The art of Naqd: communicating critique in Arabic thought for teacher training in Arabia

This article explores Naqd, critique in Arabic thought, emphasizing its significance for teacher training in the Arab Gulf countries. Naqd, a practice grounded in Arabic intellectual tradition, has almost slipped into obscurity due to the overwhelming influence of the Westernization of higher education. The article responds by re-examining Naqd’s historical and conceptual origins and relevance to contemporary pedagogy. It addresses the urgent need to re-integrate Naqd into teacher education programs to offset the prevalence of Western approaches. It explores key concepts such as Tamhis, Tamyeez, and Taqyeem and Taqweem. By tracing Naqd’s development from pre-Islamic oral traditions to its role in Islamic scholarship and jurisprudence, the article proposes a pedagogical and conceptual framework to revitalize Arabic epistemes and foster a culturally responsive approach. The aim is to restore the balance by integrating Naqd’s dialectical lexicon with culturally and epistemologically relevant practices into teacher education programs in the GCC academia.