Major Role of Islam in Education - Essay Example

You Full Role of Islam in Education Islam is a universal religion and it has been there since the origination of this world. This religion is absolutely rational and based on the instinctual nature of the human. Islam enjoins what is good and forbids you from the actions which are against the humanity. Nevertheless it proposes you a law for practically bringing peace and tranquility in this world. Islam is derived from the word ‘slam’ which means peace or peace acquired by submitting your will to Allah, the creator and sustainer of worlds. The will of Allah is inscribed in the Holy book Koran and in the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H). The first word that was revealed to Mohammad (P.B.U.H) in the Koran was “IQRA” which means to read, recite and seek knowledge. The Koran repeats several words in order to embed key concepts in the mind of the listeners. The word Elm (Knowledge) has been used 750 times which has got the third position after the words ‘Allah’ and ‘Rab’. So Allah emphasized the importance of education and knowledge in the first word of his revelation and even throughout the Koran. Islam is a precious gift for the Muslims to attain salvation and success in this world. For this they need to follow the Koran and seek knowledge from it. Education is an ultimate criterion in recognizing a true Muslim and every true Muslim need to seek and spread knowledge as taught by prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H). The following hadith (Sayings of Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H)) demonstrates the importance of education in Islam. Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) said that if anyone travels on the road with the intention of seeking knowledge then Allah will cause him to travel on the roads of Paradise. The inhabitants of heavens, earth and the fish living in the deep water will ask for forgiveness for the knowledgeable man. The superiority of the learned man over a devout is like of a moon, over a full night, on the other stars in the sky. The learned people are the heirs of prophet who do not leave dirham (money or currency of Arabia) but only leave knowledge and whoever takes it take in generous amounts. History shows that Muslims have rose to the zenith of civilization and it was just because they adhered to the Islamic law and the teachings of the Holy Koran. The Islamic Empire was once the most advanced and civilized nation of the world. Muslims were responsible for setting the fundamental concepts of different fields. The teaching of the Koran drove them to accomplishments in various disciplines of science. By the end of the tenth century the passion and enthusiasm for learning of Muslims resulted in all essential Greek writings being translated into Arabic. This flowery language became the international language of learning. The Muslims became groundbreaker in the field science and they rose to their peak. Ibn Sena, Ibn Al-Khitab, Jabir bin Hayan, Al-Bitruji, Ibn Khaldoun and many other scholars became the leading name for innovating different concepts in Medicine, Astronomy, Mathematics and other fields. It was a dark age for Europe at that time. They were really impressed by the creativity and intelligence of the Muslims. As Campbell said “The European medical system is Arabic not only in origin but also in its structure. The Arabs are the intellectual forbearers of the Europeans”. The Muslims were also appreciated for their Arabic Numeral System. If the Muslims have been pioneer in the field of science so than why they are lagging behind today? This question is an issue of grave concern. The ultimate reason is that because they have deviated away from the teachings of Holy Koran. Colonialism and oppressing rule of their own people have brought moral and spiritual degeneration of Muslims throughout the world. The countries of Middle East (Yemen, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia) are now suffering from this crisis. To retrieve them from this degeneration all the Muslims need to restructure their educational policies and bring them more closer towards the teachings of the Holy Koran and Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H). They need to restructure their educational priorities along to the Islamic values. By implementing such programs it would not only improve their current moral structure but also make the future generation the torch-bearers of Islamic ethics and Values. Let us understand how they can bring drastic changes by following Islam. Seeking knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim whether it be a men or women. Some extremists have tried to restrict women from gaining knowledge because they do not have the knowledge about the Islam. Let us analyze few of the teaching of Koran and Hadith. As Allah said, “Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.” Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) said, “The father, if he educates his daughter well will enter the paradise” (1978:25) “A mother is a school, if she is educated, then a whole people are educated” (1993:25) In the early Islamic history women played a dominant role in spreading knowledge. For instance, Ayesha (R.A.U), wife of prophet was considered as most important source for Hadith. She had an excellent memory and some of the Islamic reports say that Prophet told the Muslims to go to Ayesha for guidance and learning of religious duties. These examples show that education in Islam is as important for women as it is for men. Islam has always treated men and women equally on the overall basis. You will find that Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) has always encouraged the Muslims to seek knowledge, not only men. So it is necessary for the countries of Middle East