In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful

1
In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most
Merciful

• Concept of Education in Islam
• Dr. Abdulazeez Abdulraheem

2
Importance of Education

• Allah says
• ????????? ???????????? ???? ???????
  ?????????????? ?? ??????????? ??????? ????????
  ?????? ????????? ????????????? ??????????????
  ??????????? ??????????? (78)
• Here the faculties mean the use of hearing
  (collecting info), seeing (observation), and
  thinking (deriving new results).
• Whichever group excels in using it becomes the
  leader, especially when Muslims do not follow
  Islam.

3
Importance of Education

• Difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim
  and/or Kafir is in two areas
• Knowledge and
• Action

4
Knowledge attribute of Allah. (Aleem)

• ?????? ??????? ?????? ???????
• ??????????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ???
  ???????????? ??????? ?????? ?????????? ??????????

5
The only source Allah (ayatal-Kursi)

• ???? ?????????? ???????? ???? ???????? ??????
  ????? ?????

6
Importance in Islam

• ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?????? (1)
• ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????? (2) ???????
  ????????? ?????????? (3) ??????? ???????
  ??????????? (4) ??????? ?????????? ??? ????
  ???????? (5)
• 5 words (on learning) in the first 5 verses
• Revealed in an age which was not information age
• In a society of Ummiy-yoon where extremely few
  knew how to read and write
• The Prophet himself was Ummi

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Reading Mentioned Twice in the First 5 Verses!!!

• It emphasizes that we should be real and prolific
  readers. The tragedy is that when it comes to
  Quran
• They (the others) read to learn and
• We learn to read (and stop there). We dont try
  to understand the Quran!!!

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Importance of knowledge in Islam

• ???????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ????????
  ??????????? ??????? ????????? ?????????
• Allah has taught the Prophet pbuh, the
  supplication ?????? ????? ??????? ???????
• O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge.

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Prophets role

• The Prophet pbuh said ???? ???? ?????? (I am
  sent as a teacher.)
• Allah says
• ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ????????????? ????????
  ???????? ??????? ?????????? ????????
  ?????????????? ??????????????? ??????????
  ????????????? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????
  ?????? ???????

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Prophets roles The Comprehensive Education

• The verse mentions 4 roles
• Recite the verses
• Do Tazkiah Purify their lives (from negatives)
  and enhance good qualities
• Teach them the Book
• Teach them the Hikmak
• The above 4 are the real areas of education in
  Islam. It is not just delivering information.

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Information or knowledge or much more

• Our condition We are drowning in information
  and starving for knowledge.
• Hikmah is an abundant and huge gift of Allah. It
  shows us how to use the knowledge.
• ??????? ??????????? ???? ??????? ?????? ??????
  ??????????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ????????

12
Types of (knowledge)

• There are only 2 types of knowledge in Islam
• Beneficial and 2. Not beneficial
• Note the supplications of the Prophet pbuh
• ????? ??? ????? ????? ?????? (O Allah! I ask you
  for the beneficial knowledge).
• ????? ??? ???? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???? (O Allah! I take
  refuge in You from useless knowledge).

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Classification of (knowledge) in Islam according
to Importance

1. Obligatory (???)
2. ??? ????? (Obligatory on society)
3. ????? (Desirable)
4. ???? (permissible)
5. ????? (detested)
6. ???? (prohibited)

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1. Obligatory Knowledge

• On every Muslim so that he can live Islamically.
  He should know the basics of
• Beliefs ?????
• Worships ??????
• Dealings ???????
• Prohibitions which lead to punishments ??????
• Etiquettes of life???? ??????
• Purification of heart ???

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2. Fard Kifayah

• In every locality, there has to be a group which
  knows these areas otherwise the whole society
  will be a sinner.
• These are of Two types. Those which are
• Means to know obligatory knowledge (Quran,
  Hadith, Fiqh, Arabic, ..). If we know Quran, we
  can know our creed
• Essential for a human society to excel others
  (Science, Technology, Economics, Business,
  Administration, Media). Our focus is here,
  missing the first one!!!

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Goal of Education in Islam

• Not just to learn for the sake of learning
• The goal should not to be left on children. They
  are too young to come up with one. You have to
  help them.
• If you dont specify the goal, they will make
  some mean or cheap goals

17
Allama Iqbal says

• Knowledge gives power. This power should be
  under Deen. Otherwise it is pure Satanic. A
  Muslim must Islamize his knowledge.

