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Islamic Perspective of Education and Teachers
Ibrahim Mohammad Hamm
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
The Faculty of Educational Sciences, Amman 11942, Jordan
Abstract
Islam is one of the revealed religions in the
world, it has its own philosophy in educating people in different fields as
the means of building the kingdom of God (Allah) on earth.
The main aim of this research is to investigate
education in the viewpoint of Islam, how it educates people, the main
sources of Islamic education ( the Holy Quran and Sunah), the definition of
Islamic education, aims and objectives of Islamic education, the foundation
and development of Islamic scholarship, endeavour of Muslims, some methods
of teaching
adopted by the prophet Mohammad as an ideal and
first teacher for Muslims , and finally, the status of scholars and
teachers in Islam and their roles.
Introduction
Islam looks after humanity from a single person
to the whole of the community in a balanced mannerand gives each their
rights of welfare. Furthermore, Islam – from the Islamic perspective- takes
care ofthe individual person, and seeks to build an individual’s aqeeda
(creed) to strengthen the relationshipbetween him and his Creator and to
awake his religious conscience.
In addition, Islam endeavors to raise the
person’s soul and to direct him to virtue, good mannersand good social and
individual behaviours. From these individuals the righteous and
virtuouscommunity will be built:“ Indeed , there has come to you from Allah
a light and a plain book(this Quran). Wherewith
Allah guides all those who seek his Good
Pleasure to ways of peace, and He brings them out ofdarkness by His Will
unto light and guides them to a Straight Way (Islamic Monotheism).” ( The
HolyQuran, Chapter 5: 15-6, (Al-Ma’idah))
Similarly:
“ O mankind! There has come to you a good advice
from your Lord (i.e. the Quran, ordering allthat is good and forbidding all
that is evil), and a healing for that ( disease of ignorance, doubt.hypocrisy
and differences, etc.) in your breasts, - a guidance and a mercy
(explaining lawful andunlawful things, etc.) for the believers.” (The Holy
Quran, Chapter 10: 57. (Yunus))
Also:“ Verily, Allah enjoins Al-Adle ( i.e.
justice and worshipping none but Allah Alone –IslamicMonotheism) and
Al-ihsan ( i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah, totally
for Allah’ssake and in accordance with the sunnah ( legal ways) of the
prophet Mohammad in a perfect manner),and giving(help) kith and kin (i.e.
all what Allah has ordered you to give them e.g., wealth, visiting,looking
after them, or any other kind of help, etc.): and forbid Al-Fahsha (i.e.
all evil deeds, e.g. illegal
sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism,
to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life withoutright, etc.),
and Al-Munkar ( i.e. all that is prohibited by Islamic law: polytheism of
every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds etc.), and Al-Baghy (
i.e. all kind of oppression), He admonishes you, that you may take heed.)
(The Holy Quran, Chapter 16:90. (An-Nahl))
Moreover, Islam provides the community with the
best way to succeed and strengthen itself. It attempts to build the
community upon firm pillars and to organise the different relationships,
which exist within the society. Furthermore, Islam focuses upon protecting
the community from dissolution
and corruption, and seeks to maintain a high
level of morality:
“ Verily, those who like that ( the crime of )
illegal sexual intercourse should be propagated among those who believe,
they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah
knows and you know not.” (The Holy Quran, Chapter 24:19. (An-Nur)
Another verse: “ Allah has promised those among you
who you believe, and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant
them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to
those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise
their religion, that which He has chosen for them. And He will surely give
them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers)
worship Me and do not associate any thing (in worship) with Me. But whoever
disbelieved after this, they are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to
Allah). ( The Holy Quran, Chapter24:
55.(An-Nur)
Islam believes it is the natural course for
every person and it is very close to human’s instinct. “ So set your face
towards the religion of pure Islamic Monotheism Hanifan (worship none but Allah
Alone) Allah’s Fitrah, with which He has created mankind. No change let
there be in khalq-illah ( i.e. the religion of Allah) , that is the
straight religion, but most of men know not.” (The Holy Quran, Chapter 30:
30. ( Ar-Rum)
To believe in religion – according to Islam- is
the pillar of the heart contentment and the way of fulfilling spiritual
thirst and avoiding psychological anxiety, which affect people whom do not
follow the religion of Islam. Islam is the way of the continual Spiritual
peace according to Islamic Teaching: “ And whomsoever Allah wills to guide,
He opens His breast to Islam, and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He
makes His breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the
sky. Thus Allah puts the wrath on those who believe not.” (The Holy Quran,
Chapter 6: 125. ( Al-An’am)
Moreover Islam makes every effort to educate a
person and to build his personality in all aspects of life such as the
spiritual, emotional, and moral etc. Regarding educating people, Islam follows
many ways by which to educate people, Spiritual Education ; Emotional
Education; Mental Education.
