INTEGRATING QUR’ANIC INSIGHTS AND ZOOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR BIOLOGY LEARNING IN ISLAMIC SCHOOLS AND MADRASAS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18592/jtipai.v16i1.19977Keywords:
Qur’anic integration, Islamic Religious Education, zoology education, Islamic schools, madrasas, integrated learningAbstract
This study examines how Qur’anic insights into animal life and contemporary zoological knowledge can be integrated into Islamic Religious Education (PAI), particularly biology-related learning in Islamic schools and madrasas. Rather than treating scientific knowledge as a means of validating Qur’anic verses, the study adopts an integrative educational perspective in which Qur’anic teachings provide ethical, spiritual, and reflective dimensions for understanding biological phenomena. Using a qualitative and comparative approach, selected Qur’anic verses concerning animal communities, domesticated animals, honeybees, ants, biodiversity, and ecological relationships were analyzed alongside relevant zoological literature and studies on Qur’an–science integration in Islamic education. The findings indicate that Qur’anic references to animals can be transformed into contextual learning resources that connect biological concepts with Islamic values, including stewardship, gratitude, responsibility, biodiversity conservation, and reflection on creation. The study further identifies several possible applications in PAI and integrated science learning, including contextual learning, inquiry-based learning, interdisciplinary learning, and the development of Qur’an-integrated teaching materials. These approaches can help students understand zoological concepts while simultaneously developing ethical and spiritual awareness of human relationships with animals and the environment. The study therefore argues that Qur’an–zoology integration should be positioned not primarily as scientific verification of revelation, but as an educational framework for developing meaningful, contextual, and value-oriented learning in Islamic schools and madrasas.
Keywords: Qur’anic integration, Islamic Religious Education, PAI, zoology education, Islamic schools, madrasas, integrated learning.
References
Al-Qurtubi, Abu Abd Allah Muhammad. 2004. Al-Jami‘ li Ahkam al-Qur’an. Vol. 5. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah.
Cavalier-Smith, T. 2006. “Rooting the Tree of Life by Transition Analyses.” Biology Direct 1, no. 19: 1–51, https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6150-1-19, accessed 3 Jul 2025.
Farida, Ulfa, Dwi Indah Ayu Putra, Yuni Wardani, Abdurrahman Kasdi, and Siti Mujibatun. 2022. “Correlation of Science and Theology According to the Qur’an and Hadith.” European Journal of Science and Theology 18, no. 5: 65–76.
Haque, Nazmul, and Ahmad H. B. A. Masri. 2011. “The Principles of Animal Advocacy in Islam: Four Integrated Ecognitions.” Society & Animals 19, no. 3: 279–90.
Hölldobler, Bert, and Edward O. Wilson. 1990. The Ants. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Ibn Kathir, Ismail. 2000. Tafsir Ibn Kathir. Vol. 6. Riyadh: Darussalam.
Librado, P., N. Khan, A. Fages, et al. 2021. “The Origins and Spread of Domestic Horses from the Western Eurasian Steppes.” Nature 598, no. 7882: 634–640, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04018-9, accessed 3 Jul 2025.
Mualimin, and Bambang Subali. 2018. “The Integration of Al-Qur’an and Hadith Studies on Biology Learning at Islamic Senior High Schools in Magelang, Indonesia.” Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1097, no. 1: 012045, https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1097/1/012045, accessed 3 Jul 2025.
Munawar, Sarah. 2025. “Exploring Scientific Exegesis (Al-Tafsīr al-ʿIlmī) of the Qur’an: Merits, Challenges, and Interpretive Boundaries.” Journal of Religion & Society 3, no. 2: 414–23.
Nizamani, Nazir, Naeem Arain, Noor S. Ilyas, Ali Mehar, Amna Bibi, and Lubna Riaz. 2024. “Examining the Quranic Viewpoint on Fauna and Zoology: An Extensive Analysis of Facts and Insights.” History of Medicine 10, no. 2: 1073–83.
Nour El-Din, M. M., and F. M. Hamada. 2011. “Honey: Its Medicinal Property and Antibacterial Activity.” Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine 1, no. 2: 154–60, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60016-X, accessed 3 Jul 2025.
Qutb, Sayyid. 2002. In the Shade of the Qur’an. Vol. 5. Leicester, UK: Islamic Foundation.
Qutb, Sayyid. 2008. In the Shade of the Qur’an. Vol. 15. Leicester, UK: Islamic Foundation.
Saadat, Saifullah. 2011. “Human Embryology and the Holy Quran: An Overview.” International Quarterly Journal of Research in Education, Arts and Humanities 2, no. 4: 424–57.
Seeley, Thomas D. 2010. Honeybee Democracy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Shazia, Sumaira, and Amna Bibi. 2024. “A Research Review of the Animals Mentioned in the Holy Quran and Their Effects on Human Life.” Al-Anfal 2, no. 4: 129–45.
Tlili, Sarra. 2012. Animals in the Qur’an. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wasehudin, W., D. Syah, M. T. Rahman, and U. Hasanah. 2022. “Developing Class Instruction for Linking the Qur’an to Biological Science.” Al-Ishlah: Jurnal Pendidikan 14, no. 3: 1–10, https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v14i3.1662, accessed 3 Jul 2025.
Winston, Mark L. 1991. The Biology of the Honey Bee. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Zahid, Syed Umer, Mahwish Batool, and Syed Aftab Alam. 2023. “Exploring the Quranic Perspective on Animals and Zoology: A Comprehensive Study of Knowledge and Insights.” International Research Journal on Islamic Studies 5, no. 2: 1–11, https://doi.org/10.54262/irjis.05.02.e01, accessed 3 Jul 2025.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Hafiz Aon Muhammad, Maria Ashraf Dogar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