to understand and comprehend the Islamic concepts first to bring an educational reform. They need to make education mandatory for both men and women because they have equal rights granted by Allah. As it is proved that education is a must for men and women so we are faced with another dilemma ‘Co-education’. What are the views of Islam regarding co-education? Islam has a viewpoint against co-education because Islam feels that in these environments student go astray rather than gaining knowledge. Islam discourages the intermingling of opposite sexes because it gives rise to malicious and immoral acts. A practically proven example is of Western Societies where you will find the norms of crime, fornication, rape cases, sexual practices, alcohol, immodest clothes, teenage pregnancies and lack of moral values. They have degraded the women to an extent which is undeterminable. Such environments cause moral degeneration and the students are completely exposed to the opposite sex. Islam has therefore discouraged intermingling of sexes so the people abstain from such offensive activities. In Islam women are instructed to cover their bodies properly and men are directed to lower their gaze whenever they see any women. Therefore these Middle East countries need to follow the directions of Koran to bring about a reform in their educational system. These countries need to build an effective model to enhance the method of instruction in their institutions. First of all Arabic and English languages have to be a foundation for gaining knowledge because the Koran is revealed in Arabic language and most of the modern science books are written in English. So both languages are considered to be vital for comprehension. Knowledge can only be acquired if you learn the tools of knowledge; reasoning and ability to articulate. Once you have learned the tools than you need to thoroughly understand the Koran because it contains all the crucial information that will assist you in living a peaceful life. Koran can not be understood directly, their must be teachers or scholars available who can make the students understand and give appropriate explanation for each of the verses. Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) said that whoever interprets the Koran from his own knowledge is mistaken, even if he is correct. At this stage only those teachers should be appointed who have unique power of expression (bayan). Allah has given human a tremendous talent and made him superior over all creatures. One of the talent is bayan (power of expression) .Bayan requires that one should properly understand the context, reality and knowledge about the people. For instance, if you do not understand the British context than you will not be able to properly communicate in their culture. Once you have appointed a teacher, than the next step is to teach the children to memorize the whole Koran so it develops a memory in the child that surpass others in any school system. Learning Koran is the most important aspect of Islamic education because you would be able to identify the fundamental concepts for your creation. Once you have learned the Koran than you also need to learn Hadith that are the sayings of beloved prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H). Hadith is basically a description and commentary of Holy Koran. It contains detailed explanation about the concepts discussed in Holy Koran. Islam encourages you all form of learning whether it be for religious or scientific purpose. It does not restrict you to gain only one kind of knowledge. Reservoir of knowledge is deep and profound so gain any kind of knowledge that is not against the Holy Koran. The Koran itself exhorts you to do scientific research as it says, “And those who bring the truth and believeth therein such are dutiful” (39:33) It means that you can search for scientific facts which are the signs of Allah and this can even make your believe in Allah more firm and stronger. Islam does not only say that you seek for knowledge but it also stresses that you should practice that knowledge in your real life. When Muslims learn that knowledge then it becomes obligatory upon them to practice it because the practice is connected with ethics and morality. Islam also exhorts you to preach that knowledge to others because spreading the knowledge will benefit the others and can bring them to the virtuous path. Islamic educational system offers many benefits over other western systems as it caters to the education and spiritual needs of the people. It provides a proper grounding in knowledge of Islam and makes you a social and responsible person in the community. In an Islamic system all the basics of Islam are taught and practiced in the school. It provides an environment conducive to learning where students can nurture their potential skills more effectively. There is no peer pressure to indulge in any unethical activity because all the teachers are even Muslims. Students are instructed to maintain a proper Islamic manner which is hopefully reflected in their rest of lives. Topics are discussed from an Islamic perspective and thus enabling the students to relate to the world from Islamic aspect. The Muslims are the most humiliated community in the current era. If these Muslim countries follow the educational programs of the colonial masters then they can never improve their structure and will fall behind consistently, but if they follow the teachings and hold the rope of Allah strictly than they can succeed in this life and life after the death. Works Cited The Holy Quran. Trans. Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Al Madinah: King Fahd Complex, 1990 Ali, Maulana Muhammad, trans. A Manual of Hadith. London and Dublin: Curzon. Press, 1978 Ibrahim, Syed. The Pleasures of Learning, 2005. April 02, 2008 . Read More