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Spiritual Education Field:
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Islam tries to correct the aqeeda (creed) of
the person and to make him free from worshipping any God except Allah, to
invite him to think about Allah’s creation and the surrounding.
“ Glory be to Him, Who has created all the
pairs of that which the earth produces, as well as of their own (human)
kind (male and female), and of that which they know not And a sign for
them is the night, We withdraw therefrom the day, and behold, they are in
darkness* And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed).
That is the decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing* and the moon, We
have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old
dried curved date stalk* It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor
does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit” (The
Holy Quran, Capter 36: 36-40. ( Ya-Sin)
Furthermore, Islamic pillars such as (salat,
sawm, zakat,hajj) have a great effect on the muslim and his/her
attitudes, moreover the Quran mentions some of these benefits, such as
self-discipline and behaviors- adjustment. “ Verily, prayer prevents from
Al-fahsha(i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse
etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil
wicked deed etc.)” Chapter 29:45. ( Al-Ankabut))
And:
“ And My Mercy embraces all things. That
(Mercy) I shall ordain for those who are the Muttaqun and give Zakat; and
those who believe in Our Ayat(proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs and
revelations, etc.)” (The Holy Quran, Chapter 7:156. (Al-Araf )
Similarly regarding Hajj ( pilgrimage): “The
Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well known (lunar year) months. So
whosoever intends to perform Hajj, then he should not have sexual
relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during
the Hajj. And whatever you do, (be sure) Allah knows it. And take a
provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is AtTaqwa
(piety, righteousness, etc). So fear Me, O men
of understanding” (The Holy Quran, Chapter 2:
197. (Al-Baqarah)
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Emotional Education Field
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Islam accepts that there are many emotions in
a human being but Islam invites the person to resist the corrupt desire
and whims. “ No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but is inscribed
in the book of Decrees before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is
easy for Allah* In order that you may not be sad over matters that you
fail to get, nor rejoice because of that which has been given to you. And
Allah likes not prideful boasters.” (The Holy Quran, Chapter 57: 22-23. (
Al-Hadid)
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Mental Education Field
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According to Islam, Islam respects the mind
(Aql) and gives it the freedom of thinking and meditation in all fields.
Moreover, Islam challenges the human mind to think about universal phenomenon,
which require thinking and further study. “ We Will show them Our signs
in the universe, and in their ownselves, until it becomes manifest to
them that this (the Quran) is the truth.” (The Holy Quran, Chapter 41:53,
(Fussilat)
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What is the Islamic Education
I should first define the meaning of the tow
words (Islam and Education), “ The root of the word Islam in Arabic is Silm
which means (peace) and denotes peace with Allah and mankind. Islam is the
religion that asks for complete submission to Allah and obedience to His
orders. Thus ‘Islam’, by definition, means obedience to Allah, and implies
the unity of all human beings and the brotherhood of all races” (Alkhuli,
1987, p. 18). While the word education (Tarbiya). In Arabic it is derived
from the root raba yarbu (Al-Fayruz Abadi, 1952, p. 333) meaning to extend
or to grow or to increase.
Islamic Education as a concept is not easy to be
defined, because of that, we can find many definitions and researches to
define this concept. In addition to that, many conferences held in Islamic countries
failed to arrive to conjoint definition of the Islamic Education concept,
such as the First World Conference on Muslim Education held in Makkah
(Saudi Arabia) in 1977, and the conference on ‘ Toward the Construction of
a Contemporary Islamic Educational Theory’ held in Amman (Jordan) in July 1990.
(Please, see Yalcin, 1991, p 18-21).
In what following I will try to present some of
these definitions:
According to Abdullah, Islamic Education is “ a
purposeful process based on the principles of Islam, which aims at
educating human being socially, ethically, emotionally and physically in
order to achieve complete submission to Allah.
This process is performed or conducted by highly
qualified people to educate others using a specific content and appropriate
teaching methods” (Abdullah, 1994, p. 8)
Again, Abdullah in Malkawi defines Islamic
Education as “ an aggregate of interconnected principles and facts derived
from Allah’s Signs in the Holy Quran which are scattered in the human soul
as well as in the universe and which encompass all aspects of the educational
process which aim at directing human behaviour and then explaining it in
light of the moral values and principles of Islam.” (Malkawi, 1991, p. 173)
Similarly, Toum in Malkwi as well thinks that the Islamic Education “ is a closely
interlinked paradigm of conception, concept and educational principles
derived from the Holy Quran and Sunnah.” He adds “ it is the basis on which
the entire educational structure stands.” (Malkawi, 1991, p. 162)
Al-Attas (1979) thinks that the meaning of
education in its totality in the context of Islam is “ inherent in the
connotation of the terms Tarbiyyah, Ta’lim, and Ta’dib taken together.
