“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 by the
pen, He has taught man that which he knew not.” (Quran 96:1-5)
“God will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those
who have been granted knowledge.” (Quran 58:11)
“And be not in haste (O Muhammad) with the Quran before its
revelation is completed to you, and say, “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” (Quran
20:114)
From its inception, Islam has encouraged learning. It fosters
scientific inquiry; open learning circles; the use of community resources; peer
review; problem solving approaches; story telling and free education. The
importance of learning is highlighted by the fact that Prophet Muhammad established
education as an integral part of Islam.
Prophet Muhammad established the first Knowledge
Sessions at Dar’ul Arqam.
He would sit in the mosque after prayers, his companions gathered around him,
teaching them about the foundations of Islam, the importance of morality and
most importantly the Oneness of God. Prophet Muhammad taught the students in
his knowledge sessions verses of Quran and he sent Quran teachers to
communities outside Mecca and Medina.
Memorising and understanding the Quran was, and still is
the most important subject in Islamic education, followed by learning and
memorising the traditions of Prophet Muhammad. These traditions are transmitted
via a chain of narration that guarantees their authenticity, in much the same
way that reference lists and bibliographies are used today to guarantee honesty
in scholarship.
The teachers closely followed the traditions of Prophet
Muhammad, may God praise him. They sat on the ground with their pupils seated
in a semi circle in front of them. Beside the teacher would be his most
trusted and learned student, transcribing all that was said. Education in
Islam grew rapidly from small learning circles to schools attached to mosques.
Within a short time, larger schools and universities began to spring up all
over the Islamic Caliphate.
As the Caliphate expanded, the Prophet’s method of
teaching spread. Gathering and transmitting Quran and Islamic knowledge was
considered a praiseworthy occupation. Kuttabs (learned men) and mu’allams
(teachers) were found in every Islamic city and village. Ibn Hawqal on his
visit to Sicily claimed to have counted about 300 elementary teachers. Jubayr
b. Hayya, who was later to be an official and governor in the early Islamic Caliphate
was a teacher in a school in Taif. Islamic personalities such as al-Hadjadd
and the poet’s al-Kumayt and al-Tirimmah are said to have been schoolmasters.
The most renowned and well-respected scholars considered
it an honour to teach. Ibn Muzahim (d. 723CE ) exegist, traditionist and
grammarian, is said to have had a school in Kufa attended by more than
3000 children. In order to supervise all his pupils he rode up and down
between the rows of children on a mule.
Other subjects began to be added to Islamic education. There
were classes in Islamic manners, Islamic law and jurisprudence, mathematics,
grammar and medicine, agriculture, ethics, civics, economics, and history. The
teachers, their assistants and their students all took education very seriously.
The method of one teacher is described in the following passage.
“He went several times over the passage from the law
book; revised it with the students after they had committed it to memory;
called attention to the divergent rulings of Imams Malik and Abu Hanifa in
particular, and sometimes of others and to the reservations of the text. He
then quoted the proof texts, then he set forth analogous cases in very clear
language, repeating them in different words till they sank into the students
minds.”
The mosques and schools were generally charitable
foundations. Literacy and education was encouraged so vigorously that no pupil
was turned away. Lack of money did not mean lack of education. Remarkable
similarities exist between procedures established in early Islamic institutions
and educational facilities today. There were prizes for proficiency, poetry,
and oratory contests; examinations were conducted, and degrees granted.
A famous educator was Ibn Sina (known in the west
as Avicenna) who was a thinker, doctor, and teacher. In the 10th
century CE, he wrote medical textbooks that were used as primary medical
references for more than 800 years. Ibn Sina developed curriculums and
theories of education able to stand the tests of time.
He emphasized the need for children to learn the Quran,
poetry, devoutness and ethics. But he also did not ignore a child’s need for
play, movement, and diversion.
He thought the overall aim of education was the physical, spiritual, and moral
growth of each individual. He thought of education as a way of preparing
children to make a lasting contribution to their society.
Although unlettered, Prophet Muhammad, may God praise
him, understood the importance of literacy and education. He inspired his
followers to seek knowledge and pass that knowledge on to others. He taught
the importance of memorising Quran and acting upon the knowledge it conveys. He
encouraged his followers to look for the signs of God’s magnificence in the
world around them. To love God one has to know Him, Knowing Him comes by
understanding the splendour of the world He created. Knowledge is the key to
loving our Creator and worshipping Him in the best way.
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