Islamic Culture and Ideology of Pakistan

DATED: April 05, 2021

Submitted To

Sir Dr. Tariq Hussain

Submitted by

Sheikh Muhammad Umair

Student# S/2020-2504

B. Ed (1.5 Years)
Self-Support 2020-2022

Department of Secondary Education

Institute of Education & Research

UNIVERSITY OF THE PUNJAB, LAHORE

Importance of Education in Islam

In a society where religion and knowledge in general and science in particular do not go hand
in hand, it seems necessary to briefly describe the position of Islam concerning knowledge,
Islam, in theory as well as in practice, has always promoted knowledge. Distinctive mark of
human beings over the angels is knowledge:

"And Allah taught Adam all the names…” (2:31)

The first verses of the Quran began with the word. Education and obtaining Knowledge is
very important. That is why Islam attaches great importance toknowledge and education.

ِ ۡ َ‫﴾ َخلَق‬1﴿ َ‫ِي َخلَق‬

َ ًۡ ‫اۡل‬
َ ‫سبىَ ِه ۡي‬
﴾2:69﴿ ‫علَق‬ ۡ ِ‫ا ِۡق َز ۡا ب‬
ۡ ‫بس ِن َربِكَ الَّذ‬

َ ًۡ ‫اۡل‬
﴾2:69﴿‫سبىَ َهب لَ ۡن يَعۡ لَ ۡن‬ َ ﴾2:69﴿‫علَّ َن بِ ۡبلقَلَ ِن‬
ِ ۡ ‫علَّ َن‬ ۡ ‫﴾ الَّذ‬3﴿ ‫ا ِۡق َز ۡا َو َربُّكَ ۡاۡلَ ۡك َزم‬
َ ‫ِي‬

“Read. Read in the name of thy Lord who created; [He] created the human being from a
blood clot. Read in the name of thy Lord who taught by the pen: [He] taught the human
being what he did not know”

(Quran, 96: 1-5)

Education is the starting point of every human activity. Allah SWT created man and provided
him with the tools for acquiring knowledge, namely hearing, sight and wisdom. Allah says
(what means):

َ‫بر َو ْاْل َ ْفئِدَة َ لَعَلَّك ْن ت َ ْشكزوى‬

َ ‫ص‬َ ‫س ْو َع َو ْاْل َ ْب‬
َّ ‫ش ْيئًب َو َجعَ َل لَكن ال‬ ِ ‫َّللا أ َ ْخ َز َجك ْن ِه ْي بط‬
َ َ‫ىى أ َّه َهبتِك ْن َۡل ت َ ْعلَوىى‬ َّ ‫َو‬

"And Allah has brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you know nothing.
And He gave you hearing, sight, andhearts that you might give thanks (to Allah)

Because of the importance of knowledge, Allah commanded His Messenger to seek more of
it.Allah says (what means): "and say:

`My Lord! Increase me in knowledge’

The Prophet made seeking knowledge an obligation upon every Muslim, and he explained
that the superiority of the one who has knowledge over the one who merely worships is like
the superiority of the moon over every otherstars
He said that the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets and that the Prophets did not leave
behind any money, rather their inheritance was knowledge, so whoever acquires it has gained
a great share. Furthermore, the Prophet said that seeking knowledge is a way leading to
Paradise. He said:

"Whoever follows a path in the search of knowledge, Allah will make a path to Paradise
easy for him.

Other Fields of Knowledge in Islam

For example the Quran frequently asks us to observe the earth and the heavens. This instills
in man a desire to learn natural science as well. All the books of Hadith have a chapter on
knowledge. In Saheeh Al-Bukhaari there is a chapter entitled "The virtue of one who acquires
learning and teaching others."

Islam calls us to learn all kinds of beneficial knowledge. Branches of knowledge vary in
status, the highest of which is knowledge of Shari'ah (Islamic Law), then other fields of
knowledge, such as medicine, Math, Science etc. This is the knowledge (Shari'ah) with which
Allah honored His Messenger; He taught it to him so that he might teach it to mankind:

Indeed, Allah granted a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a
Messenger (Muhamed) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses, and
purifying them (from sins), and teaching them the Book (the Quran) and Al-Hikmah [the
wisdom and the Sunnah] while before that theyhad been in manifest error"

How great importance is attached to learning in Islam can be understood from an event in the
lifeof the Prophet .

At the battle of Badr in which the Prophet gained victory over his enemy, seventy people of
the enemy were taken prisoner. These prisoners of war were educated people. Benefit from
their education the Prophet declared that if one prisoner teaches ten Muslims how to read and
write, this will serve as his ransom and he will be set free. We can freely say that this was the
first school in the history of Islam established by the Prophet himself with all its teachers
being non-Muslims. Furthermore, they were all warprisoners.
Learning in Islam

On the one hand Islam places great emphasis on learning, on the other; all those factors
which are necessary to make progress in learning have been provided by Allah. Also we
should know that there is no goodness in knowledge which is not confirmed by actions or
words which are not confirmed by deeds, Allah the Almighty says

َ‫َّللاِ أَى ت َقىلىا َهب َۡل ت َ ْف َعلىى‬

َّ َ‫َيب أَيُّ َهب الَّذِييَ آ َهٌىا ِل َن ت َقىلىىَ َهب َۡل ت َ ْف َعلىىَ َكب َز َه ْقتًب ِعٌد‬

(That means): "O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful
it iswith Allah that you say that which you do not do"

Knowledge brings a great reward. The Prophet said:

"When a man dies, all his deeds come to an end except for three — an ongoing charity,
beneficial knowledge or a righteous son who will pray for him." (Muslim)

Allah says in the Quran

"Are those equal, those who know and thosewho do not know?"

He also says

"Allah grants wisdom to whom He pleases and to whom wisdom is granted indeed he
receives an overflowing benefit."

Allah will rise up, (in degrees), those of you who believe and who have been granted
Knowledge. The prophet says

He who acquires knowledge acquires a vast Portion and if anyone going on his way in
search of knowledge, Allah will, thereby make easy forhim the way to Paradise’

He used to call upon Allah to grant them the correct knowledge and understanding of this
Dean: Ibn 'Abbas (R) narrated, "Once the Prophet S embraced me and said,

'O Allah! Bestow on him the knowledge of the Book (Qur'an).

Imam Ali, (RA), says:

“Do not feel shyof learning what you do not know”

Conclusion

A person without knowledge is like someone walking along a track in complete darkness.
This shows that our greatest danger lies in our ignorance of Islamic teachings in the first
place and in our unawareness of what the Quran teaches and what guidance has been given
by theProphet .

The main purpose of acquiring knowledge is to bring us closer to our Creator. And One of the
purposes of acquiring knowledge is to gain the good of this world, not to destroy it through
wastage, arrogance So B&S; to seek knowledge is a sacred duty, it is obligatory on every
Muslim, male and female.

Every one of us, young or old, man or woman, should at least acquire sufficient knowledge to
enable ourselves to understand the essence of the teachings of the Quran and the purpose for
which it has been sent down. We should also be able to understand clearly the mission, which
our beloved Prophet (S) came into this world tofulfill.

Knowledge is identified in Islam as worship. The acquiring of knowledge is worship, reading

the Quran and pondering upon it is worship, travelling to gain knowledge is worship. Not
only should we seek knowledge, but when we learn it, it becomes obligatory on us to
practice it.