Sirah represents historical evidence and a bridge to the development of civilization, highlighting transformation from small beginnings to significant milestones. However, its narratives must be delivered through creative methods to ensure that facts are easily absorbed, understood, and internalized.
In 2018, I introduced innovation in Sirah Education by proposing that sirah teaching required an innovative learning approach. This idea earned a Silver Medal at the national IReKA competition. Between 2019 and 2020, I focused on consolidation through extensive library research, laying the foundation for scholarly contributions and recognition in 2021. That year, I received a Silver Medal at the Graduate Research Exhibition (GREX) UTM for the project Humanization of Sirah Teaching Thinking Skills (HOTS), which emphasized meaningful engagement and the mastery of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS).
In 2022, I completed my PhD thesis entitled “Implementation of Sirah Teaching Composition towards Higher Order Thinking Skills.” The thesis was awarded Best Thesis at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and brought me the Chancellor’s Award, presented by Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong. The 350-page thesis was later distilled and presented at the New Academia Learning Innovation (NALI) 2023 in an eight-minute Pecha Kucha session. Part of the findings was published in the Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun (Web of Science, Q3) under the title “A Pilot Study on D&T Examination for the Teaching Composition of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in the Field of Sirah on Islamic Education Teachers.”
Towards the end of 2023, the thesis ideas were materialized into the Sirah Timeline, compiled from 20 authoritative sirah references. This innovation inspired a successful proposal for the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), applying heutagogical pedagogy to enable students to learn sirah autonomously while guided by authentic sources.
In 2024, the innovation expanded further with six types of sirah replicas and enhancements to the Sirah Timeline. QR codes were embedded, linking to TikTok learning videos and interactive card games. These efforts earned a Silver Medal at the Virtual Innovation Competition Exhibition (VICE) at the national TVET level with the project “Sirah Navigator”, and a Gold Medal at the international NALI 2024 for the “Interactive Sirah Timeline.”
By 2025, the focus shifted from physical timelines to a digital platform that is open, accessible, and free. The NADI SIRAH website was launched as a regional digital reference hub, and the AI Sirah Replica is set to be presented at NALI October 2025. Overall, the journey of the Sirah Timeline illustrates the transformation of Sirah Education through phases of early innovation (2018–2019), consolidation (2020–2021), scholarly validation (2022–2023), and recognition with regional expansion via AI and digital platforms (2024–2025). It is hoped that this interactive, evidence-based, HOTS-oriented innovation, integrated with modern technology, will continue to make Sirah Education more engaging, relevant, and effective in nurturing society.