Developing an Understanding Through Metaphors
Human language is not adequate to express God's attributes which are beyond description. We can only form some idea of these by means of metaphors. This lesson, however, will not deal with which specific metaphors should be included in-religious education for different age levels because this is a matter for curriculum development. Rather, the primary question for the following comments is a more general and more fundamental one: What kind of objectives does the teacher have to take into consideration about metaphorical teaching? In the framework of this course, we put forward two cognitive objectives. As a result of these objectives, we expect that some affective learning will take place on the students' part.
Cognitive Objectives To make the students aware of the significative features of the Qur'an concerning natural events. To help the students understand the educational and ethical dimensions of the Qur'an, which has a theocentric mode.
Affective Objectives Students may develop sensitivity to the dialogue between God and humankind, taking place in the Qur'an, with respect to the ethical dimension. They may feel that the continuity of this dialogue relies on their striving. The process as a whole might be represented as follows: Cognitive Objectives -3 Affective Objectives —> Programme
Now let us deal with this process in detail. I. To make the students aware of the significative features of the Qur'an concerning natural events. We can say that the language used in the Qur'an is somehow metaphorical. It takes many objects and events into the religious field and gives them a newmeaning in order to convey the notion of God more vividly. The Qur'an refers to rain as a sign of mercy from Him. This is one example of taking a physical event into the religious field and giving it a new meaning.
2. To help the students to understand the educational and ethical dimensions of the Qur'an, which has a theocentric mode. The characteristic feature of the Qur'an is that it is in a way theocentric. At the centre of every event in the Qur'an is God, the Omnipotent, and the Willing. It is God who is the real agent in all events, on macro and micro levels. He is the governor of the stars and "It is He that brought you forth from the womb of your mothers when ye knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections."
Affective Preparation Here, though religious explanations have not been tackled directly, religious concepts may find a fertile field in which to prosper. Before a religious explanation, the emotional aspect of students must be addressed. Teachers could ask about students' tangible experiences. Students can help teachers in correlating knowledge to their experiences. At this stage, the foreknowledge and customs of students about their community should be gathered first.
Correlating the Experience to the Religious Concepts In this stage we correlate religious texts, which have been chosen in accordance with the intellectual development of the pupils, to their experiences and discuss and argue about them. To correlate the world spoken about by the Qur'an and the world of today, students' experiences will help the teacher. Thus, students can gain an awareness of the world recommended by the Holy Qur'an and the world in which they live. Without doubt, some students have not enough experience, but they could share that of others.
To set a bridge between religious concepts and students' own experiences, we may try different activities. Our aim here is to make known the differences and similarities between the meaning of the language used by the student and the language used by the Qur'an. Moreover, the students will come to learn and express the information they receive in a meaningful pattern of religious thoughts Now, the objectives and the programme may be represented as in the following pattern: Cognitive Objectives Affective Objectives Bridge Building Activities Programme
…Activities Reflection in Action Point to ponder Teachings to remember Questions to deepen the subject
Mualla Selçuk, “The use of Metaphorical Language in Islamic Education”, Faith and Fiction (Benjamin Biebuyck, Rene Dirven, John Ries eds.), Peter Lang, 1998.