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The Islamic Objectives

1. To produce individuals who believe firmly in the
   individual and collective system of Islam. To
   protect, practice, and promote it.
2. To help in knowing Allah and the ways to please
   Him using latest means at his disposal (as a
   Khalifah).
3. To develop morals by following the Prophet pbuh
   (Taleem Tazkiah Himkmah)

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The Islamic Objectives (Contd.)

1. Live a balanced life (spiritual vs material self
   vs society spending vs saving avoiding
   extremes)
2. To be expert in ones own field
3. To have a vision and a mission along with
   discipline within the limits given by Allah.

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Develop the Educational System Yourself

• No nation can survive by copying the Educational
  system of others
• Russians had developed their own after communist
  revolution.
• Even in science, there are facts and
  interpretations
• Interpretation depends upon culture (Ex Water
  Species)

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Current Situation

• We have two streams of education
• Deeni / Madrassa Education
• Secular / School Education

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Deeni / Madrassa Education.

• Mostly out-of-date with current situation
• Originally designed for producing civil servants
  (in Muslim rule) that is why living in India,
  you dont find any syllabus for Dawah or how to
  live and interact with others in a multi-cultural
  society
• Generates 1000s of Huffaz but not even 1 know
  what they have memorized!
• Yes, their contribution is immense. Especially
  in the absence of any alternative

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Secular / School Education

• Has no link with Islamic education.
• A subject (on Islamic Studies) is there but it is
  confined mostly to beliefs, worship, and morals.
  
• Nothing to do with the concept of knowledge.
  Nothing to relate oneself with other subjects.

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Secular Education

• Students are taught Science, maths, social
  studiens, politics, history, law, management,
  economics, etc. etc. but no where do you see any
  Islamic perspective.
• The one who has money and positions is the
  successful one (Media, culture)
• Result The whole life is built along
  non-Islamic lines.

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Current Status

• For masses (of students), this is what we have
• So, we need to work more to save our generation
• Especially in the light of TV/Internet and media
  onslaught against Islam and Muslims

26
Akbar Ilahabadi said (Urdu)

• Yon qatl se bachchon ke wo badnaam na hota
• Afsoos ke firoun ko college ki na soojhi
• Pisr mein bu aaye kyonkar
• Doodh hai dabbey ka aur taleem hai sarkar ki

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95 of our Students Study in Schools

• Do they have a goal of life? It is not a
  philosophical question.
• After spending 15, 20 years in education, if a
  Muslim does not know his goal, it is a
  disaster!!!
• Not just eat, live, and produce children (just as
  animals do)
• ??????????? ???????? ?????????????? ?????????????
  ????? ???????? ??????????? ?????????? ???????
  ??????

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Without Goal!!!

• If our educated, leader, cream class does not
  have a goal, forget about others. It is a sign
  of a dying millat.
• Especially so because this millat is not based on
  caste, color, race, or state. If it looses goal,
  forget the future!

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Secular Education Prepares Atheists
Materialistic Persons!

• Examples
• Science Anomalous expansion of water. Not
  taught The One Who created sea creatures
  created water. This is not automatic.
• History Egyptology, the most imp. subject. Not
  taught Why Moosa (A) is mentioned most in the
  Quran.
• Economics Not taught You dont have to rely on
  interest.

30
When I graduated and went to the University
library

• I could hardly find books written by Muslims (in
  almost all sciences).
• I could not understand the role of Islam in
  history until I read
• Islam and the World by Ml. Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi
• Islam and Science by Ml. Waheeduddin Khan
• Hijab and Al-Jihad fil Islam by Ml. Maudoodi

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My Goal then was

• Just to survive or have a good life.
• As far as my role as a Muslim is concerned It
  was limited to praying Namaz / Salah.
• With time it improved to serve Muslims.
• Now I know that it should be to serve humanity,
  not just Muslims. This is the way to serve
  Islam.
• But this teaching simply does not exist in our
  educational system!

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A Muslims Goal is Ibadah (in the full sense of
the term)

• ????? ???????? ???????? ????????? ??????
  ?????????????
• ???? ????? ??????? ????????? ??????????
  ?????????? ??????? ????? ????????????? (162)
• ????? ????? ???? ?????

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The Goal is repeated more than 25 times everyday

• ???????? ???????? ?????????? ??????????? (5)
• ???????? ?????????? ?????????????? (6)
• ??????? ????????? ?????????? ??????????
• ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ????????????
  (7)
• Goal To do Ibadah and be among the first group
  (?????????? ?????????? ) and not among the last
  2.

