Education is the backbone of all forms of practice that undoubtedly guide all of us in our life paths; it plays a fundamental role in enabling us to make conscious decisions that harmonize our relationship with the Creator, freeing us from social disorder. Islam places a great deal of importance on education and approaches this great virtue with a formal emphasis on seeking knowledge, primarily through reading. This is why in the first revelation, Allah commanded the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to read.
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ، خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ، اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ، عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
“Read, in the name of your lord who created, created man out of a mere clot of congealed blood: Read and your Lord is the most Bountiful. He who taught the use of the pen, taught man that which he knew not” (Quran 96: 1-5).
This verse, in principle, reveals the logic to appreciate the greatness of Allah and His Tawhid. In reality, we should not just believe in His uniqueness, but we should actively learn and acquire knowledge to truly understand His greatness and uniqueness, so that we can remain steadfast on the path of righteousness. The verse further guides humanity in the pursuit of knowledge to develop the skill of knowing how to read before knowing how to write.
From a logical point of view, any path of knowledge begins first with reading and then with writing, even at an academic level. Secondly, the verse indicates that knowledge is not an option, but rather, based on the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the pursuit of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim. This verse also indicates how knowledge is essential for every human being to be able to live with a purpose.
In fact, the Quran places great emphasis on the importance of acquiring knowledge, and in one verse, a rhetorical question is posed:
قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لا يَعْلَمُونَ
“Can they who know and they who do not know be deemed equal?” (Qoran 39:2)
hence exhorts believers to pray for advancement in knowledge with an implication that the Muslim should coherently keep on the knowledge path throughout the course of life. It is imperative to note that the prophet ﷺ lived a selfless and contented life free from materialism. He did not clamor for advancement in riches but rather, was always humbled to ask for advancement in knowledge and wisdom. This, thirdly, it therefore follows that, every living soul on the planet earth earns repute by virtue of education level. The society holds knowledgeable persons in high esteem. Interestingly, in the same vein, the Almighty mentions that he elevates those who are believers and those exalted in knowledge. Basing on this, Islam does not offer space for people to be exalted over others except by power of knowledge so that they can guide and influence events that guarantee wellbeing of society.
The almighty Allah ﷻ says:
يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ
“Egli eleva coloro che sono fedeli e coloro che sono benedetti con la conoscenza”
(Corano 58:11)
This divinely accepted favor, makes me recount a perfectly coinciding event around the decision of Allah ﷻ to create Adam and the whole spectrum of debate that ensued therein with His angels. I am convinced that when we envisage this story, there are great lessons that continually bind us to the virtue of education. In the first place, the angels, to them, it was an outright No! They opted freely to share knowledge of a sinful human yet to come [which indeed happens]. It is reported in the Quran that Allah ﷻ taught Adam all the names of everything, then He showed them to the angels and said:
أَنبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
"Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful." They (angels) said: "Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Verily, He is You, the All-Knower (al-Alim), the All-Wise (al-Hakim)." (Qoran 2:31)
قَالَ يَٰٓـَٔادَمُ أَنۢبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَآئِهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَنۢبَأَهُم بِأَسْمَآئِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ
Then He said; "O Adam! Inform them of their names," and when he had informed them of their names, He said: "Did I not tell you that I know the unseen in the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you have been hiding?" (Qoran 2:33)
Despite the challenges, in the end, man was able to overcome the test. In conclusion, we can understand that angels are intelligent beings, as they serve a being endowed with intellect. However, as human beings, we consider ourselves superior for the way we have been created, for free will, and for our ability to learn and discover deeper meanings in the things that surround us. Our different abilities and attitudes determine a variety of specializations in different disciplines. The possibility of acquiring skills through learning in our free time is extraordinary, an opportunity that angels do not possess as they lack the faculty to learn and do unprogrammed things. In short, Adam paved the way for this complexity, beyond the angels. For this reason and for the same noble cause, our way of life should be characterized by mutual love and complete support.
I must reiterate the argument that man enjoys free will and access to knowledge, which requires the learning of everything that is accessible. The only technicality lies in the intention and use of the acquired knowledge to please the Most High. The life of the Prophet Mohammed ﷺ was entirely dedicated to education; to be precise, he himself was educated and honored for having been instructed by the angel of Allah ﷻ, Jibril (عليه السلام).
The prophet was illiterate, and this is a miracle, because he did not sit in front of any teacher or in regular classes seeking promotion. The miracle was intended to challenge anyone who attributed his abilities to any other deity, rather than appreciating the extraordinary message of the Invisible. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ encouraged us to pursue knowledge and to avoid conjecture, to the extent that anyone who does anything small or great, without aspiring to his approval and direction, gains no reward. All this demonstrates the virtue of education.
