Research Institute of Hawzah and University "Hawzah wa Dāneshgāh Research Institute" Journal of Islamic Education 1735-4536 20 54 2025 12 22 The Historical Evolution of Moral Education in the Islamic Seminary (Ḥawza) of Qom during the Last Century The Historical Evolution of Moral Education in the Islamic Seminary (Ḥawza) of Qom during the Last Century 147 184 2468 10.30471/edu.2026.11356.3117 FA Mohammad-Hossein Fayezi PhD student in Islamic Ethics Teaching at Islamic Ma'arif University 0009-0007-9682-9567 Mohammad Sadegh Mousavinasab Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute; Member of the Islamic Education Association in the Ḥawza, Qom, Iran 0009-0005-0776-5203 Journal Article 2025 06 10 Extended Abstract Introduction and Objectives: The primary mission of the Islamic Seminary (Ḥawza) and the religious scholars (ʿulamāʾ) is to guide society in accordance with religious knowledge (maʿārif). Within this mission, moral education has long been recognized as one of the most essential instruments for realizing this objective. Defined as the science of implementing and actualizing moral teachings in human life (Alizadeh, 2020), moral education plays a central role in the intellectual and educational mandate of the Islamic Seminary of Qom. This study seeks to answer three key questions: 1. How has moral education evolved over the past century? 2. Which factors have influenced this evolution? 3. What are the most significant texts and scholarly contributions in this field during this period? The study focuses on written works (books and papers) produced by religious scholars of the Islamic Seminary of Qom or its affiliated institutions, analyzing the trajectory of moral education in two distinct phases: the Preparatory Phase (pre-Islamic Revolution) and the Flourishing Phase (post-Islamic Revolution). In the first period, despite the predominant focus on fiqh and uṣūl, the initial foundations for the development of ethics and moral education were laid by figures such as Mīrzā Jawād Malikī Tabrīzī, Shaykh ʿAbbās Qummī, and Imam Khomeini. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Islamic Seminary of Qom entered a new phase marked by the expansion of research and educational institutions, the specialization of Islamic sciences, and a marked increase in scholarly publications, leading to the flourishing of moral education. Method: The study employs a combined historical and content analysis method. • In the historical analysis, the institutional and educational developments of the Islamic Seminary of Qom before and after the Islamic Revolution are examined to contextualize the emergence and evolution of moral education. • In the content analysis section, seminal works authored by scholars in the Islamic Seminary and affiliated research centers are studied in detail. The primary criterion for inclusion was the authors’ or institutions’ Islamic Seminary identity. Findings: The research findings reveal that moral education within the Islamic Seminary of Qom has evolved from a Preparatory Phase to a Flourishing Phase. Preparatory Phase (Pre-Revolution) During this period, moral education did not exist as an independent discipline; rather, its discussions were embedded within general ethics (ʿilm al-akhlāq). Nevertheless, three seminal figures laid the groundwork for its future development: • Mīrzā Jawād Malikī Tabrīzī (d. 1925): Through works such as Asrār al-Ṣalāt and al-Murāqibāt, he implicitly addressed principles and methods of moral education, including vigilance (murāqaba) and attention to sacred times. His emphasis on the formative impact of religious occasions on the spiritual aspirant was innovative. • Shaykh ʿAbbās Qummī (d. 1941): His compilations, including Safīnat al-Biḥār and Maqāmāt al-ʿĀliyya, represent key examples of narrational ethics with educational orientation. His method of arranging traditions and narrating moral anecdotes for affective impact was distinctive. • Imam Khomeini (d. 1989): In works such as Sharḥ-i Chihil Ḥadīth, he presented moral education with depth and practical orientation. His emphasis on jihād al-nafs (struggle against the self) and his use of dialogical introspection and scholarly identification for inner critique were hallmarks of his approach. Flourishing Phase (Post-Revolution) Following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, moral education emerged as an independent and dynamic discipline due to several factors: • Socio-political context: The involvement of Islamic Seminary scholars in managerial and social roles increased the demand for applied ethical content. • Specialization in Islamic sciences: The establishment of academic programs in “Philosophy of Ethics” and “Moral Education” facilitated deeper research. • Institutional development: Centers such as the Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute, the Research Institute for Ethics and Spirituality, and the Research Institute of Ḥawza and University played pivotal roles in producing scholarly works. According to the findings, the institutions of