A Social, Cultural, Educational & Religious E-Forum
Under the Facilitation of the World Federation of KSI Muslim Communities
Issue No. 5-05, February 11, 2005/Muharram 1, 1426 AH

Contrary to the history of the west, where the age of religion is regarded as the ‘dark age’, Muslims have divided their history into the period of ‘Jahiliya’ (ignorance) and the period of Islam. This dichotomy itself shows the contrast between Islam and ignorance. They are the two opposite poles never coming together at a point in any condition. The criterion that marked the distinction between Islam and ‘Jahiliya’ is not merely a teaching of a few words or disciplines. The prime difference, indeed, lies at the level of world-view, human nature and way of life. Islam presented an exhaustive and extensive programme related to all the aspects of human life and covered all human needs, whether material or spiritual, individual or social, sacred or profane, cultural or economic and so on. The sum totals of these teachings constitute the programme of Islamic training. This training is the real anti-thesis of the concept of ‘Jahiliya’. The term ‘Jahiliya’ does not refer to an illiterate person, for such man there is another word ‘Jihala’. ‘Jahiliya’ is certainly coined for an untrained individual or community.

The basic purpose of education, from an Islamic point of view, pertains to a complete training of an individual on the lines of Islamic world-view i.e. to secure the best of this world and that of the hereafter. This education demands an over all development of all noble human faculties viz. physical, intellectual, spiritual etc. Indeed the purpose of education is to endow one with definite purpose of life.

Now, we come to the present, prevalent system of education. The kind of education that is being imparted in our schools, colleges and universities has become exclusively bread oriented. The purpose of modern western education, in present day world, is merely to win a good material and luxurious life. For the sake of securing a good life today one seems to be ready to unhesitatingly devastate the whole world. We should not be surprised by this state of affairs because the genesis of this system goes back to a period when the west had cut itself off from the life-giving source of spirituality and divine religion. There can be no doubt that all major problems of the contemporary world i.e. nuclear armament, ecological problems, uncontrolled use of natural resources etc. arise due to this defected, lop sided and lame system of education. Contemporary man has increased so much in worldly power, has so much extended his body through his control over countless machines, and yet his soul seems to be stagnant.

The true end of education is not the acquisition of information, important though it may be, or acquisition of technical skills, though they are very essential in modern society. One must have that superior outlook, that outlook which goes beyond information and technical skills. One should train oneself in such a manner that one is prepared to accept the truth. The Holy Qur’an says, “They have hearts but do not understand with them.” (7:179) Education should give us the capacity to look at things as they happen without any kind of inward disturbance and prejudice. It must be liberating and life giving. It must give a basic meaning to personality and existence.

Nowadays, the word education is considered to be a synonym of science and scientific education. Due to this imperfect meaning of education, there are people who say, “We searched the sky with a telescope but did not find God there”. “We dissected the human body and did not discover the soul”!! We must realize that the knowledge that we gain by the senses and by the intellect is not complete. The Holy Qur’an also lays great emphasis over the study of nature “Say: Look at what is in the heavens and the earth”. (10:101), or “Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day, there are signs for men of understanding”. (3:191) But, at the same time the Qur’an also makes it very clear that ‘Truth’ is not bound to be perceived by the senses. There may be other sources to discover the secrets of nature, to unravel the mysteries of this world.

Education, according to the Qur’an, is not only the transfer of knowledge. The Qur’anic concept of education constitutes a blend of knowledge and Tazkiya-e-Nafs (Purification of self). This has been regarded as one of the basic duties of Prophets: “He it is who raised among the illiterates an Apostle from among themselves, who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the book and the wisdom.” (62:2)

Another important purpose of education, from the point of view of Islam, is the search and discovery of Divine element into one’s own self. The presence of a divine element in human beings is affirmed by every religion. Buddha said, “Each one has the essentials of enlightenment.” Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” Indian scriptures say, “Deha or body is devalaya, or the dwelling of God.” The Qur’an also says, “Allah is nearer to you than your jugular vein.” But the presence of the divine is one thing, the consciousness of the presence of the divine is quite another. The presence, through education, should be transformed into consciousness of the presence. The great mystic poet Jalaluddin Rumi says, “I was a mineral; I was a plant; I was an animal; I am a human being and I want to rise from my human level to a spiritual level. That is the end which is ahead of me.”

By Raza Abbas

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