TOWARD AN ISLAMIC FRAMEWORK FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BALANCED EDUCATION IN THE BARMM: INSIGHTS FROM AL-ATTAS AND AL-FARUQI

Abstrak

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) presents a unique context for educational reform that seeks to harmonize Islamic identity with contemporary educational needs. This paper proposes a framework for the implementation of balanced education in BARMM, drawing on the perspectives of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas and Ismail Raji al-Faruqi. Al-Attas conceptualizes education as the inculcation of adab (discipline, justice, and the proper ordering of knowledge), emphasizing the unity of knowledge under the principle of tawḥīd. Al-Faruqi, on the other hand, emphasizes the Islamization of knowledge through systemic curricular reform and epistemological restructuring. Through documentary analysis of BARMM education policies, particularly the Bangsamoro Education Code (2021), and secondary literature on Islamic education, this paper develops a conceptual synthesis of these two approaches and situates them within BARMM’s reform trajectory. It argues that balanced education requires overcoming the secular–religious dualism, investing in teacher professionalization, and embedding epistemological reform within policy structures. The study concludes that Al-Attas’ philosophical framework and Al-Faruqi’s pragmatic reform program provide complementary foundations for BARMM to achieve a holistic, balanced, and sustainable education system.