By JEHANGIR SHAH.
Keywords; Quranic philosophy of education, physical science & Quran, the
development of body, Islamic perspective of education
EDUCATION, ITS SIGNIFICANCE
& DIMENSIONS; ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
Islam has laid great stress upon education. “In order to
ascertain the extent to which Islam has encouraged education and learning it is
enough that the Holy Quran as revealed to our Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him)
begins with the word “Read” in the name of the lord”. The foremost thing that
was thus enjoined was “Reading”. The first revelation to the Holy Prophet
(Peace be upon him) was first five Ayats of “Surah” Al-Alaq”. “Read” in the
name of thy lord who create the man from a clot.
“Read”. And thy lord is the
most bounteous who teaches by the pen. Teaches man that which he knew not”.
In order to keep up difference between the learned and
the ignorant, it is said in Surah, “Az-Zumar”.
ABOUT IGNORATN &
LITERATE
“Are those who know equal with those who know not” “In another place in Surah Taha Allah
addressing the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) enjoins him to pray for
increases in knowledge.
THE BEST PRAY AMONG PRAYERS
And say: My lord! Increase me in knowledge. At another
place the Holy Quran says, Certainly, Allah Showed clemency to the faithful.
When he sent to them a prophet from among their own, who recites to them His
commandments, purifies them and teaches them the Book and wisdom, while, before
that they had been in manifest error.
- That the prophet is the teacher who teaches the book and wisdom and,
2. That
purifies the soul. This means that the aim of education is not only the reading
of books, but also to make man civilized
and cultured. Besides this in the Quran, at several places, learning and the
learned have been praised.
APPRECIATION FOR LEARNING
AND THE LEARNED
In the Holy Quran there is a story about Bani-Israil.
Exasperated with the tyranny of king Jaloot (Golianth). Who expelled them from
their country and arrested their wives and children. They approached their
prophet Samuel and requested him to appoint a king over them to fight Goliath
(Jaloot). The prophet Samuel informed them that Allah had appointed Taloot as
their king. They objected His appointment saying, “we are fitter than him for kingdom and he has
not been given enough wealth and as such how can he deserve to be made king
over us”? The prophet Samuel reply to them is thus described in the Quran.
Allah has chosen Talut above you, and hath gifted him abundantly with knowledge
and bodily prowess: God granteth him authority to whom he pleasant. God caret
for all, and he knew the all things. This shows that Islam gives importance to
the training of body as well as to the knowledge.
TRUE AND FULL UNDERSTANDING
OF ISLAM
Islam depends essentially on knowledge without God’s
commands can never be understood in their true sense. Surah Ankabut verse 43. “and
such are the parables we set forth for mankind.” As for those similitudes we
coin them for mankind but non will grasp their meaning save the wise” In this
Surah it is said, but only those understand
them who have knowledge. Surah
Ankabut Verse 49. But it is clear revelation in the heart of those who have
been given knowledge and none deny our revelation save wrongdoers. various dimensions of Education according
to Quran. Seest thou not that God
sends down rain from the sky? What is we then bring out produce of various
colours. And in the
mountains are tracts white and red of various shades of colour and black
intense in hue. And so amongst men and crawling creatures and cattle are they
are of various colours. Those truly exalted in Might, of forgiving.
From reference to the
context of these verses, it is clear that learned men (Ullama) means those who
are bestowed with the secret knowledge of the creation and signs of Allah.The
topic of these verses is physical science. So the physical science deal with universe
and it’s characteristics i.e. search of
those things which are being kept secret.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE & QURAN
In Surah Fatir we are told about various dimensions of
knowledge i.e. we know about rains from physical sciences and characteristics
and composition of matter from Chemistry similarly plants and fruits are
discussed in Botany, Archeology thrash out the details of earth and mountains.
Zoology plays an active role in determining various kinds of people and
animals.
At the end of the verse it
is declared that “A virtuous scholar is gifted with fear of Allah”.
Hazrat Allama Sanaullah
Panipathi has also explained this Ayat and tells, scholars are those who think
over the creation of God And also prove the qualities and functions of God.
VARIOUS BRANCHES OF LEARNING
“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the
alternation of the night and the day. In the sailing of the ships through the
ocean for the profit of the mankind. In the rain which God sends down from the
skies, and the life which He gives there with to an
earth that is dead, in the
beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth, in the change of the
winds and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the
earth, (Here) indeed are signs for the people
that are wise.” In these verses there are hints in respect of the various
branches of learning For example, the creation
of heaven hints at the study
of astronomy and investigations into space. The birth of the earth draws
attention to Geology, the change of day and night to physical geography, the
voyage by ships and the gains derived there from provides and incentive for
maritime knowledge for ship engineering and commerce, the rains and through
them the rejuvenation of the barren land gives inducement to agriculture, the
mention of
beasts, spread over the
earth, imply the study of Zoology in
short the Quran is never tired of advising man to use brain and exercise the
faculty of their mind.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF BODY
Physical education is also necessary for the
development of body. The prophet himself and his great companions have exhorted
Muslims to learn along with the knowledge of Quran and Sunnah, wrestling,
target shooting, horse-riding, swimming etc. the prophet (peace be upon him)
encouraged wrestling. He himself wrestled with a great Arab wrestler Rukana and
overthrew him in all the three rounds.
In the battle of Uhad a few underage boys
were enlisted on the ground that they were good wrestler.
THE TRADITION OF THE H.P
It was under the influence of the precepts of Islam and
the traditions of the holy prophet that the Muslims combined spiritual and
temporal education so as to make them the teachers of the world. They carried
the torch of learning and arts to distant
countries and helped to
revive the old classical learning, which had fallen in obscurity. The modern is
indebted to the Muslims for their great contribution to present day
civilization, because the improvement in art, science and industry is based
upon the discoveries made by the Arabs and the others Muslims.
They
made vast and critical study of ancient knowledge,
wrote exhaustive and copious notes on them, and made them available to the
succeeding generation of European Nation. The Muslims never disregarded the
spirit and demand of the changing times, on the other hand, while they produced
original works of high quality and permanent value, they were not hesitated to
irrigate and left flow the fountains of intellect which had been lying parched
dried since long.
sources
The Holy Quran
Foundation of education.by Dr Nouman.
Islamic system of education ( master of education).
