Note: The scientific session “The Method of Transforming Islamic Knowledge into Public Culture,” in collaboration with the “Development and Empowerment of Islamic Sciences” desk of the Islamic Propagation Office, provided an opportunity to elucidate the theoretical foundations and practical experiences of the Ministry of Education in teaching religious knowledge, while also examining the shortcomings and obstacles in the path of religious education in schools and proposing solutions for improvement.
The fifty-third scientific session of “Methodology Sundays,” titled “The Method of Transforming Islamic Knowledge into Public Culture,” with a case study focus on the Ministry of Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was held.
This scientific session, organized as part of the summer program by the Research Institute for Contemporary Jurisprudential Studies in collaboration with the “Development and Empowerment of Islamic Sciences” desk of the Islamic Propagation Office, was conducted virtually.
At the beginning of the session, the session’s secretary, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Mohammad Kazem Haghani-Far, while offering condolences for the days of mourning for the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), presented a report on previous sessions and added: The general theme of these sessions has been methodological discussions in contemporary jurisprudence, with the spring and summer of 1404 (2025) focusing on the methodology of norm-setting and popularizing religious knowledge. In spring, the discussions were primarily jurisprudential, while in summer, the broader topic of Islamic knowledge has been prioritized.
Subsequently, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr. Mustafa Fayz, head of the Education Desk of the Islamic Propagation Office and one of the officials involved in developing textbooks for the Ministry of Education, as the presenter, elaborated on the approaches and methods employed by the Ministry of Education for popularizing and culturalizing Islamic knowledge.
Referring to the significance of methodology in norm-setting and popularizing religious knowledge, he asserted: The overarching goal of the Islamic system is the realization of a “pure life” in both individual and social dimensions.
Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr. Fayz began his presentation by explaining the process of transforming revelatory knowledge into individual righteous deeds and subsequently into public culture and collective action.
He further elaborated on the theoretical foundations of the relationship between faith and action, emphasizing: Faith must encompass all dimensions of human existence, meaning that faith and action cannot be viewed in isolation or fragmented. Rather, faith must be reflected comprehensively and holistically in an individual’s behavior and beliefs.
Drawing on the views of prominent religious scholars such as the late Shah-Abadi, Imam Khomeini, and the Supreme Leader, Dr. Fayz emphasized the role of non-epistemic factors in acquiring knowledge and the necessity of reengineering social systems based on a monotheistic perspective. He noted: The structures of social interactions and communications must be redesigned with a monotheistic outlook. He highlighted two types of relationships of guardianship (wilayah) in Islam:
- Vertical guardianship, i.e., the relationship between the members of the community and the Imam of the community.
- Horizontal guardianship, i.e., the relationship of mutual support, empathy, and cooperation among believers.
These two communicative geometries defined in Islam must be preserved and strengthened in social systems. He added that the religious educational system in mosques, families, and schools should be designed based on this hierarchy and pyramid of authority to maintain the integrity of the educational structure.
According to him, this process involves several stages:
• Conceptual and instructional understanding of religious knowledge
• Deepening and consolidating knowledge in the heart and conscience
• Transforming faith into righteous deeds and social behavior
He further emphasized the importance of education, effective propagation, and the role of cultural institutions in transforming religious knowledge into a public discourse. From the perspective of Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Fayz, religious discourse must become pervasive, sustainable, and deeply rooted in the social structure, so as to become a shared and established intellectual value among various segments of society.
The head of the Education Desk of the Islamic Propagation Office further discussed practical approaches and existing challenges in this regard, emphasizing that the Ministry of Education strives to transmit Islamic knowledge to new generations through textbooks and educational programs. However, this process requires the simultaneous use of promotional, cultural, educational, and managerial tools.
Another key point in Dr. Fayz’s presentation was the attention to the role of social systems and governmental structures, which, as an “invisible web,” can guide and facilitate the culturalization of religion. According to him, these systems must be aligned with monotheistic and ideological principles to create a faithful and committed society.
With a critical perspective on the performance of the education system in teaching Islamic knowledge, he stated: Unfortunately, the implementation of these principles in the country’s educational structure is incomplete and inconsistent. This is due to a lack of coordination between educational and training components, which sometimes work in opposition to one another, or because educational and training programs are not properly defined.
He further noted: Unfortunately, religious teachers, as the primary agents of ideological training, make efforts but face structural challenges. Additionally, some subjects, with a secular and positivistic rationality approach, conflict with religious knowledge, and this inconsistency weakens religious education in schools. Therefore, there is a need for convergence among all human elements in schools—from principals and teachers to support staff—so that they operate in a cohesive and aligned educational ecosystem.
The importance of designing the physical environment of schools, their architecture, and their educational setting was also highlighted. He noted that the school environment should not merely be a controlling and restrictive space but should foster a spirit of guardianship, affection, and cooperation. He also emphasized that schools must expand their connections with mosques, families, and the surrounding community, functioning within a comprehensive educational discourse.
At the end of this section, Hujjat al-Islam Fayz called for the establishment of a comprehensive educational governance model that encompasses all cultural, political, economic, and judicial institutions of the country to consistently and cohesively promote monotheistic and faith-based education throughout society.
Critique and Analysis by Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr. Mohammad Davoodi:
Following the presentation, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr. Mohammad Davoodi, as the session’s critic, while appreciating the points raised, analyzed the weaknesses in the country’s educational and training system and called for a more thorough examination of the implementation of educational programs in the Ministry of Education.
He emphasized that what has been implemented so far in the field of religious and cultural education in the Ministry of Education has largely been incomplete and requires revision and precise planning. Dr. Davoodi added that further studies are needed to identify the obstacles to achieving monotheistic education and to determine how these barriers can be addressed.
At the conclusion of the session, the importance of designing an integrated educational ecosystem was emphasized, along with the necessity of involving all institutions and elements of the social system in a comprehensive educational governance model. Additionally, the need for new and more precise planning to reform the education system to promote Islamic knowledge and transform it into public culture was highlighted as a critical priority.