the Islamic Seminary of Qom have been central to the production of scholarly works on moral education since the Islamic Revolution. The Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute alone has produced over 70 works, followed by the Research Institute for Ethics and Spirituality (25 works), the Department of Educational Sciences at the Research Institute of Ḥawza and University (22 works), the Department of Teacher-Training of Ethics at the University of Islamic Maʿārif (22 works), and al-Jāmiʿa al-Mustafā al-ʿĀlamiyya (18 works). The Academic Institute for Ethics and Education has also contributed 20 dissertations. These works can be categorized into four thematic areas: 1. Foundations and General Principles: e.g., Tarbiya Akhlāqī (Moral Education) (Muḥammad Dāwūdī), An Introduction to Moral Education in Islam (Miqdād Yālajān), and papers such as “The Role of Divine Nearness in Moral Education” (Mūsawī-Nasab & Zaynālī). 2. Stages of Education: e.g., “Stages of Islamic Education” (Sayyid ʿAlī Ḥusaynzāda). 3. Methods and Strategies: e.g., “Methods of Moral Education in al-Mīzān” (Faqīhī), “Designing a Model for Categorizing Moral Education Methods” (Faqīhī). 4. Age-specific Moral Education: e.g., “Moral Education in Childhood” (Najafī & Pūr-Yazdī), “Stages of Moral Education of the Child with Emphasis on Islamic Sources” (Khīrī et al.). Discussion and Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the evolution of moral education in the Islamic Seminary of Qom has followed a gradual and systematic trajectory. In the pre-Revolutionary period, although no independent discipline of moral education existed, prominent scholars laid the theoretical and practical foundations of moral education. This phase emphasized practical purification (tahdhīb) and individualized educational methods. With the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, structural developments within the Islamic Seminary and society provided the conditions for the institutionalization and specialization of moral education. The independence of this field from theoretical ethics and the establishment of specialized institutions enabled the production of works that systematically addressed its foundations, stages, methods, and applied issues. The findings of this study indicate that the Islamic Seminary of Qom, by recognizing society’s needs, has moved toward producing applied, responsive scholarship. Nevertheless, the continuation of this trajectory requires greater attention to emerging challenges, such as moral education in digital environments and newly arising social issues. By mapping this historical evolution and developments, this study contributes to identifying existing capacities and anticipating future gaps in moral education. It thereby paves the way for more effective planning in the Islamic Seminary of Qom. Extended Abstract Introduction and Objectives: The primary mission of the Islamic Seminary (Ḥawza) and the religious scholars (ʿulamāʾ) is to guide society in accordance with religious knowledge (maʿārif). Within this mission, moral education has long been recognized as one of the most essential instruments for realizing this objective. Defined as the science of implementing and actualizing moral teachings in human life (Alizadeh, 2020), moral education plays a central role in the intellectual and educational mandate of the Islamic Seminary of Qom. This study seeks to answer three key questions: 1. How has moral education evolved over the past century? 2. Which factors have influenced this evolution? 3. What are the most significant texts and scholarly contributions in this field during this period? The study focuses on written works (books and papers) produced by religious scholars of the Islamic Seminary of Qom or its affiliated institutions, analyzing the trajectory of moral education in two distinct phases: the Preparatory Phase (pre-Islamic Revolution) and the Flourishing Phase (post-Islamic Revolution). In the first period, despite the predominant focus on fiqh and uṣūl, the initial foundations for the development of ethics and moral education were laid by figures such as Mīrzā Jawād Malikī Tabrīzī, Shaykh ʿAbbās Qummī, and Imam Khomeini. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Islamic Seminary of Qom entered a new phase marked by the expansion of research and educational institutions, the specialization of Islamic sciences, and a marked increase in scholarly publications, leading to the flourishing of moral education. Method: The study employs a combined historical and content analysis method. • In the historical analysis, the institutional and educational developments of the Islamic Seminary of Qom before and after the Islamic Revolution are examined to contextualize the emergence and evolution of moral education. • In the content analysis section, seminal works authored by scholars in the Islamic Seminary and affiliated research centers are studied in detail. The primary criterion for inclusion was the authors’ or institutions’ Islamic Seminary identity. Findings: The research findings reveal that moral education within the Islamic Seminary of Qom has evolved from a Preparatory Phase to a Flourishing Phase. Preparatory Phase (Pre-Revolution) During this period, moral education did not exist as an independent discipline; rather, its discussions were embedded within general ethics (ʿilm al-akhlāq). Nevertheless, three seminal figures laid the groundwork for its future development: • Mīrzā Jawād Malikī Tabrīzī (d. 1925): Through works such as Asrār al-Ṣalāt and al-Murāqibāt, he implicitly addressed principles and methods of moral education, including vigilance (murāqaba) and attention to sacred times. His emphasis on the formative impact of religious occasions on the spiritual aspirant was innovative. • Shaykh ʿAbbās Qummī (d. 1941): His compilations, including Safīnat al-Biḥār and Maqāmāt al-ʿĀliyya, represent key examples of narrational ethics with educational orientation. His method of arranging traditions and narrating moral anecdotes for affective impact was distinctive. • Imam Khomeini (d. 1989): In works such as Sharḥ-i Chihil Ḥadīth, he presented moral education with depth and practical orientation. His emphasis on jihād al-nafs (struggle against the self) and his use of dialogical introspection and scholarly identification for inner critique were hallmarks of his approach. Flourishing Phase (Post-Revolution) Following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, moral education emerged as an independent and dynamic discipline due to several factors: • Socio-political context: The involvement of Islamic Seminary scholars in managerial and social roles increased the demand for applied ethical content. • Specialization in Islamic sciences: The establishment of academic programs in “Philosophy of Ethics” and “Moral Education” facilitated deeper research. • Institutional development: Centers such as the Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute, the Research Institute for Ethics and Spirituality, and the Research Institute of Ḥawza and University played pivotal roles in producing scholarly works. According to the findings, the institutions of the Islamic Seminary of Qom have been central to the production of scholarly works on moral education since the Islamic Revolution. The Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute alone has produced over 70 works, followed by the Research Institute for Ethics and Spirituality (25 works), the Department of Educational Sciences at the Research Institute of Ḥawza and University (22 works), the Department of Teacher-Training of Ethics at the University of Islamic Maʿārif (22 works), and al-Jāmiʿa al-Mustafā al-ʿĀlamiyya (18 works). The Academic Institute for Ethics and Education has also contributed 20 dissertations. These works can be categorized into four thematic areas: 1. Foundations and General Principles: e.g., Tarbiya Akhlāqī (Moral Education) (Muḥammad Dāwūdī), An Introduction to Moral Education in Islam (Miqdād Yālajān), and papers such as “The Role of Divine Nearness in Moral Education” (Mūsawī-Nasab & Zaynālī). 2. Stages of Education: e.g., “Stages of Islamic Education” (Sayyid ʿAlī Ḥusaynzāda). 3. Methods and Strategies: e.g., “Methods of Moral Education in al-Mīzān” (Faqīhī), “Designing a Model for Categorizing Moral Education Methods” (Faqīhī). 4. Age-specific Moral Education: e.g., “Moral Education in Childhood” (Najafī & Pūr-Yazdī), “Stages of Moral Education of the Child with Emphasis on Islamic Sources” (Khīrī et al.). Discussion and Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the evolution of moral education in the Islamic Seminary of Qom has followed a gradual and systematic trajectory. In the pre-Revolutionary period, although no independent discipline of moral education existed, prominent scholars laid the theoretical and practical foundations of moral education. This phase emphasized practical purification (tahdhīb) and individualized educational methods. With the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, structural developments within the Islamic Seminary and society provided the conditions for the institutionalization and specialization of moral education. The independence of this field from theoretical ethics and the establishment of specialized institutions enabled the production of works that systematically addressed its foundations, stages, methods, and applied issues. The findings of this study indicate that the Islamic Seminary of Qom, by recognizing society’s needs, has moved toward producing applied, responsive scholarship. Nevertheless, the continuation of this trajectory requires greater attention to emerging challenges, such as moral education in digital environments and newly arising social issues. By mapping this historical evolution and developments, this study contributes to identifying existing capacities and anticipating future gaps in moral education. It thereby paves the way for more effective planning in the Islamic Seminary of Qom.

https://islamicedu.rihu.ac.ir/article_2468_514545cb49dcbf42d82d2316c3ccd0d4.pdf