IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 20, Issue 10, Ver. II (Oct. 2015) PP 22-31 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/0837-201022231 www.iosrjournals.org 22 | Page The Effectiveness of the Philosophy of an Islamic University: A Special Reference from the Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin in Malaysia and Al-Qalam University Katsina in Nigeria Tahir Abdulrahman Abubakar 1 Abdul Hakim Abdullah 1 Adamu Zakiyu Ubale 1 Amina Muhammad Sani 2 1 Faculty of Islamic Contemporary Studies, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Malaysia. 2 Department of Islamic Studies, Al-Qalam University Katsina, Katsina State Nigeria. Abstract: The University is the most crucial environment designed for the imparting of various experiences, preserving the religion and the culture of the community. But since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the Islamic history and the Muslim dilemma of colonial rule, the universities in the Muslim societies are being faced with the ill of unclear educational policies that are collapsing the system of Muslim education and Islamic values in the Muslim‟s society. Malaysia and Nigeria are among Muslims majority countr ies that have ruled by the British during the colonial era. Therefore, the present study is aimed to determine the present state of Islamic educational philosophy, its implementation and the Islamic relevance of curriculum of Islamic universities from the case of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin and Al-Qalam University Katsina. This qualitative research used documentary analysis and interview for the data collection and analysis. Four different documents and ten respondents have accessed for the investigation of the present study. The findings of this study recognized Islamic university philosophy from the vision, mission, and aspirations of the Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin and Al-Qalam University Katsina as they have planned and are working for the provision of professional Muslims with balanced education who are excellent in their respective fields and as the same time prepared with the Islamic values. The finding has also described similarities between the two universities in regard to educational objectives, management system and university curricular programmes. This study suggests that all relevant policy makers, curriculum planners, the stakeholders, parents and the potentials students may benefit from the Islamic university philosophy from the both universities in order to strengthen their understanding and practice of Islamic education principles as this is the only possible way of producing men that are able to represent Islam in this modern challenging world as well as rebuilt the lost educational glory in the Muslim societies. Keywords: Philosophy of Islamic university, Islamic Education, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Al-Qalam University Katsina. I. Introduction The education in Islam aspire many advantages to the humanity, its mission is far beyond the development of intellect but the whole life. Therefore, education in this system is a life long process and a form of worship that necessitate upon all individuals, family, and the collective society as a whole. According to Islam, man is the primary concern of education and all philosophy in this type of education is towards the complete human well- being and successful existence. In Islam, the actual training that are required were these contents of the holy Quran and the Hadith because these are the motivations that drive the Muslim community so as to place due importance on the advancement of knowledge that is borne from these divine sources. Islamic education can also be defined as a process of nurturing and training of the mind, the physique and the spirit of humans based on Islamic values, which are sourced from the Quran and Hadith (Nor, 2012). Therefore, the Islamic education is started during the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) in the early 622 of the Islamic history. The Prophet initiated the first setting for Muslim‟s education with the construction of the Quba and Nabawi mosques. Education in the Islamic perspectives is an effort or activity that trains the mind and perception of an individual towards the good life on earth and succession in the hereafter (Yasin & Mohd, 2013). The Islamic system of education has significantly influenced the world for several centuries in the intellectual life and technological spheres during the pinnacle of Islamic civilization that was commonly characterized as the golden era of Islam. Muslims were the early contributors to the world‟s knowledge, and their achievement has gone beyond the Arabian Peninsula but extended to the empires of old Roman, China, Indian and Asian sub-continent. The Umayyad and Abbasid