What each of these terms conveys concerning man
and his society and environment in relation to God is related to others and
together they represent the scope of education in Islam, both formal and
informal.” (Al- Attas, 1979, p. 157). It worth to mention here that
according to Al-Taftazani’s information “ the early Arabs used the word
ta’dib (refinement, discipline), and they (the Arab) called a teacher or
educator my’addib( one who refines, or teach manners, one who disciplines).
The word tarbiya does nevertheless occur in the Quran in its verbal form in
two places: in Surat al-Isra where God says: ‘ Say, My Lord! Have mercy on
them both, even as they brought me up(rabba) as a child’ and in Surat al-Shura
where God says: ‘ He (pharaoh) said: Did we not bring thee up (rabba) as a
child among us .”
Al-Tafatazani, 1986, p.67)
Moreover, Al-Taftazani (1986) says that the
meaning of Islamic Education is “ the nurture of various gifts and
abilities of the individual so that he may attain his full stature both
psychologically and intellectually, as well as the development, by various
means, of the capabilities of society, with the similar aim of bringing
about a better form of progress and sounder social development in
accordance with the values of Islam.” ( Al-Taftazani, 1986, p. 67)
Langgulung defines Islamic Education, he says “
Education, in Islamic sense, is the realization or the actualization of
these Divine Qualities in man. Man’s instinct, as it were, is his drive to
exercise these potentialities as Allah has: “ I have fashioned him and have
breathed into him My spirit’.”
Moreover, he explains the meaning of (Divine
Qualities) “… these Divine Qualities, described in the Quran as the most
beautiful Names, refer to description of God such as: the Merciful
(al-Rahman), the Holy( al-Quddus), the Knower (al-Alim), etc.” (Langgulung,
1983, p. 22-23)
It is clear from previous definitions that the
educational Muslims consider Quran and Sunnah as mean sources of their
education. Briefly, the Quran is the main source of Islamic teaching that
Muslims should follow, and supreme guide to the Islamic faith. Quran is the
text which all Muslims believe was
revealed by Allah (The God) to the Prophet
Mohammad beginning in the year 610 A.D about fifteen centuries ago. It was
revealed in portion on certain occasion during the 23 years of the Prophet Mohammad’s
Islamic Mission.
The second source of Islamic teaching is the
Sunnah, which is the tradition established by the Prophet Mohammad. This
tradition includes the saying of the Prophet, his actions, and his silent approval
of the actions of others. Many of the Prophet’s saying were recorded by his
followers (Sahaba), and the various collection of these oral teaching are
known collectively as Hadith.
The major principles of Islam that Muslims take
as matters of faith are belief in the existence and perfection of Allah,
belief in angels, Revealed Books, prophets, and a life after death, and
belief in predestination—that is, in the absolute power of Allah to
determine the fate of each individual, whether that fate be good or evil.
Every Muslim is also expected to perform certain acts, called “the five
pillars of Islam.” These are: (1)
reciting the witness to faith by saying “ I testify that there is no god
but Allah and I testify that Mohammad is his slave and messenger.” (2)
praying five times a day, facing Makkah (in Saudi Arabia). (3) zakat: it is
an obligatory charity due on wealth, with certain conditions, and to be
distributed to the needy at specific time.(4) fasting (siyam) during the
entire month of Ramadan (according to the Islamic Calendar) from dawn to
sunset; and (5) the Hajj (pilgrimage),which means visiting the House of
Allah (Ka’bah) in Makkah in Saudi Arabia at a specific time at least once
during one’s life. (Please, see Zeno, 1996, p 159-196)
Islamic
Education should do more than give students a sound intellectual background
in their religion, Islam Education must also respond to and satisfy their
social, emotional, and spiritual needs.
This means that students must be given sound
values and a strong system of beliefs, and that they must be helped to be
effective individuals through their lives. Social relations are of great
importance o. Islam. Islam seeks not to only to build moral individuals but
a moral society. Thus, a well-designed
model of
Islamic Education Student Teachers will teach students how to enter into
proper relationships with others, and how to have positive attitude toward
social relations. Above all, it well teach them to practise what they have
learned in their daily lives, and to use the principles of Islam to solve
practical day-to-day problems. Aims and Objective of Islamic Education Taba
(1962) emphasizes that any curriculum should contain general aims. Smith,
et al, 1957 believe that that the curriculum’s purpose is “ disciplining
children”. Hirts and Peters declare that the absence of clear objectives
makes any talk about curriculum planning a “logical nonsense”. It is
observed that these educators, as well as others, use different terms, such
as aims, goals, objectives and purposes to designate the educational
outcomes. The same applies to the Muslim educators who use Arabic terminology.
