This study explores the approaches to religious education reform of Muhammad Abduh, a leading figure in late 19th-century Islamic thought, and Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, the author of the Risale-i Nur during the early Republican era. Their respective projects, al-Azhar and Madrasa'tuz-Zehra, are examined with a historical and institutional comparative perspective. Abduh concluded that addressing the challenges of Western modernity required a new model of the exemplary Muslim, achievable only through reforming religious education. For Abduh, this reform meant modernizing al-Azhar, the central institution for both public and elite education. Reforming al-Azhar's administration and curriculum became synonymous with reforming religious education itself. His reform initiative emphasized the supremacy of human reason over revelation while maintaining a strong focus on the Islamic notion of tawhid. He believed incorporating new sciences into al-Azhar's curriculum and reorganizing it according to Western university models would elevate al-Azhar's status, empower the ulema, and foster socio-economic development. In contrast, Bediüzzaman Said Nursi argued that the challenge of modernity could only be addressed through an epistemological rupture. His proposed epistemological foundation, Mana-yı Harfi, emphasized understanding revelation through reason and modern sciences. Unlike Abduh, Nursi rejected attributing transcendental significance to human reason. Like Abduh, Nursi prioritized education over politics and proposed reforms aimed at fostering unity and progress among Kurdish, Ottoman, and Muslim societies. Nursi's model sought to neutralize the divisive effects of nationalism and sectarianism, reinforce pluralism, and emphasize hard work as the only legitimate means of social mobility. Key Words: Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, Muhammad Abduh, religious education reform, epistemological rupture/accommodation, modernity.