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The article is devoted to the study of the influence of colonialism on the system of Islamic education in Muslim countries of Africa, namely, historical background and modern consequences of the external interference. The author analyzes the reasons for the special status of religious education in the Muslim world as the basis of spiritual and intellectual life. The article provides a comparative study of the attitude of the French and British colonialists to Islamic education in the colonies, identifies the ideological reasons for the differences, and examines the transformation of the policy of the metropolises in this area. The author has established that, during the period of colonization, Islamic education was marginalized and emasculated in African countries. Even after gaining independence, the former colonies remained for decades in the system of neocolonial mental influence of the West: forced to conform to “modern international standards”, they maintained the principles of secularism in education to the detriment of authentic national models. The author concludes that colonial rule in Muslim countries had a significant long-term adverse impact on the Muslim education system. The situation with its status in many Muslim countries remains uncertain and fraught with social and cultural division.
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