As mentioned before, that Muslims scholars
consider the Quran and Sunnah as main sources for Islamic Education. In
what is following I will try to summarise these aims and objectives:
Al-Taftazani ( 1986) shows the aims of Islamic
Education as the following: The building of a psychologically balanced
person by bringing into harmony the principles he has inherited and the
thought system of the present age; The provision
of an Islamic upbringing based on a methodology that relates the subjects
studied to Islamic principles, which are general human principles, by the
use of effective books produced for that purpose; The accustoming of people
to keep religious observance and observe the regulations of the Shariah
(Islamic rules) in all their actions; The relating of knowledge to work (or
action ), since they are mutually dependent, and neither can dispense with
the other. The aim of knowledge should be benefit of society and it should
be made available as widely as possible; The development of the talents of
the teacher and his ability to acquire knowledge and, by his mental ability,
to establish faith strongly in his heart; Respect for human dignity.
(Al-Taftazani, 1986, p. 73-75)
Bidmos (1984) indicates that the central aim of
Islamic Education is:” recognition of Allah as the source of all values.”
After that, he itemises some aims of Islamic Education: To recognise the existence
and unity of God (Allah); To recognise the power o Allah to create and
provide sustenance for His creatures; To create Allah-consciousness in man;
To create a sense of profound gratitude to Allah with reverence, adoration
and worship; To develop skills, which are capable of utilising everything,
created by Allah for the benefit of man; To maintain friendly relationship
with other creatures of Allah and to show kindness to other sentient
beings. ( Bidmos, 1984, p. 53)
Again, Bidmos (1983) says in another place that
“ Islamic Education aims at the balanced growth of total personality of
man’s spirit, his intellect, feeling and physical being for overall
objective of training perfection. Adam, the very first man was chosen as
Allah’s vice-regent on the earth; his qualification was education.” (
Bidmos, 1983, p. 61)-(please see the story of Adam in the Quran: He it is
Who created for you all that is in the earth, and He directed Himself to
the heaven, so He made them complete seven heavens, and He knows all
things. And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the
earth a khalif, they said: What! wilt Thou place in it such as shall make
mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy
holiness? He said: Surely I know what you do not know. And He taught Adam
all the names, then presented them to the angels; then He said: Tell me the
names of those if you are right. They said: Glory be to Thee! we have
no knowledge but that which Thou hast taught us;
surely Thou art the Knowing, the Wise. He said: O Adam! inform them of
their names. Then when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not
say to you that I surely know what is ghaib (Unknown) in the heavens and
the earth and (that) I know what you manifest and what you hide? And when
We said to the angels: Make obeisance to Adam they did obeisance, but Iblis
(Satan) (did it not). He refused and he was proud, and he was one of the
unbelievers. And We said: O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the garden and
eat from it a plenteous (food) wherever you wish and do not approach this
tree, for then you will be of the unjust.
But the Shaitan (Satan) made them both fall from
it, and caused them to depart from that (state) in which they were; and We
said: Get forth, some of you being the enemies of others, and there is for
you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time. Then Adam received
(some) words from his Lord, so He turned to him mercifully; surely He is
Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful. We said: Go forth from this (state)
all; so surely there will come to you a guidance from Me, then whoever
follows My guidance, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.
