Education According to Islam

(Knowledge can be a poison or a cure, can construct or destroy, and give life or death!)

“Education, in the general point of view, is the activities that are related with the
founding and development of knowledge, skills, spiritual, and physical side of an
individual”

Islamic Education is one of the best systems of education, the reflective book of Holy
Quran is so rich in content and meaning that if the history of human thought continues forever,
this book is not likely to be read to its end. It has guidance and enriched messages to the
humanity

Al-Attas defines “education” as the progressive instilling of “the recognition and

acknowledgment of the proper place of things in the order of creation, such that it leads to the
recognition and acknowledgment of the proper place of God in the order of being and existence”
of mankind

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) encouraged all Muslims to acquire knowledge and
share it. He said:

"Acquire knowledge, for he who acquires it in the way of Allah performs an act of piety;
he who speaks of it, praises the Lord; he who seeks it, adores Allah; he who dispenses
instruction in it, bestows alms; and he who imparts it to others, performs an act of
devotion to Allah." (Bukhari, Muslim)

Education has been greatly emphasized in Islam. The first verse of the Qur’an to be
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) indicates the importance of education in Islam; the
verse started with the word “Iqr’a”, it is a command that means ‘read’ in Arabic, and that implies
the concepts of ‘learning’, ‘exploring’ and ‘seeking enlightenment'. This demonstrates that
reading (knowledge) is the way to approach the Creator of all that exists. Verse 96/1-5 states:

"Read! In the Name of your Lord who has created (all that exists). He has created
man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most
Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he
knew not. "

Hence, Muslims believe that Allah created humanity and commanded that they seek
knowledge in order to become stronger in their faith.

The history of the widespread of knowledge started at the times when the Greeks won
over the Persian. This was due to at that time, the Persians was a strong country and the
curiosity on how the Greeks won over the Persians.
 History
In Jahiliah time, the education is based on graduation classes that are the grade of
people in society. At that time, discrimination occurs throughout the age.

In Umayyad, the education there is restricted only to knowledge like oratory, poetry,
astronomy, kahana, augury.

In Abbasid, the caliphs have divided education into two parts which is a co-system of co-
education for both sex

• Elementary – mosque or people house to teach Quran and hadiths

• Secondary – deeper learning of al-Quran, which is fikh, tauhid, and tarannum

In the early days called the golden age of Islam, Muslim physicians are popular and have
created much progress and discoveries in the field of medicine

• The words 'Retina' and 'Cataract' derive from Arabic.

• Ibn al-Nafis described the minor circulation of blood in the 14th century.

• Al-Razi used alcohol as an antiseptic, and found a treatment for smallpox in the 10th
century.

• Ibn Sina diagnosed and treated meningitis in the 11th century, and his textbook of
medicine (Al-Qanun) was used as a standard reference in Europe for centuries after.

 In the holy Al-Quran stated that:

“Truly, fancy can be no avail against truth” (10:36)

This means that we as humans and caliphs on earth, has to search and seek the true
knowledge as only true knowledge can lead us to the correct path of Islam

 There is some knowledge that is beyond mind reasoning.

“Woe to the falsehood –mongers. Those who (flounder) heedless in a flood of

confusion” (51: 10-11)

All in all, there are things that we must believe without questioning as there are just
things human cannot understand and Allah has created them in that way for a reasons.
Educators sent by Allah to humanity as his holy messenger are equipped with (Nubuwwat)

• Law (al-Quran)

• Wisdom (hikmah)

• Authority (hukum)

• Knowledge (ilmu)

Precautions against deceptive knowledge

• when other speaks of evil words, no reasons to defile our tongue

• when we get a thought or suspicion, not based on certain knowledge, there is no proof,
do not give it currency

• when we sense fraud in a knowledge being spread, quickly refer back to Islam, as that
knowledge maybe a falsehood

• example are the

 “kerajaan syurga”

 “wahabi”

 “al-Arkam”

 “believe in hadiths only and rejected al-Quran”

In getting knowledge, al-Quran stated that:

“adakah sama orang-orang yang mengetahui dengan orang yang tidak. Sesungguhnya
org yg berakallah yang dapat menerima pelajaran” (az-Zumar [39]:9)

Ethics before learning

• Halal foods

 we have to consume food that is halal as it can help opens our heart
to the knowledge that we are learning
 • Reduce intake of foods and drinks

 eating and drinking more will result in less concentration, laziness,

tiredness and less alert

“kami tidak pernah makan dan minum sehingga kenyang kerana apabila kami
kenyang, pergerakan dan pemikiran kami akan terjejas” (Muslim)

• Less talking and sleeping

 as more sleeping will result in more time waste and people who
talks too much will cause “fitnah”, and when we listen more, we gain
more

• Remove self from the “heart” diseases

 wrong doings and useless things will result in losing the light of
knowledge in heart. The heart diseases are revengeful, envious
hatred, treachery and proud

• Pure intention

 knowledge from “Allah” is purely from a pure heart and desire.

When our intention is astray from the good, Allah will not give us the
grace of knowledge and forbidden us from the blessing of the
knowledge

Ethics when getting knowledge

 • Sincere in the name of Allah

o for the preparation of the afterworld

o if someone is learning the knowledge to become a higher class people,

or for selfish purposes, Rasullullah has give warning:

 "Barangsiapa yang menuntut ilmu yang pelajari hanya karena

Allah sedang ia tidak menuntutnya kecuali untuk mendapatkan
mata-benda dunia, ia tidak akan mendapatkan bau syurga pada
hari kiamat".(Ahmad, Abu Daud dan Ibnu Majah)

• Modest and sedate towards teacher

o appreciate and respect our teacher, always “tawadhu”

o Always be patience and never become rude towards them

o Doa:

 “Ya Allah, tutupkanlah diriku aib-aib guruku, janganlah hilangkan

berkah ilmu pengetahuan darinya”

• Jot down notes

o The wise men and fellow of Rasullullah said

 “Ikatlah ilmu pengetahuan dengan menulisnya”

• Never hides knowledge (selfish)

o Even a small amount of knowledge, never hide them

o Spreading knowledge is a propagation in the name of Allah

o Rasullullah said:

 “Sampaikanlah dariku walupun cuma satu ayat” (bukhari)

• Apply the knowledge

 o Apply all the knowledge that we have learnt

o If you don’t apply the knowledge u know, u are as good as a Jewish, and
you’ll be disrespect by Allah

Knowledge that brings positive value

 Strong determination to learn

 Find knowledge that can broaden your knowledge

 Knowledge that can help human to control the world

 “barang siapa menempuh perjalanan untuk menuntut ilmu, allah

akan memudahkan baginya jalan menuju syurga” (muslim)

Education under al-Quran

 E.g. worship and prayer, fear of Allah, obedience and respect, honorary, truthful
and justice, keeping promises

 All the above is the types of education that Islam teaches to its follower as all that
will help build the perfect characteristic of a muslim

 It teaches us the adab, the attitude and the ways we should act in any situation we
encounter on our daily basis

Prophet Muhammad even said that:

 “persuade knowledge though it be in China”

 “He who leave his house in search of knowledge walks in the paths of Allah”

 “he death not whoever takes to learning”

 “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave”

Thus, we as the descendents who follows the Islamic ways, we must be prepared and follow the
encouragements of Rasullullah to search and find knowledge throughout our life

Sentence of seeking Knowledge not for Allah

 Rasullullah said;

“Siapa yg menuntut ilmu yang seharusnya utk mencapai wajah Allah

tapi dia mempelajarinya untuk mendapatkan kepentingan dunia maka
dia tidak akan mencium bau syurga pada hari kiamat”.