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| Conflict of Modern Thought
and Islam: A case of Muslim youth
education Farhat Naz Rahman The world is moving at a quick pace, and
thought is keeping up with this speed. It is inevitable that new ideas
arise every day in the fields of philosophy, the social sciences and other
branches of knowledge. It is equally imperative that new terms should be
developed to denote the new discoveries in philosophy, the sciences,
economics and other branches of learning. If we fail to come forth with
new terms, our thought will be circumscribed and our literature will be
weakened. Islam in early days was one community; but
it is not so today. It has spread far and wide and is adherents are found
almost in all continents. They stretch across Africa, Asia, Europe and
America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from Central Asia to Central
Africa. Today the Islamic world is faced with several problems. One of
them being education, which is most vital for the well being of all
nations. Now we have to see in the light of Islamic teachings what are the
essentials of religion and how far the Islamic peoples are adopting or
deviating from them and what are the ways of reforming them. Education, as you know, is a sacred
mission. It is a link between the individual and the society and between
man and God. It is the ornament of intellect and food for the soul. It is
an art of making a man sublime and bringing out all that is best in him to
fulfill the purpose of creation. He who adopts that art is practicing the
noblest profession and should be given the highest place in society. It is
the highest expression of human knowledge translated into action. It is
the fountainhead of all human endeavour from which emanates all Arts,
Sciences, Philosophy and discoveries in the material and spiritual
spheres. In short, it begins with the study of self, leads to control of
forces of nature and ends in illumination and awakening of the soul and
beatific vision. This whole argument can be summed up by the beautiful
sufistic expression: - “He who knows his mind, verily he knows his
Creator.” Islam not only introduced among the Arabs
the elements of education in which they had been till deficient, but also
raised them to a very high level of civilization. The Holy Qur’an it
self bears testimony to the supreme value of learning and science. The
Arabs as a people made no use of reading and writing except in rare cases.
The very first revelation which the Holy
Prophet (pbuh) received from the Almighty Allah was a command to read. The
significance of this order is made clear in the next verse but one of this
very Chapter where the order to read is repeated with the addition of the
words that thy Lord is most Generous, showing that it is through reading
and writing that man can attain to a position of glory. The superiority of knowledge; Allah will
raise up those who have knowledge' (Sűrah 58 Ayah 11). The
Prophet said, "Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases.
(The first is) A person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it
righteously; (the second is) the one whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy
Qur'an) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others." (Fateh-al-Bari
page 177 Vol. 1) Kathir
ibn Qays said: ‘I was sitting with Abud Darda' in the mosque of
Damascus. A man came to him
and said: Abu Darda, I have come to you from the town of the Apostle of
Allah (peace be upon him) for a tradition that I have heard you relate
from the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him). I have come for no other
purpose. He said: I heard the
Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) say: If anyone travels on a road in
search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of
Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with
one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and
the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The
superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon,
on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are
the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham,
leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.’ “Acquire knowledge, because he who acquires it in the way of Lord performs an act of piety; who speaks of it praises the Lord; who seeks it, adores God; who dispenses instruction in it, bestow alms and who imparts it to its fitting object performs an act of devotion to God. Knowledge enables it possessor to distinguish what is forbidden from what is not, it lights the way to Heaven, it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude; our companion when bereft of friends; it serves as an armour against our enemies. With knowledge the servant of God rises to the heights of goodness, associates with sovereigns in this world and attains to the perfection of happiness in the next.” The
supreme need of education today is for a unifying purpose and idea. It has
become necessary to re-orientate our educational policy according to our
present needs. It is not enough to study Islam in its theoretical aspect
alone, we must also consider its actual influence on life of tits
adherents, and this can be satisfactorily done only when we make a
complete survey of Islamic culture and history in its entire sphere. As
Muslim history is usually Mediaeval in spirit, failing to throw light on
the problems of modern times, the youth turn from it to a study of Western
Civilization. Only when there are studies as profound as Dr. George
Sarton’s “Introduction to the History of Science” can the youth be
expected to solve the problem of blending ancient culture with the demands
of modern thought. The
best way to interest the youth in Islamic education is to confront them
with the present-day problems of their own countries, so that they will be
obliged to seek a clear understanding by studying themselves.
Unfortunately our literature is weak in the following ways: a)
It is too often an appeal to the emotion and vanity, rather than to
accurate research and balance of judgment. Even the textbooks have this
failing. b)
It is superficial, listing great names instead of trying to
determine in an exact and detailed manner specific cultural contributions. c)
It emphasize on dynastic history, outstanding caliphs, generals and
theologians d)
The subject matter is composed into a bare outline of dates, events
and names. e)
Any new interpretation to adjust Islam to modern conditions is
heretical, and the door of “ijtehad”
or independent investigation is closed. Freedom
of thought, expression and distribution, without danger of injury are
necessary, if Islamic education is to be made to appeal to the youth.
Independence of judgment as practiced by the early scholars and doctors of
Islam should not be considered taboo. Islamic
education in the true sense is greatly lacking in Muslim countries. Every
Muslim reads the Qur’an but very rarely any of them understands anything
of it. The book of Allah only regarded as providing charms and amulets and
is read only for its mysterious virtues. Anyone trying to improve the
situation is hindered or discouraged by the “alims” (scholars) and
sometimes branded as an innovator, desiring to lead the common people
astray from Islam and orthodoxy. The great and most essential need as far
as the Muslim concerned is to have Islamic education on modern lines
combined with Western education as understood today. The two must be made
complementary to each other if really beneficial results are to be
obtained. Islamic education on the old lines is no longer compatible with
the needs of the present world, nor can Western education alone be of much
help to Muslims other than on the material plane. The former can only end
in stagnation and decay; the later can but lead to spiritual barrenness
and apathy. Serious
Muslim thinkers everywhere today do realize the great need for reform,
rejuvenation and re-adjustment in Islam, going back to first principles
where necessary and starting over all anew. They are convinced that this
can be done for Islam if only Muslim scholars of today adopt the same
freedom of judgment and of investigation as did the Muslim scholars of the
first five or six centuries of Islam. This can only be achieved if Muslims
are given both liberal Western education of the present day. Muslims
all over the world firmly believe that their Qur’an is perfect in all
essentials, which they have in it and in the record of the Prophet’s
sayings and doings, the germs of teaching, capable to be developed or
adapted to meet any new situation that arises facing Islam. This can only
be realized by having Islamic and Western education going hand in hand. About the author: |