Synthesis of Al-Ghazali and Ibnu Khaldun's Educational Thought: Epistemological Studies and Their Relevance to Contemporary Islamic Education Paradigms

Abstract

Classical Islamic educational thought has made a significant contribution to the epistemological foundation of education that integrates knowledge, morality, and social reality. This article aims to examine and synthesize the educational thoughts of Al-Ghazali and Ibn Khaldun from an epistemological perspective and to analyze their relevance to the development of a contemporary Islamic education paradigm. This study employs a qualitative approach through library research, using classical works of both scholars and relevant supporting literature as primary sources. The findings reveal that Al-Ghazali emphasizes an educational epistemology based on the integration of rational and spiritual knowledge with a strong orientation toward moral formation and spiritual purification. In contrast, Ibn Khaldun highlights rational-empirical, contextual, and sociological dimensions in the educational process. The synthesis of their thoughts produces a holistic epistemological framework for Islamic education that balances transcendental, rational, and social dimensions. This framework is considered relevant in addressing contemporary challenges of Islamic education, including the dichotomy of knowledge, moral crises, and the demands of globalization. Therefore, the educational ideas of Al-Ghazali and Ibn Khaldun remain strategic references for formulating an integrative, humanistic, and contextual paradigm of Islamic education.