Memorisation and learning in Sufi British madrasahs

Abstract

Purpose In madrasahs around the world, teaching and learning methods regarding the memorisation of the Qur’an follow the same notion of repetition and the need for embodiment, going beyond rote memorisation, to include a form of active learning. The process of memorisation for automaticity and inculcation of the Qur’an is seen when an individual can accurately recite the text in an illuminating way. This approach of repeatedly reciting, reading and writing Qur’anic texts is seen as an enduring method for achieving accuracy, fluency and automaticity. The purpose of this study is to extend the existing body of knowledge in the field by proposing that memorisation in the Islamic context is evident through embodied interactions in the spiritual and physical realm. Educational research on madrasahs is scarce, and the limited research that has been conducted focuses primarily on children’s madrasahs. This study is unique, in that its focus is British madrasahs for adults. Design/methodology/approach After conducting observations and interviews at three British adult madrasahs, a narrative analysis using a “holistic-form” approach to gain complete narratives of recitation, oral repetition and embodied learning in the Islamic context was performed. It was found that memorisation and the desire for embodied learning were an integral part of madrasah life and the foundation of the pedagogical approach and of students’ relationship with the teachers. This study concludes that the pedagogical approach used in the madrasahs reflects deep learning through an action-oriented methodology. This study’s fieldwork provides insights into the distinctiveness of the madrasah approach. Findings The study provides insights into the characteristics of the memorisation process as represented in the embodied actions of the learner. The results indicate that, in the future, the Islamic memorisation methodology must continue to support deep learning where rote memorisation is integral to an iterative process of practice. Originality/value The Islamic memorisation methodology needs to retain an approach that supports higher learning where rote memorisation is integral to an iterative process of practice and in this study, some, in achieving embodied learning. This in turn is instrumental in sustaining an Islamic epistemological perspective of the inseparable nature of knowledge and the sacred. This study provides some insights into the “heart” of the Islamic approach towards memorisation for embodiment that represents a complex process of individual renewal based on the notion of adab through an approach to deep learning.