Jadal as praxis in intercultural communication education: A pedagogical model grounded in Arabic-Islamic epistemes

This article addresses the invisibility and underrepresentation of alternative pedagogies in secondary education. It considers the concept of Jadal, Arabic for debate, argumentation, or disputation, as a form of praxis in intercultural education. It argues that Jadal can be introduced as a non-Western instructional strategy that complements the existing dominant practices, such as the Socratic method. This paper aims to articulate Jadal not merely as a concept rooted in the Islamic intellectual tradition but also as a practical instructional strategy applicable within contemporary classroom settings. The goal is to extract and synthesize the core components of Jadal as praxis: Niyya (intentionality), Bayān (clarity of expression), Tathbit (epistemic confirmation), and Tadabbur (deliberation). By reframing Jadal in this manner, the article contributes to the development of intercultral communication pedagogy and offers an alternative paradigm within liberal arts education, grounded in dialogical reasoning, moral intentionality, and the ethics of listening and persuasion. This model is particularly relevant in multicultural and multilingual classrooms, where the act of debate can transcend cultural binaries and foster deeper intercultural understanding. The aim, therefore, is to diversify instructional strategies, integrate intercultural epistemes rooted in Arabic thought, and challenge dominant educational models.