Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the position of al-Baghdadi as an educational theorist, and the extent to which he may have served as a source for the educational treatises of scholars who followed him, such as al-Ghazzali , as-Sam'ani and az-Zarnuji . ;An attempt has been made to marshal all his ideas and concepts on education which are scattered throughout his several works. His educational concepts have been compared with those of earlier and later scholars. This work of systemization and comparison has provided a framework within which to define al-Baghdadi's approaches more precisely. ;Al-Baghdadi as a member of main stream Orthodox Islam, presented an educational theory that was derived from the very foundations on which orthodox Islam stands. Ideas he borrowed from others he added to his own thoughts and experiences. With his extraordinary genius, al-Baghdadi combined elements from various sources into a well-ordered and consistent whole. We find that al-Baghdadi's contemporaries, as well as his successors, were greatly influenced by his thoughts. ;The main concern of al-Baghdadi's rife and thought was preparing for well-being in the Hereafter while simultaneously realizing happiness of this world. Happiness in the Hereafter cannot be achieved without gaining nearness to God. Thus nearness to God through education is the central problem of al-Baghdadi's theory of education. ;Al-Baghdadi advocates that nothing is more valuable in Islam than intellectual merit and excellence of character exemplified by the possession of knowledge and action based on that knowledge. He views life as a continuous process of education from cradle to grave. In his theory, the teacher occupies the highest position of prestige and respect in the Islamic society. He feels that to learn is everyone's duty and to teach is the privilege of the learned only