My Murobbi App: An Alternative Method in Learning Malaysian

Islamic Legal System

Siti Sarah Sulaiman, Izuan Izzaidi Azmi, Ainul Hafiza Zainudin, Su’aida Safei,

Ibtisam Ilyana Ilias

Faculty of Law, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

Keywords: Islamic, Legal System, Malaysian, MyMurabbi, Mobile learning.

Abstract: The legal system in Malaysia is uniquely characterised by the presence of dual legal system namely civil and

Shariah. Therefore, following the requirement imposed by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA),

Malaysian Islamic Legal System (MILS) has been introduced as a compulsory subject for law students in all

universities in Malaysia including UniversitiTeknologi MARA. However, there is an inherent perception that

studying law is intricate in terms of the multifarious sources, the content and the jargon. This is further

aggravated by the fact that Islamic law is flooded with Arabic terminologies due to its origin. Students’ final

examination results from 2013-2018 were analysed using descriptive analysis. It was revealed that there is an

increasing percentage of failure rates. Among the reasons identified for the failure rates are due to difficulty

in understanding the subject, information are scattered in textbooks and difficulty in accessing online database

for legal cases, statutory provisions or articles. This paper will discuss the role of MyMurobbias an alternative

method in learning MILS subject. MyMurobbi is developed to provide a user-friendly, easy access,

inexpensive and reliable platform providing verified information on Islamic legal system within Malaysian

context.

1 INTRODUCTION

Mobile learning advanced in the 1970s and spread

widely until present time (Sharples & Pea 2014).

Literally, mobile learning is learning using mobile

and handheld IT devices such as PDAs, mobile

phones, laptops and tablets PCs in teaching and

learning (O’Malley et al. 2005). According to

software vendors, “it’s the point at which mobile

computing and e-learning intersect to produce an

anytime, anywhere learning experience.It’s the

ability to enjoy an educational moment from a cell

phone or personal digital assistant (PDA)” (Pimmer

et al. 2016). “From a technology perspective, mobile

learning is the provision of educational content and

services to people on the move, relevant to their

location, across multiple devices including

smartphones and tablet computers and even wall-size

displays” (Sharples & Pea 2014). To learning

scientists, the emphasis and the questions concern

context and continuity of learning namelyin what

manners our learning opportunities be best shaped in

relation to location and time.(Sharples & Pea 2014).

Recently, the usage of mobile learning has been

adopted in a higher learning institution in many of

their courses as a better way to connect students

with the subjects they are studying (Pimmer et al.

2016;Chiu & Churchill 2016;Burston 2016;

Diliberto-Macaluso & Hughes 2016; Zydney &

Warner 2016; Walters & Baum 2011). It is a

transformation from the traditional method of

teaching towards a specialised form of conventional

e-Learning(Rajasingham 2011; Upadhyay 2006; N.

Upadhyay, 2006). Research has shown that mobile

learning is an effective platform for effective learning

(Naismith & Corlett 2006). According to one

research, performance of learners using mobile app is

statistically better than the students using the

traditional method(Wilkinson & Barter 2016;

Hashemi et al. 2011). Mobile learning is able to assist

students’ motivation, help organisational skills,

encourage a sense of responsibility, encourage both

independent and collaborative learning, act as

reference tools, track students’ progress and deliver

Sulaiman, S., Azmi, I., Zainudin, A., Safei, S. and Ilias, I.

My Murobbi App: An Alternative Method in Learning Malaysian Islamic Legal System.

DOI: 10.5220/0010054600640067

In Proceedings of the International Law Conference (iN-LAC 2018) - Law, Technology and the Imperative of Change in the 21st Century, pages 64-67

ISBN: 978-989-758-482-4

assessment (Attewell & Savill-Smith 2004). The

reasons why mobile learning is effective is because

the devices can provide instant and spontaneous

information, mobile learning tools are small, light,

and portable. This is in line with the preference of

new generation of students who prefer easy going

environment of learning, integrated information or

learning materials which can be easily

accessible.Thus transmission of knowledge is faster

and impactful (Bidin & Ziden 2013). Even though,

the appearance of mobile technology in education has

extended the scope of teaching but only the latest

mobile technologies have truly enabled learning on

the move (Naismith & Corlett 2006). Being law

students in particular, there are so many information

need to be digested in a short period of time. Thus,

creation of a new apps will help to ease the burden of

the students throughout the year of study and enhance

students’ ability to establish deep understanding on

the subject matter.

There are many apps have been developed for the

usage of the law students for example Black’s Law

Dictionary (iOS&Android), Evernote

(iOS&Android), Quizlet (iOS&Android), My Study

Life (iOS&Android) and Headspace (iOS&Android).

Quizlet allows students to create their own digital

flashcards within the app. They can also share their

flashcards with others. The best thing about using this

app is that students will always have their flashcards

on them, just in case they find some extra time to

review. Quizlet also gives students the option to

create a study set, which builds a personalized study

schedule based on exam date. This option allows

them to check the progress and includes push

notification reminders when it’s time to study.

With all great advantages brought forward by the

development in the mobile learning sphere, there is

still room to be explored for developing new app in

enhancing the ability of law students at

UniversitiTeknologi MARA in particular to learn the

subject of Malaysian Islamic Legal System. Thus, a

research was conducted in developing MyMurobbi

app as a step forward to fill in the gap in the research

area of mobile learning at higher institutions.

2 MATERIALS AND METHOD

The Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) had

introduced the Programme Standards for Law and

Shariah Law. This programme standard is formulated

to stimulate the development of academic

programmes in the field of Law and Shariah Law

from diploma to the doctoral levels. The Standards

comprises of specific guidelines on programme aims

and educational objectives, programme learning

outcomes, programme design (including a proposed

programme structure), students admission criteria,

student assessment method, criteria for academic

staffs, educational resources and continuous quality

improvement. The legal system in Malaysia is

uniquely characterised by the presence of dual legal

system namely civil and Shariah.