And (as to) those who disbelieve in and reject My communications, they are
the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide” ( The Holy Quran, Chapter
2: 29-39. ( al-Baqarah )
Abdullahn (1986) divides the educational aims in
Islam into three components, namely body, ruh(soul) and mind. In addition
to that, he adds that The educational aims in Islam should be designed in
such a way that each of three components is cared for. Failure to do
results in producing a person who is not qualified for the khilafah. Just
as the removal of one side of the triangle will result in the triangle
ceasing to exist as a triangle, according to Shaybani in Abdullah (1986) ,
the very same thing happens when educational aims neglect any of the man’s
constituents That means that there are three
aims physical aims, spiritual aims and mental
aims, that which the Muslims call in consequence ahdaf jismiyyah, ahdaf
ruhiyyah and ahdaf aqliyyah.(Abdullah,1986, p.121-123)
The above are the aims and objectives of Islamic
Education as stated in Quran and Hadith. It will no be difficult, of
course, to see the relevance of those aim and objectives to the aims and
objectives of Arab countries Islamic Education
Curriculum; as in Jordan for example the following are the maim aims and
objectives of Islamic Education Curriculum: The Quran and the Sunnah are
the major resources for all topics that are included in the curriculum;
Experiences offered by the curriculum must be comprehensive and
complementary. They must include the cognitive, social, physical and
affective experiences. These would offer students full and balanced growth;
The Islamic Studies curriculum should complement other curricula in
general, and the arts curriculum in particular, specially from grade one to
four; Emphasising the central foundation of Islam, Aqidah and Shariah and take
into consideration their nature when presenting their topics; The
personality of the Prophet Mohammad ( peace be upon him) must be an example
that students pursuit in their lives; Presenting some bright images and
examples of the life of the companions, the generations who came after the companions,
scientists and leaders. The aim is to give students good examples about the
influence of
Islam on persons’ soul and help them to build
their personalities; Adopting the effective methods in presenting the
textbook’s topics, so they can stimulate students’ thinking and motivate
them for selflearning; Using teaching aids and making them the centrel of
the learning activities such as: using the recorder, religious movies, maps
etc; Integrating the branches of the Islamic Education curriculum. For example,
Prayer (Salat) could be presented in the light of the Quran, Hadith, Sira
and so on; Adopting the spiral model in building the curriculum and in the
presenting its topics so that start simple and get deeper and broader
through the stages; Consideration must be made to organise three
relationships in a student’s life; his relationship with God, himself and
the people; Selecting Islamic learning experiences that help students to be
responsible, conscientious, good citizens with Islamic manners. ( The
Ministry of Education, 1991)
Both, curriculum and principle alone can not by
themselves fulfill the needs of education sciences nor can they fulfill the
aims of the society without teachers. There is certainly the need for teachers
to fervid as strong implementers of all education plans.
Perhaps Islam precedes other civilization in the
matter of increase and education of teachers. Islam has honoured the
teacher and placed him/her on a high pedestal as will be shown in this
research.
The Foundation and Development of Islamic
Scholarship Before Islam, the Arabs were a people possessing neither organized
scholarship nor documented disciplines. They neither possessed a Book. When
God raised Mohammad as the Messenger and prophet (610 C.E), the first
verses revealed in the Quran were: "Read in the name of your Lord who
created...” (The Holy Quran, Chapter 96:1-2. (AlAalaq)
These verses were the first scholarly verses,
and the Quran was the first Book amongst the Muslim Community from which
emerged other sciences. Moreover, Saeed (2012) indicates that in the Quran
there are 756 verses emphasize in thinking of natural phenomenon, for
example: “It is He Who sends down water from the sky from which We bring
forth growth of every kind, and from that We bring forth the green shoots
and from them We bring forth close-packed seeds, and from the spathes of
the date palm date clusters hanging down, and gardens of grapes and olives
and pomegranates, both similar and dissimilar. Look at their fruits as they
bear fruit and ripen. There are Signs in that for people who have iman
(Faith).” (Holy Quran, Chapter 6: 99. (Al-An’am)
Similarly: “Have they not looked at the sky
above them: how We structured it and made it beautiful and how there are no
fissures in it? And the earth: how We stretched it out and cast firmly
embedded mountains onto it and caused luxuriant plants of every kind to
grow in it, an instruction and a reminder
for every penitent human being.” (Holy Quran,
Chapter 50: 6-8 (Qaaf)
Holy Quran called Muslims to gain knowledge in
different ways such as practical methods or discussion. For example: “When
Ibrahim said, „My Lord, show me how You bring the dead to life.‟ He asked,
„Do you not then have iman?‟ He replied, „Indeed I do! But so that my heart
may be at peace.‟ He said, „Take four birds and train them to yourself.
Then put a part of them on each mountain and call to them; they will come
rushing to you. Know that Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.” (Holy Quran,
Chapter 2: 260 (Al- Baqarah)
Also: “Do you not see that Allah sends down
water from the skyand threads it through the earth to emerge as springs and
then by it brings forth crops of varying colours, which then wither and you
see them turning yellow and then He makes them into broken stubble? There
is a reminder in that for people of intelligence” (Holy Quran, Chapter
39:21 ( az-zumar).
Islamic scholarship developed through three
stages:
The Evolution Stage (610-961 C.E) This started
with the revelation of the Quran, which calls (people) to intellectual
reflection and understanding. It also encourages contemplation about
phenomena and insight into the creation of the heavens and earth. Soon
after the end of the Qur'anic revelation (610-632 A.D), the religious
sciences was established. This was in the areas of Qur'anic exegesis, Qur'anic
recitation, Compilation of Prophetic Traditions and the Sayings of The
Companions. The science of jurisprudence was evolved
for the interpretation of Islamic laws.
As a result of the expansion of the Islamic Empire,
the sciences of the study of Prophetic History, the Expeditions and General
Islamic history also evolved. Also, as a result of the entrance of a large
number of non-Arabs into Islam, the sciences of Arabic language such as
grammar, etymology, compilation of vocabularies and alien words,
compilation of dictionaries and Arabic poetry emerged.