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The Goal

• Who are those (?????????? ?????????? )
• Prophets, Truthful, Martyrs, and Righteous
• Let us just take the first group (Prophets) and
  the top among them. Muhammad pbuh.
• He followed Allahs will and became the Most
  Successful (a/c to non-Muslims)
• He achieved peace and happiness (the ultimate
  goal) too.

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To achieve that goal

• Do our students ever bother to explore his Seerah
  in detail (his faith, his worshipping style, his
  time management, his attitude, his confidence,
  his relationship with others,)
• Nobody tells them, nor prepares them, nor reminds
  them, nor gives them a plan, nor follows up their
  progress on this path.

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The Problem

• We shoot directly into Aakhirah only
• i.e., Pray Salah and you will be rewarded in
  Aakhirah
• But Salah has to do with TODAYS work too.
• The 5 prayers (Quran study etc) do not consume
  even 2 to 3 hours.
• What about the rest of the day? Is it confined to
  only behaving well with others?

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Imagine

• A Muslim country of an-amta alayhim
• All Daees but beggars in every other area. No
  doctors, no engineers, no technicians, no nurses,
  no businessmen, no economists, . All these are
  either Chrisitians, Hindus, or Buddhists
• And when some outside power is unhappy, you can
  expect a boycott or an attack which may kill
  millions (as has happened to Iraq or Afghanistan).

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Imagine another case

• A country/ society with a team of good Muslims
  and Daees
• They have doctors, researchers, inventors,
  scientists, engineers, technocrats, economists,
  businessmen, managers, and all other experts.
• Each group having very clear about its vision and
  mission as a Muslim
• Excellent interaction between them.
• Dont you think Allah wants such a society for
  true Khilafah!

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What after Salah?

• Whatever you do counts towards becoming
  excellent in your field.
• Towards forming that excellent team.
• So, for a student, he has to perform best in
  studies (with the right intention)
• He reaches there step by step day by days work.
  
• He behaves best with parents, teachers, friends,
  etc.
• Uses his time to optimum use.

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Areas of Islamic Education

• 1. Gods word Based on revelation ???????
• 2. Gods world Using the 3 faculties Allah gave
  to each one of us (listening, watching, and using
  mind) - ???????

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Comprehensive Education
Allahs Word (Direct studies) Allahs World
(Supporting studies) To live in Allahs WORLD
and handle it according to Allahs WORD to
become true Khalifah to get HIS PLEASURE
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Comprehensive Education
Start everyday with Allahs word and then let the
students go to study Allahs world!!!
ALLAHS WORD ALLAHS WORLD ALLAHS WORLD ALLAHS WORLD
DIRECT STUDIES SUPPORTING STUDIES SUPPORTING STUDIES SUPPORTING STUDIES
QURAN (and Hadith) STUDY Ayyamillah Allahs world GODS KINGDOM
HISTORY, CULTURE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY LAWS, ECONOMICS
LANGUAGES ARTS LANGUAGES ARTS LANGUAGES ARTS LANGUAGES ARTS
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Important Features Islamic Education - 1

• No division between religious and secular.
• Up to high school, same syllabus for everyone
• All essential subjects will be taught.
• Supporting subjects (Maths, Sciences, etc.) will
  be taught in the spirit of Islam.
• A student will look at this world with Islamic
  vision.

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Important Features Islamic Education - 2

• After high school, education for Specialists in
• Quran, Hadith, Fiqh, History
• Tarbiyah, Dawah,
• Islamic Social sciences
• Islamic Philosophies
• Comparative religion
• Islamic Economists

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Current Reality

• No such system exists (in secular and most Muslim
  countries)
• Islamic Studies is just one subject in our
  schools
• It is the Most neglected, abused, and last in
  priority
• No supervision or follow up for it
• Most importantly Quran is missing! (except for
  rote memorization of few Surahs and their
  translation passages)

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If we keep Islam as

• If we keep it as the lowest priority
• Our children will treat Islam as the lowest
  priority when they grow up

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Islamic Education

• A responsibility on every one
• School
• Masjid
• Home
• Neighbors/elders/society

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Taleem Tarbiyah at home too

• Do it at home too. You cant rely on school
  alone
• The parents have to get involved

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An Appeal

• Try to get understanding of the Quran teaching
  into curriculum of your school too. It is the
  most important subject.
• Almost no school, even Muslim schools teach it to
  the full.
• A high school graduate should be able to
  understand the full Quran and listen to at least
  a big book on Hadith (like Riyadhus-saliheen or
  Bulooghul Maraam).
• It needs only 200 hours of teaching for adults
  and around 300 or little more for students.
  Visit www.understandquran.com for details.