In the history of Islamic civilization in the 7th century, the holistic approach to education plays a particularly important role. During this period, significant scientific advances were made, benefiting all of humanity. In particular, during the Umayyad Caliphate (661-750), there was an expansion in the field of science, allowing the sciences of the Hellenistic world to flourish in Syria and promoting the development of educational institutions in Alexandria and Beirut. Subsequently, the Abbasid Caliphate (750-c 1100) further contributed to the preservation of classical Islamic culture, leading to further progress in this area.
Among the most important figures, one of the most famous and respected is Muhammad Ibn Sina, known in Greek as Avicenna. He memorized the Quran at the age of 10 and was a practicing Muslim. Allah ﷻ blessed all his knowledge. He is the father of medicine, and one of his most famous books is "The Canon of Medicine." Of the 450 works believed to have been written by him, around 240 have survived, including 150 on philosophy and 40 on medicine.
For individual icons, one of own and a highly adorable and respected figure is Muhammad Ibn Sina, Greek name Avicena. He memorized the Quran at 10 years and was a practicing Muslim. Allah ﷻ blessed all his knowledge. He is the father of medicine and one of his famous books he wrote is the Canon of Medicine. Out of 450 works he is believed to have written, around 240 have survived, including 150 on philosophy and 40 on medicine. There is another great mathematician al-Khwārizmī who shined in the 9th century. He compiled astronomical tables, introduced Hindu numerals (which became Arabic numerals), formulated the oldest known trigonometric tables, and prepared a geographic encyclopaedia in cooperation with 69 other scholars. Early Muslim education not only emphasized the study of Quran and Hadith, they pioneered practical studies, such as the application of technological expertise to the development of irrigation systems, architectural innovations, textiles, iron and steel products, earthenware, and leather products; the manufacture of paper and gunpowder; the advancement of commerce; and the maintenance of a merchant marine.
Later on, in the 10th century madrasahs were established teaching both religious and physical sciences. The contribution of these institutions to the advancement of knowledge was vast. For instance, Muslim scholars calculated the angle of the ecliptic; measured the size of the Earth; calculated the precession of the equinoxes; explained, in the field of optics and physics, such phenomena as refraction of light, gravity, capillary attraction, and twilight; and developed observatories for the empirical study of heavenly bodies. They made advances in the uses of drugs, herbs, and foods for medication; established hospitals with a system of interns and externs; discovered causes of certain diseases and developed correct diagnoses of them; proposed new concepts of hygiene; made use of anesthetics in surgery with newly innovated surgical tools; and introduced the science of dissection in anatomy. They furthered the scientific breeding of horses and cattle; found new ways of grafting to produce new types of flowers and fruits; introduced new concepts of irrigation, fertilization, and soil cultivation; and improved upon the science of navigation. In the area of chemistry, Muslim scholarship led to the discovery of such substances as potash, alcohol, nitrate of silver, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and mercury chloride. It also developed to a high degree of perfection the arts of textiles, ceramics, and metallurgy.
It is interesting to note that during the 12th and 13th centuries, the majority of classical works adopted by Muslim scientists were translated from Arabic into Hebrew and Latin. Subsequently, it was precisely these translations that played a key role in determining the initial stages of the European intellectual awakening, precisely when Europe began seriously absorbing the fruits of centuries of creative productivity in the Islamic world.
It is interesting to note that during the 12th and 13th centuries, most of the works of Classical learning and the creative Muslim additions were translated from Arabic into Hebrew and Latin. Subsequently, therefore, it is these very translations that were instrumental in bringing about the early phases of the European Intellectual Awakening as Europe seriously began to absorb the fruits of Islam’s centuries of creative productivity. By and large, Islam is a complete way of life and the advances above, allude to this fact. However, there is need to ask ourselves these fundamental questions today; Are we treading the same line of ensuring that we educate wholly? Are the parents ensuring that they take their children to quality schools that offer both? Are the teachers dedicating their whole to ensure learners get quality learning that guarantees their wellbeing in future? Are the teachers in position to integrate their delivery so that learners appreciate the comprehensive nature of Islam? Are theology teachers able to embrace preaching with a contemporary approach that responds to societal dilemmas and thus appreciate the relevance of Islam? Do we consider all our individual specialties as Ibadah, and therefore utilize them sincerely for the progress of Islam and Allah’s pleasure?
Basing on the above insight, I wish to share some of the virtues of education that we can ponder upon, evaluate ourselves and see how we can cherish them.
Dr. Jannat