islamic Critical Thinking values-such as openmindedness, truth-seeking, and ethics of dialogue-into the inquiry-based learning model significantly enhances active participation, intellectual sensitivity, and the depth of students' understanding of Islamic materials. Moreover, the dayah caretakers and teachers play a central role in guiding the process of critical thinking based on revelation and the Islamic scientific tradition. These findings make a significant contribution to the development of an Islamic education model that is responsive to contemporary challenges while remaining firmly rooted in Islamic values.

IJASS JOURNAL, 2024

This research investigates the incorporation of critical thinking into the educational framework of the Qur'an and Hadith at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Negeri (MTsN) 2 Tulungagung, with an emphasis on methods aimed at cultivating students’s analytical and reflective competencies. In addressing the deficiencies prevalent in religious education, typically marked by rote memorization, this inquiry examines two primary facets: the varieties of exercises that promote critical thinking, and the mechanisms by which teachers establish a nurturing learning environment. A qualitative case study approach was employed, which included comprehensive interviews, participant observation, and the analysis of relevant documents. The findings indicate that teachers employ literacy-based activities, questions that facilitate Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), and pedagogical strategies centered on students to enhance engagement with Islamic teachings. Such exercises augment their capacity to analyze, assess, and implement knowledge within practical contexts. Furthermore, instructors cultivate an interactive and supportive classroom milieu through strategies such as democratic learning, contentious discussions, and problem-oriented tasks, which encourage critical inquiry and collaborative problem resolution. The integration of critical thinking within Qur’an and Hadith pedagogy exemplifies a successful method of harmonizing traditional values with contemporary educational practices. By equipping learners with fundamental cognitive abilities, this approach not only deepens their comprehension of religious texts but also primes them to confront modern societal dilemmas. Notwithstanding these achievements, the study underscores challenges such as students’s inclination towards memorization, highlighting the necessity for continual enhancement of pedagogical strategies to optimize the development of critical thinking within religious education.

2016

Article history: Received 3 March 2016 Accepted 2 May 2016 published 26 May 2016

Does the Islamic pedagogy have the capacity to preserve the sacred aspect of knowledge and still encourage critical thought? Is creating critical thinkers actually an objective of the Islamic educational systems and where in the pedagogical system should critical thought be taught? Medieval Muslim scholars have written extensively on curriculum development and the goals and objectives of Islamic educational systems. Comparing Blooms taxonomy to classical medieval scholastic works on curriculum development shows amazing similarities in their understanding of the role of memorization as a fundamental aspect of education.

Creative Education, 2018

Critical thinking helps the discovery of the meaning of a concept about something that being learnt. Accordantly, critical thinking should be infused in teaching Islamic education (IE) for the potential to an effective teaching. Yet, there are some flaws in the teaching of critical thinking in IE among the secondary schools in Malaysia. Therefore, this qualitative study purposely, designed to discover the barriers that being encountered by the Islamic education teachers (IET) in conducting lessons with critical thinking in IE. Data were collected through interviews, lesson observations, and document analysis on six IETs. The finding shows that there are five main themes of barriers that have been faced by the IETs which are: time constraint, limited of teachers' knowledge and skills, students related problems, limited facilities and physical surrounding of the classroom which less supporting the thinking activities.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2017

Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 2021

This study investigates students’ critical thinking skills in the subject of Islamic Cultural History, built within reflective teaching. It applied qualitative method using descriptive analytic. The study involved students from Class-XI aged 16-17 years old in MAN 1 and MAN 2 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The data were collected using observation and documentation for the contemplative teaching and learning process. The data then were analysed using Miles and Hubermen covering data reduction, presentation, and conclusion. The results show that the reflective class supported the students’ learning development and their critical thinking. The students prepared well for learning, engaged in the learning activities, contributed to the discussion, and enthusiastically compiled personal journals. When it comes to their critical thinking development, the students showed their progressive capacities in building their ideas, evaluating theirs and others’ arguments and working together to...

UNNES-TEFLIN National Seminar, 2021

The purpose of this study was to find the problems that teachers often experience in assessing students' critical thinking skills in Islamic religious education learning and in the end a teacher manual is compiled. The mix methods method is more precise Sequential Exploratory Design. The sample was taken by using purposive sampling technique. Capturing problem analysis data was carried out by teachers through the Online Discussion Forum (ODF) assisted by the WhatsApp application, as well as 20 items on Islamic religious education owned by the teacher. The results of the study found that 5 teachers stated that the problems experienced were related to invalid and reliable instruments, as evidenced by the analysis of the quality of the questions using Iteman 3.00, that 16 out of 20 instruments had a difference of D< 0.3, meaning that 80% of the items belonged to the teacher. Not suitable for use, and the value of alpha (a) = 0.080< 0.5, indicating that the questions the teacher has are not reliable. In conclusion, the teacher does not have good instruments, which means they are valid and reliable.

Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2020

Critical thinking is a central part of our daily life. It has great importance in immunizing the individual against the vast amount of information, events, and situations that the individual deals with and faces. This study aimed at identifying differences in critical thinking according to different variables. The variables were specializations (scientific, literary), gender (male, female), the Grade Point Average (GPA) and the scores of Jordanian high school national exam (Tawjiji) to predict critical thinking skills. This quantitative study used the descriptive approach by applying Watson's and Glasser's [16] critical thinking appraisal short form transferred to Arabic by Alotaibi [7]. This study was applied to a sample comprising (216) students from Ajloun University College, affiliated with Al-Balqa Applied University, students in Jordan. The results indicated that the study sample had high levels of critical thinking of sub-skills and a high level in critical thinking as for the total scores. There were statistically significant differences in all critical thinking of sub-skills according to specializations in favour of the scientific stream. Besides, there were statistically significant differences in all critical thinking skills according to gender in favour of males. Also, critical thinking could be predicted by the degree of the national examination for high school in Jordan (Tawjiji) but not by Grade Point Average (GPA). The differences in critical thinking between students of scientific streams and literary ones may refer to the difference in school curricula. The scientific courses focus on critical thinking skills more than literary ones. Therefore, it was important to include critical thinking skills in school curricula since critical thinking skills are very important in an individual's success both in study and life.