The Flourishing Stage
This period witnessed a great expansion in the
earlier sciences and scholars emerged in all spheres of Islamic knowledge
such as The Traditions, Exegesis and History; e.g. al-Tabari al-Dhahbiyy,
Ibn Hajr. In this period books of applied sciences also emerged, such as
"al-Shamil fi al-Sana'ah al-Tbiyyah ( in a medicine) " by Ibn
al-Nafis in the area of medical and pharmaceutical sciences and
"al-Hawiy fi al- Tib(Container in Medicine)" by the Muslim
physician Mohammad ibn Zakariya al-Radhi. The book "al-Hawiy fi
al-Tib" was translated into numerous Latin languages since the year
1486 and it was studied in European universities. There are two manuscripts
of the Book by Ibn Nafis in the library at Cambridge and another one in the
library in Oxford.(See Khalil. 1991, p.87-100)
A lot of scholars have written about the
different branches of Islamic knowledge and its influence upon European civilization.
An example is the book on the Civilisation of the Arabs by the
French scholar Joseph Lobon in which he
mentioned the advancement of Muslims in numerous sciences such as
Mathematics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, Medicine and Engineering. There
is also the book on Knowledge of the Arabs and its influence on the spread
of world knowledge by the Italian Professor Aldomil, which is a
comprehensive work on Islamic Arabic knowledge from the 8th century to the
13th century.(AbdelSattar, 1993, p.18-21)
The Weakening and Diminishing stage(1640-now)
The Islamic Community was confronted by
successive afflictions during this period. This included the splitting of
the single Islamic Empire into many warring nations. The Crusaders’ attack
on the Islamic community and their defeat of many of the nations, the
Tartar’s occupation of Baghdad after dumping thousands of educational books
in the River Tigris and using them as a bridge across it. The cumulative effect
was to weaken the Islamic community and to senility that inverted the
Islamic community, making it stagnant and intellectually dead.
(AbdelSattar, 1993, p. 22-23)
Endeavour of Muslims
The first indicator of State attempt to educate
Muslims was after the battle of Badr, when the Prophet Mohammad requested
each of the Prisoners of War to teach ten Muslims how to write as ransom for
their own release. This resulted in the education of a large number of
Muslims. (Ibn Sa’ad part2, p.22)
The sources also indicate that there were a
large number of scholars in Medina teaching people on the orders of the
Prophet. Ubadah ibn Samit was one of the teachers. (Abu Dauwud). The
Prophet also delegated Abdullah ibn Sa'id to teach people how to write and entrusted
Abu Tha'alabah to Abu Ubaydah to teach him the Quran. The Prophet said to
him "I have entrusted you to a man who will perfect your education and
your etiquette." (Musa, 1988, p.144-145).
The endeavour of the State to educate the men
also extended to women. The Prophet Mohammad himself used to teach women.
The women expressed their desire for knowledge by saying to the Prophet
"We overwhelm you in addition to the men, so assign a day for us, and
he promised them a day in which he addressed and admonished them."
(Al-Bukhari)
Al-Baladhri mentions the names of many women who
excelled in reading and writing. al-Shifa' bint Abdullah excelled in
reading and the Prophet ordered her to teach the women of Medina. He also mentioned
Asma' bint Uqbah, A'isha bint Sa'd and others.( Al-Baladhri, p.661)
The State aimed that knowledge and education
should be one of the important objectives of the Muslim Community. The
Prophet thus requested everyone who could teach to fulfil this important
aim by teaching others. And he warned against anyone hesitating from imparting
knowledge by saying that: "We are not interested in a people who do
not teach their neighbours or seek understanding" (Al- Haythamy,
p.164)
The State was even concerned with the education
of people outside the capital. The Prophet Mohammad used to send
educational emissaries to the different tribes to teach them Islam (Ibn Hisham,
p.169-171)
Since the beginning of Islam till now(in some
countries)learning has taken place in many locations in the mosque. There
were big sessions for writing instructions and for readers. Al-Suffah
was a school for Qur’anic
memorisation.(Musa,1988, p.149)
The Quran also extolled knowledge and
scholarship. There are many verses on the excellence of knowledge. “ He
Knoweth what Before or After or Behind them..” (Holy Quran, Chapter 2: 255.
( Al-Baqarah).