Therefore, following the requirement imposed by

the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA),

Malaysian Islamic Legal System (MILS) has been

introduced as a compulsory subject for law students

in all universities in Malaysia including

UniversitiTeknologi MARA. Islamic law subject also

has been introduced in other local universities such as

International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM),

Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UNiSZA),

UniversitiSains Islam Malaysia (USIM),

UniversitiKebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti

Malaya (UM), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and

Multimedia University (MMU).

There is an inherent perception that studying law

is intricate in terms of the multifarious sources, the

content and the jargon. This is further aggravated by

the fact that Islamic law is flooded with Arabic

terminologies due to its origin. The contents of MILS

includes Introduction to the concept of Shariah

(Islamic Law), characteristics of Shariah, objectives

and intents of Shariah(Maqasid Shariah), primary

sources of Islamic law (Quran, Sunnah, Ijma’,

Qiyas), secondary sources of Shariah namely

Istihsan, MaslahahMursalah, Sadd al-Dhara’i,

Istishab, ‘Urf, historical development of Islamic

Legal System including the period of Prophet

Muhammad S.A.W, the period of the Righteous

Caliphs, the period of the Umayyad Caliphate, the

period of the Abbasid Caliphate and the period of the

Ottoman Caliphate. Other topics includethe

establishment of the Islamic State, the application of

the Medina Charter, Islamic concept of crime and

punishment encompassing Hudud, Qisas, Ta’zir,the

development of the four schools of thought (the four

madhahib) and the administration of Islamic Law in

Malaysia.

My Murobbi App: An Alternative Method in Learning Malaysian Islamic Legal System

Table 1: Performance of students sitting for MILS subject

from 2013 to 2018

No. Semester No. of

Students

Sitting

For The

Subject

Pass Fail

1. Sem 2

2012/2013

203 99.5% 0.49%

2. Sem 2

2012/2013

48 97.91% 2.08%

3. Sem 1

2013/2014

21 100% 0

4. Sem 1

2013/2014

16 87.5% 12.5%

5. Sem 2

2013/2014

96 96.87% 3.12%

6. Sem 2

2013/2014

55 98.18% 1.8%

7. Sem 1

2014/2015

18 88.88% 11.11%

8. Sem 1

2014/2015

11 81.81% 18.18%

9. Sem 2

2014/2015

105 99.04% 0.95%

10. Sem 2

2014/2015

11 81.81% 18.18%

11. Sem 1

2015/2016

56 89.28% 10.71%

12. Sem 1

2015/2016

4 75% 25%

13. Sem 2

2015/2016

240 78.75% 21.25%

14. Sem 2

2015/2016

8 25% 75%

15. Sem 1

2016/2017

84 76.19% 23.80%

16. Sem 1

2016/2017

6 83.33% 16.66%

17. Sem 2

2016/2017

321 72.89% 27.10%

18. Sem 2

2016/2017

4 25% 75%

19. Sem 1

2017/2018

181 78.45% 21.54%

20. Sem 1

2017/2018

3 66.66% 33.33%

21. Sem 2

2017/2018

327 77.98% 22.01%

Students’ final examination results from 2013-

2018 in Table 1 were analysed using descriptive

analysis. It was revealed that there is an increasing

percentage of failure rates. Several reasons were

identified for the failure rates. These are due to the

difficulty in understanding the subject, the inability to

relate themselves to the subject, the information and

the learning materials are scattered and the difficulty

in accessing online database for legal cases, statutory

provisions or articles.

Therefore, this paper will discuss MyMurobbi as

a mobile learning design to enhance students’ ability

in learning MILS subject. MyMurobbi is developed

to provide a user-friendly, easy access, inexpensive

and reliable platform providing verified information

on Islamic legal system within Malaysian context.

This is in line with the advance of new mobile

platform where learning using apps is more

interesting and effective. The usage of mobile

technology as a learning tool has drastically increased

among university students including students in the

law faculty of UniversitiTeknologi MARA. This can

be observed in the classroom when students stored

notes, Acts, articles and other materials in their

mobile phone. Traditional method of carrying files,

books and Acts to classroom has gradually

diminished.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This apps will be downloaded by the students in their

mobile phone and used not only during class and

tutorial session but also beyond the classroom. Eight

componentsarefeatured in MyMurobbi which

includes 1. Introduction, 2. Sources of Syariah Law,

3. Syariah Court, 4. Maqasid Syariah, 5. Relevant

laws, 6. Contemporary issues, 7. Syarie judges

&Syarie lawyers and 8. Jargons. In ensuring that

students will appreciate the objective of the app, the

authorities from Quran and Shariah jargon will be

linked with an audio assistant. Apart from that, to

effectively understand the jurisdiction of the syariah

court, the roles of syarie judges and syarie lawyers

and the relevant laws, a link to relevant institutions

will also be developed namely, the Department of

Syariah Judiciary Malaysia, the Department of

Islamic Development Malaysia and National Fatwa

Committee.

4 CONCLUSION

The mobile technology should be an enabler to

stimulate the transformation of teaching and learning.

Using MyMurobbi app as part of lessons will

enhancestudents’ ability to learn as the students

would be able to access reliable and integrated

sources of learning materials easily. MyMurobbi

should be considered as an additional tool to

complement lecturers’ explanation in order to give

iN-LAC 2018 - International Law Conference 2018

further understanding on Malaysian Islamic Legal

System subject.

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My Murobbi App: An Alternative Method in Learning Malaysian Islamic Legal System