| Right to Education
The Qur'an puts the highest emphasis on the
importance of acquiring knowledge. That knowledge has been at the core of
the Islamic world view from the very beginning.
Sūrah 96: Al-`Alaq: 1-5:
''Proclaim! (or Read) in the name of
thy Lord and Cherisher, who created, created man, out of a (mere) clot of
congealed blood. Proclaim! And the Lord is Most Bountiful He who taught
(the use of) the pen taught man that which he knew not."
Sūrah 39: Az-Zumar: 9
Asking rhetorically if those without knowledge can be equal to those with
knowledge
Sūrah 20: Ta-Ha: 114:
The Qur'an exhorts believers to pray for advancement in knowledge.
The famous prayer of the Prophet Muhammad was "Allah grant me
knowledge of the ultimate nature of things" and one of the best known
of all traditions ("ahadith") is "Seek knowledge even
though it be in China."
Sūrah 9: At-Tawbāh: 122:
"With all this, it is not desirable that all of the believers take
the field (in time of war). From within every group in their midst some
shall refrain from going to war, and shall devote themselves (instead) to
acquiring a deeper knowledge of the Faith, and (thus be able to) teach
their home-coming brethren, so that these (too) might guard themselves
against evil."
According to the Qur'anic perspective, knowledge is a prerequisite for the
creation of a just world in which authentic peace can prevail. The Qur'an
emphasizes the importance of the pursuit of learning even at the time, and
in the midst, of war.
The Prophet (pbuh) encouraged his followers
to seek knowledge through education. Indeed he made it a duty
requiring, like all other religious duties, purity of purpose and
dedication. He said: "Seeking knowledge is a binding duty on every
Muslim".
All scholars agree that the term 'Muslim'
includes both men and women. Indeed many scholars quote this hadith as
"Seeking knowledge is a binding duty on every Muslim, male and
female".
Needless to say, making education a binding
duty ; imposes on every Islamic state an obligation to make education a
requirement of all Muslims, boys and girls, men and women. Indeed it is
part of maarouf God requires all those to whom he gives power to establish
Islamic duties and enjoin what is maarouf (good)"
"Those who, if We establish them firmly on earth, will attend to
their prayers', and give zakat, and enjoin the doing of maarouf."
(Quran 22:41 )
The Prophet (pbuh) said: "People are
of two types: those who are learned and those who are seeking to learn,
all that IS beyond these IS useless".
After the Battle of Badr, when the Muslims
took many prisoners, the Prophet (pbuh) offered freedom to any prisoner
who would teach ten Muslim children to read and write.
He defined the sort of knowledge to be
pursued in the following supplication: "My Lord, I request You to
grant me useful knowledge", and, "My Lord, I appeal to You against any type of knowledge
that is of no use".
He defined the ideal method of gaining
knowledge:
"Knowledge is acquired through learnings."
The Prophet (pbuh) instructed his
companions in this way:
"Teach and make things simple. Make your message easily acceptable
and do not cause people to run away from you".
Sunan Abu Dawood Book 25, Number 3634:
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.
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