Similarly:
Say: It ( this Quran ) has been sent down by him
( ALLAH ) Who knows the secret of the heavens and the earth. Truly, He is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Holy Quran , Chapter 25: 6. ( Furqan)
Also: “ And if you speak aloud, then verily, He
knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden.” (Holy Quran, Chapter
20:7. ( Taha)
And: “The Most Beneficent(ALLAH)* Has taught (
you man kind) the Quran( by His Mercy)* He created man* He taught him
eloquent speech.” (Holy Quran , Chapter 55: 1-4. ( Al-Rahman)
God created Adam with His hands and breathed
from His spirit into him and the Angels bowed for him. God demonstrated the
honor and elevation of Adam through the medium of knowledge by saying: “And
He taught Adam all the names( of every thing ) then He showed them to the
angels and said: 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. It is You, the All-Knower, the All-Wise.” (Holy
Quran , Chapter 2: 31-33.( Al-Baqarah)
Scholarship is an aspect of worship in Islam.
The Messenger of God (Mohammad) refers to this in his saying that:
"The best of you is he who learns the Quran and then teaches it.
" (AlBukhari)
There are other numerous Traditions on the
importance of seeking knowledge. Examples of these are:
The Prophet said: "Whoever opens a path
through which knowledge is acquired, God will make his path to Paradise
easy." (Al-Tarmathee) This means that Islam makes knowledge a means to
paradise. Islam also categorizes knowledge as an endeavour in the path of
God. "Anyone who goes out seeking for knowledge is on the path of God
until he returns. " (Al-Haythami). Islam also attributes to the
teacher, the same reward that is attributed to the learner who puts his
knowledge into practice. The Messenger of God (Mohammad) said: "He who
teaches knowledge will have the same reward as he who puts the knowledge
into practice without any reduction in the reward of the one who practices
it." (Al-Bukhari)
One important point is that the reward of the
teacher does not end even after his death, because the Messenger of God
(Mohammad) has said that: "When a person dies all his deeds end except
three: a continuing charity, beneficial knowledge, and a child who
continues to pray for him." (Muslim)
The most important Tradition worthy of mention
is the statement of the Messenger of God (Mohammad) that: "Whoever
treads a path seeking knowledge, God will make it a path to Paradise for him,
and that the Angels spread their wings down for the seeker of knowledge
pleased with his endeavour. Everything in the heavens and earth including
the fishes in the sea seek God’s forgiveness for the Scholar; the level of
the scholar above that of the (ordinary) worshipper is like that of the
moon above the stars. Certainly the scholars are the heirs to the Prophets.
Prophets are not inherited of Dirhams or Dinars, they are only inherited of
knowledge; anyone who inherits it inherits a bounteous share." (Ibn
Hanbal)
The Prophet also said: "Seeking knowledge
is obligatory upon every Muslim.” (Al-Haythami) In addition, there are also
a lot of Qur’anic verses that speak about seeking knowledge: “ It is He who
has sent down to you (Mohammad) the Book ( this Quran).In it are Verses
that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book and others
not thieves…but none knows its hidden meaning save Allah. And those who are
firmly grounded in knowledge say: We believe in it; the whole of it are from
our lord. And none receive admonition except men of understanding” (Holy Quran,
Chapter 3: 7. ( Al-Imran)
Also: “ Is one who is obedient to Allah,
prostrating himself or standing( in prayer) during the hours of the night,
fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his lord Say: “Are those
who know equal to those who know not?” It is only men of understanding who
will remember.” (Holy Quran , Chapter 39: 9. Az-Zumar)
The Status of Scholars in Islam Scholars are
allocated a very high status in Islam. This is emphasised by the Quran and
Hadith. Scholars also enjoy a respectable position similar to that of the
Caliphs and Kings. They earned the respect of people through their
important role in life. (Ibn Kathir). The honour of knowledge and that of
scholars is not limited to only those mentioned above. God Himself elevates
those endowed with knowledge to high pedestals.
The history of Islamic education is full of
records which throw light on the prestige and honour in which learned
scholars were held. It is said of many scholars that when they passed
through the street men stood in rows to salute them and kiss their hands.
Men would often dismount to stand and walk in walk in front of the great
teachers out of respect. Saqib in (Sarwar,1996:31) mentions that “
Teachers who acted as tutors to the sons of the
khulafa and the ruling classeswere held in high esteem and rewarded
handsomely by the families as well as the students when they, in turn, came
to power.
Most Khulafa and nobility, when appointing a
tutor for their sons, gave a specific instructions as to main qualities
expected of both of them.” A typical set of instructions is reproduced
here: “ I will reward you, sir, as well as I can for the task which I have
chosen you. Receive him (my son) with a frown and a smile. Teach him to sit
with gravity and to stand erect. Do not bore him with long lessons but do
not grant him too much leisure should he ask for it. Accustom him to
perform his religious duties and teach him to perform the ablutions thoroughly.
