Education- An Islamic Perspective

 

  Education- An Islamic Perspective

   Noor Foundation organized an Educational conference at Lucknow on 24 & 25 December, I got the privilege of attending the same. Special guest was Sheikh Majid Bakri hafizzullah ta’ala (Imam of Jeddah’s Jama Masjid).  Mission of this conference was to make education more common and raise our educational standard. In this important Conference world-renowned professionals /Aalims spoke on various topics relevant for our times and they all emphasized on education of both the worlds simultaneously (duniyawi and Deeni). Duniyawi Talim will make us successful in this world, but Deeni Talim will make us successful  in this world and hereafter too.

Now, I am sharing the experience gained through this conference.
Many big scholars came on the stage and shared views. Education should be based on Quran and Sunnah, because when we don’t use education our knowledge in a right direction it may become harmful for us. We can clearly see highly educated n qualified people indulging in crime and corruption, this is due to the fact that they are far away from Quran and Sunnah. They have gained worldly education but lost the moral and ethical education which one can gain only through study of our creator and his command.

Some of the speakers and professors give emphasis on adding subjects of modern education like English, Science, Maths etc. in the curriculum of Islamic schools and colleges. Even Madarsa student should simultaneously get higher Education so that even he can become Engineer, Technician etc and opt for alternative career instead of just restricting them to be an Imam of Masjid or Teacher of Madarsa. Vice versa those students who are getting Duniyawi education should also get Deeni Education, after this in sha allah we will be successful in both of the worlds.

      “Insan aur haiwan me fark sirf  ilm ka hai. Ilm jaha kahi se mile hsail  karlo, aur jaha kahi bhi jana padhe jao aur hasil karo.”

There is no limit on gaining education (ilm). Good education(Deeni and Duniyawi) makes good men, good men makes good societies, good societies makes good cities, good cities makes good states, and good states makes good nations, and good nations makes world a better place to live in. Can you imagine when this is implemented, Whole world will be well educated (deeni and duniyawi) and a better place to live in and in sha allah every one will be on TRUE PATH.

Maulana Matiurrehman chaturvedi said Quran is the ultimate syllabus for mankind. He said more than 700 verses in Quran show Scientific Signs. There is not a single subject in the world  jisme Quran ne roshni na kari ho. After studying Quran many famous (well educated) personalities (scientists etc.) accepted Islam. Educated (deeni and dunyawi)  and Uneducated people are not equal. In factories most of the child labour belongs to Muslims as they are less education or illiterate. Many speakers referred to Sachhar Committee’s report on Indian Muslims. This report reveals the backwardness of Indian Muslims. The current status of Indian Muslims is even worst than the schedule castes and schedule tribes. The overall percentage of Muslims in bureaucracy in India is just 2.5 % where as Muslims constitute above 14% of Indian population. Reason for backwardness, lack of education and most importantly we have left the Quran and Sunnah.

The Quran believes in the respect and equality of all human kind but it announces the superiority of the class of educated people. The Quran says:

“ Are the educated and uneducated equal?” In Sura Baqrah the Quran declares the superiority of Adam in these words: “ And He taught Adam, the names of all things; then He placed them before the angels and said: “ Tell me the names of these if you are right”.

They said: “ Glory to Thee: of knowledge we have none save Thou hast taught us, in truth it is Thou who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom”. (2:30-32).

Knowledge made him superior to all creatures.The first word of the revelation deals with the importance of knowledge. In Sura Al-Alaq it is said: “ Read in the name of thy Lord who created”. There is another verse of the Holy Quran asking the Prophet (P.B.U.H) to pray: “ Lord increase my knowledge”. The importance of knowledge is manifest at different places in the Quran. The Quran says that we send the Prophets to teach people wisdom. It further says that only the people of knowledge fear God. In Sura Baqrah the Quran says: “ But the best of provisions is right conduct so fear me, O ye that are wise”. (2:197).

Famous Hadith of the Holy Prophet.

The Prophet said, “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”

In another Hadith the Prophet said, “ Acquiring of knowledge is obligatory to every Muslim male and female”.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah makes the way to Jannah easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge.''
[Muslim].

Muslims have made significant contributions to the field of science and other fields of knowledge. The numerals we use are called the Arab numerals. Credit for the invention of decimal system also goes to Muslims. They had made great contributions to the field of Mathematics. Algebra is the invention of Arab Muslims. They had also made significant contributions to the fields of Medicine and Astronomy.  One of the biggest contribution of Muslims to the world is the preservation of Greek knowledge. All the work of Greek philosophers and thinkers was saved by the Arabs, by translating it into Arabic. That knowledge was passed back to the Europeans. Dr. Maurice Bucaille in a book entitled, “The Bible, The Quran and Science” proves that Islam is a scientific religion emphasizing on the need of scientific inquiry.

The real knowledge makes us tolerant, civilized and rational. In Islamic jurisprudence no one can become Faqih (Jurist) without sound intellectual background. Whether someone is a scientist, a ruler, a leader or a jurist, knowledge is the basic requirement for these positions. Islamic conception of education teaches us to be the master of matter and mind to serve the human kind.

-The End-

Submitted by 
Syed Zuhaib