Teach him the book of Allah for it is the strong rope and do not let him
forget it for that is a dead loss ..” (Sarwar, 1996, p.30-31)
The Position of the Teacher in Islam Islam has
classified learning as one of most important matters. And it was made clear
earlier that, God, The Most High, links knowledge to himself in many of the
Qur’anic verses. Similarly, God has classified education and learning as
part of the fundamental duties of the Prophets by saying that:
“ our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of
their own, who shall recite unto them in the book( this Quran) and
Al-Hikma( \full knowledge of Islamic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom or
prophethood, etc.), and sanctify them Verily!
You are the All-mighty, the All-Wise” (Holy Quran , Chapter 2: 129.
(Al-Baqarah)
In addition to this is the fact that the Prophet
himself was a teacher. The Prophet had stated that: "I was sent as a
teacher.” (Muslim) It was reported that the Prophet entered the mosque and
found two groups sitting. One of the groups was involved in the remembrance
of God while the other was involved in learning, and the Prophet said: Both
of the groups are involved in righteousness, but one of them is more
beloved to me than the other. This group is involved in the remembrance of
God and seeking from Him. If He (God) wills, He may give them and if He
wills he may deny them. But the other group is involved in the learning
about the religion and also teaching the ignorant, I have been sent as a
teacher; and he sat with those of learning.
Due to the importance that Islam attributes to
teachers, Muslim thinkers honour them in a manner similar to rulers and
kings because they consider that; "There are two categories of people
who if sound, makes all mankind sound and if corrupted makes all mankind
corrupt, they are teachers and
rulers". Anyone who busies himself with
learning, has in their view, followed a great path.
The importance ascribed to teachers is also
reflected in the advice of Imam al-Shafi'i that "it is undesirable
that anyone should live in a town in which there is no scholar or
doctor”(Ibrahim,1986, p.393).
The doctor is for physical health while the scholar
is for intellectual health. Some of Educational Methods Adopted by the
Prophet (S.A.W) for his Community In the study of the Prophet's stand about
knowledge and his encouragement about the seeking and spreading of it, we
realise that he followed numerous methods in the education of his
community.
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1.
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He used to combine the method of addressing
and the method of questions and answers. Sometimes he delivers his
lessons directly without questions and sometimes a person or persons
would ask him about something and he will provide answers to them.
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2.
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The Prophet used to accompany knowledge with
action. He used to supplicate that: "O God, I seek your refuge from
non-beneficial knowledge and from a non-fearing heart..." (AlTarmathee)
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3.
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The Prophet was simple in teaching. He did not
burden his companions with study and he used to select suitable times for
lessons. One of his companions named Abdullah ibn Mas'ud stated that the
Prophet used to shorten specific periods for their studies and he used not
to consume the whole periods for fear of tiredness and irritation. The
Prophet used to say: "Make things easy and don’t make things
difficult, give glad tidings and don't frighten. " (Al-Bukhari)
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4.
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The Prophet obligates both the teacher and the
learner to uphold the etiquette that makes scholarship achieve its aim.
For example, sincerity, honesty, friendliness, etc.
The Role and Responsibility of the Teacher in
Islam The early Islamic scholars ascribed certain important responsibilities
to the Muslim teacher. Al- Ghazali (1058-1111 C.E) mentions some duties
of the teacher in his book Ihya' Ulum al-Din(the Revivification of the
Science of Religion,1981), which may be summarised as follows: Compassion
to learners and to treat them like his children; Not to seek gains from
teaching; To proceed with some advice for the students; To impart good
manners of reference to the students as much as possible; Not to attack
other disciplines that he is not teaching; To resolve individual differences
of the students; To practice what he teaches and to be an exemplar.
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ibn Jama'ah (d:733H,1333C.E) also states the
duties of the teacher some of which may be mentioned as follows:
Inculcating sincerity into the students; Awakening the desire of students
for knowledge; Gradation of instructions; Explanation in accordance with
the limit of the student, Teaching students methods of revision and
scholarly attainment; To be cautious not to attack other disciplines;
Equality and fairness between students; To enquire and ask about the
conditions and pursuits of the student. (Ibn Jama'ah, p. 63-67)
In his book on the Manners of Teachers. Mohammad
ibn Suhnun (d: 256H,870C.E) emphasises the important duties and attributes
of the Muslim teacher: sincerity at work, fairness, and consideration for
teaching methods. As for Abu Hasan Al-Qabusiy he claims the attributes of
the Muslim teacher to include: benevolence, unblemished record, gradation
of lessons, assurance of subjects, fairness, sincerity and
ability.(Shabanah, 1987, p. 23-24)
Conclusion: The foregoing analysis is a
summarized explanation of what Islam envisages of the Islamic Education and
teacher from the perspective of Islamic Education as established from the
Holy Quran and the Prophetic Traditions.
The researcher thus invites Western scholars in
education to under take research in Islamic Education theories to discover
the level of importance, which Islam attaches to educational science for the
realisations of the sound individual and sound society.
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